The Beaded Tapestry

Dear Victoria,

I have spent many hours considering the strange story of my abduction and incarceration on the ship orbiting the dead satellite.  During my few months here on the Phycodurus I have glimpsed both my captors among the inhabitants.  One of them, the man, is a member of the medical staff.  I have not been able to determine his position on the station, but he is of high rank according to his uniform.  I am cautious about asking for information about him or trying to glimpse into his records as this might bring his attention to my presence. So far I have seen no indication that he even acknowledges I exist. His role on the station does not seem to cross any path with mine or my work. The woman from the memory works in the behavior research department and I have been able to access her information with less notice because her division works along with several of my direct associates.  Her main role in the team is focused on research into New London native species and their adaptation to introduced foreign material, flora and fauna.  This also includes the disturbance to natural environments and climate shift caused by human interference over the occupied centuries. I suspect she is one of the driving members of the protest groups that fight against the use of New London as a research hub. I am questioning my conclusion since it is odd that she has such a prominent role here on the station, but I am still gathering proof of this assumption.  Of course this does not explain why I have a memory of the abduction or why I have such weird recollections of my time spent on their ship.  I get no indication from either of them that they know or acknowledge me. Indeed these thoughts take me back to your dream journal filled while you were ill in your first year on New London.  You eluded several times when you reviewed your writings that it seemed to be focused on the Equines past history; the vision of the creature’s emergence into the universe and its first encounter with mankind.  Could it have also the ability to impart future events into the minds of recipients? We always suspected the Equine was not a creature confined by time, but one existing outside those constraints.  Animate in all times at once with no forward or backwards, but only a mindful connection to all existing moments at once.  An entity that is present in every moment at once, experiencing all of time and space without limitations that require it to follow the flow, but can remain still as the waters of a lake, watching the passage of the universe around it. This is a fascinating but terrifying thought. It means at some time in my future, I will be whisked away off of the Phycoduras and deposited in a far off orbit to be interrogated.  I cannot even go to the security captain here on the station about this.  How insane will he think me if I related these fears? So I am telling you. Not to alarm or worry you, but as a precaution if (or when) something happens.  I will do as you did and write down everything I remember so if this is indeed a premature warning from the creature, you will have some knowledge about my whereabouts and the nature of my captivity.

Then there is the subject of the dark entity I encountered on the ship.  Are these memories being supplied by this creature?  Is it an aspect of the Equine we have not encountered before, or a whole new player? Is the Equine a creature of past and present, while there is a counter part that proposes the future? Sorry to go on and on with my musing and questions,  a harbinger with no definitive answers, but It would comfort me greatly if we could debate these points together.  I hate to think I am losing my grip on reason. I believe these same types of thoughts passed through your mind after reviewing your dream journal.  The similarities are a bit alarming.

Please do not let me ruin your time with Nikolaas.  Tell me all about your time together in your next letter and the things you have learned.  Do not leave out any of the delicious details about the creations you will be privileged to try. It will be a welcome distraction and remind me of what my real focus is here.

Love Annalis

Dear Annalis,

I look forward to reading your vision journals as you explore the new found relationship with the Equine.  I remember my brief time on the space station and realize how vastly different my response and experience is now on the planet surface.  Indeed the scans will be an interesting comparison, since we have both been on the station, but you have not yet visited the planet.  I have done some preliminary work this last year on my own brain chemistry changes, but the addition of your information after an extended stay in close proximity will be beneficial as a comparison. 

I am preparing to leave in a few days to meet Nikolaas in Newton.  Travel by geotrain will again be my mode of transport since it is both pleasant and practical.  Nikolaas has sent me a list of items he would like me to bring from the desert around my studio.  He will utilize these items in the seminar we will be attending.  I guess he has done some research ahead of time on the health and wellness benefits obtained from desert fauna and wants to get a head start in Newton under the direction of our host.  He also wants to use the extensive lab facilities of the institute where the seminar is being held. There are come analytical processes that require specific equipment that are not available to him at his facility.  His plan is to complete these analytics in parallel with the seminar.  I guess there are some major restrictions on the use of substances in his profession and he wants to be sure all the materials we will gather when he stays with me at my studio can be utilized when he returns to his home.  He will also need the official certifications from an accredited lab to ensure his offerings are aligned with the regulatory guidelines for food stuff. I forget sometimes how different or two professions are.  We are both artists, but I cannot poison anyone with my products.  I only hope I can find a sample of all the materials he has asked me to bring before my departure. Some of them I have not even heard of and did not know they could be found right under my nose. (or feet to be exact) Addison helped me with the majority of the list since he is more familiar with the terrain and local resources. I only have two items left to “gather”.  I could use Katryna’s help right about now. Unfortunately I still have not heard from her since my return from the research station.  The multiple messages I have sent to her family have gone unanswered.  I have also received no response to the messages left at the community hall in town.  Addison has also voiced concerns of her silence, but we do not have another avenue of communication to try. Her original lodgings are now occupied by someone else, with no message or forwarding instructions left with the proprietress.  If I do not hear anything before my return from Newton,  I may get the Louvre representative to look into it further.  This is a further difference from Earth that is very prevalent on New London.  It is possible to disappear into society here.  The close tracking done on Earth is not practiced here.  You could easily disappear off the radar, even if you do not want too. I miss Katryna’s inspiration and local knowledge. I just hope whatever is keeping her silent is of her own choosing.

Love Victoria