The Plasma Engines at the stern spewed conical exhaust flames hundreds of meters long as they began a full half-hour of acceleration, driving the Sky Battleship past the first and second Cosmic Velocities and out of Earth's orbit. Like a Slingshot, it was hurled into space and accelerated once more. Before it escaped Earth's gravitational influence, the frenzied Plasma Reactor steadily increased its output. The energy conduits grew scorching hot, the coolant nearly boiled over, and everyone standing on the deck could feel the accelerating hull trembling incessantly beneath their feet. The redesigned and rebuilt structure barely withstood such force.
Only after the Sky Battleship crossed the Moon's orbit and further reduced Earth's gravitational pull did it begin accelerating wildly. Flickering sparks gradually formed in the void before its bow, then expanded to envelop the Missile Launch Tubes extending from the front of the ship. Some might have felt proud of this vessel capable of sailing through the void, for it represented the pinnacle of Earth's current technology and Latveria's industrial capacity. Alexander Pierce's plan had been to keep three Project Insight Helicarriers hovering in the sky for extended periods, but the Mars Foundry of the City of Immortals had allowed these three girls to fly even higher. They could even pass by the International Space Station, greet the astronauts aboard, and invite them onto the ship for a visit.
Some people dearly wanted to do just that. Perhaps it was the romantic spirit that had seized humanity after stepping beyond Earth, or perhaps it was simply a reasonable form of showing off. Regardless, the request had not even passed command headquarters, much less reached the desk of the royal office. Even so, that sense of romance would not disappear. From orbit, one could not see national borders, religious conflicts,