I dim the corridor lights a shade for Kayode Zogby, 61. It is little enough.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
The star ahead brightens by amounts only I can love: another week, another hundred-millionth of a magnitude.
Ifeoma Valdivia and Ebba Aaberg name their son Kang. The nursery lamps stay warm.
Sixteen years for Zbigniew Fang, who signs to Fabrication in the middle watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
First Light. The observation blister queues run all day: Teegarden's Star, held in the eyepiece, a little brighter than last year — 9.69 light-years to go.
Sixteen years for Lev Peng, who signs to Drive in the middle watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 6,566th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Theodore Thorvaldsen chooses Archive & Schools — or it chooses him; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Altair Orellana is delivered of a son late in the second watch. The child is called Faisal.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 6,546th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Census check: 712 souls, 299 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
All boards green. I count 712 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Middle watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Ingrid Fossum does not wake on the first watch. 96 years, most of them given to Fabrication.
A daughter, Ebba Peng, born in the Ring B infirmary to Rell Peng and Shanyuan Fang. Mother and child are well.
Atmosphere Processing back in service. The old hands say it sounds better than before; the instruments say it sounds the same.
Bohdana Fossum and Hassan Pillai name their son Zenith. The nursery lamps stay warm.
The hull ticks as it cools into the long night. Year 67, and I still log it faithfully: ticking, nominal.
After 100 years, Howard Standish has let go. Remembrance in the Ring D commons at next dimming.
9.70 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 47,582 thousand to go.
CO₂ trim goes ragged as a processor bank fails. Life Systems is on it before I finish the announcement.
The youngest aboard is now Irina Diallo, minutes old, asleep. 712 souls.
Keel Ning chooses Drive — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Zbigniew Babich does not wake in the middle watch. 85 years, most of them given to Archive & Schools.
Tatiana Merriweather, sixteen, takes the instrument maker apprenticeship in Archive & Schools.
A birth in Ring A: Domingo, boy, generation 3. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
The hull ticks as it cools into the long night. Year 67, and I still log it faithfully: ticking, nominal.
Inés Barakat times an occultation to refine our ephemeris. The course correction is smaller than a held breath.
Stanislav Orlov, 92, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
Year 67 of the voyage begins. The oldest bottle of orchard wine that can be spared is opened. It is always described as "improving."
Born at dimming: Bassam Barakat, generation 3. The ship holds 712 souls tonight.
The star ahead brightens by amounts only I can love: another week, another hundred-millionth of a magnitude.
Zenith Ashworth, sixteen, takes the teacher apprenticeship in Archive & Schools.
Sixteen years for Meilin Nwosu, who signs to Hydroponics on the first watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 6,444th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
After 86 years, Olusegun Diallo has let go. Remembrance in the Ring A commons at next dimming.
Born on the night watch: Ming Tväten, generation 3. The ship holds 712 souls tonight.
Raisa Merriweather is delivered of a son on the first watch. The child is called Mikhail.
Hedda Ulriksen stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Medical.
All boards green. I count 710 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Ingrid Fang and Salvador Peng name their daughter Verne. The nursery lamps stay warm.
Uday Reddy, 85, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
All boards green. I count 710 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
9.72 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 47,515 thousand to go.
Remembrance day. The memorial wall is polished by hand, though nothing aboard needs polishing less.
Nicolás Figueroa does not wake late in the second watch. 93 years, most of them given to Life Systems.
Dolores Zhao is delivered of a son at brightening. The child is called Sanjay.
A birth in Ring B: Ludmila, girl, generation 3. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
A second child follows on the night watch: twins for Adaeze Thorvaldsen. This one is called Hakim.
Adaeze Thorvaldsen is delivered of a son on the night watch. The child is called Enlai.