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Aug. 2nd, 2005 11:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flybywashThere's a new switch on the far right of Wash's console. It has a fearsome-looking dimetrodon standing guard over it.
...Well, as fearsome as a four-inch long piece of yellow plastic can be, anyway. Which is still plenty fearsome, Wash will have you know. At the moment, though, he's a little too preoccupied for such debate: he's got one eye on Serenity's radar and the external comm in hand.
"Shuttle Two, this is Firefly Serenity," he says as he taps out a few commands. "You copy, Zoe?"
...Well, as fearsome as a four-inch long piece of yellow plastic can be, anyway. Which is still plenty fearsome, Wash will have you know. At the moment, though, he's a little too preoccupied for such debate: he's got one eye on Serenity's radar and the external comm in hand.
"Shuttle Two, this is Firefly Serenity," he says as he taps out a few commands. "You copy, Zoe?"
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Date: 2005-08-03 03:44 am (UTC)Not too far away from Serenity, Zoe pilots the shuttle smoothly, keeping one eye on the radar.
"You ready to do this?"
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Date: 2005-08-03 03:54 am (UTC)A quick switch to internal comm, though he leaves the external running so Zoe can hear as well: "Kaylee, what about you, how're we looking back there?"
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Date: 2005-08-03 04:11 am (UTC)Her voice is a little tinny. She's far away from the speaker.
"Just gimme the word."
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Date: 2005-08-03 04:21 am (UTC)One last tap of the keyboard, and Wash leans over, thumb positioned on the switch. He takes a breath. "Okay, shields going on in five, four, three, two...."
Click.
A soft, buzzing hum fills the air.
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Date: 2005-08-03 04:30 am (UTC)"Workin' fine. I'm gettin' a clear signature of a millitary ship, here."
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Date: 2005-08-03 04:50 am (UTC)She was expecting this.
"...we're workin', Wash...but it's -- it's strainin' things."
The engine room is much brighter than usual, and there's a metallic smell to the air that wasn't there before.
"We can't hold out like this for a long time. Don't know exactly how long."
-- maybe she can get some more power out of the grav boot --
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Date: 2005-08-03 05:01 am (UTC)Namely, the fuel cell indicator is dropping with a speed that usually only signifies a radon leak, a sensor so mangled it's beyond repair, or an imminent explosion.
"Tā shì suŏyŏu dìyù de biăozi de mā -- " He's on the command console in an instant, running as many emergency diagnostics as he can fire up with so little warning.
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Date: 2005-08-03 05:08 am (UTC)Zoe's voice is controlled, but there's a note of worry.
"What's goin' on?"
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Date: 2005-08-03 05:16 am (UTC)"This can't be right," he whispers. Into the comm: "The fuel's dropping so fast we might as well be dumping it, it's like we've been running full burn for ten minutes."
The shields haven't even been on for a full minute yet.
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Date: 2005-08-03 05:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 05:40 am (UTC)"Kaylee, there's no way to get any more power?" He already suspects the answer, but the question needs asking.
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Date: 2005-08-03 05:43 am (UTC)Kaylee sounds frustrated.
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Date: 2005-08-03 05:58 am (UTC)"Shit," Wash curses again. He reaches back for the switch. "Guys, I'm shutting them off in five before we end up drifting -- three, two...."
Click. The humming stops as suddenly as it started, and he slumps back in his chair.
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Date: 2005-08-03 06:22 am (UTC)Then, in a tone that manages to be mostly neutral, "'M comin' back in."
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Date: 2005-08-03 06:25 am (UTC)Kaylee runs her fingertips down the wall of the engine room, looking...a little lost.
"Everything's okay back here, Wash." She sounds a little defeated.
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Date: 2005-08-03 06:32 am (UTC)A glance at the fuel cell indicator. To his utter lack of surprise, it's holding steady.
Tāmāde.
He sighs. Shutting off the external comm for the moment, he continues into the internal, quietly, "You did everything you could, Kaylee. Ship just ain't made to handle it."
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Date: 2005-08-03 06:40 am (UTC)"I know."
She's standing, watching the engine turn, hands in her pockets.
"You got everything you need for the calculations, or do we need to run it some more?"
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Date: 2005-08-03 06:59 am (UTC)1.3 percent for every minute and a half. Two fuel stations: one four hours before, the other six hours after.
It's definitely not looking good already.
Biting his lip, Wash retrieves a notebook from the bridge lockers and settles down to start the calculations.
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Date: 2005-08-03 10:31 pm (UTC)It doesn't.
Eventually, Wash gives up and simply underlines it a few times in hopeless, frustrated resignation. Scrubbing at his eyes, he switches on the internal comm.
"Mal, I need you up here, there's something we gotta talk about."
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Date: 2005-08-03 10:33 pm (UTC)"Wash, you can come down to the cargo bay, help me out with somethin'."
Must have kicked Jayne off the weight bench.
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Date: 2005-08-03 10:41 pm (UTC)"Ninety-six minutes, twenty-three seconds," he calls down with no further explanation as he clatters down the stairs.
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Date: 2005-08-03 10:44 pm (UTC)"What are you talkin' 'bout, Wash?"
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Date: 2005-08-03 10:53 pm (UTC)"Ninety-six minutes, twenty-three seconds," he repeats, and slaps the paper down onto a vacant spot on the bench. "We spend any longer than that inside the Academy and we don't make it to the next fuel point out."
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Date: 2005-08-03 11:02 pm (UTC)"You ain't tellin' me that there's no way we can get a reserve tank to feed into the main lines---"
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Date: 2005-08-03 11:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 11:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 11:24 pm (UTC)Sightlessly, he looks down at the paper and utters a choked, mirthless laugh. "Bù kĕ néng. Tell me you're gonna have a plan that ends with us not dying."
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Date: 2005-08-03 11:28 pm (UTC)Another choked laugh. Even less mirth. "Maybe that's the way it is."
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Date: 2005-08-03 11:36 pm (UTC)There's nothing for a moment, and then, a quiet crinkling noise as his hand tightens around the calculations.
"Shénme?"
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Date: 2005-08-03 11:44 pm (UTC)Mal stops trying to play nice and walks straight into Wash's personal space.
"You tellin' me you actually had a solitary hope in your head we'd get out o' this? Honestly? You thought I had a way around? Gorramit, Wash. The bigger the scheme, the more they kick us in the pi gu when I fuck 'em up. Guess this one's the biggest."
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Date: 2005-08-04 12:04 am (UTC)And there's anger in his scream, yes, plenty of that, but pure and simple hysteria as well. "You're telling me that after all the work we've done to try and give us even half a chance of getting out of there, you're not even gonna try to do something like, I don't know, protect your gorram crew like you're supposed to be doing?! You're just gonna give us the drop? When the hell were you planning on telling the rest of us?"
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Date: 2005-08-04 12:14 am (UTC)Since you can't physically throw rage, Mal just decides to push Wash into a pillar. This might remind Mal of another time he pushed Wash against something, just not right now.
"And what are you wanting me to do Wash? Huh? You're the smart pilot, and Kaylee's the best tech in the 'verse, and if you two can't figure it out, I could shoot every Alliance hun dan from here to eternity and it wouldn't do a lick o' good."
Mal lets Wash up off the pillar, but doesn't back down off his rage.
"Don't you get it? We're just smart enough to pull this off. And I lied. I do have a plan. And you'll get off fine."
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Date: 2005-08-04 12:27 am (UTC)But it sparks again when Mal lets him go. He pushes himself away from the pillar, massaging the back of his head, and says, loudly, "Yeah? So why'd you just say you didn't have a great and wonderful plan that'd result in all of our collective not-deadness?"
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Date: 2005-08-04 12:31 am (UTC)"I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD, WASH! Seven years ago! Serenity Valley! That whole goddamned War! I was the worst out of the best of men and I survived! That ain't supposed to happen!"
"Now I got a chance to do what's right. Since that means dyin', that's what I mean to do. You and Zoe gotta take care o' the rest."
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Date: 2005-08-04 12:38 am (UTC)Slowly, Wash lowers his hand.
His mouth's fallen open in numb shock, and he can't force his eyes away from the captain.
"Mal..." he whispers.
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Date: 2005-08-04 12:40 am (UTC)Standing completely naked is something Mal's used to. But not like this.
"'S nothin', Wash." Mal picks up his towel to leave, but can't figure out the quickest route, just...away.
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Date: 2005-08-04 12:43 am (UTC)It should come out with the same bitterness as before. It doesn't. It's just...quiet. Level.
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Date: 2005-08-04 12:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-04 12:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-04 12:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-04 12:53 am (UTC)Still soft and level.
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Date: 2005-08-04 12:58 am (UTC)Something special about one's true name. Something you don't share with folks you don't want knowin' or holdin' something over you.
Mal moves past Wash, heading toward the corridor leading to his bunk
refuge
and remembers somehow that his crew don't want him doin' what he's thinking on doing.
They don't get a choice
He knows all of his crew's real names. True selves. 'Bout time they see his.