Mal takes a deep breath before touching the comm button. Wash's knuckles are white on the helm – Zoe's fingers are digging into the back of his chair like they're running for their lives rather than just about to dock. Tranquillity fills the bridge window, twinkling blue seas and swirling white clouds postcard perfect. Like every settler's dream.

“Tranquillity base, this is Serenity.” Mal's voice is calm, measured; a complete contrast to his tense face.

The response is instant. “Good morning Serenity.” The speaker is a woman, speech light and pleasant, no trace of a rim accent. “This is Tranquillity base. You're a little ahead of schedule, but that's no problem at all. You have clearance to dock in Zone Two. I'm transmitting the co-ordinates to your nav-comp now.”

“Thank you,” Mal responds as Wash nods to say he's received their course.

“I hope you have a pleasant stay on Tranquillity base,” the air-traffic controller burbles.

Mal cuts the comm, lip curling in distaste at her chirpy statement. “Take her in Wash,” he says curtly and the pilot nods.

Wash can feel the sweat beading on his upper lip as they break atmosphere, fists clenched tightly around the stick even though he's been landing ships since he was fourteen. They clear the banks of early morning cloud and he lets out a whistle.

The construction site is huge. The scaffold skeletons of tower blocks stand as vivid charcoal sketches in shadow, backlit by the dawning orange sun. Mal counts seven, but there are more on the horizon, accusatory fingers admonishing the sky. Vast yellow trucks are reduced to the size of children's toys at this height. The morning shift are already toiling in the brown mud. Cranes are gently swinging giant girders into place, and the tiny dots that represent orange hard-hats swarm at the bases of the half-finished monoliths.

It takes them five minutes to pass over the site. The distant towers come more clearly into view. These are complete, and strongly reminiscent of the Hub back on B