Act VII – Borodin

Borodin was an enigma. A border planet where more care had been taken with the terraforming than normal, so that it was somewhat more lush than it had a right to be.

Mal squinted out of the bridge window at the sun reflecting off the sea as they followed the curve of the world.

“Looks pretty gorram cold,” Hank said. “This side’s in its spring period right now, but I doubt the temperature gets much above zero at all during the night.”

“Good job the play’s gonna be indoors then.”

“One way of freezing your assets, though.” Hank chuckled at his own joke, even with Mal glaring at him.

“You got the co-ordinates?”

“Just coming up on them.” Down below the sea shimmered. “Still say that looks cold.”

“Then don’t ditch us and you won’t have to be swimming to shore.”

---

Theo closed the small book and pushed it under his clothes in the case.

“Are you ready?” Etta asked, sliding the door to the room open.

“I suppose so.”

“You don’t have to do this,” she said, sitting next to him and taking hold of his hand.

“Yes, I do. Otherwise we’ll never be free.”

“Theo, we are free.”

He lifted her hand to his lips. “To us. But after tonight, to them as well.”

“I wish you’d told Captain Reynolds.”

Theo sighed. “So do I. I'm pretty sure he’d understand. But it’s too late now for the truth. I didn’t know him before, and if I mentioned it now he’d think the worst.”

“Can it get much worse?”

“It will if we get caught.”

“I wish …” She stopped as the words died in her throat.

“So do I. But it’s nearly done.”

---

“Remind you of anywhere?” Hank asked, swinging Serenity around as they approached the H-shaped house on the edge of the sea shore, set in an expanse of manicured lawns and gardens.

“There’s no cliff,” Mal said. “And I’m hoping Bose is nothing like Han.”

“Me too,” Hank agreed fervently. “Can’t be two like that in the ‘verse. Wouldn’t be fair.” He adjusted the down thrusters and nodded towards a concreted are