| Term | History |
| 1 | Became a Colonist at age 18 |
| 1 | Hard times caused by a lack of interstellar trade costs you your job. |
| 2 | Became a Scientist at age 22 |
| 2 | Advanced training in a specialist field. |
| 2 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 3 | Continued as Scientist at age 26 |
| 3 | Refuse to join a cheat in some fashion. |
| 3 | Forced to continue current assignment |
| 3 | Promoted to rank 2 |
| 4 | Continued as Scientist at age 30 |
| 4 | Assigned to work on a secret project for a patron or organisation. |
| 4 | Promoted to rank 3 |
| 5 | Continued as Scientist at age 34 |
| 5 | Assigned to work on a secret project for a patron or organisation. |
| 6 | Continued as Scientist at age 38 |
| 6 | Caught cheating in some fashion, advancing your career and research by stealing another’s work, using an alien device, taking a shortcut and so forth. |
| 6 | Nearly killed. Owe 7,500 for medical bills. |
| 6 | Gain an Enemy |
| 6 | Forced to muster out. |
| 7 | Became a Surveyor at age 42 |
| 7 | Your scout ship is one of the first on the scene to rescue the survivors of a disaster but you fail to help. Gain an Enemy. |
| 7 | Injured. Fully recovered. Owe 2,500 for medical bills. |
| 7 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 7 | Is now a Scout |
| 8 | Continued as Surveyor at age 46 |
| 8 | You have no idea what happened to you – they found your ship drifting on the fringes of friendly space. |
| 9 | Switched to Field Researcher at age 50 |
| 9 | Refuse to join a cheat in some fashion. |
| 10 | Aging Crisis. Owe 20,000 for medical bills. |
| 10 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 54 |
| 10 | Your work is sabotaged by unknown parties. You may salvage what you can and give up. |
| 11 | Aging Crisis. Owe 40,000 for medical bills. |