[ While he reads, she tries not to watch him despite wanting desperately to analyze every microexpression that crosses his handsome face. She stands at attention, her hands behind her back, but every muscle within her is tensed as her body struggles not to enter a fight or flight state. Fear and dread and the worst anxiety she's experienced in years vie for dominance within her, and for a few moments, she really does wonder if she might be physically ill.

She's preparing for the worst and expecting nothing less. His time's views on genetic modification were never made clear to her, and she has no idea if there were other atrocities that replaced what Khan had orchestrated. If James has personal ties to something like that, an ancestor who suffered... There's no part of her expecting things to continue on as they had been. She hopes, yes, but hope is like dreams; they're things you wake up from in order to face reality.

He speaks and she nearly flinches, that I'm sorry feeling like a swinging axe. But it doesn't land, and her hope swells more than it has any right to. ]

There are many in this time who don't see it that way. Genetic modification is not viewed kindly by the Federation because of my ancestor and those with modifications are not permitted to join Starfleet.