The Human Equation

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based on the World of Firefly by Joss Whedon

He walked with a purpose, to get the hell of this planet before he could change his mind. All he needed was one ship bound for who knows where and it would be good enough for him. Maybe find a good Alliance friendly bar to start a brawl in.

Something reached his mind, a small voice that reminded him of what he had just said goodbye to, three words that made him hesitate in his step. 'Goodbye, Old Friend.' It was soft and full of sorrow, for which he knew the cause. For a moment, his heart felt heavy, but then like the passing leaf in the wind, the softness was gone replaced by the hard dark shell.

With it though, came a voice, one he had not heard in more years than his fingers could count, a still small and ever annoying voice. 'You know she needs you.'

“Shut up. No one asked you. Besides, haven't I killed you, yet?” 'Ski grumbled at his conscience.

'No, but I have been gone awhile, thanks to you.'

“Can't say as I welcome you back.” Ski spoke out loud. He wasn't sure why, maybe because he was so use to Cat being the one to stir him the other way, the way of not shooting first or running into a place with guns at the ready. A passerby looked at him strangely and 'Ski glared at him. “Making me look crazy.”

'Don't talk to me out loud then.'

“Can't help that. You sound like...” He stopped, not wanting to say her name, not wanting to admit he was walking away.

'Cat. Is that what you were going to say?'

“You fucking know what I was going to say.” He yelled and more people looked at him.

'Might want to duck in a corner if you are going to continue to talk to me like I'm real.' The inner voice laughed. 'Be a bit of a laugh though, if you had to use the mental link, she gave you to call her up and bail you out of the loony bin.'

“Riot and a half, I'm sure.” 'Ski turned down an alley that seemed void of people and then against the wall lighting a cigaret