EXT. HIGHWAY – NIGHT

A large transport truck, ten-wheeler, grinds its way up an empty winding mountain road.

INT. TRUCK – NIGHT

Mal drives as Kaylee and Simon sit squeezed into the cab. They are dressed in dark blue worker’s overalls with caps on and ID badges on their front left pockets. Some country western music comes over a radio.

MAL

Blue, always blue. Ain’t one person with an imagination in the whole damn Alliance uniform design….whatever you call it.

KAYLEE

I kinda like it. It’s comfortable. I wanna keep it.

Simon is the opposite, decidedly uncomfortable in the uniform

SIMON

Couldn’t they have made it… less, constricting.

MAL

I think you got a size too small there, Doc

KAYLEE

I think you look cute in a uniform. Don’t you think he looks cute, Capt’n?

MAL

Yeah, he’s a real charmer. OK, lets get a few things straight. Out here I’m not the captain and the Doc isn’t a doc or your husband. I’m a guy giving you a lift and he’s…what are you supposed to be, ah, what’s your name?

Simon looks at his name tag.

SIMON

Jedidiah Jones, cook.

KAYLEE

Cook?! That’s rich!

SIMON

Couldn’t they have come up with a better cover story for me? At least Kaylee’s says…

KAYLEE

Engineer. Alice Stephenson, from Persephone. Shiny! I love Persephone. Gotta remember that.

SIMON

What does your say, Mal?

MAL

Truck driver, what else.

KAYLEE

No, the name, what name did they give you?

MAL

(quiet)

Alouisus Neidermier.

SIMON

Didn’t quite catch that?

MAL

(loud)

Alouisus Neidermier! . Bet Monty had something to do with picking that name.

Kaylee and Simon laugh.

MAL

I see two crew cleaning a lot of toilets and dishes for the next six months.

KAYLEE

We’ll call you Al, close to your name anyway. And Simon is Jed.

SIMON

And you’re Alice, in Wonderland.

KAYLEE

(quiet, remembering)

My daddy read that book to me when I was a little girl. (beat) Seems like a long time ago.

Simon takes her hand in his and gives her a reassuring look.