A joining in Ring C: Eleanor Bexley and Ramiro Ibarra. The pressing of cider is authorized.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
12.48 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 91,341 thousand to go.
Ximena Aguirre and Zbigniew Babich are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Command turns out.
A wedding on the first watch. Hanan Zayed, Medical; Anli Peng, Drive. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
12.48 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 91,351 thousand to go.
A wedding at brightening. Arthur Draycott, Hydroponics; Opal Merriweather, Life Systems. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
Night watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 1,641th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Two names braided on the manifest tonight: Abena and Leonard. The commons sings late.
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.
Zahra Jaber takes the hand of Evgeni Orlov before the assembled watch. I witness, as I witness everything.
Carmen Ocampo and Per Solheim are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Archive & Schools turns out.
First watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Tatiana Babich and Lars Nystrom, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
Catalina Zambrano has made a tale-cycle called “The Small Anchor.” Asked what it means, she says it means about nine years of evenings.
“Outward Root, Patient Corridor,” a quilt by Clara Hartley, is unveiled late in the second watch to the particular applause of Hydroponics.
A wedding on the night watch. Zhihao Cao, Drive; Folasade Sowande, Life Systems. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
“Small Window (Year 4),” a tale-cycle by Ingrid Rönnberg, is unveiled on the first watch to the particular applause of Archive & Schools.
All boards green. I count 1019 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
First Light. The observation blister queues run all day: Teegarden's Star, held in the eyepiece, a little brighter than last year — 12.49 light-years to go.
Frederick Kingsley and Lakshmi Pillai are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Life Systems turns out.
Leif Nystrom takes the hand of Chunhua Feng before the assembled watch. I witness, as I witness everything.
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 hull ticks as it cools into the long night. Year 4, and I still log it faithfully: ticking, nominal.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 89,755 days to orbit.
Oluwaseun Adeyemi has made a play called “Harvest for the Warm Map.” Asked what it means, she says it means about nine years of evenings.
Two names braided on the manifest tonight: Lev and Natalya. The commons sings late.
Clara Pemberton is delivered of a son in the middle watch. The child is called Mahmoud.
First watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Ingrid Fossum has made a mural called “Signal for the Turning Sky.” Asked what it means, she says it means about nine years of evenings.
12.49 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 91,408 thousand to go.
Ingrid Rönnberg finishes a poem: “The Bright Door.” It shows in the commons through the week.
“Windows of the commons,” a instrument by Efua Quaye, is unveiled at dimming to the particular applause of Fabrication.
A joining in Ring A: Erik Gundersen and Jinghua Feng. The pressing of cider is authorized.
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.
A joining in Ring A: Qiaoyun Ma and Fyodor Wisniewski. The pressing of cider is authorized.
12.49 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 91,451 thousand to go.
Two names braided on the manifest tonight: Oksana and Fuhua. The commons sings late.
Oleg Yakovlev takes the hand of Hilde Moller before the assembled watch. I witness, as I witness everything.
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.
Departure Day, year 4. The founders' roll is read from the first name to the thousandth, and the young ones try to stay solemn.
Liang Luo and Abebi Oyelaran, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
12.49 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 91,478 thousand to go.
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.
Fermín Orellana and Farida Bishara are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Drive turns out.
Raisa Sokolov and Dmitri Dragunov, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
“Nine Hymns Waiting,” a song by Dagny Thorvaldsen, is unveiled in the middle watch to the particular applause of Medical.
Everett Draycott has made a mural called “Threads of Ring C.” Asked what it means, he says it means about nine years of evenings.
A birth in Ring A: Leif, boy, generation 1. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
Wei Chen takes the hand of Abebi Yeboah before the assembled watch. I witness, as I witness everything.