The hair on the nape of my neck stood erect!
Instead of correcting the course, the blast had veered Clem's nose a full ten degrees farther to starboard so that she pointed straight at the Sun!
My voice was shaky as I called Control again. "Swanson, you rummy! You gave her starboard blast instead of port! Damn it man! You've taken us another ten degrees farther off arc!"
"But Captain!" protested Swanson, "I gave her what you ordered!"
"I ordered five point five to port!" I shouted angrily.
"I gave her five point five to port!" Swanson howled.
Holcomb cut into the conversation from his metering station near the shaft. He sounded shaky with fright. "He ... he ... called for five five ... to port, Captain, and that's what I ... I gave him! But something's ... wrong! She's not responding."
"Cut all power!" I ordered sharply. "We'll have to check all the controls."
There was a moment of tense silence before Holcomb's voice came back, more frightened than before. "She won't cut off! I can't kill the drive! She's got ... the ... bit in her teeth, and...."