Sojourn Nwosu and Drift Shen name their son Magnus. The nursery lamps stay warm.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
Ragnhild Peng stands down from Archive & Schools at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Yueqin Petrov, sixteen, takes the fuelwright apprenticeship in Drive.
Edith Merriweather stands down from Archive & Schools at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Nadia Fang and Wei Nwosu name their daughter Cygnet. The nursery lamps stay warm.
Hassan Ashworth finishes a mural: “Roots of Year 140.” It shows in the commons through the week.
Sixty-eight years: Meilin Singh hangs up the sash. An elder's quarters in Ring D stands ready.
The manifest shortens by one: Zenith Sharma, 85 years. The line rests with the ship now.
The hull ticks as it cools into the long night. Year 140, and I still log it faithfully: ticking, nominal.
Nandini Quill stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Ecology.
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.
Zaid Shen stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Hydroponics.
Abebi Ouyang, 76, generation 3, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Last shift for Safiya Peng, who joined Medical half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
A son, Bogdan Quill, born in the Ring B infirmary to Gayatri Quill and Rajesh Singh. Mother and child are well.
Rell Valdivia finishes a play: “Last Root (Year 140).” It shows in the commons through the week.
Bohai Quill takes the hand of Jiayi Peng before the assembled watch. I witness, as I witness everything.
Mohan Shen stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Archive & Schools.
Aster Ulriksen stands down from Medical at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Adaeze Peng stands down from Drive at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Last shift for Haoran Peng, who joined Medical half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
The question is put to the wider circle: The curriculum question. The ship asks; Earth answers, in its own long time.
Mohan Diallo, sixteen, takes the broadcast keeper apprenticeship in Archive & Schools.
“Four Anchors Waiting,” a play by Knut Barakat, is unveiled at brightening to the particular applause of Life Systems.
Tariq Thorvaldsen, 82, generation 3, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
The Crossing feast: more behind than ahead. The long tables come out; the good preserves come down.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Arthur Ning, 74. It is little enough.
Oluwaseun Merriweather has made a tale-cycle called “Field for the Outward Water.” Asked what it means, she says it means about nine years of evenings.
Bogdan Valdivia and Folasade Pillai are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Medical turns out.
Born on the first watch: Finn Quill, generation 5. The ship holds 896 souls tonight.
Umbra Orellana, 77, generation 3, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
The youngest aboard is now Howard Tväten, minutes old, asleep. 896 souls.
All boards green. I count 895 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
All boards green. I count 895 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Born at brightening: Rashid Petrov, generation 6. The ship holds 895 souls tonight.
Yakubu Merriweather chooses Hydroponics — or it chooses him; the elders disagree cheerfully.
First watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
All boards green. I count 894 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Maintenance sweep of Ring D complete. Somewhere aft a wrench is missing; it will surface in a decade, in a wall, with a story attached.
Guadalupe Diallo retires on the night watch. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
Zemin Navarrete retires on the first watch. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
After 84 years, Amparo Shen has let go. Remembrance in the Ring C commons at next dimming.
Yuri Aaberg retires at brightening. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
First Light. The observation blister queues run all day: Teegarden's Star, held in the eyepiece, a little brighter than last year — 5.34 light-years to go.
Last shift for Yelena Shen, who joined Ecology half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
All boards green. I count 895 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Sixteen years for Aleksandr Aaberg, who signs to Fabrication on the first watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
The schools release Widad Shen to Life Systems. Generation 5 takes up its tools.
Night watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Morale index reads 74. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.