![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
The Message (1AGE13)
Written by: Joss Whedon
& Tim Minear Directed by: Tim Minear
Airdate: Unaired
Episode Information
Transcribed by Jes
EXT. UNKNOWN CITY
Seen at night with bright lights and ads all over
We are not alone!
INT. BUSY OPEN MARKET
Lively music playing in the background as the camera wanders through the crowd
Forget what you think you know!
Forget what your mother told you
when she tucked you in at night!
Forget the lies of our oppressive
cabalistic allied governments.
Behind this curtain is the very secret
they do not want you to see.
We can now see that the unknown voice talking is a ring master type announcer wearing a top hat
The most astounding scientific find
in the history of humanity!
Proof of alien life! That's right.
Go ahead and laugh, sir
but what you see inside this room
will change your life forever.
It will haunt your dreams
and harrow, yes, your very soul!
INT. A SMALL CURTAINED IN AREA IN THE MARKET
Simon and Kaylee looking disbelievingly at something off screen in a water tank, we can hear water gurgling in the background
Yup, it's a cow fetus.
KAYLEE
I guess so.
It does seem to have an awful lot of limbs.
[we can now see the fetus in the tank]
SIMON
It's mutated.
KAYLEE
But cow? How do you figure?
SIMON
It's upside down.
[Kaylee tilts her head]
KAYLEE
Oh yeah, cow.
SIMON
Yup.
[inhales deeply]
And I'm out 12 bits.
[Kaylee chuckles]
I really know how to show a girl a
[pauses]
disgusting time.
KAYLEE
[giggles]
Oh, it's sweet.
Poor little thing never even saw the light
of day, now it's in show business.
SIMON
You manage to find the bright side
of every single thing.
KAYLEE
Also we've...
got this booth to ourselves
for five whole minutes.
SIMON
We're not alone, remember?
[motions fetus]
KAYLEE
He's not gonna squawk.
Tell me more good stuff about me.
SIMON
Um...well, you're, uh...you're kind of
a genius when it comes to machines.
You always say what you mean.
And your eyes are...
KAYLEE
Yeah? Eyes. Yeah?
SIMON
[inhales deeply]
And, um...I don't know how to, um...
[nervous laugh]
Oh, plus, every other girl
I know is either
married, professional
or closely related to me, so
you're more or less - you're literally
the only girl in the world.
KAYLEE
[face drops]
Hmmm...that's a hell of a thing to say.
SIMON
I was joking.
KAYLEE
Oh, no, no, I get it. I do.
Back on Osiris
you probably had nurses
and debutantes crawling all over you
but down here at the bottom
of the barrel, it's just me.
SIMON
No. That's...that's not even...
KAYLEE
Well, I'm glad I rated higher than dead Bessie here.
[motions to fetus, walks off]
"ni gao su na niu ta you shuang mei mu"
[why don't you tell the cow about it's beautiful eyes?]
Wash and Zoe enter
Oh my God! It's grotesque.
Oh, and there's something in a jar.
ZOE
[to Simon]
Scare her away again, did you?
SIMON
This may comes as a shock
but I'm actually not very good at --
at talking to girls.
ZOE
Why, is there someone
you are good at talking to?
WASH
Do not fear me:
ours is a peaceful race
and we must live in harmony.
INARA [V.O.]
Struck out again, did you?
Cut to Mal and Inara walking through the market area
It's like something out of a fable.
I got this priceless artifact -- the biggest score
of my unseemly career, and no one will touch it.
INARA
The Lassiter is universally known,
fencing it is like fencing the Mona Lisa.
MAL
Well, wh-
Mal grabs and stops a young pickpocket in the act, barely missing a beat
The Mona who?
INARA
You're out of your league,
you should consider my offer.
MAL
I'm done thinking about that, and you are to stay clear.
INARA
I know people in the highest ranks of-
MAL
Jabber, jabber, jabber, I ain't listening.
Look, just 'cause you helped out on the job,
don't make you a crook. And I will not have you
jeopardizing your career over this.
INARA
The career you abhor and look down on?
MAL
I just don't want you in the way of trouble.
Just take it as you like.
[to someone off screen]
Amnon! How you been?
AMNON
Malcolm.
We can now see that Amnon is a male in uniform, a clerk of some kind.
An old's friends face is a balm in this age.
MAL
I read your wave, you holdin' some post for me?
AMNON
Yeah, got yourself quite a haul.
You can sign for everyone, right?
MAL
Sure.
AMNON
Good.
Book, River and Jayne join Mal and Inara. River is trying to eat at an ice sphere hanging off a stick. Jayne is carrying supplies that he's purchased.
Any packages for me?
MAL
Don't know yet.
RIVER
My food is problematic.
JAYNE
Girl's a mind-reading genius, can't
even figure out how to eat ice planet.
MAL
Did you get everything?
JAYNE
Yeah. They didn't have no rounds for the Buhnder,
but we're ammo'd up pretty good.
Got a good discount on account of my intimidating manner.
Jayne grabs change out of one of his pockets and returns it to Mal. Mal leaves his hand out and Jayne 'remembers' that he still has more of Mal's money. He returns it.
This one's addressed to you and Zoe, Mal.
MAL
I don't remember ordering any parts.
AMNON
The little one's for Cobb.
JAYNE
I got post?
BOOK
Might we all wanna step a few paces
back before he opens that?
JAYNE
Ha ha. It's from my mother.
Kaylee, Zoe, Wash join the rest of the group
[to Kaylee]
So, do aliens live among us?
KAYLEE
Yeah, one of them's a doctor.
JAYNE
[reading a letter from his mother,
obviously struggling with reading]
"My dear boy, I hope you are well
[clears throat]
and that you get this soon in your tra...vels." Travels.
MAL
Did you order any equipment?
ZOE
No, sir.
JAYNE
"Thank you for the credits you forwarded.
They have helped as Mattie is still sick with the damplung
I made you the enclo--" Ooh! Enclosed. Huh.
[stops reading, opens package, finds an orange wool cap with ear flaps,
which he proudly puts on, then continues reading]
"enclosed to keep you warm in your travels.
Hope to hear from you soon,
love, your mother."
How's it sit?
Pretty cunning, don't you think?
KAYLEE
I think it's the sweetest hat ever.
WASH
A man walks down the street in that hat,
people know he's not afraid of anything.
JAYNE
Damn straight!
MAL
[opening the crate addressed to him and Zoe]
Well, let's hope we get some funny hats too.
Inside the crate is a metal casket, which is opened to reveal the corpse of a young man.
What'd y'all order a dead guy for?
BLACKOUT
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
EXT. OUTDOORS BATTLE SCENE AT NIGHT, FOUGHT FROM BOTH AIR AND GROUND
"Battle of Du-Khang - Seven Years Earlier"
We see soldiers running at night, spotlights moving quickly over people. Gunfire and explosions. The young man we saw in the crate is dressed in battle gear, looking unsure of what to do. He sits down behind a wall, takes off his helmet and gets some food out, making a lot of noise and muttering quietly to himself. We can see an enemy soldier sneaking up on him from behind. The young man finally hears the approaching enemy and turns grabbing a weapon, but is too slow save himself. At the last second, we see Zoe sneak up on the enemy soldier and slice his throat, killing him and saving the young man. The young man looks at the dead soldier as Zoe approaches him.
Thanks. I didn't know you were out there.
ZOE
Sort of the point. Stealth.
You may have heard of it.
YOUNG MAN
I don't think they covered that in basic.
ZOE
Well, at least they covered dropping your weapon
so you can eat beans and get yourself shot.
YOUNG MAN
Yeah, I got a badge in that.
Won't happen again.
ZOE
It does, I'm just gonna watch.
YOUNG MAN
See anything interesting out there --
if you don't mind my asking.
ZOE
About 30 troops behind those buildings.
Mortars. No rollers yet.
I expect they plan to peck at us
for a spell before they charge.
They had two scouts sniffing,
but I took 'em down.
YOUNG MAN
Wow, I didn't hear a single thing.
ZOE
First rule of battle, little one,
don't ever let them know where you are.
Cut to Mal, fighting nearby, obviously trying to get the attention of the enemy while making his way back towards Zoe.
Woohoo! I'm right here!
I'm right here! You want some of me?
Yeah, you do!
Come on! Come on! Aaah! Unh. Woohoo!
ZOE
'Course, there are other schools of thought.
MAL
Whew. Ha. That was bracing.
They don't like it when you shoot at 'em.
I worked that out myself.
ZOE
Did you find Vitelli?
MAL
Vitelli's out of it,
that bumblebee laid down arms
at the first sign of
inevitable crushing defeat.
Can you imagine
such a cowardly creature?
YOUNG MAN
Southwest corridor's open, huh?
MAL
Tracey, ain't you dead yet?
TRACEY [young man]
Through no fault of my own.
MAL
I really wanted your beans.
ZOE
They're gonna come right through here.
They got rollers?
MAL
Oh, they got every damn thing.
[explosion nearby]
MAL
How's the lieutenant?
TRACEY
Oh, started screamin' all of a sudden
about his arms. "Where's his arms?"
We had to go back and find them.
ZOE
What the hell happened?
TRACEY
He ain't even hurt.
He got ten pretty fingers on his hands,
like the most of men.
But he's screaming like they're gone, crying.
He ain't said a word in two hours.
MAL
These kids...
ZOE
Sir, do we hold?
TRACEY
I don't wanna die here.
Forgive me for sayin', this rock ain't worth it,
not our lives.
MAL
Everybody dies, Tracey.
Someone's carrying a bullet for you right now,
doesn't even know it.
The trick is,
die of old age before it finds ya.
ZOE
We can still cut through to the 22nd at the school system,
make a decent stand there.
MAL
Well, we can't do any good here.
I sure as hell ain't gonna lay down arms.
Zoe? You heard the lieutenant
give the order to join up with the 22nd.
ZOE
I did.
MAL
Round 'em up then.
And you heard the lieutenant too.
TRACEY
I ain't gonna rat you out, Sarge, don't worry.
MAL
Ain't me I'm worried on.
If the lieutenant ever gets his mind back together
this shouldn't go on his record.
Ain't his fault he couldn't take it.
TRACEY
More than he'd probably do --
ZOE
Seeker!
UNKNOWN VOICE OFFSCREEN
Incoming!
Mal throws something up in the air and pulls Tracey to the ground for cover. An explosion bursts above Tracey and Mal and debris falls on top of Tracey, hurting him.
Aaah! Ow. Unh. Is it bad? Is it bad?
MAL
It's glorious. C'mon, we gotta move!
TRACEY
I can't.
MAL
We gotta run. Zoe, get the lieutenant.
TRACEY
I can't. Really, go!
MAL
You know the old saying.
Mal picks up Tracey and carries him off as enemy fighters approach.
INT. MARKET
Cut back to the crew still standing around Tracey's corpse in the crate.
Well, it don't make any kind of sense. Zoe?
ZOE
I got nothing.
But it's definitely Tracey.
WASH
You know this guy?
INARA
Is this a warning of some kind?
AMNON
Listen, Mal, you gotta get this thing outta my station.
MAL
Uh --
AMNON
No, no, no, no.
Human transport on a postal route
is very, very illegal.
If anyone even knows I took a corpse in,
I'll lose my franchise.
MAL
Well, who sent it?
AMNON
I don't know, uh, there's no return.
ZOE
How long has it been here?
AMNON
Near a week, that's why I waved ya.
This can't stay here.
JAYNE
He don't smell.
MAL
I know. Been decently preserved.
Gimme a hand.
JAYNE
We're taking him on board?
MAL
We are.
JAYNE
Don't know if I see the percentage in that.
MAL
Then don't strain your brain tryin', might break something.
Mal and Zoe close up the crate and lift it up to carry it. Book moves to help.
We got it.
Book backs off. Mal and Zoe walk off with the crate. A woman speaking chinese is heard over the PA. Simon joins the group.
What's going on? Did we get something fun?
Kaylee stares at Simon, then walks off without saying anything. River walks past Simon.
You are such a boob.
Simon looks confused.
EXT. UNKNOWN CITY
Same place as the opening shot for the ep; we can see Serenity docked in a port.
INT. SERENITY - CARGO BAY
The entire crew is gathered around. The metal casket has been taken out of the crate and is laying open with Tracey inside.
How do we know he ain't plague-ridden or some such?
ZOE
We know.
WASH
We don't, actually.
I mean, I respect that you guys have a history,
but, what are you doing?
SIMON
If you want me to do a proper autopsy --
KAYLEE
Cut him up?
MAL
Not just yet. Thank you, Doctor.
KAYLEE
Robot.
Zoe finds something in Tracey's hands.
What do you got?
Zoe presses a button, and an audio message that Tracey recorded plays. As message plays, camera cuts back and forth between Tracey's body and the crew reactions to the message.
Uh, okay. Um, recording.
Hi, I guess.
This is a message for Zoe and for Malcolm Reynolds,
and I really hope that you all
are the ones listening to it.
I'll spare you the boring details,
I've fallen in with untrustworthy folk,
making a bunch of bad calls.
All that matters is I expect to be shuffled off
and you two are the only people
I trust to get me where I'm going,
which is home.
I'd like my body to be
with my folks on St. Albans.
We got the family plot there
and my mom and dad,
well, they deserve to know I died.
[sniffles]
You know, it's funny,
we went to the war
never looking to come back
but it's, it's the real world
I couldn't survive.
You two carried me through that war
and now I need you to carry me
just a little bit further...if you can.
Tell my folks I wanted to do right by them,
and that I'm at peace and all,
uh, when you can't run anymore, you crawl,
and when you can't do that, well
yeah, you know the rest.
Thanks, both of you.
Oh, yeah, and, um,
make sure my eyes is closed, will ya?
Tracey's message clicks off. Wash turns to leave.
Wash?
WASH
St. Albans ain't but a two-day ride,
if we burn hard enough.
Mal nods to Wash and Wash heads off for the bridge. Mal makes his way over to Inara.
That might make your schedule a little --
INARA
It's all right.
Mal and Zoe close the metal casket as everyone else heads off in separate directions.
EXT. UNKNOWN PLANET
Close up of an electronic billboard in the same city as the opening scene; Serenity separates from dock and takes off.
INT. MARKET
Cut to another electronic billboard, this one inside. Three men in uniforms walks by as ominous music plays.
That's right gentlemen!
You have been told tales all your life,
but alien races exist among us.
The proof is right inside!
You'll be amazed and astounded!
A woman speaking chinese over the PA is heard as the three men in uniforms walk into Amnon's office.
Can I help you?
UNIFORM #1
You are an ugly looking little quim,
you know that?
AMNON
Look, if there's a problem, you know I can, uh --
UNIFORM #1
So you have to be asking yourself,
ugly as you are,
how repulsive-looking the guy that's gonna
make you his little woman gonna be.
I mean, prison is a lonely place,
you sure as a hundred moons
ain't gonna be pitching,
so what kind of sorry-ass troll
is gonna get blue enough to grapple with you?
Shudder to think.
AMNON
I've broken no law.
UNIFORM #1
Transportation of human cargo,
especially dead cargo,
through the Allied postal system
is punishable by five to 10 years on a penal moon.
Plus, you don't know this yet,
but you resisted arrest.
AMNON
Wha-- wh-- wh--
UNIFORM #1
Where's my body?
AMNON
Uh, I, I don't know, I --
UNIFORM #1
The dead guy.
He got shipped here,
and shipped back out, I guess.
Where?
AMNON
I never saw a body.
But, but, but wait.
There was, there was,
there was a crate big enough for one.
Uh, I mean, I mean,
I did hand that over just a little while ago.
UNIFORM #1
Lovely. Who got it?
AMNON
Um...here.
UNIFORM #1
Malcolm Reynolds.
Where do you suppose he's off to?
AMNON
He, he captains a Firefly.
Y-- you should be able to catch him
if you leave now.
UNIFORM #1
Are you telling me to leave?
AMNON
Well, no, no, I didn't mean that, I--
UNIFORM #1
Relax, you've been great. And I was just
bluffing with that stuff about arresting you.
I mean, who needs that kind of paperwork?
Skunk, light him on fire.
Uniform #2, "Skunk", gets out some sort of liquid accelerant and douses Amnon with it, then strike a match.
No, no, I, I, I told you everything, really.
C'mon, c'mon, I, I told you, I told you what I knew.
What, what are you doing, what, I, I--
UNIFORM #1
Tell anyone we were here,
warn Captain Reynolds that we're coming,
and you'll wish that we burned you,
"dong ma?"
[understand?]
Good. Boys, let's go find us a corpse.
Uniform #1 blows out the lit match.
ACT TWO
EXT. SERENITY IN SPACE
Zoom on the engine turning.
INT. SERENITY - ENGINE ROOM
I really hope that you all
are the ones listening to it.
I'll spare you the boring details.
We can now see Kaylee in her hammock in the engine room, listening to Tracey's message.
I've fallen in with untrustworthy folk,
making a bunch of bad calls.
All that matters is I expect to be shuffled off
We see Simon heading towards the engine room to see Kaylee. He pauses at the entrance hearing the recording playing. He waits for a couple seconds, then leaves, Kaylee never notices him.
and you two are the only people
I trust to get me where I'm going,
which is home.
I'd like my body to be
with my folks on St. Albans.
We got the family plot there
and my mom and dad,
well, they deserve to know I died.
[sniffles]
You know, it's funny,
we went to the war
never looking to come back
but it's, it's the real world
I couldn't survive.
INT. SERENITY - CARGO HOLD
Jayne is lifting weights as Book stands over the closed casket.
Ho--, oh, sorry Preacher.
Am I making too much noise?
BOOK
No, no. I was just...saying a few words.
Don't know the boy's denomination, but--
JAYNE
Oh, no, it's good.
The Lord should oughta look after the dead.
You wanna do a set? I'll spot ya.
BOOK
I'm not so terribly in the mood.
JAYNE
Yeah, yeah, most people
is pretty quiet about now.
Me, I see a stiff--
one I didn't have to kill myself,
I just get the urge to,
you know, do stuff
like work out or run around
maybe get some trim,
if there's a willin' woman about.
Not that I get flush with corpses,
or anything. I ain't crazy.
BOOK
Makes sense, looking to feel alive,
I would venture.
JAYNE
Now for psychology, that don't sound half dumb.
My kinda life don't last long, Preacher,
so expect I'm invested in
making good sport of it whilst I can.
You gonna read over me
when I get taken down, Shepherd?
BOOK
Oh, I suspect you'll be around long after we're all--
JAYNE
What the hell is she doing?
What the hell are you doing?
As Jayne and Book have been talking over by the weights, River has come in and has laid down on top of Tracey's casket.
Oh, River, that might not be the best place--
RIVER
I'm very comfortable.
BOOK
I guess we do all have different reactions to death.
INT. SERENITY - GALLEY
Mal, Zoe and Inara laughing and drinking in the galley.
I thought I was gonna die.
INARA
How could he possibly--
MAL
Oh, well the colonel was dead drunk,
three hours pissin' on
about the enlisted men.
Uh. "They're scum."
Uh. "They're not fighters."
And uh, and then he passed right out.
Boom.
ZOE
We couldn't even move him.
So, uh, Tracey just snipped it
right off his face.
MAL
And you never seen a man more proud
of his moustache than Colonel Obrin.
I mean, in all my life,
I will never love a woman
the way this officer loved that lip ferret.
ZOE
Big walrusy thing, all waxed up.
MAL
Yeah.
INARA
Did he find out?
MAL
Oh, next morning he wakes up,
it's gone and he is furious.
But he just say, you know,
"Someone stole my moustache!"
So, he, uh, calls together all the platoons.
ZOE
We thought he was gonna shoot us.
MAL
And, uh, oh, he's eyeballin' all the men
something fierce. Not a word,
and he comes up to Tracey, and Tracey's
wearing the gorram thing on his face!
ZOE
He had glued it on.
MAL
He's staring the old man down
wearing his own damn moustache.
The three stop laughing and the mood becomes much more somber.
Ha. Oh. Oh, God.
INARA
Well, the colonel must've said someth--
An explosion shakes Serenity
Are we hit?
MAL
That's too damn close.
Mal, Zoe and Inara all rush out of the galley.
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Wash and Book are on the bridge - Mal, Zoe and Inara join them, equipment is beeping in the background.
They're behind us,
fired over the port bow.
MAL
Warning shot?
WASH
They coulda hit us.
ZOE
Feds.
A message is sent from attacking ship. We can see from the vid screen, that Lieutenant Womack is the same Uniform #1 that threatened Amnon earlier.
This is Lieutenant Womack of Allied Enforcement.
You are in possession of stolen goods
and are ordered to cut thrust
and prepare for docking.
MAL
The Lassiter.
ZOE
That was quick.
INARA
Do you think Saffron tipped them off?
MAL
(talking to other ship)
This is Captain Reynolds,
I think there's been a mistake.
WOMACK
There's been a lot of mistakes, Captain.
The latest of which is you taking that crate.
Mal covers the video feed with his hand, turns to the others and mouths 'crate,' then resumes talking to Womack
(talking to other ship)
Um, we took in a lot of inventory today,
if something got mixed in,
we'll be sure hand it back,
but I don't think we're your men.
Let me check through the cargo.
Is it marked at all?
WOMACK
I'd think twice about
playing games with me there, mister.
I will blow you to pieces.
MAL
Oh, you do that, your precious crate
gonna be in bitty shards.
Now, I got deliveries to make, Officer,
so you just lock onto my trajectory
and I'll take a look here, see if
anything matches your description.
(ends communication with other ship)
WASH
Police procedure has changed since I was little.
MAL
He calls back, you keep him occupied.
WASH
What do I do, shadow puppets?
BOOK
We'll take care of it.
ZOE
I don't get this, they're after Tracey?
MAL
Unless there's something else in that box.
Mal and Zoe head off the bridge.
INT. SERENITY - CARGO HOLD
Mal, Zoe and Jayne are looking through the crate and casket. Simon and Kaylee look on.
Anything?
JAYNE
Not unless this crate's made of magical wish-granting planks.
MAL
Check his pockets.
KAYLEE
That ain't right.
MAL
Neither's being blowed up.
There's nothing about this sits right with me.
ZOE
Empty.
MAL
Well, they want this body for something,
and I'm guessing it ain't a proper burial.
Well, Doctor, guess you are doing an autopsy.
INT. SERENITY - INFIRMARY
Tracey is laid out naked on an examination table with a blanket covering his lower body.
You really think there's something in there?
MAL
Using corpses for smuggling
is a time honored, repulsive custom.
JAYNE
Maybe it's gold.
ZOE
And maybe he was a friend of ours,
and you need to show a little respect.
JAYNE
I got respect.
I'm just sayin-- gold.
SIMON
He's been opened before.
MAL
How's that?
SIMON
It's, uh, it's good work.
Scar's nearly invisible, but--
MAL
Well, let's see what's in there.
Simon starts to make an incision. Tracey wakes up screaming.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
INT. SERENITY - INFIRMARY
Return to right where Act One left off. Tracey is still screaming as he leaps of the table naked.
Get a hold of him.
JAYNE
Spry for a dead fella.
Mal tackles Tracey to the ground.
Settle down! Settle! That's enough!
TRACEY
He was cutting on me, Sarge!
MAL
I know it, I told him to!
TRACEY
You told him to? What for?
MAL
'Cause you were dead.
TRACEY
Huh? Oh, right.
Tracey takes in his surroundings, stops struggling and calms down.
I suppose I was. Hey there, Zoe.
ZOE
Private.
MAL
You feelin' a mite calmer now?
TRACEY
Yes, Sarge. Um, Sarge?
MAL
Yeah?
TRACEY
I think I'm nekkid.
Cut to Tracey sitting on the examination table with the blanket wrapped around his waist. Simon tends to his incision.
Oh, um, sorry for jumping on you the way I did.
I was a little confounded.
SIMON
Emerging from that state can be disorienting.
Was it Bifodan?
TRACEY
Hmm?
SIMON
(to Jayne)
Could you bring that pan, please?
(to Tracey)
The drug you took to make it appear
as though you were dead,
remember what is was called?
TRACEY
Never did ask.
Guy who sold it to me
said I'd be under a week or so.
He told me I wouldn't dream, but I did.
I dreamt of my family.
Tracey vomits into the pan that Jayne brought over and is still holding.
(to Jayne)
You can take that.
MAL
All right.
You wanna explain to me exactly why you got
yourself all corpsified and mailed to me?
What are you running from?
TRACEY
Running to, not from.
I just wanted to get home, that's all.
It's all I ever wanted.
Except there's them
that take exception to that,
to me leavin'
while I was in possession of their property.
MAL
What'd you boost, Tracey?
JAYNE
Was it gold?
MAL
More importantly, who'd you boost it from?
TRACEY
Well--
All this time Simon has been checking up on Tracey and hooking up sensors to him. A monitor alarm beeps.
Captain? I don't mean to--
We may have a medical emergency here.
This man appears to be in cardiac arrest.
Tracey laughs.
What? Tracey, you having a heart attack?
It don't look like he's having a heart attack.
TRACEY
Don't pay any attention to your machines, Doc,
they'll fib to you.
[laughs]
Heart's just fine, better than fine.
Just runs a little hotter than usual, that's all.
The alarm stops, but we can still hear a machine sounding out Tracey's heartbeat. Simon examines a monitor screen.
My God. It's not just the heart muscle,
it's everything.
TRACEY
All the movin' parts.
That's what I took, Mal.
That's what they want back.
MAL
Tracey, you gonna tell me what in the
"tian xiao de"
[name of all that's sacred]
you're talkin' about?
Tracey sees Kaylee standing at the infirmary entrance, his heartbeat, as heard through the monitors, quickens noticeably.
(not taking eyes off Kaylee)
Sure, Sarge. Sure.
EXT. SERENITY - IN FRONT OF A PLANET
INT. SERENITY - LOUNGE BY THE INFIRMARY
Kaylee hands Tracey a drink.
Thank you.
MAL
So your innards, ain't your innards?
TRACEY
They got scooped out, replaced every bit.
JAYNE
What'd ya wanna go and do that for?
TRACEY
For the money. They're paying me
to transport what they stuck in.
ZOE
You're smuggling human organs?
TRACEY
They're grown in a lab. The only way they can
move 'em is in a person. Not sure why.
SIMON
Because the technology's not ready.
Blastomeres are unapproved...likely unstable.
You're not just a carrier,
you're an incubator.
TRACEY
I was supposed to be at the drop spot
two weeks ago -- a clinic in Ariel.
They were to open me up, take out the goods,
and put my own organs back.
MAL
So, what happened?
TRACEY
Better offer.
Another buyer was willing to go
three times the going rate.
It's enough so I could get my folks
off that rock they've been forced to live on,
set them up someplace better,
someplace warm.
KAYLEE
That's real nice.
MAL
But your better offer went south?
TRACEY
Yeah, I got myself
in a little bit of a pickle, Sarge.
The folks I was working for
must've got wind of what I had planned.
I, uh, showed up,
my new buyer was dead
and there were some men waiting for me.
KAYLEE
But you got away.
TRACEY
Only just.
I knew they'd never stop looking for me
so long as I was alive,
thought my chances would be better if I weren't.
MAL
So you died,
and figured they'd stop looking for you.
TRACEY
Yepper.
An explosion shakes Serenity.
I think maybe you figured wrong.
EXT. SERENITY BEING CHASED BY WOMACK'S SHIP
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Wash and Book are on the bridge, Mal, Zoe, Kaylee and Tracey join them.
I think they're about done being stalled to--
(sees Tracey alive)
Ah! Aaah!
Mal, your dead army buddy's on the bridge.
ZOE
He ain't dead.
WASH
Oh.
MAL
How far are we to St. Albans?
WASH
Five minutes from atmo.
MAL
Oh. Bring up the terrain specs.
Kaylee, (motioning to Tracey)
get him outta here and strap in.
(turns on communicator to Womack's ship)
This is Captain Reynolds.
WOMACK
Reynolds, I'm a dangerous minded man
on a ship loaded with hurt.
Now, why you got me
chatting with your peons?
MAL
(turns off communicator)
Tracey, you go on down below, we'll handle this.
(turns communicator back on)
Uh, uh, well, we're just seeing
to some technical difficulties, Officer.
WOMACK
Not interested, Captain.
I stepped over a lot of bodies
to get to that one you got in your hold.
You play this right, and yours
won't have to be among them.
TRACEY
(as the communicator is being turned off)
Sarge--
ZOE
The captain ordered you off the bridge.
KAYLEE
C'mon.
(leads Tracey off the bridge)
MAL
(turns communicator back on)
Um, we'd love to let you boys dock,
but that last bop you gave us,
knocked out our fore couples, so we're gonna
have to park it, if you want the tour.
WOMACK
All right, Captain.
We can do this on the ground just as easy.
(Womack turns off his communicator)
MAL
(pointing out a spot on a contour map to Wash)
Yeah, easy. There.
Think you can do it?
WASH
Watch me.
MAL
(speaking over the ship-wide PA system)
Attention crew, this is the captain.
Sit down and hang on to something.
EXT. SERENITY NEARING A PLANET, SECOND SHIP IN CLOSE PURSUIT
EXT. CLOSER SHOT OF SERENITY ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE
EXT. CLOSER SHOT OF ONE OF SERENITY'S THRUSTERS
EXT. WIDER SHOT OF SERENITY, TRACKS BACK TO SHOW SECOND SHIP FOLLOWING
INT. SERENITY - KAYLEE'S ROOM
Kaylee and Tracey are being jostled by Wash's manoeuvring.
Uh, you okay?
So I-- I can let go of you now?
KAYLEE
Oh, you can.
TRACEY
Yeah.
KAYLEE
All this hard banking,
when the gravity drive and actual gravity
start workin' against each other
it tosses the lunch about a bit.
TRACEY
Your pilot's pretty wild.
KAYLEE
He can thread a needle with this bird.
He's the best.
TRACEY
That's good to know.
So are you and he, um--
KAYLEE
(laughing)
Sweeties? Oh, hell no!
He's married to Zoe.
TRACEY
Zoe got married?
KAYLEE
Yeah.
TRACEY
(laughs)
Yeah, next you'll be telling me
she smiles and has emotions.
KAYLEE
She must've been such a stone-cold
"xiong ci sha shou"
[brutal assassin]
during the war.
TRACEY
I think the sarge
was even a little bit afraid of her.
Now she's married.
Well, that's good,
people making a life for each other.
EXT. SERENITY AND WOMACK'S SHIP FLYING THROUGH A SNOWY MOUNTAIN REGION
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Wash, Book, Zoe, and Mal are on the bridge. Jayne arrives with weapons and hands some of them to Mal and Zoe. Womack is still communicating through the vid screen.
(over the communicator)
Had enough of this goose run.
Don't need no (indiscernible) tour
of this ice cube. Now let's park it.
WASH
Just, uh, looking for a good spot, Officer.
WOMACK
You've got 30 seconds to set her down...
Wash and Womack continue to talking in background
(noticing Book looking pensively at one of the monitors)
What is it?
BOOK
It's a little strange.
There's a fed station right here
but our friends haven't made a transmission
since they broke atmo.
EXT. SERENITY FLYING LOW TO THE GROUND CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY WOMACK'S SHIP
INT. SERENITY - KAYLEE'S ROOM
Kaylee and Tracey are chatting
So what about you?
TRACEY
Oh, you know, mostly just m--
(the ship swerves and Tracey hit's his head on the wall)
Ow. Stuff like this.
Always finding myself in one scrape or another.
Yeah. Sorry to drag y'all into this.
KAYLEE
Oh. Danger is pretty much our business.
TRACEY
Still, if you got put
in a bad spot at all, Kaylee,
I-- I'd be real unhappy.
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Mal, Zoe and Jayne are strapping on weapons.
Get ready for hard burn!
They'd be crazy to follow us in here.
EXT. SERENITY FLYING INTO A NARROW CANYON
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Wash flying at the controls, looking out through the front bridge windows, looking nervous.
INT. SERENITY - KAYLEE'S ROOM
Kaylee and Tracey sit on her bed, getting jostled by the flying.
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Wash, still flying nervously.
EXT. SERENITY MANEUVREING THROUGH THE CANYON
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Wash flying, looking out though the front bridge windows, the crew looking on.
They're not behind us anymore!
(pleased with his flying, starts laughing,
looks up and becomes shocked and dismayed)
EXT.WOMACK'S SHIP TRACKING SERENITY BY FLYING ABOVE IT AND THE CANYON WALLS
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Wash flying, realizing how Womack is keeping on top of them.
I didn't think of that!
EXT. WOMACK'S SHIP IN CLOSE PURSUIT
Womack's ship launches a missile into one of the canyon wall and large boulders splinter off and fall around Serenity.
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Wash screams and pitches Serenity nose-down.
EXT. ROCKS FALL FROM THE CANYON WALLS
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Oh, no! Whoa-kay! Aaah! Wooo-hoo-hoo!
This kind of flying really wakes up a guy.
MAL
Awake helps.
EXT. SERENITY LOSES FED SHIP BY DISAPPEARING UNDER A LEDGE
EXT. SERENITY BACKING INTO A SMALL CAVERN TO HIDE
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
There, now, I shut down the main power.
They might not read our auxiliary under all this.
MAL
What if they come down, try to get a visual?
WASH
Mal, she's not a small ship.
INT. SERENITY - KAYLEE'S ROOM
Kaylee and Tracey talking
We're not moving.
Why aren't we moving?
KAYLEE
Probably part of some genius plan
to give the feds the slip.
TRACEY
Yeah, probably.
explosion is heard in the distance
TRACEY
What was that?
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Explosions in the distance
Sounds like full-yield mag drops.
WASH
I think they picked up a little triangulation in cop school.
EXT. FED SHIP DROPPING EXPLOSIVES
INT. SERENITY - PASSENGER QUARTERS
River is sitting on the stairs, Simon is nearby.
A thousand one, a thousand two--
SIMON
River?
RIVER
Shh, I'm counting between the lightning and the thunder
to see if the storm's coming or going.
A thousand five.
INT. SERENITY - INARA'S SHUTTLE
Explosions heard in the distance, glass shatters, lights flicker.
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Explosions in background.
Options?
WASH
Well, we're only as good
as long as the roof holds out.
Direct hit above us, ship's electrics will be fried.
We'll have to climb out.
JAYNE
Yeah, or get dug out.
ZOE
They're getting closer.
BOOK
Captain, there is another way.
INT. SERENITY - KAYLEE'S ROOM
Tracey gets up to leave.
Uh, Captain said to stay put.
TRACEY
I just wanna see what's happening.
Tracey climbs out of Kaylee's room
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Tracey can be seen in the background, slowly making his way from Kaylee's room to the bridge.
We're cornered, outgunned and
it's only a matter of time before they find us,
what's left of us.
Let's not wait for that to happen.
ZOE
What are you saying, Preacher?
BOOK
I'm saying we make good
on what we said we were gonna do.
Let's call them,
fly out of this canyon, let 'em board.
JAYNE
Give ourselves up?
BOOK
It's our only choice.
MAL
We let these men board,
we're taking an awful chance.
These boys ain't playin', Preacher.
BOOK
I'm aware of that.
Shot of a gun laying out and Tracey at the bridge entrance.
BLACKOUT
ACT THREE
INT. SERENITY - BRIDGE
Explosions in background
"Wo de ma"
[mother of Jesus]
That one was really close.
JAYNE
That tears it, I'm with the preacher,
I ain't gettin' snowed in permanent
on account of some jackass kid!
BOOK
It's the only option, Captain.
MAL
Wash, call the cops.
Tell 'em we give up.
TRACEY
(surprising the others and brandishing the gun)
No, thank you.
MAL
Tracey, what are you doing?
TRACEY
I said, "No."
Those bastards up there are wantin'
to yank out this million-credit meat
and leave me bleedin'.
Now, turn off that radio.
JAYNE
Rutting twerp's gonna get us killed!
TRACEY
Oh, don't you move!
Don't anybody move!
All right. We need to power up.
We need to run. Now!
BOOK
Put that thing down, boy.
You have no idea--
TRACEY
Aw, shut it, Shepherd!
Or I swear to your God,
I will shoot you dead if you do not!
Sarge, Zoe, what are you doing with this Bible-thumper?
MAL
Wash, call the cops.
WASH
But--
TRACEY
I'll kill him.
I'll put a hole right through him.
MAL
You mailed your ugly business
to Zoe and me, Tracey,
cash on delivery.
I'll go to hell before I watch you
turn and bite us for the favor.
Wash, call 'em up.
Tell them we'll meet 'em topside.
TRACEY
No, thank you!
MAL
Do it.
TRACEY
No!
Tracey aims his gun at Wash. We hear two gunshots. Tracey looks down and sees a bullet wound in his chest.
Y-you shot me.
ZOE
Damn right.
MAL
That's enough shooting.
ZOE
Wash?
We can now see that Wash's forehead was grazed, but he was not seriously injured.
Ow.
MAL
Everybody, calm down.
Tracey backs down the stairs to the bridge just as Kaylee's coming up from her room.
Kaylee, get outta there!
KAYLEE
Oh!
TRACEY
(grabbing Kaylee)
Gorrammit, Mal
Tracey backs down the corridor, holding Kaylee in front of him, and fires a stray bullet towards the bridge.
INT. SERENITY - CATWALK
Tracey is dragging Kaylee down the stairs.
Yep, yep, yep, yep,
hurry, hurry, hurry.
I probably scared you back there
a little bit, didn't I?
Did you see the look on his face?
It was great.
KAYLEE
You're really bleedin'.
TRACEY
Yep, they shot me.
KAYLEE
Wh-, Why?
TRACEY
Because they w--, they wanna sell me off.
You won't let them do that, will you,
Kaylee, because, you know
I think you and I really
had a moment back there.
KAYLEE
Tracey!
TRACEY
You know, Kaylee,
I need you to fly me outta here.
Can we take this shuttle and just go?
KAYLEE
I ain't going anywhere with you.
Mal walks out onto the catwalk and aims a gun at Tracey.
Nobody's going anywhere, Private.
KAYLEE
Whoa! Captain, what is going on?
TRACEY
Don't make me.
MAL
Far as I can see,
no one's made you do anything.
You brought this on yourself.
As Mal talks, we can see Jayne and Zoe slip on to the catwalk.
Got in over your head
with those stone-cold gut-runners.
Then you panicked, brought
the whole mess down on all of us.
TRACEY
That ain't what happened.
MAL
Ah, yes. That's what happened.
Starting to think that trail of bodies
Womack was talking about,
I'm thinking some of that trail was left by you.
TRACEY
And you ain't left a trail of bodies,
work you do?
Hmm? 'Cause your rep speaks elsewise.
MAL
Weren't bodies of people helping me out.
TRACEY
And you're helping out lots,
'cause I needed a chest wound.
MAL
That can be seen to.
TRACEY
Do you think I'm stupid?
MAL
In every way possible.
TRACEY
Do you know why I picked you and Zoe?
Because you're saps.
You reppin' out as stone killers,
but I still remember the old sarge
with his stories and his homilies of glory and honor.
MAL
Maybe you should'a listened.
TRACEY
Yeah? Well, what are you now?
What are we now, Mal?
MAL
See there? You hear that quiet?
Means the call's already been made.
TRACEY
Well, that call,
that call means you just murdered me.
Jayne cocks his gun noisily to distract Tracey. When Tracey looks the other way, Mal shoots Tracey and Tracey falls down, alive, but seriously injured.
No, son. You murdered yourself.
I just carried the bullet a while.
EXT. SERENITY AND FED SHIP FACE EACHOTHER ON A SMALL PLATEAU
INT. SERENITY - CARGO HOLD AND CATWALK
Womack and the other two uniforms open Serenity's cargo doors and come in, all aiming guns. They notice Mal, Jayne and Zoe all aiming back.
Well, now. Somebody left the dog off the leash.
I've been shot too many times
to be scared by a gun, boy.
TRACEY
Womack, I think I broke your junk.
MAL
Little problem during shipping.
WOMACK
Don't think I have to tell you folk
the kinda trouble you're in!
Wetware smuggling, resisting,
fleeing an officer of the law.
I'm sure a search of this ship
will come up with another few felonies.
BOOK
You won't be searching the ship, Womack.
WOMACK
That so?
BOOK
It is.
You won't be taking us in,
nor the boy who's dying up there.
WOMACK
I'm authorized to kill as I'd like,
shepherds notwithstanding.
BOOK
Why is it you didn't call in for backup?
There's a fed station 80 miles
from where you're standing.
You got your command stripes
at the Silver Hold colonies.
Puts you about eight sectors
away from your jurisdiction.
Since you're running this job on the side,
you took pains to keep your presence here a secret.
I don't imagine it would bother anyone
if we laid your bodies to rest
at the bottom of one of these canyons.
Womack realizes that he can't win the standoff and lowers his gun.
It's damaged goods anyhow.
Womack spits on the floor then turns around and starts to leave Serenity.
(to Jayne)
That hat makes you look like an idiot.
Womack and other two uniforms leave; Book closes the doors behind them.
(coughing and in obvious pain)
So, that was the plan?
That was, uh--
that was a good plan.
MAL
I think so.
TRACEY
Um, you--, you weren't that far off
about me being stupid and I--,
I never could get my life working right,
not once after the war.
Kaylee, um, I'm so sorry.
I-- I didn't--
Sarge?
MAL
Right here.
TRACEY
Um, you--, that stupid message of mine,
and I was trying to play you guys.
And now I--
You'll, you'll do it,
you'll, you'll get me home.
ZOE
Yeah.
MAL
Yeah, you know the old saying.
TRACEY
When you can't run, you crawl...
and when you can't crawl, you--
when you can't do that...
ZOE
You find someone to carry you.
Tracey dies.
EXT. A SMALL GATHERING ON ST. ALBANS JUST OUTSIDE OF THE SERENITY CARGO DOORS
Mal and Zoe carry Tracey's casket off Serenity
You know, it's funny,
we went to the war
never looking to come back
but it's, it's the real world
I couldn't survive.
We see the other crew members following the casket off Serenity and out into a small opening where Tracey's family are gathered.
You two carried me through that war
and now I need you to carry me
just a little bit further...if you can.
The casket lid has been removed so that everyone can see Tracey. It's cold and snowing outside.
We see Kaylee hand the message recorder to a man, presumably Tracey's father, and we pan across various crew members looking solemn. Kaylee and Simon hold hands.
Tell my folks I wanted to do right by them,
and that I'm at peace and all,
when you can't run anymore, you crawl,
and when you can't do that, well
yeah, you know the rest.
Camera rests on Mal.
BLACKOUT
