Time of Scorn

Chapter 16: community building

Harper kept staring at the empty desk beside him, wondering how he was going to manage this department without Libba. He was looking forward to her being captain, but still, this department was new and struggling and had just lost one of its key members. Laurier was humming to himself while he tinkered with the tekcom. Harper had sent his apprentices across the base, hoping to get some of them to send him their progress. He wanted to track the base better, thinking that if they knew how much progress each department was making, resources could be more accurately allocated. If anyone would give him information, that is.

"Hello!"

Libba came into the room with a wide grin. Harper shook his head and rose from his seat.

"You've already returned?" he inquired, mostly in jest.

"Oh no," she laughed. "It's been a busy morning though. I'll cut right to it I want to change this department's title and with it, its purpose."

"What?" Harper objected. "Libba, I just got a budget four days ago."

"I know, but this is for the better," she told him. "Harper, even if I compel the other departments to give you data, they don't seem to understand why you want it. Most people are convinced that archives was a made up thing so that Dashiell could get information about Earth. But I remain convinced that we need to share information in a more productive way."

"You know I agree with you," Harper said. "So why the name change?"

"Because I want to add Tyson and Keller to your department. And I want to change this from archives to community."

"Community?" Harper questioned, more than a little skeptically.

"Tyson is going to be sponsoring more events like the baskets tournament," Libba explained. "And what is this data for? Connections between departments. Why do we want to contact Earth? To feel connected to our home planet. I would like this department to be the peacekeepers of the base, which I know is asking a lot. But we don't have anything to help us."

"I like it," Laurier called, leaning over to join the conversation. "And I think having Tyson will be great; we're one of the more diverse departments because we're so new. I know I enjoy working here."

"That's because I let you tinker half the time," Harper rolled his eyes.

"Because I don't have anything to build," Laurier responded. "And my plan today had been to help Libba with organizing dates, but then she up and became captain."

"Well, I've heard that Tyson wants to build a handball room, so perhaps you could start on build prints for that?" Libba suggested.

Harper had never heard of this, but Laurier grinned broadly.

"Really? I can absolutely do that."

Libba turned back to Harper. "So?"

"I want to have a department meeting and talk about it before we announce," Harper admitted. "When do you think Tyson and Keller will transfer?"

"This afternoon," Libba told him. "He said after lunch, so I guess any minute now."

"Libba, you are not wasting time," Laurier snorted. "Do you worry you're moving too fast."

"Not in the slightest," she replied. "We have to move fast while people are interested in change. Otherwise a cycle will pass, nothing will get done and we will just...be eking out an existence when we could be thriving. I want grass outside, and a place for our livestock to roam. I want everyone out of cryo in five years. That isn't an attainable goal without some major changes."