A Bit of History Concerning Aether Exploration
November 3rd, 1866 - The HMA Brittania is Lost With All Hands
Leaving our atmosphere, as it turns out, was only half the dilemma. No achievement comes without loss, and our loss in this was keenly felt. We had accomplished what no human endeavor had before achieved: we had left the constraints of our world and pushed into the heavens. We had not, however, returned. The first ship to ply keel to aether was the HMA Britannia, and she began her short but illustrious career by orbiting the moon. Upon her return to Earth, however, she had picked up so much speed that she caught fire upon re-entering the Earth's atmosphere. She went down over the Black Sea, and the conflagration could be seen even from the aethership moorings in the Khyber Pass. Rescuers were dispatched from a nearby fishing port, but all hands were lost.
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The Remains of the HMA Britannia Still Burning After Swamping in the Black Sea |
Aether exploration nearly ended there. The captain of the newly-christened Sovereign was eager to try his hand at it, though, and surprised everyone by accomplishing the amazing feat turning his ship around completely while still under power in the aether and putting all thrust against the motion of theirhis descent. This slowed his ship sufficiently for a safe return, but she was nearly torn apart by the windsheer against her less aerodynamic tail! She remained airborne long enough for the captain and crew to perform a forced - but safe - landing in northern Punjab. Once repairs were completed the aetheral maneuver was deemed safe enough, provided it was accomplished and then reversed before entering the atmosphere, and mankind was free once again to push to the stars!