Arduum videtur res gestas scribere

Isaac had become familiar with the corridors of Voyager. Or, at least, with those on the decks he visited the most: Deck Four with the mess hall, Deck Nine where his cabin was, and Deck Seven which was where the Lambda Room was. He was indifferent to his schedule now that he was used to it. It was harsher than the one they had in the Maquis, and the regulations were stricter, but it did not feel like it. Perhaps it was because it felt satisfying; the fear and the constant tension they were under meant that the regular schedule gave them less time to dwell on the fact that they were far from home. The determination of Captain Janeway to take them home and keep them safe was calming and contagious ― it was easy to find comfort in the words of their captain.

It was more difficult to reconcile that with the fact that she had destroyed the Caretaker’s array that could have taken them back home, but Isaac for one was not too bothered about that.

He had also grown used to his new teammates. They were very different to Derek’s Maquis crew, but they were equally good. The banter was not quite like the one he had had with Erica and Boyd, but he guessed that once they all got to know each other, they would get there. They had got through the first hoop though; perhaps it was a Starfleet thing, but Isaac knew he could trust them. He was also learning a lot from them ― mostly about exoarchaeology. But Isaac did not mind. There were still many theoretical things that he did not understand, and the history and culture of the Delta Quadrant felt like a fairytale of which he remembered barely nothing, but all the digging stuff sounded cool.

Pity they had not gone on any missions yet. He was looking forward to that.

“Hey, redshirt,” Stiles called from behind him, making him turn in the corridor.

“My shirt is grey,” Isaac frowned. “My jacket is mostly black. I only have a red stripe.”

“It’s just old Starfleet lingo,” he smirked, gallantly declining to take the bait. “You going to the mess hall?”

“Yeah. I… I had some spare time, so I was going to grab a bite.”

“Mind if I join?”

Isaac paused for a second. Not that he minded, but he could guess Stiles had ulterior motives. There was something in the way he grinned, like he was failing to hide he was joining a conspiracy.

“No…?”