The Neutron Star Highway and the Dangers of Shipboard Pets
27 Jan 2017James Tauri
ASPX Sweet Jane27 JAN 3303
Current Loc: Boeph OD-A D14-979, approx. 3,336ly out from Colonia
Decided to speed my trip along with neutron star FSD boosts, so I abandoned my original route and dove galactic south ~1,200ly to pick up the Hurt Highway at Prua Phoe. Despite getting range estimates of over 180ly from the FSD, Jane's nav computer was overwhelmed, so I never achieved more than a 170ly jump. But each boost put me within a few jumps of the next neutron star, so we made steady progress until just after Boelts CL-Y E439.
Exiting witchspace, I discovered that I had no helm control. Flying tired, I hadn't set the brake, and now couldn't stop. Jane spun out, emergency-dumped in the corona of a Class M star...heat levels shot up, sparks were flying... I frantically checked my instruments. Nothing worked, so I started digging around under the panel. Huddled down in the footwell was my wife's cat... with the THROTTLE CABLE in her mouth.
A heat sink and a prayer later, several lightseconds out, I assessed the damage. Nothing the AFMU couldn't handle, but a still a firm lesson that cats and cockpits don't mix.