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“That don't make no sense Jonah,” said Lars Stendahl, one of the colonists. “You know we can't build up the infrastructure and get a crop of food in a month.”
Jonah had called a meeting of all the colonists.
He replied to Lars, “Well the Commander did say that it might be longer than a month before the Starfisher departs. And he did make the point that it was an equitable trade of labor. Expanding their food production facilities in return for them helping to repair our ship.”
“I still say it's suspicious,” said Lars.
“That's as may be,” said Jonah. “But I suggest we get to work and do the best we can to show our hosts our gratitude for their help in repairing the Starfisher. Are there any more questions?”
Upon hearing none, Jonah dismissed the meeting.
“Are you coming Jonah?” asked his wife Mia. “You go ahead dear I want to speak to Jacob a moment. Jacob if you would come over here.”
“Yes father,” said Jacob as he came up to Jonah.
“Jacob it is very important that the food supply capability on the station be increased enough to accommodate not only the station personnel but colonists also.”
“I know father you've told me about your suspicions.”
“Yes I know but I'm afraid it may be hard to motivate the others without letting them know what I suspect. If as I expect when the Starfisher leaves the dock and we find most of the colonists left on the station the food production capacity will be essential to their health and maybe their survival.”
“You are saying most of the colonists now father, what do you mean?”
“I think they will take some of us along to manage the food production facilities on the Starfisher. I don't think they have enough know-how or manpower otherwise. Anyway, as I was saying, I want you to make sure that the production facilities on the station are expanded and ready by the end of the month. Do whatever you find is necessary to motivate the people, understand son?”
“Yes father.”
Jacob had a crew of twelve including himself and four station personnel assigned by the Commander. He divided them into two teams of six each, one headed by himself and one headed by Jonah. Each man in a team had at his disposal a couple of station bots to help. Jacob asked each team to work six hours a shift so that he had at least six people working twelve hours a day for a month. If things went smoothly he had figured this would be sufficient to expand the facilities of the station and start a crop of foodstuff before the month ran out. But it would be close.
To encourage productivity he set up a challenge between the teams. His metrics were square footage of food production facility expanded and square footage of plants planted. Lars and a couple of other colonists would inspect and decide which team had done the best job at the end of the month.
Jacob had been working on the project for several days when one of the station men assigned to his team approached him. “Mr. Jackson?”
“Yes Jack what can I do for you.”
“Well I would like to discuss with you something that has bothered me for some time now.”
“About the work we're doing?”
“No sir, not directly. It's about conditions on the station.”
Jacob waited then said, “Okay Jack what do you want to discuss?”
“Mr. Jackson,” Jacob interrupted and asked to be called Jacob.
“Okay then, Jacob, what I know that you may not know,” he stopped and looked around. Seeing no one nearby he continued. “Well you see we've been under strict rationing on the station for months now. I think that either a bad mistake was made when the station was designed or we are over the limits when it comes to personnel. What I don't understand is why they've waited until now to do something about it.”
“That's interesting Jack. I can't speak to the design issues but let me ask you a question. Is there anyone on the station that has training in agriculture or protein production?”
“No. Many of us are just workers without any specialized knowledge except for what we were taught before we were sent to the station. Of course in engineering and some of the other specialized departments, department heads have some education in biology. At that level, you have to be versed in multiple disciplines to be chosen by the Terran Federation. But I don't think any of their specialties include agriculture.”
“Well my dad Jonah has an advanced degree in Agronomy and I have an undergraduate specialization in Agricultural Sciences. So I would say that Commander Bogdonich is just taking advantage of the situation.”
“That may be so. But Mr. Jackson, I mean Jacob, don't you think that at least one person on the station should have had a background in agriculture like you and your dad. You all realized on the Starfisher that it was important to have that level of expertise aboard, why didn't the Federation?”
“I can't say Jack, maybe they thought that the design would be sufficient if just worked properly.”
“Jacob we have gone hungry for months. I can only believe that it was through incompetence, inaction or callous disregard for the welfare of their people that a proper supply of food was relegated to such a low priority. Jacob it's almost criminal.”
Jacob and Jonah both had discussions with the men assigned to them from the station personnel. They all felt some disappointment and animosity towards their Federation leaders. Except for the term limits in their contract it was apparent that they might have taken matters into their own hands by now. As it was, any discipline enacted against them only brought greater disdain for the officers and the Federation itself.
One evening Jacob and Jonah were talking about the day's work. Jacob mentioned again a discussion he had with one of the station men.
“I am surprised,” began Jacob, “about the animosity he shows towards the Federation officers. That could only have been building over a period of time and hasn't been properly addressed by the leaders. It shows poor leadership, poor planning, a complete lack of regard for their people.”
“Well,” said Jonah. “We've known for some time that the Terran Federation in many ways is an organization that is underfunded and over-ambitious. Obviously they are trying to stretch their resources and cut costs any way they can.
“That's okay when you are on the surface of a planet. But space is not so forgiving of incompetence or careless disregard. The lives of these men were and are being endangered by the Federation, there's no doubt in my mind.”
“I think that listening has helped them,” said Jacob.
“I do too. It may also help us when the time comes,” said Jonah.