Finn hurried onto the bridge. Eri and Sherle were still at their posts, though they looked notably more nervous than they had the last time he was there.
"If you're gonna do something, do it fast," said Eri. "We've got about a minute until their reinforcements show up."
"Plenty of time. Jake?"
"You got it, bro." Jake hopped off of the pilot chair so Finn could sit down.
"All right," Finn said as he warmed up the Stella drive. "Everyone hold on; this might get a bit bumpy."
He forced his eyes to remain open as the stars leapt toward him. As his vision began to blur, he started to see the edges of the ship's FTL field, not as distinct as it would be coming off a relay FTL speeds, but distinct enough for Finn's purpose. Instinct overtook thought as he moved the ship as close to the front of the field as he dared before letting the field collapse.
The ship lurched forward, but Finn didn't notice; the light flying past the ship was mesmerizing. He could almost imagine following the threads through the universe to the very core.
"Structural integrity at eighty-percent," Eri warned, his voice faintly audible in Finn's ears. "Seventy-percent ... sixty per-cent ..."
"That should be enough," Finn muttered, catching himself before he was completely lost in the stars. Blinking, he quickly reversed engines. As the ship began to slow to normal FTL speeds, he let out a sigh and sank back into his chair.
After a few moments, he glanced over at Sherle and Eri to see them both staring at him.
"Damn, Finn," Eri managed after a few moments, "I know you always bragged about being a good pilot, but ... damn, man."
"Are you okay?" Sherle asked, a worried look on her face.
"I'm fine," he told them tiredly. "I just need to rest for-"
At that moment, Kyra stomped onto the bridge. She did not look happy.
"Great job on the engine," Finn told her, giving her a weak smile. "You really saved our-"
She stomped over to him and promptly bopped him in the head with both of her right fists
"Oww!" Finn said in surprise; it didn't really hurt, but it sure surprised the heck out of him. "What was that for?"
"For streaming, you gratzz! Don't you know what that does to an engine?"
"Yes," Eri said dryly. "The danger to the engine was the paramount factor here."
She shot a glare at Eri, who quickly opted to shift his attention back to his console. Turning back to Finn, she said, "Do you even know where we are? We could've shot through a sun, or passed too close to a supernova!"
"Or we could've stayed where we were and got shot into a million flaming pieces by the people who are chasing us," Finn said evenly.
"I appreciate that, but it wouldn't mean much if your stunt completely burned out the engine and left us adrift in the middle of nowhere!" She pointed a finger at him in what she must've thought was a menacing fashion. "Don't do it again."
As she stomped away, Eri gave Finn a curious look.
"Don't start," Finn warned.
Eri held up his hands innocently. "Ain't sayin' nuthin'."
Sighing, Finn asked Sherle, "Where are we?"
She checked her console. "Right on track to New Elysia. Looks like you cut off a few days from our trip."
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The Streamer's Edge
कल्पित विज्ञानA repairman and his robot dog live on a small station in the middle of nowhere until a series of events sees them becoming the target of a shadowy organization. Their attempt to escape turns into a trip into a past they hoped to forget. Joined by a...
