Performing The Upgrade

Writers: Avery
Date Posted: 29th October 2015

Characters: Solis
Description: Solis works on the kitchen upgrade.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 11 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Chaysea, Cyradis

Today was the second day of the Technicians' labors in the kitchens.
It was pretty tedious, repetitive work right now. The fans had been
put in place yesterday, and now it was time to run all the wires to
provide power and signaling. Then they would test that everything was
working as planned.

**At least nobody's in here but us,** Solis thought. The Master
Technician had appreciated that the Headwoman and Weyrwoman had
approved clearing out the kitchens completely. The absence of any of
the kitchen workers performing their labor, as well as the fact that
many items had been moved out, made for lots of space for the
Technicians to do their work in, and meant he didn't have to worry
about someone inexperienced touching wires or messing with electrical
parts. (Not to mention tools being dropped on them or debris
contaminating the food). There were enough laborers, both trained
Crafters like Technicians and Masons, and unskilled workers who were
able to lend their hands and shoulders to simple work, that they'd be
able to work nearly round-the-clock to get it done faster.

And their work had been progressing relatively quickly, considering
how much they were doing to the kitchens. The Dining Caverns had been
equipped with fans to help remove some of the stagnant, warm air that
drifted out from the kitchens. But the kitchens had only one fan of
their own, and it was insufficiently placed and Solis wondered if it
had had any kind of overhaul or improvement since Dolphin Cove was
reopened nearly two decades ago.

The kitchen renovation that the senior staff had approved called for
replacing the large fan over the ovens, and then adding a few smaller
ones that would direct warm air towards the Dining Cavern so that
those fans could remove it. They'd also set up plans for wiring so
that it would be possible to add more fans, or move the placement if
one of them turned out to not be correct in actual usage. Solis liked
to account for all possibilities.

Unfortunately, not all of the weyrfolk were pleased with the work they
were doing, or with how long it was taking. He'd heard grumbling among
the lower caverns staff about the Technicians disrupting their work
and making everything needlessly complicated for a sevenday.
**Shortsightedness,** he thought.

Couldn't they see this was _progress_? The Technician staff was
inconveniencing them for a sevenday, but improving the quality of the
kitchens. It was hot at Dolphin Cove, even though being in caverns
farther in was cooler, and the ovens could occasionally make places
unbearable. That was why the kitchen staff had to work in the evenings
and mornings. Once the kitchen cooling was improved, they'd be able to
cook with heat even during mid-day.

Solis finished this run of wiring, connecting it to a switch, then
stopped to wipe his face. It was early in the afternoon, and he was
already getting sick of the work. He wouldn't go so far as to say that
he was exhausted - though he would certainly hit that state by the end
of the day's work, if yesterday held true - but he was definitely
beginning to feel the beginning of physical exhaustion and the onset
of mental fatigue.

**Tired Technicians make mistakes. And this project is too important
to make a mistake on.** With that thought in mind, he knew it was time
to take a break. When he was done, he secured his tools, and then made
his way out of the kitchen, passing by the other crafters hard at work
and greeting those who weren't in the middle of something delicate.

Tired of seeing the inside of the cavern, he made his way outside and
took a deep breath of fresh air. He started to head over towards the
food pits the Masons had created and the kitchen workers were
surrounding to see if he could get a snack. Before he made it all the
way over, he was spotted by one of the apprentices attached to the
project.

"Hey Master Solis!" the kid called, waving his hand.

Solis diverted course and headed over. "Yes?"

"Kitchen staff's asking if we'll be done tomorrow. I told 'em I was
just an apprentice and didn't know. You have anything for them?"

Solis resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Who was asking? Why did they
need to know right now? "If they have questions, they should ask the
Headwoman. I provide status updates to her and the Weyrwoman, and I'll
be doing that daily," he said.

"But they want to know - " the apprentice protested. He didn't want to
go back to the older ladies with nothing to show for his question.

Solis fixed the apprentice with a look that said the boy would be
better served worrying about the person he was reporting to, rather
than the kitchen gossips. "And I haven't told the leaders yet, so
there's nothing to know."

The apprentice bobbed his head. "Okay, sir," he said, running off to the pits.

**I'm not going to tell Yefelda the one-eyed cook before I tell the
goldriders,** Solis thought as he saw some of the workers turn to
stare at him.

He decided to get something like a sandwich and go back to work. Then
he'd actually _have_ something to report. And when it was all done in
a sevenday, hopefully the service staff would forgive him all the
disruption, enamored by the new conveniences they'd added. Hopefully.

Last updated on the October 30th 2015

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Performing The Upgrade