Part four: where the journey through the black makes everyone go a bit stir-crazy

Mal sat motionless in the pilot’s seat and stared at the screen.

Gabriel Tam? Does that mean…

He didn’t even have the time to finish the thought before all of his doubts were taken away when Gabriel Tam appeared in front on-screen. There was a striking family resemblance -- in the dark hair, even if it was streaked with grey, the handsome features and the reserved demeanour. Gabriel Tam looked a lot more self-confident than his son, though.

“Ni hao. Good afternoon, Captain Reynolds. Or, at least I gather it’s afternoon where you are? Persephone, am I right? You’re not an easy man to track down.”

“Wouldn’t know, I haven’t looked out the window yet.” Mal made sure his face betrayed no emotion. Simon and River’s father or not, he was Alliance, after all. Mal had no proof that he could trust this man, and Gabriel Tam seemed to realize this. He smiled a smile that made perfectly clear he wasn’t happy.

“I can see that you’re a man of action, Captain, and not of words. Let me cut right to the chase. For some time now, I have been trying to find my children, Simon and River Tam. I’m a rather influential man, and since a lot of people are looking to get into my good graces, I have received plenty of information regarding their whereabouts. Most of these clues are rubbish of course… but the funny thing is that your name keeps popping up wherever I look. Malcolm Reynolds, captain of the Firefly-class ship ‘Serenity’. An odd coincidence, isn’t it?”

Mal flashed the man his most charming smile. “Odd, not uncommon. There are those who have taken an irrational dislike towards me. Could just be their way of settling the score…” he said.

The man on the other end of the line seemed to be getting impatient. “Captain, I have exactly no time for games. Have you seen my children? Are they currently on your ship?”

“Can’t say that I have, but I’ll keep an eye out for them and let you know if I see them, sir,” Mal said as politely