First Light festival. The children are lifted to the eyepiece one by one to see where they are going.
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 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 80. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
“Whole Garden (Year 123),” a song by Chitra Singh, is unveiled at brightening to the particular applause of Hydroponics.
6.36 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 44,269 thousand to go.
A wedding at brightening. Drift Shen, Hydroponics; Sojourn Nwosu, Medical. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
Last shift for Enlai Petrov, who joined Fabrication half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Marzena Mansour finishes a instrument: “Lanterns of Year 123.” It shows in the commons through the week.
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.
Sixteen years for Kestrel Tväten, who signs to Ecology in the middle watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
A daughter, Aisha Shen, born in the Ring C infirmary to Meera Shen and Oscar Petrov. Mother and child are well.
Last shift for Umbra Kowalczyk, who joined Ecology half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Farida Ning chooses Fabrication — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
A first shift for Maksim Ning, sixteen: printer operator, Fabrication. The badge is printed fresh.
After 76 years, Mariam Tväten has let go. Remembrance in the Ring A commons at next dimming.
Radomir Aaberg retires on the night watch. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
The schools release Kiran Kowalczyk to Archive & Schools. Generation 4 takes up its tools.
Morale index reads 80. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
Boreal Thorvaldsen, 84, generation 2, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
The youngest aboard is now Halley Thorvaldsen, minutes old, asleep. 957 souls.
Svetlana Shen retires at brightening. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
Domingo Quaye stands down from Drive at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Morale index reads 81. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
Stanislav Tväten stands down from Command at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Anastasia Shen and Ragnar Barakat name their daughter Leticia. The nursery lamps stay warm.
Abebi Quaye stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Fabrication.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 8,901th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Year 123 of the voyage begins. The oldest bottle of orchard wine that can be spared is opened. It is always described as "improving."
Last shift for Emeka Zhao, who joined Medical half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 8,892th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Morale index reads 79. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
Night watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Sixty-eight years: Xenia Fang hangs up the sash. An elder's quarters in Ring C stands ready.
Peizhi Valdivia and Zikora Ulriksen name their daughter Yaling. The nursery lamps stay warm.
Sixty-eight years: Kamala Salazar hangs up the sash. An elder's quarters in Ring C stands ready.
Last shift for Nils Yan, who joined Archive & Schools half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 8,871th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Dominika Thorvaldsen, 91. It is little enough.
Leandro Nwosu died in quarters on the first watch, 92 years old. 955 souls aboard.
Tern Aaberg retires late in the second watch. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
A birth in Ring D: Cedric, boy, generation 4. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
The hull ticks as it cools into the long night. Year 122, and I still log it faithfully: ticking, nominal.
A wedding on the night watch. Zenith Diallo, Archive & Schools; Clara Ouyang, Life Systems. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
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.
After 66 years, Chunhua Pemberton has let go. Remembrance in the Ring C commons at next dimming.
Marzena Quill, 75, generation 2, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Xiulan Nwosu works out a tougher print alloy from recycler feedstock. Fabrication adopts it the same week.
“Door for the Standing Field,” a mural by Jamila Fang, is unveiled on the first watch to the particular applause of Hydroponics.
Sixteen years for Fathom Thorvaldsen, who signs to Archive & Schools late in the second watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 46,541 days to orbit.