The lab was quiet, save for the occasional hum of machinery and the soft tapping of Ria's fingers on her tablet. The glow from the screen illuminated her focused expression as she compiled the daily report. Tate stood nearby, his stern demeanor unchanged by the day's events.
"Ria?" Tate's voice cut through the silence.
"On it, sir." Ria responded promptly, her fingers moving deftly across the screen. "Here's my database of the daily report. According to the fifth unit's research, there have been sightings of astrogem debris in the soil samples received from the land samples of the research area."
"How much?" Tate asked, his gaze unwavering.
"Just a bit, but not enough to declare the emergence of a new sect. I also noted that the fertility rates of the land are quite commendable, if I had to say so myself."
The two stopped as Tate gave her a hard look. "When I say to stick to the topic, you stick to the topic. Got it?"
Ria bowed slightly, her tone subdued. "Yes, sir."
"You haven't changed one bit, have you?" came a familiar voice from behind. Ria felt a hand slip around her shoulder. It was Will.
"Hope Tate wasn't too hard on you while I was away, love," Will said, kissing her on the head.
"I see you're back from your little scouting. Have you already met with the board?" Ria asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Already have. And boy, did it take forever. Trust me," Will replied with a smirk. "What about you? How is being the sect leader going for you?" He teased, turning to Tate.
"The usual," Tate replied, his tone neutral. "I heard you decided to shorten your scouting duration."
"Can you blame me? It's been a year since I left, and I just had to come back and take care of our little scientist over here." Will teased, ruffling Ria's hair affectionately.
"You spoil her too much, Will," Tate said, shaking his head slightly.
"Can you blame me?" Will shot back with a grin.
Later that evening, Ria and Will sat down for dinner in a cozy, dimly lit corner of the dining hall. The soft murmur of conversation filled the air as they caught up on lost time.
"So, how was the scouting mission? Anything interesting?" Ria asked, spearing a piece of her salad.
"Nothing too out of the ordinary. Just the usual patrols and minor skirmishes," Will replied. "But enough about that. Tell me about the system launch. How's it coming along?"
Ria's expression turned serious. "Honestly, Will, I'm worried. I've been analyzing the data, and there might be a breach in the system. If we launch it without fixing the issue, the mission could be a disaster."
Will reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "Hey, it's going to be alright. If you're not convinced, we can run another test. And remember," he said, gently touching the necklace with the ring that hung around her neck, "I promised we'd officially get engaged after the exhibition. We've got six months, and we'll make it through this together."
The next day, as Ria walked through the hallways of the HQ, she met up with Sam, her best friend. They were heading for the meeting hall, where the rest of the team awaited.
Inside, the room buzzed with anticipation. Will stood at the head of the table, a commanding presence. Ria took her seat beside him, with Sam, Jin, Fayna, and Lily filling the remaining chairs.
"Alright, everyone," Will began, his voice steady. "The launch is in three days. We need to make sure everything is perfect. Lily, how's the ship looking?"
"Ship's ready to go," Lily replied confidently. "All systems are green."
"Great. Jin, any updates on the strategy?"
"We've mapped out the safest route and identified potential threats," Jin said. "We'll be ready for anything."
"Fayna, how are the supplies?"
"Everything's packed and accounted for," Fayna answered. "We're good to go."
"Sam, any final adjustments?"
"Just a few tweaks here and there," Sam replied. "Nothing major."
Will turned to Ria. "And our tech wiz? Any last-minute concerns?"
Ria took a deep breath. "Just one. We need to run one more test on the system to ensure there are no breaches."
Will nodded. "We'll do that. Alright, team, let's make this launch a success."
The meeting continued, filled with detailed discussions and strategic planning. The stakes were high, but the team was ready. They were determined to make this mission a triumph, no matter the challenges ahead.
☺️
👘❣️Manesta.