With a deafening roar, the Acheron began to move. The violet stream that trailed at its end continued to grow, curving upwards with the track. The Acheron’s front was glowing red, and the air there was beginning to warp. With bated breath, Gemini watched as the ship began to shake, having encountered the sound barrier. The Mass Driver rattled along with the Acheron — the critical moment had arrived.

The previous experiments had never even managed to make it this far, but the Constellation and everyone else here were cognizant that the sound barrier was the moment of truth. Right now, both the Mass Driver artefact and the Acheron was under incredible strain, having encountered one of the actually-present laws of physics.

And yet, success or failure hinged on but one thing. If the structural integrity of either item was insufficient, the experiment would end in a disaster. Most of Ark City’s Lords and Paragons were already ready to defend the city if the Acheron or the metal tracks shook themselves apart; at such heights and speeds, the debris would be flung out with an unimaginable momentum.

Gemini watched as the Acheron continued to shoot skywards. A crack followed soon after, and the rattling ended. Before Gemini could make sense of what happened, the ship reached the end of the metal track, and continued its ascent into the afternoon sky.

Silence fell.

“Stars and stones,” Gemini murmured. “We did it! We really did it!”

Elsewhere, the citizens of Ark City, who had been drawn by the commotion, began to cheer. The Constellation had a feeling that they didn’t really understand what they just saw, but it was the feeling that mattered. Cheers rang out around the Mass Driver as the workers poured out of the shelter, jumping and whooping madly.

“It’s not over yet!” Degurechaff yelled out. “Inspectors, carry out your duties! Maintenance crew, pick up your tools! This is a job well done, and we will feast well tonight, but let us see the end through!”

Cheers rang out again, with a violet star soaring up in the sky as their witness. As one, the Paragons of Ark City shot skywards, leaving incredible shockwaves in their wake as they followed the Acheron on its maiden flight. Only Degurechaff was left behind; his job was to coordinate the post-action review and report. The workers bustled with renewed fervour, and soon, the general was swamped by work.

Lila’s arms, which were wrapped around Gemini, tightened further. “It’s amazing.”

“Yes,” Gemini breathed. “This is truly a miracle. With this, we can go anywhere we want. Even if we can’t make it to the Crater of Purple Rain, we’ll be able to escape when the Great Divide falls.”

“How high is it now?” Lila asked. “The Acheron, I mean.”

“Hundreds of kilometres above ground,” he replied. “Even the Paragons can’t travel that high. By now, communications should have been established, and a landing area prepared for the Acheron when all the tests conclude.”

He reached into her bag, found a lollipop, and began to unwrap it. From the way Lila was moving, Gemini had a feeling that she was beginning to feel very self-conscious of their current position, but the Constellation really liked the idea of hugging in mid-air. Normally, in fiction, such an action was reserved for life and death moments, but Gemini would prefer it if he had such moments without the prerequisite moments of danger.

Placing the lollipop in his mouth, Gemini looked up. “Can you still see the Acheron?”

“It’s gone, right?”

“No.” He raised his arm, and pointed at the faint violet trail, which was nearly invisible by now. “Draw a line between my thumb and my finger, and follow it into the skies. It’s there.”

Lila shifted slightly, trying to follow his directions, but even the violet trail had vanished by then. Disappointed, Gemini landed on a nearby rooftop and glanced down at the others.

“I wonder what it feels like, travelling this quickly.” She glanced at the skies wistfully.

“Well, the last time you did that, you gripped my arm so hard that there are still marks on it today,” Gemini replied. “Although hitching a ride with me is probably different from sitting in an Ark-class transport, isn’t it? The Acheron has padded seats, seatbelts, airbags, railings…that said, refitting it to carry lots of people would mean standing room only.”

He tried to imagine a ship full of people as it hurtled down the metal tracks, before making a mental note that some padding was probably needed for a humane evacuation. Either that, or more ships. If they wanted to transport the population of Ark City out with some semblance of dignity, twenty or so ships that were specialised for passenger transport were needed.

As to how that was even possible, Gemini had no idea, but Ark City would work it out, as always.

“Standing while riding that thing?” Lila asked. “That’s a thrill I really want to try.”

“Yeah, no. Not until we’re certain that future launches are a hundred percent safe,” said Gemini. “The previous ones saw a badly injured crew, when the experiments fail. And you’re too precious to be injured.”

Lila fidgeted. “That’s embarrassing! How can you say those words without blushing?”

Gemini laughed. “But we are technically alone, aren’t we? We do this all the time in the first place.”

His smile vanished. “Alright, let’s return to work. Degurechaff’s staring at me, and I’m on the verge of arranging a mixer for him to get him off my back.”

“A mixer?” Lila asked.

“Oh, a meeting where guys and girls meet and try to find a potential partner,” Gemini replied. “I think they’re somewhat popular in Ark City, so getting the general a lover or something probably isn’t that hard. Besides, everyone wants to live the best they can right now, before the Great Divide breaks. The birth rate is skyrocketing as we speak.”

“B-birth rate?!”

Gemini squished Lila’s cheeks as the two landed on the roof. “Lots of pregnancies recently. We’ll be seeing a baby boom for the next few years…though that might be a tad irresponsible.”

“B-baby…” Lila fiddled with her hands. “Is it possible for…”

“We’ll keep trying, okay?” The Constellation glanced at the ground, where workers were running around with instruments in their hands. “And even if we can’t, I’ll still be at your side for all time.”

He stretched his neck. “Alright, let’s go wrap this experiment up.”