After 100 years, Chukwuemeka Iwu has let go. Remembrance in the Ring B commons at next dimming.
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 brightening: Marzena Thorvaldsen, generation 3. The ship holds 713 souls tonight.
After 87 years, Zhihao Cao has let go. Remembrance in the Ring A commons at next dimming.
The manifest shortens by one: Yusheng Huang, 80 years. The line rests with the ship now.
Nils Salazar and Caelum Diallo are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Medical turns out.
Ifedayo Lawal does not wake on the night watch. 80 years, most of them given to Command.
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. 69,231 days to orbit.
Dolores Zhao and Howard Thorvaldsen name their son Dawud. The nursery lamps stay warm.
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.
A birth in Ring D: Gyre, boy, generation 3. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
Silvia Domínguez, 95, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
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.
Agnieszka Quaye is delivered of a son on the first watch. The child is called Walid.
Ada Draycott died in quarters in the middle watch, 88 years old. 714 souls aboard.
Florence Kong stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Life Systems.
Maintenance sweep of Ring A complete. Somewhere aft a wrench is missing; it will surface in a decade, in a wall, with a story attached.
A first shift for Kestrel Aaberg, sixteen: arborist, Ecology. The badge is printed fresh.
Martin Merriweather died in quarters in the middle watch, 88 years old. 714 souls aboard.
The manifest shortens by one: Mahmoud Rahman, 93 years. The line rests with the ship now.
A daughter, Uma Thorvaldsen, born in the Ring A infirmary to Dominika Thorvaldsen and Halvard Nwosu. Mother and child are well.
Yamini Ulriksen stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Life Systems.
First Light. The observation blister queues run all day: Teegarden's Star, held in the eyepiece, a little brighter than last year — 10.10 light-years to go.
After 92 years, Knut Ahlgren 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.
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.
10.10 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 49,621 thousand to go.
The schools release Ulyana Aaberg to Hydroponics. Generation 2 takes up its tools.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 69,305 days to orbit.
Jiayi Zhao died in quarters on the night watch, 86 years old. 716 souls aboard.
The youngest aboard is now Yuri Aaberg, minutes old, asleep. 717 souls.
Torsten Thorvaldsen, 93, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
A birth in Ring A: Cygnet, girl, generation 3. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
“A standing season,” a song by Devendra Pillai, is unveiled late in the second watch to the particular applause of Drive.
A joining in Ring C: Dagny Nwosu and Kayode Pillai. The pressing of cider is authorized.
Sixteen years for Vasanti Merriweather, who signs to Drive on the night watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
Morale index reads 72. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
Bhaskar Kapoor, 88, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Born at dimming: Hanan Mansour, generation 3. The ship holds 717 souls tonight.
Jagdish Verma does not wake on the night watch. 87 years, most of them given to Archive & Schools.
The youngest aboard is now Huda Fossum, minutes old, asleep. 717 souls.
Water Reclamation back in service. The old hands say it sounds better than before; the instruments say it sounds the same.
A birth in Ring A: Gunnar, boy, generation 3. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
Water Reclamation goes down. I reroute what can be rerouted and wake who must be woken.
Khalid Vik's crew brings Comms Array back after 1 weeks.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 3,920th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
A daughter, Gunhild Mazur, born in the Ring A infirmary to Mabel Mazur and Gilbert Fairburn. Mother and child are well.
Dolores Quintana does not wake in the middle watch. 87 years, most of them given to Life Systems.
A birth in Ring D: Divya, girl, generation 3. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
Catalina Kowalczyk and Frederick Chatterjee name their son Aster. The nursery lamps stay warm.