| Term | History |
| 1 | Became a Courier at age 18 |
| 1 | Serve as the courier for an important message from the Imperium. |
| 2 | Voluntarily left Courier |
| 2 | Became a Scientist at age 22 |
| 2 | Advanced training in a specialist field. |
| 3 | Continued as Scientist at age 26 |
| 3 | Work for an eccentric but brilliant mentor, who becomes an Ally. |
| 3 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 4 | Continued as Scientist at age 30 |
| 4 | Advanced training in a specialist field. |
| 5 | Continued as Scientist at age 34 |
| 5 | Make a breakthrough in your field. |
| 5 | Promoted to rank 2 |
| 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 | A rival researcher blackens your name or steals your research. Gain a Rival. |
| 6 | Gain an Enemy |
| 6 | Promoted to rank 3 |
| 7 | Continued as Scientist at age 42 |
| 7 | A rival researcher blackens your name or steals your research. Gain a Rival. |
| 7 | Promoted to rank 4 |
| 8 | Voluntarily left Scientist |
| 8 | Became a Worker at age 46 |
| 8 | You learn something you should not have – a corporate secret, a political scandal – which you can profit from illegally. |
| 8 | Gain a criminal contact. |
| 8 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 9 | Voluntarily left Worker |
| 9 | Switched to Surveyor at age 50 |
| 9 | You spend a great deal of time on the fringes of Charted Space. |
| 9 | Your ship is damaged, and you have to hitch-hike your way back across the stars to the nearest scout base. |
| 9 | Gain 1 Contacts. Gain 2 Enemies. |
| 9 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 9 | Is now a Scout |
| 10 | Aging Crisis. Owe 30,000 for medical bills. |
| 10 | Continued as Surveyor at age 54 |
| 10 | You have no idea what happened to you – they found your ship drifting on the fringes of friendly space. |
| 11 | Aging Crisis. Owe 40,000 for medical bills. |
| 11 | Retired at age 58 |
| 11 | Gained a contact. |
| 12 | Aging Crisis. Owe 40,000 for medical bills. |
| 12 | A new romantic starts. Gain an Ally. |
| 13 | Aging Crisis. Owe 20,000 for medical bills. |
| 13 | Moved to a new world. |
| 14 | Aging Crisis. Owe 40,000 for medical bills. |
| 14 | Betrayal. Convert an Ally into a Rival or Enemy. |
| 15 | Aging Crisis. Owe 10,000 for medical bills. |