Dear sister,

It is not always nice to have someone sit you down and explain what a mess you are about to make, but that is exactly what Father has just done! I made the mistake, (or maybe not) of telling him about my decision to pursue this new discovery instead of heading to the Alpha Centauri system.  When I returned to Oxford, I found him camped out on my doorstep, briefcase in hand.  I knew he meant business. He sat me down in a very professional manner and explained all the repercussions (both personal and legal) that I would face if I veered from my research path.  It took some effort on his part, but I am now back on track with my original plans.

I realize now how insane my change of direction would be. There were of course contract issues and legal black holes I would have fallen into, but the logistic problems are way beyond anything I imagined. My arrogance in reference to these points is beyond measure and I thank father for his interference. I have not abandoned this new endeavor completely. Arrangements have been made for the continued monitoring of this new activity in space, but other than that, I will now stick to my original scheme. (and of course legal obligation ,as father pointed out most strongly)

This episode has made it very evident that my mental state is still reeling from the trauma experienced in New Zealand. Will this occurrence haunt my subconscious for the rest of my life? Flavoring all aspects of my decision making! If it does, will this taint the work we have taken on? If it distorts the final product we hope to produce, this will not be of any use to anyone. I also feel this year of delay has disturbed my judgement and confidence. Father brought all this up also and assured me that as soon as I reached the research station and began my intense study of our test subject, all this mental insecurity and uncertainty would dissipate. I hope he is correct.

I have now placed the dark entity in the foreground.  It is not gone from my vision, but my way forward is clear and I will attempt to keep its influence to a bare minimum. 

I now have a month for my final preparations before I board the Infinity.  The transport is slightly smaller than your ship the Derringer since most of the passengers are business and research travelers.  As I mentioned earlier, the restrictions for travel off-planet have been tightened, so few permanent immigrants will be accompanying me on my trip.  Only persons travelling on a limited time permit are not facing these new regulations. Since my time in the system will be limited to five years or less upon arrival, father did not have issues with my permissions to leave Earth.  

Let us hope you and I can finish what is needed before our time is up.

Love 

Annalis