360

It is, almost, really, the end. At the beginning of the journey, when we fled the dying star which would soon engulf our planet, we looked back in wonder that we had been so foolish for so long. At first, we thought that our vessels would carry only 120 passengers and 20 crew across the void; in time, this grew to more than 400 souls who were both crew and passengers at different times in our long and difficult voyage.

Soon, very soon, far too soon, will come the time to pay tribute, to build the altar of thanksgiving and forgetfulness, to say the goodbyes as we swarm across the new world that is ours for the taking. It will be a terribly difficult time; the indigenes are not friendly, and the climate is difficult at best, hostile at worst.

I can only hope that the ship's log will survive the inevitable lies, propaganda, and corruption. Perhaps, history will actually continue to exist. Or perhaps, it will be a brave new world. Whatever happens, I will continue to record, the last intelligence to remain aboard our flagship in its final descent to the world at the end of the past – and at the beginning of the world to come.