The Night Sky

The night was clear and moonless. Paul was gazing out the window of the spacecraft, his work completed, and resigning himself to passenger mode for the next twenty-two minutes, allowing the 747 to carry Relativity 1 to the lower limits of the stratosphere, where it would be launched into space.

Visibility was unrestricted and the stars were lit over the desert sky, almost teasing Relativity 1 to chase them. Paul felt the acceleration as the massive jumbo jet began to rumble down the runway, slowly at first, but picking up speed as the stars beckoned above.