The Snacks Hypothesis

Posted on Fri Apr 17th, 2026 @ 7:43am by Lieutenant Amarok tr'Ragnar & Lieutenant JG Thomas Mitchell

Mission: Port of Call
Location: Pathfinder Station, Promenade
Timeline: Mission Day 18 at 1500

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Lieutenant Amarok tr’Ragnar had completed his boarding medical—meeting a fascinating officer in the process—then reported to his superior, Commander t’Nai. He wasn’t entirely sure how well the meeting had gone for his superior, it had been a ride of emotions for him which included his own benevolence was forever torn between hating his two peoples and honouring his parents. Who could say, he mused, as he continued reading the mission and ship logs to catch up on what the crew had endured.

He studied reports of the species Voyager had encountered, both hostile and friendly. Amarok hoped to meet as many of them as fate allowed—ideally under peaceful circumstances. The Kazon, however, unlikely would become candidates for diplomacy. Yet stranger things have happened, he can hope, anyway. Reading from the most recent missions backward, he found it the best way to understand his new crewmates quickly.

Learning their present first, he reasoned, would spare him the embarrassment of asking what he should already know. Later, when the time was right, he would listen to their stories in person—the things no ship logs ever captured. For now, he intended simply to be present for them, as Rafe and Hannok had once been for him, guiding him toward a broader view of the galaxy.

Two familiar names caught his eye: Scraliontis and Brobostigan. Though he completely missed a familiar name, Declan but he'd bump into his old friend soon enough, as his memories of the triplets surfaced. They had served with him aboard the Olympia and apparently transferred to the Sojourner after his time with the Multi-Sector Reclamation Initiative. Their chaotic energy had been a bad influence, though Amarok would never admit how much he’d missed their antics. Lost in the memory, he kept walking the Promenade, the hum of the station matching the quiet rhythm of his thoughts.

Thomas was also on the Promenade, having scoured the available shops for seeds and plants unfamiliar to him and taking notes on which ones he wanted to acquire. The check in for the Station, had been almost curt, but he understood, the place was busy trying to become fully operational, as well as repairing and resupply various ships. One of those ships was his new assignment, the Sojourner, and undergoing some extensive repairs. Enough that his reporting date had been shifted a week when Thomas had arrived, four days ago.

Taking a stop at a viewing window, Thomas couldn't help but look out at the stars of the Delta Quadrant, and the view of the ship he was waiting to check in and board. "The Sojourner really took a beating, but they're fixing her up well." he remarked aloud to himself, not really paying attention to whom was walking by.

He heard the word Sojourner spoken nearby and turned toward a tall blue-uniformed officer standing by the viewport looking into the dock. Beyond the glass lay the ship herself, still surrounded by repair scaffolds and work drones.

Amarok blinked. He’d been here often enough, though time had blurred since his last visit to the Rhode Island-class surveyor. With Sciences on standby, there had been little to occupy him, and he preferred not to hover over his department while they recovered from a gruelling mission. He would have appreciated the same courtesy from any superior officer if he was in their shoes.

Approaching at an unhurried pace, Amarok came to stand beside the man and cleared his throat. “Hello,” he offered, eyes drawn again to the Sojourner. The other officer’s observation was correct—repairs were progressing well. Amarok could read structural data easily enough, but he was a scientist, not an engineer. His mechanical instincts were sound, just not on par with Starfleet’s modern specialists.

“They did and that they are,” he continued, glancing sideways. “Are you assigned to the Sojourner, Lieutenant?” He’d caught sight, had to glance slightly up, of the rank insignia—one full pip and one hollow—and to Amarok it matched to what he viewed as the man’s confident stance.

The clearing of the throat caught Thomas' attention, and he turned to face the person who performed it, having to look down slightly with the difference in their heights. His emerald green eyes quickly took in the two full rank pips and the complexion of the skin, and when combined with the question about the ship, it fired off the right synapse to trigger the crew roster he had memorized.

"Afternoon, Lieutenant. Yes, I have been assigned to the ship out there. Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas Mitchell, Sciences department. I assume you would be my direct superior, Lieutenant Amarok tr'Ragnar?" Thomas asked, and he actually had enough linguistics practice to pronounce the name correctly. Reflexively, he refrained from extending a hand as he normally would to observe cultural differences, until Amarok indicated which he would prefer.

“I am,” Amarok replied, then added with a short nod, “and I’m pleased to welcome you to the Sciences department, Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas Mitchell.” His smile came easily enough, but never quite looked natural; the ridges of his half-Reman face resisted the symmetry most Humans and Romulans found handsome. Still, he hoped the warmth reached his full black and shiny eyes behind semi-transparent shades that fluctuated to more transparent as the surrounding light wasn't too bright. They connected on the sides of Amarok's face.

Facing Mitchell—upward slightly to meet the taller man’s gaze—Amarok extended his hand. He’d learned the gesture years ago aboard the Unstable Unicorn, when handshakes had been a sign of trust rather than protocol. “If you prefer,” he said conversationally, “you can drop the tr’ from my name. It’s easier in conversation, especially when things get hectic, Mitchell.”

His tone softened. “It seems we’re both newcomers here. That may—or may not—cause a little tension with the rest of the crew, I hope you are ready for it?”

"Understood, and it does make it a little easier, though not by much. Do you have a preference for informal situations? Also, want to make an academic bet how many of our fellow crew and officers butcher it their first time?" Thomas asked with a mischievous grin as he took Amarok's hand and shook firmly.

At the mention of their status being newcomers, Thomas couldn't help an array of emotions going across his face from understanding to dismay and then resolve. "From the reports I've seen, and the scuttlebutt I've heard on the station the last four days I've been aboard, I don't think we can avoid tension. Just have to show them we know our business and can be useful. They'll adjust or they won't, though I have found something comforting can help build bridges. Food usually." Thomas commented with an amused snort.

Amarok’s smile shifted into a smirk, the right corner of his mouth lifting to mirror Thomas’s mischievous grin. “Drop for informal is welcome, please,” he replied, voice low and good-humoured. He kept the smirk as his gaze drifted aside, considering this “academic bet” Thomas had mentioned. “A bet, you say? Academic, of course. What’s the benefit?” he asked, lowering his tone to the conspiratorial hush of one scholar to another.

When dismay flickered across Thomas’s face, Amarok noted it silently, relieved when it hardened into resolve. At the mention of food as a tension reliever, he arched his left brow. “Food bridges?” he teased. “I see. Well, I’ll help if you need an extra pair of hands.” Privately, he recalled the sweets Hannok—and occasionally Rafe—had introduced him to over the years. If Thomas’s culinary diplomacy failed, Amarok already had contingency confections in mind.

"More for the pleasure of it, but we could keep a running tally of which of us is more often right? Have you had a chance to check in with anyone yet? All of mine got pushed back while the ship is in repair, understandably." Thomas commented with a wry grin.

"Let's not get carried away, maybe once we get stuck into our next mission." Amarok replied, a soft smile on his lips. "I have already done my boarding medical, checked in with the Executive officer, the quartermasters and Security several days ago." He gestured at the ship. "Since there's nothing that I can do, I came back on the station."

Thomas nodded at that, and it reminded him it was definitely time to get things rolling. "I was told to give it a few days, so I should start all my check-in's before it gets to be too much later. Oh, before I forget, any issues with snacks being around? I'm usually hungry for something and like to keep a few on hand when it's permissible."

He brought his hand to his chin and caressed it slowly as Amarok considered the snacks' proposal. He grinned. "I approve, as long as they aren't stored in the way, be my guest."

"Excellent! Any personal preferences? Especially the way we all tend to get into our projects." Thomas' eyes lit up with enthusiasm, already drawing up a list to work from. "Anything interesting or fun planned for the remaining downtime?" Thomas asked quietly.

"Probably just meeting and getting to know our fellow shipmates." Amarok glanced over at Thomas. "About the snacks, I'll try just about anything once then, I might pack my own snacks. What about you? Your plans after check in?" He inquired.

"Get things setup, learn my way around the ship. Find the gym. Upload my holodeck programs for workouts into the holodecks. After that, we'll see what time and providence allows. You?" Thomas listed them off and then asked in kind.

"I am pretty set at the moment, I'm just wandering around at this point," Amarok did enjoy a good workout, he'd mastered his body and fitness long ago. "Do you want a workout partner? Though may not be all the time considering our positions and duties but when we aren't busy." He offered. "I am quite familiar with a Nova-class interior as I served on one earlier in my career. We could tour around a few times once you have checked in? Don't forget your boarding medical, or the doctors will chase you."

"Doctors always chase us. They have to find something to keep busy. A tour, always helpful. I love finding new routes around my environment and cutting down travel times. As for the workout partner? Sure, whenever we can fit it in." Thomas responded back, sighing deeply in contentment as he began to build a daily routine in his mind.

Amarok gestured to the airlock that led to the Sojourner. "Shall we? I think we should get the housekeeping out of the way first, report in and boarding medical then we can--" he paused and laughed. "Actually you already reported in, to me, your direct superior. Just one thing left to do."

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