Ore Hauler Waits Out Its Own Blessing

Pilot Itzel Vasquez sat in the cockpit of the ore hauler Marrow Dog for six hours and ten minutes on Thursday, waiting for dockside staff to finish the Last Look. The voyage to the Ceres smelters takes four hours and forty.

The rite began in 2171 as a single line, spoken by one pilot at Dock Nine. Every dock-worker hired since has added a verse. Kettle Deep now employs 212. The ice-haulers' mess has a verse. So does the Tuesday canteen rota.

Maile Marangoni, who sweeps the Dock Nine gantry, joined in March. Her verse runs ninety seconds and mentions her late brother's boots.

"You can't skip a verse," she said. "Someone's in it."

Two haulers have now arrived at Ceres before the blessing for their departure had ended. Dock Nine logged both as completed. The Last Look continued on the empty berth.

Pita Fairweather, who runs the freight board, said the delay is not a problem for schedules. He has moved every departure forward by seven hours and told shippers the haulers leave early.

"The blessing has never lost a ship," he said. He confirmed that crews no longer return from Ceres in time to hear the verses added while they were gone.