The hull ticks as it cools into the long night. Year 58, and I still log it faithfully: ticking, nominal.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
Born at dimming: Halvard Diallo, generation 3. The ship holds 725 souls tonight.
The manifest shortens by one: Hanan Tahan, 94 years. The line rests with the ship now.
The schools release Lumen Petrov to Hydroponics. Generation 2 takes up its tools.
The star ahead brightens by amounts only I can love: another week, another hundred-millionth of a magnitude.
The star ahead brightens by amounts only I can love: another week, another hundred-millionth of a magnitude.
Nandini Pillai chooses Hydroponics — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
The manifest shortens by one: Vigdis Fjeld, 97 years. The line rests with the ship now.
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.
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.
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.
After 80 years, Adaeze Chike has let go. Remembrance in the Ring C commons at next dimming.
Wenling Valdivia is delivered of a daughter at dimming. The child is called Meilin.
Deepika Patil, 95, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
After 86 years, Nils Bergstrom has let go. Remembrance in the Ring C commons at next dimming.
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.
A new tale-cycle from Omar Titov — “Window for the Outward Watch.” The Archive takes a copy; the original belongs to whoever stands nearest.
Chandran Aaberg stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Ecology.
Huda Tväten, sixteen, takes the machinist apprenticeship in Fabrication.
Xavier Ocampo, 99, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Bogdan Lebedev, 97, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Born at brightening: Martin Quaye, generation 3. The ship holds 730 souls tonight.
A son, Ming Thorvaldsen, born in the Ring D infirmary to Efua Thorvaldsen and Rashid Kellaway. Mother and child are well.
Fyodor Wisniewski does not wake on the first watch. 93 years, most of them given to Hydroponics.
Sixteen years for Raisa Merriweather, who signs to Fabrication late in the second watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
The youngest aboard is now Lucía Quill, minutes old, asleep. 729 souls.
Dominika Thorvaldsen is delivered of a son late in the second watch. The child is called Tao.
Morale index reads 72. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
Lucía Aaberg and Hakon Valdivia are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Life Systems turns out.
Tao Ogunleye has made a instrument called “Borrowed Root, Small Season.” Asked what it means, he says it means about nine years of evenings.
A first shift for Rotimi Aaberg, sixteen: grafter, Hydroponics. The badge is printed fresh.
Nabil Yacoub does not wake at brightening. 90 years, most of them given to Hydroponics.
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 manifest shortens by one: Simisola Fashola, 85 years. The line rests with the ship now.
A wedding at dimming. Yamini Salazar, Fabrication; Altair Orellana, Fabrication. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
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.
Kwame Ndiaye, 78, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Tern Navarrete stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Medical.
A wedding on the night watch. Maja Nwosu, Fabrication; Gilbert Quaye, Medical. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
Kayode Pillai and June Mansour, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
The youngest aboard is now Cygnet Aaberg, minutes old, asleep. 730 souls.
Cygnet Fang stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Hydroponics.
All boards green. I count 729 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Leonard Pemberton, 82. It is little enough.
Born in the middle watch: Tariq Thorvaldsen, generation 3. The ship holds 730 souls tonight.
The manifest shortens by one: Jamila Wahba, 77 years. The line rests with the ship now.
A son, Khalid Northam, born in the Ring C infirmary to Iris Northam and Ebba Ning. Mother and child are well.
All boards green. I count 729 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 — 10.22 light-years to go.
The schools release Viggo Singh to Ecology. Generation 2 takes up its tools.