Hassan Pillai, 74, generation 2, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Ebba Ning, 95. It is little enough.
A child in Ring D asks the corridor speaker what Earth smelled like. I play the rainstorm recording. It is the best answer I have.
Lakshmi Ning died in quarters on the night watch, 82 years old. 958 souls aboard.
Born on the night watch: Finn Merriweather, generation 6. The ship holds 959 souls tonight.
Middle watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Morale index reads 82. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
A wedding at dimming. Femi Orellana, Medical; Fadi Navarrete, Command. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
Gantry Zhao does not wake late in the second watch. 80 years, most of them given to Drive.
Sergei Petrov died in quarters at brightening, 84 years old. 959 souls aboard.
Year 122 of the voyage begins. The oldest bottle of orchard wine that can be spared is opened. It is always described as "improving."
Cygnet Zhao has made a play called “Orchard for the Hollow Harvest.” Asked what it means, she says it means about nine years of evenings.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Valentina Ulriksen, 72. It is little enough.
Last shift for Noor Ouyang, who joined Life Systems half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Gopal Ouyang stands down from Medical at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Vasanti Kowalczyk stands down from Ecology at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
The youngest aboard is now Lyra Nwosu, minutes old, asleep. 961 souls.
A new poem from Halley Peng — “Seven Orchards Turning.” The Archive takes a copy; the original belongs to whoever stands nearest.
Raymond Aaberg stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Drive.
Census check: 960 souls, 99 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
Esha Shen retires at brightening. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
Sixty-eight years: Dolores Jaber hangs up the sash. An elder's quarters in Ring A stands ready.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 8,470th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Sixty-eight years: Tomasz Northam hangs up the sash. An elder's quarters in Ring A stands ready.
Remembrance. All names read since the last one — held in silence in every ring at the same hour. I keep the lights low until it is done.
The manifest shortens by one: Dmitri Merriweather, 81 years. 3 children carry the line on.
Halvard Nwosu, 94, generation 2, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Xiulan Thorvaldsen is delivered of a daughter on the first watch. The child is called Quill.
Jianguo Aaberg died in quarters on the night watch, 75 years old. 961 souls aboard.
Bohai Singh has made a poem called “Watchs of Year 121.” Asked what it means, he says it means about nine years of evenings.
A child in Ring C asks the corridor speaker what Earth smelled like. I play the rainstorm recording. It is the best answer I have.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 8,431th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
I compare today's star field against day one's. The constellations have begun, very slightly, to come apart. Nobody else will look; that is what I am for.
Morale index reads 79. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
A child in Ring C asks the corridor speaker what Earth smelled like. I play the rainstorm recording. It is the best answer I have.
The schools release Igor Orellana to Hydroponics. Generation 4 takes up its tools.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 46,908 days to orbit.
A daughter, Edith Thorvaldsen, born in the Ring C infirmary to Nadia Thorvaldsen and Edmund Ulriksen. Mother and child are well.
Middle watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
A new quilt from Nicolás Navarrete — “Quiet Winter (Year 121).” The Archive takes a copy; the original belongs to whoever stands nearest.
Fern Tväten is delivered of a daughter at dimming. The child is called Bhavana.
Anastasia Ouyang died in quarters late in the second watch, 84 years old. 960 souls aboard.
I compare today's star field against day one's. The constellations have begun, very slightly, to come apart. Nobody else will look; that is what I am for.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 46,948 days to orbit.
After 87 years, Agnieszka Quaye has let go. Remembrance in the Ring D commons at next dimming.
A wedding at dimming. Ion Ouyang, Archive & Schools; Karima Nwosu, Hydroponics. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
Tunde Thorvaldsen and Opal Thorvaldsen, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
Night watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
A new mural from Salvador Thorvaldsen — “Twelve Bells Standing.” The Archive takes a copy; the original belongs to whoever stands nearest.
Middle watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.