(65) Are We Just Sinking In An Ocean Of Faces
Carolyn took a deep breath and looked back at the rest of their 'merc crew'. She was piloting and Riddick had worked with her enough that no matter how she disliked it, she could use a gun. Enough that her wearing one didn't look entirely unnatural at least.
To that end she wore a gun belt, the holster strapped to her lower thigh to keep it from moving. River had helped her put it on, made her wear it around the boat until Carolyn had gotten used to the way the gun handle rubbed against her when she walked. She hadn't seen many people wear a gun belt like this, the holster set on her left leg and angled so she could reach it with her right hand and pull the gun out.
River had assured her that it was a good position, and Riddick had nodded his agreement. "Makes it easier for you," He explained. "You put your hand on your stomach, spread your fingers down and you feel the grip pressed against your belly. You know exactly where the grip is."
River didn't wear her guns like that and neither did the burly goatee wearing man who everyone called Jayne. They'd practiced with the different names though, Shazza and Zeke Montgomery and Lorraine Williams. The idents looked good enough to fool a Fed and from what River and Riddick said, prison guards and wardens weren't near as smart as Feds.
"River, we good?" Carolyn inquired as she took her seat in the pilot's chair of the shuttle. Everyone knew that shuttles like these were part of a bigger ship. It was coded into their ident chips. But belonging to Serenity was as good as shouting 'prison break' or as River said with a grin, 'daring exfiltration about to occur'.
River had come up with what she called a skin, a mask, for Serenity, close to what she'd done when they'd had to take Zoë to the hospital only a bit more thorough since she and Kaylee had more time to develop it. The little ladybug shuttle read as belonging to an Ought-two Firefly called Shalimar which was docked at the Liverpool Dyton colony space port. Luckily, the shuttles hadn't changed much in design from the Ought-two to the Ought-three so it was likely no one would catch on to the charade.
"The false face is engaged," River nodded from her seat beside her. She looked about five years younger than her actual age. Hair tumbled around her face and down her back, a too large men's shirt over leggings and clunky combat boots. She wore a scarf as a belt over the shirt and Carolyn had seen her hiding knives all over her body, including under that scarf.
It had been a little funny actually, when River came out of her room looking about thirteen and helpless as a kitten in a dog pound. Riddick had taken one look, blinked and looked again, and shaken his head. "That's a little disturbing," He admitted. "You don't even walk like an adult."
Jayne had simply shrugged, and Carolyn guessed he was used to it, "Don't make her any less dangerous." He eyed River, "How many knives you got under that?"
"Five," She shrugged. "He carries enough weaponry for everyone."
"I get excitable as to choice," Jayne explained when Carolyn had looked at him. "Ain't got any of my grenades though, so let's hope we don't need 'em."
"Shouldn't," Riddick shook his head. "Everyone know what to expect?"
They did but just for the sake of being thorough they'd gone over it again before they left Serenity.
"We leave the space port and wave the Slam," Carolyn began. "Tell them we've got a bounty."
"They'll want to know who it is, and they'll want proof," Riddick had told them when they first discussed the logistics. "So, you'll need to position me somewhere they can get an eyeful from the cortex screens on the console."
"Got overhead beams, O-rings set into 'em solid," Jayne recalled. "We cuff you to one of them, should put you in their sights." Carolyn glanced at him curiously and the big man shrugged, "Kaylee an' me, we put 'em in so when we got cargo, we could lash it down from a coupla angles. Keep it from shiftin'."
"I expect they'll work just fine," Mal commented as he sipped from his mug. "Kaylee an' Simon'll take Zoë's shuttle and drop the crate of supplies. How far out do you want 'em though?"
"The naked human eye can see three miles before distinction of detail is lost to the horizon," River informed them. "With Alliance issue binoculars, double the distance. Eight miles is safe." She brought up a topographical map of the prison and surrounding dessert. "Landmarks," She pointed at the prison. "Due west, into the setting sun, so as to confuse the eyes of the guards. Rocky outcroppings, protruding from the sand."
"Looks like a mountain range got buried in a sandstorm," Riddick commented as he looked it over. "Head straight for that?"
"Crate of supplies waiting," River nodded. "Will supply precise coordinates to Kaylee and Simon."
"Make sure that autopilot is working perfect," Mal ordered. "Neither of them can fly and they'll need to concentrate on getting the crate out."
"Ten to fifteen feet off the ground to account for dunes and valleys of sand," River nodded and noted something on her cortex. "You will be able to follow their progress."
"So, we get to the crate, the gear in it, and keep walking in that direction," Riddick confirmed, and River nodded.
"Tracker will help lead them to the crate, open it, and continue moving forward," She agreed.
"You get to the base of those mountains and the transponder from the crate will let us know," The Captain nodded. "We'll bring the shuttle out when we see you're close, Serenity would attract too much attention."
"Even the most yú bèn de of slam guards would likely notice her," Riddick agreed.
"We'll scoop you up and discretely return to Serenity," Mal spread his hands. "And since by then we'll have cargo loaded on, we will leave Dyton colony behind."
"Got cargo lined up already," Jayne wanted to know, and Carolyn was interested in the answer herself.
"Got a line on some, ready in a day or so after we land," Mal nodded.
"Don't wish to look as if we have no reason to be on planet," River shrugged. "Cargo is a good excuse."
"Dyton's in the market for foodstuffs too, so we're pickin' somethin' up on Harvest, make it look like we've got more'n one reason to be dirtside," The Captain explained.
"Once we're cleared to land, you'll be met by some guards," Riddick had continued. "If they're smart, they'll make you all step out while they verify who I am with a scan of some sort."
"And if they ain't too smart?" Jayne had asked curiously.
"They'll have you bring me out yourselves," Riddick smirked. "But once you give 'em my name and they do a scan, doubt they'll be that chī shǎ."
"An' after they take you off the shuttle?" The Captain asked thoughtfully. "How long before they're throwin' you in with the rest?"
"There's always 'processing'. That can take half a day or longer, depends on how organized and prepared the wardens actually are," Riddick rolled his eyes. "They'll try to bargain you down. Don't let 'em. I know for a fact that Johns was gonna get seven hundred thousand for me. He was guild and they tend to get preferential treatment so you can get at least six hundred fifty." He looked at them, "You'll need to talk fast to explain exactly how you caught me."
Carolyn rubbed the back of her neck, "And kept you caught, since you have a habit of escaping."
River shrugged, "Known weakness for children. Carolyn to play the honey pot, also trying to protect the child. Jayne with a large gun and horse tranquilizers."
"Could work," Jayne nodded. "We keep you doped up…leastways we say we did…"
"Move a bit more slowly, as if in a fog," River half smiled her agreement. "And perhaps the guards will become sloppy."
"It's possible," Riddick looked at Carolyn. "We 'bout ready?"
Carolyn had nodded, ticking the items off her fingers, "Shackles, ident cards, and River and Kaylee got their genius ship disguise ready."
"Jayne," Simon had thrown the blue-eyed man a bottle. "Tranquilizers. Strongest on the market. They're made for steers. If anyone asks you what you shot him up with. Show them that."
Jayne had grinned and tucked it in his pocket. He'd already made some specialized darts that fit the gun he cheerfully (and a little psychotically) referred to as 'Vera'.
Carolyn glanced at River again and got a nod, "Wave sent and acknowledged received." She called back to Jayne in a quiet voice. The big gunhand was sitting in view of the screens, just behind where Riddick was shackled to the O-ring in the ceiling, his gun very obviously pointed at Riddick's back. He wasn't within reach of the convict's legs, which was an extremely sensible precaution to take honestly. Even if he didn't know what Riddick was capable of.
"Ladybug One, this is Dyton penal colony base, state the reason for your encroachment upon restricted airspace," The surly voice from the communicator wasn't the least big encouraging.
"Dyton Base, we have a prisoner to surrender for bounty," Carolyn hoped she looked less nervous than she felt.
River pulled her feet up onto the chair and wrapped her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. She instantly looked even younger, sweet and scared as the cortex screen flickered on. The face on screen could only be described as florid, topped with a blue cap that attempted the crisp look of Fed grey but only succeeded in looking rumpled. "Name of prisoner?"
"Riddick, Richard B," Carolyn didn't bother to hide the tremor in her voice. "He's…" She turned her chair to give the cortex viewscreen an unobstructed sightline to Riddick's position cuffed to the overhead beam.
"Mā lege bā zi," The piggy eyes went wide. "Scanning for preliminary identification."
"Acknowledged," Carolyn responded. "We'll wait on your scan." Another few minutes of tension while they neared the main building of the slam.
"Ladybug One you have permission to land," The sweaty face on the console screen informed them. "Once you've landed, remain in the shuttle, open the doors and stow any weapons."
"Uh," Carolyn frowned. "My man's got his Callahan aimed at Riddick's back. Really rather not put that away until ya'll have the prisoner in your custody."
There was some muttered discussion, she could hear the word 'cautious', 'stupid' and 'civilian' thrown around and a different face appeared on screen. "This's Warden Garner, am I to understand you have Riddick at gunpoint? Isn't the man chained up?"
Carolyn gestured towards Riddick, "Look, we only caught him by the skin of our teeth and until he's yours he's still our problem. Have you seen him? Get an in person look and you'll get why nobody here is comfortable taking a gun off him for a half minute even if he is shackled."
"Very well," Garner heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Land in zone three and open the shuttle doors. By all means, keep your guns on him but once my men have Riddick in their sights your weapons had better get stowed right quick. Let's not have any friendly fire incidents."
Carolyn nodded, "Landing in zone three." It was only a few more minutes and the beacon flashed a bright green, easy to see in the midst of the yellowish-brown dirt/dust/sand and the grey concrete and steel of the prison." Absently she wondered what would have happened if they'd flown over the prison without permission to land. Probably gotten landlocked the minute they touched down.
"Here we go," Riddick muttered as the double doors to the main building opened. Carolyn watched as no less than a dozen guards streamed out, surrounding the shuttle as she opened the doors.
"Hey Riddick," She turned to look at him, her voice low.
"Yeah?" He glanced at her with a tilt of his head.
"Welcome to the human race," She winked at him before she shut the shuttle down completely.
Author's Note: So in my mind, this is where Riddick kind of completes his character arc of going from someone who doesn't care about anyone but himself (at least that he'll admit) to a man who's willing to risk his life to save someone else. In canon he did that for Jack, going to Crematoria but since we're ignoring every movie but Pitch Black, he's kinda completing that arc here. Now the question is, what will the consequences be?
Chinese Translations:
yú bèn de (stupid)
chī shǎ (stupid / foolish)
Mā lege bā zi (fuck! / motherfucker! / fucking)