Red Rock

Chapter 17: Always on the Move (Part 1)

Chapter 17 Always on the Move

Jacob was having trouble keeping up with his work. There were almost eight-hundred-fifty people at camp and more were still coming. He sat down on a tree stump with a long line of newcomers ahead of him waiting for work. He would spend three or four minutes trying to place what line of work would fit each newcomer based on their skills and the society's needs. Most went straight to construction. Cabins weren't being built fast enough, and Nick was the only one efficient enough to run all of the projects at once, and to make matters worse, food was running scarce and not enough edibles were being produced by the gardens or the hunters to feed the hungry population.

"Next!" Jacob said aloud to the next person in line, seeing a lean young black lady approaching with her son. "What was your previous occupation on Earth," he said, giving the canned response.

"I am not from Earth," the woman said in a thick, odd, accent.

Jacob curiously looked up at her. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"I am not from Earth, and I do not have an occupation."

Jacob looked at the woman's small colored child then back at her. She and her son were wearing thick leather clothing, padded on the inside with cotton like material. "Where are you from?"

"Sun rise."

"What?" Jacob asked, sounding slightly frustrated.

The woman pointed her long sharp finger to the sun. "Sun rise, that way."

"Aww," Jacob said, realizing what she meant. "East."

"East," she repeated. "Past forests, in plains of soil."

"What did you do in these plains?"

"Farmer and hunter," she said, proudly pumping out her chest.

Jacob's eyes lit up. "Hey! Andy!" he shouted to the group of workers nearby.

Andy's head popped up from the crowd at the sound of Jacob's voice. "What is it?"

"Take over for me. I'm going to find Daire."

*

It was two weeks since Daire had been traumatized by the cannibals and he was still shaken. His aching ear was a constant reminder of their savagery and terrifying practices. He sat beside the fireplace silently staring into the ashes, living in his own little world. Reality was so much better in the depths of his imagination and he wanted stay there for the rest of his life.

"He's still sitting there," Grace said to Jacob, shaking her head. "Hasn't moved all morning."

"Alright, thanks," Jacob said disappointedly. "Daire!" he yelled to get his attention.

"What is it?" Daire said glumly, barely moving his jaw to speak.

"You going to move your ass today?" Jacob asked harshly, looking for a response. Daire didn't move a muscle, still morosely staring into the black burnt wood at the bottom of the fire pit. "We have another newcomer."

"Why are you telling me that?" Daire asked in monotony. "It's your job to deal with them."

Jacob smiled. "Because she's a Martian." Daire showed his first signs of interest in the conversation and looked up at him. "She knows how to farm and hunt."