I had been giving it much thought in the interim and decided that the two were inextricably linked. If I intended to spend most or all of my time based at my new home on Heim Beta and working on the development of Gamma and Delta, then I must sell my property. So that's what I have done.

My decision was based on two factors. The first being my workload. I am still heavily involved in sharing the construction work on Gamma and Delta and I had undertaken to the Grand Circle to head up a new Heim-Earth Tourism/Public Relations group. I had resolved to free myself of the former duties to concentrate on the Tourism Circle work, but that was not to be because skills in that area were in short supply. The second decision factor was, quite frankly, fear. Like most of my colleagues I was worried about the impact of the story's release and I felt the need figuratively 'pack my bags' and be as far away from Earth as possible if the revelations started to elicit unfavourable reactions - the impact of which I might get caught up in and possibly have my freedom restricted in some way.

As soon as I could, I took a trip back to Perth. By then it was mid-2021 and time was running out before the release of the first chapters of the History, and my story, which was scheduled for January 2022.

Travelling to and from Earth is no easy matter now that all the old bases are closed. Virtually no goods are moving between Earth and the Settlements any more - just occasional passengers on essential business. Nowadays, LVs servicing Western Australia make brief night time touchdowns at a remote location where a landing area has been prepared in a valley surrounded by trees. The University, through the Institute, has purchased a remote farm with house and a large tract of land, ostensibly for use as an 'executive retreat', and the landing pad is close to the house. Extensive aerial and ground surveillance has been installed on the property to mitigate the risk of LV landings being observed or intercepted. The property is located a short drive from a small public airstrip. The Institute charters planes at Jandakot airport, Perth's general aviation airport, to ferry people from that local airstrip.

My plan was to make sure that my rural home was in saleable condition and then put it on the market. At the same time, I would temporarily stay in the university's own gated community near Perth city, ostensibly taking up permanent residence there. I would then arrange for all mail to be sent to my new address, for subsequent onward transmission, if necessary.

In the event it took me about six weeks to get the property into saleable condition before I handed it over to a real estate agent to market and sell. Luckily, I very quickly received a good offer price from some middle-aged 'tree-changers' who had been looking for a place like mine. I accepted the offer and settlement went through six weeks later, without a hitch.

Naturally, all these transactions took place in my own name, and not my Heim pseudonym, so I was quite happy that there would be no connection between me and the Heim story. As planned, I changed my official address to my new temporary home so that all correspondence from such people as licensing and tax authorities would have a valid address for delivery. Finally, I engaged a local accountant to handle my tax affairs.

During all this, I visited my father and explained to him what I was doing. I also gave him new contact details so that he could get a message to me if he needed to. I didn't have the courage to say to him that I wouldn't be back for the foreseeable future - I just said that I would be away for quite a long time. I hope he will forgive me when he reads this and will be able to come to Beta to see me sometime in the future, when everything has (hopefully) settled down.

Due to the Covid pandemic travel restrictions which were still in place, there were no international or inter-state movements of personnel and, consequently, infrequent LV visits to Western Australia. Fortunately, close to the end of 2021, I was able to get a berth on one of the few LV flights coming through. This vessel was headed back to Alpha but, beggars can't be choosers so I eventually got home to Beta, via the Alpha shuttle, after catching up with a few friends on the way.

Leaving my Earth home, and my dad, had been difficult to say the least, but I was heading for an incredibly busy time so I hoped that would take my mind off it. Also, I was hopeful that a sensible rapport would eventually come to exist between Heim worlds and the Earth nations and it would be safe to go back home, to visit at least, in the not-too-distant future.