Chapter 8
Life Improves
Oret felt happy as he watched his mate dancing around.
The mine had hit its levels, and they had gotten their first bonus.
It wasn't a big one, but it was a substantial load of fishing gear.
Not all the miners were pleased with it, because many of them had not yet gone fishing.
The gear was in different sizes, and some of it looked like it would work for a child.
There had been some extra gear after she had handed it out to those who had earned it, including most of the managers who had helped in the mines to reach the required level.
Those that were left over after that had been handed out to grandchildren.
Victoria had offered trades to those who had fishing gear that they said they would never use.
Most of them had accepted the trades and seemed happy enough.
The mine wasn't the only thing running better; the builders were hitting their levels and even exceeding them.
They had also given them a bonus in the form of surplus goods.
Most of them had chosen a bottle of wine.
Victoria had started the wine as soon as they arrived here.
She made sweet wine that was almost like drinking dessert.
Anna had the kitchen and cafeteria running like a well-oiled machine, and the food had improved so much that they no longer received complaints.
The only area that needed help was farming, but that was because those had to be established one at a time, since they were getting inexperienced families.
Other places had families with at least one experienced person.
The family that had come to train with Tasha's family had been so upset by the hard work and the routine of farming that they had been moved elsewhere.
Oret wasn't sure that they would make it anywhere.
The children were older, which should have been a plus, but none of them were interested in doing a day's work.
That was something they had probably learned from their parents.
Now they were bringing in the next family, and they would be moving in when the ship landed in the morning.
That was also the ship that would pick up the next load from the mine.
It would bring the next upgrade of equipment, making it easier for them to qualify for another upgrade sooner.
The chief had a plan and a system, and those who understood it and were willing to do what was required would do well.
Radvar had said that the monsters had earned the next upgrade and would be getting their equipment next.
The pressure was easing, and things were getting better one step at a time.
Those miners who could be trained were doing well, and those who couldn't were now with the building crew. Two of the builders had traded and were now working in the mines. They were hard workers, and Gabe had hated to see them go. Gabe’s two oldest children did a good job assisting with the builders.
They worked with their dad the most, but they also helped in other areas from time to time.
Things with the builders had improved enough that they were now getting one day off every week.
Sometimes they would go fishing or hunting on that day if a trip was made to another planet.
It would be two days before the next trip to the supply planet, as their ship was scheduled to arrive in the morning, and they had to be there when it arrived.
In the kitchen, things were better, too, because no one was having to work seven twelve-hour days.
They were all getting at least one day off each week, too.
The miners were also getting a day off every week.
Their biggest concern was getting the farms up and running, and there was nothing they could do about that until the people came who were willing to take on the job.
Tasha's farm was doing well, and they had provided the other farm with extra help; it was almost up to standards.
It would take time for the harvest, and that was when they would really know how things were going.
It was still dark outside when a sound woke him.
The ship was landing, and it was hours ahead of schedule.
It would make loading and unloading difficult because they were human and would not be able to see well in the dark.
Oret got up, trying not to wake his mate, but it was too late, and she was moving too.
He wondered if the early arrival was accidental or if there was a reason the ship needed to proceed to its next destination.
That's something he would be asking when he saw the crew.
“What's going on? It's still dark outside, which will make things harder to do,” Oret informed.
“Radvar needs us to get back to Jaded as early as possible. He didn't tell us why, but I assume it's important.” The captain said.
They immediately began unloading, and Victoria headed up the mountain to prepare the load for shipment to the ship.
Everything had been set up so that the loaded containers could be moved down the mountain on rails.
She immediately got the first container out the door and moving down the mountain.
Victoria moved out one container after another, leaving the prescribed amount of distance between them so that one container wouldn't run into another and cause issues.
As soon as the first container reached the bottom of the mountain, the ship's crew took it with their equipment and loaded it onto the ship.
The setup was perfect because Victoria was able to get all the containers moving down the mountain on her own, while he assisted the crew with unloading the ship and reloading it.
They were done, and the ship was on its way to the monster moon before it was light.
“Not much point in going back to bed,” Oret observed.
“I hope whatever the emergency is, it's dealt with easily and doesn't cause too much harm.”
“I hope that the monsters can move things along as well as we did.”
He knew that might be a problem because they didn't have the same experience with mining, and they might not be pleased at being woken up or disturbed at a time when they weren't expecting anyone.
Oret decided not to worry about it because it was beyond his control, and he had plenty to worry about that he could exert some control over.
They went to the kitchen, where they had a leisurely breakfast, and then they both headed to their jobs.
Water was now going to several of the buildings and tents in the lower area.
One of the problems was that there was not enough water, and the nearby stream would be drained if everyone were using water from there.
One of their plans had been to expand the stream and add a large amount of water to it.
To utilize that water, they would have to establish a method to prevent it from leaving the area.
Some type of dam would have to be built.
Because of the limited amount of supplies they had, they would be taking trees from their supply planet and building them that way.
While addressing the water and sewer issues, he also allocated a certain amount of time to other areas to ensure everything was running smoothly.
The place he was needed the least now was the mine because Tol was working with Victoria, and they had things under control.
He had to admit that he enjoyed working with Anna in the kitchen and had gotten quite good at baking.
That had been one area in which he had not learned a great deal.
Most Majuri warriors were good cooks, although they mostly cooked in a fire pit.
Oret found the baking to be especially relaxing, and he enjoyed doing it with some of the little children who were kept in the kitchen.
Because Anna's children were kept in the kitchen, some of the other ladies had expressed an interest in having their children kept in the same area.
So, he had fixed up a room where the children could stay and be near their parents or grandparents.
It seemed to make some of the ladies work harder because they appreciated that benefit.
Sometimes the children would help with baking cookies and cupcakes.
Oret worked on his plumbing issues until lunch, and then he switched to working in the kitchen.
The last half of the day passed quickly, and he knew that tomorrow they would be going on a hunt and gathering the necessary supplies.
Anna and Gabe would be going, along with their children.
The two oldest were already trained hunters.
The youngest would be riding in front of Gabe, and the second youngest would be on a bike with Anna.
Riding with someone else could make hunting a little harder, but it was worth it to spend time with family.
Two of the miners had decided to try hunting, and they would be going as novices.
He hoped it would work out because they needed more hunters.
Eventually, the moon would have a good supply of animals, and they would be able to hunt in their own place.