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.
Gantry Quill and Aster Shen are joined under the orchard lamps. The whole of Archive & Schools turns out.
A new mural from Oddny Navarrete — “What the Engine Forgets.” The Archive takes a copy; the original belongs to whoever stands nearest.
7.33 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 50,942 thousand to go.
The star ahead brightens by amounts only I can love: another week, another hundred-millionth of a magnitude.
7.33 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 50,948 thousand to go.
The council confirms Huda Fossum as Chief of Archive & Schools in the middle watch.
A first shift for Helm Petrov, sixteen: grafter, Hydroponics. The badge is printed fresh.
Last shift for Boreal Thorvaldsen, who joined Archive & Schools half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Last shift for Kayode Pillai, who joined Life Systems half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Remembrance day. The memorial wall is polished by hand, though nothing aboard needs polishing less.
Zhenzhen Jaber chooses Drive — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Rell Jaber chooses Command — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Simisola Valdivia has made a song called “Inward Corridor (Year 106).” Asked what it means, she says it means about nine years of evenings.
Census check: 974 souls, 129 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
7.34 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 50,972 thousand to go.
Night watch. The orchard sprinklers run their cycle, and the sound carries down the spine like weather.
Johanna Pillai chooses Life Systems — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
The manifest shortens by one: Dagny Merriweather, 94 years. 9 children carry the line on.
The star ahead brightens by amounts only I can love: another week, another hundred-millionth of a magnitude.
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.
Census check: 975 souls, 130 of them children. The manifest balances to the person, as it must.
Babatunde Navarrete, sixteen, takes the reactor tech apprenticeship in Drive.
A son, Fathom Thorvaldsen, born in the Ring C infirmary to Ifeoma Thorvaldsen and Aster Tväten. Mother and child are well.
Ragnar Barakat, sixteen, takes the sanitation engineer apprenticeship in Life Systems.
Last shift for Amir Aaberg, who joined Ecology half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Born on the first watch: Margaret Nwosu, generation 4. The ship holds 974 souls tonight.
The schools release Hanan Navarrete to Fabrication. Generation 5 takes up its tools.
Hernán Thorvaldsen died in quarters late in the second watch, 78 years old. 973 souls aboard.
Tao Navarrete and Kavita Mansour, joined. Their quarters are re-assigned adjoining, per custom.
Quiet shift. I re-run the arrival calculations for the 2,904th time. They have not changed. I find this restful.
Sarala Quill stands the walk of the full spinal corridor, as the sixteen-year custom is, and joins Drive.
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.
Pallas Navarrete died in quarters at brightening, 72 years old. 974 souls aboard.
7.35 light-years remain. I have measured this voyage in breakfasts: some 51,106 thousand to go.
Ayodele Nwosu retires on the first watch. The department logs a quiet debt it cannot repay in parts or hours.
Mira Diallo and Zhihao Nwosu name their son Olaf. The nursery lamps stay warm.
“Bells of Year 106,” a tale-cycle by Winifred Petrov, is unveiled on the night watch to the particular applause of Fabrication.
Born at brightening: Lumen Petrov, generation 5. The ship holds 974 souls tonight.
A first shift for Adaeze Nwosu, sixteen: soil keeper, Ecology. The badge is printed fresh.
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.
A first shift for Widad Peng, sixteen: mycologist, Hydroponics. The badge is printed fresh.
Gilbert Quaye stands down from Medical at sixty-eight, to the orchard benches and the long game of stones.
Last shift for Sten Quill, who joined Medical half a century ago. The crew line the corridor and knock wrenches on the rails.
Svetlana Fang chooses Medical — or it chooses her; the elders disagree cheerfully.
Ragnar Han does not wake on the first watch. 95 years, most of them given to Medical.
All boards green. I count 974 sleeping heartbeats and call it a good night's work, though the work is theirs.
Polina Quill, sixteen, takes the arborist apprenticeship in Ecology.
Morale index reads 78. The number is crude. The singing from the mess confirms it.
A son, Viggo Jaber, born in the Ring B infirmary to Ylva Jaber and Arne Fang. Mother and child are well.