TITLE: "ARMAGGEDON"

SERIES: THE DEVIL'S CRADLE

CHAPTER: 23. Sequel to "HEROES AND MONSTERS"

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

PAIRING: Zoe/Wash Kaylee/Simon Mal/Inara

SUMMARY: "General Wallace makes an alarming discovery.

Worried about the Captain's condition Zoe informs the crew that

they may need to take drastic action. Meanwhile Commandant

Urquart acts and Serenity's crew realise the Captain is not the

only one in trouble."

"ARMAGGEDON"

A "Firefly" Story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

The bodies were laid out side by side in their hermetically sealed chambers. General Wallace tried not to stare as he followed Sgt Ford down through the hold of the ship. At first he thought the man intended to go back out onto the planet surface but he stopped suddenly, a couple of chambers from the end of the row. General Wallace frowned. What was this?

"Sgt?"

Sgt Phinneas Ford swallowed slowly, in fact he looked anything but happy or comfortable. As the General's frown deepened, Ford pointed to the third sealed chamber from the end. "Beggin' your pardon, *shifu*, but the chamber's leakin'."

Wallace blinked. "*Wode ma*, how is that possible? They're hermetically sealed units."

"*Wo bu dong* but that isn't all, *shifu*." The man waited for the General to say something but when it was obvious he was expecting some kind of further explantion, Sgt Ford put his gloves on and gingerly tilted the end of the chamber. The General leaned down and began to go pale.

"Is that...?"

"Yes, sir, somethin' is eatin' through the sealed chamber."

"That's *bu keneng*!"

"It's worse than that, *shifu*."

General Wallace was not sure his heart could take anything worse.

"Unless my eyes are deceivi