Gold Medal Software 3/Gold Medal Software - Volume 3 (Gold Medal) (1994).iso/games/egavga/sr_kit.arj/MANUAL.TXT

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                    SMUGGLER'S RUN(c)  TECHNICAL MANUAL
                                Version 1.02

                              by M. W. Martin
                               JANUARY  1994

                (c)1993 Distant Vistas. All Rights Reserved
























                               Distant Vistas
                            Post Office Box 90993
                       City Of Industry, CA 91715-0993
                     [phone] 12pm-6pm Pacific Time

    * * * * * *      T A B L E   O F   C O N T E N T S       * * * * * *

INTRODUCTION
  The Smuggler's Role..................................................... 1
  It's Not Just A Job..................................................... 1

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CORE
  You Are Here............................................................ 2
  Early History............................................................3
  Middle History...........................................................3
  Current History..........................................................3
  The Advantages Of Neutrality.............................................4

HOW TO PLAY THE GAME
  Turn Phases............................................................. 5
  Completing Your Turn.................................................... 5
  Please, Have Fun........................................................ 5
  Your Reputation......................................................... 5
  Your Net Worth.......................................................... 6
  You're Under Arrest..................................................... 6
  What To Expect Out There................................................ 6

CREATING A CHARACTER
  Nine Easy Steps To Creation............................................. 7
  Step 1: Choose Your Alien Species....................................... 7
  Step 2: Give Yourself A Name............................................ 8
  Step 3: Choose Your Gender.............................................. 8
  Step 4: Adjust Your Attributes.......................................... 8
  Step 5: Set Your Personality Flags...................................... 8
  Step 6: Adjust Your Skills.............................................. 8
  Step 7: Name Your Ship.................................................. 9
  Step 8: Purchase Your Equipment......................................... 9
  Step 9: Select Your Starting Equipment.................................. 9
  The Skills List......................................................... 9

YOUR HAPPY CREW
  Selecting Your Crew.................................................... 12
  Making The Payroll..................................................... 12
  The Crew Professions................................................... 13

THE SMUGGLER'S EQUIPMENT
  Using Equipment........................................................ 14
  Personal Weapons....................................................... 14
  Personal Armor......................................................... 14
  Miscellaneous Equipment................................................ 16
  Survival Equipment..................................................... 19
  Medical Equipment...................................................... 19

THE SMUGGLER'S SPACESHIP
  Your Ticket To The Stars............................................... 21
  Spaceship Systems...................................................... 21
  Damaged Ship Systems................................................... 23

GALACTIC ECONOMICS
  The Basics............................................................. 24
  Economics 101.......................................................... 24
  Buying And Selling Cargo............................................... 25
  Transporting Contraband................................................ 25
  The Supply And Demand Formula.......................................... 26
  The Cargomaster's Guild................................................ 26

ORDERS: HOW TO DO THINGS
  Entering Your Orders................................................... 27
  The Turn Orders........................................................ 27

THE 7 ALIEN SPECIES
  The Terran............................................................. 34
  The Brogian............................................................ 35
  The Gecko.............................................................. 36
  The Mechbot............................................................ 37
  The Piil............................................................... 38
  The Rhesian............................................................ 39
  The Zephyr............................................................. 40

APPENDICES
  Appendix A: Items For Sale............................................. 41
  Appendix B: Cargo Lists................................................ 42
  Appendix C: Ship Types................................................. 43
  Appendix D: Sample Names............................................... 44
  Appendix E: Exploration Log............................................ 45
  Appendix F: Summary Of Orders.......................................... 54
                                                                     * PAGE 01
>>> INTRODUCTION
    SMUGGLER'S RUN is an open-ended play-by-mail adventure game that takes
place in the far off future in a galaxy that may or may not be quite unlike
our own Milky Way. You should have fun playing this game. You will not win
any fantastic prizes. There will be no automobiles or shiny new microwave
ovens... only fun. Just exactly what a play-by-mail game is will be
explained later. For now, read on.

The Smuggler's Role
    You're a smuggler in a distant outer space setting of extreme adventure
and excitement, called The Core. There will be so much adventure and
excitement, in fact, that you might very well die from it. But you'll have a
spaceship, a crew and other equipment that you can use to help you accomplish
your mission, which is the transport of cargo from one star system to
another, hopefully for a profit. You'll even have a map to help you find your
way around the galaxy. Each square on the map represents an area of space
called a Quad, and there are 2,500 quads on the entire map, so The Core is a
pretty big place, and it takes a long time for a small ship like yours to go
from one end of the galaxy to the other.

    The life of the smuggler is full of action and danger. You might be
transporting a cargo load of unrefined radiates to a star port near
Betelgeuse. Or perhaps a shipment of beer, ale and wine to thirsty asteroid
miners off Rigel. Sounds easy, right?  Well, not quite. With all of the trade
tariffs, taxes and other really annoying restrictions imposed by The Empire,
it's getting almost impossible to make a decent profit and still have a good
time. So most smugglers barely scrape by to make a living and keep up with
starship repairs and other expenses.

It's Not Just A Job...
    If you really want to get ahead and have more fun than is probably
healthy for you, you'll have to take on a second cargo. One that's small,
easily concealed and, most likely, very illegal. Contraband is where the real
profits lie, and it takes the form of artifacts, weapons, drugs; almost
anything that The Empire restricts. Of course, this cargo is very valuable
and dangerous to transport.

    But before you can even get a shipment of contraband, you need to make a
contact for the cargo. Dealing with the underworld and other shifty
characters is a necessary part of the smuggler's job... and a dangerous one
at that. You never know who you can trust, but you can always count on your
trusty laser to get you out of a jam. You can make contacts by frequenting
the gambling casinos, bars and taverns whenever you make planetfall. Contacts
can get you illegal cargo, special equipment... profitable jobs. Of course,
once you enter the world of the black market, you make friends for life.
Literally.

    The more frequently you visit any particular planet, the more familiar
you can become with it, it's people and its places of interest. You will use
your street smarts to help guide you through your city adventures, and many
of your skills will come in handy. It is wise to be prepared to protect
yourself in the event of a double-cross, and although they aren't common,
they do occur. But if this all sounds too dangerous, you can always stick to
transporting regular cargo, but it's not nearly as profitable or as much fun.
But wait, there's more!
                                                                     * PAGE 02

    Thieves abound, waiting to rob you blind. They won't actually steal your
eyes or anything, but they will run off with all of your cargo, if given half
a chance. There's all kinds of things out there trying to rip you off. Even
kill you! Competitors, the mob and tax collectors all want a piece of the
action. And if you get past them, there's always Imperial Customs agents to
deal with. And in between all of this awaits the hazardous journey through
space, which is another story altogether. Pirates, other smugglers, space
storms... it's a hard way to make a living, but it's steady work.

    And you can make life easier if you get yourself a competent crew. It's
true that you'll have to pay them to keep them happy, but a happy crew can be
worth its weight in QPs. A skilled engineer, a tough mercenary or a savvy
doctor can help your company succeed and prosper. Just be careful who you
hire, and trust nobody! Some smuggler's prefer the route of the lone trader,
quietly slipping from planet to planet without any help at all, while others
prefer to maintain a full ship's crew. It's all up to you.

>>> A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CORE

You Are Here
    The Core. It's big. Really big. Did we mention just how big it is?  We're
talking budget deficits. You can't count the stars in a lifetime, it's so
big. Vastly, hugely big. Gargantuanly mightily humungously largely big. An
immensely gigantic region of space, populated by trillions and trillions of
sentient beings... all just trying to survive. Trillions!  Now that's big,
too.

    In this vast, big, huge, monstrous cosmos, a few stout beings lead the
fight against the tyranny and oppression of The Empire. Not to mention the
badness, the meanness, the nastiness and the just plain rotten sportsmanship.
These valiant rebels fight to keep the Imperial forces from overwhelming the
masses and clamping down an iron fist of total domination, but The Empire's
grip is ever tightening. These beings work hard to keep the last bastions of
freedom and capitalism alive. They strive day in and day out to give hope to
those who are in the midst of a tyrannical dictatorship. But you're not one
of them. You're a smuggler, and you're interested in making profits, not
peace.

Early History
    In early historical times, the semi-intelligent Terrans of the Sol star
system were the first to develop advanced interstellar space flight
technology. This new ability, plus a naturally greedy, selfish and
materialistic nature, led them to off-world colonization and exploitation of
the local galactic arm. Then, late in the 21st century, the United Government
Of Earthlings was formed in an emergency response to recent subspace contact
with two alien species; the Rhesians and the Zephyr.

    Interstellar trade between the Rhesians and the Zephyr had been
flourishing for a number of years, and they had become powerful allies
because they both had common enemies, the Gecko and the Piil. The Gecko were
a militaristic lizardoid race who sought to enslave the Rhesians and Zephyr
with the help of the Piil, a strange morphing blob-like species. These aliens
had all developed limited interstellar technologies and had been warring
amongst one another for quite some time. And it was during one of these
skirmishes that the Terrans got their first glimpse of extraterrestrial life.
And it scared the heck out of them.
                                                                     * PAGE 03

    Fearing the newcomers as a threat, the Terrans attacked the two warring
groups with such force that they had no choice but to surrender. Excited at
their obvious military superiority, they then went on an anti-alien war
campaign that lasted for two-and-a-half centuries. Massive global invasions
and interstellar wars were fought against the four alien empires. The
Terrans, with their virtually unlimited resources and military capabilities,
had little difficulty in establishing total rule throughout the galaxy. With
the four alien races under martial law, resistance was rampant, but useless.
Thus was the beginning of the glorious Empire Of Sol. Not since the Great
Gyrating Empire Of Cirinikus The Unsympathetic had the galaxy seen such a
vast and expansive realm of oppression and tyranny.

Middle History
    Centuries later, after The Empire had finally settled down and treaties
between the five species were signed, the Brogians arrived. They were a
vicious and hostile species who had been planning an invasion of the new
Empire for many decades. Having come from the farthest reaches of the
unexplored Wilder Places, they brought with them hoards of Mechbots, a
strange mechanical race of beings who were very indifferent to galactic
politics and basically just came along for the ride. Raging in and ready to
unleash total and complete nuclear death on the still blossoming Terran
Empire, the massive surprise attack was foiled when a young Brogian navigator
mistook a 1 for a 7 on a badly handwritten piece of paper which supposedly
contained the hyperspace destination coordinates for the command ships of the
Brogian attack fleet.

    When the reinforcements arrived, they found, to their dismay, that nobody
actually knew what the plan was or why they were there in the first place.
And, seeing as how all the command ships had somehow mistakenly jumped into
the center of a small white dwarf star somewhere in the vicinity of
Aldebaran, they decided to settle the matter and immediately signed a treaty
with the Terrans to prevent their total annihilation. That is all now
ancient, unrecorded history. And history is, as you know, a thing of the
past.

Current History
    There have been many coup attempts, lowly peasant uprisings, poisonings,
assassinations, shootings and tasteless jokes, but the Emperor has always
managed to maintain his seat on the throne. Those who support the Emperor
make up the legions of the Imperial Navy, and those who have the real power
in The Empire are Terran. Because Terrans outnumber the rest of the alien
races by 10 to 1 (due to an unbalanced preoccupation with mating), bigotry
and prejudice are very common. The only non-Terrans who have any sort of
clout in The Empire are employed as spies, insurgents and mail carriers. Even
so, The Empire is running relatively smoothly, except for a few war-torn
areas and hot spots.

    The Emperor himself is the sole and final authority in The Core. It is,
however, said that the Emperor is ancient. Only great technology, wickedness
and several aspirin each day keep him from the snapping jaws of death, but he
is too wicked and clever to let anyone sit in his throne. So, he has created
a tremendous bureaucracy to maintain his bloated empire, since he is often
too run-down and testy to perform his imperial duties. The bureaucracy
consists of the 12 Imperial Bureaus, each with its own jurisdiction and
duties. The bureaus of the government are (in no particular order):
                                                                     * PAGE 04
    Navy and Postal Service               Interstellar Customs
    Taxation, Economics and Finance       Planetary Redevelopment
    Colonization and Relocation           Alien Relations and Trade
    Reading, Riting and Rithmatic         Law, Justice and Security
    Religion and Pseudoscience            Medical Experimentation
    Redundancy, Red Tape and Redundancy   Civil Service and Disposal

    It is this bureaucracy that runs the 50 colonized star systems in The
Core. Some of the systems are more independent than others, but only those
that are nearer to the edge of the known universe where The Empire has the
least influence, and everyone is generally happier and more outgoing, like
Wilder Places and The Colonies. The Empire does its best to maintain law and
order, but it is difficult. Each planet is different from the others. There
are desert planets, jungle worlds and even planets with toxic atmospheres,
where the inhabitants must wear special breathing apparatus and smoking is
absolutely prohibited.

    Different species, cultures and societies must coexist in this turbulent
environment, like the Terrans, the Brogians, the Gecko, the Mechbots, the
Piil, The Rhesians and the Zephyr. But over the years, most people have
learned to basically get along with each other and not fight. And so The
Empire goes on.

    Recently, however, things have really gotten nasty. Nowadays, bribery and
extortion are the only ways to stay within the boundaries of imperial law and
order. Local officials, colonial governors and even mail carriers have fallen
from grace into the corruption which is running rampant in the imperial power
structure. An entire interstellar underworld has set up shop and operates
across the length and breadth of the galaxy, loaning money to desperate
smugglers and running the seedy gambling casinos. It's getting so that the
imperial standard monetary unit, the QP, isn't worth a Betelgeusean Farthing
anymore.

    And because of the tremendous size of The Core, the few legitimate
authorities that do exist simply cannot govern effectively. So there are many
places, especially on the fringes, where anything can be had... for a price.
One such place was the legendary and secret pirate planet of Themthelgia,
whose location was so well hidden that even the Office Of Interstellar
Terraforming, a branch of the Imperial Bureau of Planetary Redevelopment,
didn't know it was there. Which was really quite unfortunate and surprising
for the Themthelgians, who were unexpectedly wiped out in a freak
terraforming accident.

The Advantages Of Neutrality
    But you don't want to take sides in this thing. You've got a business to
run, a ship to maintain... and debts to pay. You can't go gallivanting around
The Core fighting The Empire and being a do-gooder!  Leave it up to someone
else. Things will work out; they always have. Ever since you were knee-high
to a Rigelian skraphosker, you've been dreaming of having your own ship; of
visiting strange and exotic new worlds, encountering bizarre alien life forms
and basically roaming about the galaxy with no real obligations or
responsibilities. So load up your ship with cargo and choose a destination...
there's gobs and gobs of QPs to be had and fantastic new places to visit!
                                                                     * PAGE 05
>>> HOW TO PLAY THE GAME

Turn Phases
    Each turn of play in SMUGGLER'S RUN consists of 2 phases. The first phase
is the "Orders" phase. You fill out a turn card with up to 15 orders that you
want your character to follow, and then you send in your turn card to us. A
complete explanation of the orders should be listed somewhere later in this
manual. The second phase is the "Turn Generation" phase, which is completed
by our computer. Your orders are programmed and carried out by the computer
and the printed results will be sent to you in the mail, along with a new
turn card, an updated Character Status Sheet and your turn results. By the
way, a turn represents 1 week in game time, so as a year of real time passes,
a year of game time passes, too.

Completing Your Turn
    There is 1 turn every week, so the pace is fast. But you may skip turns
at any time without any penalty, so you can play at your own speed. This
schedule should be easy to follow, and it will allow players to enjoy the
game without worrying if the mail is going to be on time. If you do manage to
send in your turn card late, then your turn will be held back until the next
turn of play, at no charge to you, of course. You will not be penalized for
being late, but the game situation will probably be different when your turn
is played and the results might not be what you expected!

    The 1st turn of each month will include The Galactic Inquirer, our
newsletter that includes the latest in economic information, intergalactic
politics, stock market indexes and lively interviews with some of the
galaxy's most interesting and notorious characters. There is a lot of
information useful to the smuggler in The Galactic Inquirer. Look in it for
clues and events that can shape the economic future. Planetary disasters, new
discoveries, corporate mergers, presidential assassinations, labor strikes,
advances in technologies and many other news tidbits can give you the edge
you need to be a smuggler worth reckoning with.

Please, Have Fun
    Remember always, your goal should be to have lots of fun, make lots of
QPs, build a great ship, be the best being you can be, make others cower at
the very mentioning of your name, and maybe even get to the top of one or
more of the Standings Lists. There are three Standings lists, and they are
sort of scorecards to show who is doing the best in the game.

    If you aren't on a standings list, it doesn't mean you aren't doing well.
It can take a long time to get on a list, especially after many people have
been playing for a long time. It takes patience and a lot of careful planning
to succeed as a smuggler and make big profits,  so don't expect to see your
smuggler on a list for a while at least. The three lists are the Reputation
List, the Net Worth list and the Demerits list. Your reputation, net worth
and demerits are listed on your character status sheet. They will change with
time based on your performance in the game.

Your Reputation
    The Reputation List is for those who have really been around, gotten
into lots of fights and survived. Every time you kill someone or win in
ship-to-ship combat, your reputation goes up a notch. That is to say,
whenever you off someone into the great unknown, people will respect you for
it. Life's cheap. Real cheap. So the more you fight and succeed, the better
your reputation will proceed you, and beings will generally mess with you
less often.
                                                                     * PAGE 06
Your Net Worth
    The Net Worth List is for the investor at heart. The money grubber. The
tightwad. The greedy b*st*rd. This includes the assessed value of your ship,
all of your cash, and any stocks owned. Cargo is not included because of its
instability on the open market. This value is a measure of your relative
success and affluence. The Empire looks at your net worth when calculating
various taxes and fees. You must have a minimum net worth of 10,000,000 QPs
to make it on this list.

You're Under Arrest
    The Demerits List is for the aspiring outlaw. If you're into attacking
innocent ships, then you're getting into a risky business. If you blow up a
legitimate ship, then there's not much that can be done to you since there
won't be any witnesses. But if the spacecraft manages to get away, and if
they report your actions to the authorities, you will get a demerit on your
pilot's license. The Empire deems un-provoked attacks as a criminal act.

    And what that means is that attacking peaceful ships is a crime. If your
demerits ever reach 25, you are more likely to be attacked by imperial ships
as an outlaw. Anyone with 50 demerits or more is considered a pirate, and an
enemy of the people. Pilots who frequently break the laws are dealt with by
the Imperial Bureau Of Law, Justice and Security, often paying hefty fines
and losing cargo shipments to the state. And people will basically not like
you very much, either. You can reduce your demerits by actively attacking
pirate ships, thus helping to rid the galaxy of excessive scum and villainy.

What To Expect Out There
    It's an exciting and often dangerous universe. Use the Planetary Index
on the back of your map for physical data on the planets, such as atmosphere,
predominant terrain and gravity. This information can help you figure out
what might happen to you if you make planetfall without an envirosuit, which
you shouldn't do. The more frequently you visit a planet, the more familiar
you become with it. Bar hopping, gambling and snooping are all good ways to
familiarize yourself with a planet and its inhabitants. Familiarity makes
finding contacts for goods and services easier. You will start with
familiarity for your home planet.

    You can use the Economic Page to find the current economic indicators for
each planet. You can plan profitable trade routes by locating planets with
high production values to buy cargo from and selling to planets with low
production values. Also, you can look up the levels of influence that The
Empire and the underworld have throughout The Core. The more influence The
Empire has, the more lawful the planet is, and the more likely that you can
get searched for contraband. And the more influence the underworld has, the
higher the level of criminal activity. If both levels are relatively high,
then there is probably a large element of corruption in the government. A
good place to try some bribery, if you happen to get caught doing anything
illegal! One very important note: A high Empire Level indicates an occupied
planet or an imperial military stronghold. Melee weapons are the only weapons
allowed on planets with an Empire Level of 7 or more, so you will
automatically arm yourself with a melee weapon on these planets, if you have
one. Are you confused yet? Well, if you are, it's not necessarily a bad
thing. But relax... you're supposed to enjoy all of this.
                                                                     * PAGE 07
>>> CREATING A CHARACTER

Nine Easy Steps To Creation
    It's time that you designed your character, which will from here on be
known as you. You must decide your species, gender, skills and other
abilities. You can even give yourself a personality which will help to
determine your actions during the game. As the game proceeds, and if you do
well and don't get yourself throttled, you can improve your character by
learning new skills, improving old ones and you can modify your ship.
Everyone has 5 main attributes that describe their physical and mental
capabilities, and they're listed below. Use the included Character Creation
Sheet to simplify the task of creating yourself, along with the instructions
below.

Step 1: Choose Your Alien Species
    You are one of the 7 main species, and they each have advantages and
disadvantages. Choose the species to which you belong. Your father was one,
and most likely so was your mother. Since you are not just an average member
of your species, you will be able to improve your attributes from the average
ones listed in Table A. See "The 7 Alien Species" section for details about
each alien.

                Table A: The Attributes For The Alien Species
                                          AGI STR TOU MEC PER
                Terran.................... +0  +0  +0  +3  +0
                Brogian................... +0  +3  +1  -1  +0
                Gecko..................... +2  +2  +0  +0  +0
                Mechbot................... +0  -1  +3  +1  +0
                Piil...................... +0  +0  +0  +0  +0
                Rhesian................... +3  +0  -1  +0  +1
                Zephyr.................... +1  -1  +0  +0  +3

    Agility [AGI]: Your dexterity, speed and deftness. This is a very
important attribute for fighting of all kinds and anything requiring manual
dexterity. You will most definitely get into fights. Lots of fights. Bar
fights, street fights, gun fights, knife fights... you name it. A high
agility can help you live to fight another day.

    Strength [STR]: This is power, raw physical strength and stamina.
Strength helps you do extra damage in melee combat, and also helps you to
brawl and look really big and nasty. The stronger you are, the more damage
you can take in fights.

    Toughness [TOU]: Your constitution, ruggedness and ability to take
damage. Both Strength and Toughness are used to calculate how much life you
have in you. Also, it helps you resist poisons and toxic substances,
radioactive stuff and hostile environments.

    Mechanics [MEC]: The innate ability to use mechanical machines, such as
spaceships, medical kits and the like. The majority of machines in the galaxy
were invented by Terrans for use by Terrans, so they have an affinity for
machine use. Mechbots, being machines themselves, also have some of this
natural ability, whereas Brogians are generally inept.

    Perception [PER]: This is awareness and observational skill. Perception
is used when you are dealing with other beings. Bribery, gambling and con are
just a few examples of the crucial skills that are affected by your
perceptive abilities. And perception will be a bonus when haggling for cargo.
                                                                     * PAGE 08
Step 2: Give Yourself A Name
    You can use up to 40 letters. Be creative with the name. A list of sample
names has been included in Appendix D to help you see how different alien
names are constructed.

Step 3: Choose Your Gender
    All the aliens in this game are either male or female, usually reflecting
the gender of the player. It really doesn't affect your abilities in any way,
it's just a way to personalize yourself.

Step 4: Adjust Your Attributes
    You have 6 Build Points (BPs) to spend to improve your attributes, which
start at the average level for your species. Table B shows how much it costs
to raise an attribute. Any points left over will be converted to Victory
Points (VPs) for development of skills. To add 1 to any attribute costs 1 BP,
to add 2 to any attribute costs 3 BPs, and to add 3 to any attribute costs 6
BPs. Build Points spent are not cumulative, so you can't spend 1 point three
times to add +3 to an attribute. Each point that is not spent is converted to
50 VPs for use on skills. An example: Yorg K'Kirka, a Brogian, starts with a
STR of +3, a TOU of +1 and an MEC of -1. He spends three BPs to add 2 to his
STR, making it +5, one BP on TOU making it +2, and one BP on MEC raising it
to +0. He then uses his last BP to get 50 extra VPs for his skills. Once you
settle on your attributes, that's it. You cannot improve attributes the way
that you can improve skills. The maximum level for any attribute is +6

             Table B: Attribute Adjustment For New Characters
             Build Point Cost...... 1 point 3 Points 6 Points
             Raise Attribute By....    +1       +2       +3

    Life Points (LPs) are used to determine how much damage you can take
before dying. Your LPs are calculated by the formula ([Strength + Toughness]
x 5) + 50. Lost LPs are regained by healing, either naturally or by the use
of technology and medicine. Your current LPs total is called your Health. It
is listed after Life Points on your Character Status Sheet.

Step 5: Set Your Personality Flags
    There are 7 personality flags that you must set for yourself. They
describe your likes and dislikes and they are listed on your Character
Generation Sheet. Each flag must be given a number from 0 (something that you
really won't do if you can avoid it), to 4 (something that you do every
chance that you get). The CF order can be used to change your flags. See the
CF order in the Orders section later in this book for more details.

Step 6: Adjust Your Skills
    You have 300 Victory Points to spend on skills. If you didn't spend all 6
of your Build Points on your attributes, then you get an additional 50 VPs
for every Build Point that you have left over. Once a skill has been
acquired, you can improve it. All of your skills start at level -2, which
means that you are "Unskilled". When you do something unskilled, you are
working with a handicap. Once you learn a skill, it goes from -2 to +0, so
you become "Skilled". The maximum for any skill is +6. You can select as many
of the skills as you want, as long as you have enough VPs to spend. To buy a
new skill at +0 costs 10 points. If you want to increase the skill to +2, for
example, you would have to spend 20 additional points for level +1, and then
another 40 points for level +2. Your total cost would be (10 + 20 + 40), or
70 Victory Points. You cannot skip skill levels. Refer to Table C for
complete information on skill costs. Any Victory Points left over are
converted to 100 QPs each, which can be spent at your leisure.
                                                                     * PAGE 09
           Table C: Skill Adjustment Chart For New Characters
           Skill Level...... +0   +1   +2   +3   +4   +5   +6
           VP Cost/Level.... 10   20   40   80  160  320  640
           Total Cost....... 10   30   70  150  310  650 1270

Step 7: Name Your Ship
    You can use up to 40 letters. You can change the ship's name any time you
want to using the Modify Ship order, explained in the Orders section below.
Changing the name of your ship costs 100 QPs for registration fees and taxes.

Step 8: Purchase Your Equipment
    You will be given an Envirosuit and 12,000 Imperial QPs to buy yourself
some equipment, plus 100 QPs for every Victory Point left over from your
creation. You can carry any number of items with you, as long as it isn't
more than your carrying capacity. Carrying capacity can be calculated by the
following formula: (Strength x 2) + 12. So someone with a strength of -1
could carry ((-1 x 2) + 12), or 10 items. And so on. You can shop from the
Items List in Appendix A and buy up to 9 items at the listed base price. Once
you enter the game, prices are affected by the usual bargaining and haggling.

Step 9: Select Your Starting Position
    Choose one of the following star systems as your starting location.
You'll begin the game with your ship docked here. Select one: Alpha-Centauri,
Antares, Benelnasch, Canopus, Diphda, Fomalhaut, Miaplicidus, Sabik, Shaula,
Sol, Spica or Wezen.

The Skills List
    Each skill is listed below in alphabetical order, with a complete
description of the skill. Every skill has a primary attribute that affects
the skill listed in brackets [ ] after the name of the skill. So, strength is
the primary attribute used for brawling. Someone with a low strength will be
less effective at brawling than someone with a high strength, assuming they
are both equally skilled. The maximum level for any skill is +6. Skills are
used automatically when needed.

    Admin [PER]: That's The Empire; one great, big bureaucracy. Taxes and
other expenses can be avoided or reduced if you know a way through the red
tape, and it's easier to deal with imperial bureaucrats and judges when you
know the proper channels. It also makes getting special permits and licenses
easier.

    Brawling [STR]: Every once in a while, you may get caught up in a bar
fight. Brawling can be really useful here. In the crazed frenzy of a brawl,
it's not unusual to have your wallet lifted, not to mention the injuries you
can sustain. But if you can handle yourself well, you will probably come out
of it in one piece, more or less. You may even find some "loose" change lying
about.

    Con [PER]: This skill is used to con others into helping you get what you
want. It is used often when attempting bribery, and can help when dealing
with contacts. Perhaps you can con a merchant into giving you wholesale
prices for that slightly illegal cargo you've been wanting, or maybe you can
convince the local customs inspector that it really isn't illegal to
transport covert electronics if you have a permit...
                                                                     * PAGE 10
    Dodge [AGI]: If you are in a tough situation, like getting shot at from a
really angry Brogian, this may be the most useful skill you have. The better
your dodge is, the more difficult it will be for anyone to hit you in a
brawl, a melee fight or shootout. And that could lead to your survival of the
many different encounters you will have in your travels.

    Electronics [MEC]: Your education gave you basic computer skills, but to
really be able to use a computer system, you need this skill. Electronics is
used primarily for making minor ship repairs and maintenance, and in
assisting with spaceship piloting. Pilots who are skilled in electronics will
often be able to avoid ship repairs and system failures by maintaining their
ship's systems efficiently and preventing equipment failure.

    First Aid [MEC]: You are lying in a ditch. Your ankle is sprained. You're
bleeding and it's starting to rain. It's been one hell of a day. Now it's
time to sit back, relax and tend to those wounds. Well, more likely you've
just been shot or stabbed or whatever and you are in need of immediate
medical attention. You will need a Medical Kit, which you can purchase, and
this skill to help fix those pesky injuries. The better you are at First Aid,
the more Health Points you will recover.

    Gambling [PER]: Hit the casinos! Cheat if you like, but don't get caught.
The casinos are run by mobsters, so be careful. Many gamblers have
mysteriously disappeared not long after winning big at some of the more
notorious casinos!

    Haggling [PER]: Haggling is especially useful when you are buying an item
or a shipment of cargo. Some of the shopkeepers you will be dealing with are
a little unscrupulous. Haggling can help you get a fair price for whatever
you are buying or selling, and your profits will improve as you get more
adept at using this skill. Interpret [PER]: This skill helps you to verbalize
your thoughts, use appropriate gestures and generally get your point across.
It is especially useful when buying and selling stuff. Each of the species
speaks a different language, so a sort of "Trade Speak" has evolved over
time. Almost everyone knows Trade Speak, but this skill lets you use body
language and other gestures to add extra meaning and subtlety to your verbal
exchanges.

    Lasers [AGI]: These days, you have to protect yourself from the dangers
of everyday life, like thieves, brigands and the law. One of the most popular
weapons in use today is the hand laser. But this skill is used for all guns
and pistols, including the handy pip laser.

    Melee [AGI]: Forgot your hand laser?  On a high security planet? Got your
trusty sword handy? Good! This skill lets you use a melee weapon in combat to
defend yourself or to attack a foe. Melee weapons are the only weapons
allowed on planets with an Empire level of 7 or higher, so you do need to
know how to use them if you are going to protect yourself. Remember, whenever
you buy a new weapon, sell an old one, or lose a weapon, you will always arm
yourself with the best weapon in your possession.

    Pilot [MEC]: Anyone can fly a spaceship. It's really very simple. But you
don't just "fly" when you are being harassed by space pirates or The Empire.
This kind of flying requires special talent and a certain flair with the
console. Also, this skill is used in conjunction with Electronics to maintain
all of your ship's systems.
                                                                     * PAGE 11
    Shields [MEC]: The effective operation of a ship's shield generator can
mean the difference between victory and disaster. Although the computer's
firmware helps operate the shields, nothing beats a highly skilled shield
technician for fending off precise laser shots. And once your shields fail,
your hull begins to take damage...

    Streetwise [PER]: A very important skill, Streetwise allows you to know
your way about the seedier side of town, where much of your business will be.
It is used for making contacts, getting contraband and having access to the
underworld. Use it in conjunction with other skills like Admin, Con, Haggling
and Interpret to get an edge on business transactions of all kinds. Also,
Bigelow's Guide is a useful electronic street book that every wary traveler
should have. It is chock full of useful maps and info bits that can help you
get around in the vast cities of The Empire with great ease. You can purchase
Bigelow's Guide at sleazier shops and magazine stands throughout the galaxy.

    Theft [AGI]: Pilfer, pillage, pinch and plunder. Agility plays an
important role, so if you're bumbling and inept, don't bother or you'll
probably lose a hand... or worse. You can also get into entanglements with
the law if you get caught. But whenever you beat up or kill someone, their
body usually ends up at your feet. And since it's there anyway, you might
want to see if there's anything worth taking... just in case. And whenever
you get knocked out, the same could happen to you!

    Weaponry [MEC]: Your ship has a laser cannon and fire control firmware
installed, so this skill will come in handy. Even the best gun is pretty
useless if you don't know how to work it correctly, and a good laser cannon
is a must in a space dogfight. Ship combat can usually be avoided altogether,
which is wise for beginners. But later on, when your ship is better, and your
savvy has improved, you may want to dabble in ship-to-ship combat. It can be
very profitable. You can be a pirate, or a pirate hunter. It's all up to you.
You could also be dead real fast, or maybe you'll just loose your ship and
all of your cargo. You'd better be sure you can handle it before you jump in
with both feet...
                                                                     * PAGE 12
>>> YOUR HAPPY CREW

Selecting Your Crew
    There's really no method for correct crew selection. You simply hire the
professionals that you think you need and that you can afford. A good crew
can be as important to your success as a well maintained ship. It all really
depends on how you decide you want your operation to be run. If you want to
have a well-rounded crew, then you can hire several different pros with
varied job descriptions. It is important to note that you can only hire one
of each type of crew member. The table on the next page lists all of the
different kinds of crew members, their base salaries and their abilities.
Every crew member is rated on a scale from 1 (novice) to 6 (a real pro). A
novice is someone who has the basic skills for his trade, and can often be
helpful in assisting you on performing certain routine tasks. A pro might
actually out-perform you in his abilities. Also, each crewman has his or her
own personality quirks. These are similar to your own personality flags, and
you will learn each crew member's oddities as time goes on. Greedy crew
members will usually demand more money if they think they are worth it. Loyal
members will stay by your side even in dire situations. Honest crew members
won't embezzle from you. And cowardly ones will run away if things get too
hazardous. Well, you get the idea. Sometimes personality conflicts within
your crew will arise, but a good captain will deal with these kinds of
difficulties with swift, yet fair decisiveness.

Making The Payroll
    Each crewman must be paid a salary every turn . If you fail to pay a
salary, then the crew member will abandon ship at the soonest possible time,
starting with the least loyal, most greedy crew members. And if you owe
money, you can expect trouble. Salary is based on the skill level of the
individual, plus or minus a bit depending on various factors like greed,
loyalty and profits. For example, the base salary of a level 3 Rogue is 800
QPs per turn, but in can vary by as much as 15% either way. Every crewman
will be paid his salary out of your personal funds automatically, so you
don't have to worry about the messy little details. If a crew member decided
to ask for a raise, then you can do one of two things: fire him or pay him.
There's no room for negotiations here, which is why crew members rarely ask
for raises unless they feel they really deserve them. All crewmen provide
their own equipment and weapons. The order used to deal with crew members is
the "HC" order. See the Orders section later for more information.

    Crew members can be beaten, robbed, stabbed, shot, killed and arrested
just like you. As the owner of your ship, imperial naval law considers you to
be the captain of your vessel, and as such you have a definite responsibility
once you hire a crew. You can be held liable for any damages or destruction
wrought by them, and so you must maintain a well-ordered and disciplined crew
if you want to avoid trouble with The Empire. Again, until you fire a crewman
or until he quits or dies, you will be responsible for things like bail,
medical expenses and all other legalities. The maximum size of your crew is
yourself plus 5 crewmen. Your ship can support 1 being per level of computer,
so a ship with a level 3 computer can support a crew of up to 3 beings,
including yourself.
                                                                     * PAGE 13
The Crew Professions
    The Attorney                                             Lvl Salary
    Yes, they do come in handy when the legal chips are       1     800
    down. Your attorney can arrange your bail when you get    2   1,600
    arrested, handle those messy administrative red-tape      3   3,200
    tangles, and generally interpret for you in many foreign  4   6,400
    lands. They can even help in financial negotiations of    5  12,800
    all kinds. Attorneys are skilled in admin, haggling and   6  25,600
    interpret.

    The Doctor
    Try as you might, you get injured being a smuggler. You   1     600
    get shot, stabbed, beaten and throttled. And all of       2   1,200
    those things can cause bodily harm, sometimes even        3   2,400
    death. In comes the handy doctor. Doctors can help you    4   4,800
    beyond the usual patch job of a medical kit and they      5   9,600
    even know how to call the hospital. Doctors are           6  19,200
    proficient in first aid.

    The Engineer
    Running your ship is no simple matter, so here's where    1     400
    an engineer would come in real handy. Although you        2     800
    often tinker with your ship and maintain its systems,     3   1,600
    an extra pair of hands can sure be valuable, especially   4   3,200
    during a hot space battle. Engineers are skilled at       5   6,400
    electronics, pilot, shields and weaponry.                 6  12,800

    The Mercenary
    Probably the most popular crew member, mercs will always  1   1,000
    help you fight your battles, and are often fierce         2   2,000
    Brogians or Terrans. It is very unwise to be late paying  3   4,000
    a merc, because they are known for their bad tempers.     4   8,000
    The more loyal mercs will often fight to the death to     5  16,000
    protect the life of their captain. The mercenary is       6  32,000
    proficient in melee, lasers, brawling and dodge.

    The Rogue
    Being all-around street punks, rogues are good guys to    1     200
    take along on your planetary expeditions. They are        2     400
    streetwise conmen with a knack for stealing and           3     800
    pilfering. Although rogues are not often entirely         4   1,600
    trustworthy or honest, they will usually maintain         5   3,200
    loyalty when the profits are good. Rogues are very good   6   6,400
    with using con, gambling, streetwise and theft.
                                                                     * PAGE 14
>>> THE SMUGGLER'S EQUIPMENT

Using Equipment
    Each item includes an Item#, a simple description, a base cost and a
production sector code. The Item# is for use with your orders so that you can
refer to specific items when trading or using them. When you first create a
new smuggler, you get a free Envirosuit, and then you may purchase up to 9
additional items at their base costs. From then on, you will have to pay the
normal price, whatever that might be, and you will typically haggle and
bargain with another merchant for the best value. The final price of an item
will depend on how well you can wheel and deal with the shopkeeper.

   Equipment can be stolen by thieves, lost while evacuating an exploding
spaceship, or sold to a merchant. The production sector code  (AGR, IND, MIN
or TEC) of each item is listed after the item's description and base cost. It
tells which area of planetary production will affect the item's availability.
So TEC items will be more readily available on a planet with a high
technology production than on one with a low production, and so on. Most
items are used automatically, but a few must be operated or consumed using
the Use Item order (see Orders section). These items have an asterisk ( * )
after their name, and some of them, like the medications, can get used up.
None of the drug, medicine or food items have any affect on the Mechbot
species, but then Mechbots don't need to use envirosuits.

Personal Weapons
    01) Knucklethorn: A small, spiked weapon made from the cured thorny
spines of the Danokan Guigvine bush. It is worn much like a glove, with the
spikes and barbs protruding from the knuckles. It is a favorite weapon of
the Brogian, because it causes lots of bleeding and is fun to use,
although it doesn't actually do a great deal of damage. But in the hands
of a Brogian, it is still a pretty useful weapon. (Cost: 12 QPs, AGR)

    02) Plastoknife: This dagger is made of high impact plastic steel.
Very light weight and impossible to detect using standard sensors, it is
often used by terrorists, military personnel and postal workers for light
combat and for opening letters and small packages. Most plastoknives are
very ornately cast in a plastic-steel compound and have intricate designs
engraved on them. (Cost: 15 QPs, IND)

    03) Bladeshard: A weapon much like the scimitar, bladeshards are made
from the curved crystals of Zenschezebar Quartz, which has been hardened
using a secret process developed deep in the mine shafts of the planet
Jo-Jumba. It is this hardening technique that makes the crystals
shatterproof and extremely sharp. The damage done by the weapon is quite
considerable, especially to unarmed opponents who often resemble Swiss
cheese after the fight is over. (Cost: 35 QPs, MIN)

    04) Dragontail: This is a serrated club made from the tail of the
dreaded Draak lizard of Kochab. The tail is usually acquired by a brave
hunter who hides in the bushes near a Draak lizard's lair, and, upon the
lizard's exit for its evening hunt he surprises the unwary reptile with a
large bowl of rice pudding. The poor creature succumbs to the horrible fate
of this most appalling dish and subsequently loses its tail from the sheer
terror of it all. The tail is then collected, cured and dyed lovely shades,
and then sold on the open market. Draak lizards regenerate their tails during
the mating season in early summer or late in spring. (Cost: 120 QPs, AGR)
                                                                     * PAGE 15
    05) Plastosword: This long sword, made of plastic steel, was the most
common weapon used for the Great Invasions of the Kappakaphkappians during
their insurgent uprising against The Empire in 1291.70. It was unfortunate
for the Kappakaphkappians, however, that the uprising only lasted for about
25 minutes, at which time the entire renegade army was sucked into a freak
time vortex even before the imperial troops landed. Even so, plastoswords are
used extensively in melee combat, and in military ceremonies and parades.
(Cost: 250 QPs, IND)

    06) Pip Laser: The laser has been highly refined into a small, hand-sized
package that is both easy to carry and simple to fire. Since it comes in a
great variety of fashion colors, you can always find one to match your
outfit. The pip laser is the smaller cousin of the hand laser, the preferred
weapon of the smuggler. (Cost: 500 QPs, TEC)

    07) Nettle Gun: A small air pistol that fires tiny, piercing nettle-like
projectiles at its target and causes the same kind of wounds as knucklethorns
do, only more so. The nettles are actually created by the gun itself by
sucking stray photons and electrons into the gun's nettle chamber and
synthesizing the matter into very small globular clumps of ammunition, so
there's never any need to reload the gun. (Cost: 2,500 QPs, TEC)

    08) Hand Laser: A Powerful hand-held laser pistol, it is used throughout
the galaxy, especially by smugglers and other undesirable types. The hand
laser delivers a powerful blast of energy strong enough to blast a Terran
into another plane of consciousness, often called death. All lasers get their
power from HyperDyne's SolarKastic liquid gel solar bits, so they never need
recharging. (Cost: 7,000 QPs, TEC)

    09) Thunker Gun: This weapon fires a powerful blast of airified plasma at
any target, and uses the same power source found in lasers of all types. The
blast of air causes no bleeding, messy odors or unsightly stains, and usually
only ends up crushing the victim's ribcage into a fine, powdery substance.
(Cost: 15,000 QPs, TEC)

    10) Laser Rifle: Exactly like a hand laser, only more deadly and bigger.
(Cost: 24,000 QPs, TEC)

Personal Armor
    11) Leather Armor: Made from the hides of simple quadrupeds, this is the
most basic armor that you can buy. Often studded with bits of steel for added
strength, and highly decorated with exotic feathers and beads, it offers
minimal protection for the wearer. (Cost: 500 QPs, AGR)

    12) Monkey Armor: A more durable armor made from the hides of more
complex quadrupeds, it offers finer protection to its wearer. The long tail
on the backside is simply decorative and offers no real useful purpose, save
to make the wearer look like a large monkey, hence the name. (Cost: 1,100
QPs, AGR)

    13) Plastic Armor: This is a lower grade of riot armor often used by
backwater planetary police departments, whose budgets are usually so tight
that you could fill one with bits of coal and in a week you'd have a Benarian
megadiamond. The lightweight armor provides cheap protection and includes a
very neat adjustable helmet with embossed chin strap. (Cost: 3,500 QPs, IND)
                                                                     * PAGE 16
    14) Riot Armor: Better grade riot armor is used throughout most of The
Core and its outer regions by the majority of imperial troops and local
police alike. Plus, it provides cheap yet strong protection for a small
amount of money, so it is favored by petty imperial bureaucrats and meddling
equipment purchasers everywhere. (Cost: 5,800 QPs, IND)

    15) Aluminite Armor: This is full body armor made from Aluminite, which
is the strongest and lightest material in its class. It is manufactured on
Earth, in the Sol star system, and the process is a well-guarded secret. It
gives its wearer strong protection against the hazards of combat. (Cost:
13,000 QPs, MIN)

    16) Plate Armor: Ancient design and modern technology have combined to
create a heavy, yet lightweight, suit of armor that can withstand a great
deal of abuse and still slice a ripe tomato so thin you can read the morning
paper right through it. Plate armor is used by the imperial guard and other
honorary military units, for, although it is certainly not the most
protective armor available, it is one of the prettiest and is therefore well
suited for elaborate ceremonies and parades. (Cost: 30,000 QPs, IND)

    17) Plasteel Armor: Much better than plastic armor, plasteel armor is
made of a revolutionary new compound composed of plastic, steel and tungsten
filaments, interwoven with kevlar sheets and bits of sponge cake. This
incredibly flexible material is comfortable to wear and easy to tailor.
(Cost: 55,000 QPs, IND)

    18) Aluminite II: Exactly like Aluminite Armor, but double-layered.
75,000 QPs, MIN

    19) Broganite Armor: The preferred armor of the Brogian, it is often more
expensive than most Brogians can afford. The protection is outstanding,
allowing the wearer to take damage from even a laser rifle and walk away
unscathed, sometimes. The armor uses self-powered actuators on all joints and
limbs so movement is easy and natural, and no extra strength is required for
operation. (Cost: 100,000 QPs, IND)

    20) Force Shield: This device is worn on a belt and is very lightweight.
It was first developed for very rich, fat, corrupt nobles who couldn't fit
into any other kind of armor, and since they needed protection from assassins
and the like, they had to resort to something else. It cannot be worn with
another suit of armor because it must maintain a skintight field around the
user to provide adequate shielding, and all other armors are too bulky. It is
the armor of choice for assassins and tax collectors alike. (Cost: 250,000
QPs, TEC)

Miscellaneous Equipment
    21) Bureau Vox: A bureau vox is a small, blue metallic device that is
worn over the mouth of the user. The device maintains a polyglostic neural
database of over 1,000,000,000 words, phrases, obscure edicts and laws which
makes it extremely useful when talking with any bureaucrat. It helps to cut
through red tape and bureaucratic nonsense in nothing flat. (Cost: 230 QPs,
TEC)

    22) Plastogloves: Simply put, these gloves are made of a highly flexible,
invisible plastic polymer that becomes rigid upon impact. The upshot of this
is that if you slug someone in the face while wearing the gloves, the damage
will be substantially more serious than if you were using your bare hands.
(Cost: 120 QPs, IND)
                                                                     * PAGE 17
    23) Ooloorp Beast: The ooloorp beast comes from the great winding plains
of Jetravartl in the Arcturian star system. They are small, reptile-like
creatures, with six legs and earthy-colored scales. Sharp fangs adorn their
small, voracious mouths, which they often use to greedily devour vichinkas
(see Vichinka below). Their tendency to purr loudly and steadily while being
stroked has the advantage of distracting anyone who you might happen be
talking to into believing whatever you say is true, assuming that what you
are saying is not outlandishly false. In other words, the ooloorp beast is a
man's best friend. (Cost: 125 QPs, AGR)

    24) Rubberoid Boots: Rubberoid is the generic term for a group of
hyper-repulsive rubber polymers that were discovered when a Listorian
materials scientist, who was working on a new skid-resistant surface coating
for a large athletic shoe company, applied a small amount of the substance to
the bottom of one of his shoes. When he lowered his foot to the ground, he
was startled to discover that his left knee had been driven up through his
skull and was fast working its way up through the third floor lavatory. Since
then, the formula has been improved and a nanometer-thick layer on the bottom
of a pair of boots makes the wearer an extra-bouncy and difficult  target.
(Cost: 350 QPs, AGR)

    25) Hand Computer: This small device uses a holographic projection screen
and hyperspacial data-links to access a world of information on vast
intergalactic supercomputer databases. It also features a built in,
four-function calculator and an internal modem. It is a very useful thing if
you tinker with electronics, and it also assists in the piloting of
spaceships. (Cost: 500 QPs, TEC)

    26) Medical Kit*: This kit is made up of salves, bandages, aspirin and
disinfectants, and is useful for first aid on cuts, abrasions and minor
wounds. It works on all species except for the Mechbot. (Cost: 62 QPs, TEC)

    27) Oddsbot: The oddsbot is extremely useful for the gambler, because
aside from helping you to calculate the odds of any one of a billion
different interstellar gambling problems, it can count cards, load dice, and
even read the minds of up to 5 other sentient players with some level of
accuracy. This obvious talent can dramatically shift the odds in your favor,
and can also get you killed in any one of a billion different interstellar
execution styles. (Cost: 4,200 QPs, TEC)

    28) Vichinka: The vichinka is small, furry and cute. It is, in fact, so
terribly and utterly adorably cute that many great thinkers consider it the
most loathsome and despicable creature in the entire universe. Such theorists
also tend to get a great deal of personal satisfaction and delight by feeding
these vichinkas to packs of half-starved ooloorp beasts kept in small metal
cages outside. The vichinka does seem to have one redeeming quality; its
hypnotic eyes have a strange effect on the mind's ability to deal with
numbers and so it is very useful to have one with you when you are haggling.
(Cost: 50 QPs, AGR)

    29) Polyvox Trans: Similar to the bureau vox, the polyvox trans is used
to communicate with all sentient species, and helps you to relate to alien
body language, alien gestures and common alien travel phrases, such as "When
does the bus leave?", "How many QPs for that thing?", and "Where is the
inter-species toilet located?". The polyvox trans can be used in conjunction
with a bureau vox. (Cost: 1,200 QPs, TEC)
                                                                     * PAGE 18
    30) Laser Sight: A simple device that can be used with any gun to
increase your chances of hitting a target. It is connected to the gun's
barrel and uses the existing power source to supply its diodes with the
needed energy. (Cost: 5,000 QPs, TEC)

    31) Sense Goggles: Although they look like ordinary sunglasses, sense
goggles are actually very sensitive and accurate electronic sensor devices
fitted into high quality sunglass frames with special crystalline lenses. Not
only are they very hip and cool to wear, but they increase your ability to
fight in melee combat by tuning in to subconscious hostility frequencies and
linking them to your conscious mind, giving you better weapon control. (Cost:
725 QPs, MIN)

    32) Copilot Robot: As the name implies, the copilot robot helps to fly
your ship, work your shields and fire your weapon systems. All in all, it is
probably the single most useful item you could own after your ship. They do
tend to be neurotic, paranoid and egotistical, but other than that, they're
lots of fun to be with. (Cost: 13,500 QPs, TEC)

    33) Brown Paper Bag: This is another one of those mind-bogglingly useful
items that a space traveler can carry with him on his journeys. There is an
unwritten, unspoken law of the universe that, when stated properly, says that
a being's brown paper bag is his own sanctuary from the outside universe. No
other being can look in this bag, for to do so would be to tamper with the
very fabric of the space-time continuum itself. What this means is not quite
well understood by most people, but the result is that if you happen to put
something into your brown paper bag that doesn't belong to you, there is very
little chance that anyone will try to see what it is that you have stolen and
you're more likely to get away with your pilfered loot. (Cost: 2 QPs, IND)

    34) Bigelow's Guide*: A long time ago, a Terran named Barnabus B. Bigelow
discovered that traveling throughout the universe would be a lot easier if
someone wrote a book on how to do it. It is on this principal that he wrote
his spectacularly best-selling sat-link book, "Bigelow's Guide To The
Empire". The book is useful to tourists and sightseers, as it outlays what
things can be found where, as well as current economic information and
surplus cargoes available. Use Bigelow's Guide when docked at a planet or
outpost to get info on cities you can visit or special orders you can use.
Use a log to keep track of planetary information, including available goods
and services. Services include cargo for purchase (PC) or cargo for sale
(SC), gambling casinos (GA), training for improving skills (IS), loansharking
(LS) and ship repairs (RS) or modifications (MS). You must be at a qualified
city to use one of the above orders. Simply list the star system in the first
column, the number and city in the second column, and check off the available
goods and services. A check mark in Bigelow's Guide indicates that the
service is available. No check mark means that you cannot get that service at
the planet. You should keep track of this information in this log. However if
you ever need to, you can use Bigelow's Guide on any planet to get the
information about what you can do while there. The information on outposts is
different. Use a section of the Exploration Log to record any special orders
that you learn about on outposts. List the outpost name, location, and any
additional parameters for the order. Not all outposts will have a special
order associated with them. You cannot use the following orders on any
outpost: CT, FU, IS, MS, PC or RS. (Cost: 300 QPs, TEC)
                                                                     * PAGE 19
Survival Equipment
    35) Envirosuit: This is one of the most important pieces of equipment you
can buy, unless you're a Mechbot (in which case you don't need one), but
every new character gets his first envirosuit for free. Many of the planets
in The Empire are of a dangerous nature. Either their gravity is far too
overpowering, or the atmosphere contains sulfuric acid, or the temperature is
a bit on the extreme. An envirosuit will keep you warm and cozy no matter
where you go in the galaxy. If you dock on a planet without an envirosuit,
you could be severely hampered, depending on how inhospitable the place is,
and you may even die. Use the Planetary Index to determine if a planet is
hazardous. (Cost: 500 QPs, IND)

    36) Flashlight: A small, tubular device powered by solar batteries. It
emits a bright white light from one end and has a handy pocket clip on the
other. (Cost: 5 QPs, TEC)

    37) Lifecom: If you are seriously wounded in battle, this device might
just save your life. Upon detection of an incapacitating wound, the device
will notify local emergency rescue teams to whisk you off to the safety of an
imperial hospital. There you will receive state-of-the-art medical treatment,
for a nominal doctor's fee. The device uses the LifeLink service which must
be maintained continuously. (Cost: 960 QPs, plus 50 QPs per turn to maintain
LifeLink service, TEC)

    38) Decoy*: All ships are linked to the Grid, which is a tremendous
location/trajectory computer network run by the imperial space agency. For
the convenience of everyone, all someone has to do is downlink your location
from the network and they'll know exactly where your ship is at any given
time. To avoid this, you can drop-launch a decoy. It will last for one turn
and anyone who tries to find you will get the coordinates of the decoy
instead, giving you time to escape. (Cost: 6,800 QPs, TEC)

    39) Cold Biscuit*: Cold, stale and deeeelicious! (Cost: 3 QPs, IND)

    40) Ale Flask*: Filled to the top with frosty ale. (Cost: 7 QPs, AGR)

Medical Equipment
    41) Deneban Salve*: The choice of most Terran doctors, this salve has
been made by the Old Wandering Physicians of Deneb for centuries. It will
heal serious wounds, but its effect can be quite unpredictable, sometimes
curing only minor damage and other times healing great wounds. Deneban salve
only works on Terrans. (Cost: 500 QPs, AGR)

    42) Xenocilin Pack*: This strange-smelling drug is used by Brogians,
Rhesians and Zephyr to heal wounds that are too serious for a simple medical
kit. (Cost: 810 QPs, AGR)

    43) Mechbot Parts*: This is the only recourse for Mechbots to use when
they are wounded. The pack consists of various small diodes, gears, wires and
the like, and can repair most damage that a Mechbot might receive in combat.
(Cost: 120 QPs, TEC)

    44) Kakanna Root*: This is a root extracted from the fertile soils of
Chook'Tai in the Epsilon Aurigae star system. It is to be eaten raw, or if
you prefer, boiled in hot water to make a light tea. The effect of this root
is to increase your strength for a turn, but it will not raise your life
points. (Cost: 5,000 QPs, AGR)
                                                                     * PAGE 20
    45) Pulse Crystal*: Pulse crystals are mined in the radioactive quake
zones of Nanoka in the Denebola star system. They have the peculiar and
fantastic ability when swallowed to increase a being's perceptive
capabilities beyond their normal levels. They crystal is, of course, passed
through the system and digested in one turn. (Cost: 4,800 QPs, MIN)

    46) Intellotab*: Your mechanics can be increased by taking one of these
little green pills with water or Arcturian brandy. The pill will take effect
immediately and will last for one turn. (Cost: 8,000 QPs, TEC)

    47) Liquiflesh*: Before you go into a personal combat situation, you
should use this stuff. It is contained in an aerosol can and one easy
application increases your toughness for an entire turn. It has no effect on
your life points. (Cost: 7,500 QPs, IND)

    48) Hypodephalazine*: A synthesized compound made from the hair of the
wild dog. It is put into a lozenge form and, when sucked on, it releases
certain high-energy biodrens which increases the user's agility. Works for
one turn. (Cost: 6,400 QPs, TEC)
                                                                     * PAGE 21
>>> THE SMUGGLER'S SPACESHIP

Your Ticket To The Stars
    As a new smuggler, you will be provided with a ship. A spacecraft of
gleaming metal and shining lights. All sleek and brand-spanking factory-like
new with polished control panels and chrome glitz all over its synthesized
leather upholstered interior. Truly  a work of fine craftsmanship down to the
last detail in the externally modified fuel independent jumpdrive propulsion
system. Here's what the latest magazine reviews had to say:

    "All sleek and brand-spanking factory-like new!"
    - Popular Mechbots Magazine

    "Truly  a work of fine craftsmanship down to the last detail..."
    - Spacecraft Buyer's Almanac

    "...External modify hyper thing something much wonderful..."
    - Subspecies Traveler Monthly

    Your ship starts with all required ship systems at level 1. Your
spaceship can be improved and modified with lots and lots of money, and you
will probably want to tailor your craft to your own specific needs. Some
smugglers might be more concerned with speed and efficiency, others want good
weapons. And still others may need larger cargo bays or more powerful
shields. In any case, modifying your ship is very important for the expansion
of your business and increased profit margins. When your ship is damaged in
combat, it can be repaired at your local starport, if it doesn't get blown up
before you arrive. This also costs money, and the more damage you have, the
more QPs it will cost to fix. You must maintain your ship using Pilot and
Electronics skills, and this is done automatically every turn. Sometimes a
ship system may become damaged or even fail and you will need a major
overhaul, but if you are proficient with these skills, you can avoid many
problems with proper systems maintenance and preventative repairs. But even
the best pilot will have to shell out money every turn to keep his ship in
good working order. Ship maintenance gets even more expensive with bigger
ships, so when you have the chance, your best bet is to hire a good engineer.
An engineer, along with good pilot and electronics skills, will help reduce
your maintenance expenses substantially. Typical maintenance costs for a new
ship and an inexperienced pilot run about 20,000 QPs per turn, but is free on
your first 5 turns.

You will use your ship to transport cargo back and forth throughout The
Empire. It is the life's blood of your business and your key to adventure and
galactic travel. Your ship is your friend, so treat it well and it will serve
you for many years to come. Other ships you might encounter on your
expeditions are listed in Appendix C.

Spaceship Systems
    Ship Computer: The computer system maintains life support, navigation,
communications and other vital data, as well as controlling all ship systems.
The computer's level indicates the highest ship system level it can maintain.
For example, a level 1 ship computer could only support a level 1 jumpdrive,
a level 1 laser cannon or any other ship system. At level 6, the ship
computer could handle any system level from 1 through 6. This obviously makes
it the first ship modification you must make in order to improve other system
modules.
                                                                     * PAGE 22
    Jumpdrive: This is the device that actually hurls your craft through
space. Jumpdrives use advanced fuel technology to power themselves while in
deep space transit, and a ship can hold 50 units of fuel, one unit allowing
one jump, whatever the distance. The jumpdrive level indicates how many
quads, times 2, it can traverse in one jump. For example, a level 1 drive can
only go up to 2 quads per move, but a level 4 drive can move up to 8 quads
with a single jump. So if you modify your jumpdrive, your ship becomes much
faster and you can use fewer jump orders and less fuel to get from one system
to another. You start with 12 units of fuel.

    Cargo Bay: Used to maintain cargo pods, they can handle up to the number
of cargo pods equal to its level times 10. For example, a ship with a cargo
bay size of 3 could carry up to 30 pods of cargo. A new ship can carry 10
cargo pods since it only has a level 1 cargo bay. Bigger payloads means more
money at the end of the line, but you sacrifice maneuverability for the added
efficiency of your behemoth ship, and you're also an easier target for an
enemy's sensors during ship-to-ship combat.

    Hull: The only protection between you and the cold, deadly vacuum of
space is your ship's hull. Hull is always present, and it represents the
armor of your craft. Without a hull, you would have great difficulty
breathing the inhospitable nothingness of space. All ships have a minimal
hull value of 20, but you can upgrade the material, giving your ship a better
armor defense. This protection is very useful against laser cannons. Hull
damage is cumulative and must be repaired sooner or later at a spaceport
drydock. Every ship's hull has a base of 20 points of protection, and each
level of hull is worth 10 points of additional protection. So, for example,
a level 5 hull has 70 points of protection (20 Base + 50 Hull). Current Hull
is listed after your Hull, and it lists the current points of protection
left. If your Current Hull ever drops to 0, your ship will explode.
Hopefully, you will make it to your escape pod before that ever happens!

    Laser Cannon: In order to survive the marauding pirates and brigands
plying and ravaging the dusty space lanes, it is necessary that some sort of
offensive measures are installed on your ship. The laser is the effective
weapon of choice in these enlightened times, and the only effective defense
against these powerful energy cannons is a good shield generator and someone
who knows how to operate it. Each level of laser cannon power can do up to 5
points of damage to shields or hull, so a level 3 laser cannon can do up to
15 damage points for each hit. Your laser uses internal power from your
ship's engines.

    Maneuver Jets: Maneuver is a term astroengineers use to describe the
ability of a ship to turn in outer space. Maneuverability is extremely
important in close combat situations or when you are in the vicinity of any
hostile ships. A ship's ability to maneuver is represented by the pilot's
skill, the ship's retrothrusters which do the actual maneuvering, and
dynamics firmware. Larger ships, such as the Herculean cargo barges of the
Mizarian Trade Guilds, are less maneuverable than smaller, light freighters.
The more maneuverable your ship is, the harder you will be to hit in
ship-to-ship combat.
                                                                     * PAGE 23
    Sensor Array: These sensitive electronic devices enable your ship to find
other ships. Once a ship is located with your sensor array, you will be able
to determine at least some of the characteristics of the ship. This
information is absolutely vital to your ship's computer for weapon and
defense control. The better your ship's sensors are, the more accurate your
lasers and shields. Sensors can do a Long Range Sensor Sweep during
exploration. The range is 1 quad in every direction for levels 1 to 4, and 2
quads for sensors of levels 5 or 6.

    Shield Generator: Shields are strong fields of energy used to ward off or
lessen the effects of laser attacks. Shields come with shield control
firmware installed in your ship's computer banks, and they are controlled by
the pilot, aided with the ship's computer. Each level of your shield can
accumulate 10 points of damage, so a level 2 shield would accumulate 20
points of damage before collapsing. Once shields have been reduced to zero,
your hull starts to take the damage, and once it reaches zero, your hull
becomes basically useless and your ship is destroyed. Since shields are made
completely of energy, they automatically regenerate themselves when not being
used in battle to their full potential. Shields will always be fully charged
and available at the start of any new space battle.

    Escape Pod: In the unlikely and disastrous event that your ship ends up
exploding, your only hope for survival is using your escape pod. Every new
ship starts with an escape pod already onboard. If you ever have to use your
escape pod, then it means that your ship was destroyed, along with any cargo
you may have been transporting. You will drift through space until rescued,
or until you die of asphyxiation, whichever comes first. You can survive in
an escape pod for up to 1 month, with little more than cramps. If you do
actually get rescued, you can always get a new level 1 ship for 50,000 QPs.
If you don't have the money, The Empire will gladly front it for you. Escape
pods contain various survival necessities, as well as an emergency beacon for
aid in rescue.

Damaged Ship Systems
    Any damage to your ship will be listed on your Character Status Sheet.
Usually damage only occurs to a ship's hull once the shield has collapsed,
but sometimes a direct hit will result in a damaged system. Damaged systems
function 1 or more levels below normal, so a level 5 jumpdrive with 2 damage
levels would function at level 3. You can dock your ship at a planetary
spaceport and use the "RS" order to get any system fixed. Repairing a ship's
system is extremely expensive, usually costing about 1/2 the price of the
original upgrade, and you cannot modify a damaged system. Your ship's
computer cannot be damaged, and hull damage is handled differently than other
systems. See the paragraph on Hull above for more details. No system can be
reduced below level 1 or your ship will explode!
                                                                     * PAGE 24
>>> GALACTIC ECONOMICS

The Basics
    Economics is what makes The Core run. Without a strong economy, nations,
even entire planets, would collapse. It is, in fact, the freelance small
trader that is the life's blood of imperial trade. Without smugglers, and
their more legitimate counterparts, The Empire would freeze to a halt. Much
of the illegal cargoes transported throughout the galaxy are actually quite
extremely vital to The Core's economic health and well being. And keeping
tabs on galactic economics is a must if you want to make a profit as a
smuggler. What follows is a brief course on Interstellar Trade. Read it!

Economics 101
    Every planet has 4 major sectors of production; Agriculture, Industry,
Mining and Technology. Each galactic month, the sector production indicators
are published for all to see in The Economic Page of The Galactic Inquirer,
the official SMUGGLER'S RUN newsletter. All planets are listed, with values
for each sector of production. These values range from 0.01 to 9.99, with
higher numbers denoting a healthier economy for that sector of production. A
planet with a production value of less than 5.00 is considered to be an
Importer, whereas one with a production value of greater than 4.99 is an
Exporter. So if, for example, mining production is low on Earth, say 1.29,
then Earth is an importer of mining products. And if technology production on
Earth high, like 9.53, then Earth is an exporter of technological cargoes.
Most planets are importers in some production sectors, and exporters in
others.

    You can still buy cargo from an importer, and you can still sell cargo to
an exporter, but you won't make a very good profit doing it. The key to
making good profits is to buy low and sell high. It's an age-old tradition of
the merchant to follow this simple rule, and if you follow it as well, you
should make big profits on the cargo you haul. Also, as a rule of thumb, it
is better to transport a low profit cargo than to travel without any cargo at
all. So even if a planet has a lousy selection of available cargoes, it is
better to buy a low profit cargo and transport it than to leave the world
empty-handed.

    It is the job of the vast computer networks at Megafalagon University's
School Of Economics to continually monitor the billions of companies and
actory complexes for all production information, as well as product and
service needs, also known as supply and demand. These figures are verified by
the Imperial Bureau Of Alien Relations And Trade, to insure continuity
between imperial and foreign estimates. They are then diligently reviewed by
the Imperial Bureau Of Redundancy, Red Tape and Redundancy and finally double
checked by the Imperial Bureau Of Redundancy, Red Tape and Redundancy. Only
when the figures are verified are they published in The Galactic Inquirer's
economic page. You'll use this information to help you decide what cargoes to
buy and sell. And every galactic month, you will receive the latest economic
information with the new Galactic Inquirer, so that you can always have
up-to-date information to work with when planning your trade routes.
                                                                     * PAGE 25
Buying And Selling Cargo
    Cargoes are as varied as the grains of sand on a beach, but the Imperial
Bureau Of Interstellar Customs has been kind enough to categorize all cargoes
into 48 types, so that you don't have to worry about the particulars. All
cargo is listed in Appendix B. Cargo is transported in the imperial standard
unit, called a pod. Each pod is of the correct size and dimensions, made of
just the right materials, and has the exact climate and atmospheric controls
already installed and running when you pick up the cargo. All you have to do
is buy the cargo and it will be loaded onto your ship for you. Cargoes are
listed in the 4 production groups, agriculture, industry, mining and
technology. Cargoes 25-48 are contraband, which means they're illegal, and
you must have an appropriate contact to purchase them. The price listed is
the flat price for each cargo pod of the item, based on an economic
production of 5.00. Bargaining, supply and demand can drastically affect the
price. You can only purchase or sell cargo at certain cities.

    Importers are good places to sell cargo because, since their production
is lower, they will offer more QPs for needed products. And, obviously,
exporters are good places to buy cargo for exactly the opposite reason. When
you finally get through all of this an actually purchase a cargo shipment,
keep in mind that the greater the distance is, and the higher the demand, the
better the profit. But things can change during your transgalactic journey.
Labor strikes, wars and other economic disasters can turn a modest cargo into
a treasure. And the opposite can happen. A valuable cargo of illegal spices
could be worthless at the destination if a 100,000 pod MegaStellar container
ship arrives a few days earlier than you do with a shipload of the same
delicacy. Although this sort of thing doesn't happen often, it can happen.
But all of this is elementary. buying and selling standard cargo is a nice
way to make a living, but to really get ahead in the smuggler's game, you
might want to consider a more lucrative line of work... transporting illegal
contraband! It's dangerous work, and the folks who deal in this sort of thing
can be a little ruthless at times, but the money can be outstanding. You can
sometimes make more on a single haul than you could all year selling standard
cargo.

Transporting Contraband
    Contraband is usually handled differently than regular cargo. With
regular cargo, you buy it, transport it to where you want, and sell it on the
open market. You are in total control of the entire procedure. With
contraband, it sometimes works the same way, but more often, you will have to
take the contraband to a particular star system. Or you might be given a
shipment and then get paid a bonus for transporting it. And there are even
rare cargoes not listed, like refugees or dangerous alien cargoes. There are
all kinds of contractual possibilities. When you make a contact, you will be
informed of all the details, and then you can decide if you want to deal or
not. You will never be able to carry more than one contraband at a time on
your ship.

    Again, before you can even get a shipment of contraband, you need to make
a contact for the cargo. When you bar hop, gamble, visit a loanshark or
snoop, you might make a contact. You are almost guaranteed to get lucky by
the third try if you don't leave the planet. So if you are on Earth, for
example, and you use any three of the orders BH, GA, LS or SN,  you should be
able to make a contact. However, if you leave a planet before buying the
offered contraband, you loose the opportunity and the contact disappears. So
the best way to make a contact is to wait until the end of your turn, and use
BH, GA, LS or SN for your last few orders. You will use the PC order to
actually buy a contraband cargo. Only the most recent contact is valid, and
all other contacts made previously in the same turn are gone for good!
                                                                     * PAGE 26
The Supply And Demand Formula
    The Supply And Demand Formula is one of the keys to your success. It lets
you estimate what cargoes are worth, and it's based on the production value
of the planet you're on. Each cargo has a related production code, the code
tells you which area of production most affects the thing's value. For
instance, Medicinals are affected by a planet's agricultural production,
whereas the cost of a pod of Genetic Materials is linked to a world's
technological economy. The formula should give you a reasonable idea of what
a cargo will cost. Keep in mind that if you try to buy more cargo pods than
you can afford, the quantity will be adjusted so that you will get what you
can. Sometimes you might not get what you paid for, but most of the time you
will, because dealer's reputations ride on the quality of their merchandise.
And now... the formula, simplified in Table D below...

               Table D: Supply And Demand Costs For Cargoes
   Production level.....  <1   <2   <3   <4   <5   <6   <7   <8   <9  <10
   Multiply Base Cost... 3.0  2.0  1.5  1.1  1.0  0.9  0.8  0.7  0.5  0.3

    So, if the base cost of a cargo pod is 5,000 QPs, and the cargo is based
on industrial production, and the industrial production of the planet you are
buying the cargo from is 8.5, then the formula would be 5,000 x 0.5, or 2,500
QPs. You should allow for haggling and other things to affect the final
price, but using this formula will help you calculate how much a cargo is
worth on the open market. Remember, cargoes 25 and up are illegal contraband
cargoes and you must have a contact to purchase any shipments. If you are
caught carrying contraband, it will be confiscated by Imperial Customs and
you may also be heavily fined. More severe penalties can include suspension
of your trade license on the planet where you have been caught.

    Important! Many planets import certain types of cargo and export others.
Always use the latest edition of The Economic Page in The Galactic Inquirer
for the latest production information on all planets. Use the information to
plan out more profitable trade routes, and to determine the levels of
influence that The Empire and the underworld wield on these worlds. This
information alone could mean the difference between a very successful
expedition and a total disaster.

The Cargomaster's Guild
    Cargomasters are master smugglers, the cream of the crop of interstellar
traders, and they wield much power in the galaxy. Even though they are
considered criminals by The Empire, not much has been done to stop them.
Which is good for you, because without their protection, you would probably
fall prey to pirates or other smugglers on your first trip out. But The Guild
continuously scouts the trade routes, blasting away bad guys, marking
imperial customs beacons and keeping things a lot safer for you, the little
guy. And they don't do it for love, or for country, or for any noble or
philanthropic reason. They do it for money. Your money. The dues you pay
every turn for their protection. To belong to the guild is a privilege, an
honor and a necessity. You have no choice. Without their help, you would
never make contacts, get contraband, or make it in this business. How much
The Guild takes depends on you. Sometimes they may ask a favor of you, in
which case you might not have to pay any dues at all. But most of the time,
they will take 5% of your on-hand cash. It really isn't very fair. Some
people might even call it extortion. Well, that's just too bad. Complain all
you want, but they do actually perform a useful service. Besides, those
people who might call it extortion might be resting on the bottom of a deep
methane pit on some out-of-the-way gas giant somewhere. Who could say for
sure? As a guild member, you will even get an official membership card!
                                                                     * PAGE 27
>>> ORDERS: HOW TO DO THINGS

Entering Your Orders
    Each turn, you may enter from 1 to 15 orders for your character. Every
order has a 2-letter code, and many have additional parameters. It is vitally
important that each and every order is checked for accuracy, because one
mistake can make other orders meaningless. For example, you can't sell a
cargo that you didn't actually buy, and you can't dock your ship if there
isn't a planet or outpost in your quad. Make sure that each order is correct
because it might affect other orders that follow!

The Turn Orders
    Attack Ship: AS Ship# --- This is a good way to make enemies. Use this
order only at the beginning of your turn. To initiate an attack on another
ship, enter the Ship# of anyone who is in the same quad as you, and you'll be
all ready for combat. At the end of each turn, you'll get a list of who is in
the same quad as you. If the order is successful, you will both fight
ship-to-ship in mortal combat until one of you is destroyed or somebody
chickens out.

    Bar Hop: BH --- No business... just pleasure! You've just arrived on
planet after a long haul and it's time for some rest and relaxation. Well,
depending on what you like to do, this order lets you try to have a little
fun, and maybe even make a contact. Perhaps you'll have an interesting
encounter, get yourself involved in an old-fashioned bar fight, or shoot it
out in the dusty streets wild-west style. This is a good way to earn victory
points, have some adventure and improve your reputation.

    Change Flags: CF Flag# --- You can change your personality flags by using
this command. The Flag#  is a series of 7 numbers from 0 to 4 for each of the
personality flags. A value of 0 is for something you never do or don't like.
A 4 is for something that you do all the time or like a lot. The Flag# lists
the value of each flag in order, so the first digit is for the Bribe Flag,
the second is for the Cheat Flag, and so on. The order to change someone's
flags might look like "CF 0102403". This translates to Bribe 0, Cheat 1,
Fight 0, Imbibe 2, Pilfer 4, Swindle 0 and Yellow 3. You can only change
flags once every 5 turns. The 7 flags are:
    Bribe: When dealing with imperial authorities, some people will try to
    "alter" the results of minor infractions by using bribery and con. You
    can get into serious trouble bribing officials, but since corruption is
    rampant, you can often get away with it, reducing or eliminating those
    costly tax penalties, or letting a shipment of contraband slip past a
    customs inspector.

    Cheat: If you gamble a lot in casinos, then this might be something
    you'll want to try. It can help you win, but if you get caught, it can
    help you to death. You really shouldn't cheat unless you're a good
    gambler,  because getting caught can get you arrested, and that's if
    you're lucky!

    Fight: Brawling, melee and gunfights are all ways of getting into fights.
    This flag determines how often you cause problems and get into trouble.
    Are you peaceful or are you a bully? If this flag is high, then you are a
    tough guy, or at least you think you are. And it'll show. And if it's
    low, then you will try to avoid fights for the most part. It doesn't mean
    you're a coward, it simply means that you don't fight unless provoked.
                                                                     * PAGE 28
    Imbibe: Do you drink? If so, how much. Are you the life of the party or a
    dud? Although drinking can get you into trouble, it tends to make you
    more sociable and therefore more likely to strike up interesting
    conversations with complete strangers. Sociable people are fun to be with
    and make lots of happy friends, which can lead to good trade information.

    Pilfer: You just finished beating up some guy and his limp body lies
    battered across your feet. What are you gonna do now? Walk away or search
    the creep's pockets?

    Swindle: When you sell cargo, it is generally accepted that you are going
    to sell honestly. But maybe the dockmaster won't notice that one of the
    pods of imported fruit you're selling is full of dirt. This is one way to
    stretch out the value of a cargo, but you can get into serious trouble if
    you get caught swindling.

    Yellow: Sometimes you can get into tight situations. If someone pulls a
    gun on you, will you cower and beg for mercy or will you fight gallantly
    to defend your honor? A high value is for the cowardly type, and a low
    value is for the brave.

    Communicate: CO Ship# --- You can communicate with other players using
this order. Just enter the Ship# of the player that you want to send a
message to. Then, make a 3x5 index card with your message written on the
front side, and both your Ship# and the Ship#  of the player you are writing
to on the back side. Include the card with your orders and it will be
delivered promptly for a small fee of 25 QPs. Messages may be censored by the
Imperial Bureau Of The Navy and Postal Service at any time.

    City Transfer: CT City# --- Planetfall can be an interesting experience,
especially if you take advantage of the wonderful public city transfer
system. Take a high-tech streamlined hoverbus, a low-altitude taxi cab or a
magnorail train. It's all up to you as you zip across the planet in style!
Travel is inexpensive, less than 100 QPs for a one-way pass, and you can
enjoy the more remote parts of the world. City# is the number of the city
that you wish to visit. Planets will have from 2 to 5 cities that you can
travel to, with varied goods and services available. Some cities offer ship
repair or modification services, while others offer gambling, resorts and
entertainment. There are no city transfers at outposts.

    Dock: DO --- When you use this order, your computer takes control,
automatically contacting the local docking authorities and landing your ship
at a planet's capital city or on an outpost's docking bay. Of course, you
have to be in a quad with a star system or an outpost in it to use this
order. The first time you dock somewhere, you should use Bigelow's Guide to
get a listing of all cities, available services and special orders available.
This information should be recorded in the Exploration Log in the back of
this book, but if you ever need to recall the information, just look it up in
Bigelow's Guide again and you'll get a listing. Some cities provide services
that are not available elsewhere, such as loan sharks, gambling, cargo, skill
training and ship repairs. Once docked, you must go through the usual Customs
inspection in order to receive your docking papers. Sometimes your ship will
get scanned for illegal cargo, depending on the empire and underworld levels,
and confiscation is possible. On the planet or outpost, you are free to shop
the bazaars, check out the local taverns, enjoy the hospitality of the native
inhabitants, and buy and sell cargo and items where available. You can also
use the public city transfer system to travel to other cities on the world.
See the entry on Bigelow's Guide in The Smuggler's Equipment section.
                                                                     * PAGE 29
    Explore: EX --- Exploring means you are taking extra time to stop in deep
space and explore the current quad. Perhaps you might find some jettisoned
cargo pods of valuable cargo or discover a dead ship lost in the space trade
lanes. Or maybe you'll find nothing! There are also many outposts that you
can stumble upon out there where you can discover new orders or very unusual
goods and services that can only be found at these "space cities". Your ship
will also conduct a Long Range Sensor Sweep out to 1 quad in every direction,
or 2 quads if your ship's sensor level is 5 or 6. This scan will detail any
planets or outposts found.

    Find Ship: FS Ship# --- If you've been attacked by someone, and you want
revenge, then this order is for you. Simply enter the Ship# of the ship you
want to locate, and this order will return their current coordinates to you.
Remember, however, that there is a device called a decoy available that can
give you false coordinates and send you on a wild goose chase!

    Fuel Up: FU Units# --- Your ship requires Nukonium Petrolex fuel to make
those all-important jumps through hyperspace. A ship can hold up to 50 units
of fuel, and one unit is good for one jump, no matter what the distance is.
Just enter the Units# of fuel you want to purchase, at 1,000 QPs each, at any
qualified planetary city. Outposts do not carry fuel.

    Gamble: GA Game#, QPs --- Gambling is a good way to lose your shirt, get
arrested, beat up, shot, robbed, etc. But the lure of the sleazy casinos and
imperial gambling houses is sometimes more than you can take. Just enter a
Game# from the list below and the QPs that you are going to gamble with. The
higher the game number, the riskier the game, but the more you'll get if you
win, and you may even make a contact for a contraband cargo!

    01) Brogian Craps                         06) Electroulette
    02) Wharupa Dice War                      07) Glip Scrunges IV
    03) Draw Poker                            08) Baccaran Rummy
    04) Holoslots                             09) Grindlepuut
    05) Fungo Jango                           10) Sapiens Jackabot

    Hire Crew: HC Pro, Level, Species ---  Your crew can be an important
addition to your company, and this order us used to hire and fire crew
members. Pro is the first 3 letters of the crewman you want to hire, like MER
for mercenary or DOC for doctor. See The Crew Professions above for more
details on crewmen. Level is the skill level of the crewman needed, and
Species is the species that you want to hire. If you don't have the money to
pay a crewman's salary, you will not be able to hire him. Once you hire a
crewman, the name and other info will be listed on your Character Status
Sheet. To fire a crewman, enter the order "HC" followed by the crewman's Pro.
Your crew includes yourself and it cannot be any larger than the level of
your ship's computer. So a ship with a level 5 computer could have a crew of
up to 5 members, including yourself and 4 crewmen.

    Hospitalize: HO ---  If you're really hurt and you don't want to risk
self treatment, you can always check in to your local imperial hospital.
Although it can be expensive, your life is important... at least it is to
you. You can also end up in the hospital if you're ever incapacitated. If you
can't pay the hospital fee, then it will be put on your tax bill for
convenient payment at a later date, which will be collected by your friendly
local tax official.
                                                                     * PAGE 30
    Invest: IN Company, Shares# ---  There is still some rudimentary
investment allowed in private corporations throughout The Core. With this
order, you enter the Company code, which is a three-letter designator or the
company you want to invest in, and the number of Shares# for the transaction.
Use a plus sign (+) to purchase shares, and a minus sign (-) to sell shares.
So the order "IN ATM +100" would allow you to purchase 100 shares of ATM
stock. Imperial law forbids investing in more that one company at a time, so
if you own any shares in a company, you may only buy or sell stock from that
company. You must sell all of your shares in order to reinvest in another
stock. You will not make any money from a stock until you sell your shares
back to the stock market, at which time your profits or losses will be
collected. You may purchase or sell up to a maximum of 50,000 shares per
transaction. Stock prices fluctuate on the open market along with the
standard economic indicators. See the Economic Page in the latest Galactic
Inquirer for economic details and stock values.

    Improve Skill: IS Skill ---  This order is used to improve a skill or
learn a new one. Just write the first 3 letters of the Skill you want to
change. So if your Haggling is +3, entering the order "IS HAG" would increase
it to +4, if you had 160 VPs to spend. Also, you will be charged a nominal
but necessary number of QPs in order to learn your skill. This is to pay for
such incidental expenses as books, computer tapes, instructors and, of
course, pencils. You must be at a city that provides training services in
order to improve a skill. See Table E below for information on VP point costs
for increasing skills. Remember, the normal maximum level for any skill is
+6, but cybernetic implants can increase this.

                    Table E: Skill Advancement Chart
            Skill Level....... +0   +1   +2   +3   +4   +5   +6
            VP Cost........... 10   20   40   80  160  320  640

    Jump: JU Dir# Dir#... Dir# ---   To get from here to there, you use this
order. Different ships have different drives... some faster, some slower.
Dir# is a direction number as shown on your Map Of The Core, and it indicates
a 1-quad jump in that direction. You can enter as many jumps as your drive is
capable of handling in a single order, and you can use multiple jump orders
for long distance travel. For example, the order for a level 2 jumpdrive, "JU
7778", means jump 3 quads in direction 7 and one quad in direction 8. Slow
drives can only jump 2 quads, while Imperial Navy ships can jump up to 12
quads, which is the hyperjump limit for space travel. A single jump uses up
one unit of Nukonium Petrolex fuel, no matter how far the distance is. Valid
direction numbers are 1 through 8. You may end your jump anywhere on the map,
including deep space.

    Loan Shark: LS QPs ---  Borrowing money is sometimes necessary. Often
it's for cargo or personal equipment. Since the interstellar banks are
basically insolvent, you need to see a loanshark. They are plentiful in The
Core, and so there's always one available to serve you. If you need to borrow
money, then enter the number of QPs you need, from +1 to +100,000. If you
don't already owe money, then your loan has a fair chance of going through
without a problem, at the ridiculous interest rate of 25% per turn. If you
need to pay a debt, then enter a negative QPs number, like -2,500 to pay
2,500 QPs toward your debt. Warning: If you decide to borrow money and not
pay it back, the loanshark will come looking for you.
                                                                     * PAGE 31
    Morph: MO Attribute ---  This order is used by the Piil to change their
primary attribute. A Piil is able to add 3 to any attribute once per turn,
and the Piil stays "morphed" until he morphs again. Attribute is the first 3
letters of the attribute to be morphed. So to add 3 to strength, the command
would be "MO STR", and then later if the Piil wanted to increase toughness
instead, he could enter the order "MO TOU". Then his strength would go back
to normal and his toughness would increase by 3. New Piil start with strength
morphed. Remember, life points do not change when morphing strength or
toughness, and neither does carrying capacity. A Piil's carrying capacity is
based on its unmorphed strength.

    Modify Ship: MS System ---  To upgrade a ship system one level, use this
order. System is the first 3 letters of the system that you want to modify,
like LAS for laser cannon or COM for computer. The order "MS HUL" would
upgrade your hull one level. You must have enough money for this order to
work, and the QPs will be automatically deducted from your account. See Table
F below for a list of system costs, which are standardized throughout the
galaxy and stimulated by govenment subsidies. You must dock your ship before
you can use this order, you cannot skip levels, and you cannot modify any
damaged system. To rename your ship, write the order "MS REN" and the new
name of your ship. You can use up to 40 letters and numbers for your ship's
title. You can only modify your ship at a planet's capital city.

             Table F: Cost For Ship System Upgrade Or Repairs
       System Level          2         3         4        5         6
       Computer........... 200 K     430 K     850 K   1,600 K   3,500 K
       Jumpdrive.......... 100 K     210 K     420 K     900 K   1,700 K
       Cargo Bay..........  75 K     140 K     300 K     650 K   1,200 K
       Hull............... 125 K     250 K     480 K   1,100 K   2,500 K
       Laser Cannon....... 150 K     290 K     580 K   1,400 K   2,800 K
       Maneuver Jets......  50 K     110 K     230 K     450 K     800 K
       Sensor Array.......  90 K     180 K     350 K     700 K   1,300 K
       Shield Generator... 165 K     340 K     720 K   1,500 K   3,200 K

    Purchase Cargo: PC Cargo#, Quantity ---  Buying a cargo for your ship is
what your business is all about, and you can only purchase a cargo when your
ship is docked at a planet. Enter the Cargo# of the cargo you wish to
purchase and the Quantity of cargo units you need. If you can't afford to buy
as many pods as you need, then you will only get what you can pay for. So if
you try to by 10 cargo pods and you can only afford 8, then you will purchase
8 pods. Note that if you try to purchase cargo on any planet and fail to get
anything at all, your turn will automatically end at your next Jump order.
This prevents you from leaving a planet without a cargo with the intention of
selling the cargo elsewhere, but it probably will not happen often, if ever
at all. Some cargoes are hazardous to transport because they produce
dangerous by-products, such as radioactive debris or chemical residues. These
cargoes can cause you physical damage, but they can't kill you because of the
extra precautions used when transferring the substances into cargo pods. All
hazardous cargoes will include an additional "Hazard Pay Bonus" when the
cargo is delivered, which usually amounts to 10% of the total value of the
cargo. You should be sure to visit the hospital or apply medical aid
immediately after transporting a hazardous cargo.

    Regenerate: RE ---  Once every 5 turns, a Gecko can regenerate any
physical damage done to him. The process is simple and painless, and requires
no expenditure of any kind. Once regenerated, the Gecko will be fully healed
of all wounds.
                                                                     * PAGE 32
    Repair Ship: RS System ---  When your ship gets damaged in combat, you
can dock at any qualified spaceport and use this order to fix the damage.
Just enter the first 3 letters of the system being repaired, just like the
Modify Ship order. If your hull is damaged, then the cost is 5,000 QPs for
labor plus 5,000 QPs per point of hull to be replaced. Otherwise, the cost to
repair a system is 1/2 of the cost of a new system. As an example, to repair
a level 3 jumpdrive, you would enter the order "RS JUM". The job would cost
you 105,000 QPs, more or less. If you don't have enough money for the repair,
it will not be performed.

    Sell Cargo: SC Cargo#, Quantity ---  This order works just like the BUY
CARGO order, but instead, you are trying to sell cargo that you have just
transported. Cargo# is the number of the cargo you want to sell and Quantity
is the amount of pods you want to sell. If the cargo is hazardous, then you
will receive a hazard pay bonus of 10% in addition to the value of the cargo.
Your ability to haggle will affect the price of the cargo, as well as the
current economic situation on the planet.

    Snoop: SN ---  One of the things that you can do on-planet is snoop for
trade info. There's always something going on somewhere. Insider trading,
hostile takeovers, corrupt cartel CEOs, suddenly available contraband... all
can mean big money. You can learn about major stock deals and economic events
even before the guys at The Galactic Inquirer do. Maybe you'll get a chance
to smuggle some illegal aliens off-world, anywhere you can get them. There's
usually something going on somewhere...

    Special Order: SO Parameters ---  Special Order is an order that can only
be used on an outpost. Outposts are cities in space, gargantuan mechanical
star towns populated by hundreds or even thousands of beings. Often they are
built from the remains of star cruisers and bulky space debris, strewn
together with glue and chicken wire. They are autonomous, self-governing
colonies, although The Empire keeps a close eye on all known outposts. But
outpost inhabitants usually don't like outsiders, fearing imperial spies and
other unsavory visitors that may threaten their very existence, so they tend
to keep their locations a well guarded secret. Outposts can only be
discovered by exploration or by getting information from someone who already
knows where one is, like another player. And although cargo is not available
for sale from outposts, you can still sell cargoes, trade items and do many
of the usual things you can do on a planet. Some outposts, however, provide
special goods and services they have developed on their own due to their
isolation from ordinary life in The Empire. An outpost may offer cybernetic
implants, or perhaps new and unusual wares for sale. You can get information
about what an outpost has to offer from Bigelow's Guide whenever you are
docked there. The special order will be listed along with any parameters
needed to use it, such as a cost, a skill or an attribute. You should record
any orders you learn about in a log.
                                                                     * PAGE 33
    Tactics: TA Aggressive#, Retreat#, Attack Level#, Attack Class ---  Use
this order to decide how you will react when you encounter another ship in
space. Aggressive# is a value from -5 to +5. The higher the number, the more
aggressively you will attack your foe, with a corresponding loss in defensive
ability. Use positive numbers to fight offensively and negative numbers to
fight defensively, with +0 being neutral. Retreat# is your likelihood of
retreating from a battle if the odds are against you. A pilot with +5 retreat
will bail out of the fight as soon as there is an opportunity, whereas a -5
retreat will never flee. Attack Level# is the maximum level of ship that you
are willing to engage. If your attack level is set to 2, you will never
initiate an attack on any ship higher than level 2. Ship Level is based on
the average of all the ship's system values. Finally, Attack Class defines
he types of ships you will attack, if any. The codes are "N" for Naval, "C"
for Customs, "P" for Pirate and "I" for Independent, which is all other
ships. For example,  to aggressively attack customs and pirate ships of level
4 or less with a fair chance of retreating you would enter the order "TA +5
-2 4 CP". These values add up to a strategic profile that you will follow
without fail until you change your tactics. All players start with tactics
set at "-5 +5 0 PI".

     Trade Item: TI Item#...Item# ---  The bazaars are full of unique and
intriguing wares from across the galaxy. Just enter up to 4 Item#s that you
want to trade, placing a plus sign (+) before each item that you wish to
purchase and a minus sign (-) before each item that you wish to sell. If the
amount asked for the item exceeds the amount of money you have to offer, then
the item will not be purchased. Also, if the production for the item is very
low, the shops may be out of stock. To sell an item, you of course must first
own the item, but hen you probably already guessed that. You will try to buy
or sell items in order of appearance, so the first item will be of highest
priority, and so on. If you are already carrying a lot of items, you should
sell the items that you don't want anymore to make room for new equipment.
For example, let's say that you own a Nettle Gun (Item# 7) and you want to
sell it and upgrade to a Hand Laser (Item# 8), and you also want to also buy
a new vichinka because some Brogian's stupid ooloorp beast ate your old
vichinka. You would use the order "TI -07 +08 +28" to first sell your nettle
gun, purchase a hand laser and finally buy a new pet vichinka.

     Use Item: UI Item# ---  How does a Mirphakian Pleasure Orb work, anyway?
Just push the little red button... or was it the blue one? Regardless, you'll
figure it out. Item# is the number of the item that you wish to use. Some
items will be used automatically. For example, if you are wounded and you
have a medical kit, then you will use it to heal yourself (if you're not a
Mechbot). This order is for special things that are used only at special
times, such as Hypodephalazine, a cold biscuit or Bigelow's Guide.  Items
that can be used have an asterisk ( * ) after their name in the equipment
list.
                                                                     * PAGE 34
>>> THE 7 ALIEN SPECIES

The Terran
    Terrans are featherless bipedal mammals, with an average adult height of
1.8 meters for males and 1.7 meters for females. They are prolific breeders,
often producing large family units, but usually one offspring at a time,
which means they spend lots of time proliferating. Multiple births are rare.
Body shape can range from emaciated to obese, usually depending on diet,
activity levels and genetics. Skin color is white, pale yellow, red, brown or
black. Body hair is very common but sparse, mostly on the head but with small
patches in other areas. Their two primary limbs are used to manipulate tools,
and they are very adept at this skill due to an opposing thumb on each hand.

    Terran History: The Terran home planet, Earth, is in the Sol system. The
Terrans used their advanced scientific knowledge to explore the stars, and
began to colonize new worlds. They were the first to develop interstellar
space flight technology, placing them in the lead for domination of the
galaxy. Because of their prolific reproduction rate, they quickly went from a
newly born system to a universal power, gaining status as the largest power
sometime in the mid-latter-two-thirds of the 23rd century. The Empire was
formed during that period. Terrans use their vast numbers along with advanced
technology to dictate that they are the chosen species and all others should
serve them. This eludes to their most serious character flaw: their
ridiculous egos. Although slavery is not tolerated too terribly much in these
enlightened times, the other species are usually treated as second class
citizens. Most Terran history is filled with bloody and senseless wars and
violence, and will not be discussed in detail here.

    Terran Society: Terrans like things. Lots and lots of things. Any Terran
who has many things is considered better than a Terran who has only a few
things, but not as good as a Terran who has a great deal more things than he
does. This system of owning things has ruled since the dawn of mankind. It is
confusing, arbitrary, and it suits the human mentality quite well. It has
determined their leaders, masters, rulers and kings. Their government is made
up completely of Terrans with many things, while the workers have no things,
or very few. Most technological things have been invented by earthlings, and
so they have an advantage when using devices. Everywhere you go, buildings,
devices and machines have all been designed with the human form in mind. The
Terran reproduction rate is alarmingly prolific, which explains the 10 to 1
ratio of Terrans to the other 4 species combined. It is hypothesized by many
xenosociologists that this is just another peculiar symptom of the Terran's
preoccupation with things. Each offspring will, in turn, count as one thing
and thus will add to the total thing-count for the parents.
                                                                     * PAGE 35
The Brogian
    Brute strength is the only redeeming quality that most Brogians can
claim. They are large creatures, up to 2.2 meters in height, and very much
like trolls. You know... rather dimwitted and nasty altogether, with largish
pointy claws and sneering yellowish-yellow lips. Brogians are not pretty. In
fact, they are not even moderately unattractive. The Imperial Galactic
Institute For The Knowledgeable And Very Smart has recently approved a new
word for The Empire's official dictionary. This word is used to describe
something that is as unattractive as a Brogian. The word itself is not
pronounceable in any known language and is so visually appalling that the
editors of this book have chosen to omit it from the text. Brogian skin
ranges in color from black to green and yellowish-green, browns and earth
tones, and it is very tough and leathery.

    Brogian History: No data on Brogian history is available, although many
scholars believe that it is probably very similar to Terran history; full of
meaningless violence, pointless wars and plenty of bad entertainment,
probably not unlike television.
    Brogian Society: Brogians have tough hides which makes them very
resilient, so they love to cause trouble and get into fights. Brawls,
drinking and carousing, robbery, murder, mayhem and late afternoon picnics
are favored pastimes. Not all Brogians are bad, however. A few have learned
to fit into decent society and modify their natural temperament to suit
civilization. In the Brogian culture, the leaders are the strongest, ugliest
and meanest males of the clan, which is very family oriented. Their favorite
weapons include clubs, rocks and heavy furniture-like objects which can be
thrown and smashed to bits with lots of noise and commotion. Brogians are not
very quick witted, but they are formidable opponents and can make great
comrades in a fight. Brogians have great courage and will never back out of a
fight from fear. In fact, they have the ability to instill fear on opponents
with their fierce battle cries, nasty habits and malevolent, lingering
breath. Brogians hail from the planet Chook'Tai in the Epsilon Aurigae
system. The planet's gravity is stronger than Earth's, and the atmosphere is
often hot and humid. Chook'Tai has many great and ancient stone cities where
the Brogian people gather for big events, festivals, bartering and picnics.
Once every 2.7 Earth years (one year on Chook'Tai), a great meeting of the
clans is held where the new clan leaders are chosen in the Ominous Raffle Of
The Exalted High Pyoows. The clans maintain an uneasy truce with The Empire,
which likes to utilize the Brogians as explorers, colonist, miners and mail
sorters in hostile environments.
                                                                     * PAGE 36
The Gecko
    Gecko are 1.7 meter tall lizardoid beings with long powerful tails and
colorful scaled hides, which range in all colors of the visual spectrum.
Their skin can change color from various environmental stimuli, including
temperature, humidity and atmospheric content. Their eyes are large and
unblinking, and are attached to two stubby stalks that allow a wide-angled
peripheral view of the surroundings. Males can be differentiated from females
by a large bony crest on the top of the head which makes a strange, trilling
sound when the male forces air through it. They are humanoids with tails,
which they adorned with feathers, small rodent bones and trinkets as a show
of status in the community. The Gecko are able to regenerate most damage
completely, a talent they learn on their homeworld Draak in the Kochab star
system. Although most Terran scientists acknowledge that the genetic
relationship between the Gecko and the common garden lizard is astounding,
tests have shown that a Gecko will quickly die if you rip off its tail.

    Gecko History: Gecko are ancient creatures with a history that goes back
many millennia. They were a warrior race, and had fought civil wars and
tribal feuds among each other for all of their recorded history. When contact
was first made with the Rhesians and the Zephyr, the Gecko attempted to
enslave them for their own purposes, but they were unable to accomplish their
goal because they were vastly outnumbered. Then, 1,000 years before the
Terran Empire formed, the Gecko teamed up with the Piil, a lonely blob-like
race of beings who thought that reducing the Rhesians and Zephyr to slave
races would, at the same time, raise the Piil's lowly status from "thing" to
"being". So the Gecko and Piil raged bloody wars and the hostilities
continued until The Empire put a stop to it all with their military might.
One of the most important things that the Gecko gained from The Empire was
the right to interstellar trade, which is something that they excel at and
greatly enjoy. Their society has changed drastically since beginning open
trade with The Empire, and their military has been all but dismantled.
Although there is still resentment between the Gecko and other races, much
has been forgotten in these enlightened times.

    Gecko Society: The society of the Gecko consists of loosely-tied clans
containing up to 1,000 members. Fights and skirmishes between clans are not
uncommon, and have often led to civil unrest of entire cities. Gecko have
adopted well to the use of technology and enjoy trading for gadgets with
other beings even more than they enjoy fighting, but they anger quickly if
they think that they are getting ripped off. The Gecko have established
themselves as traders and merchants throughout The Empire, and they have
mostly given up their brutal and militaristic ways with the other races in
favor of interstellar trade. The leaders of the clans are not the strongest
males or the best fighters, but are the most clever traders and bargainors.
                                                                     * PAGE 37
The Mechbot
    Mechbots have metallic bodies usually consisting of cannibalized parts
scrounged from damaged or liberated robotic equipment, so they often look
like beat-up metal people. This makes them rather tough, quite unpredictable
and very shabby looking. What is an arm now may have once belonged to a
hydrospan forklift or even a starship. The average height of the Mechbot is
1.7 meters, slightly shorter than an average male Terran. They will
occasionally anodize their "skin" to a new color, but the sociological
significance of this activity is still debated. Mechbots are also immune to
diseases and many of the other frailties that true, living beings suffer
from, such as the little aches and pains, the difficulties with toxic
atmospheres and the inevitable problems associated with having a conscience.

    Mechbot History: The Mechbots are an intelligent and independent
"species" of self-replicating robotic beings. Nobody knows where they came
from... not even them. After arriving with the Brogians many years ago, they
settled on a moon in the Castor system near the remains of a gas supergiant
that some now speculate is the remnants of the legendary pirate planet of
Themthelgia. The Brogians used the Mechbots as workers in the more dangerous
sections of their spaceships, such as radioactive and toxic engineering
zones.

    Mechbot Society: Mechbots lack the respect that any real species gets.
Most are treated as less than second class citizens by the rest of the other
inhabitants in the galaxy. Shopkeepers, customs officials and postal workers
often take advantage of Mechbots, charging higher prices and taking away
privileges that are taken for granted by everyone else. This doesn't seem to
disturb most Mechbots, since they are all pretty much impartial to everything
anyway. Mechbot language is incomprehensible except among other Mechbots,
because it can be instantly reprogrammed creating an entirely new language.
Mechbots with the interpret skill at +1 can instantly synthesize all other
languages and therefore have no need to learn further. Although this would
seem to be a very useful and powerful tool, it really isn't because nobody
likes to talk to Mechbots very much, except other Mechbots. They have no
specific culture or traditions of their own, usually preferring to adopt the
local language and cultural habits in order to fit in. They often work for
The Empire doing hazardous jobs such as toxic waste cleanup, planetary
exploration and tax collection.
                                                                     * PAGE 38
The Piil
    The Piil are blobs. Fat, roly-poly blobs with short, stubby arms and
little stumps for legs. They're not very attractive and don't even like
mating with each other. Piil are neither male nor female, but instead they
simply bud at sometime during their life, usually only once. Budding is
painless, odorless and actually quite undetectable. Usually someone will just
notice that there is a strange new Piil lying about somewhere and everyone
figures that someone just finished budding. This is often celebrated with
drinks and hors d'oeuvres, followed by a group dance. Although they are
amorphous in nature, they assume a relatively humanoid shape, looking
basically like a very old, very round, gray-skinned person. Many Piil have
sparse patches of silvery hair growing on their bodies. Piil can "morph" once
a turn, increasing any one of their attributes by a large amount. They can be
stronger, tougher, more agile, more perceptive or more mechanically inclined.
They stay this way until they morph again.

    Piil History: Hailing from the planet Fromida Froo in the Betelgeuse star
system, the Piil are a lonely bunch. They had very little history to speak of
until they met the Gecko. Promising them friendship and a better social life,
the Piil jumped at the chance to befriend the lizardoids and their
technology. They joined the Gecko in their slavery campaign against the
Rhesians and Zephyr, and most of their history from that point on consists of
battles and wars. But since the Piil are so dreary and dull, it really
doesn't make very good reading. So most Piil history has either been
forgotten, or turned into week-long mini series.

    Piil Society: The Piil are a brooding, shy race of self-conscious,
nervous bundles of boredom. The only thing they hate worse than having to
start up a conversation with a stranger is to have to pretend to be
interested in the conversation in the first place. They have no knowledge of
politics, no hobbies, no favorite foods as a rule, although many Piil do seem
to enjoy square dancing. They seem quite inept at doing it and are often very
miserable when they try. Many Piil who are sent to Sol to interact with The
Empire are sent to Finland, where they feel quite at home with the earthling
natives there.
                                                                     * PAGE 39
The Rhesian
    Rhesians are insectoids, standing 1.5 meters tall with 4 spindly legs and
2 clawed arms. Although they do not have regular hands, they have no trouble
handling weapons, and in fact excel at their use even though they are
passive. Their are covered from head to tail with scales, which are white,
tan, beige, brown or green. A Rhesian will often dye its scales a certain
color, preferably one that reflects its mood. Rhesians are usually thin and
wiry, expending a lot of energy through heat loss. A large proboscis is very
prominent on the face, but its purpose is not known, although Rhesians are
sometimes seen using them to stir cocktails at dinner parties. Their large,
round eyes and antennae make them perceptive creatures, so they are not easy
to sneak up on.

    Rhesian History: Hailing from the arboreal jungle planet of Shengmari in
the Alkaid System, these creatures express and unusual curiosity and
enthusiasm, and are therefore hated by many other species in the galaxy.
Rhesian history is tied closely with that of the Zephyr, as they had been
interstellar trading partners for many hundreds of years, even before The
Empire was formed. Their realm had enjoyed many years of peace with the
Zephyr until the Terrans invaded, fearing the aliens as a threat to Terran
supremacy. Since then. although they still enjoy freedom from direct imperial
control, the Rhesians have maintained an uneasy neutrality with imperial
forces who are garrisoned on Shengmari.

Rhesian Society: Rhesians are a tribal people, linked to the mystic energies
of the universe, or so they say. The shamans claim to have powers of healing
and foresight. Rhesians are known for their gentle ways. The tribes do not
fight among each other and have a very structured system of justice; the
shaman is always the final authority. Punishment never includes death or
imprisonment, but instead often involves the guilty party being forced to
stand in a large public square while wearing a yellow rubber jumpsuit and
singing the Rhesian national anthem.  Rhesian homes are built among the giant
treetops, far above the dark and dangerous jungle floor. Shengmari is a
planet crawling with dangerous, brutal and very poisonous creatures. Living
in harmony with nature is the way of the Rhesian. They are great craftsmen
with natural things and use technology only when necessary. The first Rhesian
spacecraft was made entirely of wood and pitch. It was affectionately called
"The Spaceship Made Of Wood And Pitch", and although its maiden flight only
lasted for about two-fifths of a second before the ship's hull collapsed and
all of its crew were sucked out into the icy-cold vacuum of space, it is
still considered the first successful space voyage by the Rhesians. They are
inventive, clever and lazy. Rhesians would rather eat, drink and talk around
a good tree at night in the jungle, but a bar or tavern will often do when
away from home.
                                                                     * PAGE 40
The Zephyr
    Although small and weak in stature, the Zephyr are extremely perceptive
beings. With large round heads, bulging blue eyes and pale violet skin, these
1.4 meter tall beings are always searching for inner truth and knowledge. The
Zephyrs' small and thin bodies make them vulnerable to physical damage, so
they try to avoid melee combat, preferring to use negotiation instead. It is
not uncommon for a Zephyr to save its own neck by offering a bribe of one or
two hundred QPs to a furious Brogian.

    Zephyr History: Although Zephyr history is closely tied with that of the
Rhesians, the Zephyr do not acknowledge the past as anything other than what
Terrans would call a dream. Because of this, they keep actual written records
of their history deep on the bowels of their home planet, and only Zephyrian
scholars are allowed to examine them.

    Zephyr Society: Their culture is structured in a hierarchical manner, the
leader being a seer who has great powers of insight and intuition. All other
Zephyr are workers and thinkers... cogs in a great research machine. They are
master engineers and scientists, and also make tremendous bargainors and
diplomats. This has given the Zephyr a chief position in matters of
negotiation and barter. It has also made them very self-centered,
egotistical, overbearing and callous. Their are no go-betweens or middlemen
in the Zephyr society. There are no management consultants, fashion designers
or hair stylists, probably because nobody has any hair. There are no psychic
advisors and no hypnotherapists, no attorneys, advertising executives or
politicians. This complete and utter lack of middlemen has probably led to
the zero crime rate that the Zephyr now enjoy on their home planet, Zephyr,
which is located in the Deneb system. It is a large planet with an atmosphere
that is heavy in sulfur compounds, making it poisonous to most other species.
Their entire civilization is subterranean, because the surface of their
planet is wind blown and hostile. The planet is so inhospitable, in fact,
that The Empire has not bothered to occupy it. Instead, they have a few
orbiting outposts to monitor Zephyrian activities.
                                                                     * PAGE 41
>>> Appendix A: Items For Sale
         Item# PERSONAL WEAPONS         Base Cost   Prod.
         01    Knucklethorn                   12     AGR
         02    Plastoknife                    15     IND
         03    Bladeshard                     35     MIN
         04    Dragontail                    120     AGR
         05    Plastosword                   250     IND
         06    Pip Laser                     500     TEC
         07    Nettle Gun                  2,500     TEC
         08    Hand Laser                  7,000     TEC
         09    Thunker Gun                15,000     TEC
         10    Laser Rifle                24,000     TEC

         Item# PERSONAL ARMOR           Base Cost   Prod.
         11    Leather Armor                 500     AGR
         12    Monkey Armor                1,100     AGR
         13    Plastic Armor               3,500     IND
         14    Riot Armor                  5,800     IND
         15    Aluminite  Armor           13,000     MIN
         16    Plate Armor                30,000     IND
         17    Plasteel Armor             55,000     IND
         18    Aluminite II               75,000     MIN
         19    Broganite Armor           100,000     IND
         20    Force Shield              250,000     TEC

         Item# MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT  Base Cost   Prod.
         21    Bureau Vox                    230     TEC
         22    Plastogloves                  120     IND
         23    Ooloorp Beast                 125     AGR
         24    Rubberoid Boots               350     AGR
         25    Hand Computer                 500     TEC
         26    Medical Kit*                   62     TEC
         27    Oddsbot                     4,200     TEC
         28    Vichinka                       50     AGR
         29    Polyvox Trans               1,200     TEC
         30    Laser Sight                 5,000     TEC
         31    Sense Goggles                 725     MIN
         32    Copilot Robot              13,500     TEC
         33    Brown Paper Bag                 2     IND
         34    Bigelow's Guide*              300     TEC

         Item# SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT       Base Cost   Prod.
         35    Envirosuit                    500     IND
         36    Flashlight                      5     TEC
         37    Lifecom                       960     TEC
         38    Decoy*                      6,800     TEC
         39    Cold Biscuit*                   3     IND
         40    Ale Flask*                      7     AGR

         Item# MEDICAL EQUIPMENT        Base Cost   Prod.
         41    Deneban Salve*                500     AGR
         42    Xenocilin Pack*               810     AGR
         43    Mechbot Parts*                120     TEC
         44    Kakanna Root*               5,000     AGR
         45    Pulse Crystal*              4,800     MIN
         46    Intellotab*                 8,000     TEC
         47    Liquiflesh*                 7,500     IND
         48    Hypodephalazine*            6,400     TEC
                                                                     * PAGE 42
>>> Appendix B: Cargo Lists
    The base cost for a single pod of cargo on this list is 5,000 QPs.
Cargoes marked with an asterisk ( * ) are hazardous and will include a hazard
pay bonus upon delivery.

   Cargo# AGRICULTURE CARGOES              Cargo# MINING CARGOES
   01     Native Foodstuffs*               13     Unrefined Ore*
   02     Beers Ales & Wines               14     Low Tech Metals
   03     Herbs & Spices                   15     Elemental Chemicals*
   04     Rare Lumber                      16     High Tech Metals
   05     Medicinals                       17     Gemstones & Minerals
   06     Exotic Animals                   18     Inert Radiates*

   Cargo# INDUSTRY CARGOES                 Cargo# TECHNOLOGY CARGOES
   07     Tools & Supplies                 19     Synthetic Foodstuffs
   08     Religious Artifacts              20     Synthetic Chemicals*
   09     Ceramics & Pottery*              21     Synthetic Materials
   10     Books & Periodicals              22     Genetic Materials*
   11     Artwork & Sculpture              23     Electronic Devices
   12     Garments & Textiles              24     Robotics & Bionics

         Cargo# CONTRABAND AGRICULTURE CARGOES Base Cost
         25     Poached Foodstuffs                12,000
         26     Alcohol & Liquor                  25,000
         27     Illegal Spices                    50,000
         28     Rare Plants*                      75,000
         29     Endangered Animals               100,000
         30     Drugs & Pharmacites*             250,000

         Cargo# CONTRABAND INDUSTRY CARGOES    Base Cost
         31     Mechanical Weapons                12,000
         32     Explosives                        25,000
         33     Rare Ceramics*                    50,000
         34     Stolen Art Objects                75,000
         35     Subversive Writings              100,000
         36     Stolen Artifacts                 250,000

         Cargo# CONTRABAND  MINING CARGOES     Base Cost
         37     Corrosive Chemicals*              12,000
         38     Toxic Waste*                      25,000
         39     Unrefined Radiates                50,000
         40     Refined Radiates*                 75,000
         41     Raw Nukonium                     100,000
         42     Pure Nukonium*                   250,000

         Cargo# CONTRABAND TECHNOLOGY CARGOES  Base Cost
         43     High Tech Weapons                 12,000
         44     Covert Electronics                25,000
         45     Synthetic Radiates*               50,000
         46     High Tech Explosives              75,000
         47     Synthetic Bioforms*              100,000
         48     Matter Converters                250,000

        * Note that there are other contraband cargoes available

            Table D: Supply And Demand Costs For Cargoes
  Production level.....  <1   <2   <3   <4   <5   <6   <7   <8   <9  <10
  Multiply Base Cost... 3.0  2.0  1.5  1.1  1.0  0.9  0.8  0.7  0.5  0.3
                                                                     * PAGE 43
>>> Appendix C: Ship Types

  NAVAL SHIPS      Comp   Jump   Cargo  Hull   Laser  Manu  Sensor Shields
  War Frigate        6      6      2      6      6      6      6      6
  Corvette           5      4      1      4      4      4      5      4
  Battle Cruiser     5      3      2      5      5      3      4      5
  Gnat Scouter       3      1      1      1      1      3      1      1
  Spitfire           3      2      1      1      2      2      2      3
  Clasher            4      1      1      4      4      3      2      3
  Stealth Raider     4      4      1      1      2      4      3      1

  CUSTOMS SHIPS    Comp   Jump   Cargo  Hull   Laser  Manu  Sensor Shields
  Customs Frigate    6      4      3      5      4      4      6      6
  Customs Chaser     6      6      2      2      4      6      3      2
  Tax Barge          5      5      1      5      3      5      5      5
  Cargo Transport    4      2      4      2      1      1      1      1

  PIRATE SHIPS     Comp   Jump   Cargo  Hull   Laser  Manu  Sensor Shields
  Privateer          3      2      1      2      3      1      2      2
  Black Raider       5      3      1      3      3      5      3      3
  Reaper Mark IV     5      4      1      3      5      4      5      4

  INDEPENDENTS     Comp   Jump   Cargo  Hull   Laser  Manu  Sensor Shields
  Research Vessel    2      1      2      1      2      2      2      1
  Garbage Scow       6      1      6      6      6      6      6      6
  Private Transport  1      1      1      1      1      1      1      1
  Cargo Shuttle      1      1      1      1      1      1      1      1
  Cargo Barge        3      3      3      3      1      2      1      1
  Cruise Liner       4      4      2      3      1      2      2      1
  Mining Dredge      2      1      2      2      1      1      1      1
  Skip               1      1      1      1      1      1      1      1
  Refinery           5      1      3      5      2      1      1      1
  Biobarge           2      2      2      1      1      1      2      1
  Ore Barge          2      2      2      2      1      2      2      2
  Safari Ship        4      3      2      4      4      3      3      3
  Bioplatform        4      1      3      1      1      1      4      1
  Medical Ship       5      5      3      2      3      2      3      3
  Surveyor Vessel    3      3      2      1      1      2      3      3
  Shuttler           1      1      1      1      1      1      1      1
                                                                     * PAGE 44
>>> Appendix D: Sample Names

    Human Names: Yosepha, Devi, Baptista, Papina, Ib, Peter, Cornie, Tito,
Tovi, Enzo, John, Clementine, Ona, Isolde, Bruce, Kane, Octavio, Ivan,
Elizabeth, Akwete, Mehealani, Robert, Fidale, Candace, Reva, Sofia, Blanka,
Sarah, William, Kelmen, Eleonore, Theo, Stannes, Valerie, Blake, Adrian,
Txanton, Tevel, Jetje, Gary, Wanda, Brand, Ulf, Franciska, Clemence, Paolo,
Donal, Mark, Ursula, Brentan, Vitale, Odina, Bonnie, Izsak, Kin, Simon,
Chandra, Bill, Tom, Sheryl

    Brogian Names: Ekdimek, Dur-yk, Gimkhum, Yg'og-khor, Nikmikmak,
Nikgumkhek, Khan-eg'khan, Doorkhun, Door-er'mok, Gimkhum, Deer'èak,
Ugh'erghnol, Khonergh-khum, Nikgumkhek, Ekdimek, Mok'khir, Ag-nok, Kher-nil,
Khunkhorg, Ogdir, Nolkharg'khang, Nelkhim'dar, Khung'daar, Khunkhorg, Yg'kim,
Demdeer, Khon'dom, Dor-nekkhirg, Nukdoorfuk, Duur'khur-dim, Kemmok,
Khek-khar'argh, Khen-neuk, Mok'nul'khorg, Nyk'khan, Khar-kem

    Gecko Names: The Gecko have adopted common Terran names to use with The
Empire, since their actual birth names are unpronounceable by other species.

    Mechbot Names: Mechbots use names that are simply made up of various
letters and digits in any combination of 3 to 5 characters. The numbers are
written as usual, but the letters are spelled out. AYE, BEE, SEE, DEE, EE,
EHF, GEE, AYCH, EYE, JAY, KAY, ELL, EM, EN, OH, PEE, KYOO, AR, ESS, TEE, YOU,
VEE, DOUBLEYOU, EX, WHY, ZEE, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0

    Piil Names: Since the Piil are such a lonely and reclusive race, nobody
has ever bothered to ask a Piil what his name was, so names are not available
at this time. It has been observed, however, that many of the more outgoing
and resourceful Piil have followed the Gecko example and have adopted the use
of Terran names, such as Biil, Giil, Jiil, Phiil, Wiil and Sherwood.

    Rhesian Names: Lukutiru, Pomeno, Momepulu, Lumoto, Komanalo, Pari,
Yomoma, Soperola, Reyasa, Pineseyu, Norepo, Rerinomi, Keto, Kapo, Roru,
Nolisi, Loyupo, Kaki, Pato, Ruse, Nimosoni, Lokeko, Rure, Loke, Mopoyo,
Riruroya, Polike, Ketu, Nitusoki, Noriyite, Kurino, Somosire, Nonee,
Tupasoru, Nisite, Nuneya

    Zephyr Names: M'Kark'Mint'Kor, Inoy, K'Turk'Lanyop, U'K'Tiryoko,
T'Kurk'Teryeko, Yoyoki, K'Toro', Pherk'Lunk'Lun, Klickyaroyemo, K'Karom,
K'Lumyero, K'Lemyumoklook, Yamokrock, Inm'Kar, K'Yakyoro, Yuroo'K'Kur,
K'Menk'Ter, Nopachk'Kir, Yikot'Kir, M'Kirk'Tirnip, K'Yokk'Kur, K'Yekk'Tor,
K'Lamk'Lamyip,  Ochk'Yekyuro, K'Yuka'Nup, K'Lomt'Kuriy, K'Menk'Ter, E'T'Kar,
K'Lemi'K'Min, Echk'Lamk'Lan, M'Iyoku, T'Pherk'Karaki
                                                                     * PAGE 45
>>> Appendix E: Exploration Log
    Use this log to keep track of planetary information, including available
goods and services. Services include cargo for purchase (PC), or cargo for
sale (SC), gambling casinos (GA), training for improving skills (IS),
loansharking (LS), and ship repairs (RS) or modifications (MS). You must be
at a qualified city to use one of the above orders. Simply list the star
system in the first column, the number and city in the second column, and
check off the available goods and services. A check mark in Bigelow's Guide
indicates that the service is available:

                       X  Service is available

    No check mark means that you cannot get that service at the planet. You
should keep track of this information in this log. However if you ever need
to, you can use Bigelow's Guide on any planet to get the information about
what you can do while there. The information on outposts is different, and
there is a section at the back of this log to record it.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Sys | Number & City         | Cargo  | Gamble | Loan   | Repair | Train  |
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| ACH |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| ADH |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| ALD |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| ALG |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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                                                                     * PAGE 46
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| ALK |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| ALP |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| ALZ |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| ALT |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| ANT |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| ARC |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| ATR |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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                                                                     * PAGE 47
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| BEL |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| BEN |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| BET |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| CAN |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| CAP |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| CAS |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| COR |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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                                                                     * PAGE 48
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| DEN |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| DEB |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| DIP |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| DUH |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| ELN |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| EPS |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| FOM |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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                                                                     * PAGE 49
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| HAM |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| KAU |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| KOC |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| MEG |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| MIA |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| MIR |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| MIP |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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                                                                     * PAGE 50
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| MIZ |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| NUN |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| PHA |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| POL |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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|     |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| POX |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| RAS |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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                                                                     * PAGE 51
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| RIG |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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| SOL |                       |        |        |        |        |        |
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                                                                     * PAGE 52
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                                                                     * PAGE 53

>>> Special Orders
    Use this section of the Exploration Log to record any special orders that
you learn about on outposts. List the outpost name, location and any
additional parameters for the order. Not all outposts will have a special
order associated with them. You cannot use the following orders on any
outpost: CT, FU, IS, MS, PC or SC.

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| Outpost Name                | X:Y Coords | SO Parameters                 |
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                                                                     * PAGE 54
>>> Appendix F: Summary Of Orders

    Attack Ship....................... AS Ship#
    Bar Hop........................... BH
    Change Flags...................... CF Flags#
    Communicate....................... CO Ship#
    City Transfer..................... CT City#

    Dock.............................. DO
    Explore........................... EX
    Find Ship......................... FS Ship#
    Fuel Up........................... FU Units#
    Gamble............................ GA Game#, QPs

    Hire Crew......................... HC Pro, Level, Species
    Hospitalize....................... HO
    Invest............................ IN Company, Shares#
    Improve Skill..................... IS Skill
    Jump.............................. JU Dir# Dir#... Dir#

    Loan Shark........................ LS QPs
    Morph............................. MO Attribute
    Modify Ship....................... MS System
    Purchase Cargo.................... PC Cargo#, Quantity
    Regenerate........................ RE

    Repair Ship....................... RS System
    Sell Cargo........................ SC Cargo#, Quantity
    Snoop............................. SN
    Special Order..................... SO Parameters
    Tactics........................... TA Aggr#, Retr#, Atk Lvl#, Atk Class

    Trade Item........................ TI Item#...Item#
    Use Item.......................... UI Item#