Missing Persons Report 7/?
Jul. 18th, 2009 11:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
garnigalTitle: Missing Persons Report
Fandom: Firefly
Prompt: Sorrow
Warnings: None
Rating: G (so far)
Word Count: 604
Summary: The crew is making new friends and taking new jobs.
Mal’s headache wasn’t getting any better, relievers or not.
River had curled herself into a small ball of girl and was crying and muttering in the corner. Always a worrisome sight.
Norton was worried, confused and frightened, not being as well versed in crazy girl as Mal was. Norton was just going to have to stay worried; River was Mal’s priority.
‘Course, there wasn’t much he could do for her. Nothing he could say would make her memories fade into bad dreams. Nothing he could do could put her back safe in her family’s arms. He hunkered down on his heels beside her and gently, carefully, put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
They sat like that until his legs were long past numb, until her sobs finally quieted. Until her memories passed.
Norton watched from the other side of the room.
Finally, when River was calmer, Mal began to explain a few things to Norton.
“You knew that the hundans that have your boy had River Tam. What you didn’t know, what no one outside the crew knows, is just what they did with her when they had her, just what they were aiming to create.
“She knows things she’s never learned, never been taught. She can fly this old boat like it was the newest ship in the fleet, like it was as light and manoeuvrable as a sparrow. She can take apart and rebuild engines and wiring, computer systems and weapons. She can mimic any accent, blend into any crowd. She can take down a whole bar full of folk with just her feet and fists, or she can draw a gun or pull a knife and have you down before you even saw her coming.”
“That’s astonishing,” Norton whispered, still staring at River. Mal shifted, forcing the other man’s eyes to his.
“And she can read your mind.”
Mal felt River flinch beside him. They never talked about it so baldly, and never in front of anyone who wasn’t crew. He slid his hand down her arm and took her hand.
“I don’t know how they did it, if she had some touch of intuition and they just figured out a way to make it stronger, but she’s warned us of danger afore it gets here, told us who’s not to be trusted. Told us when you weren’t telling the truth.”
Norton stuttered over his words. Mal managed to make out that he was trying to say impossible.
“Not impossible, you’ve heard her yourself. Heard her tell you things about yourself that she ought not know.”
River’s voice was thick with spent sorrow when she spoke. “They wanted weapons. Spies who could fit into any crowd, steal secrets without anyone knowing, and disappear. Assassins with beautiful faces and no guilt. Programmed to perfect obedience, perfect loyalty. Perfect slaves.”
“We’ve had some close calls, Mr. Norton. Had some moments when we weren’t sure if it was the programming or the girl in control. Moments when we knew it was the programming and weren’t sure how to stop it without destroying the girl.” Mal looked straight at Norton, willing him to understand what they were trying to explain.
“Are you prepared for this, Mr. Norton?” Mal asked, holding tight to River’s hand. “Are you prepared to discover your son is nothing but a shell filled with their instructions, a vicious animal that can’t be tamed?”
Norton swallowed convulsively, staring back at Mal. The sick look of horror on his face told Mal that he’d finally understood that saving Isaac was more than just getting him away from Blue Sun.
“I… I’m prepared.”
Fandom: Firefly
Prompt: Sorrow
Warnings: None
Rating: G (so far)
Word Count: 604
Summary: The crew is making new friends and taking new jobs.
Mal’s headache wasn’t getting any better, relievers or not.
River had curled herself into a small ball of girl and was crying and muttering in the corner. Always a worrisome sight.
Norton was worried, confused and frightened, not being as well versed in crazy girl as Mal was. Norton was just going to have to stay worried; River was Mal’s priority.
‘Course, there wasn’t much he could do for her. Nothing he could say would make her memories fade into bad dreams. Nothing he could do could put her back safe in her family’s arms. He hunkered down on his heels beside her and gently, carefully, put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
They sat like that until his legs were long past numb, until her sobs finally quieted. Until her memories passed.
Norton watched from the other side of the room.
Finally, when River was calmer, Mal began to explain a few things to Norton.
“You knew that the hundans that have your boy had River Tam. What you didn’t know, what no one outside the crew knows, is just what they did with her when they had her, just what they were aiming to create.
“She knows things she’s never learned, never been taught. She can fly this old boat like it was the newest ship in the fleet, like it was as light and manoeuvrable as a sparrow. She can take apart and rebuild engines and wiring, computer systems and weapons. She can mimic any accent, blend into any crowd. She can take down a whole bar full of folk with just her feet and fists, or she can draw a gun or pull a knife and have you down before you even saw her coming.”
“That’s astonishing,” Norton whispered, still staring at River. Mal shifted, forcing the other man’s eyes to his.
“And she can read your mind.”
Mal felt River flinch beside him. They never talked about it so baldly, and never in front of anyone who wasn’t crew. He slid his hand down her arm and took her hand.
“I don’t know how they did it, if she had some touch of intuition and they just figured out a way to make it stronger, but she’s warned us of danger afore it gets here, told us who’s not to be trusted. Told us when you weren’t telling the truth.”
Norton stuttered over his words. Mal managed to make out that he was trying to say impossible.
“Not impossible, you’ve heard her yourself. Heard her tell you things about yourself that she ought not know.”
River’s voice was thick with spent sorrow when she spoke. “They wanted weapons. Spies who could fit into any crowd, steal secrets without anyone knowing, and disappear. Assassins with beautiful faces and no guilt. Programmed to perfect obedience, perfect loyalty. Perfect slaves.”
“We’ve had some close calls, Mr. Norton. Had some moments when we weren’t sure if it was the programming or the girl in control. Moments when we knew it was the programming and weren’t sure how to stop it without destroying the girl.” Mal looked straight at Norton, willing him to understand what they were trying to explain.
“Are you prepared for this, Mr. Norton?” Mal asked, holding tight to River’s hand. “Are you prepared to discover your son is nothing but a shell filled with their instructions, a vicious animal that can’t be tamed?”
Norton swallowed convulsively, staring back at Mal. The sick look of horror on his face told Mal that he’d finally understood that saving Isaac was more than just getting him away from Blue Sun.
“I… I’m prepared.”
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Date: 2009-07-20 02:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-20 02:51 am (UTC)