"SERENITY"

I am very smart. I went to the best Medacad in Osiris, top three percent of my class, finished my internship in eight months. "Gifted" is the term. So when I tell you that my little sister makes me look like an idiot child, I want you to understand my full meaning. River was more than gifted. She... she was a gift. Everything she did, music, math, theoretical physics- even- even dance- there was nothing that didn't come as naturally to her as breathing does to us. She could be a real brat about it, too. I mean, she used to- (he stops and collects himself) There was a... a school... a, uh, a government-sponsored academy, we had never even heard of it but it had the most exciting program, the most challenging. We could have sent her anywhere, we had the money, but she wanted to go. She wanted to learn. She was fourteen. I... I got a few letters at first, and then I didn't hear for months. Finally I got a letter that made no sense. She- she talked about things that never happened, jokes we never... it was code. It just said... "They're hurting us. Get me out."
Simon

"SAFE"

Post-holer. Digging holes for posts.
River

"JAYNESTOWN"
Book: What are we up to, sweetheart?
River: Fixing your Bible.
Book: I... um, what?
River: Bible's broken. Contradictions, false logistics- doesn't make sense.
Book: No, no. You, you can't...
River: So we'll integrate non-progressional evolution theory with God's creation of Eden. Eleven inherent metaphoric parallels already there. Eleven. Important number. Prime number. One goes into the house of eleven eleven times, but always comes out one. Noah's ark is a problem.
Book: Really?
River: We'll have to call it "early quantum state phenomenon." Only way to fit 5000 species of mammal on the same boat.
Book: Give me that. River, you don't... fix the Bible.
River: It's broken. Doesn't make sense.
Book: It's not about making sense. It's about believing in something and letting that belief be real enough to change your life. It's about faith. You don't fix faith, River. It fixes you. (He tries to take the pages from River but she hangs on and the pages rip in half.) You hang on to those, now.

River: They say the snow on the roof was too heavy. They say the ceiling will cave in. His brains are in terrible danger.
Book: River? Why don't you come out?
River: No. I can't. Too much hair.
Book: Is that it?
Zoe: Hell, yes, preacher. If I didn't have stuff to get done, I'd be in there with her.
Book: It's the rules of my order. Like the book. It symbolizes...
Zoe: Uh huh. River, honey? He's putting the hair away now.
River: It'll still be there....waiting.

"OUT OF GAS"
Mal: I tell ya, Zoe, we find ourselves a mechanic, get her running again. Hire a good pilot. Maybe even a cook. Live like real people. Small crew, them as feel the need to be free. Take jobs as they come- and we'll never 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.
Zoe: Get her running again?
Mal: Yeah.
Zoe: So not running now?
Mal: Not so much.
Zoe: Ah.

"THE MESSAGE"

My dear boy, I hope that you are well and that you get this soon in your tra-vels. Thank you for the credits you forwarded. They have helped as Matty is still sick with the damp lung. I made you the enclo- ooh, enclosed. (He pulls out a knitted orange hat with ear flaps and a pom pom, and places it on his head.) Enclosed to keep you warm in your travels. Hope to hear from you soon. Love, your mother.
Jayne, reading a letter from his mother.

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