‘Salutations’ dear sibling on the eve of your birthday.  Since you are now deep in hibernation aboard the Derringer, this one does not count.  We are now the same age since my November inauguration date and will remain the same age until next year when I turn thirty-one, right before the start of my own voyage.  Then I will be the older sister for only a short time before my deep sleep begins.  Once you arrive at your destination the clock starts again for you.  Sadly, once I arrive we will have returned to our normal hierarchy and you will once again be the older sibling.  I read back in your letter that you referred to us as the same age during the voyages.  I believe you forgot to calculate the change in my departure date.  Previously I was to enter stasis before the advent of my thirty-first birthday, but I am now leaving after that date.  I realize you are hesitant to allow me to be older, even for a short duration, but this is indeed the case.  A small conundrum for you to contemplate and a much needed distraction for my mind during the daily struggle with my regen. Although the technician assures me that it is going better than expected, I tire of the crawling time frame of my recovery.  Any diversion is welcomed, including projecting my thoughts out to where you are now and where we both will eventually be. 

The lab and historic data from New Zealand fills the rest of my cogitations and the conclusions of the later are nearing a resolution.  As close as was humanly possible, I have reassembled the setup that was present ‘Down Under’ in my research camp. There are of course the adjusted coordinates and environmental conditions to be considered, but I am certain these can be incorporated into the adjustments for the sensors’ array. The results from the next few months will not have near as much clarity as the numbers from the desert locations due to the increase noise from the moisture heavy atmosphere here in Oxford,  but I can still use this information to make a final background reading to do a comparison with the soon to come Alpha Centauri numbers. Our original plan did not include this step (since we both would be in stasis at this time), but we will have to work with what has been handed to us.  I originally hoped the lab in New Zealand would continue to collect Earth data from the Anomaly, but now it will have to come from Oxford for the final comparison.

I have now been given clearance to resume my physical training and I have set aside a few hours a week to ramp up my endurance.  The first few sessions were excruciating, but I have now increased my endurance to seven kilometers, three times a week. This is far below the forty-eight kilometers a week I ran before my accident, but I will be up to capacity before my scheduled departure for the space flight.  I hope once you get planet side that your recovery is swift and you can resume your running schedule at the studio site.  I had forgotten how euphoric this activity is.  It has decreased (although not eradicated) the night terrors I am experiencing and the erratic nerve signals my arms have been sending during the regeneration. It is required that I bind my repairing limb across my chest to alleviate the muscle strain,  but I have learned to adapt my gait sufficiently so the interference is minimal. 

I pulled one of your favorite music enumerates from our database to accompany me during my run sessions.  It was necessary to adjust the neural trigger for my cerebellum, but I was even able to use the same finger trigger you had developed to make the adjustments simpler.  The playlist is still too long for my current endurance, but I will get there.  It gives me a target to strive for and a small amount of competitive spirit to keep me motivated.  

There have been some new developments in the larger metropolises for this type of data retrieval. It is not clear to me if it is being done because people cannot recall their sub-routine to instigate their embedded programs or if it is only a new fad.  There are several pop up businesses that created a tattoo over the trigger location on the subjects body.  I have seen a few students here at Oxford with the reminder visible, but from what I have heard they are rampant in London.  One student in my audience last week had three different locations tattooed. One was a spiral on his small finger, another was a treble clef on his wrist and the last was a bullseye on his earlobe.  I assume the music symbol was to remind him of his trigger to initiate his music list, but the other two I have no clue.  Triggers for sleep on his finger or a book experience on his ear lobe, your guess is as good as mine.  It is enough to fill my synoptic memory with one program,  I do not need multiple disciplines cluttering up my already busy gray matter.

It is convenient to have the music subroutine available at all times though.  And what a clever cerebral trigger you created to prompt your run list. If I am out running and realize I need some additional motivation, I only need to tap the pads of my small finger and thumb together four times and envision the molecular formula for salt and water. (perspiration, funny) Then your play list begins.  Very expansive thinking! It reduces the chance of starting the music at an awkward moment, (say in the middle of a lecture) and keeping the convenience of instant access.  The music is also a very motivating combination of offerings.  I hope you are able to squeeze in time during your busy startup schedule to also experience this.  We will both need the added concentration to continue the myriad of activities need to continue our dream

I have rabbited on long enough.

Love Always,

 

Annalis