Desert Mountains

Dear Analis,

I am writing to you from high above the river valley, perched on the edge of a gypsum rock fall. The beautiful pale material is scattered in all directions and gives the impression of fresh fallen snow. Although it is colder here than at the studio below, it is not yet the correct conditions for more than a chilled wind. I have left the chaos of the studio site for a few days to protect the little sanity I have left. The investigator arrived four days ago and after a thorough inquiry returned to Newton yesterday. He arranged to have the body transported from the site the day before and escorted Fells personally. Addison pleaded on his behalf to allow Fells to remain on site but the inspector would not allow it. He did agreed that the circumstances read as self defense, but he still needed to follow the correct protocol and complete the official process in Newton. Since Fells will need to remain in custody during this procedure, his departure was necessary. There is also the question of the man’s own safety as the Cultivists will now suspect something is amiss with their mole. Addison is now back at the studio scrambling to replace his two lost workers as the inspector estimated it would likely take several weeks before Fells could possible be returned. I sent a message to Katryna postponing her return and arranged a quick escape for myself. I headed up the mountain early yesterday with survey map in hand hoping a material expedition would clear my head and return the needed tranquility to my world. The studio is now only a place of strife and I hope it can be returned to its previous atmosphere of peace and creativity once I return. I have seen the effects of tragedy on my work and I will not risk this catastrophe flavoring what should be the apex of my art.
The view of the Equine when I arrived at my camp site last night quickly assured me that my decision to take this trip was justified. The once subtle blue tones propagating through the arms of the array were noticeably pronounced from my new vantage point. They almost venture toward an indigo shade and the rhythmic movement within the Equine was reaching out to my shattered nerves, calming my thoughts with amazing adeptness. I sat for several hours in the deep darkness of the desert mountains counting the falling stars and observing my companion in space. I awoke this morning with a new enthusiasm for life that has been missing over the last week. I had even been hesitant to study my lost journal since it was recovered, fearing the incident would flavor how I interpreted the entries and any insight I gained from them. The journal is now safety tucked away in my satchel and I hope by tomorrow I will be ready to study it. I agreed with Addison to make no mention of the book to the inspector. Fells knew nothing about the discovery as he was not present during our search of the dead man’s things and as it did not add anything to the investigation we chose to keep the information to ourselves. I was reluctant to give the journal up to the inspector as It may have been weeks before it was returned if at all.
The variety of material in this area has not been a disappointment so far and I have already collected several samples as I made my way up the mountain yesterday. I picked out a base camp site within a small protected alcove of rock etched out by the constant winds blowing through the canyon. The sound through the stunted pine trees is also adding to the tranquility of this spot and gives some color to the pervasive white and grey of the surrounding terrain. I hope to remain here three days before returning to the studio. This should be enough time to collect ample samples to keep me busy through the cold season and recover my ability to concentrate so I can return to my work. This excursion was part of my plan all along but I was not expecting to be using it as therapy as well. I will try to cover as much territory as possible each day to obtain a diverse sample selection from the surrounding area. The camp site is mainly surrounded by gypsum deposits and granite but the survey shows heavy metal deposits only a kilometer away. I will head there today for my first search, working my way up into the higher elevations. Semi-precious minerals are rare in this part of the planet but Addison informed me that relatives of the turquoise and aquamarine family are present within the area and with a bit of luck I can obtain some samples. Since I will need a vibrant blue color for my rendition that carries the correct wavelength signals of the native source material I am hoping to find one here. It is too much to expect a local source of lapis lazulis or ultramarine but I can still dream.
I have become very dissatisfied with the colors I brought with me from Earth. We were correct in our belief that the materials for our project would need to come exclusively from New London. I have struggled to capture the exact tint to correctly depict the Equine form and no matter how intricate my mixing has become the Earth materials are not adequate. I even question the oil and acrylic base I am now using from the imported supplies and have come to the conclusion that I will need to search for a local alternative to this color stabilizer before I progress any further with the project. When I return to the studio the final phase of the sustainability test will be complete and I will know for certain that the native materials hold the signals required for the finish work to deliver. I am already planning that the numbers will be ideal and the next steps can be put into place. This is a bit shortsighted of me to place such trust in these test given the mix base but I am focusing on the next stage at this point and all my hopes are that it will produce the needed results. I must see the positive now as the negative is straining to drown me. 

I am alone here on this mountain but I am not lonely. The Equine and your constant presence are here with me as a reminder of the incredible vision we are creating for humanity.

Love Always,

Victoria