A/N: Much thanks to gillianrose for all her help, reading, and encouragement.

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Serenity’s ramp set down with a loud, hard thud. Once his feet touched the hard, rocky ground, Simon’s eyes fluttered shut as he paused to breathe deep. He never tired of this moment, the first few seconds off Serenity, when he could enjoy the simple act of breathing clean, fresh air. At least he hoped it was clean… His eyes snapped open, his enjoyment of the simple pleasure dimmed considerably.

Pushing aside his paranoid thoughts, Simon studied the barren landscape. Since his arrival on Serenity, he had visited more than his fair share of middle-of-nowhere places but never had he felt further from Osiris than he did at this moment. Still, there was a harsh beauty to the desolation. On the horizon, the seemingly endless flat land met the clear, cloudless blue sky. Blue and brown touched and that was all he could see for miles around. Quelling his homesickness, he shook his head in wonder at the absolute nothingness that greeted him.

“Wow,” Simon commented as Kaylee wrapped her arms around him. “There’s just nothing here at all. Is the whole planet like this?”

“Nah,” Kaylee replied, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “It’s got all the usual planet parts – oceans, forests, stuff like that. But I confess, ain’t never seen badlands as bad as this.”

He tilted his head to rest on hers. “It’s hard to imagine anyone living here.”

“Yeah, well, yonder coupla miles is a real town. Smallish, I expect, being near here. That’s where the Cap’n’s heading today.”

“Then why park here?”

“Ship like ours landin’ encourages speculation!” Jayne grumbled, coming up behind them. “Ain’t you learned nothin’ by now?”

“I’ve heard you ask the Captain the very same thing, Jayne,” Simon said, not bothering to meet the glare he was certain Jayne was throwing his way.

“And,” Kaylee chimed in, “he said the same thing he always says to you when you ask t