Jack Ransom
Commander Jack Ransom was a male Human Starfleet officer who served as the first officer of the  under Captain Carol Freeman in the early 2380s. ()

Early life 
Ransom was born in Tycho City on Luna. ()

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." ()

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. () 

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." ()

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. ()

While Ensign Sam Rutherford was considering a transfer to the command division, Commander Ransom observed his performance during two command trainer holodeck programs. ()

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. ()

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. ()

Personal interests
Ransom practiced martial arts, had a large collection of free weights, and was a fan of the double-fist punch. ()

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.

Beckett Mariner 
Ransom and Mariner had a generally antagonistic relationship, in which she thought him too obsessed with regulations and career advancement to be effective, while he thought her an overly impulsive rule-breaker who posed a danger to herself and others. However, they did find each other physically attractive, which disturbed them both. ()

When Ransom found out that Mariner was Freeman's daughter, he briefly attempted to ingratiate himself to her, much to her annoyance. After a time, he also became jealous of the leeway that Mariner enjoyed under Freeman. ()

After Freeman was arrested for conspiring in the destruction of Pakled Planet but was ultimately proven innocent in court, she found out that her daughter attempted to steal the Cerritos to prove her innocence. Knowing her daughter wouldn't listen to her as an authority figure, Freeman assigned Ransom the job of overseeing and evaluating Mariner's conduct and behavior and would have the final say over whether Mariner is allowed to remain in Starfleet. Ransom took great delight in the task, much to Mariner's horror. ()

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 . 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. () 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. ()

Legacy
Following his promotion to lieutenant junior grade and transfer to the , Brad Boimler kept a decorative plate with Ransom's face printed on it in his quarters. ()

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 ()

"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 ()

"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 ()

"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 ()

"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 ()

"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 ()

Appendices

Appearances
 Every episode except

Background information
Ransom was voiced by Jerry O'Connell.

External link

Humans
Starfleet command personnel
USS Cerritos personnel