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randomplaces2007-05-19 03:26 pm
random_xtras) wrote in randomplaces2007-05-19 03:26 pm
Entry tags:
oldMal's Serenity. The galley. Job hunting ((happens the day after the last Serenity post))
Sam looked around the corner and watched as Jayne turned away from the table where he'd been polishing Vera to grab a drink at the sink, then darted into the kitchen and back out, the big gun cradled in his arms as he gave a maniacal stage laugh.
Jayne paused with his lips halfway to his glass and noticed what the kid was doing. "Hey!" The cup was abandoned in the sink as he took up the chase. "Yer too young to be tossin' around a gun that big..."
Seriously. One day the kid would blow his brains out and then it'd all fall on Jayne's head.
Mal took a leisurely pull at the cup of coffee he was drinking, grimacing slightly at the taste, then set the cup down and looked at Zoe and Iroh. "That's gittin' ta be a mornin' tradition. Thought Jayne would'a clued in by now."
Zoe chuckled as Jayne disappeared, then reappeared, looking angrier than before. "Well, if there's one thing I know about that man, it's that cluing in ain't by no means one of his strong suits."
Iroh joined in with the chuckling. "I find it endearing," he said with a shrug, "although one day I do think Jayne might go insane."
Mal lifted his eyebrows as Sam poked Jayne in the back with one of his toy lightsabers and took off again. "See, Iroh, by sayin' that it makes me think yer figurin' that he's right in the head ta start with."
"Well," Iroh said wryly over his own cup of tea, "I have learned in the past that people aren't entirely what they seem."
Zoe laughed even harder. "Unfortunately, Iroh, that's not the case with Jayne. He's absolutely transparent." She watched as Jayne yelped, turned around several times and took off again.
"Speakin' 'a transparent...." Mal helped himself to Zoe's cup of tea and sipped, wondering why he had ever expressed disgust at the stuff. "Anybody notice how much time the Doc's spendin' in the engine room lately?"
Iroh shrugged enigmatically. "Perhaps they're spending time together," he said innocently.
Zoe stared. "What do you know?"
"I don't. Just speculation." Another sip of tea and he leaned back, stroking his beard.
"Looks like the kid lockin' 'em in there together done the trick." Mal smirked, then winced slightly as an enraged yell echoed through the corridors.
"Oh, is that how it happened?" Iroh asked. "I had thought it was all voluntary."
"You never noticed the nut matchmakin'?" Mal looked innocent as Zoe looked for her missing teacup.
Zoe reached over and snatched the cup from Mal's fingers. "I didn't."
Iroh shrugged. "I tend not to get involved in such manners..."
"Hey!" protested Mal, then belatedly remembered whose tea it was and quickly picked up his coffee cup. "Anyway. Iroh, how's the cupboards look?"
His smile faltered. "We could use a little bit more of... well, everything. And there's something wrong with the refrigeration system - what needs to be kept cool isn't exactly staying as such."
Zoe sipped her tea and nodded. "We should have Abby take a look at it. Might be related to somethin' bein' not right in the engine."
Mal gave up on the coffee and pushed it away, then rubbed his face before wincing and putting a hand near, but not touching his leg.
"We gotta get a job," he muttered. "It can't have all dried up."
"Sure we're ready for that?" Zoe looked at him. "We ain't as young as we once were...."
"We gotta eat. Serenity needs parts." -Needs a whole new engine, accordin' ta Abby... God... a little help here?-
"Luke! I am your father!" came a Samish roar from outside.
"I don't wanna know," Mal growled.
There was a scuffling sound, and then Jayne reappeared in the kitchen, looking a bit sheepish.
"What just happened?" Iroh asked.
"Managed t' get Vera away. Then went and locked 'er up."
"You know that won't work for very long."
Jayne scowled and adjusted his hat. "Worth a try."
"Mee Tarzan, you Jaaaayyyne!" whooped Sam from outside, followed by the sound of a resounding clang and silence.
Mal exchanged a glance with Zoe, poised to try and get up and help if he didn't hear something else pretty quick.
Iroh leaned back in his chair. "Is Tarzan still alive?"
"Yes," said Sam sheepishly, followed by the sound of his footsteps fading into the distance.
Mal shook his head and rubbed his face. "Siddown, Jayne, we gotta talk shop."
Jayne grabbed the nearest chair and sat on it backwards. "This about the fridge? 'Cause I didn't do it."
"It's comin' outta yer pay," said Mal, then turned back to his best friend and the cook. "Any a ya heard any leads? Iroh, ya were in the market on Dustbowl."
Iroh cleared his throat. "There was a community on the far side that needed medicine..."
"What pay?' Jayne interjected.
"Didja hear what kind? Don't wanna be walkin' inta no plague epidemic." Mal reached for Zoe's cup again, his eyes fixed on the cook.
"Sammy's back." The lanky teen flopped into a chair as his brother wandered blankly over to a cupboard and looked inside.
"There wasn't a plague. Farming towns with old equipment, it seems - plenty of injuries and not enough antibiotics and hypoderms to keep infection at bay." Iroh shrugged.
And Zoe clutched her cup to her chest.
"I know where we useta be able ta git that stuff," said Mal thoughtfully, then frowned at Zoe. "I just wanna sip! I ain't gonna drink it all."
"Get your own cup," Zoe said. "And where exactly were you going to get this stuff?"
"Remember that old gal that ran that place on that moon... what was her name... Sid? She got stuff that was surplus. Oh @#$%&, but I'm gonna need ta scrape together the...." He eyed the jewel that Sam plunked down on the table and resisted the urge to tell Jayne to turn the kid upside down and shake him.
"Dragon rock," said Sam innocently. "Here it talk?"
"No." Mal gave him a narrow look and turned to Zoe.
"You think that's a good idea, cap'n?" Zoe frowned. "Sid has it in for ya, don't she?"
"I'm gonna turn that kid upside down," Jayne breathed, inadvertently echoing Mal's sentiments.
"Leave him alone." Dean turned and frowned at Jayne as Sam stuck out his tongue.
"So I'll just tell 'er I'm taken'." The words came out before Mal thought of all the details he'd need to remember to keep such a lie going. Like who he was taken by, for one thing. "We gotta have money, or we're gonna be stuck dirtside."
"Fair enough," Zoe said, wondering if they had enough ammunition and fuel for the Mule. Operations like this had a marvelous history of never going as planned. "So which one of us gets to raise her on the Cortex?"
"Not it!" Jayne declared bitterly. "Ain't dealin' with that hag."
Iroh just looked from person to person and shook his head.
Mal almost told Jayne that he'd called it, just to hear him curse, but then stopped and thought it over for a moment before turning to Iroh. He'd seen the smaller man's way around women. "Iroh, ya wanna do me a favor?"
"Ding dong bell," murmured Sam, staring blankly into space. "All shot to @#$%&$. Alliance @#$%& on our back. Best laid plans are gonna crack."
"What the...?" Mal stared at him, then shook his head and turned back to Zoe and the others.
"Sam?" Dean walked over, looking spooked. "What's shot? Did you see the Alliance following us?"
Mal gave him an impatient look. "We're tryin' ta plan here."
"He knows things, alright?" Dean scowled.
Mal just turned back to the rest of the crew, thinking that he'd believe the crazy knew the future when he found out Jayne had a university degree.
Iroh chimed in with his easygoing smile. "Then again isn't the Alliance always on our ... #$%#?"
"I could call Sid..." Zoe offered, sounding very resigned to the fact.
"Batman!" Sam was up and gone.
"Good idea." Mal nodded absently, watching him go and feeling relieved that he hadn't started yelling.
Dean sighed and looked around. "Is this a crew meeting that I should have been in on?"
"Jayne, tell the Doc what's goin' down." Mal sighed and pushed his chair back, then got his cane and heaved himself to his feet with pain and difficulty. Food and parts weren't all they were running short on, as Dean had pointedly let his leg remind him lately.
"Just tryin' to figger out where to get some money. We think we might have a job on the far side o' Dustbowl. Only problem is that we gotta contact some gorram crazy lady who's half in love with Mal."
Zoe nodded. "The long and short of it."
"Oh. Well that doesn't sound too bad." Dean relaxed and helped himself to what was on the stove, then made a plate for Abby as she appeared.
Mal just shook his head and made his way slowly to the bridge.
Jayne paused with his lips halfway to his glass and noticed what the kid was doing. "Hey!" The cup was abandoned in the sink as he took up the chase. "Yer too young to be tossin' around a gun that big..."
Seriously. One day the kid would blow his brains out and then it'd all fall on Jayne's head.
Mal took a leisurely pull at the cup of coffee he was drinking, grimacing slightly at the taste, then set the cup down and looked at Zoe and Iroh. "That's gittin' ta be a mornin' tradition. Thought Jayne would'a clued in by now."
Zoe chuckled as Jayne disappeared, then reappeared, looking angrier than before. "Well, if there's one thing I know about that man, it's that cluing in ain't by no means one of his strong suits."
Iroh joined in with the chuckling. "I find it endearing," he said with a shrug, "although one day I do think Jayne might go insane."
Mal lifted his eyebrows as Sam poked Jayne in the back with one of his toy lightsabers and took off again. "See, Iroh, by sayin' that it makes me think yer figurin' that he's right in the head ta start with."
"Well," Iroh said wryly over his own cup of tea, "I have learned in the past that people aren't entirely what they seem."
Zoe laughed even harder. "Unfortunately, Iroh, that's not the case with Jayne. He's absolutely transparent." She watched as Jayne yelped, turned around several times and took off again.
"Speakin' 'a transparent...." Mal helped himself to Zoe's cup of tea and sipped, wondering why he had ever expressed disgust at the stuff. "Anybody notice how much time the Doc's spendin' in the engine room lately?"
Iroh shrugged enigmatically. "Perhaps they're spending time together," he said innocently.
Zoe stared. "What do you know?"
"I don't. Just speculation." Another sip of tea and he leaned back, stroking his beard.
"Looks like the kid lockin' 'em in there together done the trick." Mal smirked, then winced slightly as an enraged yell echoed through the corridors.
"Oh, is that how it happened?" Iroh asked. "I had thought it was all voluntary."
"You never noticed the nut matchmakin'?" Mal looked innocent as Zoe looked for her missing teacup.
Zoe reached over and snatched the cup from Mal's fingers. "I didn't."
Iroh shrugged. "I tend not to get involved in such manners..."
"Hey!" protested Mal, then belatedly remembered whose tea it was and quickly picked up his coffee cup. "Anyway. Iroh, how's the cupboards look?"
His smile faltered. "We could use a little bit more of... well, everything. And there's something wrong with the refrigeration system - what needs to be kept cool isn't exactly staying as such."
Zoe sipped her tea and nodded. "We should have Abby take a look at it. Might be related to somethin' bein' not right in the engine."
Mal gave up on the coffee and pushed it away, then rubbed his face before wincing and putting a hand near, but not touching his leg.
"We gotta get a job," he muttered. "It can't have all dried up."
"Sure we're ready for that?" Zoe looked at him. "We ain't as young as we once were...."
"We gotta eat. Serenity needs parts." -Needs a whole new engine, accordin' ta Abby... God... a little help here?-
"Luke! I am your father!" came a Samish roar from outside.
"I don't wanna know," Mal growled.
There was a scuffling sound, and then Jayne reappeared in the kitchen, looking a bit sheepish.
"What just happened?" Iroh asked.
"Managed t' get Vera away. Then went and locked 'er up."
"You know that won't work for very long."
Jayne scowled and adjusted his hat. "Worth a try."
"Mee Tarzan, you Jaaaayyyne!" whooped Sam from outside, followed by the sound of a resounding clang and silence.
Mal exchanged a glance with Zoe, poised to try and get up and help if he didn't hear something else pretty quick.
Iroh leaned back in his chair. "Is Tarzan still alive?"
"Yes," said Sam sheepishly, followed by the sound of his footsteps fading into the distance.
Mal shook his head and rubbed his face. "Siddown, Jayne, we gotta talk shop."
Jayne grabbed the nearest chair and sat on it backwards. "This about the fridge? 'Cause I didn't do it."
"It's comin' outta yer pay," said Mal, then turned back to his best friend and the cook. "Any a ya heard any leads? Iroh, ya were in the market on Dustbowl."
Iroh cleared his throat. "There was a community on the far side that needed medicine..."
"What pay?' Jayne interjected.
"Didja hear what kind? Don't wanna be walkin' inta no plague epidemic." Mal reached for Zoe's cup again, his eyes fixed on the cook.
"Sammy's back." The lanky teen flopped into a chair as his brother wandered blankly over to a cupboard and looked inside.
"There wasn't a plague. Farming towns with old equipment, it seems - plenty of injuries and not enough antibiotics and hypoderms to keep infection at bay." Iroh shrugged.
And Zoe clutched her cup to her chest.
"I know where we useta be able ta git that stuff," said Mal thoughtfully, then frowned at Zoe. "I just wanna sip! I ain't gonna drink it all."
"Get your own cup," Zoe said. "And where exactly were you going to get this stuff?"
"Remember that old gal that ran that place on that moon... what was her name... Sid? She got stuff that was surplus. Oh @#$%&, but I'm gonna need ta scrape together the...." He eyed the jewel that Sam plunked down on the table and resisted the urge to tell Jayne to turn the kid upside down and shake him.
"Dragon rock," said Sam innocently. "Here it talk?"
"No." Mal gave him a narrow look and turned to Zoe.
"You think that's a good idea, cap'n?" Zoe frowned. "Sid has it in for ya, don't she?"
"I'm gonna turn that kid upside down," Jayne breathed, inadvertently echoing Mal's sentiments.
"Leave him alone." Dean turned and frowned at Jayne as Sam stuck out his tongue.
"So I'll just tell 'er I'm taken'." The words came out before Mal thought of all the details he'd need to remember to keep such a lie going. Like who he was taken by, for one thing. "We gotta have money, or we're gonna be stuck dirtside."
"Fair enough," Zoe said, wondering if they had enough ammunition and fuel for the Mule. Operations like this had a marvelous history of never going as planned. "So which one of us gets to raise her on the Cortex?"
"Not it!" Jayne declared bitterly. "Ain't dealin' with that hag."
Iroh just looked from person to person and shook his head.
Mal almost told Jayne that he'd called it, just to hear him curse, but then stopped and thought it over for a moment before turning to Iroh. He'd seen the smaller man's way around women. "Iroh, ya wanna do me a favor?"
"Ding dong bell," murmured Sam, staring blankly into space. "All shot to @#$%&$. Alliance @#$%& on our back. Best laid plans are gonna crack."
"What the...?" Mal stared at him, then shook his head and turned back to Zoe and the others.
"Sam?" Dean walked over, looking spooked. "What's shot? Did you see the Alliance following us?"
Mal gave him an impatient look. "We're tryin' ta plan here."
"He knows things, alright?" Dean scowled.
Mal just turned back to the rest of the crew, thinking that he'd believe the crazy knew the future when he found out Jayne had a university degree.
Iroh chimed in with his easygoing smile. "Then again isn't the Alliance always on our ... #$%#?"
"I could call Sid..." Zoe offered, sounding very resigned to the fact.
"Batman!" Sam was up and gone.
"Good idea." Mal nodded absently, watching him go and feeling relieved that he hadn't started yelling.
Dean sighed and looked around. "Is this a crew meeting that I should have been in on?"
"Jayne, tell the Doc what's goin' down." Mal sighed and pushed his chair back, then got his cane and heaved himself to his feet with pain and difficulty. Food and parts weren't all they were running short on, as Dean had pointedly let his leg remind him lately.
"Just tryin' to figger out where to get some money. We think we might have a job on the far side o' Dustbowl. Only problem is that we gotta contact some gorram crazy lady who's half in love with Mal."
Zoe nodded. "The long and short of it."
"Oh. Well that doesn't sound too bad." Dean relaxed and helped himself to what was on the stove, then made a plate for Abby as she appeared.
Mal just shook his head and made his way slowly to the bridge.
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"What he said," muttered Mal, keeping his eyes on Kibbleton.
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"They got more men," he muttered to Mal. "I know they do."
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"!#$%&$#@!" said Sam, sounding just like Jayne.
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"Move!" she yelled to the others. "Or we'll be -"
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The door shut with finality, and no one noticed a grunt and a bark as a certain gregarious red piglet lit out belly down in Sam's wake.
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"Am I the only one who thought we shoulda run the other way?"
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Jayne opened his mouth to say something, but, after seeing the glowering look Zoe was dealing him, decided it was better to shut up and quit while he was ahead.
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The assailants were upon them, but not before Zoe whirled around and set off the shotgun like a woman possessed, knocking one man clean off his horse, where he lay still on the ground, and causing another to slump off, holding his bleeding arm and whimpering.
"D'you have any idea as to why this gorram job is screwing up?"
The question was rhetorical. Clearly there was a problem with a client and the tiny detail of actually needing to pay people who did a job for you.