[Wash holds up a wrapper for some kind of snack. It looks like the wrapper is homemade rather than factory produced, the result of the rig kitchen making their own product and vacuum sealing it to preserve it.]

[His voice is dry.]

I hope you like protein bars that can break your teeth and taste like caulk.

I've had worse but not by much.

[Their rations when they'd crashed on Chorus hadn't been stellar, since they got close to the end of them in the time they'd been there. Also...prison food. That really was the most extreme "worse but not by much."]

In the military we call these Iron Rations. [He chose "military" because he'd been...in an unusual position as far as military branches went, technically space marine, technically not.]

[Wash picksa new bar out of the container and knocked it against a metal partition nearby. It clonkslike it's rock solid.]

That would be why. They'd probably be less terrible warmed up, but [He raises his voice so the driver will hear] somebody won't even turn the heat on.

[The driver just grunts in response.]

[He really misses Four Seven Niner. She actually gave a shit about anyone she was transporting.]