The Treasure of Lei Fong Wu

Chapter Thirty-Three

Firefly class transports had not been designed with long voyages in mind.

They were short to moderate range ships, created to ferry cargo and passengers between moons, or make short runs to resupply space stations among the Central planets – journeys measured in days. Trips of more than two weeks were rare, in the Core. It was a testament to their durability and soundness of design that many had found their way out to the Rimworlds, where two-week voyages were common. With a little modification the fuel capacity and the life support systems could be extended without much difficulty. While not roomy, they encompassed enough creature comforts within to keep a regular crew from each other’s throats for a fortnight.

A trip lasting a month, however . . . that was stretching it.

The hardest part was the lack of room. With two dozen H3 fuel cells stacked like chord wood, and a dozen soldiers sleeping in it, the usually roomy expanse of the cargo hold was not available. That didn’t keep the men from performing morning physical training – a half an hour of T’ai Chi, followed by forty-five minutes of strenuous calisthenics – which attracted the attention of Kaylee, Inara, and Zoe on a daily basis. River occasionally joined them, intellectually interested in their interest – and discovering some interest on her own part.

Meal times were less homey than usual, and worked cafeteria-style, in two shifts. Two of the men, Hu Lu Xun and Yu Guan Tao, became the cooks, churning out plentiful but bland fare in an efficient manner: Army food. Neither one was a genius with the protein resequencer, but it was sufficient.

The General and Master Lei consulted, and decided that it was time for Johnny to enter military service. They moved him out to the cargo hold and for four weeks he trained with the other men. Every morning he trained with them. Hand to hand combat, small unit tactics, exercises in discipline and the rules of war. In the afternoons he sat