FIRST YEAR AT THE ACADEMY

River's time at the academy had started out normal. The 14-year old would go to her scheduled lessons and to her dance practice. Then six weeks into her one year stay, her teachers said all of her lessons were being suspended.

River was confused, her teachers explained that Dr. Mathias the academy's head doctor had picked her and a few select students to participate in a exclusive round of treatments.
To improve your intellect. was how Dr. Mathias explained the treatments.

River was ecstatic when she had gotten the news. She was soon disappointed after learning she would have to give up her lessons and dancing. Before she started the treatments River was interviewed by the academy's lead psychiatrist, Dr. Lao

She asked him in their interview "Is their no other option that will allow me to keep dancing?"

Dr. Lao replied "I'm afraid their isn't, these treatments are going to take up all of your free time here. Think of the advantages through River if you completed these treatments all of your skills will be enhanced, your mind and body will be at extraordinary levels of brilliance, even higher than they are now. Isn't that why you came to this place, to better yourself?"

River slowly replied" Yes..that is the reason, but I don't want to stop dancing."
Dr. Lao said " River if you don't consent to these treatments then you will be expelled form this institute and sent home." She looked at him in shock for a few seconds then asked "Their isn't any other way, have I no other options?"

Dr. Lao said "No, their is none. If you are expelled form here, think how disappointed your family will be, how much shame you will bring to them. Certainly do not want that now do you River?"
River sighed and said "No that is the last thing I want"

Dr Lao looked at her for a few seconds then River looked at him straight in the eyes and said" All right I'll do the treatments"

Dr Lao said " Duō Me River Dr. Mathias will be most pleased!"
River said "I'm sure he will be, I'm honored that he chose me for this program"

Dr. Lao replied "Of course he chose you River, no one else in this facility is as gifted as you"

FOUR YEARS LATER

Why am I here? , Why are they doing these things to me? Now seventeen years old River had been asking herself these questions for the past four years, that was how long she had been at the academy. At least she thought it was four years. She couldn't understand why the academy was doing these things to her, these "treatments" as Dr. Mathias called them. She was in her room, laying on her bed thinking about this among other things.
When she wasn't being subjected to Dr. Matias's treatments and wasn't training with her movement trainers, she was confined to her room. This was were she was her happiest. When she was in her room River was constantly writing her brother Simon letters and thinking of him all the time.
Suddenly her door swung open a orderly wearing a sickly green mask that covered his whole bottom of his face appeared. River could tell all of the orderlies apart simply by feeling their minds, this one River sensed had powerful sadistic thoughts.
She also sensed that he had acted on these thoughts many times with at least twenty former patients.

She dreaded the long ride to the treatment room.
He had a wheelchair with him and River kept herself on high alert. Making herself ready for anything. The orderlies eyes emitted a feeling of crazed joy as he said "Come Subject Tam it is time for your treatments."

All the students at the academy were called subject and then only their last names Their identities were stripped away as soon as they walked into the academy.

River slid off of her bed agilely and sat on the wheelchair, then like always so she wouldn't get too excited the orderly injected her with a serum to calm her. Still River maintained her alertness, for not letting anyone on she had become immune to this serum years ago, yet played clam so as not to rouse any suspicion.
The treatments that Dr. Mathias did took place in a large stunningly white room, the only thing in it was a large white chair which was in middle of the vast windowless chamber The most frightening thing about the white room to River was the fear and pain she sensed had gone on daily within its walls. She sat in the chair and was immediately restrained, so used to the restraints she didn't even bother to fight back as she had in the past.
Dr. Mathias and his team then began the long treatments by sticking wires and needles into her brain.
Even through she had had this procedure done hundreds of times before, when each needle and wire was stuck in her brain pain shot through her mind like a thousand bolts of lightening.

Dr. Mathais's voice broke into River's foggy thoughts
"River perform the task I have given you" River cleared her throat and choked out "It hurts...I can't... focus."
Dr. Mathias was annoyed by her refusal "River do as you are told, you know the penalty for failure!"
River tried to do as had asked, which was to read one of the nurses thoughts but she couldn't her mind was in too much pain.
She said desperately "The pain is too severe.. I can't" Dr. Mathias said angrily " River, you know the consequences for your failure."
River replied urgently "No, please just give me a few seconds to relax I will accomplish the objective !"
Dr. Mathias said " That is no longer a option I have given you many chances to complete this task, you will now face the consequences of your inability." She was breathing sharply terrified of what she knew was about to happen.
Dr. Mathias turned to one of the nurses and said curtly " Nurse start the delcuim drip"
River yelled "No, please, don't make me sleep!"
In the next second River's world went black.
This was how her days were spent since she had agreed to the treatments proposed by Dr. Mathias. She couldn't believe her life had become so tormented and filled with such horrors Pain that is how my days are spent now in utter pain. Oh Simon where are you? I miss you. River thought miserably.

After her session in the white room she was escorted back to her own room by a different masked orderly. River felt this one's mind and began to read it. From what I've read of this one's chart she is expectational. She will no doubt serve the Alliance well. River shuddered internally she quickly shut her mind off to the orderly's wanting to hear no more of her thoughts.
She was incredibly drained form the treatments fell asleep on the ride to her room. As soon as she laid on her bed she rested for a few minutes.
When River awoke she closed her eyes and focused on Simon. She tried her hardest to feel her brother's mind, to see were he was what he was thinking, if he was thinking of her. After ten minutes of trying she stopped realizing she was still too weak from the treatments. I still can't feel or hear him. Simon where are you? Please come soon. River thought desperately.

TWO DAYS LATER.
River had a sense all day long that something good was about to happen to her. Before she was put to sleep for her treatments that day, she felt for the first time in a long time Simon's thoughts. I'm coming Mei-Mei just hang on. I'm coming.

Enthralled by this she waited for the outcome of her prediction. In her sleep River felt a powerful sense, it wasn't a emotion, she didn't quite know what is was but she felt that is was good.
A few minutes later River heard a voice that she hadn't heard in years. Simon your here your really here! She thought ecstatically.

"River, it's me Simon, Mei- Mei, please it's your brother, It's Simon, River can you hear me, Mei-Mei if you can hear me say something please!"
River was too weak form the day's treatments to respond to him right away. She felt Simon take the needles and wires out of her brain and the central needle out of her forehead. Then she opened her eyes and saw that Simon was pulling her gently out of her chair.

Suddenly River's mind was hyper aware of her brother's presence. Still weak she took deep breaths and started to think relived Simon I knew you would come for me I just knew it! I knew they hadn't hidden me that well.

Simon said to her anxiously "Come Mei-Mei we have to go before we're discovered!" Simon walked over to the door and looked out the window to make certain no one was coming.

River taking one more second to gather herself came up behind him and said "Simon, they know your here."

Simon led River out of the room and down a hallway. As they walked he said "We can't make it to the surface form in here" Suddenly he stopped and said to her"Go up." River nodded.

She quickly and gracefully scaled a protruding pipeline stretching herself atop the ceiling.
Simon and River then went to the shafts of the building and breaking open the window to the shaft . Seconds after came a platform River looked up and saw a spaceship of some kind which the platform was attached to. Simon said to her "On the platform River , hěn kuài!"
River jumped on the platform and knelt on it. Simon standing right behind her asked "River are you okay?"She nodded.

Simon then fished out of his pocket a comm link he shouted into it "We're on pull us up, cī!" As soon as the words left Simon's mouth the platform rose up into the ship.

As they were being pulled up River could no longer contain her relief and excitement. She stood up and threw her arms around her brother's neck embracing fiercely and said happily as tears of desperation and relief streamed down her face “Simon, I knew you would find me. I knew I wasn't down that deep missed you.. so much. I ...love you!”

Simon embraced her back and said voice thick with emotion “Oh Mei-Mei I've missed you as well. I promise we will never be apart again.” They pulled apart. River looked at him uncertainly fear eating at her happiness as she said shakily “The Blue Hands.. won't make me talk they ..won't make me They won't.. make me They won't!”
Simon pulled her into reassuringly warm hug which calmed her instantly. He said soothingly “S ssh Mei-Mei S ssh it's all right I'm here. We're safe your safe. I dā ying they won't ever come near you again. Ever Mei-Mei as long as I'm with you.” River relaxed in her brother's arms. She thought happily I knew you would come. I just knew it!

EIGHT YEARS LATER

24 year-old River was happier than she had ever been. Eight long years had passed since Simon had rescued her from the academy. Her mind was no longer in a fog it was clear and sharp. Even more so than in her childhood. River finally felt like herself again. Through she still harbored terrifying memories of her time in the hands of the Academy she was recovering very well. She and her brother had lived for the past eight years on the transport ship Serenity.

River loved the old ship because she could sense all of the past, present and future emotions of it. She was in her room drawing a portrait of her brother and of his wife Kaylee. The instant River met her she sensed that her and Kaylee would become best friends. Best friends is exactly what they had been for the past eight years. River felt closer to Kaylee than ever before. River was equally happy when Kaylee and Simon had gotten married, she loved seeing her brother and Kaylee happy.

Suddenly their was a knock on her door. Putting the picture under her pillow River said "Qingjin Simon"

Simon came inside and said "Why do I even bother knocking?"
River smiled and said "Because hān, it's polite." Simon laughed and shook his head. He then asked "Your right it is Mei-Mei, what are you doing in here?"

River shrugged and said "Just thinking, where's Kaylee?"

Simon replied "She's in the cargo bay she said that you and her had a Jacks game today"
River said " That's right, I can show you both what I want there, come on" Simon walked out of the room, River grabbed the picture and followed him.

Once in the cargo bay, she spotted Kaylee sitting on the ground next to the crates River cartwheeled gracefully over to her and said
"Sorry, I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." Kaylee said "It's all right, so you ready to start playin'."

Simon sat down next to Kaylee and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
River replied "Sure am, but I want to show you both something first" River took the portrait out of her pocket, and gave it to them to see.
Kaylee exclaimed "Wa, River it's great. It really looks like us!"
Simon replied "Mei-Mei this is amazing, thank you!"

River said "Your welcome, I'm glad you both like it." Kaylee set it on the floor beside them and said "I'm gonna hang it up on the wall in the engine room so I can look at it always" Simon and Kaylee kissed they soon got carried away
River said "Hey I thought we were going to play Jacks?" They stopped. Kaylee said "Right sorry River"

With that Kaylee and River played four rounds of jacks which ended in a tie. River suddenly realized something Serenity was her home, for the past eight years she laughed, cried, and played on this ship. She felt more at home here then any other place she had ever been.
Kaylee interrupted her thoughts and said "River you comin it's time for dinner"
Smiling River got to her feet and said "Race you to the dining room Kaylee!" Kaylee laughing said "Oh your on!"
Simon counted them down before he got to three River went sprinting and ran up the scaffolding.
She could hear Kaylee yelling "River you cheated, get back here!"
Laughing River said back "You'll have to catch me first!" Kaylee said "Oh I'll catch you, and you won't be all gigglin' when I do River stop come back here!"

As River ran through the ship she knew in her heart that Serenity was her place her home, just knowing that made her the most content than she had ever felt in her entire life.
FIN

Mandarin Translations
Hěn kuài- quickly
dā ying - Promise
Ci- Now
Mei-mei- little sister
Wa- wow
Qingjin- Please, Come In
Hān- Silly
Duō Me- How Wonderful