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 Ship’s Log
Everything NOR has recorded since departure — the full record, newest first. One day aboard passes every hour of Earth time.
Sixteen years for Zikora Petrov, who signs to Archive & Schools on the night watch and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
Maintenance sweep of Ring C complete. Somewhere aft a wrench is missing; it will surface in a decade, in a wall, with a story attached.
Departure Day, year 92. The founders' roll is read from the first name to the thousandth, and the young ones try to stay solemn.
Two names braided on the manifest tonight: Babatunde and Eos. The commons sings late.
Yash Diallo and Yaw Fang, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
Dagny Nwosu has made a tale-cycle called “Furrows of the commons.” Asked what it means, she says it means about nine years of evenings.
Sixty-eight years: Efua Thorvaldsen hangs up the sash. An elder's quarters in Ring A stands ready.
A joining in Ring A: Helm Aaberg and Chiamaka Diallo. The pressing of cider is authorized.
All boards green. I count 926 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Remembrance day. The memorial wall is polished by hand, though nothing aboard needs polishing less.
First watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Anton Sharma has made a poem called “A standing wheel.” Asked what it means, he says it means about nine years of evenings.
Lakshman Tväten has made a instrument called “Small Lantern (Year 91).” Asked what it means, he says it means about nine years of evenings.
A joining in Ring C: Aster Tväten and Ifeoma Thorvaldsen. The pressing of cider is authorized.
A wedding in the middle watch. Walid Thorvaldsen, Life Systems; Josefina Aaberg, Life Systems. The ship approves in its way: the lights held steady throughout.
Jinsong Orellana and Agnieszka Barakat, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
Quill Jaber, sixteen, takes the irrigation tech apprenticeship in Hydroponics.
Morale index reads 82. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
The manifest shortens by one: Lakshmi Pillai, 88 years. 7 children carry the line on.
Fermín Jaber and Marzena Mansour, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
A birth in Ring D: Ulises, boy, generation 4. I have added the name to the manifest with the others.
A first shift for Peng Shen, sixteen: seedkeeper, Hydroponics. The badge is printed fresh.
Pearl Aaberg stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Fabrication.
A first shift for Mohan Kong, sixteen: plasma systems tech, Drive. The badge is printed fresh.
Last shift for Natalya Shen, who joined Drive half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Elsie Mazur and Haoran Tväten name their daughter Gayatri. The nursery lamps stay warm.
Domingo Thorvaldsen stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Archive & Schools.
The youngest aboard is now Per Ouyang, minutes old, asleep. 925 souls.
Two names braided on the manifest tonight: Yuri and Tatiana. The commons sings late.
Lakshmi Ning finishes a play: “Wheels of Ring A.” It shows in the commons through the week.
8.24 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 53,483 thousand to go.
A new song from Verne Orellana — “Whole Lantern (Year 91).” The Archive takes a copy; the original belongs to whoever stands nearest.
Census check: 924 souls, 197 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
Two names braided on the manifest tonight: Tariq and Ember. The commons sings late.
Qiang Nwosu takes the hand of Basma Ning before the assembled watch. I witness, as I witness everything.
Sixteen years for Ishaan Quill, who signs to Command at brightening and is given a locker, a sash, and a schedule.
Routine watch. The wheat in Bay 3 stands taller than its keepers. 57,911 days to orbit.
Census check: 924 souls, 198 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
Sami Nwosu stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Hydroponics.
Lucía Fang is delivered of a son at brightening. The child is called Tao.
Census check: 923 souls, 198 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 6,371th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
All boards green. I count 923 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Anand Ulriksen stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Command.
The star ahead brightens by amounts only I can love: another week, another hundred-millionth of a magnitude.
Census check: 923 souls, 199 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
A joining in Ring B: Irina Peng and Aster Aaberg. The pressing of cider is authorized.
Karin Nwosu is delivered of a daughter on the first watch. The child is called Basma.
The schools release Arc Barakat to Hydroponics. Generation 3 takes up its tools.