Space boats

— Another accident.
— An accident? Are you an idiot, have you seen that tub?
The ship was going into flames above the city. It was an old fishing boat, the kind that was out of commission for decades. The fireworks were at the deck, with the fuel tanks. Of course, these flying trashes weren't made for space. The guy was at the bow, desperately fixated on the horizon. The city already a blur in the eyes of the damned.
— It's a freaking murder to let him go in that.

When the rich bastards took off to the stars, they did so using all the rockets at their disposal and brought with them every rocket engineers in the process, to ensure nobody else would be able to follow their tracks. As it happened, they forgot some skilled people in their hurry. Left behind, stripped of the blueprints and assemblies, they struggled to reproduce the technology that was stolen from them. They first turned to the next best thing regarding space exploration: locomotives. As it turned out, they perform poorly under a Sunful Sky. Persevering through the failure, they settled for boats.

Make Ships, Makeshift

The idea is not so complex. Strap a powerful engine or two on the back of a boat, space proof the hull, hermetically close the helm, launch from an elevated point and hope for the best. Which almost never happen, of course. The thick atmosphere allows for a good floating of the vehicles, but it is so packed with heavy inflammable particles that most of the time, engines combust and crash loudly on the city below before escaping the smog.

Despite the near 100% casualty rate, the first flight caused a huge uproar throughout the megalopolis. Suddenly, going up to space was not a pipe dream anymore. Taking inspiration from the first model, many people and organisation began to build up their own version, using mostly outdated ships that were not even good for sailing. While it may not lead them to space, it provides at least a good show for those who don't take the leap. Unless they are just below when it bursts.