Commander Jack Ransom was a male Human Starfleet officer who served as the first officer of the USS Cerritos under Captain Carol Freeman in the early 2380s. (LD: "Second Contact")
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Early life
Ransom was born in Tycho City on the Moon. (LD: "wej Duj")
At some point in his life, he lived for a month in Barcelona, Spain, after which he wrote hours' worth of songs that he would sing, and play acoustic guitar to accompany them. It was also following his time there that he came to believe that "there's no peninsula more sensual than the Iberian." (LD: "Moist Vessel")
Starfleet career
As an ensign, Ransom claimed to be from Hawaii in order to rub shoulders with his commanding officer, who was from Honolulu. Ransom upheld the charade until 2381, when he finally admitted the truth. (LD: "wej Duj")
Ransom had extensive experience leading away missions, especially missions that seemed like "a walk in the park" before taking a sudden turn towards disastrous. Ransom listed facing horned gorillas, sentient tar, and "spores that make you hook up with your best friend's sister."
He further prided himself on his "classic Jack Ransom peace brokering." (LD: "Temporal Edict")
USS Cerritos
In 2380, Ransom served as Captain Carol Freeman's first officer aboard the USS Cerritos. That year, he led ground-based elements of a second contact mission to the capital planet of the Galar system, before being bitten by a Galardonian insect and bringing a rage virus aboard the ship. (LD: "Second Contact")
While Ensign Sam Rutherford was considering a transfer to the command division, Commander Ransom observed his performance during two command trainer holodeck programs. (LD: "Envoys")
Ransom and Mariner debating rank and protocol in a prison on Gelrak V
Ransom led a gift giving-mission to Gelrak V shortly after they had been signed into the Federation, when an incident led to the team being attacked and imprisoned. While being pitted against Vindor in a match to the death, Ransom stabbed Ensign Beckett Mariner in the foot to prevent her from being able to fight so he could defend his team. Vindor conceded the match, freeing the team. (LD: "Temporal Edict")
According to Bradward Boimler's simulation of Jack, he had used Captain Freeman's fondness for sweets (specifically cookies) to manipulate her. It was likely in one such attempt he found she was allergic to chocolate. (LD: "Crisis Point")
Personal interests
Ransom practiced martial arts, had a large collection of free weights, and was a fan of the double-fist punch. (LD: "Temporal Edict", "No Small Parts")
Jack Ransom also demonstrated that he found Beckett Mariner to be attractive. Despite this, he never tried romancing her. (LD: "Temporal Edict")
Personal Relationships
Carol Freeman
By 2380, Ransom and Freeman had a cordial working relationship. Ransom had a noted tendency to suck up to his commanding officer, however.
Bradward Boimler
In early 2380, Ransom didn't know Boimler, who had been with the Cerritos for less than a year at the time, very well, treating him with professional cordiality but mostly as an extremely junior officer. Throughout 2380 and 2381, Ransom and Boimler began interacting more frequently, and Ransom grew to respect the young man as a capable budding officer, especially after Boimler's return from the Titan. In mid-2381, Ransom began to note Boimler's quick thinking and leadership potential, thinking of him as an officer ready for more dangerous away missions and more prestigious assignments, and citing his leadership potential and quick thinking in resolving a dangerous situation involving Ensign Tendi being transformed into a giant scorpion by an Ataxian mood shifter. (LD: "Where Pleasant Fountains Lie", "The Spy Humongous") Ransom later directed one of the ship's provisional-officer cadets to Boimler for mentoring, citing Boimler as the most organized officer on the ship. (LD: "wej Duj")
Legacy
Following his promotion to lieutenant junior grade and transfer to the USS Titan, Brad Boimler kept a decorative plate with Ransom's face printed on it in his quarters. (LD: "No Small Parts")
Memorable quotes
"Oh, what happened? Where am I? And… did I eat flesh?"
"Uh, hardly any."
"HOW MUCH DID I EAT?!"
- - Jack Ransom and Ensign D'Vana Tendi, after the former returned to normal (LD: "Second Contact")
"In thousands of simulations that has literally never happened before. Let's try another one, on a ship with even MORE children!"
- - Jack Ransom, after watching Sam Rutherford spectacularly fail Command Trainer 4 (LD: "Envoys")
"Ugh. Landru."
"I know, it's always weird revisiting planets from the TOS era."
"TOS?"
"It's what I call the 2260s. Stands for 'those old scientists' – You know, Spock, Scotty, those guys. Seems like they were stumbling on crazy new aliens every week back then."
- - Carol Freeman and Jack Ransom, on Landru and the 2260s (LD: "No Small Parts")
"From now on, I'll make sure to give you special attention."
"No! Be as hard on her as you always are!"
"Yeah, be hard on me!"
"I'm only hard on you when you make me hard! I mean I'm – I'm not hard right now! I mean I could – I could get hard, if I wanted to, but I'm not hard right now. I'm so sorry! You're both great!"
- - Jack Ransom, Freeman, and Beckett Mariner, on being harsh on Beckett Mariner (LD: "No Small Parts")
"Looks like we'll have to repel them the old-fashioned way. Setting my fists to stun and my kicks to kill."
- - Jack Ransom, on repelling the Pakleds (LD: "No Small Parts")
"Deanna, can you introduce me to any of your Betazoid friends?"
"Jack, I sense you exaggerate your confidence in order to mask an ocean of insecurity."
"Oh, will they sense that too? I can make that work for me."
- - Jack Ransom and Deanna Troi, on Ransom's personality (LD: "No Small Parts")
Appendices
Appearances
- LD: Every episode except "Crisis Point"
Background information
Ransom was voiced by Jerry O'Connell.
External link
- Jack Ransom at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
