"Uncle, where are we going?"

"To see the ship, Hikaru."

Six year old Hikaru Sulu's eyes went wide. "The ship, Uncle Akira, really?" he gasped. "The one you're building?"

Akira Sulu nodded at his young nephew. "Yes, the one that I am helping to build. Your mother told me you wished to see it."

"Oh yes!"

Akira Sulu was part of the numberless workers who were finishing up work on the newest Starship. She was to be launched in six months, and was very near completion. Though he would be sad to see the ship go, he knew she wasn't meant to be planet bound. Not to mention another would soon begin in the space she would leave. But Akira knew there was something special about this ship. Most of the other workers called him superstitious, but he called it intuition. This young ship was meant for greatness among the stars one day.

Hikaru loved Starships, and being able to say his uncle was building a Starship was about the greatest thing ever. Someday he hoped to fly a Starship, and explore the stars. But for now, he was content with just dreaming about it. Now, he was going to see one up close. His heart beat faster in excitement.

The car pulled up to the main gate, and Akira pulled down the window as he handed the guard his ID.

"All set, go right a head!" the guard said.

"Thank you!" Akira said, pulling forward. Hikaru waved at the guard as they passed.

Five minutes later, Uncle Akira had parked the car and was leading Hikaru towards a large building.

"Uncle, where are we going?" Hikaru asked, confused. "I thought we were going to the Ship."

"We are, Hikaru, but we have to go here first;" Akira replied. "You see how big that building is there?" He pointed to a massive building, far larger than any other in the area.

"Yes."

"The Ship is in there. Thus, we must go in here."

Hikaru's mouth dropped open as his Uncle pulled him along. "That poor Ship!"

"Why is that, Hikaru?"

"It is inside that building!" Hikaru cried. "Starships should not be covered in a building! They should be free; they are meant to be in open space!"

"True, but the Ship will be free soon;" Akira explained. He was surprised that his nephew cared for the Ship in such a way. Could it be that the boy had the same premonition about this Starship as he did? "Once construction is complete, the Ship will be free. Now come."

He ushered the boy inside, and led him down the hall and to the elevator. They entered it, and it went up. Hikaru was shaking in excitement as the doors opened.

"This way, Hikaru;" Akira said. They walked up to an office, and Akira knocked on the door. As it opened he said; "Hello, Commander Marrow."

Commander Marrow opened the door the rest of the way, and smiled. "Akira Sulu, I was beginning to think you weren't coming!"

"Sir, this is my nephew's birthday present. He would never forgive me if I didn't do this."

"So this is your nephew?" Marrow said, looking at Hikaru.

Hikaru nodded his head and held out his hand. "I'm Hikaru Sulu, Commander Marrow sir!"

Marrow laughed, and shook Hikaru's hand. "Nice to meet you, Hikaru, I'm Commander Trevor Marrow. I hear you want to see a Starship."

Hikaru nodded his head harder. "Oh yes, Commander, sir! Yes I do!"

"Good, good. Follow me then;" Marrow said. "We'll go this way."

"I thank you for doing this, sir;" Akira said quietly. "You have no idea what this means to him; or me."

Marrow shrugged. "Sulu, I owe you a favor anyways." He led the two down another hallway. They stopped in front of a closed door. Marrow pulled out a key card and swiped it through the slot.

"Hikaru Sulu, I present to you, NCC-1701;" he said, and opened the door.

Hikaru slowly walked forward. His mouth dropped open, and his eyes turned into saucers. There, beyond the glass was the Starship. She sat there, nearly complete. Only a few parts of her hull were missing, and part of her second hull wasn't painted. Still, she was the greatest and most amazing young Hikaru Sulu had ever seen in his life.

"What's her name?" he asked.

"She doesn't have one yet;" Marrow said. "Once she's launched, she will be christened, and given a name. Until then, she is just NCC-1701."

"What do you say, Hikaru?" Akira asked.

"I want to serve on her one day;" Hikaru said. "I want to fly her through the stars."

Marrow patted Hikaru on the shoulder. "Play your cards right, Hikaru, and maybe you will do just that someday."

Hikaru Sulu nodded. 'Someday I will do just that…'