Ways to lose a spaceship III

Psychologically speaking, space travel is hard to take. Sure, the physical dangers are challenging with everything you have to manage and be aware of, but there is always a plan, a system, a method for handling them. It's the emotions of space travel and the sheer amount of 'unknowns' out there that ultimately take their toll. 

Greatest of all the unknowns is the answer to the question: "what do I do next?" Fourth backup on the water collector fails? Okay, what next? Cosmic ray burned out half your instruments? What next? Stranded on a planet without a way of calling for help? What do you do then?

Mostly, the answer is to wait for inevitable doom. But, no one can ever really accept that answer, so your mind races trying to find solutions. Frustrations build, panic sets in, and you solve it at an increasing cost to your sanity, or you willingly accept your fate, which only truly happens about twenty minutes after you've passed.

Most hardened space travelers know this, and accept the indifferent calculus of the universe. Whatever their reasons or motivations for being in deep space, no matter ambition or talent, luck or experience, the primary thought for such captains is this: "how much time do I got?" The unspoken second part of that phrase is: "before I die out here."

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