Ticks & Tocks
Art by aimsleydale (LJ | e-mail | comment) and Neth Dugan (LJ | e-mail | comment)
Chapter 3
"Are you sure there is no way for me to get on this? And by 'getting in one this,' I mean hanging around for Proctor's new items?" Wash asked, disappointed. At the kitchen table, the pilot surrounded by Serenity's crew, leaned toward its center. They stared at a small screen where the information from Mathers' chip was on display. Like any good pilot Wash was well aware of the identities of Archibald Mathers, owner of Hephaestus Manufacturers, Ulysses Proctor, owner of Proctor Aircraft, and the show the latter was presenting that night.
Zoe placed her hand on her husband's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "You're our getaway man, sweetie," she replied, "Without you, how can we be good criminals?"
"All right, enough clamoring," Mal interrupted with impatience. Grabbing the mechanism out of his pilot's hands, his finger traced across the screen, filtering through the vast amount of information to reveal a map. "Proctor Aircraft has set up shop in Nouveu Lyon. Proctor's got himself a large bit o' land at the edge of the city, where he's throwing his little hootenanny."
Wash took the screen from his captain. Clicking on an area around the outline of the building, information concerning the relatively blank area appeared. "Like any good enterprise, Proctor has a top of the line security system around the building and, unfortunately for us, the landing lot," he explained, his finger touching the screen again. The screen demonstrated the security's reaction to an intruder. Red glowed and faded, bold Chinese characters flashed three times before the map resolved to its former state.
Kaylee, sitting across the table from Walsh, tucked her hair behind her ears. "Have we found the glitch in the system?"
Mal turned his head to his mechanic, surprised. "The glitch?" He hadn't realized that she was familiar with this sort of territory.
"Well, yeah; during installation, they set a backdoor into the system, just in case something goes hay-wire. It's a fairly new thing, only been about for six year or so, but, since this is a top of the line system, there should be one in there," she explained, her hand reaching out for the screen. Wash handed it over and Kaylee keyed in a long set of numbers. Along the right side of the screen, number formations raced so fast that most of the crew could barely keep up. Kaylee slid her finger across the screen, the blue outline of the parking area moving with her fingertip. The screen flashed red and, just as before, the security field displayed.
Green letters spelling out 'APPROVED' flashed only once, and over a small area the red of the security disappeared, displaying a small chink in the armous. Kaylee smiled. "Just as I thought: his men might be Border world, but he sure uses Core technology. This only shows that there's a way to get by the system. I can fool 'round with Serenity's systems and wiring to allow her to override the security, no problem."
"Jing chai, mei mei," Mal spoke, studying the flashing screen. "Can it be confirmed that we'll get in?"
Kaylee studied the side notes on the left side of the screen, scrolling with her finger. "Getting in won't be a problem; they're suspending the security fields before the ceremony so guests can land. When the security is turned back on, it'll pick up the feed from other ships. If we set up Serenity's own opposing security fields than can infiltrate its mainframe, it can pinpoint the glitch, trigger it and allowing us a safe passage out."
Jayne sat beside Kaylee, drinking from his bottle of Blue Sun green tea. The captain never let him near the whiskey during job discussions. "You sure you can do this? I can't be having this backfire on me." His eyes focused on her as he took another sip of tea. He wasn't in the least comfortable with the job-the money was the only thing that was keeping him from bowing out.
Kaylee looked at him, her smile glowing with confidence. "At Pa's shop, work came scarcely. Usually, the only people looking to have work done were..." She paused briefly. "Well, they were folks like us. The more we could help, the more they'd pay us. Other than making the ships run smooth, there was a big demand for breaching security systems. Pa and my uncles kept playing 'round with 'em 'til they set ships up with their own. When the target's security system picked up ours, the modified one sends out a sort of fishing line, searching for the glitch and setting it off. The whole thing's mighty illegal; there was one point when the Alliance was stopping by once a week, checking on local shops."
"But it'll work?" He pressed, leaning closer to her.
The mechanic nibbled on her lip. "Well, the glitch is active for only so long, so there's a time limit," she began but paused. "And... the hole ain't that big." Highlighting the edges of the way in, Kaylee displayed the measurements. "There's no way Serenity can fit through that."
Leaning across the table, Wash took the screen from her. "Definitely not, but..." The pilot thought to himself. "The shuttle should do fine."
"Shiny. Kaylee, you worry about working up a field around the shuttle," Mal ordered. Stretching out his arm, he took back the screen. He traced a route out of the parking area, and moved toward the entrance of the building. "We go through the back door; we've already got the codes for it. Tonight, we dress finely; just a part of blending in. Once we get inside, we go to the forty-second floor; it's where Proctor's collection is stored. Turns out Proctor ain't fond of the Alliance and don't take kindly to the idea of traveling and leaving his trinkets around his home on one of the fancy Core worlds. More fun lays here: the forty-second floor can't be accessed without a key."
"I take it we have access to this?" Zoe asked, her hands gripping the clay mug in front of her.
Mal smiled. "Mathers only left us some very complex directions on manipulating wires 'n' such," he admitted, "also known as easy work for Kaylee." He looked over toward his mechanic. "Take a look, mei mei."
Kaylee looked over at the screen, her fingers tapping along. After a moment a smile spread across her face. "Don't take much to override these elevators. Child's play," she confirmed. In fact she was sure that she could do it in her sleep.
"Once in, it shouldn't take us long to find what we're after." Mal turned the screen toward the rest of the crew. The colored pixels loaded, slowly revealing a black, granodiorite stone with twenty paragraphs of carved writing. "The Rosetta Stone. Its heavy- weighing at a walloping 1,700 lbs. Jayne and I ain't strong enough to carry it safely out."
"We could try using a crate," Zoe suggested. "We bring it in, make like something's in there for this thing going on, stick the stone in it and wheel it on out."
The captain listened, nodding his head. "Would also lower suspicion," he added.
Jayne grunted, dropping his bottle down and wiping the tea from his moustache. "Still is a mite unsettlin', Mal. We got a lot of jobs, and scarce enough people for all of'em."
"You, Zoe, and I'll be there, as per usual. Though I prefer having her aboard Serenity, we'll be needing Kaylee for the technical and mechanical go se. The Sheppard knows a thing or two about mechanics; we'll see if he can't hold things together here," Mal explained. He then turned to Zoe. "Jayne will push the crate, so you and I'll protect him. I'll also need you to fly the shuttle; think you'll be able to handle that?" He didn't need to ask; he could simply order her, but he never wanted his first mate to think for one moment that he didn't think she was capable.
Zoe turned to her husband, the corners of her full lips pulling into a smirk. Wash leaned closer to her. "You know, this is probably the safest you'll ever be on a job. And if they catch the rest of them, you can just fly away," he hinted, half joking.
The first mate laughed. "When you put it that way, it's not so bad," she thought it over, her chin resting on her hand.
"I ain't getting' caught on a job that'll lose me my head," Jayne insisted, glaring at the Washburnes. He then turned to Mal. "What if one of us gets left behind? Is this Mathers guy gonna save us then?"
Mal raised his hand. "I've already got that covered. I talked with Inara; if one of us gets left behind, we go to her. She'll stay on Beaumonde for the next two weeks and take her clients and whatever else she does with her business, and in the meantime, keep you hidden. Proctor won't call the authorities; as far as they're concerned, the Rosetta Stone was destroyed with Earth-That-Was, and if Proctor were to admit that it survived, the Alliance would sweep it up and he wouldn't see it again."
His crew remained silent, absorbing his words. Mal sighed. "When we get the stone, we immediately call Mathers. He'll set up a time for us to meet on Kiyome-"
Kaylee screeched, covering her mouth with her hand. Jayne looked over to her, his eyebrow raised. If she noticed, she didn't pay him any mind. "Kiyome? Really?" She could barely contain her excitement, bouncing in her seat.
Mal smiled, despite himself. "Mathers has strong connections there; says it's the safest place to meet him. We make the trade, and get the rest of the pay, which'll then be split," he finished, picking up his mug and sipping his ice cold water. "Any questions?"
The kitchen was filled with silence. "Good," Mal said. "Now, let's get to work. We've got a big rock to smuggle."
The Doctor opened the TARDIS door, poking his head out warily. He pulled the fob watch from his pocket and clicked it open, the glow from the control room reflected off its face: 6:45 PM, fashionably early. Closing the watch and slipping it back into his pocket, he looked out in front of him. It was pitch black, absolutely no light attempting to peek into the room where he'd (sneakily, he thought) parked the TARDIS. He walked back inside, leaving the door ajar. A moment later, the Doctor stepped out, a large torch in his hand. He turned it on the light on illuminating several of the objects on display. He flashed the beam across the walls, moving it until he found what he was looking for: three light switches.
Directing the light to the floor, the Doctor walked carefully to avoid running into anything. Finally, he reached the wall and flicked up the switches with one motion. The fluorescent lights on the ceiling suddenly flared into life, straining the Doctor's eyes. Closing them tightly, he allowed the slight pain to subside. When he finally opened them again, he had to catch his breath.
Surrounding him was what could only be described as a museum. In one corner of the completely windowless room, the Doctor identified a six panel screen dating back to eighteenth century Japan; it was a work by Watanabe Shiko, the pale yellow background containing medium greens and gray-browns that displayed the bloom of spring. At the other end of the spectrum and not far from the screen was a ragdoll that had seen better days. It was handmade, no doubt, but not a work of art like Watanabe's piece. It had once belonged to a little girl most likely from the beginning of the twentieth century, judging from the coal stains on the doll's faded brown dress.
Remembering where he was the Doctor he glanced down and noticed his torch was still on. Clicking it off, the he walked back to his ship. His eyes never stopped studying the objects in the room. Of particular note was The Sampul tapestry, which hung from the wall, a relic from the Tarim Basin. However, the Doctor was sure it, and the rest of the artifacts, were fakes. The Great Expunge had sent the surviving human race out into the next galaxy with very little of its history. Or at least, that's what he remembered studying while at the Academy.
Stopping at his TARDIS, the Doctor dropped the torch inside and closed the seemingly wooden doors behind him.
"Very strange," he muttered, carefully approaching what looked to be a sixteenth century crossbow in a display case. The Doctor turned on his sonic screwdriver and ran it over the item. The sensors clicked off, allowing him to properly examine the crossbow. His finger traced along the wooden handle, noting its weathered texture. The Doctor inspected the arrow loaded in, feeling the metal point between his finger tips. He hissed and checked his hand; a small line of blood seeped out of the wound in his index finger. Placing his finger in his mouth, the Doctor sucked it before putting pressure on it between his lips.
"Still sharp, after all these years," he noted. "And real." Checking his pockets, he grabbed onto several objects before finding a band aid. As he opened it from the plastic, the Doctor looked dismayed at the hot pink strip, with a waving Hello Kitty picture on it. "Ah well. Doesn't matter," he assured himself, wrapping it around his wound.
Waving the screwdriver over it, the security system clicked back on. Several bars, glowing red, appeared before fading away. The Doctor replaced the screwdriver back in his pocket and looked around once again. He was certain now that everything in the room was, indeed, authentic. However, something was more unsettling. The room itself was completely silent- no Kluvians present.
The Doctor looked around and saw a lift in the corner of the room. He walked over and inspected it, immediately noticing the absence of up and down buttons. Instead, there was a small keypad hardwired into the wall. Below it was a small keyhole which ensured only those who were meant to be in the building could operate the lift. Flashing the sonic screwdriver at the lock, the Doctor was rewarded with a chime as the lift jerked into life. It moved up the shaft, the cables screeching and speeding as they pulled along the platform.
Finally, the sleek chrome doors opened, revealing the lift to be empty. The Doctor stepped onto the platform, pushed the button for the lobby, and then placed his hands in his pockets, watching the doors close.
Wash crossed his arms, his bright red Hawaiian shirt blinding underneath the fluorescent lights of the corridor. "Are you sure you remember all the components of the shuttle? You can't hesitate when the others are running aboard with gunmen chasing them and shooting at you."
Zoe smiled, fluffing out his blond hair with her fingers. "I know how to fly a ship, honey, including shuttles. You were fine with this before. The mission looks easy enough; we could very well have a straight forward job for once," she assured him, taking his hand and squeezing it gently.
Sighing, Wash stared back at his wife. "If you reach the shuttle first you don't have to wait for Mal and Jayne; as soon as Kaylee's aboard, you can just take off," he suggested, a crooked smile appearing.
"Ah, but Jayne and I will have the goods, so that ain't wise," Mal's voice echoed through the hall, approaching them. His hair was slicked d to the side, his clothes freshly pressed, and (Zoe swore) he was wearing his good musk. "I need you at the helm to land us in Nouveu Lyon safely. Zoe will be fine, Wash."
Wash looked away from Mal and toward Zoe. "Be safe, bao bei," he said softly. Leaning toward each other, they locked lips, kissing briefly but with a bit of passion. The pilot took her hand and kissed it, before returning it to her side. Turning around, he walked to the cockpit, his hands in his pockets.
Zoe straightened her back as she faced her captain, her hands resting on her thick belt. "Ready whenever you are, sir," she stated stiffly.
"Warm 'er up." Nodding, Zoe walked past Mal and into the shuttle. He looked over his shoulder. "Jayne, load up! We've gotta get goin'!"
Metal clanks echoed louder and louder from down the hallway until Jayne appeared, pushing the large, metal crate in front of him. The mercenary himself looked much cleaner. The greens of his clothes were more vivid, and even his jacket was buttoned up. He grunted as he pushed the cart into the shuttle.
"Barely hit atmo, don't see no rush," he muttered, setting down the crate near the back wall.
Mal poked his head inside. "We'll be in Nouveu Lyon in ten minutes, Jayne. Proctor's shindig is startin' soon enough, and I need us to be ready." Jayne rolled his eyes as he leaned against the crate. He pulled up his shirt, revealing two large pistols strapped to his hip. They were supposed to be as covert as possible, and, although Mal and Zoe had their weapons hidden and were heavily armed, Jayne wasn't one to take chances.
Pulling himself out, Mal walked down the corridor. "Move it, Kaylee! Everyone's already aboard!" He shouted, approaching a set of long, metal rings leading below deck. Small, yellow-orange lights circled the entrance. A wooden sign inscribed with 'Kaylee's Room' in a flowing script, surrounded by light pink flowers and multi-colored butterflies were also present.
Mal looked down the shaft. "Kaylee!"
"Over here, Cap'n!" Kaylee called, not from her room. Mal turned around, watching as Kaylee exited one of the guest rooms. He sighed; the girl took every opportunity to flirt with the doctor. She smiled at her captain, her brown bag, covered in red and black lady bugs, at her side. Her green overalls were freshly scrubbed, with barely a trace of dirt on them. She wore a bright pink shirt, and her hair was washed and flowing freely down her back. Looking down at her feet, Mal was pleased that she at least was wearing her steel toe boots, which had been cleaned and shined to a bright finish.
He placed his hand on her back. "Well, don't we look like a pretty little flower? No luck with the doc, I take it?"
Kaylee's smile never faltered. "Everything is shiny with Simon, Cap'n; I got him to admit that I 'look very nice.' I'm not even dressed fancy; not that you would let me," she responded. She never dressed up- hell, she couldn't even wear normal clothes for fear of ruining them while working. The dress from the old job was still sitting in her room, tucked away to prevent dust from collecting. Kaylee figured she could show her folks the item when they visited Kiyome.
They walked into the shuttle, Mal closing the door behind them. "Now, you sure the Sheppard can handle the workings of the engine room?"
"Oh, I didn't bother him. I left River there," Kaylee answered nonchalantly, digging into her bag and assuring herself that all the correct tools were with her.
Mal immediately clutched his chest; he knew only the basics about medicine, but he was certain he was having a heart attack. "Kaylee, Serenity is your baby, and you're leavin' in the hands of River Tam?" He choked.
Looking over, Mal saw the same worry in Jayne's face. The mercenary shrugged, though his expression stayed the same. "Y'know, Mal, with all this coin coming our way, you can always buy a new ship."
Kaylee placed her hand on Mal's shoulder. "She'll be fine, Cap'n, I swear! River's real smart; Simon told me how she can figure anything out, and Serenity don't mind her in the engine room," the mechanic said sweetly, trying her best to convince him there was no danger. It wasn't working.
"We'll be approaching Nouveu Lyon in four minutes," Wash announced over the intercom.
Mal walked away from Kaylee, and stood behind Zoe, who was positioning herself at the helm of the shuttle. From the shuttle's windows, the gray smog of Beaumonde became thicker, with few rays of sunshine peeking through. "We do this right, and we won't have to worry 'bout nothing no more," He said to himself, as the unnatural lights of Nouveu Lyon appeared in the distance.