GR RP "Adventures in Gunrunning" Act 20
POSTED BY: Channain
UPDATED: Wednesday, September 8, 2004 13:24
VIEWED: 18914
PAGE 8 of 10
Location: GyraFalcon
The DeepRED is blinking furiously. It has rarely detected such damage. Nanytes are churning out as quickly as possible. Some crawl over the skin, not quite charged enough for flight. Others crawl through the body, inspecting the extent of repair required. Soon, the DeepRED comes to a single conclusion, even as it continues its work-
This cannot be repaired on it's own.
Even at full capacity, the DR muses, this would be impossible without the host to receive feedback on the correct course of action.
The DR comes to a conclusion-the biologic must be revived. Mustering a charge, it extends probes into the body, and sends short bursts of electricity into the body. The body jolts, as muscles receive conflicting instructions. There is no response. . .
We can't all be heroes, since some of us have to sit at the curb and clap as they go by.
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Damon's turn:
LOCATION - BRIDGE
Damon is still cleaning away when Wash enters the bridge followed shortly by Zoe. Neither of them seem to notice him as they move over to the gunner’s seat, which is just as well as far as he’s concerned. The fast he gets this done, the faster he can get his talk with Mal over with. He continues working but a minute later his attention is pulled away again.
Quote:
“Still flying… nothing is better than flying, especially with you”. He goes back to work, Zoe looking on in amazement, as a series of bright yellow arrows starts to flash rapidly on the screen on the console, she slowly rubs Wash’s neck and back.
Damon watches them, almost fascinated. Eighteen years of living with his parents and never once did he see anything close to this kind of behavior. The difference is astounding. He knows his family was not normal, but seeing Zoe and Wash like this is just… strange.
Realizing he’s been staring, he pulls his gaze away and busies himself with his work.
I'm not broken, in my dream I win...
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JAYNE'S move
LOCATION – CARGO BAY
River continues to wail on the floor at Jayne's feet, her voice echoing throughout the ship. Fighting the urge to just slip away quietly, Jayne crouches over her to see if there's something he can do.
Her eyes are pinched tight, her face looking like a wrung towel dribbling off its excess water. And her nose starts to leak across her upper lip.
Well, that's as good a place as any to start. Jayne pulls the handkerchief from his pocket to clean her up with. Simon's memory stick is lifted up out of the pocket and falls from the piece of cloth to floor where it clatters, unheard over the woeful cries, and falls between the grating, down to the hull below.
JAYNE
"C'mon girl, quiet down!" Jayne coaxes as he attempts to mop up her face.
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KAYLEE’s move
LOCATION - ENGINE ROOM As ...
KAYLEE sits slumped for a moment, willing herself back to reality. That’s what she gets, fallin’ asleep on the job. She lifts her hands and scrubs her face briskly, both to wake herself fully, and to get the tears out of her eyes.
Don’t know where my head is at. Gotta get this job done, keep my mind on it. Nothin’ else matters, right now.
She picks up her tools and returns to her labor, the Engineer replacing the Woman, the assignment foremost in her mind. A fleeting thought, the tiniest tingle in her lips, all pushed aside. No time for that kinda nonsense now. Serenity needs her. Her friends need her. No time to waste on … distractions.
EOM
If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress
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Rowan's Move
LOCATION - FRONT STAIRWAY en route to LOCATION - CARGO BAY
Taking the hand-held, Rowan taps into the voice recorder. Her mouth curls into a wry smile as she begins her first outline since before the war ended.
ROWAN (into the hand-held): "Crewed on eight ships, traveled on more than need to be counted at this point. This one has to be the most unique. Crew's nothing to write home about. Seen a lot of this type--the usual rag-tag conglomeration of folk. It's the idiosyncrasies on this boat that are spicing things up. Ship called Serenity with a browncoat captain? Small wonder as to where that little inspiration came from. Better to be on a former browncoat ship than former Alliance though. Considerably less nerve-wracking. A lot less boozing too, unfortunately."
She pauses the recorder, gathering her thoughts on the most interesting tidbits as she reaches the landing.
ROWAN (into the hand-held): "He's fairly normal, though. Tetchier than usual lately, but no more than any other captain. His crew? Entirely different story. The Shepherd fights like someone trained up to it--no monastery taught him those moves. First impression was that he walks like a king. Supplemental impression is he walks like a commander. The girl has to be part of the Academy program, possibly one of the few who disappeared from the complex less than a year ago. Make a note to query Thal. Passengers are also proving interesting. Suspect Troy on board. Passenger, destination unknown, possibly fugitive. The employer seems normal enough, puts on a casual exterior. Something about him seems off. He's more intuitive than any male has a notion to be."
FLASHBACK:
He came up behind her. She didn't know he was there until his hands were on her shoulders. She jumped a bit, then settled when she caught his scent and realized who it was.
"You are working too hard," he murmured. His strong hands began working the stiff muscles on her shoulders and she began to relax instantly. Leaning back, she rested her head against him. One of his hands went to her hair, gently pulling out the sticks that were holding it piled on top of her head. It tumbled down around her shoulders as he threaded his fingers through it. She opened her eyes as she looked up at him. He smiled and bent down to kiss her, and all thought about work was forgotten. She let him draw her away from the work--as he'd known she wanted to be--and over to the bed.
END FLASHBACK
The pain hit her like white fire. Feeling as though someone has put an electrified steel stake into her right eye, Rowan doesn't even have time to shout out before the vertigo hits and her feet go out from under her. She hits the landing hard and lays there, one hand cupped over her eye. Only it isn't enough. The pain is raging, actually shrieking into her mind. Letting the hand-held go, she covers it with that hand too, but it doesn't help. Curling into a ball on the landing, she huddles there, and tosses a prayer of mercy to the Almighty. Her final coherent thought involves the doctor, wondering what the gorram hell he did to her before he left. After that, there is only the pain.
She hears River's voice at some point, piercing the agony. She can't make out the words. Book's voice is off in the distance, then Merz, then Jayne, then River. It's all jumbled together, unintelligible, and only serves to fuel the pain.
Finally, after what seems like excruciating hours, the pain subsides. She opens one eye tentatively to peer through her hair. The overhead lights seem ultra-bright, but endurable. Scraping her hair away, she lifts herself up, locates the hand-held and begins the arduous process of getting to her feet. Now she can hear River crying down in the cargo bay and witnesses Jayne's fumbling attempts to soothe.
JAYNE "C'mon girl, quiet down!" Jayne coaxes a
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MERZ move
LOCATION - CATWALKS
MERZ emerges onto the upper stairs to the cargo catwalk, to check on Jayne’s location or the progress on the last portion of the day’s duties.
The drop chute seems quite far along. Obviously while MERZ was busy elsewhere, JAYNE has worked very hard, very acceptible. She cranes her head over the railing to inspect it, and catches a sound. Looking away from the structure she sees RIVER, on her knees in the middle of the Bay, weeping miserably. JAYNE stands over her, reaching towards her face, making nonsense sounds.
No thought required. MERZ backs up two steps across the catwalk and then springs forward, taking air over the railing and diving toward the floor. Approximately halfway between the rail and the deck she curls, rolls, pivots, and straightens up feet down like a cat. She lands, relatively quietly, barefooted on the deck, three feet to the right of JAYNE’s position and facing them both. Her bent knees take up most of the momentum, and she is moving forward almost at once.
As soon as she is down, it is apparent that JAYNE is not hurting the girl. Instead he is trying, in his own way, to comfort her. C'mon girl, quiet down!
MERZ … feels … something. Approximating ministering to one of her family/team perhaps, but it is far more intense. Protective. Yes, that is the word. Something MERZ privately doubts SHELBY will ever ‘comprehend’. Such being the difference between duty and desire … .
She moves quietly forward. All practice is useful. As she reached RIVER, she also hears Hey, shuai nan hai. You makin' the girls cry?
All must be well. ROWAN would not make light of a bad situation. what does that mean? when did you decide to trust civilians, Merzedes? Don’t be any more brainless than you can help.
Still her actions are not bound by convention or logic. They never were. That is her shame. She stalks forward relentlessly and scoops RIVER into the shelter of her arms.
MERZ
She is my burden now, Jayne. Leave her to me.
It is clearly not a request.
EOM
shuai nan hai - pretty boy
If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress
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LOCATION - MALs DORM
As ...
Quote:Mal looks dubious while placing Damons pistol and clip on his desk. ... Book has always been here for everybody on Serenity. He deserves the benefit of my trust, he has earned it ... leastwise till ... till ... but, that gorram card and now that techie comm ... Shaking his head, Mal tosses that thought away until he can build a better picture of the situation. Back to the current priorities and possibly dangerous situations that could endanger the crew in the next 24 hours.
"My life is right here, Captain." Book says, as he reaches out and trades Mal the gun and clip for the handheld comm. Clicking off the indicator light, Book slips it back into his pocket and walks a few steps backward to the ladder.
"Do you want me to send Damon down? I noticed him in the area on my way in. Doubtless, he knows why I'm here."
MAL
easing up a mite, but still tense
"Good to know Shepherd, knowin' were a person stands is a valuable commodity in these harsh times." ... He pauses a moment, letting his eyes communicate his trust to Book ... "Not right yet, we'll get to Damon in a tick. Have a sit, I have a need of your professional observations."
Not really meaning to, Mal overstresses the Alliance laden implications of 'professional'. His sincere need for Book's assessment is written all over his expression.
MAL
Continuing with only a slight pause, almost embarrassed to be asking for an opinion
"What is your views and ideas about our client and hitchers?"
EOM
"Remember, there is only ONE absolute - There ARE NO absolutes!!!"
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JAYNE'S move
LOCATION – CARGO BAY
Jayne has tosses his goggles next to the stick welder, still glowing hot, and tries handing River the handkerchief but she won't take it.
ROWAN
"Hey, shuai nan hai. You makin' the girls cry?"
Jayne looks up momentarily to see Rowan walking down the steps to the cargo bay floor. River was freaking out like something was coming for here. Could it be Rowan? Ah, wo milu le. How 'bout I wait till somethin' really happens before I go off half cocked.
JAYNE
"Fine. She's fine. Does this all the time." Jayne lies. Now he sees Merz entering the cargo bay, heading straight for him and River. "Hey, you think you can get her outta here? Not safe ta be throwin' a fit with all this 'quiment 'round."
She stalks forward relentlessly and scoops RIVER into the shelter of her arms.
MERZ
"She is my burden now, Jayne. Leave her to me."
Good, now River's got a motherly type to look after her. Jayne thrusts the handkerchief back into his pocket and reaches for the welding equipment again.
Wo milu le - I'm lost
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Book's Move
LOCATION - Mal's Quarters
Heeding Mal's request, Book crosses back over the short space and sits on the edge of Mal's tiny metal bedframe. He adopts a serious look on his face, drawing his brows together and shaking his head slightly in disapproval at Mal's question. "They're a fairly heathen bunch Captain, but none are beyond salvation... even you."
A small smile starts to play across his lips. "If you like, I could hold a sermon tomorrow morning before the drop... time permitting. I'll expect you on the front row." Breaking into a full smile, trying to lighten Mal's cloudy mood, Book waits a moment to see if Mal will smile at his feeble joke. Book's smile fades as Mal doesn't change expression, and Book adopts a more serious and concerned attitude. "Who is it you're wondering about Captain, is there someone specific that's troubling you?"
EM
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MERZ move
LOCATION - CARGO BAY
Relief is evident on his face, as JAYNE happily allows MERZ to take RIVER. He turns immediately back to his job. And now MERZ is at a loss, not at all knowing what she should do now. With the girl cradled in her arms, she turns toward ROWAN who has continued down the stairs and into the Bay.
MERZ
I do not know what is causing her this distress. We are going to the infirmary now.
She turns to go back to the stairs. MERZ has no idea what if anything to say to RIVER who is still sobbing and talking to herself. MERZ listens closely - perhaps something will make sense. While she is not moving at a dead run, MERZ is moving quickly, RIVER's weight is negligable at best.
EOM
If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress
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