The Beaded Tapestry

The rhythmic pulse of the sensors fills the compact cabin of the Zephyr, announcing the imminent encounter filling the front viewing portal.  The shuttle, named after the legendary west winds of Earth, was manufactured with viewing ports made from the same material used in the Phycoduras observation laboratories.  This included the research lab assigned and designed by Annalis.  So close!! She could not believe how close she is to the Equine.  It felt like she could reach out her hand and touch the brilliant streamers of energy flowing across the portal. Annalis reaches up instinctively to the protective goggles covering her eyes, wanting to get an unobstructed view.  A small sensor alarm beeps a warning tone in her ear as her hand makes contact with the rim of the goggles and she pulls her hand away, remembering the safety training she took only a few hours ago.  ‘Don’t remove the goggles.’ She tells herself, as she returns her attention to the view outside the capsule. The last thing she wants is to lose the privilege that took her months to arrange.  The safety protocol alone took three weeks to complete, not including a few weeks for the required implants.  She did not want to jeopardize it by breaking regulations on her maiden flight.  Eye damage was not likely with the lens implants, but the rules require the extra precaution of the goggles.

The authorization of the close flyby capsules was controlled by Major Erickman, the commander of the space fleet that supported and serviced the Phycoduras. It was not common for a civilian to be a allowed such an excursion as this, especially solo, but Annalis found she had additional points on the station other than her connection to the Louvre.  Major Erickman had an adult son who had been housed since childhood on the Flynn Satellite. The research Victoria and Annalis were conducting was closely connected to the young man’s condition.  The small hope that their work might improve his son’s life and also reduce or even prevent future occurrences in other individuals had prompted the major to make an exception to his restrictions.  This allowed Annalis to access solo flight privileges whenever she needed them. The ability to experiment and take samples over multiple trip had not even been in her dreams when planning for the project. 

Looking behind her, Annalis saw the wall of stacked cubes.  Each contained a different material to be used in Victoria’s productions.  The mesh containers were fully porous, allowing full exposure to the Equine transmissions during the flyby. Annalis was also clothed in the same material, with only her eyes protected by the lenses and additional goggles constructed of the special Equine visual material to protect against retinal damage.  The full spectrum of radiation emitted by the Equine was not at dangerous levels to any organs except the human eye, and only at this close range. This was according to multiple studies done over the last decades.  Annalis hoped this was entirely correct, but the risk to her seemed worth it to experience the close encounter with the anomaly. Most pilots used extra coverage, but their exposure was more frequent than hers would end up being, so she wanted to ensure proper exposure of the rendition material and herself for the upcoming brain scans.  Her heart skipped a beat thinking of what that analysis would show.  How would she change? What would be the adaptation over the next few months?  She thanked the major again in her thoughts for this unique opportunity.

Returning her thoughts to the vision outside, she studied the flow of energy across the port as she made a few adjustments to the vehicles trajectory.  Most of the course was preset, but she was allowed to make small changes to change viewing angles and visit hot spots of particular frequency ranges, as long as she remained in the allowed flight corridor. On her left ahead a violet burst of color was emerging and she adjusted to get a better perspective.  The violet morphed into magenta as another emission joined the first and Annalis was encapsulated with the color as her vehicle passed through the band. She felt her left hand throb and flex with an involuntary spasm, but there was no pain. Only a pulse of energy that traveled up from the tips of her fingers through her arm into the shoulder. As soon as the capsule was free of the burst, the throbbing subsided and she flexed her hand in astonishment.  It suddenly felt more like her own hand then it ever had before. It might only be an illusion brought on by the energy surge, but a smile of excitement crossed her face with the implications.  It had been a while since she mourned the loss of her limb and the feeling of being whole.  She quickly closed off her mind to these emotional musings.  They did not belong on this scientific Journey, but she filed the thoughts away to thoroughly consider later. 

The endeavor went on for two more hours with Annalis making a few more adjustments now and again to visit particular emission areas or energy spikes.  The strange throbbing or muscle spasms did not repeat themselves, but a feeling of enhanced energy and excitement accompanied her throughout the remainder of the voyage.  Even hours after she returned to the station and disembarked the remnants of the energy remained with her.  There was no lingering fatigue as described in the training when she returned to her quarters and she immediately change out of the flight suit and headed to the lab.  The samples had already arrived by the time she got there and she picked out several materials at random to start her study. The excitement and tension in the lab was so intense, she felt it as a separate entity joining her in her work.

Dear Victoria,

You letter has inspired me and sent my imagination spiraling to new heights, so I have started a private journal to capture as much of this private experience as I can.  The first entry from this journal is included here.

I have just returned from my first solo voyage to visit the Equine.  My senses are still reeling from the close proximity and my system is full of an undefinable charge and energy. For the first time since I lost my arm, I feel whole. I cannot explain it any other way.  The encounter with the emission from the Equine seemed to conduct a final fusion of my body with my newly grown appendices. I had not realized until that moment how disconnected by system was from this new addition, but now it is a complete part of me.  No ghost pain, numb areas or feeling that I left a part of me back on Earth.  Only the yearning for my old home and distant family are left. Not the incomplete, disembodied condition I have endured since the loss of my arm.  I cannot help thinking of your Nikolaas and the loss of his eye.  Maybe a trip to the Equine should be in his future.

Your description of the pub in Newton and the amazing things you are studying with Nikolaas sounds intriguing.  We are each doing such different things in our pursuit of the Equine, but they are all interconnected.   The wonderful components that the creature influences and the uses these components can be utilized for are swirling through my mind, trying to find a landing point so the experimental part of my work can get started.  When I arrived back to the lab and the samples had already been transferred from the shuttle waiting for me, I did not know where to start. I just closed my eyes and reached for the first container and began a spectral study. Strangely this first sample turned out to be the desert sage you sent in the last shipment.  The one you hoped has the potential to produce the muted green missing from your current rendition. I am looking at the initial spectral results right now as I write to you.  You will not believe how focused their wave patterns are for treating anxiety.  They are similar to our data on the sensory healing effects of Earth sourced sage, but on an entirely different spectrum.  I cannot wait to see the final numbers and share them with you.  If Nikolaas is still with you at the studio when this letter is read, maybe you can try this material in one of his culinary creations. It will not be as super charged as my sample that just did a close encounter with the Equine, but I can imagine the healing qualities are also amazing for New London sourced material; especially if these materials are ingested. Once my samples have been thoroughly analyzed, I will send the remaining quantity back to you for incorporation into your latest creation.  Let me know what you think of this and the minimum quantity you will need.  I am trying to be as sparing as I can for my own testing, but I know it takes a great amount of sage to complete an infusion for your use.

Sadly I cannot supply tales of historic pub visit in my letter to you. Only the station canteen and the herbal gardens supply a viewing area to match your Newton stories, but I will try to make my next letter as entertaining as your Conan Doyle encounter.  A close flyby of the Equine is on a whole different level though.  I hope it is in your future to experience this amazing encounter as much as a visit to Newton is in mine.

Love Annalis

Dark shadows permeate the vision of the world, distorting the joy of watching the lives progress through their daily routines.  The shadows were disturbing and in conflict with the ecstatic emotions that usually accompanied the observations of daily life that sustained and fascinated the watcher.  There were now mutual responses with these subjects and the once one sided viewing had become interactive with messages returned and ideations shared.  But now another force was detected: One that was both interfering and interacting with the population, distorting the once clear vision of life and meaning. There was a sense of protectiveness for these subjects and an urge to wrap the universe in an indestructible, impenetrable shield, allowing no further interference from this detected threat.  Was it a threat? The obvious answer to this was yes, but it was also a familiar presence.  One that was both destructive but necessary to survival. What was to be done? Something to balance the effect, but not alert this approaching event.  It must be thought out carefully if the resulting chaos was to be controlled.  With this last conclusion, thought tuned inward to contemplate a resolution. 

Greeting!! Dear sister from Newton.  We have just returned to our lodgings after an exhausting but exhilarating study of the flora of New London.  Nikolaas is such a quick study that I am hard pressed to keep up with his pace.  We have now been in Newton for three days under the tutelage of the local botanist, learning every flower, leaf, tree and shrub to grace the surface of this fantastic planet.  My notebook is packed with new ideas for our project and I cannot wait to incorporate them when I return to the atelier. Nikolaas has also been inspired with new creations of his own and I am hoping he will explore some of these culinary ideas during his planned stay at my home so I can experience them.  We still have two more days at the seminar here in Newton, but I am already amazed at the amount of information that has been imparted to us so far.

Oh course we have also made time in our evenings together to enjoy the other sites of the city.  From culinary delights to musical expositions, we have managed to expose ourselves to a wide range of experiences.  Many of these escapades have been outside our scholastic  endeavors so it has been a welcome break for our mental health. After the description I gave Nikolaas of the stellar Delphi experience with the Equine music, he urged me to attend a similar performance here in Newton since he had not been able to himself since his arrival on New London.  The performance company was smaller than in Delphi, but this did not lesson the quality.  We were both moved to silence by this musical communion with the Equine: merely staring into each other’s eyes on the ride back to our lodgings after the performance, still lost in the sensual experience. Neither of us was able to express or describe the internal sensations coursing through our brains. The music had a strange dark undertone to it, unlike the uplifting Delphi performance. Not in a depressing way, but more of a melancholy background accompaniment that spoke of hidden meaning within the music. The message just out of reach to the listener. I can still feel the residue left several days later.

The following day we woke early and visited the art academy before our seminar session began.  The displayed works of art relating to the Equine along with the renditions of the natural landscapes around Newton were very inspiring.  We picked up some local delicacies at the local market for our breakfast before joining the first lecture of the day.  This was one of several given by the herbologist Doctor Irene Felton.  Strangely I have never mentioned her name to you before.  By coincidence, she has the same surname as the director of the Flynn foundation, but she assured me there is no relation.  She is also a native of New London, being a third generation resident. I mention her name manly so that if you have a chance to acquire any of her books on New London,  I think you will find them fascinating and informative.  I only have a hard copy of two of her books, so I cannot share them with you in digital form, but I am sure with the resources on the station you can obtain a digital copy of some of her publications.  The fascinating fauna of Geo Britannia and the Celestial Influence is the book I purchased the first time I visited her shop. I believe I also forgot to mention that she was the actual author of the book she re commended.  Her overview of the native plants and also the cultivation of these plants for optimal use has been an immense resource for me at the studio. I think it would also give you some connection to this planet and maybe some comfort in your astern environment.

Okay! I have tried my best to take your mind off the strange happenings in your life and mind right now.  I am not concerned about your sanity.  Either those things have already happened to you or indeed you are being warned with a premonition.  There is no question of your state of mind.  I know you too well and you are too logical for that sort of thing.  Your theory on the nature of time and the Equine is intriguing.  Let us explore that in depth in our next letters.  I also have some theories in that direction.  Indeed it does hint at the experience I had while I was under the influence of the desert fever.

Love Victoria