CHAPTER ELEVEN
Serenity had settled down on the grass landing pad, in front of an audience this time. There were a few men with guns, several with homemade bows and arrows, some men with sticks, and a lot of men without any weapons. A string of about six horse drawn carriages and carts were there, ready to haul away cargo. Their contact, Lam Suet, greeted Malcom as he came down the ramp. Behind Lam were two guards, armed with bamboo staffs. There were strange markings burned into the wood.
“I’m so glad you made it back on time,” Lam said. “Timing is really critical at this juncture.”
“Nice of you to meet us at the space port,” Malcom said. “Judging by the
reception, though, you know I’m not too pleased with you.”
“Sorry, Captain Reynolds,” Lam said. “Business is business. Your women will be fine and returned to you after we completed our transactions, in the proper order.”
“There isn’t going to be any transactions till I see the color of your money,” Malcom said.
Lam nodded, clapped his hands, and several unarmed men picked up chests made of wood and brought them over. They set them down and opened the cases for inspection. One crate had bags of dried leaves, the other had bags of white powder, and a third box a variety of items. There were two wagons full of boxes, which would fill up Serenity’s hold.
“I don’t get it,” Malcom said. “This doesn’t look like money.”
“Drugs,” Simon said. “That’s probably an opiate, cocaine, I suspect. This is probably cannabis. This other box, DMT? Shrooms and… I don’t recognize that one.” “We call it ‘vector,” Lam said.
“We aint shipping no drugs,” Jayne said. “That’s a death penalty.”
“You want to get paid, you’re going to have to run these crates to Roco Station for dispersal,” Lam said.
“We’re not moving drugs,” Malcom said. “We agreed on cash and I expect to get paid, per our agreement. No triangles.”
“You want to see your girls alive again, you’re going to do as you’re told,” Lam said.
“No,” Malcom said. “I think you’re going to go fetch us some cash, or you’re not going to see any metal.”
“Except maybe the led from my gun,” Jayne said.
“Funny thing about led,” Lam said. “It’s a precious commodity around here. We’d have to cut it out of you once you’re dead. Then I’ll have your ship and will make the runs myself. I’d rather let you do your job, though. I hate flying.”
“My understanding is once you’ve lived on this little moon for a couple years, you can’t leave,” Malcom said. “Something about the lesser gravity allowing your muscles to atrophy.”
“I can always adjust your gravity systems,” Lam said.
“Perhaps. But it’s either cash or food supplements,” Malcom said. “Or a combination thereof.”
“I don’t understand,” Lam said. “Wong Jing assured us you would deliver if we took your girls hostage.”
“He said that, uh?” Malcom said.
“You don’t care if they live or die?” Lam said. “Oh, I care,” Malcom said.
Inara’s shuttle did a fly by, breaking the sound barrier nearly right over head, right on schedule. Malcom pulled out his revolver and shot Lam in the leg, and then shot both his body guards between the eyes. Jayne started firing as well, taking out some of the armed men. An arrow caught Jayne in his armored vest. It didn’t penetrate, but it scared him at first when it stuck, and out of anger he blasted the bow man next. Zoe came out of the hatch, firing her rifle. The unarmed men, who were here simply to be moving cargo, ran. As Malcom, Jayne and Zoe moved out to finish off the fight, Lam pushed himself to a sitting position and pulled out a small revolver and was about to shoot Malcom in the back. Malcom turned in time to see Ely responding to the threat. Ely knocked the gun out of Lam’s hand with a bamboo staff and then reversed the stick and cold cocked Lam in the head, knocking him out cold.
“Thought you said you couldn’t fight,” Malcom said.
“I can’t,” Ely said. “That’s why I hit him with a stick.”
The fighting was over fairly quick and Inara’s shuttle settled on the ground. The door opened and Inara flew out to make sure everyone was alright and then demanded to know what Ely was doing up.
“Couldn’t sleep,” Ely said. “All the racket you guys were making.” “Sorry,” Malcom said.
Ely sat down on one of the crates of drugs. Simon checked the arm where Ely had removed the IV. River emerged from the shuttle, checking out the carnage.
“I wanted to play,” River said. “I know,” Malcom said.
Anna emerged from the shuttle, carrying her gold piece. “You’re sure it’s safe for me here?”
“Just head up that path and you will come to a village on the outskirts of the capital,” Ely said. “Talk to the man in the first green hut. Tell him you want to trade your gold for a place to live. Tell him Ely sent you. He’ll set you up.” “Thank you,” Anna said. “I could just kiss all of you.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Malcom assured her. “Take care.”
“Now what are we going to do for pay?” Jayne asked. “We done killed just about everyone, except him.”
“We’ll get paid,” Ely said. “Hey, Anna? Tell my friend if he and some boys get down here, I got a whole mess of metal for him. First come first serve, bring cash or unmarked cases of food supplements and or medicines.”
“Will do,” Anna said.
“We’ll get paid,” Ely said. “Maybe not as much as they promised, but we’ll get paid.”
“You’re going to wish you hadn’t done this,” Lam said. “Wong Jing has a powerful reach.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll make sure to tell the villagers you have some led in your thigh,” Malcom said. “Don’t want any metal going to waste, now.”
“And what do we do with the drugs?” Zoe asked.
“Throw it over the cliffs into the ocean,” Malcom said.
“You’re throwing away good money!” Lam said. “It’s a fortune.” “And unless you burn this planet, you aint gonna stop the trade,” Ely said. “No wonder these folks are so happy,” Jayne said.
“Don’t want to make my fortune selling stuff that hurts folks in the long run,” Malcom said. “Now, had you some good beer or wine, we might have been able to negotiate, but this stuff, can’t condone it. Not opposed, mind you, adult folks can do what they want, but minors have a way of getting derailed, and I ain’t contributing.”
“Captain,” Ely said. “Maybe we should consider it.” “We’re not moving drugs,” Malcom said.
“We could take the transponder out of the black box from the military cashes, reconnect the power supply, hide it in the bottom of the drugs, and then hand it over to the peoples at Roco Station,” Ely said. “Roco station always has an Alliance cruiser nearby. They pick up that transponder, they will be on Roco Station before any of the drugs could be dispersed. You’d get paid and close down a major trafficking hub at the same time. And it’s a good bet, if they’re trafficking drugs, they’re trafficking women. Or kids. Or both. Plus, it would pass the suspicion of the military cache being infiltrated by these drug runners. So, I say, we deliver and shut it down.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Zoe said.
“We don’t want to get caught with the drugs on Serenity,” Jayne said. “We done walked into enough traps. And this smells like one of them traps that the deeper in you go the more dead you get. Like them plants that eat bugs, or even rats!” “Nepenthes rajah,” Ely said.
“See, he knows about them. I have seen some that could eat a grown man! In fact, when I saw it, there was a man floating in the digestive juices and you could see his naked silhouette…”
“Why would he be naked?” Kaylee asked.
“Pheromones draw humans in thinking they will get sex,” Ely said.
“How do you know about this stuff?” Malcom asked.
“That particular breed of Nepenthes comes from my home world,” Ely explained. “I told you, I grew up on a farm, and our house was surrounded by Nepenthes rajah, and other flesh eating plants. It helps cut down on the frogs, rats, and insect populations. Without them, mosquitoes would likely swarm enough to suck a man dry in minutes.” “Why the hell would terraformers release mosquitoes?” Zoe asked.
“Their great pollinators. Just happens to be one of those worlds where creatures were introduced and they did really well,” Ely said. “Some rumors suggest they were introduced by a competing colony. Trade routes can be fierce.” “We’re not taking drugs on Serenity,” Malcom said.
“Maybe we don’t take Serenity,” Zoe said.
“They’re going to know something’s up if Serenity doesn’t show up with the drugs,” Jayne said.
“Serenity would have to make an appearance to put on the show,” Zoe said.
“We’re assuming Lam here doesn’t have to check in with his boss,” Inara offered. “When do you have to report in?” Malcom asked Lam.
“Like I’d tell you,” Lam said.
Malcom shot the man in the shoulder, stepped closer, and cocked the gun again.
“I was supposed to call as soon as you were on your way to Roco Station with the drugs,” Lam said.
“That could give us some time get a second ship, for the decoy,” Ely said. “I’ll front the money for this operation.”
“We already have a spare ship,” Malcom said.
“We do?” Jayne asked.
“Yep,” Malcom said. “Was thinking about stripping it and selling the parts, but this is a better thing for it. Jayne, haul this man back to medical. Doctor patch him.
Don’t want him full dead, yet. Oh, any compliance drugs in that crate?”
Simon picked up a vial without difficulty in sorting
“Compliance drugs? You mean like date rape drugs?” Jayne asked.
“You can’t have any,” Zoe snapped.
“I don’t want any!” Jayne said. “A girl wants to be with me or she doesn’t, and if she’s drunk, that’s a no go. She has to agree sober, and it is helpful if she agrees sober, on video, because I don’t want that other kind of reputation we gunslingers get… What? You know how people stereotype us. Just because I like killing doesn’t make me a bad guy. There a lot of folks that need killing…”
♫♪►
It took Serenity’s crew four trips to bring all the metal down to the planet and people were still arriving to barter for the first haul by the time Serenity had unloaded the last. The citizens practically drooled over the last bit, the gold. There were all sorts of bids and deals offered in exchange for the metal, even an offer of by a young lady who said very publically she would even sleep with Jayne if there was no gold. Very few had cash, so most of Serenity’s profit came in the form of fresh foods, preserved foods such as home made jams or preservatives, spices, naturalized medicines and or unmarked food supplements created at the Alliance processing plants. As their take pile grew, the metal slowly dwindled away. A jeweler bought half the gold with cash and coin, so by the end of the day, when all the metal had finally been hauled off, they had earned only half of what had originally been promised them, but still netted a little profit.
Simon made a break from loading Serenity to go check on his patient, who had been relocated to his room. The IV pack was almost finished so the Doctor changed it out.
“How are you doing?” Simon asked.
“Restless,” Ely said.
“Some of that is the artificial blood,” Simon said. “It’s more efficient at nutrient and oxygen delivery than normal blood. It should thin out in a couple days.”
“I don’t think I can stay still that long,” Ely said.
“You can stay here on your own volition, or I can sedate you,” Simon said. “You need to rest and give my patch work some time to stick. Don’t remove your catheter or your IV again.”
“Fine,” Ely said, resigned. “But I don’t see why I need them when I can drink and walk to the toilet.”
“I mean it,” Simon said. “Stay in bed or I will sedate you. I’ll be back to check on you in a while.”
“What’s going on outside?” Ely asked.
“Business,” Simon said. “I’ll bring you a book if you like.”
Ely shook his head. Simon patted his patients arm and then returned to assisting the crew as they loaded up the ship with the goods they had collected. He noticed River sitting on the cat walk over the cargo bay, dangling her legs, her arms over the railing. He waved at her. She frowned and stuck her tongue out at him. He just shook his head, wondering what he had done this time, and went on. River didn’t jump when Book came and sat next to her.
“They don’t believe me,” River said, watching the activity below. She was very careful not to look directly at him, and she kept her voice down. Some of the locals were helping Serenity’s crew load the ship, partly just to be social, one to stay in proximity of Jayne, gold or no, but also partly just to see the inside of a working spaceship. Most of these were young people, most likely born here, and had never been on a real spaceship, much less seen one, other than books and schooling and media.
“It isn’t necessary,” Book said.
“Why are you here?” River asked.
“I have unfinished business,” Book said.
“Was it something you did?” River asked.
“It’s not what I did, River. It’s what I was. See, this is thing people don’t get, but the book is very clear on this point: You don’t get punished for what you do. We all fuck up,” Book said. “It’s what I was.”
“I don’t understand,” River said.
“The things men do, most of those can be forgiven,” Book said. “In fact, to remain healthy, the best thing to do is forgive and move on. But who you are, that’s harder to change, and there are not enough good deeds in the whole ‘Verse that can cancel what I was out. Not even thousand lives could change what I was.” “But you changed,” River pointed out.
“I did. I got lucky and hit a small window, and I am trying to hang on to it for fear of sliding backwards,” Book said. “Changing who one is takes time, persistence, perseverance, and unwavering vigilance. Sometimes it means coming back. I haven’t put in enough time to come back, and there is a real danger in that, because karma is hell, and that could derail this present trajectory.”
River nodded as if she understood. “What did you do?” River asked, quietly. She had seen some of his anger and meanness leak out of him from time to time, but she had never really managed to unravel his past, as he had locked down on it fiercely.
“It’s not time yet,” Book answered.
“When?” River asked.
“Two by two,” Book said. “They’re coming. It would be best if you could avoid them a while longer.”
“Alliance?” River said.
“They’re not Alliance,” Books said.
River turned to look at Book, square in the eyes, but he was gone. Kaylee approached her and knelt down.
“You okay?” Kaylee asked.
“I don’t know,” River said.
Chapter Twelve
Some of the locals who had arrived merely to watch the spectacle started a barbecue and so by evening, everyone was eating and laughing, making an impromptu party which the Serenity’s crew was the guests of honor. Serenity’s cargo bay lights illuminated the immediate area with a soft, yellowish glow, which blended in nicely with the torches placed around the landing strip. Jayne was still chatting up the tree hugger gal that he was able to tolerate since she was willing to hug on him for a time and so the two of them drifted off to drink and find their own level of social. Musicians arrived and added to the sound and there was even some dancing, which made River the center of attention. Malcom found an opportunity to excuse himself from a young lady who had invited him to dance and then made his way over to Inara. He offered his hand, she accepted, and they danced.
Zoe didn’t want to participate and so she fixed a tray of food for Ely and was going to use that as an excuse to escape, but no one seemed to notice her slipping away, as they were all pretty much caught up in their own thoughts and fun. She found Ely in his quarters, watching something on his m