|
Firefly - "Out of Gas" Written by: Tim Minear Directed by: David Solomon |
| Teaser |
|
EXT. SPACE
Serenity in the Big Black of space. She might seem a bit cock-eyed to us at the moment. No engine movement. She's less floating and more just kind of hanging there. Either near dead -- or hurt real bad. Reserve emergency power gives it just a flicker of life. As we nose closer, we peer into the bridge. No sign of anyone...
INT. SERENITY - UPPER DECKS
Various shots of the ship. Quietly holding silent images.
The cockpit: empty.
Looking down the body of the upper decks -- no one in sight.
The dining area -- evidence of recent habitation. A dinner party was in progress, but seemingly cut short. The table is askew. Dishes and an uncut cake have all crashed to the floor. But not a soul here.
The engine room. The entrance and walls are scorched. The big turbine sits silent. No movement.
INT. SERENITY - BELOW DECKS
It looks like a tornado blew through here. In the common area: debris is everywhere, furniture is upturned, caught up against walls. But no sign of anyone anywhere. The ship seems eerily abandoned. Until finally we go to --
INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY
More debris. More strewn cargo. And then --
MAL
Falls INTO FRAME, landing hard on the floor of the cargo bay. Sweating, pale, somewhat delirious. And alone.
(We may or may not notice a piece of an engine part lying nearby.)
He struggles to stay conscious; it's a struggle he's not winning at the moment. As we PUSH IN closer to his feverish face, we start to HEAR what HE HEARS... VOICES IN HIS HEAD:
Yep. A real beauty, ain't she? Yessir. A right smart purchase, this vessel. Tell you what, you buy this ship, treat her proper, she'll be with ya for the rest of your life. Mal smiles weakly at the memory -- or possibly the irony. Now the SOUND of the AIRLOCK DOORS, KER-CHUNK! A sliver of DAYLIGHT hits him in the face. The light UNFOLDS, growing, blinding him. He squints against it, as -- INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY THE AIRLOCK DOORS open, revealing two FIGURES, SILHOUETTED by sunlight, BLUE SKY behind them. (The ramp is down, and it seems we're planetside someplace.) The figures step onto the ship -- and now we see that it's MAL and ZOE. They enter the cargo bay. They might look slightly different than we're used to, because it's now a few years earlier. Zoe steps deeper into the ship, takes it all in, as if for the first time. In fact, this is the first time she's set foot on Serenity. Mal watches for her reaction. They are the only two here. The cargo bay itself is now TOTALLY EMPTY. Big, empty and echo-y. And everything's covered with a thick layer of dust.
Well?
ZOE
MAL
ZOE
MAL
ZOE
MAL
ZOE
MAL
ZOE
MAL
ZOE
MAL
ZOE He looks down, sees something we don't need to see, something he was about to step in.
Oh. Just step around it. I think something must've been living in here. As they move off:
I tell ya, Zoe, we find ourselves a mechanic, get her running again. Hire on a good pilot. Maybe even a cook. Live like people. Small crew, them as feel the need to be free. Take jobs as they come -- and we'll never be under the heel of nobody ever again. No matter how long the arm of the Alliance might get... we'll just get us a little further.
ZOE
MAL
ZOE
MAL He moves deeper into the ship, back toward the common area/infirmary. She follows. We don't, we stay in the cargo bay and let them move off.
I even know what I'm gonna call her. (they're OFF SCREEN by now, fainter) Got a named all picked out... That last bit trailing off as their footsteps recede. We assume he's telling her the chosen name, but now they're too far away for us to make it out. We do, however, hear a BURST of LAUGHTER from offscreen Zoe. As the LAUGHTER echoes and fades, CAMERA BOOMS DOWN to a TIGHT FACE in the FOREGROUND... ...Mal, back in the present day, curled up on the cargo bay floor, wincing in his pain... CAMERA MOVES down his body, and now WE SEE the wound... gut-shot. Blood, almost black, bubbles at his abdomen. A thick drop of Mal's blood drips through the grating on the cargo bay floor... ...and falls into -- BLACKNESS. |
| Act One |
|
INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY
Where Mal's breathing is coming in sharp, painful gasps. He reaches for the fallen engine part that lies nearby. Grabs it and starts dragging himself back toward the infirmary. Above him, echo-y GROUP LAUGHTER from somewhere in the ship.
CAMERA moves off the crawling Mal, RISES, passing through darkness, moving toward the sounds of joviality, the LAUGHTER becoming more present, until we are:
INT. SERENITY - DINING AREA
Mid LAUGHTER BURST from the assembled. A communal dinner. Or what's left of it. Gathered are: Mal, Zoe, Jayne, Kaylee, Simon, Inara and Book. Book has been telling them a story and they're all in stitches.
(laughing so hard it hurts) No, no, no. That is not true.
BOOK
INARA
BOOK LAUGHTER. Wash enters from the bridge, the guy who missed the joke. He smiles/laughs clueless along with them.
WASH
BOOK Another explosion of laughter. It's contagious. Even for Wash, who's still anxious to be let in on the joke. (as he sits) I want to hear about the natty thing. (reaches for serving bowl) What was natty? Book gets his laughter under control, takes a drink, waves Wash away with a "nothing, nothing" gesture. Shepherd Book was just tellin' funny stories about his days at the monastery.
WASH
ZOE Zoe lifts a napkin off a plate piled with food. I love my wife. He kisses her. They sit close, a couple, easy and relaxed. He digs in. So we got a course set?
WASH
MAL
WASH
MAL Kaylee rises, picks up some plates. What would that be like, I wonder?
SIMON
KAYLEE
SIMON
KAYLEE
SIMON
JAYNE
SIMON
JAYNE
INARA Zoe SNORTS with laughter. She likes the dissing of Jayne. I don't discuss my clients.
JAYNE
INARA
MAL She shoots him a look -- and a half smile. He smiles back. Hey, doc? He looks at her. She's nestled nice and close to her hubby. (nods behind Simon toward:) I think maybe our Kaylee could use your help after all -- He turns and is surprised to see her carrying aloft a sweetly pathetic ship-made birthday cake with miss-matched candles ablaze. Care to make the first incision, Doctor Tam? (then) Happy birthday, Simon.
EVERYONE Simon reacts, taken aback. It's clear they all knew. Well this is... I didn't... How did you know? (glances to:) River, did you -- ?
RIVER
WASH
SIMON
MAL
SIMON
KAYLEE He looks at Kaylee. It's very warm and wonderful. Thank you. I'm really very deeply moved. Kaylee beams her Kaylee-ness right back at him. Well deeply move yourself over there and blow out them candles so we can try a slice.
SIMON
KAYLEE He does a slight take. She's sort of poker-faced. He smiles, nods, leans forward, is about to blow out the candles, when... something makes a ghastly noise deep inside the ship. A GRINDING back near the engine. The power DIMS and FLICKERS, the engine stops... A beat. They all pause at this pregnant moment. Then the familiar HUM of the engines again. What the hell was that?
KAYLEE She sets down the cake on the counter. Starts to move off. (rising) I'll take a look at the helm. Now he heads off toward the bridge. River is staring at the cake. Fire... Simon glances at her, then back to the cake. The candles. Right. Okay, okay... He leans in to blow out the candles and -- Kaylee is stepping up to the door that leads to the aftdeck hall -- BOOOOM! A horrific EXPLOSION from the back of the ship, at the engine room. Zoe is on her feet in an instant. She lunges for Kaylee as -- -- a giant BALL OF FIRE roils from the back of the ship, filling the aft corridor. Zoe shoves Kaylee clear of the doorway, but the big ass FIREBALL bursts at the doorway. Zoe is knocked back hard by the concussion of the blast, her body glancing off the dinner table, then hitting a wall -- goddamn hard. Wash comes running back from the foredeck hall -- Zoe! Everyone's a bit disoriented. Wash flies to his wife's side. Inara and Book move to Kaylee, who was shoved out of the way pretty damn hard. Mal has run over to the aftdeck doorway. Feels another ERUPTION coming -- -- ANOTHER FIRE BALL growing down there, exploding toward us Mal forces the big metal door shut, latches it just before it hits. He's knocked back by the blast that impacts on the other side of the closed door. Fire... fire... Mal turns, sees that Simon is already with Wash at the downed Zoe. Zoe, honey, talk to me -- you gotta talk to me, baby... Mal passes Jayne as he hoofs it toward the bridge, pausing only long enough to say: Seal off everything that leads below decks. Do it now. Jayne moves to do that. Mal runs to the bridge -- INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE Mal works some controls on the console -- EXT. SPACE As the ramp lowers into space, while -- INT. SERENITY - ENGINE ROOM The fire rages -- INT. SERENITY - DINING AREA Wash is beside himself, has his wife's limp hand pressed between his. Simon's feeling for a pulse. She gonna be okay? SIMON Simon rises, turns toward the aftdeck, sees that the door is shut. (shakes her head) We got fire. He turns, moves to the foredeck, steps up to -- FOREDECK DOOR Jayne is just coming up from around the corner where he's sealed off that exit. Where you think you're going? SIMON JAYNE
SIMON
JAYNE Off this stand off -- INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE Mal continues to work the ship's controls, as -- INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY The AIRLOCK DOORS open, revealing the black of space and now -- INT. SERENITY - ENGINE ROOM/AFTDECK/STAIRS The fire becomes a SNAKE as it is sucked down toward the lower deck, toward the vacuum of space, making sharp, violent turns -- INT. SERENITY - COMMON AREA/INFIRMARY As the SNAKE OF FIRE races down the stairs, whips past the infirmary, furniture and not-nailed-down items getting sucked along with it, and into -- INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY The pillar of fire goes ROARING through the cargo bay and, along with some loose cargo, is spit out into space -- EXT. SPACE As the snake of fire shoots out of the cargo bay, dissipating in cold space. INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE Mal watches through the bridge window as the fire shoots out, extinguishing itself in the void. He sighs. INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY As the ramp closes and the air lock doors close. The storm is over. CUT TO:
INT. SERENITY - COMMON AREA/INFIRMARY BAM! The infirmary door is shoved open and Mal, Wash and Jayne carry in the unconscious Zoe, place her on the examination table. Simon gets right to work. Everyone else is close at hand, variously in the infirmary and lingering outside in the common area. SIMON He starts hooking her up to his equipment. Wash at his side, concern etched on his face. Mal fades back, away from the activity there, to... COMMON AREA Kaylee is hovering just outside the door of the infirmary in the common area. Mal approaches her. Kaylee. Kaylee. She's in shock. Staring. Look at me. She does. I need you up in the engine room, figuring out what caused this. KAYLEE Mal glances from spacey Kaylee to Zoe through the glass. His attention is drawn back to Kaylee by: Serenity's not movin'. Mal realizes she meant the ship, not Zoe. Nods, keeping cool. I know it. Which is why we gotta suss out what it was happened so we can get her going again, right? She nods. Tries not to cry. Think you can do that? KAYLEE MAL Kaylee gathers herself, heads off. Mal turns his attention back to: INFIRMARY Simon works on Zoe. Wash is at his wife's side, inches from out-of-his mind with distress. Come on, baby. Stay with me. You're strong. Strongest person I've ever met. You can do this. JAYNE SIMON Mal appears at the door. Wash. Wash won't look away from his wife. Wash, I need you on the bridge. WASH MAL Wash laughs grimly to himself, under his breath. (turning on him) How bad? It's bad, okay, "sir?" My wife may be dying, here. So my feeling is it's pretty damn bad. MAL WASH MAL WASH Mal sighs. Reaches in, grabs Wash by the shirt, swings him around, shoves him up against a wall. For all the physicality of that, Mal is calm, cool. You're gonna get to the bridge and get us on our feet, because if we can't do for Zoe here, you're gonna have to be the one that saves her. Well, yeah there's tension right about now. Simon continues to minister to Zoe. No one else says a word. Mal eases off. Wash's back is now to the infirmary door. A beat. He goes, just totally fucking torn up inside. Mal looks back to the faces looking back at him, then he exits, too. INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE We're looking at Wash's pilot's chair. Empty at the moment. CAMERA moves off that to find... Wash on his back, examining the cockpit innards. His face is somewhat obscured from us. He's speaking to someone who is o.s., also he seems much calmer than he did moments before. Oh, yeah. This is all very do-able. Wash slides out -- and the first thing we notice is the big, bushy moustache. He stands and now WE SEE, outside the cockpit windows, BLUE SKY. We're parked someplace in the day again. Shouldn't be a problem at all. A few modifications, get some real maneuverability out of this boat. You'd be surprised. Mal and Zoe stand at the cockpit door as Wash looks the vessel over. So you'll take the job, then? As Wash sits into the pilot's chair, gives it a little swivel. Might do, might do. Think I'm startin' to get a feel here. MAL Wash swivels away from them. Fiddles with dials. MAL AND ZOE Moving away from the cockpit, down the foredeck, toward the dining area as they confer -- He's great, ain't he?
ZOE
MAL
ZOE
MAL
ZOE
MAL
ZOE
MAL A BUFFED, SURFER-ISH DUDE, BESTER, passes through frame. (nodding "excellent!") "Genius." No one's ever called me that before. Shiny. Zoe doesn't even register that Bester passed by. She's musing on Wash in the distance. (musing on Wash) Just bothers me. INT. SERENITY - INFIRMARY - HEART MONITOR Starts to BEEP AN ALERT. Zoe's hooked up to the equipment now. Simon reacts. Her heart's stopped... INARA, BOOK AND JAYNE Looking on, helpless. Nervous. Maybe someone should get her husband down here... MAL No. They see Mal has appeared. He moves into the infirmary. Simon's racing around the infirmary, grabbing things. What do you need, doc? As Simon chooses a vial of something from several -- (pointing) Top cabinet -- Mal pulls it open. Sees a large hypo. Big needle. That's the one. He hands it to Simon who doses it up. What is it?
SIMON Simon readies himself, poises the needle right over Zoe's heart. Ready for the Pulp Fiction moment? 'cause that's always funny. Inara turns away. Simon plunges the needle in. Zoe's body JOLTS and we HARD CUT TO:
INT. SERENITY - INFIRMARY MAL HOWLS in pain. He's alone in the infirmary, sitting on the edge of the examination table, wrapping a bandage around his midsection, it's quickly filling with blood. He breathes hard, then tries to rise. He nearly passes out merely from that. He manages to steady himself, moves to the counter, rummages around in some of Simon's supplies -- comes up with the big ass needle that we saw Simon shoot up Zoe with. He injects himself. Has violent reaction. CLOSE - MAL His eyes wide, wide awake. He blinks, fueled with the stuff. Now he moves to the engine part that we saw him dragging. It's near the door. He picks it up, but looks toward the infirmary door, as: Cap? INT. SERENITY - INFIRMARY -- earlier that day. Mal turns away from the table where Zoe lies. Now the medical monitor beeps a constant, steady rhythm. The crisis seems past. Mal moves to Kaylee at the infirmary door. She looks pale, worried. Bad news a'comin'. They step into -- COMMON AREA Zoe gonna be okay?
MAL
KAYLEE
MAL
KAYLEE
MAL
KAYLEE
MAL She looks at him. Nearly staring. Nods. He senses more... What? What is it? KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE MAL
KAYLEE
MAL
KAYLEE Jayne has overheard part of this, joins them. Mosta that oxygen got ate up by the fire when it went out the door.
KAYLEE Mal takes a beat, weighing his very slim options --
MAL
KAYLEE Now Simon appears, emerging from the infirmary. She's stabilized. I think she's out of the woods. Off Mal, Kaylee and Jayne, not quite ready to celebrate -- BLACK OUT.
|
| Act Two |
|
INT. SERENITY - AFTDECK/ENGINE ROOM
Stillness for a beat, then... the ENGINE PART (which we will soon come to know as the catalyzer) is slammed down before Mal.
He's forcing himself up the stairs and around the corner into the aftdeck corridor.
INJURED MAL moves into the engine room, PAST LENS. We HOLD FRAME, looking (from the engine room POV) down the empty aftdeck. A beat, then...
...MAL APPEARS advancing from the dining area, coming down the aftdeck toward the engine room. He's uninjured Mal.
Bester! And WE ARE: INT. SERENITY - ENGINE ROOM -- in a different time. Mal's looking for his mechanic (the handsome mechanic we saw earlier.) What's this I been hearin' 'bout yet another delay? As Mal moves closer to the engine room, we can make out BESTER'S ARMY BOOTS sticking out from under the engine. Presumably doing his grease monkey thing. You were supposed to have that engine fixed and us up and... (as he sees:) What in the name of < all that's proper..? > [suo-yo duh doh shr-dang] Bester's shorts are... well, down around his army boots. He's having the sex with an unseen FEMALE. There is energetic humpage. Mal's a bit scandalized. Casts his glance away from the action. Might clear his throat. Bester. Much with the dirty humping. Mal gives it a beat. Bester. They seem to be, uh, finishing. BESTER! Bester climbs out, mostly still naked, yanking up his shorts. What? Bester just looks to Mal. Innocently inquisitive. There is some dead pan staring on Mal's part. Oh, yes there is. Then: You do realize we been parked on this rock near a week longer'n we planned? BESTER MAL BESTER More impatient staring, then Bester gets it finally: right. The naked girl behind the engine. Bester laughs. Oh! No. Cap! (leans forward "confidentially") She like engines. They make her hot. MAL BESTER MAL
BESTER KAYLEE (O.S.) Kaylee pops up, getting dressed. The men look at her. Ain't nothing wrong with your grav boot. Grav boot's just fine. (to Mal) Hello. She drops down again, out of view. Mal glances at Bester. Bester's a bit flustered. (to Mal) She don't... that's not... (to Kaylee) No it ain't! KAYLEE BESTER KAYLEE BESTER
KAYLEE She rolls her eyes, sighs, reaches in, breaks off a part of the engine. Hey!
KAYLEE She plunks the part in Bester's hand. She reaches back in, tinkers. Don't really serve much of a purpose, anyway. Just tends to gum up the works when it gets tacked. (re: a nearby wrench) Hand me that, will ya? (he does) So I figure, why even have it? Better to just plug your g-line straight into the port-pin-lock and that should... She's done. WHIRRR the turbine starts to turn. There. She shoves it in Bester's hand. Fiddles with the engine. What'd you do? MAL KAYLEE Bester looks at the part in his hand. Where'd you learn to do that, miss? KAYLEE MAL BESTER KAYLEE
MAL KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE BESTER MAL KAYLEE She pulls her hastily assembled wardrobe about her, pushes past Mal and a stunned Bester. Don't leave without me! Mal watches Kaylee go, tickled. Bester just blinks, stunned. Mal. Whaddya need two mechanics for? MAL INT. SERENITY - ENGINE ROOM Kaylee! Mal has entered the engine room. He looks off screen, a little annoyed to see -- -- Kaylee is just sitting there. Forlorn. She's holding the same piece of equipment that Mal was dragging in here. But the one she's got is twisted and melted and screwed up. She stares at it. Kaylee, what are you doing?
KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE She just sits there. He gently makes her stand up. Come on. This the part? (she nods) Well that don't hardly seem like nothing at all. Where does it go? She shows him the spot in the engine. Here. But it won't fit no more. He tries to install it, no go. Then you gotta figure a way to make it fit. KAYLEE MAL She shakes her head "no." Engine don't turn, life support won't function, we don't breathe. You want to keep breathin', don't you? She nods. So do I. (then) Will you try again? She looks at him. Doesn't want to disappoint. Nods. He smiles. Puts his hand on the back of her neck. Off this moment -- INT. SERENITY - COMMON AREA/INFIRMARY Simon checks the still unconscious Zoe's vitals. Inara appears at the infirmary door. How is she? SIMON He moves into the common area. Sits. She joins him. I always thought the name "Serenity" had a vaguely funereal sound to it. INARA SIMON INARA SIMON INARA SIMON He smiles wistfully. She smiles back. Puts her hand over his. Off this moment... INT. SERENITY - BOOK'S QUARTERS Book sits at his little table. We can see he's scared. Reading from the Psalms. Trying to find comfort in those ancient words. Don't be afraid. He looks up, a bit startled to see River haunting his doorway. (re: his Bible) That's what it says. Don't be afraid. BOOK RIVER BOOK RIVER He looks at her. Taken by her utter certainty. He finds a kind of comfort there. Well, that is until: (flatly) We'll freeze to death first. CUT TO:
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE Wash is at the helm. He's torn up with worry and anger. He's seething a bit. Mal enters. Wash doesn't even turn. You get that beacon sent? WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH MAL WASH A beat as Wash let's what he just said sink in. He snaps: Well, maybe I should do that, then! MAL WASH MAL WASH JAYNE Jayne has appeared, forces himself between the two of them. What the < hell > [guay] do you two think you're doing?! Fightin' at a time like this. A moral lecture from Jayne. They both ease off. Cool down. (as he turns and goes) You'll use up all the air! WAAA! WAAA! WAAA! A KLAXON SOUNDS and WE ARE: INT. SERENITY - ENGINE ROOM Where the ALARM originated. Mal, gut-shot, listens to the ship warning him that: Life support failure. Check oxygen levels at once. Then the same ALERT repeats IN CHINESE. < Life support failure. Check oxygen levels at once. > [Jeo-shung yong-jur goo-jang. Jien-cha yong-chi gong yin.] Mal's bleary-eyed, fumbling with the ship part, trying to install the catalyzer into the failed compression coil. But he's having a fuck of a time. He wipes sweat from his brow with the back of his hand -- leaving an ugly smear of blood. He blinks it back. It's in his eyes. Shit. The KLAXON continues to sound. The ship's message repeats in English again. Mal nearly has the part installed... but it slips from his bloody fingers and drops into the engine. Lost to him. He can't believe that just happened. And the alert continues to sound -- BLACK OUT.
|
| Act Three |
|
EXT. SPACE
Dead Serenity just hanging there.
INT. SERENITY - COMMON AREA/INFIRMARY
Everyone sits huddled together. They're wearing coats and blankets. It's cold. Mal stands before the assembled, grim. He's a bit distracted, tries to keep focused. A combination of the situation and the thinning of the air.
Well. As you're all keenly aware... seems we, uh, run into a... bit of a situation. Engine's down. Life support's on the fritz. And I got nine people here all wanting to breathe. (tries to be light) Could take turns, I suppose. (thud) But that doesn't really appear to be an option. Truth is... ain't got a whole lot of options at this juncture. A beat. They all look back at him. Watch him as he casts a glance up at Serenity. Runs his hand along a bulkhead or wall. Then gives it an affectionate pat. Continues -- So now instead of focusing on what we don't got -- time to talk about what it is we do. And what we got are two shuttles. Short range. Won't go far. But they each got heat, and they each got air. Last longer than what's left in Serenity. SIMON MAL BOOK MAL KAYLEE MAL KAYLEE MAL That hangs there for a moment. Nobody believes that's going to happen. Let's get those shuttles prepped. Wash stands, starts moving to the stairs near the infirmary. Wash -- shuttles are that way. WASH Mal nods. Wash moves off. Jayne, get shuttle two ready. I'll see to Inara's. (to everyone else) Let's get moving. (as he goes) Take only what you need. Mal moves off. Everyone's a bit stunned. Inara moves to follow Mal. INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY/CATWALKS Mal heads up the catwalks, moving toward Inara's shuttle. She appears, following. Mal... MAL INARA MAL INARA MAL He enters her shuttle. She follows -- INT. INARA'S SHUTTLE Inara steps through first. She's wearing different clothing. Mal steps in behind her. The shuttle is either empty or dressed differently. Mal's showing her the "property." Well, here she is. She glides in, takes in the space for the first time. Nice, ain't she? INARA MAL She ignores that, still considering the shuttle. She moves into the cockpit. Blue sky outside the windows. Mal follows.
MAL INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA He watches her as she moves into the main chamber, looking it over. Looking her over... Were we to enter into this arrangement, Captain Reynolds, there are a few things I would require from you. The foremost being complete autonomy. This shuttle would be my home. No crew member, including yourself, would be allowed entrance without my express invitation.
MAL INARA MAL INARA Mal blinks at all that for a beat, letting it register, then: That's an awful lot of caveats and addendums there, miss. INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA He looks at her. Doesn't believe her. If it's Alliance trouble you got, you might want to consider another ship. Some on board here fought for the Independents. INARA MAL She looks at him. Smiles, won't let this guy rankle her. Oh -- one further addendum. That's the last time you get to call me a "whore." She walks past him. Absolutely. Never again. INT. INARA'S SHUTTLE Mal moves about the cockpit, checking gages, dials, etc. Keep everything set as low as possible. Don't waste what you got. She pushes him out of the way, takes over. Let me do that. You never could operate this thing. He lets her take over. Gazes down at her. Now she looks at him. So much to say. He sees that. Feels similarly. And try not to talk. Talkin' uses up air. There ain't no need for it. INARA MAL INARA MAL INARA MAL WE hold on their look to each other, we PRE-LAP the horrible SOUND of the KLAXON SOUNDING -- CUT TO:
INT. SERENITY - AFTDECK/ENGINE ROOM Gut-shot Mal fishes out the part to the compression coil. Works to fit it into the damaged engine. It takes some work, but he does it. He fires it all up - the turbines start to spin. It works. The BLARING ALERT stops. Power restored. Life support functioning again. He starts dragging himself toward the bridge -- INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE We're in Mal's POV, moving toward the seemingly empty bridge -- but Wash appears in the doorway. Everything's set and ready. REVEAL - MAL (uninjured-Mal) moving toward the bridge. Good. WASH Wash points out a LARGE, DISTINCTIVE BUTTON on the navigation control panels. When your miracle gets here, you just pound this button once. It'll call back both shuttles. Mal nods. Wash wants to say something. Everything's all fucked up. He's about to speak, but before he can: Go see to your wife. Wash takes a beat. Then exits. INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY Mal walks with Jayne. Jayne has a duffle and some guns slung over his shoulder. I went ahead and closed off all below deck vents. Diverted what there is to the bridge. It ain't much. So my advice, seal off everything tight behind you when you go back up. Might buy you some time. Mal nods. He's looking up to -- MAL'S POV Of the upper catwalks. To the left, Wash and Simon carry a stretcher with unconscious Zoe into the second shuttle. River follows. Mal looks to his right -- -- Book and Kaylee enter Inara's shuttle. Inara stands at the doorway, looking down at him. And I prepped a suit for you. It's hanging in the foredeck. When the time comes, you can just... MAL
JAYNE Jayne takes a beat. Then he moves off, heading up the catwalk stairs. WASH At the door to shuttle two. He slides the door shut. JAYNE Reaches the top of the catwalk. Motions for Inara to go inside. A beat. He eyes on Mal. Then she disappears inside. Jayne follows, shuts the door. Mal stands alone in the big, empty cargo bay, as... EXT. SPACE The two shuttles detach from Serenity, go their separate ways, off into space. INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY Mal moves through the door leading to the infirmary, shuts up the door behind him. INT. SERENITY - UPPER DECK Mal closes off the door to the aftdeck. Moves through the dining area, moves into the foredeck, slides that door shut behind him. INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE Mal closes off the bridge. He sits into the pilot's seat. Sighs. And WE SEE his FROZEN BREATH misting. He sits alone. Staring out into the empty vastness of space. The air is thin and he starts to get drowsy. Each breath is COLD MIST. The MIST getting thinner and thinner. He shivers. His eyes start to close -- EXT. SPACE Serenity. Silent. Alone. Not moving. INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE Some time has passed. Mal looking half frozen and unconscious in the pilot's chair. He doesn't react to the SOUND of a SIGNAL as it starts come through on the console... CLOSE - MONITOR (INSERT) THE SIGNAL on the console. A FUZZY IMAGE. A MAN'S FACE through the mostly STATIC. Barely discernible. (filtered) Firefly Serenity... This is the private salvage S.S. Walden. Receiving your distress beacon, do you read? We're only getting about a third of that as it's trying to break in on Serenity's wounded half-powered system. It continues to repeat and CRACKLE. Mal sits motionless. Not hearing it. Maybe dead. More STATICY SIGNAL. More CRACKLING. But now Mal starts stir slightly. A few more WORDS of the DISTRESS REPLY crackle through... Mal forces his heavy-lidded eyes open just as... The transmission ends. No more signal. Mal tries to orient himself. Did he hear something? His head lolls as he looks to the now silent monitors. Could have been a dream. His bleary eyes shift up to the window -- ANOTHER SHIP TWICE THE SIZE OF SERENITY Rises up there, right the fuck in front of the window. Which is as good a place as any for -- BLACK OUT.
|
| Act Four |
|
EXT. SPACE
The S.S. Walden nose-to-nose with the smaller Serenity.
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Mal on the bridge. WE SEE the IMAGE of the CAPTAIN of the Walden on the vid monitor. A serious sort; Mal without the funny. Mal does his best to keep up, but lack of oxygen and the extreme cold aren't helping.
I'm sorry for your troubles, Captain. They sound many. But you do understand I can't invite you on board my vessel. I got folks here to consider. They depend on me to make the right choices. And I don't know you. MAL CAPTAIN MAL CAPTAIN MAL CAPTAIN MAL CAPTAIN MAL CAPTAIN Captain looks off screen, presumably at some unseen person speaking to him. I'm told we do. MAL CAPTAIN MAL CAPTAIN MAL CAPTAIN FZZZT. The Captain's face disappears from the monitor. EXT. SPACE As the S.S. Walden's airlock attaches to that of Serenity... INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY Mal, breathing very shallow, waits near the standing airlock door controls. The Captain appears at the airlock doors. He holds up the catalyzer at the window. Mal activates the airlocks doors. As the doors open, there is a tremendous RUSH OF AIR from other side -- blessed oxygen. Mal nearly passes out from the drinking in of it. He closes his eyes for a beat, just sucking down as much as he can. When he opens his eyes again -- -- The Captain and his FOUR PEEPS have their guns raised and aimed at him. Mal's hands go up instinctively. Check him. One of Captain's crew moves in, frisks Mal as -- (to another flunky) Search the ship. Start in the cockpit, work your way down. MAL CAPTAIN The Captain was hoping that last bit would elicit a reaction from Mal. It doesn't. As the lackeys go -- Thought we were gonna be reasonable about this? MARCO No, that wasn't a typo, because suddenly we are: EXT. SERENITY - RAMP/CARGO BAY - DAY On the open ramp of Serenity and it's Mal and Zoe in an armed stand off another gang -- THREE PRICKLY BANDITOS, a grizzly fellow called MARCO their leader. (to his partner) He's gonna talk to us about "reason," now. JAYNE Oh, yeah -- Jayne's one of the members of the rival gang. MAL AND ZOE -- a brief, sotto exchange: Which one you figure tracked us? ZOE MAL THE OTHER GANG Do we look "reasonable" to you? MAL JAYNE MAL ZOE JAYNE MARCO JAYNE MAL JAYNE MAL JAYNE MAL JAYNE MAL Mal makes a "wow, that's pathetic" grimace. Jayne squints. What? MAL ZOE JAYNE MARCO JAYNE MAL JAYNE MARCO MAL JAYNE MAL MARCO JAYNE MAL JAYNE MARCO MAL MARCO POW! Jayne shoots Marco in the leg and instantly drops the other bandito (who was just barely starting to turn on Jayne) without really looking. Shut up. (to Mal) How big a room? Off that -- INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY The Captain with his gun trained on Mal. Now the others start to return to the cargo bay. Ship's clear, Captain. CAPTAIN LACKEY #1 MAL CAPTAIN BOOM. The Captain shoots Mal in the gut. It happens suddenly and without passion. We're taking your ship. Mal's eyes go wide and he sinks to his knees. Topples onto his back. The Captain coolly instructs his crew. Tosses the catalyzer to one of his men. Billy, get this plugged in. Jesse, call Stern over here. You and him'll pilot this pile of < crap > [go se] out of here. MAL'S POV Looking up under Jayne's work out bench where there is a gun tapped to the underbelly. RESUME We'll get it as far as -- He stops short as he hears the sound of a GUN being COCKED -- CAPTAIN'S POV Looking down the barrel of Mal's gun. (eyes on Captain) Jesse, don't call Stern. Billy, leave the catalyzer.
CAPTAIN The lackey with the catalyzer sets it on the cargo bay floor. (to Captain) Take your people and go. CAPTAIN MAL And now the Captain and all his men back away to the air lock doors. Mal, through sheer force of will, rises to his feet, keeping the gun on them, moves to the air lock door controls. Closes hits the button as they step through. The doors shut. And Mal collapses on the cargo bay floor. Exactly where we first found him. EXT. SPACE As the larger salvage ship detaches from Serenity and heads off. INT. SERENITY - VARIOUS The cargo bay floor, blood there. The common area, infirmary, and the trail of blood left behind by the wounded Mal. The Engine room, the turbines turning with the restored part. The aft and fore deck corridors, the trappings of the interrupted party... and the tell-tale trail of blood. INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE We find Mal. He's dragging himself to the bridge. He reaches for the button to call back the shuttles. But before he can touch it... he passes out. BLACKNESS. UP FROM BLACKNESS VOICES. Familiar voices. Growing more present as Mal wakes in -- INT. SERENITY - INFIRMARY Mal blinks as he sees -- -- Simon, Book, Inara, Jayne... then River, then Wash, and finally even Zoe, who's sitting up nearby. No one (save maybe Zoe) is directly facing him. Various backs to him. They're in conversation, though since we're in Mal's POV we can't quite make out what they're saying. Zoe's the first to notice that Mal's come into consciousness. Welcome back, sir. The others follow her look, see he's waking up. (disoriented) I go someplace? BOOK
INARA MAL Mal notes Wash hooked up to an IV -- he's giving Mal a transfusion. Mal, in his out-of-it-ness doesn't quite understand that. Wash, you okay? WASH MAL WASH SIMON MAL The others exchange looks. Jayne glares at Inara. (under his breath, accusatory) Told ya. (points to Wash) It was them! They come back first! Their shuttle was already here when we docked. MAL WASH ZOE SIMON ZOE MAL JAYNE Zoe smiles, nods. My pleasure, sir. They hold the look between them. The original two. A special connection. Jayne observes that exchange. Hey! That ain't... We'da been here first! But there's something wrong with 'nara's shuttle! She done somethin' to it, Mal. Smells funny. INARA JAYNE Kaylee enters. See's Mal's awake. (brightly) Captain! You fixed the ship! (then, a serious professional assessment) Good work. MAL
SIMON MAL BOOK Mal allows himself to close his eyes. (eyes closed, smiles) Good. That's good... As we PUSH IN closer to his face, which, if I can say, exhibits a kind of serenity, we start to HEAR what HE HEARS... VOICES IN HIS HEAD: Yep. A real beauty, ain't she? Yessir. A right smart purchase, this vessel. EXT. USED SPACE SHIP LOT - DAY Tell you what, you buy this ship, treat her proper, she'll be with ya for the rest of your life. The Used Ship SALESMAN giving Mal the hard sell. Now WE SEE that they're standing in front of a totally different ship. Not Serenity at all. Son? Hey, son? The Salesman notices that Mal doesn't seem to be paying a bit of attention. You hear a word I been sayin'? He hasn't, really. Because he's looking across the lot at something else... MAL'S POV Across the lot sits Serenity, dirty, a bit broken down... and silently speaking to Mal. Off that -- BLACK OUT.
|