| Term | History |
|---|
| 1 | Became a Engineer/Gunner at age 18 |
| 1 | Is now a Crewman |
| 1 | You are tormented by or quarrel with an officer or fellow crewman. Gain that character as a Rival. |
| 2 | Switched to Line/Crew at age 22 |
| 2 | Advanced training in a specialist field |
| 2 | Promoted to Line/Crew rank 1 |
| 2 | Is now a Able Spacehand |
| 3 | Continued as Line/Crew at age 26 |
| 3 | Advanced training in a specialist field |
| 3 | Promoted to Line/Crew rank 2 |
| 3 | Is now a Petty Officer, 3rd class |
| 4 | Continued as Line/Crew at age 30 |
| 4 | Vessel participates in a notable military engagement. |
| 5 | Voluntarily left Line/Crew |
| 5 | Became a Journalist at age 34 |
| 5 | Go on a tour of the sector, visiting several worlds. Gain 1 Contacts. |
| 5 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 5 | Is now a Freelancer |
| 6 | Voluntarily left Journalist |
| 6 | Became a Physician 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 | An expedition or voyage goes wrong, leaving you stranded in the wilderness. |
| 6 | Gain an Enemy |
| 6 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 7 | Continued as Physician at age 42 |
| 7 | Entangled in a bureaucratic or legal morass that distracts you from your work. |
| 8 | Continued as Physician at age 46 |
| 8 | Win a prestigious prize for your work. |
| 8 | Forced to muster out. |
| 9 | Became a Free Trader at age 50 |
| 9 | Promoted to rank 1 |
| 10 | Aging Crisis. Owe 30,000 for medical bills. |
| 10 | Continued as Free Trader at age 54 |
| 10 | A series of bad deals and decisions force you into bankruptcy. You salvage what you can. |
| 11 | Aging Crisis. Owe 30,000 for medical bills. |
| 11 | Retired at age 58 |
| 11 | Moved to a new world. |
| 12 | Aging Crisis. Owe 20,000 for medical bills. |
| 12 | Betrayal. Convert an Ally into a Rival or Enemy. |
| 13 | Aging Crisis. Owe 50,000 for medical bills. |