My home planet's had it in at least a primitive form for about three hundred years, [ he says, ] and warp drive for about two hundred. My contemporary time is already considered something of a Renaissance with it.

[ Speaking of first space explorers. Jim laughs quietly. ]

Who wouldn't be worried about monsters? No one wants to get eaten.

[ He's always more worried about Romulans or accidentally starting a war, in practice, but he's been surprised by aggressive beasts on unfamiliar planets more times than really bears thinking about. ]