Blue Sun Room FICTION - GENERAL
The Treasure of Lei Fong Wu -- Chapter Eleven
Monday, September 19, 2005
Complex Group Dynamics -- the Jurassic Perspective
CATEGORY: FICTION TIMES READ: 4680 RATING: 8.0 (G) SERIES: FIREFLY
The Treasure of Lei Fong Wu
Chapter Eleven
“You wanna let me in on what that was about, out there?” Mal asked Zoe, pointedly. They were in Shuttle One – one of the few places they could be assured of absolute privacy. He had invited her in to ‘lock down the shuttle’ as soon as the meeting had adjourned, and she had gone without question – eagerly, even.
“You have to ask?” Zoe asked, her mouth hanging open. “I thought I had been crystal.”
Mal smiled that fake I’m-being-patient-so-I-don’t-shoot-you smile she was so familiar with. “You were. You’re pissed. What I can’t conjure is why.”
“I thought it was obvious,” she said, folding her arms. “I resent the fact that you didn’t see fit to confide in me about somthin’ I consider important.”
“I told you why,” Mal said flatly. “I didn’t think I was being unclear.”
“Maybe that’s what the problem is,” she shot back. “You were very clear: ‘need to know’. Since when don’t I need to know?”
“Since I decided it. And I did decide it.”
“I got that part. The portion I missed was ‘why’ I didn’t need to know. I been thinkin’ over this a lot, this last couple o’ minutes, and I can’t think of one gorram decent reason why you would think I couldn’t be trusted.”
“Zoë! Of course I trust you!” He sounded hurt. He might have even been a little hurt. “I just didn’t want to ruin your good time.”
“Since when has that ever been an issue?”
“Since . . . gorram it, woman, I was tryin’ to do you a ruttin’ favor!”
“From where I’m standin’ it looks a lot less a favor and a lot more a lack o’ trust.”
“Well . . . it’s not!”
“Mal, you listen to me, and listen good. I got no problem bein’ under your command. You’ve proven I can trust you a thousand times over, in battle and out. You’ve saved my ass almost as often as I’ve saved yours. You’re a good leader, a good Captain. After what we been through, I’d follow you through hell and back – and I have. I was with you in that gorram valley every split second. When I thought I was dead for the ten-th
Comments
Monday, 19 September 2005 23:16
Nothin' like wrangling followed by comedy for a good read.
Yay Howard!
Yay Howard!
Monday, 19 September 2005 23:29
Pure shinyness.
Nice work showing us the jerk facet of Mal and the playa facet of Simon.
易弯曲
Nice work showing us the jerk facet of Mal and the playa facet of Simon.
易弯曲
Tuesday, 20 September 2005 00:26
ROTFLMFAO at that ending!
I love where you're going with Zoe. Of course she'd follow Mal to the edge of the 'verse and back, but it's nice to see a fuller picture of their relationship and to see the cracks in the veneer. Makes it feel more real and alive.
I love where you're going with Zoe. Of course she'd follow Mal to the edge of the 'verse and back, but it's nice to see a fuller picture of their relationship and to see the cracks in the veneer. Makes it feel more real and alive.
Tuesday, 20 September 2005 00:32
*runs out of room to find dictionary*
Wow. It turns out "marginalia" is a real word. I'm gonna be using it all the time now.
And yes, I can see how the entertainment value of River clucking would be quite limited.
But it's entertainment value to me is beyond measure!
Wow. It turns out "marginalia" is a real word. I'm gonna be using it all the time now.
And yes, I can see how the entertainment value of River clucking would be quite limited.
But it's entertainment value to me is beyond measure!
Tuesday, 20 September 2005 01:48
I've had an interesting time with this book, most notably because I received The Official Visual Companion to the movies (Yep, I've been spoilerized for a while now) and I've been having a crisis, of sorts. Without spoiling anything germane to the movie, it does quite clearly state that the Alliance is all in one solar system.
The only problem is, this is highly improbable, astrophysically speaking. I know Joss isn't a sci-fi writer -- he's an extremely gifted screenwriter who likes using sci-fi concepts and vehicles to tell a story. I appreciate that more than you know.
But I AM a sci-fi writer, even if inactive, and the 'verse, as he writes it, is not logical unless you want to say "aliens did it" or something equally as cheesy. So I have ignored the "one solar system" idea in favor of the "multi-system, we have FTL but we just use it so much that why bother mentioning it" idea. I feel a little guilty about that, as I hate to contradict the creator of the show on such a fundamental level. But I am.
Why should you trust me over Joss? I mean, I ain't a rocket scientist.
But this guy is:
http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue439/labnotes.html
I'll elaborate on my 'verse vs. Joss' 'verse as this story progresses, and I think you will see why I think my idea should prevail.
But all of that is far, far more secondary to the plot and characters, and I don't want to get embroiled in "nerd fights" over whose got the best idea. Just enjoy the story.
But I'm right.
ScrewtheAlliance
The only problem is, this is highly improbable, astrophysically speaking. I know Joss isn't a sci-fi writer -- he's an extremely gifted screenwriter who likes using sci-fi concepts and vehicles to tell a story. I appreciate that more than you know.
But I AM a sci-fi writer, even if inactive, and the 'verse, as he writes it, is not logical unless you want to say "aliens did it" or something equally as cheesy. So I have ignored the "one solar system" idea in favor of the "multi-system, we have FTL but we just use it so much that why bother mentioning it" idea. I feel a little guilty about that, as I hate to contradict the creator of the show on such a fundamental level. But I am.
Why should you trust me over Joss? I mean, I ain't a rocket scientist.
But this guy is:
http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue439/labnotes.html
I'll elaborate on my 'verse vs. Joss' 'verse as this story progresses, and I think you will see why I think my idea should prevail.
But all of that is far, far more secondary to the plot and characters, and I don't want to get embroiled in "nerd fights" over whose got the best idea. Just enjoy the story.
But I'm right.
ScrewtheAlliance
Tuesday, 20 September 2005 04:43
*** WARNING ***
Mild spoilers in this. It won't ruin any part of the movie or give anything away, but if you're avoiding ALL spoilers, please cease reading this post.
<SPOILER>
In the visual companion, there is one screen capture from the movie that was of a viewscreen that the Serenity crew was looking at. In this viewscreen, it appears that there is more than one star in the Serenity 'verse. So what about this: Is it possible to have a cluster of stars that are very close (as stars go) to one another? Like maybe 1/200th of a light year (on average) apart or something like that? If this were the case, then a ship that could travel at 1/3rd of the speed of light could travel between systems in a few days or weeks. That way, you wouldn't have to have the "perfect storm" of planetary system formation depicted in the "Labnotes" page referenced by StA in his last post. If there were 30 or 40 stars in this cluster, you could squeeze out 100 habitable planets, especially after terraforming.
</SPOILER>
Just a thought.
Oh, and it'd still be nice to have hyperlinks at the end of your chapters linking to the next chapter. Sorry--had to throw that in there.
GREAT story!
Mild spoilers in this. It won't ruin any part of the movie or give anything away, but if you're avoiding ALL spoilers, please cease reading this post.
<SPOILER>
In the visual companion, there is one screen capture from the movie that was of a viewscreen that the Serenity crew was looking at. In this viewscreen, it appears that there is more than one star in the Serenity 'verse. So what about this: Is it possible to have a cluster of stars that are very close (as stars go) to one another? Like maybe 1/200th of a light year (on average) apart or something like that? If this were the case, then a ship that could travel at 1/3rd of the speed of light could travel between systems in a few days or weeks. That way, you wouldn't have to have the "perfect storm" of planetary system formation depicted in the "Labnotes" page referenced by StA in his last post. If there were 30 or 40 stars in this cluster, you could squeeze out 100 habitable planets, especially after terraforming.
</SPOILER>
Just a thought.
Oh, and it'd still be nice to have hyperlinks at the end of your chapters linking to the next chapter. Sorry--had to throw that in there.
GREAT story!
Tuesday, 20 September 2005 12:11
Dawgfather,
I'm quite open to the idea of a small stellar cluster with 20-30 stars -- it's quite plausable. And I do think that planets outside of the "Goldilocks Zone" could be terraformed successfully, especially moons of jovians, because most jovians radiate quite a bit of heat which moons soak up. Not to mention the idea that a sufficiently large moon would have a molten core, which in turn would tend to heat a world from the inside-out. The only minor geeky point I would make is that no such system exists within 100 lightyears of Earth-That-Is, that I know of. But one could be lurking out of sight, somewhere, and I freely admit that astronomy ain't my for-tay. But that is a minor and unimportant point. A star cluster would make the Alliance worlds quite plausable, without incurring the wrath of fellow sci-fi geeks.
Also, I'd like to put hyperlinks in to my next chapters -- but the site doesn't seem to be accepting html, and it's hard to put that in when I initially post -- simply because it's difficult to do that when I haven't written the next chapter yet.
I have considered re-posting KL in its entirety, to eliminate that problem.
Thanks for the comments, and thanks for reading my little tale. It's fixin' to get excitin'!
StA
I'm quite open to the idea of a small stellar cluster with 20-30 stars -- it's quite plausable. And I do think that planets outside of the "Goldilocks Zone" could be terraformed successfully, especially moons of jovians, because most jovians radiate quite a bit of heat which moons soak up. Not to mention the idea that a sufficiently large moon would have a molten core, which in turn would tend to heat a world from the inside-out. The only minor geeky point I would make is that no such system exists within 100 lightyears of Earth-That-Is, that I know of. But one could be lurking out of sight, somewhere, and I freely admit that astronomy ain't my for-tay. But that is a minor and unimportant point. A star cluster would make the Alliance worlds quite plausable, without incurring the wrath of fellow sci-fi geeks.
Also, I'd like to put hyperlinks in to my next chapters -- but the site doesn't seem to be accepting html, and it's hard to put that in when I initially post -- simply because it's difficult to do that when I haven't written the next chapter yet.
I have considered re-posting KL in its entirety, to eliminate that problem.
Thanks for the comments, and thanks for reading my little tale. It's fixin' to get excitin'!
StA
Tuesday, 20 September 2005 15:08
I love that you don't have to rely on action to have an interesting story - The character development is quite entertaining itself. Thanks for the good read.
ANONYMOUS
Tuesday, 20 September 2005 15:23
I have recently read your Kaylee's Lament story and it blew me away. This story has also been extremely fun to read. I love the interplay between the characters. I am astounded at how you have really carried the true characters from the show to these stories. I was just curious, have your watch the episodes to the point that they are memorized or do these characters just come that easy to write about? Anyways awsome job and I can't wait for the next chapter.
Tuesday, 20 September 2005 23:30
That was something of a shock but very bracing the way Zoe chewed Mal out for leaving her out of the loop with regards to the upcoming job notion and I could see her getting ansty and angry with him over it, just surprised she felt that threatened by it. After all she has Wash now, I loved Wash's thought processes on the why of it as he tries to help his beautiful but deadly wife come to terms with it. And Kaylee at the end was great stuff. Ali D :~)
You can't take the sky from me
You can't take the sky from me
ANONYMOUS
Saturday, 24 September 2005 16:01
On the whole "how can it be just one system" topic, I always assumed that it was one system with planets being terraformed well outside the "goldilocks" range via Magic Terraforming.
In this case, I'm making two assumptions for which I have little or no evidence. One, large space-based objects that amplify the light of the primary star, whether it's the only star, or just the nearest. Two, shipboard gravity is _not_ just a magnet that attracts everything, but some other process. Though there is no visual evidence from land-based shots, I was under the impression that the 100 Southern Californias of the Firefly `verse were of different sizes, and not all of them massed almost exactly the same as Earth. From this, I assumed that there were planetary gravity generators placed on the smaller worldlets and moons to make them more easily terraformable. Said generators would not be something easily damaged or destroyed, or likely to break down - so whatever process provides "gravity" would have to be _very_ different from what we usually imagine.
These concessions to story may or may not work for what you have written, but they worked for getting me through the show and movie. Do with them what you will.
In this case, I'm making two assumptions for which I have little or no evidence. One, large space-based objects that amplify the light of the primary star, whether it's the only star, or just the nearest. Two, shipboard gravity is _not_ just a magnet that attracts everything, but some other process. Though there is no visual evidence from land-based shots, I was under the impression that the 100 Southern Californias of the Firefly `verse were of different sizes, and not all of them massed almost exactly the same as Earth. From this, I assumed that there were planetary gravity generators placed on the smaller worldlets and moons to make them more easily terraformable. Said generators would not be something easily damaged or destroyed, or likely to break down - so whatever process provides "gravity" would have to be _very_ different from what we usually imagine.
These concessions to story may or may not work for what you have written, but they worked for getting me through the show and movie. Do with them what you will.
SHELLYBELL
Monday, 17 October 2005 23:45
I am so loving this! I can't wait to read more! :D
ANONYMOUS
Thursday, 24 November 2005 15:30
Verrrry nice. The scenes between Mal, Zoe, and Wash were *classic.* I also enjoyed how you represented Wash, here. I think you have a strong three-dimensional feel for his character, and that's rare in many Firefly fics. Even people who love Wash tend to paint him as a silly court jester without much of a mind. I love how you've made him equal to Zoe, and that he can tell her a thing or two - and that she's *listening* to him. The dynamic you're painting here makes far more sense than what we normally see in fanfiction, and I think Zoe's smart enough to be with someone who not only makes her laugh, but makes her think about who she is at this point in time. Good job!
ANONYMOUS
Friday, 20 January 2006 16:13
It’s quite common in female psychology. Women – even strong women -- have a tendency to define themselves by the men in their lives, rather than becoming comfortable in their own personhood.
Why give us a strong Zoe telling Mal off and then perpetuate this kind of go se?
Why give us a strong Zoe telling Mal off and then perpetuate this kind of go se?
Friday, 20 January 2006 17:09
Because women are more complex, 3d creatures than that. Mal is Zoe's Boss. Wash is her Husband. Despite their long acquaintance and friendship, Zoe has a more intimate relationship with Wash, one in which she has the freedom to be vulnerable. I don't think Zoe has any issues with being strong AND being vulnerable, nor do I think it dimenishes her as a person. Indeed, I think it strengthens her as a character to see how she responds to two different relationships with men who play an important role in her life.
Zoe was justified for telling off Mal . . . but she was also justified in revealing her vulnerability to Wash and listening to his perspective. Plus, there are plenty of strong women who feel defined by their relationships with men. I'm not saying it's necessarily Right, but I am saying that it is Real. From Wash's perspective that is what he sees happening here -- that doesn't make it True, but it does make it Real.
They aren't much worth as characters if you can't stretch 'em as people every now and then.
ScrewtheAlliance
Zoe was justified for telling off Mal . . . but she was also justified in revealing her vulnerability to Wash and listening to his perspective. Plus, there are plenty of strong women who feel defined by their relationships with men. I'm not saying it's necessarily Right, but I am saying that it is Real. From Wash's perspective that is what he sees happening here -- that doesn't make it True, but it does make it Real.
They aren't much worth as characters if you can't stretch 'em as people every now and then.
ScrewtheAlliance
ANONYMOUS
Saturday, 21 January 2006 00:40
I was not trying to imply that you should depict Zoe as a two dimensional character who never shows vulnerability. That would be unmimetic. I do, however, have problems with the underlying sexism in your semantic choices. Saying that women define themselves by the men in their lives keeps women firmly classified as the Other. An alternative would be to recast the thought along the lines of: "It's normal for human beings to identify with and define themselves by the people in their lives, especially when those persons have occupied a long-term leadership position, etc." Because, in actuality, men also define themselves in a similar fashion, and Wash is enlightened enough to see what Zoe is going through as a human issue - not just a female one.
Saturday, 27 January 2007 21:19
>Because women are more complex, 3d creatures than that. Mal is Zoe's Boss. Wash is her Husband. Despite their long acquaintance and friendship, Zoe has a more intimate relationship with Wash, one in which she has the freedom to be vulnerable. I don't think Zoe has any issues with being strong AND being vulnerable, nor do I think it dimenishes her as a person. Indeed, I think it strengthens her as a character to see how she responds to two different relationships with men who play an important role in her life.
Zoe was justified for telling off Mal . . . but she was also justified in revealing her vulnerability to Wash and listening to his perspective. Plus, there are plenty of strong women who feel defined by their relationships with men. I'm not saying it's necessarily Right, but I am saying that it is Real. From Wash's perspective that is what he sees happening here -- that doesn't make it True, but it does make it Real.
They aren't much worth as characters if you can't stretch 'em as people every now and then.
Very well said. Lovely chapter (I'm reading them out of order). I really loved Wash here.
Zoe was justified for telling off Mal . . . but she was also justified in revealing her vulnerability to Wash and listening to his perspective. Plus, there are plenty of strong women who feel defined by their relationships with men. I'm not saying it's necessarily Right, but I am saying that it is Real. From Wash's perspective that is what he sees happening here -- that doesn't make it True, but it does make it Real.
They aren't much worth as characters if you can't stretch 'em as people every now and then.
Very well said. Lovely chapter (I'm reading them out of order). I really loved Wash here.
Wednesday, 09 November 2011 20:25
Bahahahaha Kaylee and Simon at the end were PRICELESS!!!!!
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