Fun with Dick and Jayne
by Ben Edlund

Notes: The earliest known story in the Firefly canon, a picture book depicting Jayne as a young boy.

Session: R. Tam Session 1 Excerpt

INTERVIEWER
And you like school?

RIVER
I do. It’s… Sometimes things move a little slowly for me.

INTERVIEWER
I imagine they do. What’s your favourite subject?

RIVER
I’m finding physics a challenge.

INTERVIEWER
You’re in the graduate program already.

RIVER
They call me “Little Mouse”.

INTERVIEWER
Do you think they’re jealous because you’re so young?

RIVER
Volger is… a little. He plans to become very important.

INTERVIEWER
Did he tell you he was jealous?

RIVER
Oh, no. I just…

INTERVIEWER
You feel it.

RIVER
People tell you things all the time without talking. The way they move, the way they aren’t talking.

INTERVIEWER
You’re very intuitive.

RIVER
Simon says I was born with the third eye. He hates when I can tell which girls he likes.

INTERVIEWER
Your brother, he’s a doctor, right?

RIVER
He’s a trauma surgeon in Capital City.

INTERVIEWER
Quite a family.

RIVER
Simon’s a genius. I could never do what he does.

INTERVIEWER
I think you could do whatever you put your mind to. That’s what the Alliance needs. That’s what this institute is all about. Your mind, letting it do everything it could. Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?

RIVER
Would I still be allowed to dance?

(Static)

Session: R. Tam Session 22 Excerpt

INTERVIEWER
But you understand why these treatments are important?

RIVER
I don’t think… I’m sorry. I think there’s been an error. I don’t think… I think I may not be the right subject for these… For this program.

INTERVIEWER
It’s perfectly natural to feel a little nervous.

RIVER
I just… If it were possible to be transferred, I would make a… I would like to request a transfer.

INTERVIEWER
You want to be back in GenEd.

RIVER
Please.

INTERVIEWER
You told us that was no good for you, that it was too slow. That’s why you’re here.

RIVER
Please. It hurts.

INTERVIEWER
Well, I can help you with that. You know how proud Dr. Mathias is of how you’re progressing.

RIVER
I’m not progressing.

(Static)

RIVER
It’s the Pax.

INTERVIEWER
Tell me what you see.

RIVER
You lost the first one. You cut too deep, he died on the table. One of your attendants cried and you comforted her. “We’re doing such good work.”

INTERVIEWER
Do you understand that that is true? Work we do here is very important, and you’re a part of that.

RIVER
I would like to see my brother.

INTERVIEWER
Well, you can write to him anytime you like.

RIVER
I need to… I would like, please, to see him.

INTERVIEWER
Well, I’m sure he’s very busy.

RIVER
Yes. Yes, I’m sure.

(Static)

Session: R. Tam Session 165 Excerpt

RIVER
I have a system. You make an assumption because you have a system. Your system. You’re symptomatic. It’s chronic. You think it’s benign, but it has to be cut out. This system is simple. Blanket folded thus, the sheet pulled taut, the mattress. The mattress can’t be trusted. It has to be gutted. I looked under 20 and found a pea, and you wonder why I’m not sleeping? Are you worried that I cut up my mattress for no reason, or that I had a perfectly good reason that you can’t see? Can’t see anyone. Even the orderlies wear masks.

INTERVIEWER
Why did you cut up your mattress?

RIVER
I am trying to protect my spine.

INTERVIEWER
Are you worried you might be injured? Your movement trainers have given you excellent…

RIVER
No one will give me a mission.

INTERVIEWER
A mission?

RIVER
I have a reason. I’m reasonable. I have a reason.

(Static)

RIVER
My movement hasn’t been dictated yet, but I am not here for nothing. I am a… Sty. And you know I have a spine. There’s something wrong with the body politic.

(Static)

RIVER (SCREAMS)
They’re sticking in me. It’s in the mattress and it’s crawling inside me. You cut it out! You cut it out! You cut it out!

(Static)

Session: R. Tam Session 416 First Excerpt

INTERVIEWER
You’re very quiet today. How did your session with Dr. Mathias go?

RIVER
He gave me a mission.

INTERVIEWER
Really? Did he tell you your mission out loud, or did you just hear it?

RIVER
He plays hide and seek with me.

INTERVIEWER
Dr. Mathias?

RIVER
My brother. He’s a doctor. He thinks he can find me, but I’m deep down and I do not make a sound.

INTERVIEWER
River, what mission did Dr. Mathias give you?

RIVER
I can’t tell you.

INTERVIEWER
You can tell me anything. You know that.

RIVER
Can’t tell. I’ll have to write it down.

(Static)

Notes: A series of viral shorts, released just before the movie as part of it’s marketing campaign. The shorts show snippets of interactions with River Tam while she’s held at a mysterious Academy. The counsellor in these scenes is played by Joss Whedon himself. These videos give a glimpse into the experiments and torment River endured there, charting her transformation from a shy child prodigy into the troubled character seen in the series.

STORY ORDER
Life Signs / Serenity

Take the Sky
by Jose Molina

Notes: This story ends with Mal defeating the Operative at the end of Serenity. His future version seen in this story is, presumably, his imagination.