Cathead Dome, Colonial Lunar Administration Zone -- 11 Apr. 2057: A 500-megaton load of assorted packaged foods bound for Ganymede jumped the tracks of the Lunar-Jovian catapult run early this day, causing extensive damage to the mechanism and leaving dried ramen and fungus burger patties strewn over several square kilometers of the lunar regolith. No injuries occurred in the accident.
According to supervising catapult engineer Tagny Daggart, a microsecond power failure to one of the catapult's electromagnetic guidance rings allowed the package to briefly contact the edge of the run at extreme speeds. "She ripped right through about a dozen guidance rings," stated Ms. Daggart in an in-person interview. "The cat's gonna be down for a lunaday at least, maybe two." The Colonail Lunar Catapult Authority is advising companies with shipping plans that they will be compansated for the wait, but is strongly urging them to make alternate plans.
According to Ms. Daggart, accidents of this nature are a rare but regular feature of catapult operations. "Oh sure, he can be a mean bitch to ride on. Fastest ride in the system though, if you got the guts for him." Ms. Daggart estimates that a load goes awry approximately once in nine months. Though such accidents have caused occasional injuries, some serious, Ms. Daggart is proud of the system's completely fatality-free safety record. "Working a rig like this is dangerous, sure. No two ways about it. Wouldn't do anything else for the world on a chain."
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