Derringer 8

Goodbye for now Annalis,

I know this sounds final, but this is the last letter I will be able to send before the two year journey to the Alpha Centauri system.  I did the calculations on your regen and if all goes well you will just be starting your second year of stasis when I arrive at the Phycodurus-8 station. If the lab setup goes as planned, you will have one full year of data to sift through when your two year journey is over. That is quite a few if’s but life if full of those.  I hope your trip goes as smooth as mine has so far.  I will be placed in my cube tonight for the final injection and the following night the Derringer 8 will arrive at the jump location just outside the orbit of Pluto. Unfortunately I will not be privy to that incredible site but that is the price we pay for comfortable travel.

As the Gambol process used by the ship interferes in the space surrounding it, the jump location is place well away from any astral body.  The  nearest thing to the launch location  is Pluto, and that is still far enough away not to be affected by the ship’s jump. They will turn off the artificial gravity right before the Gambol process is initiated and the entire process will be turned over to the automated system as the crew will also be placed in stasis.  I guess there is an accelerated procedure for them and the med staff. It is not a very pleasant process and is not near as smooth as for the passengers, but it only takes twelve hours instead of six days. As this process is used for all passengers on the freight fleet, that was also a consideration when I decided to book on a passenger line.

I have been studying the Gambol process over the last few days as I am not fit for much else other than reading at this moment.  Since I am not a physicist the process is way beyond my comprehension. I realize you are well aware of how the process works, but as it helps relieve my anxiety over what will occur over the next few hours please bear with me as I make a lame attempt at an explanation.The process uses an extreme gravitational field to change our matter to its anti-particle for a brief moment in order to break the light speed barrier.  Then once the correct travel speed has been achieved our matter returns to its normal state. As I said it is way beyond my limit of understanding so please do not quote me. However it works it sounds like magic to me as I have always been told that matter and antimatter are not interchangeable.  I guess this is not the case here as we will not be meeting our anti-particle selves but switching places with them for a brief moment in space and time.

I have included with this message my final sketch of the anomaly plus all the data I have accumulated over  the last two weeks. This will give you just under a year’s time of research before you also set off to the Alpha Centauri system.  I suggest as before that you also take a passenger line.  It has been well worth the extra costs and the medical staff on board have been exemplar. We can limit the size of my studio on New London to offset the costs.  It will make no difference for me as most of my work will be completed out of doors staring up into space.

I am still trying to get a handle on the time difference between the data we have accumulated from Earth the last four years and what I  will discover once I arrive at the new lab. The view of  the anomaly we see from Earth at this moment in time has taken four years to reach our home planet. As the ship I am in  is traveling twice the speed of light and will get me there in just over two years. This means I will be ably to study the array from two years ago from a different location when I arrive.   It will be interesting comparing what we have observed from Earth to the view from a closer perspective.  The new figures will also provide a glimpse from another side of the anomaly from what we have seen previously.  This sounds like a paradox, but I am excited about the prospects. As we know from the data now, the anomaly began to expand towards the Flynn satellite just over 2 years ago. I can then focus most of our new research in that particular location in the system to get a more specific point of study. The new data can then be compared to the data previously collected from Earth for the same time period.  

On a more sober note I need to also discuss a bit more unpleasant business. As there are understandable risks with this type of journey I would ask you to handle the paperwork if something unforeseen does happen to me.  I have left all that is required for my passing with our solicitors in London.  This also includes the release of all my research material and the artistic license to you. I know this is a bit morbid, but I did not want to leave this to Dad.  

I feel I should be writing some deep felt message to my dear sister as this could be my final communication with you. I am going to forgo that as  I feel confident we will both succeed and meet on the other side. I will give you a final thought before I sign off.  For a brief moment in time, you and I will be exactly the same age.  Half way through your stasis and upon my arrival in the Alpha Centauri system we will both be 30 years old.  Sadly once you arrive we will be back to a year apart and I will be the older sister once more.

Please give my love to our parents and I wish you a good trip. See you in our new home.

Love

Victoria