César Escamilla does not wake at brightening. 92 years, most of them given to Ecology.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
Patricio Álvarez does not wake on the night watch. 86 years, most of them given to Hydroponics.
Huda Barakat retires late in the second watch. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
Too soon, at 1: Fuhua Salazar. The commons fills late in the second watch with those who knew him.
Kofi Umeh does not wake on the night watch. 64 years, most of them given to Ecology.
The manifest shortens by one: Kayode Diallo, 78 years. 3 children carry the line on.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Peizhi Zhou, 86. It is little enough.
The schools release Leandro Nwosu to Hydroponics. Generation 2 takes up its tools.
The manifest shortens by one: Maksim Kaminski, 84 years. The line rests with the ship now.
Arjun Hegde died in quarters at brightening, 89 years old. 848 souls aboard.
After 66 years, Catalina Zambrano has let go. Remembrance in the Ring A commons at next dimming.
“The Outward Engine,” a song by Olga Sokolov, is unveiled on the night watch to the particular applause of Archive & Schools.
Pavel Hartley has died at 43, far too early. Fabrication stands down a shift in grief.
Night watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
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.
Evgeni Orlov does not wake in the middle watch. 83 years, most of them given to Drive.
Huifen Ouyang does not wake at brightening. 73 years, most of them given to Command.
Galina Petrov chooses Fabrication — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 74,246 days to orbit.
Ganesh Deshpande, 86, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Walid Maalouf has died at 24, far too early. Ecology stands down a shift in grief.
Gunhild Thorvaldsen and Percy Escamilla name their son Cristóbal. The nursery lamps stay warm.
Last shift for Vernon Eastwood, who joined Fabrication half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Iman Baz stands down from Drive at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
The manifest shortens by one: Kamala Raghunathan, 92 years. The line rests with the ship now.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Wanrong Ning, 66. It is little enough.
Mateo Mansour chooses Drive — or it chooses him; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Magnus Lund, 77, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Census check: 857 souls, 150 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
Frederick Kingsley, 74, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Sten Iversen, 86. It is little enough.
Clara Fairburn, 88, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Milena Morozov does not wake in the middle watch. 91 years, most of them given to Hydroponics.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Birgitta Aaberg, 93. It is little enough.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Silvia Navarrete, 66. It is little enough.
Astrid Nwosu has died at 15, far too early. the ship stands down a shift in grief.
The circle has answered. Strict rations, then. Portions are cut by a fifth; the mess goes quiet, and the reserve figure begins, slowly, to climb.
Walid Yacoub stands down from Drive at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 74,309 days to orbit.
Sixty-eight years: Tariq Abadi hangs up the sash. An elder's quarters in Ring C stands ready.
Pallas Valdivia, sixteen, takes the pollinator keeper apprenticeship in Ecology.
The schools release Lucía Aaberg to Ecology. Generation 2 takes up its tools.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Shanyuan Meng, 88. It is little enough.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Gonzalo Riquelme, 84. It is little enough.
“A small map,” a tale-cycle by Ivar Paulsen, is unveiled on the night watch to the particular applause of Archive & Schools.
Winifred Quaye, sixteen, takes the sanitation engineer apprenticeship in Life Systems.
Walid Kanaan retires at dimming. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
The manifest shortens by one: Per Dahl, 75 years. The line rests with the ship now.
Dag Lund retires on the first watch. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
Too soon, at 1: Astrid Peng. The commons fills in the middle watch with those who knew her.