The Beaded Tapestry

Derringer-8

Dearest sister,

The planet nears every day and I now have the first view of my new home.  I am amazed how different New London appears from space than Earth and I find myself sketching my final destination, attempting to grasp the reality of what I see. The photos available on Earth of the planet are no comparison to the actual site.  We are three days out from our landing window and the entire ship is buzzing with activity and anticipation.  I have given up trying to work on the observation deck as the influx of people makes it impossible to concentrate.  This has become an advantage as the view of the Anomaly is partially obscured by our destination and has now become an incomplete study for my work.  I had forgotten after the calm discipline on the Phycodurus-8 what it was like to be in a civilian community.  Even during my life in London I rarely had interaction with young lives working mainly in my studio or the museum basement. There are families everywhere on the ship now and many excited children feeling the pull from their new world.  It makes for interesting study of the human condition but not for artistic endeavors.

I have heard from the contractor Addison that his team has begun work on the foundations for the studio.  The near desert conditions for the site are giving him some difficulties as the ground is more sand than dirt but he still reports progress.  I question myself if I will be able to adapt to the drier conditions as we have lived most of our lives in England, however the low atmospheric moisture in this region of New London are favorable for viewing the Anomaly  so I believe it will be the idyllic location to continue my work. There is also the added benefit of ready access to the supplies I will need to produce my finished masterpiece. I will have to complete the final testing on the local materials myself for this to be certain, but the initial test results given to me by Addison are favorable for our goals. I have also received an updated map of the area as the survey I possessed previously is twenty years out of date. The new map shows that  it is still a very remote site and I will be several hours travel away from the next settlement, but I was shocked at the increase in population in the region.  Nicolas has also given me information on the location of his establishment.  Since the treatment there is not as dependent on the visual aspects of the Anomaly but on the waves emanating from it, they have situated the wellness center in the tropical mountains.  The high altitude increases the healing effects of the Anomaly and the environment around the facility also produces most of the needed supplies for their treatments.  As I have said before, as soon as I have established my studio I will take a short trip to see him.  The cost for even a short stay are astonishing but Nicolas has assured me he will arrange something.  It will also be an ideal time for me to study the other processes being used from the benefits of the Anomaly. It might add some insight into what we are attempting.

I am not sure if I will be able to write again before our landing due to the incredible chaos onboard at this time.  I am now at full gravity in my training so I am as ready as I can be for the next phase.

Hopefully my next letter will be composed to you by a denizen of New London.

My love always

Victoria

My sweet sister,

Derringer-8

I have returned to the Derringer and find the routine onboard calming compared to the fast paced preparation that was required to complete the setup of the lab. Although the view from the ship is not as intense as from the Phycodurus, I am still able to continue my work uninterrupted. I have lost the meditative effect experienced in your lab but in spite of that absence I have completed a second full color rendition during my five days back on board the ship.  I hope once I renew my work on the planet surface that this response to the Anomaly will return. It has greatly enhanced my work as can be seen when I compare this last completed portrayal to the ones done on the space station. This last piece is lacking the clarity of outline and inner workings I observed on the phycodurus. It is still a piece worth saving for research as it adds verification to our theory of the Anomaly’s influence under different environmental conditions. The chance that the full meditative influence of the Anomaly will return once I am planetside are auspicious as there have been several papers written by researchers stationed on New London describing very similar experiences. Therefore I am determined to foster  my relationship with the Anomaly once I am settled in my studio.

Nicolas seems to have returned to his healthy self after the stasis and we have resumed our nightly meals together.  He is full of plans for his molecular gastronomy, and our conversations focus mainly on what New London holds for his future establishment. It is difficult to speak to him about our work, as most of the information is either classified or so steeped in scientific jargon that most of my explanations fall short of keeping his interest. I tend to revert back to an explanation of my previous art and technical experience and that has been helpful in keeping the conversation two sided.  He seems perfectly happy to primarily discuss his plans, so there has been no great issue there.  

I have resumed my physical activities in the exercise area of the Derringer.  Since I have been living and working under low gravity conditions for the past few weeks, I am concentrating on increasing my endurance before we reach the planet.  The gravity on New London is slightly higher than Earth, so the medical staff has issued a recommended regimen of exercises to smooth the transition from half g to a little over one g planetside.  I admit I have not followed this schedule exactly, but I am making progress.  I was able to complete the program yesterday for the first time with the added ankle weights so I am quite pleased with myself.  By the end of our journey I should be ready to handle the full gravity of New London with little to no effect.  Since I will need my full energy when I arrive, it is essential that I follow the medical advice to the letter as far as my system will allow.

We receive daily reports now of the conditions on New London.  Although there are still small incidents in Delphi it seems the violence has decreased significantly over the last few days.  The reports credit this reduction to the leader of the Cultivists.  The majority of the incidents originated from an insurgent group that had broken from the main sect several years ago.  According to Cultivist communications their leader, Patriarch Tanager, is in negotiation to slow the violence and reinstate the lost members back into his fold. It seems to have helped and I am feeling more secure with the planned landing and my stay in Delphi. As we had not heard any of these reports on Earth before we left, it seems logical that the trouble is isolated and short term. My previous rant over extremists taking over the planet were a bit premature and I have renewed a more positive outlook for the condition that I will find when I arrive. I find my thoughts frequently wandering to visions of my new studio and how it will be when it is completed. I miss the outdoors and my heart goes out to you when I think of your long planned assignment on the Phycodurus-8.  I hope you will be able to travel at some point to New London during our planned work.  Unfortunately we did not included this in our proposal to the Louvre so it may not be possible,  but I wish for it all the same. I realize because of the nature of your research that it is best to be done in close proximity to the Anomaly. I only wish you were not so driven and thought to include some type of absence from your work during your four years scheduled on the space station. The longer I am separated from the  natural environment the more my thoughts return to you and how difficult it will be.  I know you have a stronger adaptability than I and there is always the escape of the atriums on the space station, but still I am concerned about the lasting effects you will incur from living an extended time in artificial conditions.  I guess I am asking for trouble, but as I said it has been on my mind.  I crave the feel of grass beneath my feet and the sound of nature in my ears.  

I feel our dream unfolding every second as I near the planet.

Thinking of you always,

Victoria

Made a weekend visit to Paris for some inspiration for my writing.  One of the spots I most wanted to see  was Les Deux Magots. This cafe was once the haunt of Hemingway and Picasso.  Although it was a beautiful location and the atmosphere ideal for sitting and watching people, I did not encounter  any ghostly insight from past visitors.  Not a wasted visit but also not the experience I was searching for.

Phycodurus-8

Dear Analis,

Reluctantly I am preparing to leave the station tomorrow. I believe my time here has been used wisely and I have become strangely attached to your humble lab space.  Obviously it is you I will miss when I leave here as your presence is felt every moment I work in the lab.  The transport from the Derringer-8 will be here shortly after midday and I will be back on board the ship by the following morning.  It is a short trip compared to the journey from Earth but since I will be sharing the small passenger space with ten other travelers it will be a little confining.  It is difficult to fathom that in fifteen days I will be setting foot on New London.  My temporary lodgings in Delfi have been confirmed and as soon as all the formalities for the debarking process  are completed I will immediately begin planning the final leg of my journey.  I heard some disturbing news about the conditions in Delfi so I will arrange that my stay there is as brief as possible.  It seems the protests and demonstrations instigated by the Cultavist sect have escalated.  Some of these have turned violent and though no one has been killed there has been a number of injuries. The confrontations are mainly between the sect and the security forces within the Delfi area but there are also reports of property damage and civilian harassment in the outlying areas. Since these are mostly centered around the more populated areas of New London I am hopeful it will not interfere with my plans. I find it sepulchral that what was once deemed the creative epicenter of the human race is now plagued by the violence of close minded extremists. I hope we can change this in the following years. With the new influx of families and artist scheduled to arrive in the next two years I believe we can tip the balance on New London back to the artistic and scientific endeavors.  From the reports it seems more a center for religious fanatics and belligerent lotus-eaters.  I was never one for involvement in causes,  but I believe this may be my exception as I have never felt this type of dedication to any project in my entire life.

Okay I have had my rant for  today.  On a more positive note I I have made contact with the hired contractor for the build of the studio. He assured me all is on schedule and the majority of the building materials and supplies are already onsite.  As usual on New London all has been stored in temporary underground storage containers so the chance of theft or vandalism is decreased. Addison has been on New London for two years and is an exclusive contractor for the scientific and artisan society. This is his first project for the Louvre and he has given me the impression that he shares our enthusiasm for what we are trying to achieve. I was surprised that he knew such detailed information about our work but it seems the Louvre found it important he was well informed so that the build would go as expected. As there are many specialty supplies needed for the construction of the studio, Addison needed detailed instruction on what they would be used for so there would be no substitute material ordered. This gives me great comfort as I will now have assistance from someone familiar with my new home.

I will give you a bit of advice before you transport to the Phycodurus.  Find a good supply of coffee to bring with you.  The food on board the station is decent and they make good use of the hydroponic crops, but they have not produced any type of natural stimulate close to the real thing.  They do have a synthetic substitute and I know it will in no way satisfy your addiction, so be forewarned. I realize this is information that would have been more helpful before you left Earth, but I had no idea until I arrived onboard. I find it strange to find this lack on the station but I guess they do not have the same priorities as we do.  The coffee on the Derringer was palatable and maybe you can convince the commodities officer on board your transport to arrange a supply for you.  I will try and send you some after I am set up in my new home but I am not sure if that is possible. I now find myself contemplating the condition on New London. It may be that I  have to find a way to grow a coffee crop myself.

The planning officer for the lab sector of the station has all your in depth instructions for the maintenance of the lab over the next year.  She assured me that your instructions will be followed to the letter and that she will send me updated reports of any issues that might arise.  She seems a very competent technician and I believe she will solve any problems with efficiency and speed.  This is reassuring to me as I feel I am running off to join the circus leaving your child to fend for itself.  I know this is what we agreed to but as I stated before I am reluctant to leave but I am also excited to begin my new life.  I will have to schedule a session of meditation tonight or I will never be able to sleep.

Love Always

Victoria