Your Tax Dollars At Work

[plate_builder]

WHO: Reeve Tuesti, Open
WHERE: Temba
WHAT: Road Work
WHEN: All of April
WARNINGS: N/A

For those who hate the noise of roadwork, well, they will have Reeve's pity and apology later. For now there is work to be done. And the form of that work involves a very large machine that makes a bit too much noise and hot scents. There is nothing to be done for that part.

Though anyone who wants to complain can probably talk to the man and cat standing beside it, wearing hard hats (where did Reeve get one in Mini's size), discussing plans and a map.

Or perhaps one might find them when the machine is still and quieter, where Reeve stands securely on the edge of one of the holes in the road, lowering a rope into it at a slow pace. Clearly he's intent on the work, playing out the line with a constant level of caution.

And then there's the end of the day, as the sun is growing low, and Reeve is shutting down the machine while going about and checking material levels in it. Behind it a new stretch of road cures. Every now and then Reeve looks over toward it with clear pride. Another sign of Temba being restored to something like order. It's what he's here for.

Comments

[plate_builder]

"They will," Reeve says with a smile. "And there won't be pits to fall down."

[crystalmaster]

"That's always a plus," Radley says. "Way too many people ... and robots ... fell down those things."

[plate_builder]

Indeed. And Reeve doesn't want it happening again.

"Someone could die in one of those."

[crystalmaster]

"That was definitely something I was afraid of," Radley says. "Have you been able to fill all of those in yet?" He would imagine not, since there seems to be so many.

[plate_builder]

"I've been working on them as well. I got another machine just for that task."

And that's something that was high priority. But he'd address those when he found them, one bit at a time.

[crystalmaster]

"Cool. Is it easy to run?" Maybe he could work with that to help the project go faster.

[plate_builder]

"Rather easy, yes. I selected it for that purpose. It takes the material you feed into it to fill it most of the way, then tamps the dirt down to reduce settling, and then fills with concrete."

It's not perfect, but it helps.

[crystalmaster]

"That sounds great," Radley says in approval. "I'd love to help with filling in the holes."

[plate_builder]

Reeve grins.

"Wonderful. Mini and I will be putting time tomorrow into doing more calculations on how much material will be needed for different holes. We would appreciate the company on scouting."

[crystalmaster]

"I'll be there," Radley smiles. "What time?"

[plate_builder]

"I start roughly two hours after sunrise."

Richie won't let him do anything earlier.

[crystalmaster]

Radley winces a bit. "Okay. I need to make sure there's breakfast at the diner, but I can come after that."

[plate_builder]

"Could you not leave it to that other one? The guy that runs it?"

Reeve doesn't go there often, so he doesn't really know.

[crystalmaster]

"He pushes himself pretty hard too, so I try to make sure to do all that I can there," Radley says.

[plate_builder]

That's fair. Reeve nods in approval.

"IT is good, to lend a helping hand to those who we are here with."

[crystalmaster]

"Yeah," Radley smiles. "I promise I'll be over as soon as I have things ready at the diner. Maybe I can get up earlier to get breakfast going sooner."

[plate_builder]

That sounds like a plan. Reeve smiles at him.

"If you show up early enough, we can sneak a cup of coffee before my boyfriend fusses at me."

[crystalmaster]

Radley chuckles. "I'll have some ready."

[plate_builder]

Really? Reeve laughs at that.

"I wasn't expecting the offer. But it would let me sneak out of Richie's better if I had somewhere else to get my coffee."

[crystalmaster]

"We usually have some at the diner," Radley says. "I don't drink it much myself, but a lot of the others do."

[plate_builder]

"I drink enough that I really just have to maintain my own stock, so I'm not depriving others," Reeve admits with a laugh. "I have a small problem with it."

[crystalmaster]

"Oh, I see," Radley says. "That sounds like my friend Scotch with hot chocolate."

[plate_builder]

"Hot chocolate?"

How interesting to hear from the man. But he is not certain it is the same. Reeve knows he is a borderline addict to caffeine.

[crystalmaster]

"Yeah, he can't get enough of chocolate," Radley says. "He loves chocolate milk too. I like it myself, but he likes it even more."

[plate_builder]

"I have heard suggestions that chocolate, in moderation, can be wonderful for one's health."

Not that he's read the studies of course.