| Term | History |
| 1 | Became a Barbarian at age 18 |
| 1 | Nearly killed. Fully recovered. Owe 35,000 for medical bills. |
| 2 | Became a Field Researcher at age 22 |
| 2 | Refuse to join a cheat in some fashion. |
| 2 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 3 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 26 |
| 3 | Entangled in a bureaucratic or legal morass that distracts you from your work. |
| 3 | Forced to continue current assignment |
| 3 | Promoted to rank 2 |
| 4 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 30 |
| 4 | A rival researcher blackens your name or steals your research. Gain a Rival. |
| 5 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 34 |
| 5 | Refuse to join a cheat in some fashion. |
| 5 | Promoted to rank 3 |
| 6 | Continued as Field Researcher at age 38 |
| 6 | A new romantic starts. Gain an Ally. |
| 6 | Promoted to rank 4 |
| 7 | Voluntarily left Field Researcher |
| 7 | Switched to Wanderer at age 42 |
| 7 | Contact with Government. |
| 7 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 8 | Continued as Wanderer at age 46 |
| 8 | Betrayed by a friend. One of your Contacts or Allies betrays you, ending your career. That Contact or Ally becomes a Rival or Enemy. |
| 9 | Became a Courier at age 50 |
| 9 | When dealing with an alien race, you botch an opportunity to gather extra intelligence about them. |
| 9 | You have no idea what happened to you – they found your ship drifting on the fringes of friendly space. |
| 10 | Continued as Courier at age 54 |
| 10 | When dealing with an alien race, you have an opportunity to gather extra intelligence about them. Gain an Ally in the Imperium |
| 11 | Continued as Courier at age 58 |
| 11 | A new romantic starts. Gain an Ally. |
| 12 | Aging Crisis. Owe 30,000 for medical bills. |
| 12 | Continued as Courier at age 62 |
| 12 | Spend several years jumping from world to world in your scout ship. |
| 13 | Aging Crisis. Owe 50,000 for medical bills. |
| 13 | Continued as Courier at age 66 |
| 13 | Your ship is damaged, and you have to hitch-hike your way back across the stars to the nearest scout base. |
| 13 | Gain 1 Contacts. Gain 3 Enemies. |
| 14 | Aging Crisis. Owe 30,000 for medical bills. |