PART TWO

FIREFLY: THE PAST

"How on Earth-that-was did that ruttin' thing get here?" Mal frowned, going over to the box. Zoe frowned.

"I don't rightly know, sir." She quipped. She started to walk over to it, when Mal stopped her.

"Wait, Zoe. You don't know what's in that thing."

"I know, sir, that's why I was going to look." She motioned with her shotgun.

Mal shook his head. "I mean, it could be anything. I'll take a look." He was about to step forward, when a huge hand came crashing down on his shoulder. He looked quickly to the side and saw Jayne standing there, Vera strapped onto his shoulder, holding it up in one hand.

"If it's from Blue Sun, it ain't nothin' to trust, Mal. Don't open it." Jayne grumbled out.

Mal glared at the man, shocked he would say something so...smart sounding yet...so dumb. "Jayne, I don't have the patience for your antics. Now get your hand off me. I'm going to check that box." He shrugged Jayne's hand off and started towards the box. Reaching it, he holstered his pistol and examined it. It looked normal from the outside. 'Course, it was what's on the inside that counts. Tapping it, Mal found that it was hollow-sounding. He frowned and lifted the wooden top with care.

Looking inside, he uncovered some brownish-grey rocks. Mal blinked, then flung open the top all the way. He motioned to the rocks. "What is this?" He looked at Zoe. "There are rocks in this thing."

She stepped up to the box, lowering her shotgun. "Yes sir, those seem to be rocks."

Jayne laughed. "Ya'll were scared of a bunch of ruttin' rocks?" He laughed again. "That's rich." He let go of Vera and let her hand to the side. Mal looked at him with a flat look. Zoe merely reached inside the box and picked up one.

"What do you suppose it is, sir?" She asked, turning the rock around in her hand. It was lightweight and sort of had the texture of loam.

Mal stared at it, flicking back his bangs from his eyes. "Don't rightly know. I'll have doc run a test on it."

Jayne backed away from the bo