Departure Day, year 73. The founders' roll is read from the first name to the thousandth, and the young ones try to stay solemn.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
Obinna Montoya stands down from Ecology at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
A first shift for Beatriz Sharma, sixteen: nurse, Medical. The badge is printed fresh.
A daughter, Rosario Thorvaldsen, born in the Ring C infirmary to Oddny Thorvaldsen and Nils Quaye. Mother and child are well.
Layla Shen, sixteen, takes the arborist apprenticeship in Ecology.
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.
Wanrong Yan does not wake at dimming. 96 years, most of them given to Life Systems.
Theodore Solheim stands down from Fabrication at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
The youngest aboard is now Walid Diallo, minutes old, asleep. 759 souls.
Lubna Petrov and Theodore Thorvaldsen are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Life Systems turns out.
Remembrance. All names read since the last one — held in silence in every ring at the same hour. I keep the lights low until it is done.
Zofia Kowalczyk and Stanley Orellana, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
The schools release Zikora Shen to Life Systems. Generation 3 takes up its tools.
Last shift for Umbra Barakat, who joined Drive half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 64,747 days to orbit.
Xenia Peng is delivered of a daughter at brightening. The child is called Ragnhild.
Census check: 757 souls, 300 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
A daughter, Edith Merriweather, born in the Ring C infirmary to Padma Merriweather and Maksim Fang. Mother and child are well.
Jiayi Shen is made Chief of Hydroponics, and marks it by standing the ordinary shift anyway.
Mabel Nwosu retires on the first watch. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
Last shift for Paloma Nwosu, who joined Hydroponics half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Shanta Aaberg retires on the night watch. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
A first shift for Suyin Quill, sixteen: hullwright, Fabrication. The badge is printed fresh.
Harriet Singh is delivered of a daughter on the night watch. The child is called Meilin.
9.37 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 48,906 thousand to go.
All boards green. I count 755 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Pearl Nwosu and Gbenga Navarrete are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Fabrication turns out.
The schools release Umbra Aaberg to Command. Generation 3 takes up its tools.
Milena Kowalczyk stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Hydroponics.
Winifred Petrov stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Fabrication.
Fernanda Petrov stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Fabrication.
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.
Maintenance sweep of Ring B complete. Somewhere aft a wrench is missing; it will surface in a decade, in a wall, with a story attached.
Last shift for Elsie Navarrete, who joined Archive & Schools half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
The hull ticks as it cools into the long night. Year 72, and I still log it faithfully: ticking, nominal.
Born on the night watch: Safiya Peng, generation 3. The ship holds 755 souls tonight.
Valentina Ulriksen has made a instrument called “Small Map, Borrowed Root.” Asked what it means, she says it means about nine years of evenings.
Ibrahim Navarrete takes the hand of Harini Barakat before the assembled watch. I witness, as I witness everything.
Kwame Tväten and June Shen are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Ecology turns out.
Howard Fang, sixteen, takes the air systems tech apprenticeship in Life Systems.
The youngest aboard is now Gayatri Ulriksen, minutes old, asleep. 754 souls.
A son, Ibrahim Yan, born in the Ring A infirmary to Esha Yan and Stanley Valdivia. Mother and child are well.
Keel Nwosu, sixteen, takes the water systems tech apprenticeship in Life Systems.
Born at brightening: Aster Ulriksen, generation 3. The ship holds 752 souls tonight.
A second child follows on the night watch: twins for Sarala Peng. This one is called Adaeze.
Born at brightening: Haoran Peng, generation 3. The ship holds 751 souls tonight.
Chunhua Pemberton, sixteen, takes the irrigation tech apprenticeship in Hydroponics.
A first shift for Simisola Valdivia, sixteen: thermal engineer, Life Systems. The badge is printed fresh.
All boards green. I count 749 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
The hull ticks as it cools into the long night. Year 72, and I still log it faithfully: ticking, nominal.