Annalis picked up her coffee from the table surface and took a long sip of the black liquid, savoring the taste and aroma.  Still holding the cup up to the level of her lips, she looked over the edge of the cup at the Equine.

She had been aboard the Phycodurus for three months and the view of the Anomaly floating in space never failed to impress her.  This was always where she started her day; sitting in the stations viewing lounge, breaking her fast with the full view of her research subject to keep her company. 

She lowered her empty cup and finished the last of her warm cereal, before carrying the dishes to the cleaning station.   “Getting a early start as usual I see.” A voice said behind Annalis.  She turned to see chef Amelie coming through the lounge entrance, carrying a starched white chef jacket folded across her arm. “If you would only wait a half hour you could have a fresh cooked meal to start the day.” She smiled, knowing the reason Annalis came so early.  She knew the scientist preferred the quiet communion with the Equine over the crowded dining the later hour offered.  “Good morning Chef.” Annalis said as she disposed of the recyclables next to the cleaning station. “You are the only person I prefer to see before the start of the day.  The cereal is all I ever need this early anyway. My appetite will be saved for your marvelous creations later this evening.”  She laid her hand on the woman’s shoulder as she passed, heading out of the lounge and towards her lab, anticipating the work that was awaiting her.

Already the station corridors were full of people, heading to the lounge or getting off the previous shift.  She quickly made her way down a service corridor, bypassing the main engineering section.  She then took the equipment lift three levels down to the observation labs, using the special pass code embedded in her wrist unit.  It was not strictly forbidden to take this route with the proper authorization, but it was mainly reserved for maintenance personal moving equipment or hazardous materials. Since it was unoccupied, Annalis took a chance and made her way around the crowds to the lab by utilizing this alternative route. 

The Equine influence research labs were all located on the fourth level of the space station, on the side facing the Equine.  The station did not rotate as some orbital facilities did, using artificial gravitational fields in place of rotational gravity. Due to the nature of the stations research, Equine exposure to one half of the Phycoduras needed to be maintained at all times. The placement of the greenhouses and the live animal enclosures were also located on this side of the structure, allowing the plants and creatures the constant benefits given by the Anomaly. All living quarters for humans, plus the storage and maintenance sections were situated on the other half since these services were not dependent on the Equine influence for their livelihood. 

Annalis arrived at the door to her lab and keyed the sensor with her wrist unit.  The indicator above the entry went from amber to green and the door slid open, disappearing into the wall to the right of the opening.  Annalis entered and the entry closed behind her, just as the automatic lights came on to light the interior of her lab. She first went to the viewing wall of the lab and activated the controls located to the left of her work bench.  The entire back wall of the lab silently slid to the right, exposing the view outside the station. Annalis had just left the view of the Equine from the perspective of the lounge, but she still took a moment to appreciate the full glory of the creature from the enhanced viewing capabilities of her lab. The glass was made specifically for Equine study and it had been one of the major expenses of the lab budget.  Spectrally the glass was as near perfect as if no barrier separated her from the vacuum of space.  There was no better place on the entire station that gave a more accurate and unenhanced view of the aspects of the Equine. 

She quickly grabbed her research tablet from the storage cabinet and her journal from her desk before she sat down at the lab counter running along the full length of the wall facing the Equine. “First things first.”  She said to the empty room. “A letter to Victoria.”

Dear sister, 

The expectorant of the Moramet! Let’s start there.  That description does not sound so appetizing, but what a fascinating subject to explore.  Does the saliva have potential for our project? I have never explored the possibilities, but logically if the Moramets are a supplement to the bee population, then clearly they produce some alternative material to honey.  There is a focus team here on the station that is looking into Equine influence material as a food supplement and I believe the Moramets are included in that study, but I know little about their findings.  I think I heard someone from their team comment several weeks ago that a new product they were studying was found to be non-toxic and having a distinct flavor, but I am not sure what substance they were discussing.  I am curious that if the Moramets produce some type of non-toxic material, if the flavor is as pleasant as honey? The Moramets on the station are not prolific as their fellows are expected to be planet side once they are established,  so there is not much excretions to test other than what the researchers deem as relevant.  I know from the chef (who I have become friends with) that she has requested a small sample of any product the researches find non-toxic so she can experiment with them, but the research team has denied all such requests, keeping what substances they have for testing and chemical analyses.  Chef Amelie has become very frustrated with the lack of cooperation from the team, since she also has an interest in preparing dishes that contain material influenced by the Equine.  Her interest sound similar to your description of your friend Nikolas’s work. She wants to introduce different materials into her already vast assortment of ingredients produced in the stations greenhouse. Hopefully she will eventually be granted these requests.  She is very persistent. If it is granted, I will be the first to volunteer as a taste tester for Amelie.  I already think her current offerings are amazing, and I regret every time I am too late for the daily meal times. It takes a lot to drag me away from my lab, but her dishes are one of the things that will.  If I receive more information on the work being done on the Moramet material or any research being performed on New London, I will let you know.  Although they are keeping the location of the Moramet colony very quiet due to the risk of protest or sabotage, I can see if I can get an invitation for you to visit.  We are all working for essentially the same entity, so it might be possible.  I will leave it up to you to wheedle a sample of the excreted material from them if you can. You have a valid purpose for research into the properties, but it might take several years for the full Equine influence to absorb into the Moramets located on the planet surface. We do not have enough information on how long exposure is needed to see any benefits from a new introduced species, and the exposure planetside is more defused than here on the station. I know in humans and mammals the influence is almost immediate either near the Equine or on New London, but this effect is mostly behavioral and not metabolic.  I am not sure about the Aerial Moramet species and the material they produce. Their response may be more plant like and we both know that plants take several generations before the Equine influences their output, but I am sure Nikolas could give you more information on that subject.

I will see if the researchers here have any further information to share. I will have to find something worth a trade for them to be persuaded to cooperate. 

I must stop now and run some data threads on your brain scans.  I want to see how different they have become now that your exposure is complete. 

Love Annalis