The hull ticks as it cools into the long night. Year 77, and I still log it faithfully: ticking, nominal.
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: Lars and Fernanda. The commons sings late.
Clara Ulriksen is delivered of a daughter on the night watch. The child is called Xenia.
A joining in Ring A: Chinedu Thorvaldsen and Temitope Yan. The pressing of cider is authorized.
I dim the corridor lights a shade for Everett Ingram, 96. It is little enough.
Middle watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
After 70 years, Khalid Jaber has let go. Remembrance in the Ring A commons at next dimming.
The schools release Gyre Orellana to Medical. Generation 3 takes up its tools.
Born late in the second watch: Suyin Tväten, generation 3. The ship holds 798 souls tonight.
A birth in Ring B: Dolores, girl, generation 4. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
First Light festival. The children are lifted to the eyepiece one by one to see where they are going.
A daughter, Polina Pemberton, born in the Ring C infirmary to Chunhua Pemberton and Adnan Shen. Mother and child are well.
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.
Sixteen years for Kestrel Navarrete, who signs to Archive & Schools at dimming and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
“Bright Lantern, Small Ladder,” a quilt by Iveta Pillai, is unveiled on the first watch to the particular applause of Medical.
The youngest aboard is now Dinesh Peng, minutes old, asleep. 795 souls.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 63,115 days to orbit.
Adnan Shen and Chunhua Pemberton are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Life Systems turns out.
The schools release Harini Aaberg to Hydroponics. Generation 3 takes up its tools.
Sixteen years for Yewande Aaberg, who signs to Hydroponics late in the second watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
Safiya Shen chooses Fabrication — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
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.
Salvador Petrov takes the hand of Winifred Petrov before the assembled watch. I witness, as I witness everything.
Folasade Singh stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Archive & Schools.
The schools release Jinsong Orellana to Life Systems. Generation 3 takes up its tools.
A first shift for Fern Thorvaldsen, sixteen: seedkeeper, Hydroponics. The badge is printed fresh.
A first shift for Emeka Barakat, sixteen: teacher, Archive & Schools. The badge is printed fresh.
The youngest aboard is now Nadia Navarrete, minutes old, asleep. 794 souls.
9.10 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 50,088 thousand to go.
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 youngest aboard is now Oksana Shen, minutes old, asleep. 793 souls.
A first shift for Baozhen Valdivia, sixteen: teacher, Archive & Schools. The badge is printed fresh.
Born late in the second watch: Jaya Pillai, generation 3. The ship holds 792 souls tonight.
After 61 years, Kavita Pillai has let go. Remembrance in the Ring D commons at next dimming.
Nandini Pillai is delivered of a daughter in the middle watch. The child is called Radhika.
9.11 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 49,979 thousand to go.
Clara Ulriksen takes the hand of Drift Quaye before the assembled watch. I witness, as I witness everything.
Last shift for Chitra Mansour, who joined Medical half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
All boards green. I count 791 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Sixteen years for Karin Nwosu, who signs to Archive & Schools at brightening and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
After 101 years, Wenbo Jiang has let go. Remembrance in the Ring A commons at next dimming.
Sixteen years for Tarun Quaye, who signs to Drive late in the second watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
A son, Tomasz Zhao, born in the Ring B infirmary to Yaling Zhao and Lumen Petrov. Mother and child are well.
Year 77 of the voyage begins. The oldest bottle of orchard wine that can be spared is opened. It is always described as "improving."
The fever breaks shipwide. The cost is counted plainly: 2 names for the wall. The schools reopen at brightening.
Teegarden Merriweather dies in isolation care, 3 years. The ward lamps burn through the night watch.
Another week of the fever. Medical rotates exhausted; volunteers take the laundry runs. The rails are wiped twice a watch.
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.
Fernanda Mazur and Tao Jaber, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
Another week of the fever. Medical rotates exhausted; volunteers take the laundry runs. The rails are wiped twice a watch.