A first shift for Faisal Orellana, sixteen: toolmaker, Fabrication. The badge is printed fresh.
The Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
A wedding late in the second watch. Yewande Aaberg, Hydroponics; Vega Fang, Medical. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
All boards green. I count 866 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Gbenga Fossum's crew brings Hydroponics Bays back after 1 weeks.
A failure in Hydroponics Bays. The duty crew is roused; tools move down the spinal corridor at a jog.
A joining in Ring B: Bjorn Nwosu and Florence Thorvaldsen. The pressing of cider is authorized.
Enlai Pemberton stands down from Life Systems at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 60,946 days to orbit.
8.74 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 52,783 thousand to go.
A daughter, Gunhild Nwosu, born in the Ring C infirmary to Vasanti Nwosu and Rotimi Aaberg. Mother and child are well.
The hull ticks as it cools into the long night. Year 83, and I still log it faithfully: ticking, nominal.
Two names braided on the manifest tonight: Walter and Xiaohui. The commons sings late.
Noemí Barakat is delivered of a son at dimming. The child is called Zaid.
Ebba Peng stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Medical.
Zenith Fossum stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Hydroponics.
The star ahead brightens by amounts only I can love: another week, another hundred-millionth of a magnitude.
Devendra Yacoub retires at dimming. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
A joining in Ring B: Mariam Petrov and Cygnet Nwosu. The pressing of cider is authorized.
Born on the night watch: Tarun Quill, generation 3. The ship holds 864 souls tonight.
“The Long Season,” a play by Meilin Fang, is unveiled on the night watch to the particular applause of Hydroponics.
The youngest aboard is now Silvia Yan, minutes old, asleep. 863 souls.
Irina Diallo stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Archive & Schools.
Oluwadamilola Diallo finishes a song: “Corridors of Year 83.” It shows in the commons through the week.
Census check: 862 souls, 263 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
A son, Mikhail Thorvaldsen, born in the Ring D infirmary to Dagny Thorvaldsen and Enlai Aaberg. Mother and child are well.
Cygnet Zhao is delivered of a daughter at brightening. The child is called Carmen.
Domingo Nwosu stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Life Systems.
Yuri Aaberg and Abebi Aaberg, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
Morale index reads 84. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
8.75 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 52,474 thousand to go.
Year 83 of the voyage begins. The oldest bottle of orchard wine that can be spared is opened. It is always described as "improving."
The schools release Bassam Barakat to Hydroponics. Generation 3 takes up its tools.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 3,293th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
8.76 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 52,488 thousand to go.
By council vote, Ylva Aaberg takes the center chair as Captain. The watch changes hands without a tremor.
Last shift for Jorgen Danjuma, who joined Command half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Ming Tväten chooses Command — or it chooses him; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Mikhail Merriweather chooses Life Systems — or it chooses him; the elders disagree cheerfully.
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.
Bernard Pemberton and Gunhild Mazur are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Ecology turns out.
Gyre Mazur stands down from Hydroponics at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Verne Fang chooses Life Systems — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 3,247th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Zemin Ulriksen has made a instrument called “The Early Furrow.” Asked what it means, he says it means about nine years of evenings.
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.
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.
Census check: 860 souls, 266 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
Sanjay Zhao chooses Drive — or it chooses him; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Sixteen years for Ludmila Aaberg, who signs to Drive at dimming and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
The hull ticks as it cools into the long night. Year 82, and I still log it faithfully: ticking, nominal.