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Letters from Victoria – Letter 34


Dear Annalis,

Once again I am immersed in my art, returning my attention to the interpretation of the emissary above. The addition of the music I purchased in Delphi to the atmosphere of my workshop has been amazing. I find myself transported back to that magical night, lost in my painting for hours on end, stopping for neither sustenance nor rest. I was finally forced to pause mid-week, but only to receive the delivery of the metrology equipment. The incessant clang of metal on metal drew me out of my dream state making me aware that someone was outside in the courtyard. I then remembered that Addison was away from the site for the day and quickly wiped my hands of vermillion and went outside to investigate. A large Calvinite suspension vehicle sat just outside the fence and a woman was banging a heavy rod against the gate. I apologized for the delay and opened the gate indicating where she could unload the crates. She noticed my intent gaze as she hefted the heavy rod that she had used to get my attention onto her shoulder. She said she rarely had to use it for protection but it made an admirable implement to gain customers attention in the rural areas. She then proceeded to unload the equipment using a lift utilizing the same calvinite principle as her vehicle. I then thanked her for the service and once  I had watched her vehicle disappear out of site, returned to me studio. 

I have completed another full version of the Equine and also a small comparison work for the start of Katryna’s training. I focused attention on the separation of the various materials in this latter painting to create an easier study piece for her. She will need to decipher the individual materials and then replicate the tint using the supplies I have arranged for her. It was difficult to pull myself away from my own work to produce this basic piece but since this was the final preparation I needed to complete before her arrival next week I can now fully concentrate on the Equine. 

I can already see the influence of the music in my new interpretation. The memory of the Equine’s display during the performance in Delphi remains vivid in my mind and as I paint my hand automatically adds the oscillating patterns to the rendition, The music fills my studio, echoing through the space bringing back full recollection of that night, These patterns are not currently visible in the structure of the Equine but their memory within me are clear. I only hope that during the next scheduled performance in Delphi I will also be able to view the creatures response here. I obtained a copy of the conservatory performance schedule when I visited there and have added these dates to my agenda.

I returned from my travels fully loaded with goods. I purchased four audio performances from the conservatory along with a list of musicians willing to make contact with me. I also have a new supply of coffee from the Newton shop along with a selection of teas. Unfortunately the herbalist shop visit was not as successful since it had only a small offering of the pytherium. I purchased all that she had in stock plus a copy of the indigenous plant guidebook she referred to on my previous visit. The proprietess remembered my interest in the book and kindly ordered one on the off chance I might return, The book has a large section on the cultivation of native medicinal plants and the woman thought it was possible for me to grow the pytherium at my studio. She gave me some cuttings from her own hydro-garden and I carefully stored them wrapped in moss for the remainder of my journey. They are now transplanted in the agricultural cube behind my studio along with my other agrarian endeavors. Since the normal atmosphere of the studio location is to arid for this material the aqua growing cube will be my best chance for success. I was able to purchase enough supply for the next few months but it will not be enough for Katryna to utilize during her training. I will only have to find a substitute for this vibrant color since the electrical and physical properties are not relevant to her apprenticeship. 

Before I began my new piece this week I read the next offering from the Equine journal. I had hoped for some insite to how the Equine growth is connected to the information it receives. I was not disappointed in my answer as you will see from the following transcription. Once again, I have not altered the wording from the journal.

-Myriads of unconnected information travel up and down her neural streams. The information is slowly gathered into pockets, categorizing each loose piece to fit into a specific location in the framework of her patterns. The sections begin to build and new formations appear in organized, easy to interpret formats. She continues to arrange the information until all the uncontrolled signals are neatly traveling down predetermined pathways. She now feels able to continue her search and turns her attention once again outwards. She has yet to find a specimen worthy of in depth contact. The neural strength required by her to continue needs to be more robust than her last few encounters, The beings so far could have been easily damaged by a more sustained contact. Somewhere in this vast area there must be a suitable candidate.-

Reading this last entry I realize either my ability to understand the conversation with the Equine had improved during my illness or the Equine’s interactions with humans was increasing its knowledge of our language. The journal still refers to the creature as female but my conscious interpretation is still one of neutrality. The entry was very brief but supplied a new insight into the inner workings of creature.

Tomorrow I will begin first thing to set up the metrology equipment. If I do not I will get caught up in a new vision and we will never have any atmospheric data. Since this is a necessary piece of the research puzzle I will focus my attention there before I step foot in the workshop. It will be interesting to see how the atmosphere of New London changes the wavelengths emitted by the Equine as compared to the reading taken from your new lab. It should take two full months to accumulate enough numbers for an adequate comparison. As soon as I have these files I will send them to your data cache. The equipment aboard the Phycodurus-8 should have more than enough information for you to compare to by then and as soon as you are recovered from your travels we can begin the next stage of the project. Creating a piece of art reflecting these two experimental location and bringing the full Equine encounter to the citizens of Earth. I am still working on how to incorporate the music into the equation but for now it is a great companion to my creativity.

Love Always,

Victoria

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Letters from Victoria- Letter 33

Dear Annalis,

With the light of day streaming into my room, I awoke this morning from the dream that was last nights performance. Reluctant as I am, I must let go of the amazing euphoria the evening produced and place my energy into more logical pursuits before leaving Delphi. I did not mention the disappointing results I had with the metrology department in my last letter since it would have diminished the importance of the musical journey I wanted to share with you.

I did obtain the historical data requested, but it is suspiciously lacking in solar flare activity. There were only thirty recorded occurrences of solar flares that were strong enough to register on the equipment located here on Neo-Britannia. None of these were during the timeframe I was present on the Phycodurus-8 and none had the signal pattern matching the data recorded on your optical enhancement unit or wave detector. Since the equipment here on New London has been operational for over one hundred years, there is obviously a large amount of data missing. The man at the metrology division did advise me that he was only able to acquire the last twenty years of readings for me, but still there are fewer detectable solar episodes than standard for a star of Alpha Centauri’s age. With this limited data I am on my own to discover the cause of the erroneous patterns your equipment picked up during the occurrence on the spacelab. There is nothing recorded here to compare to and my only other option is the chance of a recurrence in the future that our own equipment will pick up for reference.

I have only two more missions to complete before leaving Delphi. First I have an appointment with the Louvre representative this afternoon to give her a thorough update on the progress of the project. I do not trust this information to be relayed via electronic channels and I also want to officially announce my designs for Katryna. I have decided against any more assistance at the studio and given the strange occurrences over the last few months I am certain I do not want any more unknowns or distractions around me to interfere with the progress of the project. Now that I have decided to include the music aspect into the Equine Experience I will need time to also study this avenue and the presents of new people will interfere with this. I believe it will only be the process of choosing music suitable to interact with the visual and electrical presentation we are producing but I need to explore the possibility that the sound frequencies might interfere with the already present signals being projected by the planned piece. I did say this would complicate an already complex task but as you know I can be quite adamant when an idea takes hold.

Mother’s creation was a triumph last night. Even though all eyes were on the Equine once the performance commenced, I did note some admirable stares from fellow patrons during the pre performance reception. Several inquiries were made as to the source of my gown and I proudly gave the name of our mother’s fashion house and her relationship to me. It may come to nothing more than an appreciation of her work but many of these people will be returning to Earth in the future and they may seek her out. I do not know anything about the logistics of sending her collection to New London but at least she can claim her work is also an item on this planet, An extraterrestrial designer for want of a better nomenclature. I carefully but reluctantly packed away the new ensemble this morning, having left it hanging last night so I could have one last look at it. I was tempted to wear it today as well but I feared it would likely be damaged during my travels through the crowded streets. 

After my appointment with the Louvre I will complete my final errand before boarding the Geo-train once more and head for home. I will make a stop at the music conservatory in order to procure some of the recordings available of the Equine inspired compositions. The works are referred to as The euphonies for Glauert’s Equine. I hope to purchase the entire collection along with some contact information for the composers. I would like to be able to confer with them during my research in order to gain more insight into their creative process. It will be educational to speak with one of the musicians about their work and how the Equine inspires them. It will be too much to hope for a future opportunity of a brain scan but one can always dream. Even if I am unable to incorporate the music into our work, I find the idea of creating in my studio surrounded by the music of the spheres appealing on an astronomical level. I only hope the audio system I currently possess can manage the intricate recordings I experienced last night. I am curious why Katryna never mentioned this form of Equine influence. It may be that Neo-Britannians have a different view of this type of tribute to the Anomaly. Katryna always speaks of the Equine in a logical and practical manner. There was never any mention of spiritual connection or godlike worship in any of our discussions. I had the preconception that most natives would have some level of this spiritual attitude to their fellow occupant in space. Now that I have experienced this interaction first hand there seems to be more of a mutual working agreement between the two than any type of devotional adoration. From the journal entry it is clear the Equine is fascinated by music and the emotions it provokes which seems more in lines with a spiritual relationship than business. I will have to explore these thoughts a bit with Katrina as her training begins next week before I come to a decision on my own relationship with the Equine.

After a stop in Newton for supplies I will be headed to the studio. I only hope the weather is more cooperative than on the trip here.

Love always

Victoria 

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Project 12 – Complete

Completed and framed the stained glass fantasy today. Looks the best highlighted against the light.

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Project 12 – Stained glass fantasy almost complete

The piece is 80% complete. Now it is time to think about the finishing touches.

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Project 13 – Chakra set

My first attempt at meditation enhancement mediums. These were created using all natural stones and silver. 

Amethyst – Lapis Lazuli – Blue agate – Aquamarine – Jade – Aventurine – Mahogany obsidian 

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Letters From Victoria – Letter 32

                                                               Delphi

The vibrations draw her attention as soon as the projected extensions of conscious thought touches the small orb floating in the vicinity of the energy source. Rhythmic throbbing echoes out into the air surrounding the fragile creatures. It does not emanate from the life organ of the small beings, but is produced by them all the same. Music. She plucks the name out from one of the thought wavelengths present within the small dwelling used by the planet’s occupants. The sound travels through the empty space between the spinning orb and her coordinates. There is a delay from when the sound reaches the creatures hearing organs and the point in time the wavelengths reach her sensors. She squeezes the space between her location and the creatures so the music is experienced simultaneously amongst them. She wishes to examine the creature’s thoughts in conjunction with her own and the time delay caused by the great distance between her and the planet would affect the outcome of the experience. She begins to analyze the different visionary patterns the sounds produce within the minds of those closest to the music source. She feels the emotional response generated within them as the music progresses. The intricate structure of the wavelengths produced by the vocal organ of the performers mix with the various organic instruments to produce a harmonic offering that sparks an inner awakening within her. Euphoric attachment to a long deceased companion flows through the thoughts of one creature, creating a connection between her past and the thought patterns the current complex wavelength produces from her exposure to the musical ensemble inside the structure. Visions of the individual’s entire life filter through her sensory system, absorbed as visual frequency waves radiating down her ever expanding limbs. The increase in information combined with the overwhelming emotional emissions assist with the growth rate of her complex neural system. Additional flowing feather-like structures unfold on the ends of her extended limbs. New spectral color ranges add to the existing library of data within her network, allowing her to transmit new displays and patterns, She hesitates to send waves back to the humanoid fearing it will alter, or altogether halt, the current stream of information the creature has in response to the music. The need to reach out is too great and she sends a small push toward the planet, adding a touch of sympathy in her transmission for the sadness the music inflicts on the creature. An aura of well- being and gratitude surrounds the message to assist with the repair of the individual’s psyche. A noticeable change comes over the humanoid as her message reaches across the vast space to settle within the mind of the woman. A softening of the intense melancholy the music had produced occurs. The woman’s mind turns to more pleasant thoughts provoked by the music. An almost palpable sigh of content travels down her neural receivers, creating again new growth and spectral variations as she withdraws her attention from the quaint scene and returns her vision inward.

I needed to relate this passage from the Equine journal first to you Annalis before I continued with the rest of my letter. My entire experience this evening has been flavored by this Equine entry and I wanted to set the stage before continuing with my narrative. 
I have just returned from the music conservatory and I am sitting down to record the experience as soon as possible before the wonder of the evening dissipates. The performance began just after Alpha Centauri fell below the horizon and the large artisan hall was filled to capacity. Acoustic panels translucent to the sky above allowed an unimpaired view of the full splendor of the Equine above. No clouds marred the evening’s spectacle and all eyes remained fixed on the vision above, as if the entire population were viewing it for the first time. As the lights dimmed, a hush fell over the crowd in anticipation of the opening number. My seat slowly reclined back to allow a direct viewing of the sky above as the music commenced. It is beyond my feeble literary powers to attempt to describe the sound filling the auditorium this evening, but for you I will try. As the music progressed my mind flitted through every emotion I had ever experienced throughout my entire life. Compassion, pain, love, despair, all were equally endured as the music reverberated around the perfect acoustical space. I felt I was the Equine itself, experiencing the human condition throughout our history on a pure emotional level. The sensations of joy were equally as welcomed as the experiences of sorrow, and my mind revelled in each new offering from the musicians. Vocals and instrumentation combined in such a way that it was difficult to distinguish one from another. The Equine above pulsed and oscillated in response to the vibrations felt through my seat, sending full spectral rainbows down it’s flowing limbs, engaging visual senses as well as oratory. I had to remind myself that this was no visual aberration created on a screen but a real sentient being experiencing the performance in union with the audience.
I heard an audible intake of breath from the audience as the music came to a close and we were once again returned to our seated positions, I realized my face was damp with emotion and noted several people nearby dabbing at their own eyes. A slow murmur rose within the auditorium as the crowd awoke from the euphoria of the performance. I could not bring myself to even speak to another human being for fear that the spell would be broken, so I quickly ducked out of the hall, foregoing the after reception and silently walked back to my lodgings. The Equine was my only companion, hanging in the sky above as I made my way through the darkened streets. 

Upon returning to my rooms I immediately took up my dream journal and read the aforementioned entry. I had already read this passage at my studio, but it had now taken on an entirely new significance, and the need to read it again was overpowering. I know now that our project will not be complete without this added concept. My response to the Equine has never been this intense and the added emotional connection I experienced tonight has given me much to contemplate. I must step back from my original vision for our project and see how to incorporate this extraordinary addition to the experience. I know it will put a strain on an already complicated task, but if you had been with me tonight, I know you would be of the same mind. The Equine experience is not complete while we omit this sensory addition. I only wish that you had been able to attend. I have been altered in a very significant way. It remains to be seen if it is for the best.

My love Always,

Victoria

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Almost out of ink- Second draft of letter 32 and 33 complete

J

Just complete the second draft of letters 32 and 33.  My original pot of ink is almost gone. Time for a new color maybe.  It has been helpful to complete the second draft of my letters using a quill pen and ink. It allows me to slow down and think as I write.

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Letters from Victoria – Letter 31

Dear Analis,

I have completed the transfer of the metrology equipment from the repair facility to the arranged transport heading for my studio. The units have been thoroughly tested for functionality where possible and I performed a visual check of all the pieces that could not be checked electronically. When I was examining the internals of the atmospheric scanner I came across an odd thing. Since none of the repair reports mentioned it, I assumed it was not something noticed or instigated by the repair crew. Inside the unit, located next to your manufacturing label was a strange mark. It was not etched into the titanium casing but appeared to be integrated into the material itself. Almost as if it was a flaw in the raw metal used to produce the casing. The symbol tickled some memory in the back of my mind. Hidden away in one of the dark recesses of the Louvre in Paris there was once a grave marker on display. A macabre skeleton over two meters tall bearing a shield before it. On the shield there was an inscription engraved in some ancient language and below this was a symbol. Until this day, the meaning of the inscription has not been successfully translated and the symbol remains a mystery. That symbol was clearly visible inside the casing of the unit sitting in front of me. I question if this is something you did since we were both fascinated by this item when we viewed it during one of our frequent explorations of the museum. I distinctly remember you mentioning it several times over the next several years after its discovery, and you even suggested delving into the mystery ourselves. 

I have copied the symbol as it appears on the unit at the bottom of this letter. When I return to my studio I will compare it to the research notes I have from my time at the museum. I created a graphite rubbing of the original shield and I believe a digital copy of this is somewhere with my past research. It could be only something you did as a unique identification marker for your patented equipment, but since you did not mention this before and it is not on any other pieces of your equipment, I wanted to let you know what I found. If it was not put there by you, I can only conclude it was done by the repair facility or the person who sabotaged the units. 

And yes, I am now convinced after a close look at the damage to the units, that it could not have been an accident during transport. The units that were inoperative not only had components that were tampered with, some of them had parts that were altogether missing. This could only have occurred if the cases had been opened to access the internals, as not even pieces of the missing components were present. None of the outer cases showed any type of damage other than scratches around the couplings. A cold chill travels down my spine when I think of this in combination with the trip from Earth. I do not know if it is possible to remain out of stasis for part of the trip here, but if there had been a saboteur aboard the Derringer, all the inhabitants of the ship were at risk lying helplessly in stasis. The damage was more than likely done after the equipment left the Derringer, but just the thought is disturbing. With this discovery and the additional disappointment of the meeting with the Flynn Foundation this afternoon, I am on the edge of panic trying to get a grasp on the situation. 

There was no message waiting for me from Dr. Falton when I arrived at the Delphi headquarters. Only a low level public relations representative who gave me a cold prearranged overview about what the foundation wants to accomplish with their research. She had no medical statistics available for me and no information on when, or if, Dr. Falton would be in contact. I will have to find another way to communicate with him as I now have little confidence that working through the foundation’s official channels will be successful. Hopefully tomorrow will bring me more success when I visit the planetary metrology division again. I am not holding my breath but I at least must try before I involve the Louvre. At least I will have the promised musical performance tomorrow night to pull me out of my despair if this also produces no results. The historical data of the solar flares over the last few years will be a unique source of comparison to my future data , but will not be necessary for my own observations. I only hope to get a longer time frame to study than my research window on New London allows, and this seemed to be the only avenue to obtain this information and the data from the solar episode on the Phycodurus-8. In all probability, I will once again run into a brick wall.

I have now returned to my lodgings on the high street, half a block from the music center. The hotel has an excellent restaurant on the ground floor and I have just finished my dinner before I return to my room to change for an evening in the city. Since my arrival in Delphi, my thoughts have frequently turned to Nikolas. I passed many places we visited together on the boat ride to the hotel and the meal tonight was reminiscent of the dishes Nikolas often described to me. It made me aware of how much I miss his company and the promise I made to visit him. For now I will have to make due with my memories and distant correspondence as there is still so much to achieve before you arrive from your long voyage. 

I will leave you for now. I want to lay out my things for tomorrow in anticipation of the concert before I go out for the evening. I only hope my required events during the day do not dampen the entire evening.

Love Always

Victoria

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Project 12 – Stained Glass Fantasy update

Project is a little over half done.

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