Saving Graces

by Maura F.

(Standard disclaimers on infringement apply to all of my Firefly works...they're written out of love, not for profit...Of which I'm sure Delia would disapprove!)

Mal sat on a crate in Serenity's cargo hold. He was watching Jayne play horseshoes with Zoë when he first noticed something was different. His mind must be playing tricks on him. Kaylee was getting taller. She stood on the other side of the bay, leaning back against a shipping crate. She, too, watched the game. He had a feeling like he was falling backwards.

Am I gettin' sick? He thought to himself.

He glanced down and noticed the glass of water next to him. The surface of the water wasn't flat. It leaned just slightly to the left.

"Kaylee, c'mere" he motioned to her, watching his cup.

Kaylee began to walk to him when she noticed the slope in the floor. She was walking down to Mal.

She looked back to where she had been standing, then followed Mal's finger to the slanting cup.

"Something's not right." she said.

"I'd say. "

Wash's voice came over the com.

"Cap, Kaylee to the bridge"

Mal and Kaylee walked up the stairs and through the quarters hall up to the bridge.

Wash turned in his chair to talk to them.

" We've got issues." he said simply. "Think we're losing the aft stabilizer. I'm havin' problems keepin' Serenity level."

"How bad's the list?" Kaylee asked.

"Right now, 8 degrees to port." he answered.

Zoë and Jayne entered the bridge. They, too, had noticed the listing of the ship.

"And that is..." Mal asked them to finish his sentence.

"It's the mechanism that keeps Serenity on a 0 degree flat surface at all times. Like a construction level - the little bubble of air inside the tube of water. You gotta keep the bubble inside the lines to be flat. Serenity ain't keepin' the bubble inside the lines." Kaylee explained.

This Mal understood.

"If the starboard side calibrator blows, she'll go port, and vice versa. If one blows, the other's soon to follow. " Kaylee said.

"So we ca