It started with her aunt's stories; she wanted to do something as interesting and important as Shannon O'Donnell, and space
was where the fascinating things were.
It started through a disagreement with his father. Technology might not be good enough to make solid, wholesome food,
but it could get him to places he couldn't even imagine. You wouldn't find anything as interesting as space in all the
books in the library.
It started with wanting to actually fly the things he made models of, even if Robert wouldn't understand. They were
fabulous machines, and he wanted to follow the footsteps of the people that made them, follow the Phoenix's flight.
It started with wanting to be like his father, because what son didn't want to be his father. He could help people
up there, in a way he couldn't down here.
It started because space was out there and humanity had to get its feet wet sometime, they couldn't hide behind the Vulcans's
skirts for the rest of forever.
It started when he realised he could make a lot of money out of it. He found things and people, weird and wonderful
people, out there that made money the least of it all, but it was a good kind of least to be starting from.
It started because the politicians thought it was the best way to make a point, the people involved might have disagreed,
but it was the chance of a lifetime so who was going to say no.
It started their way, because they had to solve the problem of controlling flight. It was all well and good getting
people up in the air, but what was the point if you couldn't get them down. Too many brave men lost their lives because
of a lack of steering mechanism, and they had the brains to invent one.
It started with visionaries and mad men, geniuses and frauds, airborne in fixed wings and zeppelins, balloons and contraptions
too advanced to be believed. Where birds flew, so would man.
It started when a caveman looked into the sky and wanted to touch the stars.
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