[Flashback to Mal trying to sell Zoe on the worthiness of his new ship.]
You paid money for this, sir? On purpose?
Whoa! Come on, seriously, Zoe. What d' you think?
Honestly, sir, I think you got robbed
Robbed? What? What d' you mean?
Fay-yoo? Ah... ah... OK, she won't be winning any beauty contests anytime soon, but she is solid. Ship like this, be with you till the day you die.
Because it's a death trap.
That's not- You are very much lacking in imagination!
I imagine that's so, sir.
. . .
Try to see past what she is, and on to what she can be.
[pointing] I meant, what's that?
Oh. Yeah, just step around that. I think somethin' must've been livin' in here.
Tell you, Zoe, we get a mechanic, get her up and runnin' again, hire a good pilot, maybe a cook. Live like real people. Small crew, them as feel the need to be free, take jobs as they come. Ain't never have to be under the heel of nobody ever again. No matter how long the arm of the Alliance might get, we'll just get ourselves a little further.
[In near-present day, Wash comes in late to hear Book's dinner-table tales.]
Monastic humor. I miss out on all the fun.
. . .
[Simon is unable to quickly convey a funny story about being a doctor]
[interrupting] Now, Inara - she's gotta have some funny whorin' stories, I'd wager.
[laughing] Do I ever! Funny and sexy. [laughs] You have no idea... [suddenly serious] and you never will.
. . .
[The crew surprises Simon with a birthday cake.]
How did… how'd you know? River, did you...?
"Day" is a vestigial mode of time measurement based on solar cycles. It's not applicable. [pauses] I didn't get you anything.
. . .
Hope you like it. Couldn't get ahold of no flour, so it's mostly protein. In fact, it's pretty much what we just had for dinner. [everyone laughs] But I tried to make the frosting as chocolate-y tasting as possible, so.
Thank you. I'm really, I'm, um, very, very deeply moved. Thank you.
Well... deeply move yourself to blow out them candles so we can try a slice.
[After the fire is contained, Kaylee reports on the accident.]
Catalyzer on the port compression coil blew. It's where the trouble started.
'Kay, I need that in captain dummy-talk, Kaylee.
. . .
[Kaylee discusses the loss of life support, especially oxygen.]
Couple of hours, maybe. We'll start to feel it… then we won't feel nothin' at all.
Suffocation's not exactly the most dignified way to go. The human body will involuntarily-
Please, I don't really require a clinical description right now.
I'm sorry. I just, uh... It was my birthday.
[River peeks in on Book, who is reading his Bible.]
Don't be afraid. That's what it says. Don't be afraid.
You're afraid we're going to run out of air, that we'll die gasping. But we won't. That's not going to happen.
[Book looks up at her, hopefully.]
We'll freeze to death first.
I'm gettin' a little weary of this attitude, Wash.
[chuckling] Are you? Well, I'm so very sorry, sir. I guess the news that we're all gonna be purple and bloated and fetal in a few hours has made me a little snippy.
. . .
[The conversation escalates to a shouting match.]
What do you expect me to do, Mal?
Whatever you have to! And if you can't do it from here, then get a suit on and go outside on the side of the boat—
And what?! Wave my arms around?
Wave your arms around, jump up and down, divert the navsats to the transmitter - whatever.
Divert the— Right! Because teenage pranks are fun when you're about to die!
Give the beacon a boost, wouldn't it?
Yes, Mal! It would boost the signal. But even if some passerby did happen to receive, all it would do is muck up their navigation!
Damn right, it's true! They'd be forced to stop and dig out our signal before they could even go anyplace.
[Mal stares at Wash. Wash stares back, realization dawning.]
Well, maybe I should do that then!
[Jayne walks in on Mal and Wash arguing.]
Hey! [they both turn] [What the] guay you two think you're doin'? Fightin' at a time like this. [pause] [You'll] use up all the air.
[Flashback to Serenity's early days, with a mechanic named Bester, whom Mal catches in flagrante delicto.]
Bester - get your prairie harpy off my boat, and put us back in the air.
BBester
Okay-y, but... can't.
What do you mean, "can't"?
BBester
No can do, Cap. Secondary grav boot's shot.
[Bester's local girlfriend calls out from behind the engine, where she's getting dressed again.]
No, it ain't! Ain't nothing wrong with your grav boot. Grav boot's just fine. [waves to Mal] Hello!
BBester
She doesn't... eh, that's not what... [to Kaylee] No it ain't!
Sure it is! Grav boot ain't your trouble. I seen the trouble plain as day when I was down there on my back before. Your reg couple's bad.
. . .
You got much experience with a vessel like this?
I never even been up in one before.
Long as you like. Long as you can keep her in the sky.
[grins] I just gotta ask my folks. [starts to leave, turns back] Don't leave without me! [runs off]
BBester
Mal! What do you need two mechanics for?
[Turning and leaving the engine bay] I really don't.
Sometimes a thing gets broke, can't be fixed.
[Flashback to Inara leasing the shuttle. Mal wonders why a registered Companion would associate with smugglers.]
If it's Alliance trouble you got, you might want to consider another ship. Some on board here fought for the Independents.
The Alliance has no quarrel with me. I supported unification.
Did ya? Well, I don't suppose you're the only whore that did.
[smiling] Oh, one further addendum. That's the last time you get to call me "whore".
[Back in near-present day, Mal "prepares" Inara's shuttle.]
I'm not leaving Serenity.
Mal, you don't have to die alone.
[Flashback to Mal's years-earlier encounter with three bandits, one of whom is Jayne.]
MMarco
Reason? He's gonna talk to us about reason now.
Which one you figure tracked us?
[nods, pauses] Could you be more specific?
MMarco
Do we look reasonable to you?
Well, looks can be deceiving.
Not as deceiving as a low-down... dirty... deceiver.
[Marco laughs]
Well said. Wasn't that well said, Zoe?
Had a kind o' poetry to it, sir.
. . .
[Figuring out it was Jayne who tracked them, Mal offers him a better cut of the goods]
Look, forget anything I said. I'm sure you're treated very well. You get the perks, got your own room.
[Jayne looks dejected]
[indicates third bandit] With that one.
MMarco
Jayne, this ain't funny!
Huh, yeah, I ain't laughing.
You move on over to this side, we'll not only show you where the stuff's at, we'll see to [it] you get your fair share. Not no sad seven [percent].
[interest piqued] Private room?
Your own room. Full run of the kitchen. Whole shot.
MMarco
Jayne, I ain't asking-
[shoots Marco in the leg] Shut up. [aims at the other bandit without looking] How big a room?
[Back in the near-present day, Mal gets the drop on the treacherous captain trying to take his ship after being shot.]
CCaptain
You woulda done the same.
We can already see I haven't. Now get the hell off my ship.
[Back in the present day, with Serenity fixed, Mal finds himself dazed in the company of his crew and passengers.]
SBShepherd Book
Very nearly.
No, I've been right here.
[a little buzzed from giving blood] Yeah, Mal, I'm fine.
You got a thing in your arm.
Try not to speak. You're heavily medicated and you lost a lot of blood.
[Mal groans]
. . .
All right, I have to insist the Captain needs to rest.
Yeah. Think the doc might not be wrong about that one. Just gonna need a few.... [trails off as he closes his eyes]
[Mal then jerks himself awake.]
Y'all gonna be here when I wake up?
[As Mal falls asleep, he experiences another flashback to a used spaceship yard.]
SSalesman
Yep. Real beauty, ain't she? Yes, sir. Right smart purchase, this vessel.
[The rocket-shaped vessel that the salesman is trying to sell Mal comes into view.]
SSalesman
I tell you what. You buy this ship, treat her proper - she'll be with you for the rest of your life.
[But Mal has his attention caught by something else.]
[As we follow Mal's point of view, we see a battered old Firefly, soon to become "Serenity", sitting on the other side of the lot.]
SSalesman
You hear a word I been sayin'?
