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“Where do you see yourself in ten years, Cadet?”
It was a simple question. One he’d asked many cadets and new crew members. But asking it felt different this time. The vision he’d seen on Boreth flashed in front of his eyes as he did so, reminding him of what his life would be like in ten years. The words stuck in his throat and he had to force them out.
Uhura explained that she wasn’t sure. That her family had died and she’d come to Starfleet unexpectedly and didn’t know if it was for her. Pike replied, said something he hoped was sufficiently reassuring and encouraging. His thoughts were full of the horrors that were coming for him. He would never remember what he said to Uhura.
The conversation moved on and the evening drew to a close but the vision stayed at the front of his mind. He didn’t know where Cadet Uhura would be in ten years. He did know that he wouldn’t be there to see it. He his life as he knew it would be over after a terrible accident aboard a Class J ship. It was a small price to pay for saving the universe. He would make that choice again if he had to. But the knowledge of the future he’d had to accept was a burden.
As he listened to the conversations and laughter around him and joined in, almost by rote, he hoped that Uhura would find her path and happiness along the way. And more than that, he hoped for himself.
Hoped that he’d find the strength to walk towards the accident and not run away. To face what was coming.