Sixteen years for Sarala Pemberton, who signs to Life Systems at brightening and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
Two names braided on the manifest tonight: Mariam and Fuhua. The commons sings late.
Tara Fang stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Medical.
A wedding at brightening. Cristóbal Thorvaldsen, Fabrication; Ulyana Aaberg, Hydroponics. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
After 94 years, Vicente Montoya has let go. Remembrance in the Ring D commons at next dimming.
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 Lanying Nwosu, minutes old, asleep. 720 souls.
A second child follows on the night watch: twins for Oddny Thorvaldsen. This one is called Jorgen.
The youngest aboard is now Mira Thorvaldsen, minutes old, asleep. 719 souls.
Dominika Thorvaldsen is delivered of a son at dimming. The child is called Rell.
Census check: 716 souls, 298 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
9.66 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 47,651 thousand to go.
After 88 years, Kofi Sowande has let go. Remembrance in the Ring B commons at next dimming.
Esha Yan and Stanley Valdivia, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
Remembrance day. The memorial wall is polished by hand, though nothing aboard needs polishing less.
Usman Peng and Vasanti Merriweather are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Life Systems turns out.
The youngest aboard is now Dolores Nwosu, minutes old, asleep. 717 souls.
After 92 years, Vasanti Yadav has let go. Remembrance in the Ring B commons at next dimming.
First watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Harriet Singh and Cedric Navarrete name their son Gopal. The nursery lamps stay warm.
The circle has answered. The second orchard is approved. The hold's ribs are hung with lamps, and the first soil goes in with ceremony and shovels.
A birth in Ring D: Arjun, boy, generation 3. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
Sixteen years for Solveig Salazar, who signs to Ecology on the first watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
A first shift for Lumen Zhao, sixteen: shield tech, Drive. The badge is printed fresh.
The schools release Elin Yan to Hydroponics. Generation 2 takes up its tools.
The youngest aboard is now Oluwadamilola Jaber, minutes old, asleep. 715 souls.
A son, Juniper Tväten, born in the Ring B infirmary to Boreal Tväten and Ravindra Ouyang. Mother and child are well.
The schools release June Shen to Hydroponics. Generation 3 takes up its tools.
Born late in the second watch: Ember Navarrete, generation 3. The ship holds 713 souls tonight.
Noemí Barakat chooses Life Systems — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Konstantin Kowalczyk stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Hydroponics.
All boards green. I count 712 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
After 93 years, Yusheng Qiu has let go. Remembrance in the Ring B commons at next dimming.
Qasim Saab died in quarters on the first watch, 85 years old. 713 souls aboard.
9.67 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 47,601 thousand to go.
A joining in Ring D: Inés Barakat and Dinesh Merriweather. The pressing of cider is authorized.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 6,641th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
A first shift for Howard Quill, sixteen: air systems tech, Life Systems. The badge is printed fresh.
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.
Deshi Zhu does not wake on the first watch. 90 years, most of them given to Fabrication.
Stanley Orellana, sixteen, takes the physician apprenticeship in Medical.
The question is put to the wider circle: The second orchard. The ship asks; Earth answers, in its own long time.
Oluwaseun Danjuma, 91, generation 0, is carried down the spinal corridor feet-first, as the custom is.
A son, Jagdish Kong, born in the Ring A infirmary to Meilin Kong and Wei Mansour. Mother and child are well.
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.
The schools release Mariam Diallo to Life Systems. Generation 2 takes up its tools.
Ngozi Diallo is delivered of a son on the night watch. The child is called Lev.
9.68 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 47,642 thousand to go.
Born in the middle watch: Tern Jaber, generation 3. The ship holds 714 souls tonight.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 66,728 days to orbit.