She nodded and looked at him for a moment. “Take off your shoes and lie down on your back.” He did, while she watched and nodded.

“I want to check your reflexes,” she said, starting to unbuckle his belt. She stopped partway. “This wouldn’t be ethical on Earth. But we’re playing with starship rules.”

“Okay,” he said, smiling broadly. She unzipped his fly, and his reflexes appeared more than adequate.

I’ll have to ask her about that patch. I turned off the notebook. It was time to start dinner. Go pull some carrots.

Chapter 18 - ANNIVERSARY

18

ANNIVERSARY

8 May 2089

Namir is baking a cake. It’s everyone’s anniversary: we took off exactly one year ago, and everyone is still alive.

The notebook says that on Earth it’s 16 July 89, so relativity has shrunk about seventy days off our calendar.

It does feel like twelve months have gone by, though, rather than fourteen, so a time for taking stock. In one year:

Only the one day of violence, back in September, when Moonboy broke Elza’s nose, and Dustin parted his hair with a pool cue. For a long time now, Dustin and Moonboy have been civil with each other, and Elza has lost her nasal accent.

Elza also has fucked every man aboard except Paul (if he’s telling the truth), and Meryl as well, in a three-way with Moonboy, though that seems to have petered out.

The avocado tree has blossomed, but set no fruit in spite of assiduous pollination. We’ve asked Earth for advice, but they’re half a light-year away, so it will be a while.

Most of the other crops are thriving. We’ve almost doubled the floor space allotted to tomatoes, trimming the real estate from leafy greens and legumes. Namir needed more Italian plum tomatoes for sauces, and no one complained. I wish we’d brought more fruit trees, myself, or more acreage. Enough grapes to make our own wine; the idea of waiting for it to ferment is attractive; something to look forward to. Can’t have everything.

The planners were wise to design such a large hydroponic garden, even though we could survive without it. Having regular menial chores helps keep us sane; caring for living things promotes optimism. Even in our situation.

In the sports news, I’m now swimming two kilometers a day. There’s a new house rule in billiards: Namir has to shoot left- handed, or no one will play with him. He still wins, but not all the time anymore.