RP: "Adventures in Gunrunning" - Act 14

Wash turns from the two, giving the final word to Merz. "well, anytime you want to find a Drinkin buddy, just find me in the galley after supper. I usually have a glass of fresh wine or three."
Wash is distracted by a blinking diode on the console. Another wave. Huh.
Wash opens the Cortex, and checks who the Wave is aimed at. He grabs the mike. Might as well give a little announcement. "Hi folks, this Wash. We'll be landing at the dropsite in four hours. So buckle up. And on a side note, Thorne, you have a wave."

You see I cannot be forsaken/Because I'm not the only one.

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Book's Move
Location: Crew hallway outside Mal's room

Noticing the door-hatch is not locked, Book pushes it open as he hears the captain's voice.
Book climbs down the ladder into the captain room. "Reavers may be the least of troubles before this is over, captain." Book says as he reaches the bottom rung.

Mal's room is littered with all manner of equipment. He's apparently sorting it and doing some inventory. Book turns to look Mal directly in the eyes. "I fear I may have done something foolish." Book watches the look on Mal's face turn from minor annoyance to severe displeasure. "When Simon left, I gave him one of my ID card's to help him if he needed to get out of a tight spot." Book pauses and watches Mal crumple a sheaf of papers in his hand. "I can't tell you how I know, but he's used it... and I don't think he would have unless something went very wrong."

EM

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Mal's Move
LOCATION - MALs DORM
12:15 PM AMT
As ...

Mal's hatch opens and Book descends.

BOOK
"Reavers may be the least of troubles before this is over, captain."
Book turns to look Mal directly in the eyes.

"I fear I may have done something foolish."

Mal begins to get the sinking feeling that things are going around the twist -- yet again.

"When Simon left, I gave him one of my ID card's to help him if he needed to get out of a tight spot."

ID card! Mal thinks, qingwa cào de liúmáng*! THAT card! ... wait ... ONE of Book's ident cards? Mal continues to listen, but with the distinct feeling that Book may have more in common with Niska. Naw, if he was a criminal, he must have reformed - he is now my crew and has been fer a fair bit. quickly crosses his mind.

BOOK
"I can't tell you how I know, but he's used it... and I don't think he would have unless something went very wrong."

After Mal realizes he has just crumpled the fuel tallies, he drops them to the desk and turns back to Book.

MAL
in a tight voice tinged with irony
"Lìngrén jingyì chûn* Shepherd. That boy is smart, but not in the ways of the wild. We better hope that Slight fella can reign our Doc in. Other that that, I see as we are stymied until one or the other contacts us. Less'n you got other info that you ain't spilled yet."

As Mal crosses his arms over his chest, he stares hard into Book's eyes. Mal's right eyebrow nearly disappears into his hairline as he waits for Book's response.

EOM
{*qingwa cào de liúmáng = frog-humping sumbitch}
[*lìngrén jingyì chûn= stunningly stupid}

"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"

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Merz Move

LOCATION - BRIDGE

Quote:

---

Well, anytime you want to find a Drinkin’ buddy, just find me in the galley after supper. I usually have a glass of fresh wine or three.

---

MERZ pauses in the act of responding to WASH's remark; something on his console captures his full attention. Further comment can wait for a time. She reaches for the first two straps DAMON hands her and finds them barely worn and fully acceptable. For all that he is a bit out of practice, DAMON gets the idea of where she is going with the straps and they have a full rig set on the gunner station in no time. KAYLEE’s rivet gun and other assorted clamps and cutters being of unmistakable help.

Quote:

---

Hi folks, this Wash. We'll be landing at the dropsite in four hours. So buckle up. And on a side note, Thorne, you have a wave.

---

MERZ sighs. Looks as if her short vacation is about to end. Who knows what comes next.

She glances at Wash. “Too bad – I was going to take you up on that drink, only . . . I seem to recall someone saying something about tequila. I’ve heard of that and I smelled it when I came in. An interesting aroma, to be sure. I was lookin’ forward to having someone introduce me to that. Go ahead guys, talk some more. I can listen and work at the same time. DAMON, how’s about you hop up on that chair and we will see how these set.”

MERZ stands up next to the chair and prepares to help DAMON strap in and check for ‘pinchin’.

too much more of this homey talk and i am going to wake up screamin’ tonight. good thing they taught me ‘colloquial’ as a separate language. ‘least WASH likes it better, but it is beginnin’ to rub off something awful


EOM



If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress

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Damon's turn:
LOCATION - BRIDGE

Damon hesitates for only a brief moment before sitting down in the gunner chair. Despite Merz's invitation to talk with Wash, Damon remains quiet. He doesn't particularly want to talk about his love - hate relationship with alcohol. Besides, all this talk of arriving at NH reminds him that his contract on Serenity will be over by the end of the day.

Part of him is happy to be able to add more money to his stash but the other half is wondering where he's going to be sleeping tonight. He won't have to worry about dinner if he gets a good meal before leaving the ship, but he knows next to nothing about NH. He'll have to do a little research after he finishes with Merz.

After they finish adjusting the straps and get them secured properly, Damon gets up and looks down at Wash.

"We doing your chair too?"

I'm not broken, in my dream I win...

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Book's Move
LOCATION - MAL'S QUARTERS

Book looks at Mal's expectant stance and sighs. "I would like nothing better than to be able to give you the answer you're looking for captain, but there are... choices I made that prevent me." Book watches the expression on Mal's face turn from anger to slight astonishment. "But I can tell you that the card was used for illegal communication purposes, and it was used to access a place that Niska is known to want control over."

Book spots the stack of coiled ropes in the corner, walks over to them and drops the one in his hand onto the top of the pile, leaving his hands free. "I know this may not mean much or make much sense, but you remember how Simon was acting before he left... he was behaving differently."

Mal grudgingly nods his head and Book continues. "I know for a fact that he initiated a very dangerous and experimental procedure involving his own mind and Niska's. I wasn't aware of what he tried to do until it was too late... but you saw the effects.
Simon was like Niska for a time, he had his anger, he spoke with his accent and used his mannerisms. I can see you know where I'm going with this line of thought."

Book stops and looks hard at the captain's incredulous expression. How can I tell him straight out that I think Niska's mind may have somehow copied a portion of itself onto Simon's mind? Book thinks.

EM

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Thorne's move:

Location: Cargo bay/Bridge

Thorne has finished his tai chi set and still no one has wandered by to spot him on the barbells. He decides that maybe he should set up a weight date with someone next time. Might as well head for the Bridge and see if his customers have gotten in touch yet.

As he enters the bridge door her hears WASH:

WASH: "Hi folks, this Wash. We'll be landing at the dropsite in four hours. So buckle up. And on a side note, Thorne, you have a wave."

Four hours? Even with the best pilot in the 'verse, a Firefly can't make Hera to New Hokkaido in less than 48 hours, and they're only halfway into the trip. They should arrive tomorrow. But let's check the mail first.

THORNE: "I'm here, WASH. let me see that message, please."

WASH cues up the wave and THORNE enters the password. The grinning face of Corzaire Jax appears.

JAX: "Hey, Rosie, you old pirate. How they hangin'? Fearless leader commanded me to contact you with a list of locations for the hand-off. All choice pieces of nothing on Hokkaido's gloomy satellite, and far from the pleasures of civilization, or what passes for it out here. Why can't we ever do a deal in a brothel, or a five star restaurant? Anyway, get back to me with your preferred chunk of desolation, and we'll see you on the dark side of the moon. Jax out."

THORNE looks over the list of coordinates while thinking ruefully of the context in JAX's message. It would figure that HLASTONI'd want to meet as far from folk as possible. Just not the sociable type. Makes the Puritans look like flaming libertines. Good at what he does, though.

Deciding on a location, THORNE flips the switch to 'record' and begins to talk.

THORNE: "Squire, still as big a ponce as ever, I see. Afraid you'll never know how they're hangin', just that they don't swing your way. Looked over your list of prime real estate, and number three looks O.K. to me. Dry and empty as HLASTONI's heart. Not my idea of a pleasure palace either. Maybe after the deal's done you and I can hit Hokkaido City and have a good carouse before you head home. But don't bring your boss. All in all, he's just another brickhead in the wall. THORNE out."

Now for the other issue.

"Wash, could you send this out right away? And what's this 'four hours to the drop point' stuff? First, you don't even know where the drop point is, second, we're still a day away from there. I find myself puzzled."

EOM





"Keep the Shiny side up"

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Wash shakes his head. He needs that coffee much more than he realized. That tequila Merz mentioned might be more inviting than usual, on the other hand.
"Sorry, meant to peg that eight on the end. And I count a moon as a drop sight, cuz anywhere on a planet I can make in four minutes. But that wave'll be out in a minute."
Wash leans back in the chair, sighing. Without even looking, he sends the wave, closing his eyes.

You see I cannot be forsaken/Because I'm not the only one.

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Thorne's Move:

Location: Bridge

Watch me work without a net!

WASH: "Sorry, meant to peg that eight on the end. And I count a moon as a drop sight, cuz anywhere on a planet I can make in four minutes. But that wave'll be out in a minute."

THORNE: "Oh, right, 48 hours. I forgot that you'd be off the usual flight path for Hokkaido and be clipping the edge of the time distortion. Interesting how setting up the 1G field on all the terraformed planets caused that to happen in this part of the black. And even stranger, tomorrow morning ship time we'll just be a couple hours out. Crazy old 'verse, ain't it?

And, yeah, just get that wave out and we're good to go."

OOC: and at no time did my hands leave my arms.


"Keep the Shiny side up"

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