"And people just kind of put up with us on Stacy," Howard adds, still face down on the table. He brings his arms up and buries his face in them. "They knew we were stealing and figured it wasn't worth interfering with."

Which is why it's baffling and infuriating that it's such a big deal here, but so bureaucratic. Stealing food could, of course, get you killed back home. And it didn't really matter on the ship. It's this middle ground that's so frustrating to navigate, and part of why Howard just didn't care about getting caught - the stakes weren't as high as death, and what was the worst that could happen?

"Please don't kick us out." That fear hasn't quite been dispelled yet.