Firefly (2002–2003): Season 1, Episode 8 - Ariel - full transcript

When the crew of Serenity arrives on the heavily populated, industrialized Alliance core world of 'Ariel', where Inara is to undergo an annual physical examination for her clean companion medical record, Simon realizes it is the perfect opportunity to sneak River into an Alliance medical facility and find out what they did to her. In return for the crew's help in getting them in to the facility, Simon helps Mal, Zoe and Jayne organize an operation to steal valuable medical supplies. But Jayne has other ideas when he learns about the reward for Simon and River and contacts the local authorities, leading to another appearance of the two, sinister-looking agents known as "Hands of Blue".

I don't want it.

River, you have to eat.

It's good.
It tastes like-

It's good.

It smells like crotch.

Jayne!

Well, it does.

We don't even have to go
someplace fancy.

We can just go
to the park or something.

Feed the pigeons.

Sure. Feed the pigeons...



probably get the firing squad
for littering.

Come on.
It's not that bad.

It is. It's a core planet.
It's spotless. It's got sensors.

And where there ain't sensors,
there's feds.

All central planets
are the same.

Could you please tell my wife
the fun she's missing out on?

Ariel's quite a nice place,
actually.

There are some beautiful
museums, not to mention...

some of the finest restaurants
in the core.

But... not boring,
like she made it sound.

There's a, uh...

uh-

There's hiking.

Yeah.



And you can go swimming in
a bioluminescent lake.

I don't care if it's got
sunsets 24 hours a day.

I ain't setting foot
on that planet.

No one is setting foot
on that fancy rock.

I don't want anyone
leaving the ship.

Come to think of it,

I don't want anyone looking
out the windows, or talking aloud.

We're here to drop off Inara.
That's it.

What's the point of coming to the core
if I can't even step off the boat?

You could have got off with
Shepherd Book at the Bathgate Abbey.

Could've been meditating on the wonders
of your rock garden by now.

Well, it beats
just sitting.

It is just sitting.

So how long are you
gonna be planet-side?

Shouldn't be more than a day or two.

Big stop just to renew
your license to Companion.

Can I use “Companion” as a verb?

It's guild law.

All Companions are required to undergo
a physical examination once a year.

Could you not do that
while we're-ever?

So two days in a hospital. That's awful.

Don't you just hate doctors?

Hey.

I mean, present company excluded.

Let's not be excluding people.
That'd be rude.

Son of a-

What the hell?

River, no.

Oh, my God. He's bleeding.

That's deep.

Are you okay?

River.

He looks better in red.

Gorram freak's
completely off her axle.

I'm sorry about this.
I don't know what-

Shut it.
I ain't talking to you.

She gotta go.
Both of them gotta go.

Ariel's as good a place as any
to leave them.

Might even pick us
up a reward for our troubles.

No one's getting left.

She belongs in a bughouse.

You don't pitch her off this boat
right now, I swear to you-

What?
What do you swear, Jayne?

They don't get gone, you better
start locking up your room at night.

Next time little sister
gets in a murdering mood...

it might be you
she comes calling on.

Maybe Kaylee or Inara.

You let them stay,
we're gonna find out.

Finish your work, Doctor.

This is my boat.
They're part of my crew.

No one's getting left.
Best you get used to that.

You owe me a shirt.

She's to stay confined to her room
at all times. No exceptions.

Take her to the kitchen,
the infirmary, whatever...

you ask me first, understand?

I do.

When I took you and your sister in,
the deal was you keep her in check.

You can't hold up your end,
we're gonna have to revisit the deal.

She's getting worse.
Isn't she?

Yes.

Just look at the bright side.

Maybe you'll meet a young,
handsome doctor.

He'll ask you out, and-

What's the Companion policy
on dating?

It's complicated.

Hmm.

Well, that figures.

Stay out of trouble.

You too. Bye.

How are we gonna find a job
if we don't leave the ship?

Alliance territory-
ain't any jobs worth having.

Or the last three places
we've been.

My pop always said,

“Anyone who can't find work
ain't lookin' hard enough.”

We ain't even lookin' at all.

You can stop looking.

There's a client.
Me.

I have a job for you.

♪ Take my love, take my land ♪

♪ Take me where I cannot stand ♪

♪ I don't care, I'm still free ♪

♪ You can't take the sky from me ♪

♪ Take me out to the black ♪

♪ Tell them I ain't comin' back ♪

♪ Burn the land and boil the sea ♪

♪ You can't take the sky from me ♪

♪ There's no place I can be ♪

♪ Since I've found serenity ♪

♪ But you can't take the sky from me ♪♪

You've got a job for us?

One that'll pay
for itself ten times over.

Forget it. We ain't that desperate.

Do you know what this is?

It's a common immune
booster called isoprobyline.

Street value
for a dosage this size-

50 platinum,
maybe 20 credits.

Propoxyn. Maybe 80.

Hydrozopan, 200.

And these are just from the med kit
I had with me when I came on board.

At a hospital like the one
in Ariel City...

they'll have shelves
of that stuff.

Whatever the take, it's more than enough
payment for what I have in mind.

So the med vault
isn't the job?

That's the payment.

I tell you how to get in, get out,
and what's worth taking...

if you help me get River into
the hospital's diagnostic ward.

What's in the diagnostic Ward?

A 3-D neuro-imager.

If I can get River
in there,

I might be able to figure
out what they did to her at the academy.

So we get you and your sister
into the “whatcha” thing...

and you tell us how to clean out
the hospital.

Yes.

Not to be negative...

but don't the hospital
need that medicine?

Government-run facility.

They'd be restocked
in a matter of hours.

She's right.
They'll never miss it.

Plus folks on the rim
sure could use it.

It's all very sweet stealing from
the rich, selling to the poor.

But you're talking about breaking into
a highly secure Alliance facility.

How do you plan
on getting around security?

It's not easy...

but it can be done.

You see,
like all core hospitals...

St. Lucy's has its own
dedicated security force-

a small battery of local
Alliance federals substationed here.

Every floor, every doorway is
equipped with sensors.

And at all points of entry,
patient eye-dent scans.

However, once clear
of those checkpoints...

movement within the facility itself
should be relatively unhindered.

The standard layout should
put the med vaults-

Go back to the ident scans.

You and your sister
are tagged fugitives.

How do you figure we're gonna
get you in the building?

Through the front door.

Believe me, Captain, getting
the two of us in is going to be easy.

The rest of you-
that is going to be the real trick.

We'll need to procure
a few items off-ship. I've made a list.

Given my status as a fugitive,
someone else will have to-

We have some volunteers.
Good.

Before we ever make
it to the front door,

we're going to have
to breach the perimeter.

Only official vehicles are allowed in,
so we'll need one.

Now obviously we can't steal
what we need.

Any illegal activity
in the planning stages...

could end this thing
before it starts.

St. Lucy's Hospital contracts
with the local municipal dump yard...

for all its large disposals.

It figures. First time on the core,
and what do I get to do?

Dig through trash.

Couldn't he send me
shopping at the Triplex or-

Ooh! Synchronizers!

Big hospitals mean big waste...

so we shouldn't have any trouble
finding what we're looking for.

We'll have to look
like we belong.

All we have to do is slip
a couple of bills into the right hands.

That gets us uniforms,
I.D. badges and key cards.

A little creative forgery,
and we've got ourselves a working alias.

Now, all these items
are easy to obtain.

They'll get us up to the door.

Now, in order to get us in-

Patients were cynical,

and not responding,
and we couldn't bring 'em back.

They were cyanotic-

They were cyanotic-
And not responsive-

Responsive.

And we were unable to-

- Resuscitate them.
- Yes.

Resuscitate.

- Resuscitate them.
- Good!

Which methods did you use?

We tried pulmonary stimulators...

and-and cardiac-
We-

- Infusers.
- Infusers.

- Pulmonary stim-
- Pulmonary stimulators-

And cardiac infusers.
What about cortical electrodes?

Oh.

We forgot them.

Let's try that again.

Yeah.

Pupils were fixed and dilapidated.

Dilated.

Dilated! 青蛙操的流氓.
Shiny.

We got there,
and the patients were cyanotic.

Not responding.
Not responsive.

And we tried to resuscitate them-

And despite our best
efforts, they kicked.

Despite our best efforts... they-

Which methods did you use?

We tried pulmonary stimulators...

and cardiac infusers.

What about
the cortical electrodes?

What is that?

We-We applied
the cortical electrodes.

Yep, we used
them electromagnetic-

Reaction from-
We were unable to get a neural-

We applied the cortical electrodes but
were unable to get a neural reaction-

Unable to get a neural-

Response.

Response. Hell, I don't know.

If I'd wanted schooling,
I'd have gone to school.

I'll get it.

That's amazing.
You two did an incredible job.

And now for the finishing touch.

If I didn't know better, I'd say
you're ready to save some lives.

All we need
are a couple of patients.

Corpses, actually.

For this to work, River and I
will have to be dead.

Huh, I'm starting
to like this plan.

We're going to be asleep.

Captain Reynolds and the others will
have to pretend we're dead...

to sneak us into the hospital.

Once we're inside,
we'll wake up.

Everything will be fine.

You understand?

You're going to suspend cerebral,
cardiac and pulmonary activity...

in order to induce
a proto-comatose state.

That's right.

I don't wanna do it.

I know.

I don't wanna go to that place.
I don't wanna die.

No. No one is going to die.

It's okay. The others will
take care of us while we're asleep.

When we get back-No.
Shh-shh-shh.

River. River, it's okay.
It's okay. This-

This could be
what we've been hoping for.

When this is over,
I'll be able to help you.

I'll be able to make
the nightmares go away.

Okay?

- Okay.
- Okay.

All right. Lie back.

It's time to go to sleep.

We speak only when spoken to.

We avoid all unnecessary contact...

and we stay together until we reach
the morgue. Understood?

- Yes, sir.
- Apply the cortical electrode-

Jayne?

Unable to get a neural-
Yeah, yeah, I got it. I got it.

Are we gonna have a problem?

I know what I gotta do.

Not what I'm talking about.

Am I gonna have a problem
with you and Simon?

It's up to him.

Look, you got
a little stabbed the other day.

It's bound to make anyone
a mite ornery. So I figure-

It's a good plan.

What?

The doc did good
coming up with that job.

Don't mean I like him any better.

Nothing buys bygones
quicker than cash.

Maybe I'll give him
a tattoo while he's out.

Let him do his thing,
and you get him out.

No messing with him for laughs.

Don't worry about me.

As long as I get paid,
I'm happy.

Applied the cortical electrodes.
Unable to get a neural response.

Applied
the cortical electrodes-

We've only got a few hours left
before the morning shift.

Won't be an hour.

What do you got?

Got a couple D.O.A.s.
By the time we got there-

Take them
down to the morgue.

We applied the cortical electrodes,
but were unable to get...

a neural reaction
from either patient.

That should bring them
out of it in a few minutes.

Once they're up,
get them to the imaging suite...

let Simon do his thing,
then haul it back to the rendezvous.

Fifty minutes.

Got it.

I'll just... sit right here.

你好?

I'm in.

Do you have the fugitives?

You got my reward?

Yes. Just like
we talked about.

Then I got your fugitives.

Good. We'll see you shortly.

Congratulations.
You are about to become a very rich man.

Copper for a kiss.

Jesus!

What did you say?

What the hell's the matter with you?

Nothing. It's just
the aftereffects of the drugs.

I'll be fine.
Just give me a second.

Well, your sister
seems okay.

You gotta get dressed.
We gotta move.

Two lefts, two rights,
and we're there.

You see anyone, smile.

I don't think anybody
smiles in hospitals.

Of course they do. It's a core.
Everyone's rich and happy here.

Why wouldn't they smile?

Excuse me. Excuse me!

Hi.

Where are you
taking those bodies?

Just downstairs to the morgue.

Downstairs is that way.

Right. Must've gotten
turned around.

Let me see your badge.

You're doing it backwards.

Walking up the down slide.

Keep her quiet.

This is the recovery ward.

This is where patients
come to get better.

They're going to die.

No one is going to die.

He is.

No, he's not.

That man standing next to him
is his doctor.

He's going to help him.

He's not going to help him right.

River, the doctors here are the
best in the system.

This is one of the top hospitals
in the core or anywhere else.

Where you should be.

You have to help him.

River, we don't have time.

He's killing him!

Code blue!

We got a code. Here.

Stay here.
Don't move.

What do we have?

A 42-year-old double bypass, post-op.
Prognosis was positive.

B.P.'s 60 over 20.
Pulse is thready.

Who are you?

He's crashing.

Get the cart.

We have flatline.

We've gotta crack him.

We're not cracking a post-op.

He's nonresponsive. Should
I call the code team?

Get the infusions and .4 of atropine.
What did you give him?

Just 20 of apresaline push.

Clear.

- Clear.
- Clear.

He's going tachy.

Yeah, but his heart's beating.

He's okay.

Explain to me how you
justify administering...

a vasoconstrictor to
this patient.

Apresaline is a painkiller not a-

Unless you combine
it with dilaftin.

Which any first year should know
is the standard prep medicine...

your patient was taking
before his surgery.

Your patient should be dead.

Let's go.

Walk with me a minute.

Where are we going?

You see this badge?

It says “doctor.”
I say walk, you walk.

Yeah, but where are we going?

You must be new.

Don't get comfortable.

Your type doesn't last long here.

When your supervisor...

hears about the rude and dis-

Clear.

Ready?

1205. Here it is.

Zoe.

Must've been demagged.

They opened up her skull.

That's a scalpel scar.
They-

They opened up her skull,
and they cut into her brain.

Why?

The only reason to make
an incision in someone's brain...

is to lobotomize them-
to go in and remove damaged tissue.

Why... anyone would cut
into a healthy brain is-

They did it over and over.

They stripped her amygdala.

Her what?

You know, uh-

You know how you get...
scared...

or worried or nervous,
but you don't want to be scared...

or worried or nervous,
so you push it to the back of your mind.

You try not
to think about it.

Your amygdala is what lets you do that.
It's like...

a filter in your brain that
keeps your feelings in check.

She feels everything.
She can't not.

That's fascinating.
Let's get moving.

We still have 20 minutes.

Wrong. Plan changed
when you were out.

We're meeting out
the back way in five.

I could use
another couple minutes.

I'm sure if we get in touch
with Captain Reynolds-

Captain gave his orders.
We play it by the book.

River, shh-shh-shh.
It's okay. It's okay.

Get her in the chair
and let's go!

Shh!

No! No! No!
They come out of the black.

They come when you call.

River, it's okay. It's over.
We're leaving.

Your toes are in the sand.

And your head's up your-

Hey! Back off.

You just make sure
she keeps her mouth shut.

We don't need her screeching while
we're trying to make a quiet getaway.

It's okay. It's okay.

You should've let me know
when the plan changed.

I told you when
you needed to know.

What are you griping about?
You got what you came for.

No, no, I can't go back.
I don't wanna go back.

Shh-shh-shh. It's okay.
We're just going back to the ship.

We're almost home.
Shh-shh-shh.

Federal marshals! Don't move!

River and Simon Tam, by the authority
of the Union of Allied Planets...

you are hereby bound by law.

Take them to Processing.

So, you gonna take me away for
questioning now? How you gonna play it?

You're under arrest for aiding
and abetting federal fugitives.

Better get a lawyer.

You're kidding, right?

Where's my ruttin' money?

You mean my money...

for apprehending
the three fugitives?

I expect I'll
be getting it soon.

How much did we get?

Enough to keep us flying.

Can we fly somewhere
with a beach?

Maybe a naked beach.

Cut it out. The job's not done
until we're back on Severity.

Sorry, sir. Didn't mean
to enjoy the moment.

Where are the others?

If those officers hadn't been armed,
I think you'd have had a chance.

A guy shoves me, I shove him.

Not like I was trying
to mount a rescue.

Still,
I appreciate you trying.

You know what I'd appreciate? You stop
flapping that pretty mouth at me.

I'm trying to figure a way out of here.
I can't do it with you yammering.

They took Christmas away.

What the hell now?

I came downstairs
for the shiny presents.

They took the tree
and the stockings.

Nothing left but coal.

Would you shut her up?

Don't look in the closet either.
It's greedy.

It's not in the spirit
of the holiday.

You shut the hell up
right now...

or so help me,
I will shut you up.

Time?

Ten minutes past rendezvous.

Something's happened.

Kaylee, are you linked?

Uh, I am... now.
What do you need?

Find out if there's any kind
of security alert in the hospital.

Hang on.

Could be they're just late.

Not this late.

Jayne would've
sent up a flag.

Nothing from hospital
security, nothing on the local pipeline.

Although I am getting some
weird chatter from the official 262.

It sounds like...

they're talking about ducks.

Code.

Feds got 'em.

Have her bring up the
hospital schematic on the cortex.

Find me a way into
that security substation.

Wait a minute. You don't even know
for sure if they're in there.

Gonna find out. Check.

Coming in clear.

So, you're just gonna
walk in through the front door?

No. You're gonna find me
a way around back.

Get up.

What's going to happen to us?

I said, “Get up.”

Agent McGuinness, I'm certain
you're working under a superior...

who's keeping close tabs
on this case.

I'm certain of that because
important people don't do fieldwork.

I'm also quite certain your superior
wants me and my sister alive.

Now, I'm not going to move from this
spot until one of two things happens.

You answer my very simple question...
or you shoot me.

We're transferring you to a holding area
until you can be retrieved.

Retrieved? By whom?

People who want you alive.

People, not me.

Take them.

Wash, we could use
a little direction here.

Working on it.
Kaylee, what do you got?

Tell them to hang a left when they
reach Cryo. They'll see a door.

All right. Go through
that door and down to green level.

This is exactly
what I didn't want.

I wanted simple. I wanted in and out.
I wanted easy money.

Things always get a little
more complicated, don't they, sir?

Just once I'd like things to go
according to the gorram plan.

Guys, you might wanna hurry.

Is there a problem?

I think the reinforcements
just arrived.

Come on.

What are you doing?

Going out the way we came in.

There are at least four
armed feds out there.

Six. I know.

We run.

You got no idea where that goes.

We'll find our way.

I ain't chancing that.

I can handle the feds.

It doesn't matter.

They're here.

Gentlemen, that was prompt.

We're almost finished here.

The prisoners
will be out in a minute.

Let me get the paperwork
together for you.

Bobby, bring that here.

Not that it'll mean much.

The men were tight-lipped.
The girl was just spewing gibberish.

We got it all down.

You spoke to the prisoners?

Well, yeah.

Had to process them.

There was no interrogation,
if that's what you mean.

Didn't do your job for you.

Did your men also
speak with them?

Much as they had to.

What the hell is that?

Two by two.
Hands of blue.

Two by two. Hands of blue.

Where the hell's she going?

Must be some sort
of exit this way.

I don't see no exit.

Dead.

This one's alive.

I got no intention of running around
like a rat in a maze till we're dead.

We're going back.

Almost there.

Almost there.
Almost there.

There.

Stand back.

Come here.

吸牛!
High-tech Alliance crap!

Ah, hey there, Inara.
How was your checkup?

Same as last year.
What's going on here?

Well, let's see. We killed Simon and
River, stole a bunch of medicine...

and now the Captain and
Zoe are off...

springing the others got
snatched by the feds.

Oh, here they are now.

Tell me we weren't followed.

Nothing in our rearview
the whole way back.

All right. Take us out
of the world quick as you can.

We'll be out of atmo
in five minutes.

Hey. How was your thing?

As advertised, lots of needles
and cold exam tables.

I heard you had some excitement.

Oh, nothing much.

Lots of running around,
a little gunplay.

A couple needles.

The next time we come to the core,
I'm staying with the preacher.

Oh, if you hadn't come,
you wouldn't be getting your big payday.

So, you get
what you needed?

I think I did. I have the information
I downloaded off the imager.

I just have to go over it,
and, uh, I'm hopeful.

What happened to your face?

Huh?

Oh, uh, nothing.

He was amazing.

I can't even begin
to tell you.

We wouldn't be standing here
if it weren't for him.

Thank you.

Hey, you're part of my crew.

I think I might cry.

All right. Jayne, help me with the
cargo. Everyone make yourselves useful.

You got jobs.
Go do them.

It's gotta be
our best take ever.

Doc had a good notion.
The boy's got a decent criminal mind.

What are you buying
with your cut?

Hey! What the hell
are you doing?

The job is done.
I figured it was time for a little chat.

Seems to me we had a solid plan.

“Scruth,” you might say.

But what I can't figure out is what you
were doing around the back exit.

What? I couldn't
go out the front!

I had to improvise!
Open the damn door!

You called the feds.

What? I got pinched!

Which is what happens
when you call the feds.

No, I would never do that!
My hand to God!

May he strike me down
as I'm standing here!

Well, you won't be
standing there long.

The minute we break atmo,

you'll be a lot thinner once
you get sucked out that hole.

Oh, come on, Mal!

Leaving atmo in two minutes.

That ain't no way for a man to die!

Secure air lock door at once.

You wanna kill me, shoot me!
Just let me in!

You know, I hear tell they used to
keelhaul traitors back in the day.

I don't have a keel
to haul you on, so-

Oh, okay.
I'm sorry, all right?

Sorry for what, Jayne?
I thought you'd never do such a thing.

Money was too good.
I got stupid.

I'm sorry, okay?

Be reasonable.

What are you taking it
so personal for?

It ain't like I ratted you out
to the feds.

But you did! You turn on
any of my crew, you turn on me!

But since that's a concept you
can't seem to wrap your head around...

then you got no place here.

You did it to me, Jayne.
And that's a fact.

What are you gonna
tell the others?

About what?

About why I'm dead.

I hadn't thought about it.

Make something up.

Don't tell them what I did.

The next time you decide
to stab me in the back...

have the guts
to do it to my face.

Can I come in?

Hi.

What are you doing?

Drawing.

That's really good.

What are you doing?

I, um-
I brought some medicine.

Do you remember why
we went to the hospital?

Is it time to
go to sleep again?

No, 妹妹.

It's time to wake up.

Grr! Arrgh!