Blue Sun Room FICTION - GENERAL

Down the Rabbit Hole - Chapter Four

Thursday, January 4, 2007

Mal and Simon continue to evade the Feds. Not slash. This chapter: Simon thinks a lot. And then, unfortunately, speaks.

CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 3052    RATING: 10.0 (PG)    SERIES: FIREFLY

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* * *

Simon stood silently, counting the lights and patterns on the control panel and wall map, clenching and unclenching his fists, breathing deliberately in through his nose, out through his mouth.

In.

They had just killed a man.

Out.

They were only trying to pick up medical supplies on a fairly remote planet.

In.

That turned out to have more Alliance than they expected.

Out.

And a complex flood control system.

In.

Serenity had gotten away.

Out.

Serenity was gone.

In.

They were in a hole with a dead man.

Out.

There was no out.

He closed his eyes, opened them again to count the overhead lights. Four. Avoided the closed manhole. Looked toward the darkening grate and the outline of Mal, squatting on his haunches. Looked at the iris door, trying not to think of the body cooling behind it. Thought instead of Leif Talverston.

Polo teammate. School chum from the age of nine. Had been so proud when he had been accepted to the Alliance Corps of Engineers. Had shown that uniform, the engraved silver buttons decorating the bias flap.

The dead man, the man who had wanted to leave work early, might have known Leif Talverston. It was entirely possible that Leif was right here with this detachment. Could have been on the shift before, or the shift after. But for the happenstance of scheduling, it could have been Leif who Simon had seen shot tonight, reaching to broadcast their whereabouts. Leif whose lifeless feet Simon had deposited in a tunnel. It wouldn’t have mattered to Mal if the Fed had been Simon’s friend.

And maybe it wouldn’t have mattered to Leif.

Maybe those boyhood blue eyes would have see Simon Tam only as a fugitive, and his arm would have reached for the com, or for his gun, just as easily as this man’s had.

In.

Simon lo

Comments
Thursday, 04 January 2007 22:49
It's not often I hand out a 10. That's all I have to say.


Rob O.
Friday, 05 January 2007 01:47
Excellent and I hope Simon takes note. He may not like the Captain but he has kept Simon and his sister safe with little in the way of thanks. At least River understands. Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me
Friday, 05 January 2007 02:51
What an incredible bit of writing! Your imagery was so real I could almost believe I was there with them. You are an amazingly gifted writer.
Friday, 05 January 2007 14:30
The excellence continues! Intense Mal giving Simon a talking to... absolutely love it. The kicker is that both of them are right, given their backgrounds, but they can't hardly reconcile. You've shown both sides while keeping it all in Simon's POV. Well done!

I agree with Rob O - Completely a 10.
Friday, 05 January 2007 16:06
Mal's comparison with River was particularly excellent. He's not always good at explaining himself, perfering just to be obeyed (with Simon when the Alliance are boarding in Bushwacked, with Tracey and Book's plan in The Message).

It's not that Mal's wrong - he usually isn't. But as he's pointed out, their lives have been so different - both in general background and in particular, career choice, that Simon can't just put himself in Mal's shoes. Choices like those have to be explained or experinenced to even have a hope of understanding them.
Monday, 08 January 2007 00:44
Brillaint piece of work here, homespun! I totally was able to picture Mal/Nathan and Simon/Sean crouching down in darkened sewer tunnel set, stage whispering these amazing lines at one another. Could even picture how the final part of the scene with Mal inspecting the gun as he lays into Simon before handing it over would be lit because of your words:D

BEB

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