14: Crazy Ivan

              Jen grew dizzy the moment she slipped on the Circe's Control Tiara as the ship's computer synched with her brain, both leeching power and feeding her information.  It washed over her like nausea, but she was much better prepared this time.  The battle in the hangar had helped her learn what to expect, and she was able to resist the sensations threatening to overwhelm her.  But still she staggered and leaned against the wall, her momentarily blurred vision showing a still-screaming Ennings vanishing around a corner.
 
Just like the guy in the club, just like her parents, just like her friends, running and leaving her alone with the blood and-
 
Strong arms gently pulled her upright.  “Are you okay, Jen?”  Parson's concerned voice forced her back.  She took a breath, stood, and turned to face him.
 
“Y-yeah.  Yes.” She offered Parson a smile.  A sincere one.  “When the ship is in high activity, it can be overwhelming. I'm getting better, but I still take breaks.”  The ship rocked again.  Parson caught her again.  “But when it's off, situations like this like this can sneak up.”
 
Parson grinned in his special way that Jen was coming to realize was his trademark.  “You just do what you can, Jen.  Learn this ship right, and grow into this.  Remember, you're with some seasoned space jerks now.  We can help.”  He peered at her intently, his face growing serious.  “Really, Jen, you're not alone anymore.  We cast our lots with yours.  Believe in us.”  His smile returned as Jen's eyes widened. “Now let's get to the bridge.”  Jen nodded as Parson stepped past her, and they both started running.  She was not sure if it was some fluke of her powers or triumph of her will that permitted her to suppress her blush until Parson was past her.
 
She found the bridge was a cacophony of shouts and sirens as she stepped through the doors.  The alarms came from many places, the shouts were all Ennings.
 
“-NEED THESE SIRENS OFF, GIZMO!” Ennings was seated at the forward console, frantically sending Circe through evasive maneuvers.  Jen noticed a crimson blast of energy shoot past from behind as she silenced the klaxons with a thought.  Information about the intensity and energy frequency of the beams streamed through her mind as she walked to the center seat.  Ennings' coat was draped over it.  She tossed it aside.  In front of her, Parson took the console next to Ennings and she felt him pull up a tactical display.  Gizmo was behind her, cycling through the alarm systems.  Philo walked into the engine room.  A burner was on in the galley.  The mass drivers were charging at Ennings' command. She silenced the alarms with a thought.
 
“Thank you, Gizmo.” Ennings muttered as the echoes of the sirens faded away.  Gizmo was too busy to answer, and Jenny didn't bother to correct him.  She sent a mental command to Gizmo's console to pull up the engineering display.  A deck plate in the galley was losing its gravitic charge.  A thrill of excitement ran through Jenny.  She was adapting.  This was how it was supposed to work- her mind and Circe's computer working in unison, as partners. 
 
Her concentration wavered momentarily as Parson spoke.  “Chris, the ship attacking us- it's a Keck-class heavy cruiser.  What it's doing way out here is beyond me.”
 
Jen's heart sank.  “It's the Damocles.”  Somehow, she had slipped up.  Left Eriksen a clue.  “Mercenaries, probably hunting criminals hiding from the Senate.” Her voice sounded odd, then she realized she was hearing herself through Circe's internal sensors.  Cool.  “They're well-equipped and ruthless.”
Ennings groaned.  “Yeah, they always are.  Better jump us away before they punch through our shields.” Jen didn't notice the significant look passing between the three men. "I can't imagine what they're chasing us for." Ennings said in the least innocent voice possible.
 
Jen paused.  Torrents of information poured into her body as torrents of psionic energy was siphoned out.  Everything was still too slow.  She hadn't mastered it yet.  She hadn't mastered it and Eriksen was gaining and her friends were counting on her and oh god the blood-
 
She forced herself back to the present.  Circe's computers had given her her answer.  “I can't.”
 
“What do you mean you can't?” Ennings snapped.  “You're the goddamn engine.  Now go.”
 
Parson's voice held concern.  “Jenny, are you getting overloaded again?”
 
“No.”  Jenny forced confidence into her voice that she did not fully feel.  “It's a limitation of the drive.  They're too close.  If I jump now, I'll just bring them with us.”
 
“What's the minimum range?” Ennings asked, his voice tense as his hands blurred across the helm commands.
 
Another pause.  The synch with Circe was still imperfect.  On some level, her mind and the ship's systems were still fighting, not talking.  Finally, the answer came.  “Three kilometers.”
 
Parson groaned.  Ennings hunched over the controls.  “I'll see what I can do.  You'll know when to jump, right?”
 
Jenny mentally felt around for the sensors.  They pushed.  She pushed back.  She felt something on her lip.  She could feel what everyone was doing on their consoles.  Ennings was steering.  Parson was processing tactical data.  Gizmo was trying to regulate the power systems.  Philo was trying to prevent a radiation leak.  She should be able to do everything they were doing, save for Philo.  And Ennings' piloting was amazing.
 
Gizmo spoke.  “We can't take many more shots, no matter how much Jenny has left!”
 
Particle beams danced around the ship, crackling and refracting off the shields.  Jenny felt the truth of Gizmo's words.  Circe was in pain.  The Mercs were shooting to cripple at best, to kill at worse.  Her mind was running impossibly fast, but she couldn't see where it was going.  She scrutinized the external sensor data, mentally filtering it to keep it from overwhelming her.  She could sense for kilometers all around her.  She could feel the ship vibrate, pulse, even scream.  Whatever was on her lip tried to get in her mouth, tickled her chin.  It didn't matter.  She had to do this.  She had to survive.  They all had to survive.
 
She sensed Ennings pull up the tractor beam controls.  What was he doing?  The only thing out here was-
 
The Damocles.
 
“Gizmo, give me everything to inertial shielding.” Jen beat him to it as Ennings slapped the P.A. controls.  “Everybody hold on, this is going to be rough!” 
 
Forgive us, Circe. Jen's silent apology coincided with Ennings engaging the tractor beam.
 
The Circe lurched violently as it was jerked backward by the greater mass of the Damocles.  The ship screamed with the strain.  Ennings opened the fusion engines to full throttle.  Circe was jerked in a rapid circle, swinging back along the length of the Damocles, catapulted past it in a spit second, the ships now hurtling in opposite directions.  The tractor beam shut off.
 
Jen noticed her face seemed cold as she focused on the sensors' datastream.  Two kilometers.  Two point three.  Two point five.  Two point seven.
 
The Damocles was turning, her aft cannons firing.  Jen forced the shields to hold.
 
Two point eight.
 
Ennings was screaming.
 
So was Circe.
 
So was she, Jen realized.  She tasted something metallic.
 
Two point nine.
 
She realized she couldn't see.
 
Three.
 
“NOW, JEN, NOW-” Ennings was cut off as Jen forced a hole through reality.  Everything froze.
 
There is nothing to forgive, said a voice in her head.  A woman's voice.
 
Time started again.
 
She started laughing.  She had done it!  They had escaped!  She could hear Ennings' laughter as the chair seemed to melt from under her and she felt the deck touch her wet face.  Why was it wet?
 
She heard Parson distantly.  “-UP HERE PHILO SHE HAS BLOOD ALL OVER-”
 
And odd thought struck her as she faded out.
 
“When did I start thinking of them as my friends?”