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.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
Census check: 822 souls, 231 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
Sixty-eight years: Ulises Petrov hangs up the sash. An elder's quarters in Ring D stands ready.
The manifest shortens by one: Zemin Yan, 85 years. 3 children carry the line on.
Tern Valdivia, sixteen, takes the teacher apprenticeship in Archive & Schools.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Guiying Nwosu, 85. It is little enough.
Valentina Fang and Teresa Kowalczyk name their daughter Teegarden. The nursery lamps stay warm.
The youngest aboard is now Fathom Sharma, minutes old, asleep. 823 souls.
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.
3.62 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 24,285 thousand to go.
A child in Ring A asks the corridor speaker what Earth smelled like. I play the rainstorm recording. It is the best answer I have.
Census check: 822 souls, 230 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
Pranav Merriweather and Meera Jaber are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Hydroponics turns out.
Deneb Thorvaldsen, sixteen, takes the shield tech apprenticeship in Drive.
A new quilt from Konstantin Nwosu — “Seasons of the commons.” The Archive takes a copy; the original belongs to whoever stands nearest.
Juniper Petrov is delivered of a son at dimming. The child is called Ramiro.
The youngest aboard is now Ebba Valdivia, minutes old, asleep. 821 souls.
Uzoma Aaberg, sixteen, takes the air systems tech apprenticeship in Life Systems.
Sable Mansour, sixteen, takes the midwife apprenticeship in Medical.
After 69 years, Ember Jaber has let go. Remembrance in the Ring A commons at next dimming.
Census check: 821 souls, 231 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Caelum Sharma, 94. It is little enough.
Morale index reads 81. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
Born at dimming: Umbra Valdivia, generation 6. The ship holds 822 souls tonight.
After 73 years, Nneka Diallo has let go. Remembrance in the Ring D commons at next dimming.
Noor Thorvaldsen died in quarters on the night watch, 93 years old. 821 souls aboard.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Raymond Shen, 84. It is little enough.
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.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 29,617 days to orbit.
Ifeoma Thorvaldsen died in quarters in the middle watch, 97 years old. 824 souls aboard.
A child in Ring B asks the corridor speaker what Earth smelled like. I play the rainstorm recording. It is the best answer I have.
Year 169 of the voyage begins. The oldest bottle of orchard wine that can be spared is opened. It is always described as "improving."
Xenia Valdivia stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Ecology.
Caelum Sharma finishes a mural: “Watch for the Quiet Lantern.” It shows in the commons through the week.
First watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Maintenance sweep of Ring C complete. Somewhere aft a wrench is missing; it will surface in a decade, in a wall, with a story attached.
A son, Cygnet Sharma, born in the Ring C infirmary to Adaeze Sharma and Qasim Shen. Mother and child are well.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 29,682 days to orbit.
A son, Cedric Thorvaldsen, born in the Ring A infirmary to Ylva Thorvaldsen and Kestrel Barakat. Mother and child are well.
The council confirms Temitope Shen as Chief of Command in the middle watch.
Fadi Navarrete stands down from Command at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 7,623th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Suyin Thorvaldsen finishes a instrument: “What the Furrow Remembers.” It shows in the commons through the week.
A son, Jagdish Sharma, born in the Ring D infirmary to Pilar Sharma and Tariq Thorvaldsen. Mother and child are well.
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.
3.65 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 24,411 thousand to go.
A first shift for Rocío Kowalczyk, sixteen: bay gardener, Hydroponics. The badge is printed fresh.
A birth in Ring D: Finn, boy, generation 7. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
Last shift for Opal Thorvaldsen, who joined Archive & Schools half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Maintenance sweep of Ring B complete. Somewhere aft a wrench is missing; it will surface in a decade, in a wall, with a story attached.