Hiss.

The sound of one of Serenity's lesser airlocks swinging shut.

A few noisy thunks, and then a tall figure in a neat-fitting pressure suit slides neatly down the ladder. The suit's black instead of red, and this is neither Jubal Early nor Santa Claus, and it's nothing at all like the last time Andronicus Ji Crowley set foot on this boat.

There's nobody come running to meet him, for one thing; this entrance isn't half as dramatic as before. And the ship - the ship doesn't have quite so many people on it.

And this time, there's no setting off on any grand adventure to save anything.

Once he manages to remove his helmet - branded on the side with the Bentley Aeronautics logo - Crowley tucks it under his arm and pads through Serenity in rubber-soled boots, heading for the engine room.