Chapter 23: Assigning jobs
"It's not going to be easy; it's going to be a long hard road. It might take us two, three or five years but we are going to get there. And don't worry; you will not starve while we get there because from now until further notice as the governor of the Blue star I will be responsible for providing your food. Please know that this is temporary and when you start earning enough money you will have to start purchasing food.
You will earn money by working for me and before you rejoice, I am not a wealthy woman so we have to start slowly. You have been earning two star coins a day working in the factory. I will be paying four star coins a day for now.
Esong was surprised and he looked at Dez and asked, "Do people actually earn two star coins in this empire? Does anything even cost four star coins?"
"Uhm, wooden kids toys." Dez answered.
But even he was unsure because someone earning two or four star coins was simply ridiculous and unheard of.
"It should be a crime to pay people such a meager amount of money for labour. " Esong mumbled.
"It's better than nothing." Dez whispered.
Scarlet's words shut down arguments from the few who were still advocating for the garbage dump to stay operational. Everyone of sound mind would definitely choose four star coins over two. The additional promise of food was incredible.
Adler stepped forward and took over from Scarlet. "We need people for the following jobs, farming, construction, animal care takers, teachers, administrative work, security, cooks, cleaners, seamstresses', hunters and gatherers.
Those who work in security, administration, hunters and gatherers will be earning six to ten star coins. They have to earn more because they do the more dangerous work. As time goes on the wages earned by different people in different sectors will become different.
We are going to set up temporary stations behind and you can all register where you want to work according to your skills and knowledge. Food will be provided twice a day in the morning at ten and in the evening at six.
If you are hungry between those times you will have to purchase your own food or feed off of your rations. Those of you are joining the farming team we are starting our work immediately so please walk over to governor Scarlet and she will lead you to your place of work."
There was confusion in the crowd as so many people did not know what farming was. The rest of the jobs were self-explanatory except for farming.
"Why is none of you moving?" Adler asked.
The young man who had questioned Scarlet before said, "We need this farming activity to be explained to us."
"It's the growing of food in the ground." Adler explained as best as he could from what Scarlet said to him before this assembly had been called.
His explanation created more confusion because it too vague and short for most of them to understand.
Adler groaned and he said, "Everyone that cannot participate in any of the other jobs please go and farm. Before you decide to become a hunter or a gatherer please know that these jobs require entering the Blue forest. Those who join security have to protect our small starter city when the cold season arrives. You have to fight mutated beasts and any other dangers we might face. Your training will be rigorous; it will be led by my father and me."
This made things a little clearer and more movement was seen.
Pretty soon, Scarlet was leading a group of twenty five people to the areas her father had suggested would be best to start farming from. She was hoping for a number bigger than this but these people would make do for now. Among these people the one who surprised her the most was the young man that had questioned her. Given his age and build, she thought he would be angling for the hunting team or the security team like others his age.
"What's your name?" she asked him.
"Rodney Sinclair." He replied. "This is my father Blad Sinclair." He introduced the older man who never seemed to be far away from him.
"Who else is in your family?" she asked out of curiosity.
"It's just the two of us." Blad responded.
"How long have you lived on this star?" she asked him.
"One hundred years." Blad responded.
She would have been surprised was it not for the fact that people in the Sun star lived long lives. In this world, most people aged at around two hundred and lived to a maximum of three hundred years. Not only was it shocking to her but it was also unbelievable.
With the attacks of mutated beasts and space pirates however, sudden death was common. Not everyone lived to the golden age of three hundred.
Rodney looked responsible and Blad had lived on the blue star for many years, she could use their help.
She looked at Rodney and said, "You are outspoken and the others seem to respect you. I want to put you in charge of all farming activities. I will teach you all the knowledge you lack about farming and animal husbandry. Maybe in the future you could be our Minister of agriculture."
Blad's eyes it up and he pushed his son forward. "Do as you wish with him governor Scarlet."
She smiled and then looked at the rest of the crowd, "Listen to me carefully and watch everything that I do. First of all, we have to clear the ground. There should be no rubbish, no metals, no bottles only the soil."
She thought it would take an hour to clear three fields the size of a large football stadium each but it was completed in forty minutes. She had forgotten how focused and quick people in the interstellar could be.
Adler even lent her some of those mecha dogs and hey just sucked up everything like worm holes.
"Next, we have to dig small holes in the ground and turn the soil." She announced
"That's easy." She had no idea where Beord came from because he was assigned elsewhere but he showed up and used a lot of strength to dig into the ground which his large sword.
Right there in the ground in front of her was now a hole about twenty metres deep.
"I said dig small holes Beord, not something leading to the center of the planet." She was exaggerating because the hole was not too deep but if he went around digging like this, these would be wells for collecting water not planting seeds.
She supervised the workers and when she tried to dig personally, Adler would threaten to send her back to the house. They were acting as if she was not sick but weak and dying.
When the sun was setting, corn seeds were sown and watered and in other fields, wheat and vegetables were grown.
She would have loved to plant rice but it was not a possibility because it needed the creation of a paddy first.
"Return to your homes and assemble in front of my house for food distribution. We will continue working tomorrow at eight in the morning.
She had tons of maize flour in her space which was used to prepare porridge. She also took out part of her stock of bread. Those who joined the security and hunting teams got an extra boiled egg with their food.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone