Veliparib and Topotecan With or Without Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Acute Leukemia, High-Risk Myelodysplasia, or Aggressive Myeloproliferative Disorders

Inclusion Criteria: * Pathologically confirmed diagnosis of 1 of aggressive MPD or AML out of MPD * Aggressive phase high-risk myeloproliferative disorders (i.e., polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, or Ph-negative chronic myelogenous leukemia) meeting ≥ 1 of the following criteria: * Marrow blasts \> 5% * Peripheral blood blasts plus progranulocytes \> 10% * New onset or increasing myelofibrosis OR; * New onset or \> 25% increase in hepatomegaly or splenomegaly * New onset constitutional symptoms (i.e., fever, weight loss, splenic pain, or bone pain) * Patients who failed primary induction therapy or relapsed after achieving complete remission are eligible * No active CNS leukemia; patients with a history of CNS disease must be stable for \> 3 months after treatment and off steroid treatment prior to study enrollment * Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia meeting either of the following criteria: * 5-19% bone marrow blasts (aggressive) * At least 20% marrow blasts (transformation) * ECOG performance status 0-2 * No hyperleukocytosis with \>= 50,000 blasts/uL * AST, ALT, and alkaline phosphatase =\< 5 times upper limit of normal * Bilirubin =\< 2.0 mg/dL * Creatinine normal OR creatinine clearance \>= 60 mL/min * LVEF \>= 45% by MUGA or ECHO * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception during and for 30 days after completion of study therapy * No active disseminated intravascular coagulation * No active uncontrolled infection * Patients with infection that is under active treatment and controlled with antibiotics are eligible * No other life-threatening illness * No mental deficits and/or psychiatric history that would preclude giving informed consent or following protocol * No prior or current seizure disorder or a history of seizure * No more than 3 prior cytotoxic regimens * At least 3 weeks since prior cytotoxic chemotherapy * At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy * At least 4 weeks since prior autologous or allogeneic stem cell transplantation * No active graft-versus-host disease * At least 1 week since prior biologic therapies, including hematopoietic growth factors * At least 24 hours since prior hydroxyurea, steroids, imatinib mesylate, arsenic trioxide, interferon, or other noncytotoxic agents for blast count control * No prior ABT-888 * No other concurrent chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy * No concurrent antiretroviral therapy for HIV-positive patients * No other concurrent investigational or commercial agents or therapies for this cancer