[Mei]
It's much easier to concentrate, once we moved further from the transmitter. It was a little scary how strong it was! I don't like admitting weakness in front of everyone- Church, Sung and Sanchez, Ksenia, Dai. But I couldn't do it. I wasn't …
[Mei]
"Aye, captain." I get the feeling we will make planetfall one way or another. No, not psi, just a gut feeling. Which may be psionic on its own.
I switch to private channel."Gaumata," I look at zir, say "Gaumata!" with more force. If that cat…
[Mei]
"Gaumata, do you see anything big enough to land on?" Matching rotational velocity could be a real bear, unless most of the planet is left intact. I think back to the theories of how Earth's moon formed, and I wonder if this is what we are se…
[Mei]
"Thank you, Engineering," I say, relief obvious over the open channel. I'll make sure the Jane is responding as expected. Very odd to lose engines... but what a rush.
[Mei]
I juggle the repulsors, bringing the forces around to bear rapidly, rapidly, shoving off this chunk, spotting the next one and course-correcting, getting a vector from the console to the next massive enough slice — Why are they hot? Magma, Me…
[Mei]
Oh, shit. I'm blinking rapidly, my face blank with concentration and adrenaline.
But it's a little like hopscotch, and a little like skipping stones across water, except this is a spaceship dancing on the fragments of a dead planet.
If anyo…
[Mei]
"Aye, Aye." I'm okay with the shields and the debris. Still keeping an eye on the bogeys, just in case they're somehow guided and not bigger hunks of debris.
How am I going to get any sleep? Damn right this thing's gonna get neutralized!
I …
[Mei]
I twitch, the words in my head, between my ears. I pull my hands back from the controls, sharp. Odd that it got Church when it hit me. Maybe he's got some psi, too. Gaumata? "All crew, all crew, I'm hearing words, repeat... gaaah... It's very…
[Mei]
I am good.
Gaumata shunts the ping chart to my station. I spin it, zoom, look, visualize. I zoom again, cock my head, "Looking at vectors... I see it." It's shards from a collision of some kind. Asteroid? A moon? "Field least dense at... rel…
[Mei]
My fingers fly across the console. My gaze darting like a bird's. I quickly take it the major details, and report. "Dai, course corrected for the second bogey. Watch the pair of gas giants on the other side of the star, bearing one-one-three.…
[Thirds]
Got a goofy puppy grin, watching Sun. She feels good. Good on my skin. I'm a little unsteady, too.
Fucking Hugo. A scowl chases my happy, they both leave.
"Do you have to go back?" Not the same thing as have to go. I don't know how to as…
[Mei]
Seventeen seconds is plenty of time. I check the vectors, I check the actual. What's our heading? What's coming for us? I want to plot three separate escape routes.
"Got 'em on the tracker, Dai." I speak quickly, clipped.
[Mei]
"I expected nothing less, Lourdes."
"Church, I look forward to picking up some of those tricks."
Ksenia doesn't respond. Oh, good. Nicely done, Mei.
[Mei]
When Dai calls, I answer. Calm, collected, focused. I'm "on." "Ensign Taban Mei, check."
I'll comm to Church, "Nicely done with Sanchez."
To Lourdes, "Looking good, Lourdes. How's the Jane?"
Ksenia comes on to me. "Aye aye, Ms. Cribbage."…
[Thirds]
I feel.
Drained.
And refreshed.
"Wow."
My brain's full of white nothing. Zen.
Time's moving slow. But I'm still. I want to run.
Do I get dressed now? Does she?
Better eat. Need water.
I get up. Move to the shelves, naked. Look at S…