| Term | History |
|---|
| 1 | Became a Explorer at age 18 |
| 1 | When dealing with an alien race, you botch an opportunity to gather extra intelligence about them. |
| 1 | Your ship is damaged, and you have to hitch-hike your way back across the stars to the nearest scout base. |
| 1 | Gain 2 Contacts. Gain 1 Enemies. |
| 1 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 1 | Is now a Scout |
| 2 | Continued as Explorer at age 22 |
| 2 | You have no idea what happened to you – they found your ship drifting on the fringes of friendly space. |
| 3 | Became a Field Researcher at age 26 |
| 3 | A new romantic starts. Gain an Ally. |
| 3 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 4 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 30 |
| 4 | Advanced training in a specialist field. |
| 4 | Forced to continue current assignment |
| 4 | Promoted to rank 2 |
| 5 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 34 |
| 5 | 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. |
| 5 | A rival researcher blackens your name or steals your research. Gain a Rival. |
| 5 | Gain an Enemy |
| 5 | Promoted to rank 3 |
| 6 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 38 |
| 6 | Advanced training in a specialist field. |
| 6 | Promoted to rank 4 |
| 7 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 42 |
| 7 | Make a breakthrough in your field. |
| 7 | Promoted to rank 5 |
| 8 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 46 |
| 8 | Entangled in a bureaucratic or legal morass that distracts you from your work. |
| 8 | Promoted to rank 6 |
| 8 | Forced to muster out. |
| 9 | Became a Line/Crew at age 50 |
| 9 | Is now a Crewman |
| 9 | Good fortune |
| 9 | Attempt at commissioned failed. |
| 9 | Promoted to Line/Crew rank 1 |
| 9 | Is now a Able Spacehand |
| 10 | Voluntarily left Line/Crew |
| 10 | Switched to Engineer/Gunner at age 54 |
| 10 | Scarred. Fully recovered. |
| 11 | Aging Crisis. Owe 30,000 for medical bills. |
| 11 | Retired at age 58 |
| 11 | Betrayal. Convert an Ally into a Rival or Enemy. |
| 12 | Aging Crisis. Owe 40,000 for medical bills. |