serenity story for Charlie - final part
Nov. 12th, 2008 07:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wytchcroftIndependently Blue:
this fic is inspired by characters and situations created by joss whedon, tim minear and brett matthews, i have no claim or copyright on this material. PG-13 - final part
"Is that beautiful?" the robot woman asked.
Inara had pulled the shuttle into a slow dive towards an Atmo entry window but already the craft was beginning to skim the clouds like a stone bouncing across the calm water of a lake.
The cockpit windows were reacting to the light, the vivid glow of the land below; its sparkling blues and verdant green, the hundred coloured ribbons flying from the turrets of their destination. The luxurious tint of the brick work and wood.
"Yes," said Inara, "that is beautiful."
Lenore nodded from her passenger seat. "Information updated - adding to comparisons database."
Beautiful.
Inara's fingers had nearly slipped from the control sticks as the world unrolled below like a luxurious carpet leading up to the Training House
She was squinting as the shuttle tipped over and yawed into a parking angle, passing across the Training House and curving in towards the landing point. It was so bright. And so... real - Inara could almost feel the sun directly, could almost taste the rush of ozone fresh off the mountains, her skin felt suddenly itchy as if remembering the touch of the cool streams and waterfalls where she had loved to bathe and swim.
Beautiful?
It was paradise.
As the shuttle nosed into the final descent towards the landing square cut into a hillside, Inara was sure that the gates would be locked against them.
.............................................................
"Locked!" Stood on the landing, Mal kicked the door at the top of the stairs in frustration and unleashed a vitriolic stream of Chinese cuss-words as though they might burn their way through the stubborn portal. It did no good.
Jayne needed no encouragement - with a yell he stomped full hard against the hinges - there was a nasty sounding crack. "One more," he said hoarsely.
But that would be one too many - as from the stairwell poured a sudden rush of men, armed men and mostly wearing purple. Jayne did the math quick and raised his hands. Mal couldn't, he was holding Inara who was still out cold, but he stopped and pulled an unhappy we surrender face.
................................................
It was a good thing the girl weighed so little the man in the lab coat had thought as he hoisted her across his shoulders like a steer. And he thought it again as, after fumbling with the door seal, he dropped her, none to gently, onto the couch in the tiny room that served as the scientists' lounge here in the heart of the hidden laboratory, under the roil soaked soil of Scudder518aa54C.
I should've called for a guard, he thought as well, lifting and dumping - that's their job. But, he didn't like the guards all that much - the men in blue saw him as a runt, a nerd, a freak as much as any of the inmates, he knew that. And he knew too, even he knew, that most of all of the men had dashed off earlier for some sort of monotony breaking super-brawl, the details of which had gone in one of his ears and straight out the other.
The boys wanna fight? Let them - no interest to me.
But she - this girl - THE River Tam... well he wasn't sure what method might best suit the quantification of his interest but he knew the result anyhow. And it was Win for him and the girl. Girl - small word - wrong word... he should... subject, yes that was right - it was Win for him and the 'subject'. What would she be now? Number 9, yes - since that business with the - and 9 had to be put down.
So, hello new number 9. And Huxley can kiss my soon to be promoted ass. Number 9 meet MR Huxley, yes that's right MR Huxley - oh a Doctor? Well, I suppose he is - but that would be me in fact; Dr Wilder, and believe me I am...
He was staring down at the girl, the lank hair half covering her pale oval face, the flush of red above her bosom which was rising and falling steadily beneath the opaque half-covering of her vest.
...Or at least I can be, Wilder that is.
He leant down and brushed a thick lock from of the side of her cheek.
And the thin steely hand that choked the breath from him came fast and hard and out of nowhere.
"Wilder..." River's voice was a white heat of anger, it blasted him. "You want wilder?"
"No - no," gurgled the confused man in sudden terror, "I -"
"Tell it to number 9!"
And River's arm lashed out and up and the scientist crashed back into a hard metallic cabinet and down to the floor. There was a roaring in his ears now - but was that his blood? The girl? Oh God, the inmates!
"W-wait I -"
But River didn't wait - a combat booted toe kicked him into silence.
....................................................
Inara had been sure that the gates would be locked against them.
But they weren't. Even as she set foot on the landing ramp, feeling her stomach tighten, thinking what have I done - coming back here, after everything, just breezing in and with nothing to offer but a sleazy LoveBot(tm) - as she paused to let her eyes adjust to the wonderful daylight, there they were, girls, peering with wild hope and against all the fear and damage and throwing rose petals and waving sticks of incense and -
Sheydra there at the head of the welcoming group, her arms wide and then holding her, just holding her as Inara wept openly. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." and hushing her and stroking her hair and having nothing to offer herself but love. Just love.
......................................................
"Well," Jayne had his grump on and good, twisting the cuffs he was wearing, there were livid red marks forming under the clasp of the iron where his wrists poked out from the green of his army jacket, he looked across sourly at Mal, "that's another fine job gone s-"
"Don't say it," Mal cut in quickly, "Mighty tired of hearing that word."
"Tired of sayin' it," Jayne growled. He leant forward and spoke to one of the guards. "Where we going anyhow?"
"Down the road apiece." Was the response.
"Down?"
"Uh huh."
"As in South?"
"South."
"South Mal, how 'bout that?"
But Mal wasn't listening anymore, he had heard a groan from the woman in his arms and he wasn't doing anything now but feeling the smooth shoulder under his palm - and the warmth of it, of her.
Stay warm, he was thinking, stay warm...
He could hear rain now glancing off the top of the transport, the light dwindling as the rickety machine trundled its way down into the valley. The way a bleak looking building up ahead - with only a couple of lights visible, despite the gloom, the place looked abandoned already.
.........................................
The transport come paddy-wagon slowed to a halt just inside the side entrance. "You fellas don't go in the front?" Mal had asked with ersatz outrage. "Seems kind of shabby."
No/one had answered, discounting grunts and grumbles and - hell, that was probably Jayne.
Two guards sloped from the shadows up to the sides of the vehicle as its doors opened with a reluctant hydraulic hiss. The driver got to his feet slapping at his lap with his gloved hands. "Rodgers was right," he spat angrily, "this piece of crap carthorse leaks!"
The nearest of the two gate guards nodded. "Leaks everywhere," she said, "it's a damn shame."
Too cold, too tired, too hung-over and too underpaid to give much of a good gorram anyway - the driver was way too slow in reacting. Zoe whisked his weapons and his legs away and left him in the dirt. She pointed his gun at the others, who raised sullen hands. One or two made half hearted movements towards their holsters but seeing the gleeful anticipation in Cobb's eyes they gave up. Zoe looked disgusted. "My, this must be The Sorry Bunch of which we all have heard and been so mightily afeared." She pointed now towards the wall and the hapless troopers jostled their way to it.
Mal was glad to stretch his legs as the door next to him opened and the other faux-guard peered in. "Capt'n?" Kaylee jingled what Mal took to be a skeleton key of some sort and he held out his cuffed wrists. "Aren't you a little short for a purple belly?" he asked.
"Sir yes sir!" Kaylee piped back from under her over-size troopers' helmet.
.........................................
For a moment Simon had thought it had all gone wrong - that he had betrayed his sister into the hands of - and that was... and his mind froze. But then his sister had risen and he knew the safe-word she had been training to overcome was indeed no longer effective. One eye still on the screen he was ripping open a med-kit and starting to unfurl one of the blankets. There would be little time once the prisoners were freed, if they COULD be freed - and they were likely to be walking wounded, befuddled and damaged as River had once been.
The girl in question was stood with her head cocked - listening or sensing or, Simon couldn't tell, but she seemed to know because with a snap she was back beside the fallen scientist and rooting through his pockets.
He caught a glimmer of plastic in her hand, ID card. She stepped across to what was almost a turnstile, and inserted the thing.
There was a beep from his laptop and data began to scroll across the monitor. Bless you Kaylee, when that had been stood together in the rain as Kaylee lashed a device to the exterior junction box and cut several wires, as the rain went down their collars and Zoe stood by tense and dangerous, he had been certain it would not work. He was happy to be wrong. There was another beep as the card River used triggered a verification request. Simon tapped in an override that Kaylee had promised would work and the data ceased. There was a final beep - and Simon could see River stepping back in readiness as the inner door locks began to open.
Turning his attention deliberately back to the kit, he pushed away the nagging fear of just what River might find inside.
.........................................
"Here Sir," Zoe said to Mal, "didn't think it would come in handy so quick but..." she passed him a capsule. "Pick me up?" Mal asked as he cracked it under Inara's nose. "So the Doc' says." Zoe replied.
Inara stirred, tear drops leaking from the corner of her eyes. There was a groan, near inaudible but... "Ok," said Mal. "Shiny. And this isn't me and I'm not doing this and if anyone asks - it was you."
"Sir?"
Mal slapped Inara hard across the face. "Wake up gorramit!" he hissed.
Colour flooded into her cheeks and her eyelids fluttered, another groan, then Inara sagged again. Mal swore. "I don't wanna..." he sighed, closing his own eyes wearily, "we haven't got time for..."
Another loud slap made him start - and his eyes snapped open at once.
"That wasn't me Sir," said Zoe, "and if anyone asks I'm not here and if anyone asks, it was Jayne."
Mal grinned.
"Hell I don't mind," Jayne barked from behind them.
Inara was groaning again now and slowly, slowly a hand came up to touch her cheek. "Wha?"
"Get them peepers open 'Nara, now aint the time for..."
She opened her eyes, gazing up at Mal foggily. "Mal? My... face.. I..."
"Later 'Nara," Mal said urgently, "things are moving."
"Yes," the woman agreed the woman thickly, "they are."
There was a buzz and Mal grabbed his comm. "Doc?"
"Hurry up Captain -" Simon mirrored Reynolds impatience. "River's on the inside, she needs help - and the alarms are going to go anytime now."
"I thought Kaylee fixed that?"
Kaylee answered for herself. "Hell, Capt'n I re-routed them all - but sooner or later they gotta come on."
"Sooner or later?" Mal was furious. "How soon? When later?"
Kaylee shrugged, "Can't say for sure - we got ourselves a little time yet."
"Why didn't you...?"
"Aww c'mon Captn, I don't know exactly - all I woulda done is confuse things up some more - and like they aint enough already?"
Mal bit down on his anger, it wasn't Kaylee and he knew it. "Ok," he said, "let's get moving then - best pick up the pace. Simon - you guiding us in?"
Simon gave an affirmative.
"At last," Jayne chimed in.
"Not you Jayne. I want you here with the car - and keeping an eye on them fellas." He waved at the staggered line of guards."
Jayne wasn't happy, "well can I hurt 'em maybe a little?"
"No."
"Gorram it Mal, I aint no watch dog."
But Zoe had already stepped on and Reynolds was moving forward now too, he had grabbed Inara's hand without even realising and she stumbled along beside him, still blinking, still drawing a bead on just what the run-tse duh hoe-tze go-se was going on.
And that was when the alarms went off.
.........................................
River had stood silent as she gazed into the first of the glass cages - her body just stopped. Her toes locked, her fingers clawed in and her she.... stopped. Only her eyes had motion following the thing inside as it hopped and shuffled. She was going to let it out, I'm going to release - my hand is going to... and I'm opening the cages and -
she didn't move.
Just watched - just looked in as the thing looked out - and they were eye to eye at the glass.
Then she'd heard a noise from back behind the door and spinning she saw a man framed in the entrance of the lounge, the scientist that had passed her earlier. He too seemed frozen - couldn't take her in all at once, but then his hand dropped to his side and the communicator on his belt.
That did it, River jumped back and turning grabbed the main emergency release lever, yanking it up.
"We got a breech! " She could hear the man yelling. "Purge the tanks - purge the tanks!!"
The lights cut to red as the claxons rose in volume, River could feel the hum of some new machinery down under the metal floor plates. She looked aback - the man had moved to the turnstile, a crazed look in his eye and even as she knew what he was going to do it was too late. The floor under her feet crackled with vicious electric blue fire and she was thrown back against the wall, screaming - she was screaming - the things in the cages were screaming too, screaming with her, they were screaming together, one scream.
The scientist laughed. "Like that huh? You do? Let's see how far you get now!" A voice of pure panic.
But once was enough - some part of her, almost separate, but always active - somewhere on the inside, some part knew the timing and the direction of the charge and when the switch came down again she was zig zagging away and jumping up to grab an insulated strut above.
"Purge the tanks!"
There was an ominous hiss and twisting around the dangling River could see the cage she'd looked in - the glass had turned an evil looking smoky green. Glancing down she could see the same thing happening in the cage she was nearest to. They were going through the tanks one by one, even as the doors were opening. She could see a dark shape stumbling forward, could hear an agonised sound from a throat and then it blundered past her blindly towards the exit.
There was another blast of blue fire and the thing went down just by the entrance, crawled for a moment then stopped.
That was enough, River twisted herself around again and began to monkey swing along the length of the tunnel. Dropping at one point and only just dodging another deadly shock.
Another figure brushed past her clawing and coughing and smoldering.
The scientist was continuing to laugh, openly hysterical now.
Rounding a curve River could see a narrow band of plastic strip - some sort of safeguard - relieved she dropped onto it and hurtled away t the furthest cage, hoping that maybe just maybe the gas hadn't reached it yet.
How much have I breathed in? How much, Simon?
When she made it to the cage, she didn't even look at the slumped figure, just grabbed it and started to drag.
No shocks.
Dragging and dragging and crawling and stumbling and grabbing and dragging and coughing and falling and crawling and dragging and who did what and when was just a haze and
no shocks
they rounded the curve and River new why the floor hadn't triggered. A glass seal had come down at the end so that now the tunnel itself was filling with gas and beyond the glass the scientist had
stopped
had been stopped.
Zoe. Zoe had stopped him.
But now she had stopped herself, just staring down at the face of the creatures by the door and then up and coldly through the glass at River and the
Reaver. River felt the word in Zoe's mind - it hit her, it hurt her, it hurt. And Zoe wouldn't stop thinking it, wouldn't stop, wouldn't -
"Stop!" River screamed pounding her small fists against the glass. "Stop! Just - stop!" Her voice broke into pieces and he flailing beame weaker. "Please" she mouthed the word.. "Please..."
She slumped again, her legs going, she began to slide down, keeping her eyes on Zoe desperately. She could hear the Reaver beside her roaring in distress but then went deaf and soon she would be blind and then she would -
With a strangled bellow Zoe spun on her boot heels and smashed her rife butt through the emergency glass and onto the button inside. The reaction was immediate - the lurid red lighting cleared to normal and they could hear the hiss of a sprinkler system in operation. Then there was the noise of the door seal coming open. A strong woman's hands lifting her up and out and the Reaver too, River would not let go of him. Him, she knew it now.
And then as she lay on her back gulping down the cleaner air Simon Tam came running in to the lounge.
"River!" he yelled. His sister had slumped to her knees.
"Dying... she moaned ".... dyin'.."
"River!" He was at her side now with the kit already open. But with an odd angular movement her head came up and she sobbed, "not me - not me! Them - in there!" a long arm and finger pointing back towards the tanks.
Simon looked up at the rigid figure of Zoe. The woman did nothing for a moment then gave a forced nod.
Above them, Mal and Inara staggered in.
Seeing River on the floor with Simon desperately ministering from the med-kit they both stumbled across. "Doc'," Mal said, "is she -"
and then something knocked him down and with a roar the fallen Reaver was on its feet, flailing and threshing. Zoe's gun came up but he knocked her down too, still raging - and then he turned with a screech to the one persona still standing and that was
Inara - and their eyes locked - two sets of dark, confused eyes, squinting and blinking under dark curls of hair.
And then as one they both went down.
.........................................
"So, that really him?" Mal asked the question, a long while later and really just to get some words out and into the air between them, between Inara and him, here and now and in her room.
"Yes Mal, really is. My brother the Reaver."
She turned back to the mirror and wiped her face again.
Mal tried a more earnest approach. "How did it - were you ok in there?"
"No," Inara said truthfully, "but he was. Surprisingly." She was glad of the flannel, it muffled the tone of her voice. She remembered the struggle - the screaming - a vague sense that there had been furious quarrels - but all could see clearly were her brother's eyes - after she had rammed home the needle.
"Huh." Mal considered this. "He knows you then..."
"No, not really - " She turned in her chair towards him, one hand flat on her knee, the other placing the flannel back with gentle firmness. "Actually yes," she said, "I think he does - on some level and for now. The memory enhancer - helped. But..." she faltered for an instant then, "and Simon seems to think the Underground might have access to, I mean we could get some more..."
"Pax. That's what it is right?"
"Yes. Pretty much. Pax." Neither one of them liked saying that word.
"And they have... facilities," Inara continued. "Remember the Reaver boy on Independence."
"I aint like to forget." Mal recalled those dark events only too well.
"Well, it's like that. There'll be people to... and it will take time but... people to..."
From a cage to a cage. Suddenly she could not go on. "It's my brother, Mal."
Family, kin. It was funny how everything on this boat seemed to come around back to that. Funny. Except it wasn't.
"Anything we can do mean times?"
"I don't know - Simon, well he's - doing the best he can right now."
..."I'm grateful Simon, truly," she'd said as they had stood together looking through the glass of the med-bay at the sullen figure of the young man within, his dark hair hanging matted across his face. The resemblance to River during her first weeks on Serenity was unavoidable.
As he wont, Simon didn't reply verbally, just made that familiar breathless sound and gave a hurried smile from the side of his mouth.
He's the one that's grateful!
Inara flashed on that, realising how difficult it must have been for Simon to adapt after Miranda; he'd given up everything for his sister, until finally the only thing he could give was to give up giving. Simon shifted uncomfortably, despite the lightness born of expert training, he could feel Inara studying him. This is an opportunity for him, Inara was thinking, someone to care for. Would he give up his new role, she wondered, maybe he would at that - maybe he wanted to get out from the underground, was it that? Did they, whomever they were, make him uneasy? Had he bitten off more than he could chew? Or was it simply that he would be relieved to get back to what was most natural for him - being a medical man, a doctor.
I don't care, she thought brutally, and neither would he in my place. If this is what he wants then all the better, it helps my brother.
"But the others are still - they're frightened Mal, you don't have to have River's gift to see it." She finished, looking at Mal with those dark eyes of hers wide and worried.
Mal met her gaze evenly. "'Nara, he's here - he's calm. And he don't get moved on less I say so and you don't want me too then..."
"He needs care - he needs me."
"And you need him too, I'm getting."
"I - I don't know... anymore," Inara said with an effort. "But - give me the chance to find out Mal, for us both."
Mal said nothing for the time, nothing too rushed. Inara looked relieved, took a breath then lightening the mood deliberately she said, "and I want to thank you Mal, getting the crew to agree to... this. That can't have been easy." She smiled, "I'm actually glad I passed out."
Following her lead, Mal allowed himself a deprecating chuckle.
"Oh there were ructions aplenty," he shook his head, "fact I aint sure exactly who's still on speaking terms here." He raised his eyes to hers for a second then dropped them again.
Inara nodded, "Zoe?"
"Some things it's just better you missed," Mal said slowly, "I don't believe that's a kind of argument I'll go looking for again." He rubbed the line of his jaw ruefully. "Not in the galley, that's certain."
"There was crockery?" Inara smiled. Truly, the way that they could... Mal and me - we can spin these things on a coin... she loved that.
"There was crockery," Mal agreed mock-solemnly.
"Preacher helped some," he added.
"The Shepherd - he knew about all this?"
Mal grinned. "No, not this time - I meant helped Zoe."
"See - I figured we needed someone to stay here and be innocent. Any ship on this place - gonna be questions, so when he told the folk here that Captain and crew had gone the Lord knows where - but some at least with the definite desire for drunkeness and fist-fights, well, he was being truthsome."
"Hmmm."
"Yep." Mal looked a little embarrassed now. "Seems our Shepherd didn't take over kind on that," again with the rueful and the rubbing. Then he brightened and looking up said;
"So... You think, him and Zoe?"
Inara was nonplussed. "Really?"
"Well, I aint saying, but... I believe that'd be a handsome couple."
Inara was making 'Ooooh, tell all!' faces, but what she said was, "And you told me that crew and romance don't mix, uh, how many times?"
"Bout the same number as you." Mal's voice had sharpened but it dropped again as he said,"Things change 'Nara."
a beat.
"That's why you sent for me?" Inara asked.
Mal was on his feet, "Huh? You told ME to come wait for YOU!"
Inara put her hands on her hips as she searched her memory, whilst Mal folded his arms and did likewise.
another beat.
The diffuse light on her hair, the traceried glitter and lace.
Mal grinned. "Actually, I can't remember." he admitted. He was standing awfully close now.
Inara gave a pretty smile back. "Actually, nor me."
She angled her face looking up at him. She was standing awfully close now.
Everything was awfully close now.
The room felt close, their bodies were close, eyes, fingers, lips...
Mal pulled back at the last with a sudden comical look on his face - and giving a sudden watchful glance about for unwanted intruders.
"She's not here." Inara's voice was level and pained.
"Huh now? Who now?" Mal pulled his face back around.
"Saffron..."
"Well y'know I..." Mal had a half smile on his face - but it hung there for a moment then died. Like Nandi - he had said similar words to her - that first wild kiss conjuring memories of that trickster minx Yo/safff/bridge - call him suspicious but when lips equal unconsciousness a man gets leery of the consequences.
Consequences - tell THAT to Nandi. Yeah right.
But this was Inara - here and now - and he was looking down at the pale of her face and the dark of her eyes. " Maybe..". she said with an effort, fighting her instinct to lash back. "Maybe, if we take it slow."
"Slow?"
"Slow."
"Huh."
Then again sometimes Inara just loved the guay out of this big damn maddening man and the sudden real laughter that lit up in his eyes like fireworks warming a cool wintry sky.
"Slow... seems to me that claims been staked but we could ask Jayne, maybe, I mean he's affable - on a good day. Mind, slow though, still."
And Inara's guffaw forced her mouth open just enough for Captain Malcolm Reynolds to take merciless advantage.
'Least it seemed that way to him. Raising an elegant eyebrow to the heavens Inara fell gratefully backwards.
THE END.
so that's that! there are a couple deleted scenes i might post separately - to do with Bushwacked and also more on the Training Moon.
i hope it made sense - tell me if it doesn't! i hope people enjoy it. i managed to break almost every single one of my writing rules - and that was a whacky kind of fun:):):)
thanks to charlie for the prodding and the kind answering of questions - and thanks to everyone for the encouragement.
this fic is for charlie but also for my friend yu.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 09:54 pm (UTC)thanks.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 10:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-12 10:13 pm (UTC)And it's always nice to end on a kiss... from my perspective anyway... but I'm mushy like that... ;)
i NEVER end a story on a kiss...
Date: 2008-11-12 10:18 pm (UTC)thanks compadre!:)
Re: i NEVER end a story on a kiss...
Date: 2008-11-12 11:03 pm (UTC):)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-13 08:58 am (UTC)oh thanks so much!!! shiny gift, indeed!!!
and one rule - I think, it's a pillar - stays and shines unbroken: it is a good emotional writing... and that is so COOL!!!!
(runnign and dancing and went again to my railcars, urban parks and... I do not even rememeer what else)
running and dancing and...
Date: 2008-11-13 04:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-13 03:10 pm (UTC)"Aren't you a little short for a purple belly?" Hee!!
I also greatly enjoyed your Inara backstory.
thanks:):)
Date: 2008-11-13 04:54 pm (UTC)that line was ENTIRELY for you:)
it's almost too 'roger moore' somehow - but it just absolutely had to be done!:):):)
Re: thanks:):)
Date: 2008-11-13 05:13 pm (UTC)Ok, I'm probably reading too much into the roger moore comment but do you mean in the Bond way? Because, Amy Winehouse in one of her songs mentions roger moore and I didn't know if that means something entirefly different in your neck of the woods.
Re: thanks:):)
Date: 2008-11-14 12:59 am (UTC)no - i was definitely talking Bond:)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-13 03:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-07 09:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-07 03:10 pm (UTC)back at ya sweety! :):)