The youngest aboard is now Adrián Diallo, minutes old, asleep. 693 souls.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
Rell Peng and Shanyuan Fang name their daughter Halley. The nursery lamps stay warm.
All boards green. I count 691 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Jagdish Rao, 94, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Bohai Singh, sixteen, takes the instrument maker apprenticeship in Archive & Schools.
Born on the night watch: Babatunde Kowalczyk, generation 2. The ship holds 692 souls tonight.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Yuri Ulanov, 85. It is little enough.
César Fang, sixteen, takes the mycologist apprenticeship in Hydroponics.
First watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
The youngest aboard is now Drift Valdivia, minutes old, asleep. 692 souls.
A daughter, Funmilayo Thorvaldsen, born in the Ring C infirmary to Modupe Thorvaldsen and Devendra Pillai. Mother and child are well.
Ingrid Fang and Salvador Peng are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Hydroponics turns out.
Sarala Peng, sixteen, takes the irrigation tech apprenticeship in Hydroponics.
Zahra Orellana is delivered of a daughter at brightening. The child is called Verne.
Evgeni Dubrovsky does not wake on the night watch. 95 years, most of them given to Medical.
After 85 years, Tarun Hegde has let go. Remembrance in the Ring B commons at next dimming.
First Light festival. The children are lifted to the eyepiece one by one to see where they are going.
Percy Iverson died in quarters on the night watch, 98 years old. 691 souls aboard.
Quill Shen stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Ecology.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Kayode Fashola, 95. It is little enough.
Ifeoma Valdivia is delivered of a daughter at dimming. The child is called Simisola.
Temitope Mansour chooses Hydroponics — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
The youngest aboard is now Knut Aaberg, minutes old, asleep. 692 souls.
Jinghua Feng does not wake in the middle watch. 84 years, most of them given to Fabrication.
Mahesh Iyer, 85, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Nnamdi Chike, 88. It is little enough.
A birth in Ring B: Devendra, boy, generation 3. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
Ebba Ning is delivered of a son at brightening. The child is called Ikenna.
The schools release Padma Merriweather to Hydroponics. Generation 2 takes up its tools.
Two names braided on the manifest tonight: Zhenzhen and Emilio. The commons sings late.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Deshi Luo, 83. It is little enough.
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 child in Ring C asks the corridor speaker what Earth smelled like. I play the rainstorm recording. It is the best answer I have.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 67,902 days to orbit.
Mahesh Nwosu, sixteen, takes the bay gardener apprenticeship in Hydroponics.
Iman Baz, 85, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
A joining in Ring C: Wei Mansour and Meilin Kong. The pressing of cider is authorized.
Rotimi Ilesanmi died in quarters on the night watch, 93 years old. 694 souls aboard.
All boards green. I count 695 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 67,936 days to orbit.
9.88 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 47,227 thousand to go.
Year 64 of the voyage begins. The oldest bottle of orchard wine that can be spared is opened. It is always described as "improving."
All boards green. I count 695 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
A first shift for Nnamdi Sharma, sixteen: plasma systems tech, Drive. The badge is printed fresh.
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.
Leonard Eastwood finishes a song: “What the Harvest Holds.” It shows in the commons through the week.
Two names braided on the manifest tonight: Xingyu and Kehinde. The commons sings late.
Yash Salazar and Cygnet Zhao are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Hydroponics turns out.
Walid Quaye chooses Command — or it chooses him; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Census check: 695 souls, 277 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.