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Firefly - "Serenity" Written by: Directed by: |
| Teaser |
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Over black:
SOLDIER EXT.
SERENITY VALLEY - JUST BEFORE DAWN We fade up
to the dim blue of predawn. We are
close on the face of Sgt MAL REYNOLDS. He is stubbly, cut and parched, as though
he'd been stranded at sea after a terrible battle. SOLDIER He
gradually focuses on the sound of approaching engines, looking up and in the
distance. Rouses himself from his sitting position, starts crawling over to a
soldier lying near him. MAL ZOE sits
herself painfully up, beginning to understand. She looks as bad as Mal --
everyone does, or worse. Off screen, we hear the other soldier again:
SOLDIER
(O.S.) ZOE The SOLDIER
comes into frame. SOLDIER ZOE She is
handing Mal the flare as she says it. MAL Zoe and the
other move out, and we stay on Mal, widening as he makes his way up a small
slope that is littered with soldiers, living and dead and very much in-between.
One of them is sitting and crying. Mal puts a comforting hand to his head as he
passes -- we are pulling back as Mal continues on. As we pull back further, we
see that Mal'se about a foot around on the middle of the door. Zoe reaches in
and snips the wire with pliers. Since there
is no sound in space, all we hear is the labored breathing of three very tense
people. Mal pulls
out a small device, looks almost like electric nosehair clippers, and clamps it
onto the end of the wire. He hits a
switch on the device, and a charge runs through the wire, causing a reaction in
the gel that turns it incredibly acidic -- it starts melting through the metal
in a circle. Mal moves
away from the door, holds onto something near Zoe. ANGLE: THE
GEL as it eats
through the door, further and further... INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING This (as we
will learn in detail later) is the bridge of SERENITY, a small transport ship.
The bridge itself is small and cluttered, more like someone's car than a
pristine futuristic space vessel. In the pilot's seat sits WASH, a slightly
shlumpy, unassuming fellow. He's concentrating intensely. WASH It is at
this point that we realize he's playing with little plastic dinosaurs. He holds
a stegosaurus and a T-rex (or whatever the hell they call 'em these days).
The
dinosaurs look out over his dash/console, toward the window. WASH (cont'd) He makes
them fight. As he does, a light near him flashes red. He stops
fighting, looks, then looks at a sort of radar screen. ANGLE: THE
RADAR SCREEN has got
three other dinosaurs on it. He sweeps them off as a blip appears in the upper
right quadrant, closing fast. WASH (cont'd) FWOOSH! The
circle of door shoots out toward us, as we're back in: INT.
BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING The piece
of door flies across the room, bouncing off the wall right by Jayne -- he
catches it as it's ricochetting. What looks like steam pours out the hole for a
few moments. ZOE MAL He's
floating to the door -- sticks his hand in the hole and shoves, the door slides
aside and Jayne shines a flashlight in there. ANGLE:
INSIDE THE CHAMBER Three
crates, roughly the size of haybales, sit in the dark. MAL
(cont'd) A voice
sounds simultaneously in all three headsets: Wash. WASH (O.S.) MAL WASH MAL JAYNE ZOE MAL INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING WASH He is
flipping switches, we hear engines running down, lights go off - he hits the
com: WASH
(cont'd) INT. ENGINE
ROOM - CONTINUOUS KAYLEE
rolls into frame from underneath a huge engine part, ups and runs to the com.
She is young, zaftig - as cheery as she is sexy. She and her jumpsuit are, as
usual, speckled with grease. WASH She hits
the com -- KAYLEE and keeps
moving, hitting switches -- climbing atop the engine to pull the last lever.
Everything goes pretty damn black. KAYLEE
(cont'd) INT.
BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING Jayne, Zoe
and Mal all hold their positions, tense. MAL INTERCUT WITH:
INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH Mal looks
at the other two. They wait. EXT. SPACE
- CONTINUING And we see
it, in all it's glory: An Alliance Cruiser. Sleek, huge, antiseptic. The
AngloSino flag painted above the name, I.A.V. DORTMUNDER. CAPTAIN
(O.S.) INT.
DORTMUNDER BRIDGE - CONTINUING Hey, it's
big. And clean, and everything a spaceship is supposed to be. The Captain speaks
with an Ensign. They are rigid, formal, their clothes somewhat Trekkian, with a
more militaristic edge to it. They're cops, Army, Ambassadors -- they're the
Man. ENSIGN Now we see
their view: A huge window, in which the twisted wreck of a ship is a tiny speck,
and a computerized window within in which it's magnified, a rotating 3D image.
CAPTAIN ENSIGN A moment,
and the captain takes off his hat. The ensign follows suit as the Captain hits
the com, his voice booming out around the ship: CAPTAIN The other
men in the ship respond by pulling off their hats and slightly bowing their
heads, a couple looking out at the approaching ghostship. INT.
BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING Mal waits
as through a piece of ripped out wall behind him, the ship, impossibly huge and
dangerously close, passes by. ANGLE:
MAL'S FACE Is set with
grim dislike, as the reflection of the passing ship plays across his faceplate.
He is
silent. So are the others. EXT.
BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING As the
cruiser passes by, leaving the ship behind, all clear... INT.
DORTMUNDER BRIDGE - CONTINUING A MAN
seated at a screen suddenly brow-furrows. MAN CAPTAIN INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING An alarm
sound, lights blink. WASH INT.
BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING MAL They float
to the crates, start dragging them (not hard in zero g). INT. ENGINE
ROOM - CONTINUOUS It's still
pitch black in here. WASH (O.S.) KAYLEE She hits
the switch that gives her light. But in the action, topples off the engine she
was perched on and out of frame. KAYLEE
(cont'd) INT.
BLOWN-OUT SHIP/AIRLOCK OF SERENITY - CONTINUING Mal, Zoe
and Jayne all float their crates past the twisted wreckage and into the airlock.
Mal hits the button and the airlock door shuts. Hits another and gravity hits,
the three of them landing on their feet, crates dropping, as air rushes in.
Mal hits
the com. MAL EXT.
BLOWN-OUT SHIP - CONTINUING The Cruiser
is a good ways away as part of the black, twisted shadow begins to disengage
itself, and we see for the first time that Serenity was anchored to the wreck,
hidden almost in her bowels. Serenity is
a small, buglike ship, patched together, rusted in parts -- everything the
Dortmunder is not. And teeny in comparison. It somewhat unfolds itself as it
gets free. INT.
DORTMUNDER BRIDGE - CONTINUING The Captain
is watching on his screen. CAPTAIN INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING Wash is
seated, all business now. WASH INT.
AIRLOCK - CONTINUING Everyone
grabs something, as Jayne pulls off his helmet. JAYNE EXT.
SERENITY - CONTINUING As the ship
turns away from us, the back lights up -- the entire bulbous back end glowing
beneath a metal grid. The ship
fires away from us. INT.
AIRLOCK - CONTINUING Mal hits
the com: MAL WASH (O.S.) EXT. SPACE
- CONTINUING Behind some
little moon, we see a tiny jet-propelled satellite looking thing, beeping out
its distress signal. It's roughly the size of a thermos, and has written on a
piece of tape: "Crybaby #6". INT.
DORTMUNDER BRIDGE - CONTINUING The captain
and ensign are near the screen. The captain's face goes cold with disgust.
MAN ENSIGN CAPTAIN ENSIGN MAN EXT. SPACE
- CONTINUING The crybaby
beeps. INT.
DORTMUNDER BRIDGE - CONTINUING MAN CAPTAIN INT. CARGO
HOLD - CONTINUING The airlock
feeds right into the cargo hold. It's a cavernous space with a great deal of
junk cluttering it. The airlock door opens and Mal and the other two step out,
clearly a bit tense. They all pull off their spacesuits -- tees and undies
underneath. WASH (O.S.) ZOE JAYNE MAL He looks
away, darkness in his gaze. MAL (cont'd) |
| Act One |
|
INT. CARGO
HOLD - LATER A crate is
jimmied open. It is Jayne with the crowbar, Mal who pulls the top off, looking
in. Zoe, Wash and Kaylee are also about. (The three who went out have got pants
on now.) MAL ANGLE: IN
THE CRATE are bars that looks a lot like gold. KAYLEE WASH JAYNE WASH MAL He has a
bar in his hand, is looking at it up close. ZOE Clearly,
there is. But Mal tries to cover -- just a big of tension creeping into his
voice. MAL JAYNE KAYLEE JAYNE KAYLEE As they
talk, Mal approaches Wash, talking over them. MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL ZOE MAL ZOE MAL They head
up the ladder as Mal turns his attention to: MAL
(cont'd) KAYLEE MAL JAYNE KAYLEE JAYNE MAL He smiles
at her, never stopping working. MAL
(cont'd) She grins
and kisses his cheek. KAYLEE INT. UPPER
CORRIDOR/BRIDGE - CONTINUING As Wash and
Zoe crest the ladder and head to their positions, talking. ZOE WASH ZOE WASH ZOE WASH He moves in
on her, wrapping her in his arms. WASH
(cont'd) They're
getting closer, soon to be kissing, yes. ZOE WASH ZOE WASH They're so
close... ZOE Wrong. Wash
shuts his eyes a moment, rests his head on hers, quietly pissed. He breaks
apart. WASH ZOE WASH He lands in
his seat. She still stands. ZOE WASH MAL Instinctively, Zoe's
demeanor changes as Mal enters, her bearing more erect, military. ZOE Wash looks
up at her excitedly, mouth, "good!" and gives the thumbs up. She looks away.
MAL WASH ZOE MAL INT.
INARA'S CHAMBER - NIGHT We are
close on INARA's face. She is being made love to by an eager, inexperienced but
quite pleasingly shaped young man. She is beneath him, drawing him to his climax
with languorous intensity. His face buried in her neck. INARA He
tightens, relaxes, becomes still. She runs her hand through is hair and he pulls
from her neck, looks at her with sweaty insecurity. She smiles, a worldly,
almost motherly sweetness in her expression. He rests his head on her breast,
still breathing hard. INARA
(cont'd) INT. SAME -
LATER They are
seated on cushions, close to each other with their legs entwined, sipping tea
from small cups. She has a robe on. INARA THE YOUNG MAN INARA THE YOUNG MAN There is
but half truth in her reply, and a hint of weariness. INARA THE YOUNG MAN INARA THE YOUNG MAN INARA He looks
down at his cup a moment. THE YOUNG MAN She smiles
that knowing smile again, just a tinge of sadness in it. He doesn't continue.
INT. SAME -
LATER He is
dressed and exiting, his manner slightly more diffident. THE YOUNG MAN INARA THE YOUNG
MAN The smile
vanishes from her face. He looks guilty, then ducks out of the chamber, shutting
the door behind him. She takes a
moment, then hits a button by the door, locking it and sealing it. She moves
across the room and pulls aside a tapestry that conceals the cockpit of what we
now see to be a small shuttle. Gets in the pilot's seat and hits a switch (and
continues hitting them as she talks). INARA WASH
(O.S.) INARA WASH
(O.S.) INARA She punches
a few buttons, rides the joystick, and the cockpit begins to shake slightly as
we CUT TO: EXT. CITY -
DAY The outside
of the shuttle, which rises slowly into the air. As it does we see it is perched
atop a skyscraper in a fairly big and ritzy city. It flies off. EXT. DOCKS
- DAY We see
Serenity as she touches down at the Eavesdown docks. It's a bustling bazaar,
ships lined up next to each other, each one advertising passage or selling
goods. The place is filled with People of all races, modes and languages. It's
chaos; trade, theft and outright violence all happening amidst the jumble of
humanity. This
district is clearly poorer than the gleaming city in the distance, and every
ship parked looks at tad haphazard -- though Serenity does seem particularly
small and ratty next to the ships it docks between. The airlock
opens, the ramp coming down and our gang piling out. MAL Kaylee
moves to a computerized placard in front of their 'parking space', starts
entering data. We arm up to see It reads: DESTINATION: and that BOROS appears
below that. The rest in filled in thus: CAPACITY:
TWELVE DEPARTURE
TIME: 1500 KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE MAL Zoe, Jayne
and Mal start off. WASH ZOE He watches
her move through the crowd. EXT.
EAVESDOWN DOCKS - DAY We're in
the middle of the hubbub. We see a sign that advertises: Good DOGS! Arm down to
see a pen of scrawny, listless dogs of various breeds. Arm further down to see a
griddle, with some suspicious looking cuts of meat sizzling on it. A man works
the griddle. We see,
Passing through frame, Shepherd BOOK. He's about sixty, weathered and worldly,
with a quiet kindness in his eyes. Farmer stock, not a trace of bullshit and a
workingman's hands. He drags a few boxes and suitcases on a sort of wheeled
papoose, carries another suitcase in his hand. His clothes are plain and
instantly identify him as some kind of protestant minister. As he moves on,
looking about him, he is approached by MAN, who's in his face a bit.
MAN BOOK MAN #2 BOOK The guy
just looks at him like he's crazy, let's him move on past the next barker, MAN
#2. The guy is fancy, with people gathered around -- his ship is clearly high
class. MAN #2 Book moves
on. Comes to the third dock in the row. It's Serenity's, Kaylee sits outside it
in a lawn chair. He looks at it, never stopping, 'til Kaylee says, smiling:
KAYLEE BOOK KAYLEE She's
completely innocuous. It's hard not to be charmed by her. He does stop, gives
the ship a look-over. ANGLE: THE
BRIDGE sticking out above them, SERENITY painted on the side. BOOK KAYLEE BOOK KAYLEE Book looks
over at the fancy ship he just passed, clearly agreeing. BOOK KAYLEE Now she
pretty much thinks he's the cool fool too. There is a moment between them.
KAYLEE
(cont'd) BOOK KAYLEE BOOK KAYLEE BOOK He
approaches her, with a small wooden box. Shows her the contents. She goes a
little bit wide-eyed, eying the contents lustfully. KAYLEE BOOK INT.
UNDERGROUND 'OFFICE' - DAY This is
BADGER'S place. It's not too large, and kind of dingy. The ceiling has what
looks like subway grates over it -- we can hear the traffic above, and every now
and then the bright white of a flying vehicle pours through the grate. On one
side are stairs leading up to ground level and a door beside, at the other end
an oversized, beat up desk and a way into the back through a curtain.
Badger is a
petty thug with pretensions to Kingpinery: He has bad facial hair, bad teeth, a
crushed derby and he wears a woolly three piece and tie, though he has only a
wifebeater beneath. We find him
in the room with three thugs in the corners. A fourth, an old man, is holding
the arm of a clearly frightened but slightly hopeful young woman. Badger
inspects her. BADGER She gives
him a big smile. He pulls her lip up, the other one down. BADGER
(cont'd) She looks
apprehensively pleased as she is shuttled behind the curtain. As she is, yet
another thug leads Mal, Zoe and Jayne down the stairs. Badger doesn't look at
them, heading for his desk. BADGER
(cont'd) MAL Everybody
tenses as Badger turns. BADGER MAL A beat. A
mean little smile from Badger. BADGER MAL Badger
site, Briefly holds up what appears to be digital paper: A clear, pliable piece
of plastic with words and images running across it, constantly changing.
BADGER MAL As he
speaks he sticks an apple on a rusty old peeler, slowly turns it. BADGER Zoe looks
at Mal - -that's what he didn't say when he examined the bars. BADGER
(cont'd) MAL BADGER ZOE BADGER JAYNE Mal shoots
Jayne a look that shuts him right up. Mal steps
forward and Badger rises -- hands go to guns, but Mal is reasonable of tone.
MAL As he
talks, two more girls are hustled in. They are nudged, and both smile at Badger.
BADGER He makes a
face, reconsidering -- BADGER
(cont'd) The girl is
pushed through the curtain after the first one. Badger calls after them:
BADGER
(cont'd) MAL BADGER MAL BADGER Long beat.
Mal is inches from starting a firefight -- Jayne is less than inches. Zoe merely
waits to back Mal's play. But Mal
turns to go. As he's leaving, he says: MAL BADGER They are
about gone when Badger stops Mal with: BADGER
(cont'd) Mal says
nothing, exits. Badger smiles, starts eating the apple peel. EXT.
EAVESDOWN DOCKS - LATER We are now
following Mal, Zoe and Jayne back to the ship. JAYNE MAL JAYNE MAL ZOE MAL ZOE MAL JAYNE MAL JAYNE ZOE MAL ZOE JAYNE MAL Zoe
realizes what that means to Mal. They have reached Serenity by now -- Mal is
looking at it as he speaks. Zoe stops him. ZOE MAL'S POV:
still looking Serenity, he sees Kaylee welcoming another passenger, introducing
himself as: DOBSON He
stumbles, nearly dropping his luggage -- he's just a bit bumbly and sweet. Over
this we hear: MAL He is
standing by the airlock ramp as he says it, looking at: ANGLE: A
BOX. Being loaded on by Wash on a dolly/truck is, among a few other things, a
clearly special, futuristic-looking dark blue box with many dials and readouts.
The box
clears frame to reveal SIMON, a young, clearly affluent man. He wears a dark
suit and round glasses. He seems to be looking directly at Mal, then glances
over to the box. SIMON KAYLEE Both men
size each other up, neither particularly anxious to make conversation.
SIMON MAL ANGLE: IN
THE CARGO BAY We see Zoe
talking to Wash, giving him the bad news. INT. BRIDGE
- DAY Wash is
prepping her for take off, sees a signal, flips a switch. WASH INARA (O.S.) WASH INARA
(O.S.) EXT.
SERENITY - CONTINUING As Inara's
flying shuttle locks onto a side of the still-parked ship. INT.
INARA'S SHUTTLE - CONTINUING As she
feels the lurch of lock. She doesn't leave the pilot's seat. INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING Wash turns,
calls back: WASH He is
talking to Zoe, who moves to the INT. CARGO
BAY/AIRLOCK - CONTINUING And calls
down to Mal, who is stowing cargo with Jayne: ZOE He turns to
the airlock: MAL EXT.
AIRLOCK - CONTINUING Kaylee
looks around once... KAYLEE ANGLE:
SIMON As he
passes his box, looking at it, looking coldly at Mal. EXT.
PERSEPHONE - DAY As Serenity
shoots away from the atmosphere and into the black of space. |
| Act Two |
|
EXT. SPACE -
LATER Serenity
moves silently through. It is a tiny light in the black of space. INT.
PASSENGER'S SECTION/DINING ROOM - LATER We see
Dobson hurriedly coming up the stairs from the passenger section to the upstairs
dining area as Mal has already begun addressing the other two passengers. Zoe
and Kaylee are up there as well. MAL KAYLEE MAL BOOK KAYLEE MAL SIMON MAL BOOK SIMON MAL ZOE MAL SIMON These two
clearly already don't trust each other. Book watches the both of them, sensing
the dynamic. DOBSON ZOE DOBSON The tension
is broken -- people smile at Dobson's disarming relief. MAL He smiles:
the bland, cold smile of a liar. INT. CARGO
BAY - LATER People are
getting the luggage they need. Dobson is spilling clothes out of his case --
he's a perpetual bumbler. Simon is also placing things into an elegant little
valise -- all while eyeing his special blue box. Book places
something wrapped in tissue into a wooden box, hands it to Kaylee, who beams at
him. ANGLE: THE
SECOND SHUTTLE HATCH opens,
showing Inara's shuttle. She steps out of it, in a simple but elegant dress. The
hatch opens onto a catwalk that runs above the space in an 'X', the opposite
side being the entrance to the first shuttle. She descends stairs as the group
notices her. MAL Book looks
up -- and Inara does indeed look the part of a lady of state. MAL KAYLEE INARA There is a
sweetness between those two. Not so much with Mal, whom Inara approaches.
MAL INARA BOOK Mal laughs.
Inara glowers at him. BOOK (cont'd) KAYLEE INARA MAL Book's
clearly a little thrown. And disapproving. KAYLEE MAL INARA MAL BOOK INARA MAL INARA Inara and
Kaylee head out together. KAYLEE INARA INT. DINING
ROOM - CONTINUING Kaylee has
made her way up with the box, lays it on the counter. Quietly excited, she opens
it, looks in. A beat, then she pulls out a strawberry. It's just as red and
luscious as it could be. She smells it, slowly puts it in her mouth, eyes
closing. Watching her savor it is not an entirely unsensual experience.
She
swallows it. Smiles, broad and bright. INT. DINING
ROOM - LATER We see a
sparse but none-the-less inviting spread - Book and Kaylee have made a salad of
tomatoes, and grilled up some root vegetables along with the pasta and
protein/starch mush that is the usual diet of space travellers. To us, not much.
To this crowd, a banquet. People are
gathering, sitting, helping themselves to things -- everybody's moving and
talking over each other and everyone's there save Wash and Inara. ZOE BOOK SIMON ZOE BOOK DOBSON He does,
after taking several slices. People settle. BOOK MAL A beat --
Mal has broken the mood. He starts eating, others follow. Book lowers his head a
moment, as do Kaylee, Dobson, and Jayne, then they eat as well. SIMON MAL DOBSON JAYNE DOBSON ZOE MAL SIMON KAYLEE SIMON MAL KAYLEE SIMON KAYLEE BOOK KAYLEE JAYNE Kaylee,
visibly humiliated, looks down. MAL JAYNE MAL A beat, and
Jayne goes, grabbing a bunch of food as he does. Everyone is silent a moment.
SIMON MAL SIMON Mal stares
a moment. MAL INT.
INARA'S CHAMBER - LATER Inara is
kneeling, robe pooled at her waist. She is sponging off -- the only kind of
bathing you'll find on this ship. A knock on the hatch. INARA Book
enters. She is facing mostly away from his, but she sees it's him. She continues
to bathe herself, running the sponge over her breasts, more in defiance than
seduction. BOOK INARA She pulls
her robe up, in no great hurry, as she turns to him. INARA (cont'd) BOOK INARA BOOK INARA BOOK INARA Book's face
clouds. BOOK INARA BOOK INARA BOOK A beat, as
she shifts, trying to figure him out... INARA BOOK A beat, a
she laughs. He smiles disarmingly. BOOK
(cont'd) INARA BOOK INARA BOOK INARA She sounds
almost weary when she says it. Her feelings for him are clearly complex.
INT. MAL'S
ROOM - CONTINUING It's a tiny
cell, just a bunk and a tiny fold-down desk. A ladder runs up to the hatch (the
crew rooms are under the foredeck hall). The room is cluttered with junk,
pictures, general mess. Mal is in
the heroic act of doing up his trousers as we find him. There's a kind of metal
drawer that hinges open to knee level. It's the toilet, and Mal kicks it shut,
causing a flushing sound not unlike an airplane toilet. Above it is another
metal drawer. He pulls it open and it's a small sink. He runs a little water on
his hands, splashes his face, when the com sounds. WASH (O.S.) Mal's up
the ladder in a flash. INT.
FOREDECK HALL - CONTINUING The hatch,
set at the side of the hall at a 45 degree angle between floor and wall, slides
open and Mal climbs up. He moves through the hall to: INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING Where Wash
is studying a screen. MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH Mal's face
hardens as he works it out... INT. CARGO
BAY - MOMENTS LATER Simon is
checking on his box, looking at lights and gages. The lights are low now and he
is furtive and very quiet, crouching on the larger crate on which his luggage
sits. He finishes and steps down. He turns
and Mal is standing before him. MAL Mal SLUGS
him, sends him sprawling. Simon feels his head, furious, as Mal shakes his hurt
hand. SIMON MAL SIMON Mal draws
his gun, puts it in Simon's face. MAL SIMON MAL BOOK Both men
turn to him, Mal stunned to think the Shepherd is actually a fed. A beat, and
both Mal and Simon realize Book is looking behind them. Slowly, they turn the
other way, and understand Book's meaning. Dobson
holds a gun on Mal. MAL DOBSON A beat, and
Mal does. MAL Dobson
moves the gun to point it at Simon. DOBSON Mal takes a
moment to realize the man is after Simon. Switches gears instantly. MAL |
| Act Three |
|
INT. CARGO
BAY - CONTINUING Right where
we left off. Dobson is ignoring Mal, focusing on Simon. This bumbling
businessman is now a very intense, tightly wound cop. DOBSON SIMON MAL BOOK He is
moving slowly towards Dobson, hoping to defuse. DOBSON BOOK Mal moves
casually for his gun -- he's of the righteous now. MAL DOBSON MAL BOOK DOBSON MAL DOBSON BOOK DOBSON Mal grabs
Simon -- and everybody's shouting -- MAL SIMON DOBSON KAYLEE Dobson
spins and FIRES. Kaylee
steps backwards, puzzled, as Jayne steps in behind her -- KAYLEE
(cont'd) She puts
her hands to her belly. Blood runs over it. A lot of
things happen. Kaylee slumps to the ground as Simon rushes to her, Mal dives for
his weapon, Jayne draws his, Dobson swings to fire at Mal -- -- and Book
is in Dobson's face, a brutal jab in the throat as he grabs his gun-hand
whip-quick, twists and pulls the gun out, cracking Dobson across the face with
it in the same motion and Dobson is down. In seconds. INARA She is on
the upper level, having come out of her shuttle at the sound of the shot. She
races to Kaylee, as does Mal, seeing that Dobson is no longer a threat.
Jayne comes
toward Dobson with a purpose, gun in hand, and book turns to face him.
JAYNE BOOK JAYNE BOOK JAYNE BOOK JAYNE ZOE She's got
her gun out, pointed at Jayne. ZOE (cont'd) A moment,
and Jayne holsters his piece, moves to get some duct tape. ZOE (cont'd) Book hands
her Dobson's gun. A bit of blood drips off it. ANGLE:
KAYLEE AND THE OTHERS (NOTE: much
of this action will be happening simultaneously with the other.) Simon lays
Kaylee prone, keeping her head up til the others join him. SIMON KAYLEE Inara and
Mal join them. SIMON Inara pulls
off her robe (she is dressed beneath) and bunches it under Kaylee's head, as,
Simon rips open Kaylee's jumpsuit, examines the wound. It's not pretty.
MAL He and
Inara exchange a glance that means something different. KAYLEE SIMON KAYLEE Her eyes
start to roll back -- SIMON INARA Simon
pushes Kaylee's stomach and she screams. SIMON MAL They move
to pick her up -- WASH (O.S.) Mal and
Simon look at each other. Simon
rises, steps away from Kaylee. He is tense, but surprisingly calm. SIMON MAL INARA SIMON MAL SIMON MAL Simon looks
at Kaylee, helpless and sweet. ZOE MAL KAYLEE INARA SIMON MAL SIMON ZOE SIMON MAL SIMON MAL SIMON INARA MAL Kaylee
screams again. Mal and
Simon stare at each other. MAL
(cont'd) SIMON Mal and
Inara hoist with Simon. INARA ZOE EXT. SPACE
- CONTINUING As the ship
turns and the back lights up wicked bright -- and she shoots off. INT.
INFIRMARY - MOMENTS LATER The three
of them burst in, lay Kaylee on the table. It's small and not wildly sterile
here, but it is clearly functional. SIMON MAL SIMON Inara goes.
Simon raids the cupboards, finds a hypo-gun and vials. MAL SIMON INT.
INFIRMARY - CONTINUING We see,
over time, VARIOUS ANGLES of Simon operating. What's clear here is that this guy
is supremely confident and good at his job. Mal and Inara assist -- mostly Mal,
who has the most field experience. Among the images are: -- Simon
using the extractor to find and pull out the bullet shards. -- Mal
holding the wound open while Simon works a laser/scope inside her. Both men with
bloody hands. -- Inara
holding a breathing mask over Kaylee's face, looking at instruments indicating
her vitals. -- a vid
image of a laser sewing up a hole in her liver. -- Inara
handing over bandages as Simon sews the wound shut. INT.
INFIRMARY - LATER Simon
washes off his hands. He turns to Mal. SIMON MAL SIMON INARA MAL He moves
quickly from the room. SIMON Simon
follows, as do we, back into INT. CARGO
BAY - CONTINUING Mal
overturns some crates and cases to reveal Simon's big blue box, sitting atop
another box. SIMON He moves
toward Mal -- but is grabbed and easily held by Jayne. MAL JAYNE Mal hops
atop the first crate and pushes the blue box. It topples off the crate and lands
hard on the metal floor as Wash and Zoe enter. Mal hops
down, turns some dials on the box and pulls a release lever. There is much
flashing of lights and four latches twist automatically at the corners. The top
comes slightly up with a hydraulic whoosh, dry ice pouring out the sides.
Zoe and Mal
pull at the top. Inara enters, watches as well. MAL The top
won't go. Mal rears back and slams his heel into it. It flies off, clattering to
the floor as the smoke clears from over what's inside. Mal steps
forward, looks. ANGLE:
ABOVE THE BOX Curled
inside is a naked, unconscious seventeen year old girl. The box is
clearly a cryo-chamber of some sort, perfectly conformed to her body, a sleep
metallic womb. Mal looks
at the girl. At Simon. At the girl. MAL (cont'd) |
| Act Four |
|
>INT. CARGO
BAY - CONTINUOUS Simon tries
to wrest himself free of Jayne, who's just holding his arms now. SIMON MAL SIMON MAL She SCREAMS
as she lurches out of the box behind Mal. He actually gives a little yelp
himself as he turns, startled. She keeps
screaming, and for a moment no one does anything. She spills
out of the box, crawling backwards, breathing hard and looking around her,
wild-eyed. Simon
finally pulls himself free of Jayne -- who's now more interested in Naked Girl
than Struggling Man -- and comes to her. SIMON She screams
at his touch -- Inara instinctively moves forward -- but he holds onto her,
tries to get him to look in his eyes. SIMON
(cont'd) Finally she
looks at him, trying to focus, still breathing hard. Tears are welling in his
eyes, but he just stays focused on her. She looks
about, at everyone, then back at him. SIMON
(cont'd) RIVER And she
realizes, begins to cry, as does he. RIVER
(cont'd) SIMON Everyone in
the room can tell this is not what Mal thought. There is a kind of respect in
their silence. Well, til: MAL Simon pulls
the weeping River to him, looks at Mal defiantly, unashamed of the tears in his
eyes. SIMON INT. DINING
ROOM - LATER Everyone is
gathered, save Kaylee and River herself, to hear Simon speak. As he does, we
will periodically INTERCUT to him taking care of River in the infirmary.
For a
moment, they all just wait. INT.
INFIRMARY - EARLIER River is
brought -- wrapped in the robe Inara used for Kaylee's pillow -- into the
infirmary. She sees the unconscious Kaylee, the operating room, and she freaks.
Starts screaming again, struggling to get out of Simon's grip. SIMON (O.S.) INT. DINING
ROOM - CONTINUING SIMON INT.
INFIRMARY - EARLIER Simon has
calmed her down, she's sitting on the table now, looking at him with fresh
tears. He prepares a hypo with a sedative. Her look of distrust at the hypo is
comically grumpy -- a little child's. Her eyes wander as he injects her, she
mutters something to no one -- this girl is gone. INT. DINING
ROOM - CONTINUING SIMON INT.
INFIRMARY - EARLIER River
drifts off to sleep. We pan across to see Simon holding her hand. INT. DINING
ROOM - CONTINUING Simon
pauses a moment. SIMON A moment of
bitter emotion, then he pulls it together. SIMON (cont'd) He can't go
on for a moment. INT.
INFIRMARY - EARLIER She sleeps.
INT. DINING
ROOM - CONTINUING ZOE SIMON MAL SIMON INARA SIMON There is a
moment. BOOK MAL SIMON MAL He doesn't
say it. ZOE WASH MAL JAYNE A moment,
as he thinks, looking at his crew. At Inara. MAL SIMON Mal looks
at him a moment. MAL SIMON MAL BOOK MAL INARA JAYNE And now the
room gets louder, people start talking over each other... ZOE JAYNE SIMON WASH MAL INARA WASH Zoe doesn't
answer. Wash is truly pissed. BOOK JAYNE Book looks
down, ashamed. MAL INARA Mal looks
at her, furious at being confronted publicly, truly upset by the thought of her
leaving, taking a moment to push both below the surface. MAL They stare
at each other a moment. He exits toward the back. INT. AFT
HALL - CONTINUING Simon
follows him. SIMON Mal turns
and gives him a murderous look, but Simon doesn't back down. SIMON
(cont'd) MAL SIMON Mal decks
him. He goes tumbling. Mal looks down at him, looks back to see: ANGLE: THE
DINING ROOM The rest
are looking at him, Book and Jayne in the foreground. JAYNE INT.
INFIRMARY - LATER The girls
are asleep. Simon finishes injecting something into Kaylee, goes to return a
bottle to a cabinet. BOOK Startled,
Simon shuts the door. Turns to the Shepherd. SIMON BOOK SIMON BOOK SIMON BOOK SIMON Book
smiles. Simon does too, though his is a bleak one. BOOK SIMON BOOK SIMON BOOK Simon looks
at him. INT.
SIMON'S ROOM - LATER Simon opens
a small notebook. It's got a sheet of digital paper inside on the right, and a
series of what look like little plastic pointers inserted on the left. He picks
one, slides it in the spine of the notebook, and the paper lights up, reading:
Universal Encyclopedia. He touches a section that says: VOICE, and says:
SIMON Up comes
the dictionary definition, and below that, SERENITY, BATTLE OF. He touches it
and a paragraph forms with photos next to it. SIMON
(cont'd) As the book
reads, in a soft female voice, the images fill the page. Planets, banners, then
images of battle and carnage, the aftermath of which we saw in the flashback.
ENCYCLOPEDIA ZOE Simon turns
off the book, seeing Zoe in his doorway. SIMON ZOE SIMON ZOE SIMON She enters,
sits across from him. ZOE SIMON ZOE She stands.
ZOE
(cont'd) SIMON ZOE SIMON She starts
to go. SIMON (cont'd) She
considers the question. ZOE INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING Mal arrives
on the bridge, moving fast. Wash is watching a screen, very apprehensive.
MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH He looks at
Mal, getting it. MAL Mal looks
out toward a tiny speck that approaches them. EXT. SPACE
- CONTINUING Where we
see, for the first time, the ship. Once it was a commercial spaceliner, now it's
a war machine. Tricked out, ornament and painted, with giant torpedo-looking
tubes jerry-rigged near the front. Everything about this vessel says 'savage'.
INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING Where Mal
continues to stare ahead, and Wash repeats softly: WASH |
| Act Five |
|
INT.
INFIRMARY - CONTINUING We see the
two girls laid out, unconscious. Book is quietly standing at the foot of
Kaylee's bed, bible folded in his hands. Mal's voice comes over the com:
MAL (O.S.) INT.
PASSENGER DORM HALL - CONTINUING Zoe has
started out of Simon's room, has stopped to listen. He steps out of his room,
listening as well. MAL (O.S.) INT.
INARA'S CHAMBER - CONTINUING She
listens, too. Gravely. MAL (O.S.) INT.
JAYNE'S ROOM - CONTINUING Jayne pulls
down a decorative blanket to reveal an arsenal on his wall. He his silent and
serious. MAL (O.S.) INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING MAL INT.
PASSENGER DORM HALL - CONTINUING Zoe is
going as Simon stops her with: SIMON ZOE SIMON ZOE SIMON ZOE She exits.
Simon moves quickly to: INT.
INFIRMARY - CONTINUING Where he
moves near River. He and Book look at each other. EXT. SPACE
- CONTINUING We see the
ships nearing each other. Slowly and silently. INT.
INARA'S CHAMBER - CONTINUING Inara digs
out a small, hidden box. She opens it. Inside is a modern syringe gun, smaller
than the one Simon used on River, and a vial of black liquid. Unmarked.
She stares
into the box. INT.
JAYNE'S ROOM - CONTINUING Jayne is
loading bullets the size of D batteries into a big-ass rifle. His hands are
shaking slightly. INT.
DOBSON'S ROOM - CONTINUING Bound and
gagged, Dobson waits in terror. EXT. SPACE
- CONTINUING The ships
are almost upon one another. The reaver ship is nearly twice the size of the
Firefly. INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING Zoe enters,
says nothing. She stands behind Wash, slips her hand onto his shoulder. He
covers it with his own. Wash looks
out the window at the ship, sees the attachments on the front. Also speaks
softly. WASH MAL They wait.
Everybody
waits. EXT. SPACE
- CONTINUING The ships
pass silently. The reaver ship comes close enough to cast a shadow on the
smaller ship. But it
passes. EXT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING After a few
long seconds... WASH Mal lets
out a looong breath. Looks at the other two. WASH (cont'd) ZOE MAL he hits the
com: MAL
(cont'd) INT.
DOBSON'S ROOM - LATER Jayne and
Mal are in the room with the tied and gagged cop. MAL Jayne pulls
out a big-ass knife. JAYNE Mal says to
Jayne, very quietly: MAL JAYNE MAL Mal exits,
shutting Jayne in with Dobson. Jayne pulls the gag out and the cop drags in
ragged breaths. DOBSON JAYNE DOBSON JAYNE DOBSON JAYNE DOBSON JAYNE DOBSON JAYNE DOBSON JAYNE DOBSON JAYNE DOBSON Jayne
thinks a moment. JAYNE INT.
INFIRMARY - LATER Mal is
looking at River, silent. KAYLEE He turns.
She has woken, is woozy and quiet. MAL KAYLEE Mal moves
to get her another blanket, lays it on her -- all the whole hiding his feelings
at hearing that. MAL KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE He says
nothing, just holds her hand. Her eyes
drift to River, still sleeping. KAYLEE
(cont'd) She
smiles... and her eyes gently close. Her hand
slips from Mal's. INT.
INARA'S CHAMBER - LATER Simon is
there, as Inara hands him a couple of packets. SIMON INARA SIMON INARA SIMON INARA SIMON INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA Simon
elbows his way out. Mal and Inara look at each other a moment. MAL INARA Mal turns
and goes. INT. CARGO
BAY - CONTINUOUS Simon is
walking away, but Mal stops him: MAL Simon
turns. MAL (cont'd) SIMON MAL SIMON MAL He is
steely, contained. Simon is quietly devastated. Mal turns
and walks toward the bridge. A moment, and Simon starts in a daze for the
infirmary, running, unable to accept it as he enters: INT.
INFIRMARY - CONTINUING To find
Kaylee sitting up a bit, talking weakly but happily with Book. Simon turns and
looks out where Mal left, true shock in his eyes. SIMON INT. BRIDGE
- MOMENTS LATER Mal, Wash,
Jayne and Zoe are all laughing. WASH MAL ZOE MAL There is a
noise from a console. Wash checks it out. WASH MAL We briefly
see an image on a screen, a weathered, pioneer-looking woman of about fifty.
PATIENCE MAL PATIENCE MAL PATIENCE MAL PATIENCE MAL PATIENCE MAL PATIENCE MAL He hits a
button, ending the talk. MAL (cont'd) ZOE MAL JAYNE MAL WASH MAL INT.
DOBSON'S ROOM - CONTINUING We see
Dobson sawing away at his bonds with a tiny, jagged piece of metal. MAL (O.S.) |
| Act Six |
|
EXT.
WHITEFALL - DAY We see the
desert planet below, as Serenity rockets down toward it. EXT.
WHITEFALL - LATER We're on
the surface now -- rocks and sagebrush jutting out of low hills. Serenity
touches down, the airlock door beginning to open. EXT. DESERT
- DAY We see a
small valley, dotted with brush, hills all about. Pan slowly across it to find
our three looking at it. ZOE MAL Jayne
arrives at a decent clip. He hands one bar from the crate to Mal. JAYNE Mal steps
forward, looking about him, the wheels in his head turning. After a time.
MAL JAYNE MAL JAYNE Mal stares
at him til he stops smiling. MAL Jayne takes
off. Zoe and Mal look over the meeting place some more. ZOE MAL INT.
PASSENGER DORM HALL/DOBSON'S ROOM - CONTINUING Book is
there, wrestling with his conscience. He looks toward the infirmary, looks
toward Dobson's room. After a moment, he heads toward the latter, stops at the
door. Knocks. BOOK He opens
the door -- BOOK (cont'd) Dobson
SLAMS his chair into the Shepherd, sending him flying back into the hall.
Is on him
in a second with a makeshift truncheon, hits him in the head. Book slumps,
unconscious. Dobson looks out to make sure no one heard. Then, his face
contorted with pent-up rage, he whips the truncheon down twice more, pure
fucking spite. Starts dragging Book into his room. EXT. DESERT
- DAY We are high
and wide above Mal and Zoe, watching them walk across the valley. Them small,
landscape big. Closer in,
we track with them, moving slow. They keep their eyes peeled all ways, hands
near their holsters. A ways
more, and they are nearing a rise -- Over which appear: ANGLE:
PATIENCE and her crew of six -- as they crest the hill on horseback -- all but
one, who drives a vehicle not unlike the one on Serenity. They're maybe twenty
yards from our two. Patience is
in a weatherbeaten duster, grey hair flyblown about her face. Her men are a
hodgepodge of old and modern clothes -- not quite Road Warrior gear, but more
eclectic and raggedy than even our gang is used to. One wears a shiny black top
hat. MAL PATIENCE MAL PATIENCE MAL EXT. RIDGE
OVERLOOKING THE MEETING PLACE - CONTINUING A sniper is
set to take a bead on Mal. Jayne drops on his like a stone, knocks him
unconscious. Grabs his rifle and takes his position. He finds a mark, smiles.
ANGLE: IN
HIS SIGHTS: Is Mal.
Jayne
smiles, wicked-like. INT.
ANOTHER DORM ROOM - CONTINUING As Dobson
busts in, moves to his suitcase. He opens it, digs in and grabs his tiny
computer, turns it on. The screen has icons on it, including CONNECT TO CENTRAL
CORTEX. He hits it, waits. It comes up: INTERFERENCE: UNABLE TO CONNECT.
Furious, he hurls the computer against the wall, smashing it. Reaches into the
bottom of his suitcase. He pulls
out another gun. And another. EXT. DESERT
- CONTINUING The
exchange continues. PATIENCE MAL PATIENCE Mal pulls
out the bar from the crate. He tosses it to Patience. PATIENCE
(cont'd) MAL She rips
the foil off to reveal what looks like one of those awful energy bars, which, by
the by, is what it is. She sniffs it. MAL
(cont'd) She slices
off a piece, chews the very end. PATIENCE She pulls a
small bag from her hip pocket, tosses it to Mal. He reaches in and pulls out a
silvery coin. PATIENCE
(cont'd) INT.
INFIRMARY - CONTINUING River pulls
her hand from Kaylee's, sitting up. True fear is on her face. RIVER KAYLEE River
doesn't answer -- she moves to the door -- where Dobson GRABS her, sticks a gun
to her head. DOBSON Kaylee
starts to move -- he pulls out the other gun, points it at her. DOBSON
(cont'd) She looks
at him with genuine horror. He pulls River back toward the dorm. EXT. DESERT
- CONTINUING MAL PATIENCE MAL PATIENCE Nobody
moves. MAL PATIENCE MAL PATIENCE This is
heading to the wrong place and Mal and Zoe both know it. MAL PATIENCE MAL PATIENCE ANGLE:
JAYNE'S POV, through the sights of the gun. Still on Mal, they now swing over to
Patience and her gang as Mal tosses the money to her. MAL ZOE MAL PATIENCE She lifts a
walkie talkie to her mouth. MAL PATIENCE Two-Fry
smiles. He is scruffy and mean, and wears the shiny top hat. MAL Two-Fry is
BLOWN off his horse by a shot from the unseen Jayne. And then a
lot of things happen at once. Mal draws
and nails a second man, Zoe a third (the one on the vehicle) -- as the gang
opens up, a forth man blasts his shotgun, nailing Zoe right in the chest.
She goes
flying back -- as Mal hits shotgun man, moving, diving behind some brush cover
as Patience and the remaining two fire at him, their horses rearing in panic,
one of them drops off his, comes up firing, Mal and he can't really find each
other through the dust at this point -- INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING Simon and
Wash are there, talking. WASH SIMON WASH Kaylee's
voice comes over the com, weak and whispered... KAYLEE Simon bolts
out of the room. Wash is about to as well, but there is a beeping - -a proximity
warning. He stops,
looks at his screen. WASH INT. CARGO
BAY - CONTINUING Simon runs
out, sees Dobson with River below, his grip on her loose right now as he looks
around him, heading for the closed airlock -- Simon JUMPS
right down on top of him -- two men go tumbling, two guns go flying -- and both
men lie there in extreme pain, unable to get up and get the guns. River backs
into a corner, wild with terror. EXT. DESERT
- CONTINUING ANGLE:
JAYNE fires, but everything is moving too much -- he misses, cursing.
JAYNE Patience
dismounts, shooting from behind her horse, as Mal and the other man on the
ground continue firing at each other -- The last
man on his horse starts to ride away in panic -- ANGLE: ZOE
Still flat
on her back. Raises her gun and shoots him in the back. He falls off the still
moving horse. Now it's
just Patience and the one other. He fires and clips Mal in the arm -- Mal
returns in kind, blasting his hip. The other guy goes down, screaming in pain.
Patience
pulls out her shotgun, still with the cover of the horse. Mal stands,
no longer moving or hiding. MAL ZOE She pulls
at her shirt -- there is a beat up kind of superthin Kevlar underneath.
PATIENCE She doesn't
really have a bead on him or she woulda shot him, but she's close, gun leveled
on the back of the horse. Mal walks
toward her, shoots the horse and it collapses half onto her. He comes up to her
and sticks his gun in her face. MAL He takes
the money back. MAL (cont'd) He moves
his gun from her face. MAL (cont'd) Jayne runs
up to him, holding out a walkie-phone. JAYNE Everyone
still alive looks scared. EXT. SPACE
- CONTINUING As the
Reaver ship whips past camera, heading towards Whitefall. |
| Act Seven |
|
INT. CARGO
BAY - MOMENTS LATER Dobson
lunges for his gun -- and Simon throws himself on top of him. They can both
barely stand from their crash before. They struggle in ugly fashion, until
Dobson gets an elbow free and jerks it into Simon's face. He gets
free enough to crawl for the weapon, but Simon rolls around and grabs the other
one, points it: SIMON WASH (O.S.) INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING WASH He starts
warming the ship up. INT. CARGO
BAY - CONTINUING Inara comes
out of her chamber, sees the action below. Simon holds
the gun on Dobson. His hand shakes. DOBSON A barely
conscious Book also comes to the entrance, holding onto it to stay up.
DOBSON (cont'd) SIMON DOBSON Simon
doesn't know what to do. He looks over at River. EXT. SPACE
- CONTINUING The Reaver
ship breaks into atmo, headed down to the planet. INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING Wash is
getting more and more freaked -- WASH EXT. DESERT
- CONTINUING As we see
Mal, Zoe and Jayne RIDE into frame on horseback, moving just as fast as they
can. INT. CARGO
BAY/AIRLOCK - CONTINUING The airlock
starts to open, the noise and motion distracting Simon long enough for Dobson to
grab his gun and fire -- INARA -- missing
but sending Simon diving for cover as Dobson grabs River and puts himself behind
her, gun to her head. Simon steps out, between him and the airlock. DOBSON EXT.
SERENITY - CONTINUING The three
pull up on their horses, jump off, Mal striding in as the others shoo the horses
off. INT. CARGO
BAY/AIRLOCK - CONTINUING Mal walks
in behind Simon -- DOBSON -- and
shoots Dobson in the face. He flies back, letting go of River and dead before he
lands. Tilt up from him to see Book, unable to move. MAL We pulls
the Lawman's body up and dumps it out the closing airlock as Jayne and Zoe
enter. Simon moves to River, just shocked and silent. EXT.
SERENITY - CONTINUING The hatch
is still closing as the ship takes off. INT. BRIDGE
- MOMENTS LATER Mal and Zoe
come up to Wash, Inara hanging back behind. MAL WASH JAYNE MAL She punches
it up. ON THE SCREEN, we see the ship approaching from behind. ZOE MAL JAYNE WASH He's
incredibly calm. He veers hard left, snakes through: EXT. DESERT
- CONTINUING -- the
hills, where we see the ship moving fast -- but the reavers right on them.
INT.
BRIDGE/FOREDECK HALL - CONTINUING Wash
continues to pilot with serene expertise. WASH ZOE MAL Jayne goes.
Mal moves to Inara. ZOE He doesn't
answer. He's flying. ANGLE: MAL
AND INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA MAL Just saying
her name says more than he probably ever meant to. He puts his hand on the
Companion's shoulder. And pushes
her gently away. MAL (cont'd) He turns
back to the bridge. She is going as well, throws a look back, a little blown
away by his caring, then continues on. MAL (cont'd) WASH EXT. DESERT
- CONTINUING The reaver
ship is hard on Serenity's heels. INT.
INFIRMARY - CONTINUING Jayne is
carrying Kaylee out as Inara enters. She speaks to Simon, River and Book:
INARA BOOK Book and
Inara share a glance before they go their separate ways. INT. BRIDGE
- MOMENTS LATER Wash flies.
MAL WASH INT. ENGINE
ROOM - CONTINUING Kaylee is
propped up in a corner, Jayne and Book at the ready. KAYLEE WASH (O.S.) KAYLEE He looks
about, heads to a part of the engine, opens a panel. Kaylee smiles. KAYLEE
(cont'd) She coughs,
wincing in pain. INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING ZOE MAL WASH INT. ENGINE
ROOM - CONTINUING KAYLEE JAYNE KAYLEE He does,
opens a panel near the floor. KAYLEE
(cont'd) ANGLE:
JAYNE'S POV: A tangle mess of cables. Real simple. EXT. DESERT
- CONTINUING The reaver
ship has Serenity locked in. The magnetic grapple warms up, latches flying off.
INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING MAL INT.
INARA'S SHUTTLE - CONTINUING Inara moves
into the pilot's seat as Simon sits River down. INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING WASH No answer.
Then: KAYLEE (OS) WASH He SLAMS
down a lever and EXT. DESERT
- CONTINUING Serenity's
port jet flips the other way and the ship LURCHES into a perfect one-eighty,
spinning on a dime, the jet flips back and it's headed straight for the reaver
ship, which dodges at the last second -- INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING WASH INT. ENGINE
ROOM - CONTINUING Book hits a
big button with the heel of his hand and the room gets lighter -- EXT. DESERT
- CONTINUING As the
ass-end of serenity lights up, sending ripples of fire bursting into the
atmosphere as the ship blasts out of there so fast, gradually arcing up toward
space... INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING Wash is
pulling up at the controls with all his might. Finally he eases off, quietly
pleased. Mal and Zoe
are kind of amazed. ZOE Mal hits
the com: MAL INT.
INARA'S SHUTTLE - CONTINUING Extreme,
solemn relief. MAL (O.S.) INT. ENGINE
ROOM - CONTINUING Jayne
whoops with delight. Even Book smiles. Kaylee runs
her hand along the hull. KAYLEE She looks
at the boys and beams. INT. BRIDGE
- CONTINUING WASH MAL Zoe
exchanges a look with Wash. ZOE Mal says
nothing, just smiles and indicates the way out. Wash climbs out of the chair and
exits with Zoe... WASH And Mal
throws himself down into the pilot's seat. Lets out a breath he's been holding
for, oh, about two days. And starts flying. EXT. SPACE
- LATER As Serenity
breaks out of atmosphere into the deep silence of space. INT.
INARA'S CHAMBER - LATER Book sits
as Inara takes a cloth from a bowl and dabs his head. He is sitting, she stands
before him. INARA BOOK INARA BOOK He looks up
at her and she sees how upset he is, how lost. BOOK (cont'd) INARA BOOK INARA He is
shaking a bit, tearing up. BOOK INARA He lowers
his head. She puts her hand on it, a kind of benediction. We hold on them a
second. INT.
SIMON'S ROOM - LATER He is
tucking River into bed. SIMON RIVER SIMON He's not
convinced, but he smiles at her anyway. She looks suddenly terribly sad.
RIVER SIMON He takes
her in his arms, holds her tight. JAYNE (O.S.) INT. BRIDGE
- LATER Mal is
still at the helm as Jayne speaks to him. JAYNE MAL Jayne gets
up to leave. MAL
(cont'd) JAYNE MAL He looks at
Jayne, who says nothing. MAL (cont'd) JAYNE MAL JAYNE MAL Jayne
leaves, passing Simon, who comes up next to Mal. He sees Mal's arm is a bit
bloody. SIMON MAL SIMON MAL SIMON MAL SIMON I'm trying to
put this as delicately MAL SIMON MAL SIMON Mal looks
out at the black sky. MAL SIMON Mal
answers, almost to himself... MAL A beat,
then Simon goes. Mal just keeps looking ahead. END OF
SHOW |