Chapter 7 #2
She knew that was true, and she wanted them to come so badly.
It was not just because they needed them but because she missed them.
If she could have all of her family here, the mine would be running perfectly, and she would be happy.
That was something she knew would never happen, and she knew that those who she had here now might eventually go elsewhere.
It was morning, and she was ready to go to the mine and start her day when a ship landed.
Hurrying out to meet it, she was thrilled when she saw Gabe, Anna, and the kids get off.
She ran to them and hugged each of them in turn.
“I'm so glad you came.”
“I'm not sure what you expect from us, Mom. You know that we wanted to spend more time with our children while they were small,” Gabe explained.
“I know, but you’ve got two older kids who can work with you if you take charge of the builders. Anna can have the other two with her if she takes charge of the kitchen.” Victoria explained.
She could see that they were considering it, and she was certain that they would see things her way.
Right now, she took them up the mountain so they could pick out a place where they could stay.
Although it was still under development, family areas were available where they could stay with their children.
Having Anna in charge of the kitchen would make things so much better.
When she and Gabe had first married, she'd not been much of a cook.
Victoria had taken her under her wing and taught her everything she needed to know, including how to hunt and fish.
She was someone anyone would want in charge of their kitchen.
They looked at each other. “We’ll give it a try on a temporary basis,” Gabe said. “For now, we need to settle in, and we’ll start in the morning.”
“I’m so happy you’re here,” Victoria admitted.
She was, and regardless of what they decided, they would be a big help anyway.
They needed trainers to help these people learn.
Just because they were here, she felt like she was under less pressure and would have some of the help that she needed.
Victoria looked at her mate and wished that they had some time for personal reasons.
They didn't, and she had to head up to the mine to get it to work.
First, she was going to eat breakfast because she was very hungry.
She didn't intend to get in the condition she had been in before, where she collapsed.
The work she was doing was hard, and she needed the energy to complete it.
Oret brought her lunch, and she hadn't realized it was that late.
She finished what she was doing and took off her gear to go to her office, where she could have lunch with him.
The meals he brought her were always the best, and this was no exception.
After lunch, she returned to the mine and gave it her all until quitting time.
She knew it was quitting time because her mine manager let everyone know that they could leave, and the night shift would come in.
Their night shift was small, and they were all learning new things.
One of the miners who had more experience and ability was training them.
She would probably be doing it herself if she weren't going out to the farm to help Tasha and her kids.
Her daughter worked wherever she was needed, and right now she was in the cafeteria because those working there had no idea what to do with fresh kills.
They only worked with processed foods up to this point.
That was changing, but they needed help, so they would learn what needed to be done.
It was a surprise when Tasha arrived not long after she had.
“What's going on?” Victoria asked.
“Anna sent me home, and she’s working in the cafeteria for now.”
That was a very good sign. The only thing that worried her was that the people there knew so little that Anna might become discouraged.
Anna was tough, but she wanted time with her kids, and people who wouldn’t learn would make that harder.
Victoria could only hope that it wouldn't be the case.
She needed her daughter-in-law to work in the cafeteria for it to see improvement.
Without her, there would be no one consistently there, and that would hurt the training.
She didn't mind giving her the support she needed with any difficult people, but everyone had to have their area and oversee it.
That was why she had asked Radvar for them.
Since she had gotten what she asked for, the chief would expect immediate improvement.
That was what she needed and wanted to give him.
Everyone would have their place, and hers would be in the mine.
She knew her mate didn't like it because they were using outdated equipment, which meant increased exposure to the minerals being mined.
They would get an upgrade on the equipment when they completed the next lot.
They would obtain the equipment that Mars 2 was using, and the monster moon would receive the equipment they were using, provided they earned it.
Radvar had a plan, and she knew exactly what it was.
If they did a good enough job and provided what he needed, they would get regular equipment updates.
Those updates would make it easier to provide what he wanted and protect the miners.
None of her miners seemed to understand, and she wasn't sure if it was wise to tell them.
They might resent the fact that they weren't given the best available equipment to begin with.
She understood why, and that was because the factory couldn't put out the equipment fast enough.
Someone was always at the bottom of the list, and right now it was monsters.
Unfortunately, they are only one above them on the list. All the colonies had started with what was available and worked their way up.
Some hadn't worked their way up very far.
She refused to stay last on the list, and they would work hard to move up so they could get the best equipment and bonuses.
It had been disappointing that they had not earned one single bonus since they started. That simply wasn't acceptable.
Since Tasha had shown up and there wasn't a great deal of work to do in the house, she had gone home to spend a little time with her mate.
“Why are you here?” Oret asked.
“Anna went to work at the cafeteria and sent Tasha home.”
“That's good, isn't it?”
“Yes. Why are you home?” Victoria asked.
“I was working on the new septic system. I still haven't decided whether I fell or was pushed. The shower got me clean, but my clothes are outside.”
“I thought I smelled something bad when I came in,” Victoria giggled.
“The smell was overwhelming.”
“I bet it was. How are you progressing on that?”
“The septic system is almost done. The water is available at the camp, but not at individual tents, and getting it up the mountain will be a challenge. We did set up a catch and recover on the top of the mountain, but since it doesn’t seem to rain much here, we’re planning to fill it with the water from the other planet,” Oret explained.
“Sounds like you’ve been working hard.”
He leaned in and gave her a sweet kiss. “I’ve been very good and deserve a reward.”
“I need to take a shower first.” Victoria offered.
“I’ll shower with you.”
That was no surprise since her mate loved shower sex.
There was no reason to refuse, so they headed to the shower area.
It wasn't easy because there were no walls, only shower curtains all around.
They were all slippery due to the water and sometimes the soap.
It was fortunate that Oret was so strong and could hold her against him without any issues.
Once they were wet, that was exactly what he did, and he spread her legs and slid inside.
Goodness, that felt good. It was the start of the dance as he held her still and pounded into her.
For her part, she put her arms around his neck and held on tight.
It wasn't long before she exploded, and he quickly followed her.
Now, they have finished their shower, cleaning up and rinsing off.
Victoria wasn't surprised that she felt relaxed and ready to go to sleep.
Tomorrow, she would begin to see how things were going to work out.
Tasha would oversee the farming, and she would have to get several farms started quickly.
They were behind in that area, and even the other farm that had been started wasn't doing what it needed to.
Gabe would oversee the builders, and he would work hard because they were also behind, but only slightly.
Tol would now be helping her at the mine, and she was sure with his help that she would catch up and hit the level she needed.
Anna would be in the cafeteria, but she would need some help, so that was where Oret would probably be the most. He would also assist in other areas whenever needed.