| Term | History |
| 1 | Became a Merchant Marine at age 18 |
| 1 | Is now a Crewman |
| 1 | Make an unexpected connection outside your normal circles. Gain a Contact. |
| 2 | Continued as Merchant Marine at age 22 |
| 2 | Make an unexpected connection outside your normal circles. Gain a Contact. |
| 2 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 2 | Is now a Senior Crewman |
| 3 | Continued as Merchant Marine at age 26 |
| 3 | Risk your fortune on a possibility lucrative deal and win. |
| 3 | Promoted to rank 2 |
| 3 | Is now a 4th Officer |
| 4 | Continued as Merchant Marine at age 30 |
| 4 | Imperial trade restrictions force you out of business. |
| 5 | Became a Surveyor at age 34 |
| 5 | When dealing with an alien race, you botch an opportunity to gather extra intelligence about them. |
| 5 | Psychologically damaged by your time in the scouts. |
| 5 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 5 | Is now a Scout |
| 6 | Continued as Surveyor at age 38 |
| 6 | When dealing with an alien race, you botch an opportunity to gather extra intelligence about them. |
| 6 | Your ship is damaged, and you have to hitch-hike your way back across the stars to the nearest scout base. |
| 6 | Gain 1 Contacts. Gain 2 Enemies. |
| 7 | Continued as 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 | Severely injured. Owe 2,500 for medical bills. |
| 7 | Forced to muster out. |
| 8 | Became a Field Researcher at age 46 |
| 8 | Entangled in a bureaucratic or legal morass that distracts you from your work. |
| 8 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 9 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 50 |
| 9 | A rival researcher blackens your name or steals your research. Gain a Rival. |
| 10 | Aging Crisis. Owe 40,000 for medical bills. |
| 10 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 54 |
| 10 | Refuse to join a cheat in some fashion. |
| 10 | Promoted to rank 2 |