The Virtual Series Project (2)

POSTED BY: LegalBegal
UPDATED: Thursday, January 30, 2003 15:49
VIEWED: 21268
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LEGALBEGAL

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 5:21 PM

The other thread had become a bit long so I thought I would start a new one.

I took the liberty of revising and formatting the excellent work of LostAngel and Sarahetc. I hope you enjoy and that this stays true to what they were trying to accomplish. As always feedback is welcome. Take this and run with it please.

FireFly The Virtual Series Project
Episode One Objects in Motion

Teaser
Fade In:

Int. Serenity-Galley

The entire crew is seated around the table eating dinner. Book has turned their protein bars, carbohydrate paste and a few odds and ends into a relatively decent meal. As the camera moves around the table you see Simon trying to eat, but he seems a bit distracted. He looks at River who is sitting at her place at the table just staring at her plate. Jayne looks around, and leans over and snags a lump of something off her plate. River doesn’t move, just starts to make a smiley face in her mashed potatoes.

SIMON: Hey! Give that back.

JAYNE: Why? She ain’t eatin’ and it’ll go to waste.

BOOK: Put it back son, there’s plenty on the table.

Jayne sees the look on Kaylee’s face, like she watched him kick a puppy, and he huffs, but puts it back on the plate. River doesn’t move.

KAYLEE: River? Honey? Why don’t you try to eat somethin’?

SIMON: Mei-mei, here, have this.

He picks up a piece of a vegetable and puts it in her mouth. She opens her mouth and accepts the food but doesn’t chew. She calmly takes the food out of her mouth and uses it to decorate her picture. Simon, visibly upset by all this gives up and leads her back to her room. Some of the crew are upset, Book especially so.

BOOK: She has been like that for days. I’m starting to get worried.

JAYNE: I’m startin’ to enjoy it. She’s not that bad when she’s a statue.

KAYLEE: I’m worried. I wonder if she’s getting better or worse?

SIMON: (re-entering the galley) It means that she’s getting worse. (turns to Mal) Captain, I need medicine to try to help her.

MAL: We have medicine son lots of it. Remember you helped steal it.

SIMON: I Know but that stuff doesn’t seem to be working. I’m in need of something new.

MAL: That ain’t my problem.

Simon gets mad and throws his napkin on the table.

SIMON: It is because you don’t pay me. I’m dependent on you for the food we eat and the clothes we wear. You know the only reason why I’m here is because I need to help her.

MAL: You’re here because you’re a fugitive from the law, and I’m lettin’ you hide her here. Fas as I’m concerned you are a part of this ship like a generator or a light bulb. I take care of you and your sister, who has no function on this ship at all, if’n you want a cut of the take, you gotta be there. Fair’s fair, an’ that’s the rules. Case closed.

Simon gets up and leaves. Kaylee and Inara look at Mal and starts to tag team him with nagging, pleading and just plain female noise.

INARA: Mal, that was very crude of you. How could you call our ship’s doctor a lightbulb?

KAYLEE: Come on Cap’n. It’s not right Simon can’t help his sister.

KAYLEE and INARA continue, simultaneously.

BOOK: Ladies, please. Now the good Captain is responsible for everyone on the ship, and sometimes he has hard decisions to make (gives a dissappointed look to Mal) If he feels that there is a good reason to treat part of his crew as less like a part of the crew, and more like a part of the cargo, I’m sure that he has his reasons.

JAYNE: Sides, they’re not lyin’ in some ruttin’ Alliance prison. AND, that’d be less for everyone else.

KAYLEE: Well, I don’t mind getting less.

MAL: (Standing) Well I’ll think about that.

Everyone left looks uncomfortable, but tries to finish their meal.

Cut to:
Int. Serenity-Wash and Zoes bunk

They are lying in their bed talking, and Wash is playing with Zoe’s hair and comments on Simon’s plight.

WASH: Isn’t it a shame that Simon can’t do more to help River?

ZOE: (putting a pieces of fruit in her mouth) Mmmm. Yes, it is, but what can he do? He’s not a fighter, and it would take too long to make him one. I

LEGALBEGAL

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 5:23 PM

Fade In
Act One

Cut to:
Int. Serenity-Med Lab

Wash in the infirmary getting a check-up from Simon. Wash’s shirt is open and Simon is listening to his lungs, etc.

WASH: Doc, why do I need these check-ups? I’m fine.

SIMON: You are required to undergo regular physicals to maintain your pilot’s licence. I’d like at least one document on this ship to be valid. Besides, you came to me, your physical isn’t due for another six months.

Wash looks around, as if someone else might be in the infirmary. He gets off the examining table and pokes his head out in the hallway, making sure no one is around. He closes the door and almost whispers.

WASH: I been thinking about last night at dinner….

SIMON: (whispering) Why are you whispering?

WASH: (whispering) I don’t know, seemed like the thing to do

SIMON: (whispering) Oh.

WASH: (whispering) Anyway, last night at dinner (sees the look on Simon’s face) Oh (clears throat) Uh, about last night at dinner, I was wondering, um, I might be able to help you. See, I have a buddy that might be able to help us out, and it looks like we would need someone of your…, ah, someone with your…, well, we might be able to use you.

SIMON: What are you talking about?

WASH: Well Hui contacted me a while ago, asking if we could partner up on a little project of his, thing is, we need a real life gentleman to pull off the negotiations. His contact was for the Alliance, and looks at most of the transport captains as back-born low lifes. We need someone that can talk the talk.

Cut to:
Int. Serenity-Galley

Mal, Simon, Wash, Zoe, Inara and Jayne are sitting at the table.

MAL: I can talk that Gorram talk. I can be high born.

Jayne smirks and shakes his head. Zoe goes really blank in the face. Mal looks around and gets annoyed.

MAL: Let’s not forget the wanted felon on board here. How will he do negotiations with an Alliance Patriot and not get recognized? Let’s not forget the good Doctor’s acting skills the last time we used him.

WASH: Cap’, Inara has enough stuff in her shuttle to disguise anybody. Besides, this will be a good haul. Hui says that the parts are premium, state of the art Alliance monitoring equipment. You know how much those cost on the black market.

Inara: Captain while you are on Isis I need to make a run to Osiris to pick up a young girl for transport to the academy. She’ll be staying on the shuttle with me for a while the Academy wants me to be her liege.

Mal: Ok.

Cut to
Ext. Serenity

Serenity sits still against a large dead planet as two small green moons circle the planet. We watch for a second as Inara shuttle heads toward the smaller of the two moons and the ship descends toward the larger moon.

LEGALBEGAL

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 5:24 PM

Cut to
Int. Serenity-Cargo Bay

JAYNE and BOOK are working out. JAYNE is spotting BOOK for bench presses.

JAYNE: Can't agree with you preacher. Brain pan's slimy. No good no more.

BOOK: There is more to that girl than we'll probably ever know, Jayne.

JAYNE: So? Already know more'n I want to about her. Know she got way with a knife. Know's she can't tell a gun from a stick even though she can kill with her eyes closed.

BOOK finished his set. He sits up and towels off a little. JAYNE reaches for the push-up straps. RIVER enters from the catwalk above.

RIVER: (to BOOK) Know what you think about at night, your secrets. Know that your brains are full.

BOOK is mellow but JAYNE moves a little to keep his distance.

RIVER: (con't.) Know that your hands have a memory that your heart doesn't want. They itch and stay dirty. Serenity's a name not a place.

Cut to JAYNE looking sidelong at the two of them. BOOK is his Yoda self.

JAYNE: You was sayin', Preacher?

BOOK: What makes you say those things, River?

RIVER turns and heads toward the cargo bay doors

RIVER: Outside there's air and words. Do penance, get absolved. Buy more ammunition.

BOOK goes to follow her, motioning for JAYNE to come with him. RIVER exits and BOOK and JAYNE hurry to follow her.

Cut to
Int. Isis-Docks

Isis is nothing like the other worlds we have seen it is very bright and has a very Asian feel to it. The docks are filled with a number of ships and small shops as well as a number of street performers including men in kabuki mask and a troop of Asian stick fighters.

Kaylee is sitting just outside the boat when a young Asian boy approaches her.

Lu: Pretty Pretty(showing her a number of thin gold chains and braclets.)

Kaylee: Very she says putting her book down and handing the little boy a small bill.

Cut to
Int. Isi- Saloon

Wash, Hui, Mal and Simon are seated in the back of a small saloon.

Hui is a burned out surfer-dude looking guy with Wash’s taste in Hawaiin shirts and sunburned face, his hair is pulled into a pony-tail and he is wearing plastic Ray-Ban type sunglasses on a cord around his neck. He seems out of place on Isis as do Wash and Mal. The salon is pretty empty but most of the white people we have seen thus far seemed to be dressed like Simon giving the feel that Isis seems to be a resort of some sort for the Alliance and the affluent.

HUI: We have Fancy Pants here pose as the buyer of the cargo, tell the authorized transporter that he wants to drop off the merchandise at Ambrosia, instead of Persephone. We have them transport the material onto your boat, then we get the hell outta dodge before anyone realizes that the real buyer is locked away at some retreat for the week.

MAL: Dodge?

SIMON: (absently) An expression from Earth-that-was. It means get the (chinese for hell) out of there.

HUI: (Looks at Simon with a whole new respect) Dude, an aficionado for the old ways. (Holds up his hand in a Hang-10 sign and gives a wink) Sweet.

MAL: Whatever. What’s our cut?

HUI: Well, the standard. You take the cargo to little hideaway, and then you get 10 percent of the cut.

MAL: 30 percent.

HUI: Dude, It’s my heist, you’re just the transport .

MAL: It’s our ship on the line. And our Doctor doing the acting. 25 percent.

HUI: It’s my contact. 18 percent.

MAL: And my crew on the line. 20 percent.

SIMON: and an additional 5 percent off the top for me. Separate from what you give the rest of the crew.

Hui, Mal, Wash: What?

SIMON: (swallows nerviously, but plunges on before he has a chance to stop himself) The way I understand this little plan of yours, you can’t fool anyone without me. You need me to how did you say it? “Talk the talk?” How’s your Mandarin? How’s your etiquitte?

HUI: Dude let’s take a step back here. I’m starting to feel some bad vibes flowing from you. Why don’t we chill, take our time, and think this over. Wine?

He offers a leather flask to everyone. Wash’s face lights up, but Simon’s face shows a touch of disgust and Mal calmly ref

LEGALBEGAL

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 5:26 PM

Hope that you all enjoy and that i didnt ruin your vision of the opening of the episode. LA and Sara if you need any help with the rest of the episode let me know i would love to help.

SARAHETC

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 6:25 PM

Looks rockin' good. And you gave Inara something to do. Hadn't even thought about that.

Having a helluva day here.

Somebody say something about where the story goes next so I have something pleasant to think about.

Sarah

KETHRYVERIS

Wednesday, January 22, 2003 8:50 PM

Can I bring up a very (very) small point? I don't think anyone but Mal calls Serenity a boat. They all say ship. I sort of took as a term of affection from him. I haven't gone back and verified this but it just sounded (looked) wrong to me to hear (read) someone else say it. Otherwise I'm looking forward to more of the story.

Kethryveris

PHILOMEL

Thursday, January 23, 2003 3:15 AM

Very cool--I love what you have so far, and am looking greatly forward to reading the rest!

RIVERSSHOT

Thursday, January 23, 2003 4:10 AM

Something that might take place after JAYNE notices Serenity is gone.

Who exactly is Lu? Someone selling stuff who walks up to the ship?

Lu could have taken KAYLEE and Serenity hostage.

This would lengthen the episode, something to set back WASH, MAL and SIMON.

RIVER knows something that she is not telling BOOK and JAYNE. Possibly some of BOOK's past, what is going to happen to SIMON, or where Serenity is at?

If she is referring to what will happen to SIMON, this will displaying some early signs of prophecy (something that can lead into a later episode).

~Rivers_Shot~

NICKFLCL

Thursday, January 23, 2003 4:47 AM

I think that all these idea's that you all have had so far, though it has some major flaws. The steam of these flaws is routed deep in the understanding of River's character. This storyline for the mean time is what strings everything together.

First off you have to think of River's character, as the classic tourtured genius, though with here it has been taken to a new level. Also look at the times where river has been the sainest, those are the times when she has felt she has a purpose. The times when it isn't being pointed out that she is "ill". So her condition is very much dependent on here surroundings.

The other thing is that you have Mal's perception of the rest of the crew, wrong. First all after "objects in space", even though that situation was because river was on the ship. She very much saved the day, and in turn saved Serenity, this put her close to Mal's heart. And i think that after that, he is starting to realize that alot more use than previously thought. So Mal, is now starting to think of her as a member of the crew.

I will post more latter, but i wanted to get this out there.

Though, I am an Idiot.

LOSTANGEL

Thursday, January 23, 2003 2:22 PM

I'm sick for one day and now I have to play catch up! Oh boy, do I have some reading to do. LB, I'm glad you started a new thread because I was about to.

Feel free to add ideas and stuff, this is a group project thingy, I'm just takin' notes.

Everyone else, thanks for your comments and corrections and such. As my copy of the eps are in the mail to me, I can't check the facts that easily. More comments and help are always appreciated.

Luv yas all!

______________________
Lost Angel

WASH: Psychic, though? That sounds like something out of science fiction.
ZOE: We live in a space ship, dear.
WASH: So?

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