INT. SERENITY – DINING ROOM – DAY

Mal and Zoe sit at one end of the table, Hicks, with Kaylee nearby, at the other.

MAL: You had the night to think on it, Hicks. Dazzle me.

HICKS: Well, see…

He hesitates, looks to Kaylee for support. She gives him an approving nod, suggesting he should go on.

HICKS (cont’d): I ain’t a thief who’s good at taking things.

MAL: Boy, that is not a confidence-inspiring beginnin’.

Hicks is flustered. Zoe gives Mal a “Let the boy talk” look, so Mal backs down.

HICKS: I’m good with computers… Systems and such. I ain’t no Mister Universe—

MAL: Who?

HICKS: —But I ain’t half bad. So, see, I don’t take things so much as I make ‘em disappear. Livin’ on Fort Liberty, so many supplies floating this way and that, it’s always easy to make things be where you want ‘em to be rather’n where they’re supposed to be.

Mal leans back, crosses his arms. He’s waiting for more.

HICKS: Secondary targets’re easy. I just hit a button and they’ll be delivered right here to us.

MAL: Well ain’t that fancy?

ZOE: Could be we want ‘em delivered somewhere else. Draw less attention.

Hicks nods.

HICKS: I can do that, too.

MAL: How ‘bout the, you know, the big target?

HICKS: Even that wouldn’t be bad under the right circumstances.

MAL: Which I’m guessin’ these ain’t.

HICKS: Target’s protected by a security network. We want to take the target, get away clean, network’s gotta come down.

KAYLEE: And to take the network down, we need an inside man.

MAL: Which we don’t got. (to Zoe) I love this plan already.

ZOE: Doesn’t sound any worse than most of yours so far, sir.

KAYLEE: Me and Ben, we figured this part out last night.

Hicks brightens when she uses his first name. Clearly, the boy has a bit of a crush on Our Miss Frye. And, really, who wouldn’t?

HICKS: We do have an inside man.

MAL: We do? Who?

HICKS: You.

MAL (to Zoe): Still no worse than mine?

ZOE: No, sir. Not yet.

MAL (to Hicks): Do you see my face? You’re lookin’ right at me