The star ahead brightens by amounts only I can love: another week, another hundred-millionth of a magnitude.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
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 youngest aboard is now Juniper Singh, minutes old, asleep. 695 souls.
The youngest aboard is now Olaf Ouyang, minutes old, asleep. 694 souls.
A first shift for Zofia Kowalczyk, sixteen: drive engineer, Drive. The badge is printed fresh.
Zemin Ulriksen has made a quilt called “Kept Garden, Turning Corridor.” Asked what it means, he says it means about nine years of evenings.
All boards green. I count 693 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
First watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Born at dimming: Abebi Ouyang, generation 3. The ship holds 693 souls tonight.
Born at dimming: Irina Zhao, generation 3. The ship holds 692 souls tonight.
Hernán Pillai and Tern Navarrete, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
Jamila Navarrete and Theodore Quaye name their son Chandran. The nursery lamps stay warm.
9.89 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 46,926 thousand to go.
Remembrance day. The memorial wall is polished by hand, though nothing aboard needs polishing less.
Born in the middle watch: Indira Petrov, generation 3. The ship holds 690 souls tonight.
The youngest aboard is now Rotimi Diallo, minutes old, asleep. 689 souls.
The manifest shortens by one: Olusegun Danjuma, 96 years. The line rests with the ship now.
Born on the first watch: Ngozi Ouyang, generation 3. The ship holds 689 souls tonight.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 5,269th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 5,268th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
The manifest shortens by one: Hakon Gundersen, 91 years. 1 children carry the line on.
The manifest shortens by one: Margaret Pemberton, 86 years. 1 children carry the line on.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 68,056 days to orbit.
Vega Nwosu is delivered of a son in the middle watch. The child is called Pallas.
The schools release Emeka Petrov to Fabrication. Generation 2 takes up its tools.
Born late in the second watch: June Barakat, generation 3. The ship holds 689 souls tonight.
Lyra Mazur, sixteen, takes the printer operator apprenticeship in Fabrication.
Morale index reads 70. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Anand Verma, 82. It is little enough.
All boards green. I count 689 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
The manifest shortens by one: Abebi Diallo, 82 years. 1 children carry the line on.
“Turning Bell, Bright Hymn,” a play by Jiayi Quill, is unveiled in the middle watch to the particular applause of Life Systems.
Josefina Shen and Pallas Valdivia name their son Obinna. The nursery lamps stay warm.
Hassan Pillai chooses Command — or it chooses him; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Juniper Orellana and Abena Nwosu, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
First watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Hakon Solheim does not wake at brightening. 89 years, most of them given to Command.
A son, Fuhua Shen, born in the Ring A infirmary to Natalya Shen and Stanley Fossum. Mother and child are well.
Sixteen years for Esha Yan, who signs to Fabrication in the middle watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
Annika Aaberg does not wake at brightening. 92 years, most of them given to Command.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 68,107 days to orbit.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Wenbo Ning, 92. It is little enough.
Jamal Yamin does not wake on the night watch. 100 years, most of them given to Drive.
After 100 years, Divya Venkatesan has let go. Remembrance in the Ring D commons at next dimming.
Dolores Sharma and Devendra Yacoub name their daughter Uma. The nursery lamps stay warm.
The youngest aboard is now Ibrahim Jaber, minutes old, asleep. 692 souls.
The manifest shortens by one: Igor Chekhov, 90 years. The line rests with the ship now.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 5,186th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Huda Tväten and Halvard Diallo are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Fabrication turns out.
The star ahead brightens by amounts only I can love: another week, another hundred-millionth of a magnitude.