Picture Perfect

Chapter 1

James Tiberius Kirk was supposed to be the perfect guy, and it seemed everyone believed he was. He was the captain of the Enterprise, a true charmer; handsome, witty, and congenial. But under the surface, Jim was a very troubled man. Despite his charismatic and charming demeanour, there was a constant battle raging within him. The weight of responsibility as the captain of the "greatest ship in the fleet" took its toll, with each decision carrying the burden of countless lives. Behind closed doors, he grappled with the demons of his past, haunted by the sacrifices he had to make for the greater good. "The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few" Spock had told him. The ghosts of many a lost crewmate haunted his memory, following him everywhere he went.

But he had to be perfect, had to put on a strong face for his crew, they needed him to be the best he could be. So he kept his head up, made sure that not a crack of exhaustion seeped through his composed exterior. He smiled and waved, performing his best impression of being happy to see the delegates who came and went; he was as diplomatic as one could be. Jim understood the weight of his responsibilities and the impact he had on his crew. He knew that his ability to lead, inspire, and maintain the morale of the ship depended on his own mental and emotional strength. So he kept his emotions in check, set his face in a pleasant expression, and let his crew know that everything was as it should be.

The captain's chair was starting to feel uncomfortable under him, his hands refused to sit still and his leg was starting to bounce up and down with nervous energy. They had been in a bit of a drought when it came to missions, finding nothing more exciting than a few meteors in their path. As he shifted once more in his seat, a sigh of exasperation slipped through his lips. He had been sitting there for hours, with nothing to do but look at the beautiful expanse of space before him. He wished with all his might that he could be out there, battling Klingon or exploring an unknown planet, but alas, he was stuck here mapping star clusters. He couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as he watched his crew members carry out their duties with purpose and excitement. The thrill of adventure beckoned to him, but duty demanded that he remain seated in the captain's chair. Jim found solace in the knowledge that this tedious work was contributing to a greater understanding of the universe. Or at least, that's what he told himself.

Suddenly, a ping from his PADD sounded next to him. He glanced over, thinking it was just a simple message from Scotty giving yet another update on a project he was currently working on. Don't get him wrong, he loved his ship more than anything, she was his home and his pride and joy, but he couldn't help his restlessness of just sitting there.

To his pleasant surprise, as he opened the notification, it was from Starfleet. His heart skipped a beat knowing that it could be some new mission or assignment that would take him away from the monotony of star mapping. The message explained that a previously unexplored planet had been discovered on the outskirts of this solar system, and had recently sent out a distress signal that a nearby cargo ship had picked up. Excitement surged through Jim's veins as he read the details and realized that he would finally have the chance to embark on the adventure he had been craving.

As he became more aware of his surroundings, he noticed that the bridge was in a state of hustle and bustle. It seemed that all the crew had just received the same notification, and were now preparing to warp over to the planet, only a few lightyears away.

As he addressed Sulu to energize, Warp 4, he turned toward his First Officer. "Mr. Spock, can you tell me how soon we'll be arriving?" He said, maybe a little too excitedly.

"Certainly, Captain," replied Mr. Spock with his characteristic calm demeanour. His hands gracefully moved across the science station as he calculated the necessary coordinates.