84) Like This City Is On Fire Tonight
She didn't need River or Simon to tell her why Zoë and Mal disliked Hera. Everyone, all over the 'verse, knew that Hera was where the Independents had lost. Not because they couldn't hold Serenity Valley, but because their High Command ordered them to surrender.
Knowing what she did of Mal and guessing (correctly) that Zoë was of a similar temperament, she figured they'd rather have lost the battle outright than hold it longer than anyone ever believed only to be forced to surrender. There was no shame in being beaten by a superior force. But giving up?
That went against everything Malcolm Reynolds was.
That being understood she'd blinked at him in confusion when he said to set a course for Hera. "Uh…Mal, you don't like Hera," She reminded him cautiously.
"Well I know that," He took a seat in the co-pilot's chair beside her. "But we got word of a job and we cain't exactly afford to turn it down."
"What kind of job is so good you'd go to Hera?" Carolyn began to chart the course.
"Kind that'll keep our fuel topped off for a good month and more," He spread his hands. "We're robbin' a warehouse. Takin' their payroll an' all the goods we can carry."
"What kind of goods," If she had an idea, she'd be able to scout out possible buyers and Mal knew that very well.
"Seems like its grain and raw cotton," Mal shrugged. "Not much in the way of finished goods on Hera."
"Raw materials," She nodded her understanding. "Pretty sure we can find buyers for that. You takin' the shuttle or the mule?"
"Rick's gonna drive the mule over, River'll fly the shuttle over and land on the roof," Mal leaned back, thinking the plan over she guessed. "She figured to do something, so it doesn't trigger any alarms, then fly it back by remote."
"And all of you in the mule without any of the goods on you," Carolyn smiled. It was a good plan. Even if someone stopped them, they wouldn't have anything that would be cause for arrest.
"Figured to send Jayne and Jack out for groceries, since food is cheaper," The Captain continued. "Stock up as much as we can on non-perishables, maybe see about some fruit or vegetables ain't canned."
"I know Jack's been keeping a list of what we need," The blonde nodded. "She's growin' up pretty fast."
"Her hair growin' out dark and curly, and that pretty face, don't want anything untoward to happen, that's why I figured to send Jayne out with her instead of takin' him on the job," Mal rubbed his chin. "Though I am gonna take Zoë with us."
"Kaylee and Simon don't want to go out," Carolyn wondered.
"No… Doc's never been much of a one for leavin' the boat unless Kaylee's askin' an' Hera don't have much in the way of shoppin' for anything besides food, secondhand goods or raw cotton." Dark blue eyes stared thoughtfully out at the Black. "The finished cloth they've got is mostly homespun, nothin' off world folk'll want to buy."
"Makes sense I suppose," Carolyn nodded. Hera was either farmland or compact cities and towns. For all that they grew half the food that provided for the 'verse, nothing was processed on planet. Raw cotton got turned into cloth, raw oats to flour, etcetera, on other planets. And farming was strictly regulated to preserve the soil. Nobody wanted Hera to turn into Dyton due to neglect or greed. Especially as the planet of Shadow (where the farms had turned out even more than Hera) had been bombed to a black rock as punishment to the Independents.
"So we get as much raw materials as we can, and put the money in with it, send the shuttle back to Serenity," He rubbed his chin as he considered. "Might be worth it to have Jack and Jayne stay with the ship to unload the shuttle, see if we can get two loads, have them go out after the shuttle leaves again."
"Has possibilities," River's quiet voice directly behind them made both Carolyn and Mal startle in their seats. "She has already manufactured a cheat for the cameras on the streets."
"That's somethin' I don't really understand," Carolyn frowned. "Why would they have the warehouses so far from the docks?"
"Ease of import," River shrugged. "Farms bring in the harvest, crops growing year-round, and the warehouses is at the edge of town on land that is less fertile. Same with the docks. Mostly rock and sand under the cities."
"That's why the cities are so gorram tall," Mal agreed. "Hera's people all live in the cities or towns, go out to work the farms on the commuter shuttles or trains. They don't want to take up valuable real estate with houses. Only a few barns for farming equipment and even those are set to take as little land as possible."
"Monkey taught to say the word 'monkey', lead story on thirty-two planets. But the slum riots on Hera, not a word do we hear," River murmured and Mal looked back at her.
"You come across somethin' troublesome with all your lookin' around," He frowned.
River shrugged slightly, "Unrest. People starve in the land of plenty."
"Wish I could say I found that surprising," Carolyn shook her head.
"We'll have to step soft," Mal commented. When River gave him a look he amended his words, "Softer I mean."
"Dunno if Rick and River can walk much softer without floating," The blonde gave the dark-haired girl a wink and got a grin in return.
"Depending on time and positioning of goods, it is possible to send the shuttle to the warehouse and back, three times," River informed Mal. "But Kaylee, Simon and Carolyn will be required to top off the fuel and help unload along with Jack and Jayne before they go on their errands."
"Sounds doable," Carolyn nodded. "You figure by the second trip back it'll be low?"
"Enough to get to the warehouse again but not enough to return," River agreed. "Top off the tanks while goods are unloaded."
"Show me how you've got it set up," Carolyn suggested. "So, we don't worry about getting stuck in the shuttle."
River grinned, "Very simple, but yes. Reluctant passengers should be avoided."
"He just had to say it," River grumbled from behind him. "Just had to tempt fate."
Mal was doing his best to ignore the very annoyed Reader in the backseat. Hard enough to navigate the streets. Zoë and Rick were keeping an eye out for Jayne and Jack, since right before the comms had cut off, they'd heard those two had gone out for supplies.
All hell had broken loose shortly thereafter. The comms weren't even the half of it.
"All private communications are silenced to better allow for lawmen to communicate," River commented right after Carolyn's voice had been cut off.
"Lawmen," Zoë hadn't looked alarmed, in fact he doubted anyone who didn't know her as well as he did would even hear that little thread of 'I am both disturbed and displeased by this bit of news' in his First Mate's voice.
"Civil unrest is very uncivil," River had offered in reply and Rick had muttered curses under his breath.
They had at least gotten the job done, three loads of materials plus the contents of the strongbox and safe hauled away in the remote-controlled shuttle. They hadn't even needed lights thanks to the shine jobs. He'd had his doubts about the surgery beforehand but more and more he was glad they hadn't sold off the supplies that made the surgeries possible. Navigating in the dark was a thousand times easier and he was still adjusting to his new visual abilities.
"Can you give me a little bit more about the unrest part," Mal asked as he was forced to halt the mule again due to a crowd (a not very kindly crowd) of folk swarming the street.
"Laborers starve in the land of plenty," River said in a flat unhappy voice. "Sickness breeds in slums. Pack people in like sardines in a can and influenza takes entire buildings before it can be treated."
"Where," Zoë. Always with the pertinent questions, his First Mate.
"There is no way around, only through," Disquiet crept up Mal's spine as he heard that.
"It's gonna be slow going," He looked back at Rick. "Out of all of us, she looks most Core. Keep a sharp eye."
"You got it," Rick nodded, his eyes already on the area around them. It wasn't unheard of for rioters to swarm mules or land shuttles and pull the passengers out to pay for whatever injustices said rioters were rioting against. Mal found himself grateful that Simon was safely inside the ship. Anyone who looked and sounded as Core as the Doc was in twice the amount of peril.
River, slender and delicate looking as she was, coupled with pale skin looked just as Core as her brother, though her clothing combatted that some. Not many Core ladies wore cargo pants, assorted weapons, and tee shirts with a sandwich shop logo over another long-sleeved tee shirt.
They were moving along, though at a crawl, when the attempt on River was made. Someone in the crowd on the street took exception to her looks. The streetlights, even half broken, gave off just enough illumination that her pale skin was obvious. Mal guessed that with so much of the mob around them, all of them angry and uncaring of who they hurt, it wasn't easy for River to narrow down who was planning to attack her.
A hard yank on her arm and shirt might have pulled a different woman off the mule. As it was the whole side of the vehicle dipped with the added weight for a moment or two and Mal cursed as he nearly plowed into a building thanks to the unbalance.
"Gorram wángbā dàn de biǎo zi," Rick cursed and Mal heard several meaty thumps behind him. "Let go of her or I'll gut you!"
He'd never thought he'd have cause to be grateful for lawmen, but the Purplebellies that were swarming the street from behind and in front of them were a welcome sight.
"Rick, avoid killin' anyone if you can," Zoë cautioned even as she leaned over the side of the mule to kick a would be looter/kidnapper/(whatever) in the face.
River's elegant voice had gone low and mean, cursing a blue streak as Mal heard fabric ripping, "Bèn tiānshēng de yī duī ròu."
The shouting from the Purplebellies clashed with the hollering of the mob and Mal did his best to get the mule out of the mess. His efforts had some measure of success, but they were still closer to the rioting than he found comfortable. The little cul-de sac/market square had alleys branching off it, but it'd be a tight squeeze to get the mule through any of them but the largest, which led directly into the slums.
He glanced behind him and saw Rick with his arm wrapped around River's shoulders, carefully examining her face which Mal could tell would have quite the bruise over her jaw and cheekbone. The sleeve of her shirt (both shirts) had torn from the shoulder at the seam, attached by maybe an inch of fabric and thread. "Hate to admit it," He frowned. "But I got no clue where we can go to keep our heads down until this blows over."
"More of the lawmen come," River told him. "Go towards them," She pointed back the way they'd come and Mal sighed but put the mule in gear and headed in the appropriate direction. What'n the name of the dear and fluffy lord he'd tell the lawmen when they met, he had no clue. And what cops would think of four people with eye shines, one of 'em obviously not from Deadwood, he had no idea.
"Family, came to resupply with cheap foodstuffs, caught in the mob. Streetlights give enough illumination that shine jobs are not obvious," River answered his unspoken question. And just in time too. They were approaching Purplebellies on hogs, helmets, shock-sticks, big sonic guns and all. Mal spared a half moment to be grateful they weren't carrying any contraband. Guns were perfectly legal, especially as theirs were in their holsters, except for Zoë's mare's leg.
"You're out past the established curfew," The lead Purplebelly informed them in a flat annoyed tone.
"We ain't from here," Mal did his best to keep his tone reasonable. "Hoped to resupply on the cheap, but the market's shut down and then..."
The lawman's eyes went from Mal's to Zoë and then to Rick and River in the backseat, "Ran into some trouble I take it."
"The rioters took exception to my Navigator's skin," Mal nodded. "Luckily my Pilot back there's pretty fond of his liàn rén and don't take kindly to folks trying to snatch her up and beat on her."
"Just wish I'd hit 'em harder," Rick's anger wasn't faked. "They sure tā mā de deserved it."
"Ya'll docked at the ports?" The Purplebelly's tone began to skew towards sympathetic and Mal nodded. "I can't spare any men to escort you but if you go three city blocks down in this same direction, then make a hard left, the backroads'll take you out of the city proper and around to the docks. It'll take you longer but it's a safer route."
"There ain't been any news of anyone else gettin' caught up in this mess that ain't from Hera," Rick asked as if something had just occurred to him. Zoë gave him an inquiring look and the big man continued, "Remember, Jack and Jayne were gonna hit the other market, it had secondhand shops close by."
"Had word of some big gǒu niáng yǎng de beating the hell out of more'n half a dozen men who'd grabbed a girl," One of the other purplebellies was checking his hog's screen. "Close to that part of town. He didn't kill all of them but more than a few of 'em'll need a hospital."
"He in jail," Mal hated to ask and dreaded the answer.
"We don't put big brothers in jail for keeping their sisters from getting gang raped by a mob," The lead Purplebelly shook his head and glanced down, apparently skimming the same report. "Looks like the two of them were cleared. No contraband. My men couldn't give them an escort back to the docks, but they gave them directions and had central keep an eye on the street cameras. They got back to their ship, no other incidents." That got all of them sighing in relief and the man gave them a half smile, "Sorry your visit's been so...eventful. I'll send a wave to your boat, let them know you're taking the long way back but that you're all right."
"Thank you," River's elegant Core voice flowed like water through the air. "Lieutenant?"
"Lieutenant Rayne ma'am," The man nearly snapped a salute. "It's a pleasure. That's why we're here." His comms squawked something unintelligible (at least to Mal's ears) and he stiffened, turning to look back at his dozen men. "We've got reports of fires being set. Send word we'll need hoses and the suppression squads at the ready and everyone report to quadrant eight five." He gave them a sharp but polite nod, "You take care and if you hear a mob like earlier, take off. You can always stop at one of the stationhouses if you need directions back to the docks. Riots like this don't ever seem to hurt any who could use the lesson."
Mal nodded and watched as the Purplebellies took off with a roar of the hogs' engines headed for wherever quadrant eight five might be.
"That was interesting," Zoë commented as he started the mule again and began to take the Lieutenant's advice.
"First time I've ever run into a helpful lawman," Rick agreed.
"Let's hope the trend continues," Mal frowned as he drove. "I'm starting to find this planet very uninviting."
"You ain't the only one," Rick agreed.
Author's Note: So I recalled Mr Universe mentioning the slum riots on Hera and thought that Mal and Co would definitely have the bad luck of getting caught up in one. Now the question is, what happened to Jack and Jayne?
Chinese Translations:
wángbā dàn de biǎo zi (whore's bastard/son of a bitch(insult))
Bèn tiānshēng de yī duī ròu (stupid inbred sack of meat/a bunch of meat that's stupid)
liàn rén (lover / sweetheart)
tā mā de (damn it! / fucking) (taboo curse)
big gǒu niáng yǎng de (son of a bitch (lit. "raised by a dog mother"))