GR RP "Adventures in Gunrunning" Act 20
POSTED BY: Channain
UPDATED: Wednesday, September 8, 2004 13:24
VIEWED: 18914
PAGE 6 of 10
River
LOCATION - LAUNDRY AREA
MERZ
It is good they help Damon if he requires this. Tell me bahini, is there something I should be doing for my bhaai? Or for you?
River closes her eyes and tips her head to one side as if listening to something.
"Too many secrets. Doesn't know who to trust. Too much fear for trust." She opens her eyes and smiles at Merz. "When the fear is gone, the sun will shine."
River drops her gaze to her hands, fiddling with the hem of her dress. "Simon's gone. Trying to help me." She shakes her head, her eyes flling with tears again. "Can't hear him any more. Too clouded."
She looks up at Merz and gives a grim smile. "Everybody's crazy now."
I'm not broken, in my dream I win...
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Book's Move
Location: en route to Mal's Quarters
Glad to be out of Merz's presence while she's again forgotten her clothes, Book lets out a heavy breath and walks through the door to the cargo bay. It's hard not to make her feel self conscious The heavy rasping sound coming from Jayne's welding in addition to his mask obscure Book from Jayne's view as he quickly crosses the cargo bay floor to the fore stairway. He rummages through his pockets as he goes. Where did my collar go? Book shakes his head critically. Why must I carry so many things in my pockets?
Reaching the top of the stairs, Book rounds the corner and notices Damon watching his approach. He receives a curteous nod from Damon as he walks resolutely to Mal's quarters and raps on the metal swinging door hanging over the laddered descent. "Captain. It's Shepherd Book."
EM
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JAYNE'S move
LOCATION – CARGO BAY
Being snuck up on, intentionally or otherwise, is never a favourite way for Jayne to spend his time. With the noise and light from the torch, he doesn't notice Wash until he's a few yards off. He holds out another piece of rail to Jayne, and then hands over the memory stick.
Jayne contemplates the memory stick in his hand for a moment, and is about to ask what the heck it is when Wash turns to leave.
No big loss. Jayne turns down the torch and has a moment's rest. The heat from the torch was starting to build up. Jayne pats down his forehead with his handkerchief, then stuffs it back into his pocket and takes another look at the plastic device in his hand.
Well, it's got one of them eye scanner jobs on the end. Jayne flips the device end over end. It must be that thing Simon left with messages for the crew. Cause Simon's really gotta lot to say ta me. Well, right now Jayne has bigger fish to fry, like not getting tossed out the trash chute for failing to finish his work. Jayne stuffs the memory stick into his trouser pocket and reaches again for the welding torch.
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MERZ move
LOCATION - LAUNDRY AREA
RIVER
Everybody’s crazy now.
Tears are slowly dropping from RIVER’s eyes. MERZ gives in to a sudden impulse. Slowly reaching towards the child’s face, she carefully wipes tears from her face with her fingers, as gently as she can.
MERZ
To me bahini, you are all crazy.
MERZ contemplates the wetness on her fingers. She rubs her fingers together, smells the dampness, licks her fingertips and sighs.
MERZ
A secretion of the lachrymal gland. How wonderful for you, to have tears.
… all crazy but one. he was much less puzzling. he could explain things … i don’t even know if he survived … i could no more read him, than Brink can read me … need you …
She looks over at RIVER remembering Kara and Gi, remembering the ways of comfort. She does not understand really, but she does remember what to do … perhaps. MERZ holds out her arms to River and tries her best to smile with a mother’s face.
EOM
bahini = little sister
If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress
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LOCATION - MALs DORM
As ...
Shepherd Book raps on the metal swinging door hanging over the laddered descent of Mal's room.
BOOK
"Captain. It's Shepherd Book."
Mal sighs and hits the unlock switch on his desk and then toggles the door comm.
MAL
weariness still quite evident in his voice
"Come on in Shepherd, please close the door behind ya."
Mal shuffles the finished paperwork into the file box under the desk. He swivels in his chair to await Book's entrance. Not really meaning too, he sits up straighter and tries to adopt a neutral expression -- he fails. His expression radiates unease and consternation.
EOM
"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"
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River
LOCATION - LAUNDRY AREA
River considers Merz's invitation for a moment. She isn't mom, she isn't dad, Simon or even Book. River can't see who she is and that makes her a little uneasy but the rest of the crew are comfortable with her around and River decides that's good enough for her.
She climbs into Merz's lap letting the older woman hold her. It's not the same as being held by Simon but thinking of her brother puts a smile on her face.
After a few minutes of sitting quietly, River climbs to her feet and looks down at Merz. "They smell good now."
The laundry machine slowly spins to a stop and a quick buzz signals the clothes are finished.
I'm not broken, in my dream I win...
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THE DEATH OF BRINK "SLIGHT" HELSING
And the rising of the Pale Moon...
Interlude 3 Part IV
LOCATION - GYRFALCON and ALACHINA RANDI
Connected by umbilical walk through
2518 ~ Day 024/January 24th ~ 1802/ 6:02 PM
AS...
NISKA
“Corvair, you know za shell may change. It iz the spirit withzin that definez the soul. OR perhaps, you do not understand. Your range was limited. Zo sad, a waste of good manipulatable emotion.
CORVAIR is locked for an instant in conflict. This imitation Niska is raising hackles on CORVAIR's neck. What this young man is saying is not possible, cannot be possible. But the facts also cannot be ignored. This voice, regardless of its current register matches to several decimal places all points of inflection, phraseology and meter to the man he has always known as Adelai Niska. It is not unheard of; it is a method of deceiving the enemy taught early in ABEL training. Not a talent he could believe this young man would possess. Sorely tempted to pass back down the umbilical to his ship return to base, he pauses. Perhaps processing requires more data? While he is cogitating, the young man speaks again.
NISKA
“I zee the new implant seems to be functioning perfectly. I vas worried, your structure iz … difficult to predict zome times."
How odd. Even his minders and trainers are unaware of the extra communication implant NISKA had graced him with. Perhaps there is some truth.
CORVAIR pauses to sample the air, drawing in a deep breath and analyzing. He can pick up several different traces from this young man, and one is unmistakably the Adelai Niska that he knows. There are traces of blood, both Niska’s and one other source. And another person he has scented before. On his hunt for ‘her’ he ran across the track of one of the Blue Sun operatives. Actually it seems to be the one they call “the Blue Son” for whatever inane reason civilians bestow names. Now that scent is in his nostrils again. However, the important components signify NISKA. How can this be? He decides to simply ask.
CORVAIR
resolve flushing away any doubt
“How? You are NOT the man I knew.”
SIMON/NISKA
Laughing in a short sinister bark
“A fortuitous karmic happenstance with ... how vould you zay ... a malfunctioning cortical analyzer. I vill detail it to you later. But for now ve have much to do.
CORVAIR considers. It still appears to be a not-viable explanation, but he will accept this strange, young man as NISKA his employer … for now. However, he will watch him closely.
CORVAIR
“I comprehend. Your orders?
NISKA
“First there iz the baggage I had to bring along. He has zerved his purpose and now must be erased from the equation. Liberate him; but I want a zingle, clean blow if possible. Kindly avoid your usual vulgar technique.”
There is a certain amount of … disappointment there. The last several months have been extraordinarily frustrating. CORVAIR has become all too aware of the new ‘feelings’ that this time of trouble has introduced him to. Taking out some aggravation on an approved target might have provided some relief. But he knows better than to disagree with this master.
CORVAIR leaves ‘Niska’ in the front of the Gyrfalcon and moves towards the rear compartment to find his ‘loose end’. His target lies at the far end of the available space, moved as far from immediate danger as the nanites were able to drag him. Now the form is lying prone near the hatch to the engine, the nanites a shifting, dense cocoon of protection around their unconscious host. CORVAIR sneers. Such a pathetic reliance on technology, as if it has greater worth and ability t
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MERZ move
LOCATION – LAUNDRY AREA
RIVER looks calmly at her for a short time before standing and approaching her. MERZ almost holds her breath as the girl carefully lowers herself into the empty lap.
As RIVER almost gingerly nestles herself, MERZ slowly folds her arms around her. The sensation is quite … interesting. She had promised MAL loyalty, promised it to the crew even if they did not know this, promised it to the passengers as well.
While not entirely sure of RIVER’s status, she had been moved to defend her because of her own pledge. Now, with the shell of shared warmth surrounding them both, with the scent of her so close and the indescribable consciousness of the trust that RIVER has granted her, MERZ almost understands … family … in a way never demonstrated to her before. MERZ closes her eyes and lays her cheek against RIVER’s hair. She is afraid to speak, reluctant to change any part of the equation. So fragile …
… never allow another innocent to be harmed, neither by my actions, or by my inaction … i promise …
It is only a short time before River stirs and stands. Looking down she says,
RIVER
They smell good now.
The washer finishes the cycle, buzzes for attention and shuts off.
… interesting …
MERZ stands herself, blanket carefully attended to. She opens the machine and removes the warm, clean clothing. Time to go back to her room, to clean up and dress. If there is an appropriate way to take leave of River, she has no idea what it would be.
MERZ
I must go, bahini. Thank you.
She leaves the room and heads back to her own room. Juggling clothing and blanket makes entering the dorm just a bit tricky, but it is managed with a minimum of fuss.
Once inside her room, behind her own closed door, MERZ sets her clothing aside, neatly replaces the blanket on the bed and folds her clothing, setting it on the blanket.
Locating the sink in the room and extruding it for use, she fills it with a small bit of warm water, and washes herself in a thorough way that speaks of long practice in water discipline. She unbraids and briskly combs her hair and then dips into her bag for a shaker canister of powder, which she dusts onto her scalp and throughout her hair. Privately she considers the dry wash insufficient, but current circumstances do not provide adequate provisions for cleaning that long fall of hair in any other fashion. Brushing the cleaning powder out of her hair as much as possible into the sink she lets her wash water carry the powder away too.
Toweling herself off, she chooses the shipsuit as the most suitable of her limited choices and dresses again. Momentarly ignored, her hair flows down her back, unbound.
Time now to see what remains to be done before tomorrow. To find something that will keep her occupied and free of troublesome thoughts.
There were still the cargo rails to be set perhaps. They were unfinished the last time she looked, and Jayne nowhere to be seen. A good place to start.
She climbs the ladder and exits once again into the hallway, and turns towards the Cargo Bay.
EOM
If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress
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JAYNE'S move
LOCATION – CARGO BAY
Jayne is heating up fast. This is no small metal structure he's building, and it needs to be extra strong to handle the drops in low atmo. He isn't taking any chances or cutting any corners, since his life isn't worth the risk.
Over the past hour, the drop chute structure has built itself up from piles of metal on the floor to what is now a recognizable machine. Jayne turns down the torch and sits it down before starting the reinforcement beams.
JAYNE
"Far ta the East, is a land not man ner beast,
Has er' dared put a single foot er paw on,"
Jayne sings loud and proud. He grips the back on his T-shirt in one hand and peels it off in a single motion. He takes a deep breath and belts out,
JAYNE
"And that's the way we'll go, cause the goblins of the soul,
are heluva better 'n the buggers over here."
Jayne lets out an invigorated yell into his balled-up shirt and pulls it slowly down his face to mop up the sweat. He continues along his chest and armpits, and lets a smile crack onto his face.
He was feeling better. Good, honest work had a way of focusing you. Once he had the supports welded on, Jayne was looking forward to winding down a little.
But he still had to catch Rowan in the act somehow.
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River
LOCATION – CARGO BAY
MERZ
I must go, bahini. Thank you.
River nods and watches Merz disappear into her room. For a moment she just stands there, her thoughts drifting, but it isn't long before a big grin spreads across her face. She turns and heads for the cargo bay.
Jayne is happily welding the last bit of railing on the other end of the room and doesn't see River standing in the doorway behind him. She smiles and starts walking toward him, her footsteps silent on the metal flooring.
Quote:
JAYNE
"Far ta the East, is a land not man ner beast,
Has er' dared put a single foot er paw on,"
Jayne sings loud and proud. He grips the back on his T-shirt in one hand and peels it off in a single motion. He takes a deep breath and belts out,
JAYNE
"And that's the way we'll go, cause the goblins of the soul,
are heluva better 'n the buggers over here."
Jayne lets out an invigorated yell into his balled-up shirt and pulls it slowly down his face to mop up the sweat. He continues along his chest and armpits, and lets a smile crack onto his face.
River grins, barely able to keep from laughing as she sneaks up behind the singing Jayne, who is completely unaware of her presence. He finishes. She waits a moment and leans toward him.
"BOO!"
River bursts into laughter as Jayne jumps out of his skin, nearly falling over. She holds her sides, laughing so hard she has trouble keeping her breath.
"Got you!"
I'm not broken, in my dream I win...
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