Dear Victoria,


Well… I am now down to the bare minimum of possessions here in Oxford. Mother has returned to London with all my favorite things and I am left with a taste of what is to come. Several times I have caught myself digging through empty cabinets searching for some lost trinket that is no longer there. I miss my tea cups the most I think, having now resorted to an old mug with the college logo stenciled on it.


My meeting with the professor went well with no difficulties or surprises. I now possess a lengthy set of instructions on my role in the removal of the creatures to their new home. It has relieved some of my apprehension about the process and cleared up a few of my more pressing concerns. My role will be limited to pick up and delivery, both at the space station orbiting Earth and at my final destination. A third of the now dormant population will be destined for life on the research station near the Anomaly, while the remaining will be transferred to a waiting host on New London. I only need to move these planet bound containers from the stasis chamber on the deep space transport to the transfer pod before I leave the ship. The creatures will complete the remainder of their journey confined there. I was not given any further information on this final leg to the planet surface since this was something I did not need to know. For security reasons it seems only a few individuals know the entire transfer specifics. This will help with the success of the project and the safety of the cargo and those involved. I have the name of the entomologist on the Phycodurus 8 who will take possession of my sleeping ship mates, but other than Professor Simona he is the only collaborator I know of by name.


My departure is still month away but my excitement and apprehension is growing. I catch myself daily dreaming of my first site of the Anomaly. I have only seen images of the creature, but I feel its presence as if I grew up bathed in its aura. It must have some type of influence on me even from this great a distance, but it will be nothing compared to what is to come. My curiosity about the affects you will have in the coming year is at the top of my inquisitive scale. It has been reported that individuals who have been privileged to live their entire lives under the influence of the Anomaly experience molecular changes. Not really a mutation so to speak, but electrical signal enhancements on how the brain processes messages. I cannot wait to have access to these types of studies. Once I am at the research facility these should become available. The scientific community within the Alpha Centauri system has been very close mouthed about this data, but I was guaranteed access once I am established within their guild. We will have to see how this agreement of disclosure holds up. Oh course I will also be obliged to share my own secrets. But fair is fair!!


Yesterday the final instrument shipment was sent to Calais for processing. I now have only the equipment on site that is slated for the baseline measurements here on Earth to keep me occupied during this final leg. There is always a bit of anxiety when I let my instruments out of sight. Even though most of the pieces have made multiple trips around this world, they have never made an interstellar trip. I hope I have prepared them adequately. The same trepidation is there when I think of you and I. Were you sufficiently prepared for your journey and the eventual integration into a new society? I sometimes question if I am ready yet. Maybe a few more nostalgic visits around Oxford will solidify my predisposition. A last visit with our father is definitely necessary. I would feel lost without his final lecture on preparedness.


Love to you,
Annalis