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Posted on 19 May 2026 @ 3:24pm by Alura Ryn & Lieutenant Ryan Collingway

1,336 words; about a 7 minute read

///Cargo Bay 3////

Ryan stared at his creation. The paint job had been the last bit for him to do, and he had done that overnight and left it to dry. He inspected it carefully in the morning to make sure there were no cracks or breaks in it. But he was satisfied. The hovercart was finally completed.

As promised, the hovercart maneuvered with a small internal power system which made the wheels obsolete and could be calculated for five speeds. It could also manually be sent anywhere and had a tracking locator in case it was lost. Ryan had also made an internal replicator system so Alura could make anything she wanted in case something was forgotten. That had taken a while to wire in, longer than he had anticipated.

Fortunately, he had help. The other engineers had learned of his project and only were too happy to pitch in, most having been on the receiving end of Alura's kindness during difficult times on the ship. "I've been with a girl for five years. Do you know the true way into their hearts?" Sorensen asked with a grin. "Storage. Lots of storage."

So Ryan had made ten storage containers for her on each side as a last addition, though it fitted nicely enough with the sleek design that it didn't appear like it didn't belong. Finally, he finished it with a red bow and then sent a com message that he had a surprise for her in the cargo bay.

Alura arrived only a few minutes after the message, though from the look of her she had exercised every ounce of restraint by not sprinting the entire way.

A surprise in a cargo bay could have meant anything. A shipment she had forgotten. A mislabeled crate. One of the engineers needing her opinion on whether something looked festive enough to count as morale support.

She was already smiling when the doors opened.

Then she saw it.

The hovercart sat beneath the cargo bay lights, sleek and freshly painted, with a red bow tied proudly around it. Alura stopped just inside the doors, her smile falling away into something softer.

“Oh,” she breathed, one hand lifting to her mouth. “Ryan…”

She stepped closer, hazel eyes moving over every careful detail. The hover system. The clean finish. The compartments built neatly into the sides. When one opened beneath her fingers, her eyes went wide.

“Storage,” she said, with almost reverent delight. Then she looked back at him. “So much storage.”

Her grin returned, bright and helpless. “Blankets. Tea. Emergency chocolate. Tiny games. Ribbon. Spare socks for sad people. Ryan, do you understand what you’ve done?”

Then she noticed the replicator interface.

The teasing slipped away.

“You added a replicator?” she asked, softer now.

For a moment, she simply looked from the cart to him, understanding the time and care tucked into every piece of it.

Then she crossed the space between them and hugged him without hesitation.

“Thank you,” she said against his shoulder. “It’s perfect.”

When she stepped back, her eyes were bright.

“Obviously, I’m naming it.”

"Of course," Ryan said, thrilled that she liked it. "I've done a standard silver paint job, but if you are looking to change the color or design, I can do that no problem. Paint jobs are very easy compared to everything else."

Alura glanced back at the hovercart, taking in the polished silver finish with a warm, appreciative smile.

“No, I like it silver,” she said, running her fingertips lightly along the edge. “It’s sleek this way. Very professional. Very mysterious little morale machine.” Her grin brightened. “Besides, the contents will do plenty of the color work. Give me one afternoon and this thing is going to be full of blankets, ribbons, snacks, and probably at least one tiny plush animal with emotional support responsibilities.”

Ryan nodded, looking forward to seeing that. Something else was on his mind. "I know you said it wasn't a problem it took so long," he added. "But I'm still sorry it did. I don't think things are going to calm down for me anytime soon, so I wanted to make sure this got done before we started our next mission."

Her expression softened when he apologized.

“Ryan,” she said gently, turning fully back to him. “It’s really okay. I mean that.” She looked toward the cart again, visibly touched. “It’s perfect exactly as it is. And it’s going to make such a big difference. Not just for me. For everyone I can reach with it.”

"I'm glad to hear that. I had help as well," Ryan added. "The engineers here really appreciate what you do for them. They wanted to say thank you."

When he mentioned the engineers, her smile shifted into something fond and a little emotional.

“They helped?” she asked, her voice quieter for a beat.

Of course they had. Somehow, that made it even worse and better all at once.

Alura pressed a hand lightly to her chest, then laughed under her breath before she could get too teary about a hovercart in Cargo Bay 3.

“Well,” she said, blinking the shine from her eyes, “I do have a very soft spot for engineers. Grease stains, sleep deprivation, impossible standards and all.”

She looked back at Ryan, warm and sincere.

“Please tell them thank you for me. All of them. And also tell them they have made themselves extremely vulnerable to future snack deliveries.”

"I will," Ryan promised, gripping her hand. "Believe me, it's the least we can do." He gave her a moment to collect herself. "Can I ask you something?" He said, leaning against the cart.

Alura’s fingers curled naturally around his, the touch easy even while her expression was still a little too bright around the edges.

At his question, her smile softened.

“Of course,” she said, giving his hand a small squeeze. “You can ask me anything.”

She glanced briefly toward the hovercart, then back to him, catching the shift in his posture as he leaned against it. Whatever he wanted to ask, it was not about paint colors or storage compartments.

That made her quiet, but not wary.

Just attentive. Ready.

"This thing we have," Ryan continued. "I know you don't want me to overthink things. But I do want to know..." He paused for a moment. "Alura, what do you want this to be?"

Alura drew in a quiet breath, her thumb brushing once over his hand.

“I want it to be allowed to become whatever it becomes,” she said gently. “I like you, Ryan. I like this. But I don’t want to trap it in a label before we’ve even figured out how to stop stepping around each other.”

Her smile softened, honest and a little vulnerable.

“What I want is for you to not disappear behind those walls every time it starts to matter.”

Ryan tilted his head, not denying that assessment of him. "I'm learning not to," he said quietly. "This matters to me."

He took a breath. "Okay. No labels," he agreed, squeezing her hand. "Just enjoying what we've got and figuring it out at our own pace."

He glanced at the hovercart. "You do need to give *that* thing a label though," he said teasingly, breaking the serious mood. "Any names come to mind for your new assistant?"

Alura felt the tension in her chest ease when he agreed, the relief passing through her expression in a quick, honest flicker before her brightness came rushing back in.

Her gaze snapped to the hovercart.

“Oh, absolutely,” she said, as if this were now the most urgent matter in the cargo bay. “That gets a label.”

She stepped closer to it, studying the sleek silver finish and the cheerful red bow. Somehow, even before she filled it with color, it already felt bright.

Her smile bloomed.

“Sunny,” she declared. “Its name is Sunny.”

Lt Ryan Collingway
(A) Chief Engineer

&

Alura Ryn
MWR Director

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