Farther Than the Blue Sky

There were just five of us when we first started developing rockets. We didn't have enough money, equipment, or knowledge. Everyone told us we would fail, but I... We... didn't give up. None of us. We lived on Amanoshima, an island far to the south of mainland Japan and the location of a large aerospace program. Our school, Amanoshima Academy, had a prestigious aerospace curriculum and students from all over the nation attended it, eyes set on being a part of the next generation of rocket scientists. "Hey. Want to make rockets with us?" That was why I was so surprised when asked me to join her. I was enrolled in the normal curriculum, not aerospace, and nobody ever doubted the fact that I…