TITLE: "A NEW DREAM"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: No specific pairing.

RATING: PG-13.

STATUS: New. SEQUEL to "CONSENSUS".

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: http://carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "Having made his decision Mal buys passage

aboard a ship. Meanwhile the crew have a fine old time on

Minerva. Until the money runs out."

The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly'

are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

No infringement of copyright is intended.

"A NEW DREAM"

A "Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction."

Mal found the ship he wanted after making enquiries. Nothing luxurious, nothing that would draw any Alliance attention or attract raiders after rich and easy pickings. It was mostly a cargo hauler and took the odd passenger as well but most importantly it was going exactly where he wanted to go. If the transport Captain was surprised by his passenger's destination he did not show it. His eyes taking in the brown coat Mal wore and the sidearm that fit with the familiarity of another limb. A grunt and a nod and he was aboard. The smell was something awful which said more about the unsanitary conditions on board than the cargo. He tried to be judicious about his every breath but a man had to breathe gorrammit.

The journey took the best part of two days. One of which Mal was more sick than well. Some kind of bug that got into the digestive tract and seemed intent on making a gorram nest in his belly. He could swear he could feel them crawling about in his insides, gnawing away at his gut with happy disregard for how much he was throwing up. Must have been something he had inhaled as one look at the food stores had sworn him off eating until they made planetfall. Or maybe it had been in the water? He silently