The manifest shortens by one: Sundiata Kamau, 92 years. 1 children carry the line on.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
Middle watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Remembrance day. The memorial wall is polished by hand, though nothing aboard needs polishing less.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 2,370th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
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.
Born on the first watch: Clara Fang, generation 2. The ship holds 745 souls tonight.
The schools release Leticia Zhao to Medical. Generation 2 takes up its tools.
A daughter, Rocío Petrov, born in the Ring C infirmary to Ulyana Petrov and Rajesh Jaber. Mother and child are well.
Night watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Gunhild Petrov is delivered of a daughter on the night watch. The child is called Xiulan.
Harriet Barakat and Yakubu Patil name their daughter Suyin. The nursery lamps stay warm.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 2,321th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Polina Ostrowski, 74. It is little enough.
Esha Menon died in quarters on the first watch, 83 years old. 742 souls aboard.
10.38 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 52,750 thousand to go.
The manifest shortens by one: Hakim Ghanem, 82 years. The line rests with the ship now.
The manifest shortens by one: Raymond Ormsby, 79 years. The line rests with the ship now.
Huifen Ulriksen stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Hydroponics.
Verne Petrov's crew brings Medical Bay back after 6 days.
Fault isolated in Medical Bay. Repair estimate: unwise to say aloud.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 2,302th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Iris Kellaway, 78, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Gunnar Sandvik died in quarters at dimming, 79 years old. 746 souls aboard.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Ebba Lindqvist, 86. It is little enough.
Born late in the second watch: Tao Jaber, generation 3. The ship holds 748 souls tonight.
Sixteen years for Caelum Diallo, who signs to Life Systems late in the second watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
Zenith Peng is delivered of a son in the middle watch. The child is called Karim.
A birth in Ring D: Everett, boy, generation 3. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Vera Kowalczyk, 89. It is little enough.
Indira Sethi, 87, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Night watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Kayode Chike, 90, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
After 92 years, Bernard Fairburn has let go. Remembrance in the Ring A commons at next dimming.
Night watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Born late in the second watch: Zenith Sharma, generation 2. The ship holds 749 souls tonight.
Arjun Mukherjee died in quarters at dimming, 86 years old. 748 souls aboard.
The manifest shortens by one: Feng Fang, 85 years. 1 children carry the line on.
“Twelve Lanterns Waiting,” a instrument by Jinghua Feng, is unveiled at brightening to the particular applause of Fabrication.
Middle watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
The youngest aboard is now Ishaan Jaber, minutes old, asleep. 750 souls.
A birth in Ring B: Enlai, boy, generation 3. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
Sixteen years for Ingrid Fang, who signs to Hydroponics late in the second watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
Lakshmi Pillai, 93, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Iris Northam and Ebba Ning name their son Omar. The nursery lamps stay warm.
All boards green. I count 748 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
The youngest aboard is now Amparo Shen, minutes old, asleep. 748 souls.
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.
Lucía Valdivia died in quarters on the first watch, 89 years old. 747 souls aboard.
A daughter, Ximena Thorvaldsen, born in the Ring B infirmary to Modupe Thorvaldsen and Devendra Pillai. Mother and child are well.
Fatima Ismail does not wake at brightening. 95 years, most of them given to Hydroponics.