We're in trouble.
We got cutoff.
Cut off from what? — our platoon, Simon.
We got outflanked by the independent squad...
And we're never gonna make it back to our platoon.
We need to resort to cannibalism.
That was fast. Don't we have rations or anything?
They got lost. We're gonna have to eat the men.
Aren't you supposed to be practicing for your dance recital?
I learned it all. That's wrong.
It's from the book, river.
No. The book is wrong. This whole conclusion is fallacious.
So, how'd the independents cut us off?
They were using dinosaurs.
Language, young man.
Sorry, dad. The independents attacked us with dinosaurs.
Simon lost his head in the heat of battle.
Because there were dinosaurs involved, I think we'll let it slide.
Did you get my wave? — I got it. Your text shorted.
I got the whole thing during a board meeting. Thank you.
If I had a dedicated source box, it wouldn't short out.
I lost half my essay.
Yes, and you'd have access to any that filtered in from the cortex.
I absolutely forbid it. — dad! — dad!
I will not have it in my house.
But since your mother's already ordered you one...
I guess /sh0u/o' give up the fantasy that this is my house.
- Are you kidding? — you will repay me by becoming a brilliant doctor.
That's the deal.
Dedicated source box— Bh'i/lant doctor.
When do I— — many years.
Dad, this is so. It's really gonna...
I know. You think I'd let you work with something second—rate?
- Thank you. — you're worth it.
Now, do you think it's possible for you two geniuses...
To give your tired old dad a couple minutes quiet?
No! No! I don't want to go there!
It's okay. — it's not okay!
You can't just dig into me, shove pointed needles in my eyes and ask me what I see!
All right. We won't go in.
Look. No test today.
No rutting test.
Stupid son of a bitch dressed me up like a gorram doll.
No 1'6'51'5, [70 5/7023.60/776 0/7.
I'm just gonna give you a smoother cuttle...
River!
Not him.
So, she's added cussing and hurling about of things to her repertoire.
She really is a prodigy. — It's just a bad day.
No. A bad day is when someone's yelling spooks the cattle.
Understand? Ever see cattle stampede when they got no place to run?
It's kinda like a meat grinder, and it'll lose us halfour herd.
She hasn't gone anywhere near the cattle. — no.
But in case you hadn't noticed, her voice kind of carries.
We're two miles above ground, and they can probably hear her down there.
As soon as we unload, she can holler until our ears bleed...
Although I would take it as a kindness if she didn't.
The human body can be drained of blood in 8.6 seconds, given adequate vacuuming systems.
See, morbid and creepifying, I got no problem with.
Long as she does it quiet—like.
This is paranoid schizophrenia, captain, handcrafted by government scientists...
Who thought my sister's brain was a rutting playground.
I have no idea what'll set her off. If you have some expertise...
I'm not the doctor. And I'm not your gorram baby—sitter either.
Gag her if you have to. Got trade to be done.
You see that?
Fancy vessels such as that don't land here unless they got somethin' to sell.
If it happens to be somethin' we need... we take it.
J take my love, take m y land j
j take me where I cannot stand j
j / don't care, / 'm still free j
j you can't take the sky from me j
j take me out to the black j
j tell them I ain't com/n ' hack j
j burn the land and boil the sea j
j you can't take the sky from me j
J there's no place / can be j
j since / 've found serenityj
j but you can't take the sky from me jj
It's about time you broke in them pretty shoes.
Hyah! Get along!
You know, they walk just as easy if you lead 'em.
I like smacking 'em.
Hope this corral's strong enough to hold 'em.
Shepherd's a purely figurative title, you know.
Next time we smuggle stock, let's make it something smaller.
Yeah, we should start dealing in those black market beagles.
Hyah! Hyah!
Little soul, big world.
Eat, sleep...
And eat...
Many souls.
Cattle on the ship three weeks, she don't go near 'em.
Suddenly we 're on j/angyin, and she's got a driving need to commune with the beasts
they weren't cows inside. They were waiting to be, but they forgot.
Now they see sky, and they remember what they are.
Is it bad that what she said made perfect sense to me?
Come on now. Let's get you clear of the work.
What's going on? What are you doing?
I'm fixin' to do some business. I can't be herdin' these steers and your sister too.
She didn't mean any harm. — I never figured she did.
But when a man engages in clandestine dealings...
He has this preference for things being smooth.
She makes things not be smooth.
Right. I'm very sorry if she tipped off anyone...
About your cunningly concealed herd of cows.
I'm startin' to think you got a little too much time on your hands, doctor.
I think now I got a notion regarding that.
Why don't you take your sister for a little walk?
- A walk? - — yeah. Some place away.
It's probably best we stay close. Alliance has us marked as fugitives.
Closest alliance is the cruiser Magellan, hours out from here...
And I promise you, they ain't comin' to a backwater iikejiangyin.
Still, I'm not sure it's such a wise suggestion.
Might not want to mistake it for a suggestion.
Don't worry. We won't leave without you.
Does it seem eve/y supply store on every border planet...
Has the same five rag dolls and the same wood carvings of...
What is this? A duck?
That's a swan. I like it. — you do?
Looks like it was made with, you know, longing.
Made by a person who really longed to see a swan.
Perhaps because they'd only heard of them by rough description.
Do you think this would make a nice gift?
A gift? For whom?
I just kinda like it. It's rich, you know.
Oh. For Simon.
I didn't say that.
You don't do a very good job of h/ding your mterest.
He's just so shua/I
you just wanna take a bite out of him allover.
Careful.
Morning, you two.
Don't usually see you two out and about planet—side.
Yeah, we're— we're trying something different today.
River, uh... Be careful with that.
That's, um— what is that?
That's a postholer. You dig holes... for posts.
It's—it's dirty and sharp.
Let's come over here.
“Jiangyin prairie paradise.”
Good god! They're askin ' money for this crap?
Hard to believe, ain't it?
Glad you're out. —mmm
give you a chance to have a little fun.
Fun 7 r/ghtl, /uh— I con5/der this fun.
It's fun being forced to the ass end of the galaxy...
To get to live on a piece of luh—suh wreck...
And eat molded protein, and be bullied around by our...
Of a captain.
That's fun. — tuh-suh?
Sorry? — Serenity ain't luh-suh.
No, I—I didn't mean...
Yeah, you did. You meant everything you just said.
Well, no. Uh, actually I was being ironic...
So in-in the strictest sense...
You were being mean... is what.
And if that's what you think of this life...
Then you can't think much of them that choose it...
Can you?
River?
This is the last time, last time with cows
hey, there's an idea regarding beagles. They have smallish droppings.
I believe so, sir. Also, your disreputable men are here.
Better go take their money.
Mornin', gentlemen. You must be the grange brothers.
Hope you're in the mood for beefsteak.
Attractive animals, ain't they?
They ain't well fed. Scrawny.
Fei hua. Milk andhay three times a day.
Fed to 'em by beautiful women.
That was somethin' to see. — they's branded.
You boys are hittin' all the sellin' points.
The fresh brand's a dead giveaway. Claim 'em as your own.
Twenty a head. — that's an amusing figure...
In light of you already agreed on 30 with badger.
That's before we seen 'em. They're atrophied. Standin' on a ship for near a month.
My comprehension is the less muscle, the more tender the meat. Thirty.
Problem? — no.
About a minute from now, we'll agree on 25.
Seem a mitejumpy to you?
Morning, officers.
I'm thinkin' maybe we walk away entirely.
I'm thinkin' you do that, and we got ourselves trouble.
Mornin', ladies. Serious trouble of the “you owe us” variety.
I can go to 25.
Well, we'll be takin' a loss.
But you seem like clean and virtuous boys. Done.
Marcus and Nathaniel grange, you are both wanted..
In connection to the illegal killing of rance dervin.
You are bound by law to stand down.
- You know, I'm startin' to find this whole planet very uninviting. — yeah.
W
Come on! Get up here, girl!
Careful with that! — seems we have ourselves a situation.
Who are you? —just a bystander.
- — This your beef? - No, sir.
You're lookin' at the proper owners right there.
Hmm. I'd like to see some paper on that cattle.
Graves! Look out! Over here!
Hurry up!
Here we go.
Never goes smooth. How come it never goes smooth?
Jj
Get down!
Hey, stay with me, Shepherd.
That's— that's quite a lot of blood, isn't it?
It just means you ain't dead.
'Fraid I might be needin' a preacher.
That's good. You lie there and be ironical. Stretcher!
_ —jayne! They goin'.
Of course. They got what they came here for. — you get the cash?
What's going on? Oh, god! Shepherd
Shepherd, can you hear me?
Don't look good.
Wash, get down to the infirmary, ma shong.
Gotta try to stop this bleeding.
Don't you war/y, Shepherd
captain and Zoe got lots of experience with this k/nd of th/ng.
Seen a lot worse in the war.
Shepherd?
Oh, god! He ain't breathin'.
He ain't dead. But he is bad off.
We gotta see what we can do to help him.
Wash, I want you to go to town. See if you can't find that doctor.
Hurry.
Faster. Gotta go faster. — wanna get there before dark.
Get where? Where are we going?
Shut up!
- — If it's ransom you want, h can arrange something. - No talking!
Look, you don't understand! My sister...
- — Your sister is fine, Simon. - She's not fine.
Didn't you look at the letters? Look at the letters.
Well, / 'm look/ng at letters...
These phrases, they don't sound anything like her.
Some of these words, they're misspelled.
She started correcting my spelling when she was three.
She's tiying to tell us something
I think there's a code.
A code?
Yes.
I always thought it was river who was lost without her big brother.
Now I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't the other way around.
Did you have a good time at the darbanvilles' ball this year?
What are you, uh...
River thought it was duller than last year.
But since we don't know anybody named darbanville, I'm having troublejudging.
Did you even read these? — well, of course I did.
It's one of her silly games. You two are always playing.
She is trying to tell us something that somebody doesn't want her to say.
Simon, this is paranoid.
It's stress.
If they heard you talking like this at the hospital, it could affect your entire future.
Who cares about my future?
You should
you're a surgeon in one of the best hospitals in capital city...
On your way to a major position, possibly even the medical elect.
You're gonna throw all that a way?
Everything you've worked for your whole life?
Being a doctor means more to you than just a position.
I know that.
A few months time, you'll turn around, and there she'll be.
Nothing is going to keep you two apart for long.
No! Oh, no!
Found you. — get him!
River, no! River, run! Run!
Found you! — go!
Bring her!
Where is the doctor? Why isn't he with you?
He wasn't in town. Wasn't anjnnhere.
He was in town. We saw him there.
The town's not that big. Believe me when I say he wasn't there.
Knew it. Probably saw them cops, turned tail.
Doctor could be called a lot of things. Coward wouldn't be one of them.
- — You don't think they were arrested, do you? - Worse than that, probably.
Looks like they got snatched. — kidnapped?
I went by the sheriff's office. If we 'd checked the posted alerts, we might've known it.
Settlers up in the hills take people sometimes, usually tradesmen and the like.
And now they got themselves a doctor.
And we don't. We're going.
Wh—what are you doing? What about Simon and river?
Forget them. We already lost two people today.
If I can help it, we won't lose a third.
Wash, get us in the air.
We're lost. Lost in the woods.
It's gonna be okay. They'll find us.
Once the captain realizes what happened, they'll come.
See there? No one's comin' for you.
You just keep movin'.
That bad?
Battle wounds are nothin' new to me, preacher.
I've seen men live with a dozen holes in 'em this size.
Is that right? — surely is.
I knew a man who had a hole clean through his shoulder once.
Used to keep a spare hankie in there.
Where's the doctor? Not back yet?
We don't make him hurry for the little stuff.
He'll be along.
You could hurry a little.
Well, there's Greenleaf. They'd have med help there.
Too far. More than 10 hours. Guy's worse offthan that.
You know where you can find what you need.
Don't recall inviting you onto the bridge. — you didn't.
Mal, you know where you can find a doctor. You know...
Inara, he was dumb enough to get himselfgrabbed in broad daylight.
Don't have time to be beating the trees, looking for him now.
No assurance we'd find him or that he wouldn't need a doctor himself.
I'm not talking about Simon.
I'm talking about medical facilities.
That's not an option, nor is it a discussion I much want to have at the moment.
It doesn't matter what you want. He's dying...
And we need a doctor now
Look at what we got! Got ourselves a doctor.
A real doctor. Stand up straight.
They brought home a doctor. Thank the 10rd
Come on! We have to go down there and see!
What is it?
“Dear diary, today I was pompous, and my sister was crazy.
“Today we were kidnapped by hill folk, never to be seen again.
It was the best day ever.”
Now we're talkin'.
Amazing we kept 'em thelong.
Can I— — sure.
He's out, though.
He did this for me once.
How's he doin'?
I cleaned it out, wrapped it up.
Best I could do.
I don't know.
Well, we're headed for help, right?
Captain will come up with a plan.
Well, that's good. Right?
Possible you're not recalling some of his previous plans.
We left them back there.
Yeah.
Don't seem right.
You sure this is where you want to be?
Oh, I'm fairly certain it ain't.
Be sure to ask nicely.
Alliance cruiser Magellan, this is firefly transport Serenity...
Requesting permission for docking.
Firefly transport Serenity, stand by for docking orders.
In here.
I don't figure it's as fancy as you're used to...
But it's what we got.
I got you a doctor.
Oh, praise the lord.
Doralee here'll show you what's what.
What's your name? — Simon.
Well, hello there. Who are you?
This is river. River, just, uh...
Just sit down... over there.
Has there been a— Is there a sickness here?
Nothing special. Just people get sick or injured.
Mostly people heal on their own, but sometimes...
Sometimes you need a doctor.
Bring me light and any supplies you have.
You sanguine about the kind of reception we're apt to receive on an alliance ship?
Absolutely. What's “sanguine” mean?
Sanguine. Hopeful. Plus, point of interest, it also means “bloody.”
That pretty much covers all the options, don't it?
We 're requesting aid. No other purpose.
We got papers.
What's your business?
We're a supply ship, freelance. Had an accident this morning. A crewman got hurt.
We need medical help. — fast would be better than slow.
Official seal '5 out of date, captain... harbatki'n?
We ain't been through a checkpoint in a while, sir. You gonna see to my man?
How did this happen? _ he...
Bystander in a gunfight back on jiangyin. You can check.
Not he nor any of ours were the aggressors.
We aren't an emergency facility, captain. Our services aren't available simply to anyone...
Get... my...
My ident card.
Get this man to the infirmary at once.
Keep that bandage clean now, you understand?
She's not quite right, is she?
She's been through some trauma. She's recovering, though.
She won't get a good conversation out of rub y. I can tell you that much.
That little girl's mute.
Do you know the cause? Was she born deaf?
No. She was fine until two years ago when she stopped talking.
A place like this might be good for your sister.
Quiet, safe. A place where folks take care of each other.
Mmm, yes. Seems like a lovely little community of kidnappers.
The lord saysjudge not. — they took us off the street.
Sometimes life takes you places you weren't expectin' to go.
Life didn't bring us here. Those men did.
You were on a transport ship, right? Takin' a journey?
It's the way of life in my findings that journeys end..
When and where they want to, and that's where you make your home.
This isn't our home.
If it isn't here, where is it?
This place gives me an uncomfortableness.
So what do you figure? Shepherd's got some kind of connection with the alliance?
I know what it looks like. Still, it would surprise me if he did.
See? That's my whole problem with pickin' up tourists.
They ain't never what they claim to be.
Does seem like everyone's got a tale to tell.
River?
River? — what's wrong?
River's gone. 50's the girl.
Ruby. I'll check out back.
River! Don't— what is that?
For you. — oh.
I picked them.
Here. They'll stain your dress.
You have to eat.
Hod geberries.
Do you remember when we found those giant hodgeberry bushes on the cambersons' estate?
And we thought they'd grown wild, but...
It was a long while ago.
I took you away from there. — no.
I know I did.
You don't think I do, but...
I get confused.
I remember everything.
I remember too much.
And some of it's made up...
And some of it can't be quantified...
And there's secrets...
It's okay.
But I understand.
You gave up everything you had to find me.
You found me broken.
It's hard for you.
You gave up everything you had.
Mei-Mei, everything I have is right here.
You need to eat, keep up your strength.
We won't be here long.
Daddy will come and take us home.
And I'll get better.
I'll get better.
These are better than the cambersons' berries.
They are... Except they're poison.
You believed her. Made a face.
You are such a brat.
You get to bed now
we should probably think about doing the same.
It's been a big day, what with the abduction and all.
Well, y'all don't have to sleep here.
There's a house set aside for you.
We've been looking for a doctor for a good while, so things are ready.
Really?
Her sister got killed.
Her mother got crazy, killed the sister.
That one lived. — Ruby talked to you, honey?
It's true what she's saying.
Poor woman went out of her mind, tried to kill her two girls.
Ruby lived
sweetheart, you are an angel.
No one's been able to get Ruby to speak even a peep.
It's a miracle! That's what it is.
Ruby doesn't talk.
Her voice got scared away.
I hear crickets.
I don't understand. If Ruby didn't talk...
H—how do you know...
My sister's— she's very good at...
What's wrong?
“And they shall be among the people.
“And they shall speak truths and whisper secrets.
And you will know them by their crafts.”
What are you talking about?
“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
Have you completely lost your mind? — pretty nearly.
We got the wave at the friedlichs. I had to leave your mother at the dinner table.
I'm sorry, dad.
I would never have tried to save river's life...
If I had known there was a dinner party at risk.
Don't you dare be flippant with me.
I spent 2,000 credits to get you out of here.
I had to walk through that door, which goes on my permanent profile.
Are you trying to destroy this family?
I didn't realize it would be so easy.
Dad, I didn't do anything.
You were in a blackout zone.
Talking to someone who might be able to help river.
And I'm going back there.
This is a slippery slope, young man.
You have no idea how far down you can go...
- — And you're not taking us with you. - Meaning what?
I won't come for you again.
You end up here or get mixed up in something worse...
You're on your own.
I will not come for you.
Now, are you coming home?
This is lunacy!
You're supposed to be the teacher here. What exactly is it that you teach?
What's going on, woman? Why are you knocking us from our beds at this hour?
The new doctor's sister's a witch! She read Ruby's mind saw things she cou/dn 't.
No, river is not a witch! She'sjust a troubled girl.
I'm sure that's true.
You're not a witch, are you?
I'm the patron here. Do you know what that means?
Yes. You're in charge.
Ever since the old patron died.
That's right.
He was sick... And he was getting better.
You were alone in the room with him.
No!
This girl reads minds and spins falsehoods!
She's a witch, and we must purge the devil from her! With fire!
You're gonna be fine, Shepherd alliance patched you up.
Alliance?
Yeah. They let us come, and they let us go.
What kind of ident card gets us that kind of reception and send—off?
I am a Shepherd. Folks like a man ofgod.
No, they don't. Men of god make everyone feel guilty and judged
that's not what I saw.
You like to tell me what really happened?
I surely would... And maybe someday I will.
It's good to be home.
Badgerjust hailed us. Getting impatient for his share.
Wants us to drop it to his men on the kowlan fed base.
That'll be a hell of a lot easier to do without the two most wanted on board.
Life would look to be simpler with us not carrying 'fu gees.
He is right, you know.
Yeah. Simpler.
Take me instead. Take my life for hers.
The witch must die. God commands it.
Up here!
No! Get away from her!
She has done nothing to you!
/fshe dies tonight, it won't be god's will that killed her!
It'll be you! Your lunacy! Your ignorance!
That's not gonna stop us, doctor.
Postholer. Digging holes for posts.
Light it.
Time to go.
Well, look at this! Appears we got here just in the Nick of time!
What does that make us?
Big damn heroes, sir. — ain't we just?
Sorry to interrupt, folks.
Y'all got somethin' that belongs to us...
And we'd like it back.
This is a holy cleansing. You cannot think to thwart god's will.
Y'all see the man hangin' out of the spaceship with the really big gun?
I'm not sayin' you weren't easy to find.
But it was kinda out of our way, and he didn't want to come.
Man's iookin' to kill some folk.
So really it's his will y'all should worry about thwarting.
Gotta say, doctor, your talent for alienatin' folks is near miraculous.
Yes, I'm very proud.
- — Cut her down. - The girl is a witch.
Yeah, but she's our witch, so cut her the hell down.
Hey, doctor. Glad you're back now on the ship.
Thanks.
I've moved him to his room.
How's he faring?
He's gonna be fine. Yeah. They took good care of him.
Good to know.
So finally a decent wound on this ship, and I miss out.
I'm sorry.
You were busy trying to get yourself lit on fire.
It happens.
Captain?
Why did you come back for us? — you're on my crew.
Yeah, but you don't even like me. Why'd you come back?
You're on my crew. Why are we still talking about this?
Chow's in ten. No need to dress.
So the Shepherd says to the companion, “a good goat will do that. ”
Great.
Grr! Arrgh!