Serenity (Firefly vessel)

:For other uses, see Serenity (disambiguation)

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Serenity is a Firefly-class spaceship featured on the science fiction television series Firefly, created by Joss Whedon. She fits the profile of a light freighter, having a cargo area equivalent to about three or four semis. The photon-reaction drive in the bulbous rear section of the ship lights up when accelerating, thus the class moniker. The engine pods rotate down like a VTOL aircraft. Whenever the ship lands, her wings fold down like the wings of a bird coming to rest. As she is a run-of-the-mill civilian cargo vessel, Serenity has no weapons or defenses beyond the guile and skill of her crew.

Related Topics:
Spaceship - Science fiction - Firefly - Joss Whedon

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Serenity's layout is triple-tiered. The upper deck houses the cockpit at the front, in the "head". Moving aft from the cockpit leads into a corridor through Serenity's "neck", in which the crew quarters are housed. There is a passage in this corridor leading down to the upper cargo bay catwalk. The middle of the top deck, in Serenity's "thorax", is the galley and kitchen, hued in a gentle yellow and decorated in part by Kaylee's paintings of flowers. Deep in Serenity's abdomen, accessible through the back of the galley, is the engine room, housing the Firefly drive and a great deal of mechanic interfaces. It also houses Kaylee's hammock.

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The flight of stairs attached to the aft corridor leads down to the ship's common area, part of which is taken up by an enclosed medical bay. The common area is spacious, and furnished with settees and sofas; the medical bay is kept (usually) clinically clean. Aft of the common area and medbay are the passenger quarters, perhaps higher-quality than that of the crew's.

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Forward of the common area is the cargo bay. A vast, open space, two decks tall, it is the largest single room on the ship. Its upper catwalk is accessible via two flights of stairs. The front of the bay houses an airlock; the two inner lock doors slide in from either side, whilst the outer lock door rotates down and out, forming a convenient ramp when lowered. There are controls to operate the airlock both within the lock itself, and on the inside of the cargo bay. The outer lock door also has a door-like component in its centre, allowing personnel to enter and exit the ship without needing to open the ramp fully; however, for vehicular access or access for large cargo, the ramp must be lowered. The cargo bay also houses the "mule", a small local-transport vehicle. In the television series, this was effectively a yellow quad bike modified for cargo hauling. This was destroyed in the episode "War Stories" after being set on fire, and was replaced by a hovering vehicle sometime before the main events in the film Serenity.

Related Topics:
War Stories - Serenity

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The upper catwalk also provides access to the ship's two shuttles. The port shuttle is general-purpose, and used for hauling cargo, escape purposes, or as an alternative means of transportation. The starboard shuttle was rented out to registered Companion Inara Serra during the television series. Both shuttles are extended out of the ship before launch, and drawn in when docked.

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Serenity was acquired by Malcolm Reynolds in 2512, shortly after the end of the Unification War. Her name comes from the final battle of the war between the Alliance and the Independents, which took place in Serenity Valley. Malcolm and his first officer, Zoë, wanted to be free of the Alliance and having a ship was the best chance. At the time it was purchased, Serenity was little more than a planet-bound derelict. She was still intact, still space-worthy, but her engines were shot and most of her equipment was in sore need of repair. Mal's plan was to acquire a pilot, mechanic, and cook and start taking jobs immediately. It took them almost a month to get Serenity of the ground, as her first mechanic, Bester, was not as advertised. Mal was quick to realize how hard it was to find work in an Alliance controlled solar system, and is not above using Serenity for ill-gotten gain if the gain is high enough.

Related Topics:
Malcolm Reynolds - Unification War - Alliance - Zoë

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