Jim certainly isn't offended by any of that. While he does think that Verity's good-looking, and while people in his century aren't necessarily monogamous by default, he knows enough now not to hit on people unless they signal they're available. Avoids a lot more diplomatic incidents that way.

That aside, Samus' questions are certainly prying deep into his doubts and fears, as they're no doubt designed to do. He's been asking himself similar questions ever since he got a good portion of his crew killed during their last mission, and he doesn't answer right away as he struggles to come up with an answer to that, one that he'll actually believe himself.

He can't cite his track record, only one year long and now tarnished with the biggest failure of his career thus far. He can't claim experience, or confidence, or anything so unscientific and nebulous as destiny, no matter what future Spock said.

"I don't know," he admits at last. "I've been asking myself the same question for weeks."