Chemical rockets roared beneath them, a deep, almost melodious sound that they felt in their stomachs.

Lucy could hear Maris shouting something over the roar and the captain responding, they worked at consoles with relaxed speed from years of practice. Lucy glanced over and saw the captain’s daughter staring out the window, an obvious grin on her freckled face.

Her father was laughing with excitement, holding her mothers hand. Lucy’s mother wasn’t so lucky, she was obviously scared, she never liked flying or space travel. Her face was pale and she was biting her lip.

Lucy’s herself was filled with a combination of trepidation, fear and excitement. She’d never been on a chemical rocket before, only older ships had them and most had been decommissioned years before.

Suddenly, the roaring stopped, replaced by a hum. The exodus had cleared the atmosphere and had ejected its chemical rocket engines. Soon, they’d be be able to unfurl the solar sail and glide out of the solar system like a dandelion on the wind.