From the Earth to the Moon Ch. 00

Author's note: As requested, here is a cast of the characters of the story, at least through the soiree at Indian House. I don't perceive any additional characters (at least not any significant ones) being added afterwards. Also, even though the father of the character Deedra Helmholtz was a very real mathematician, to the best of my knowledge, he never had a daughter named Deedra. The same is also true of the Metetini, the fictional grandniece of the very real explorer, Sir Samuel White Baker.

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James Davidson--Ex-confederate soldier, head of the Ethernaut Corps for Edison's Moon Project

Lillian Meynard--Owner of the New Jersey boardinghouse that James lived in

Daniel Meynard--Lillian Meynard's son, part owner of the American Emporium Hotel and manager of Daniel's Cafe Americana

Jane Meynard--Lillian Meynard's daughter

Antonio Fiorvanzo--Part owner of the American Emporium Hotel and James's barber

Sophia Fiorvanzo--Antonio Fiorvanzo's daughter

John Patterson--James's Union Commander when James was paroled to a U.S. military fort in the western territories

Kimberly "Scarecrow" Patterson--John Patterson's Daughter

William Waggoner--United States UnderSecretary for International Ethreal Cooperation

Emily Waggoner--William Waggoner's daughter

Lord William Brent--Representative for the East Indian Trading Company to the Edison Moon Project, ethernaut

Lady Sarah Brent--Lord Brent's younger sister

Countess Harriet Leslie Brent--William and Sarah Brent's mother

Kathryn Rice--William Brent's fiancée

Kalyani Gupta--Lady Brent's maid and companion

Patrick O'Sullivan--Reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Katherine O'Sullivan--Patrick O'Sullivan's daughter, Spokeswoman for the Edison Moon Project

Dayo Wong--part owner of the American Emporium Hotel

Cuifen Wong--Dayo Wong's daughter

Marie Olivier--Young French Noblewoman

Claudette Dubois--Marie Olivier's guardian and suspected spy

Kido Aritomo--General Consul to St. Lucia for the Empire of Japan

Kido Akihiko--Aritomo's son

Kido Kumiko--Aritomo's daughter

Deedra Helmholtz--Assistant to Sonya Kowalevski

Bessy Johnson--Emancipated Slave, Suitemate of Emily Waggoner, instructor at school for American/British dependents

Nizhoni--Orphaned daughter of US Navajo Scout, instructor at school for American/British dependents

William "Tiny" Teller--Chief engineer for Edison Moon Project Launch Rail Construction Project, Chief field engineer, Canadian Pacific Railway

G. Lade Walker--Pilot for the future New Jersey-St. Lucia dirigible route

Ilyana--Moon Princess

Hernomazy--Moon Prince

Maya Ramirez--Seamstress

Alejandro Ramirez--Maya's younger brother, student at the American Charitable School for Indigenous Children

The Director--Director of the Edison Moon Project

Lord Geoffrey Dallas--Governor-General, St. Lucia

Kenny Rider--Horse carriage driver

Rafe Lesmond--Kenny Rider's brother-in-law, sergeant in the Colonial police

Sir Daniel Devereux--Major property owner and director of various illicit enterprises on St. Lucia

Joseph King--Underling of Sir Daniel Devereux

Metetini Baker--grandniece of Sir Samuel White Baker

Ian "Wonko" Cargill--ethernaut from New Zealand

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(Historical figures)

Thomas Edison--American Inventor

Alfred Nobel--Swedish Inventor, head of the propulsion division of the Edison Moon Project

Otto Lilienthal--German "Glider King", head of the aeronautical division of the Edison Moon Project

Wilhelm II--heir apparent to the German Empire, aspiring future ethernaut

Ognjeslav Kostovic Stepanovic--head of Edison's non-Moon Project research on St. Lucia

Sonya Kowalevski--Chief Mathematician for Edison Moon Project (Author's note: some liberties might have been taken with Ms. Kowalevski's physical description)

William Ramsay--Scottish chemist

Sir Samuel White Baker--Deputy Governor General, St. Lucia

Yazu Royoichi--Japanese inventor