When the day of the meeting came, Andy prepared a small, cozy room at their underground base. Subdued lighting set the mood, and on a wooden table in the center lay blueprints, schematics, and a few gadgets they had developed.

Cendrillon arrived on time, her frame petite, with shoulder-length wavy brown hair and an air of cautious optimism about her. The name "Cinderella" might have sounded whimsical to some, but looking into her eyes, Andy could sense a seriousness that belied the fairy tale reference.

"You've made quite the impression on Ignace," Andy began, offering her a seat.

She chuckled softly. "I have a way of doing that. It's my gift, I suppose. Persuasion without coercion."

Looking around at the schematics, she continued, "I see you've been busy."

"Always," Andy replied. "But tell me more about this rocket plan. How did you come up with it?"

Cendrillon leaned back, her fingers lightly drumming on the table. "Sergey used to tell me about space, the stars, the freedom of the cosmos. It was always a dream to reach out to that vastness. But after the Rapture, the canopy took that dream away. I want to reclaim it."

The conversation went deep into the logistics, the designs Sergey had proposed, the physics involved, and more. Cendrillon's knowledge was extensive. It was evident she had spent years contemplating and refining this dream.

As the discussion came to a close, Andy broached a personal topic. "Why 'Cendrillon'? Why embrace the title of 'Firstborn' so publicly?"

She smiled, "Being born just after the Rapture was a significant event for my family. My mother, a devout Christian, saw it as a sign. The world had been turned upside down, and here I was, a beacon of hope, as she saw it. The name Cendrillon wasn't just about a fairy tale. It was about rising from the ashes, making something out of nothing. It's a constant reminder to me that even in the harshest times, there's a story to be told, a destiny to be pursued."

Andy nodded, impressed. The Other Light needed more people like her – dreamers with a practical edge.

As Cendrillon left the base, Andy couldn't help but think that with her passion and Sergey's designs, the dream of breaching the canopy might soon become a reality. The pursuit of knowledge and freedom continued, and the Millennial Kingdom was in for some profound changes.


Before parting ways, Andy and Cendrillon shook hands. "I accept. We'll help. Who's flying?"

"I am" Cendrillon said.

"You don't have to take the risk, we do have some trained helicopter pilots, believe it or not..."

"No, it's got to be me."

"Personal glory?"

"I turn 100 in less than a year. I made a profession of faith to Cameron, but my heart wasn't in it - sorry, he's just... I got creeped out. If something happens to me, well... I'll at least have been up there."

Andy understood. Goodbyes said, the centurion sat down and opened a spreadsheet, beginning to marshal what resources The Other Light could divert to this project. All those while-we-wait plans, and the first serious project of TOL had been dropped into their lap by a kid next door.

Less than a year to build a suborbital rocket and put a drill on it, Andy Wiggin thought. The first step on the road to the stars. Well, why not. I am a legionary. Where I go, I build the road.


Chloe walked the vast gardens of COT, the scent of blooming flowers filling the air. Her Glorified body allowed her to see, hear, and perceive things on levels most couldn't. She felt connected to the grand design of the universe, and yet as the person who had put her genius-level intellect towards managing the logistics of the Tribulation Force pretty much by herself, she also retained the core essence of her humanity, which occasionally resurfaced in introspective moments.

As she walked, her thoughts were consumed by the conversation she overheard about Cendrillon's mission. To most of the Glorified, such ambitions seemed futile, even heretical. But Chloe had always been a thinker, and she contemplated what it meant on a deeper level.

She recalled her own days of curiosity, ambition, and seeking truth. The need to explore, to reach out to the unknown, was inherently human. It wasn't just about reaching the stars; it was about understanding one's place in the cosmos.

"Jesus is on His throne" Chloe then reminded herself "and all is well with the world."