text: d electronic noise coalesce into three words: "KEEP... YOUR... DISTANCE."
  
  > Land
  The ground shudders and quakes constantly as automated mass drivers systematically launch the useful parts of the planet's crust into orbit.
  
  parasol.
  
  > talk to the dilo
  "If one of those launches goes awry and lands on my head, a roof isn't going to be worth much more than this parasol, believe me. Then again, when the drones finish building my bunker I'll probably never leave it."
  
  > jump to Venter
  (You launch first.)
  
  A small rocky world, ringed by debris.
  
  An embryonic world excavator gestates in orbit, guarded by a serpentine war beast.
  
  The golden rings of a gas giant sprawl across the stars, dwarfing the grey and icy moon below. Bright lights and luminous structures shine from within the satellite's largest crater.
  
  A spinning, largely transparent, medusoid habitat serves as the base of operations for the venerable Marshal Zila-S.
  
  A fuel jockey orbits lazily - tentacles trailing, bladders
  swollen with deuterium.
  
  > give Natalya to the zila
  The marshal's remote deputies collect Natalya and transfer your 25k credit reward.
  
  "I want to do my time," she says, "and put this behind me."
  
  The marshal shakes his head. "If you hadn't run off in the first place, you wouldn't be going away for quite so long. But it's too late for that now."
  
  As Natalya is led away, she nods farewell.
  
  > jump to the Source 4
  Rocky plateaus rise from dusty plains across the face of this planet. Geostationary orbit is crowded with survey satellites of every shape and size.
  
  > Land
  A desolate wasteland peppered with tall, blinking survey beacons.
  
  all-terrain rover.
  
  Yuzo-I traverses the plains on a synthetic steed.
  
  > talk to the fira
  She loosens her scarf and pushes her protective goggles up onto her forehead.
  
  "Come out here to get away from it all, captain? You and me both."
  
  > talk to Yuzo
  A delicate figure almost lost in a beaten duster and lengthy scarf.
  
  "Just scouting for treasure, captain. But then, aren't we both?"
  
  > Arrest yuzo
  He dismounts his warbling, thick-skinned creature. "I have papers for everything I've been doing. This is a profound mistake. Let me go, captain. Or take me in, if you really must, I suppose."
  
  > jump to Venter
  (You launch first.)
  
  Rocky plateaus rise from dusty plains across the face of this planet. Geostationary orbit is crowded with survey satellites of every shape and size.
  
  The golden rings of a gas giant sprawl across the stars, dwarfing the grey and icy moon below. Bright lights and luminous structures shine from within the satellite's largest crater.
  
  A spinning, largely transparent, medusoid habitat serves as the base of operations for the venerable Marshal Zila-S.
  
  A fuel jockey orbits lazily - tentacles trailing, bladders
  swollen with deuterium.
  
  > give Yuzo to the zila
  The marshal's remote deputies collect Yuzo-I and transfer your 25k credit reward.
  
  "We have some of your own people, marshal," Yuzo-I says. "Someone will contact you soon to arrange a prisoner exchange."
  
  The marshal says only, "Hmm."
  
  > jump to the nereus
  The world below is a bright, reflective blue: endless oceans broken up only by sparse white clouds and even less substantial wisps of land.
  
  own.
  
  > Land
  Airy, simple buildings break up a multi-coloured and chemically unstable mix of diasporan and native flora. The ocean sparkles at the horizon in every direction.
  
  Nereus' most famous resident is the radical artist Tomer.
  
  A smiling girl strolls the pier, twirling her parasol.
  
  A marine biologist lives out of his submersible, washing strung between two palm trees.
  
  A group of surfers lounge around a beach barbecue.
  
  > Fish
  Standing on the beach, the alien surf between your toes, you cast your fishing line into the sea.
  
  > wait
  (Press Z to wait. Press space to reel in your line.)...
  
  > Wait
  surfer leisurely paddles out towards the horizon.
  
  > wait
  surfer leisurely paddles out towards the horizon.You feel a tug on the line.
  line.You reel in your fishing line.
  
  You've caught a banded genejacked flounder. It turns sky blue,
  trying to hide.
  
  Since this catch is priced in credits, not kilocredits, you throw it back.
  
  > jump to the Junkbucket
  (You launch first.)
  
  The world below is a bright, reflective blue: endless oceans broken up only by sparse white clouds and even less substantial wisps of land.
  
  own.
  
  Something loops around this faltering white dwarf star: space station modules, starship wrecks and synthetic biomes all grafted together into a single improbable habitat - a vast and irregular megastructure.
  
  Amalg freighters lumber back and forth, strapped haphazardly
  with cargo.
  
  A few Network traders orbit at a wary distance.
  
  > Land
  A fever dream of metal architecture, plastic conveniences and rotting leftovers. Corridors curve back on themselves; centrifuges speed and slow, varying the gravity; too-big spaces are reinforced with jury-rigged struts and cyborg body parts.
  
  Fireballs periodically burst into the air from the eye sockets of a giant metal fuel skull.
  
  Filthy, many-limbed Grimo pitches items of dubious provenance
  to the passing crowds.
  
  Sawbones potters around in her chop shop.
  
  Every unscheduled blackout, cacophonic music begins to pump out of the nightclub run by Halftwin.
  
  > jump to Jag
  (You launch first.)
  
  Something loops around this faltering white dwarf star: space station modules, starship wrecks and synthetic biomes all grafted together into a single improbable habitat - a vast and irregular megastructure.
  
  Amalg freighters lumber back and forth, strapped haphazardly
  with cargo.
  
  A few Network traders orbit at a wary distance.
  
  Tangled canyons have been clawed across the face of this large, rocky planet.
  
  Chaotic, unclear radio transmissions blast out from the surface.
  
  An amalg clawship occupies an eccentric orbit.
  
  The amalg clawship closes in, locking on to your cargo hold.
  
  > Land
  Ponderous black clouds press low against the spiky crags of the horizon.
  
  An amalg war party roams the wasteland, waving cyborg skulls on
  pikes.
  
  Some charity workers have set up brightly coloured tents.
  
  > jump to the athena
  (You launch first.)
  
  Tangled canyons have been clawed across the face of this large, rocky planet.
  
  Chaotic, unclear radio transmissions blast out from the surface.
  
  An amalg clawship occupies an eccentric orbit.
  
  Space junk crowds around a planet of dark clouds and oily seas.
  
  An amalg war junker tries to blend in with the garbage.
  
  The amalg war junker closes in, blasting out aggressive binary obscenities.
  
  > Land
  The air is a haze of toxic pollutants, the skyline a jumble of stolen architectural styles. Wet rubbish and rotting biomatter squelch underfoot.
  
  Fireballs periodically burst into the air from the eye sockets of a giant metal fuel skull.
  
  Sitting on a towering throne of broken cyborg prosthetics is the exalted Piecekeeper.
  
  An elderly warrior sits slumped in the street, stripped of his
  parts by younger amalgs.
  
  Pyrogut sharpens his blade by a burning oil drum.
  
  The landing pad is run by Sharptooth. She keeps the locals away
  from your ship with lightning that arcs from her gunmetal fist.
  
  > buy the emblem
  You buy the protective emblem for 50k credits, leaving you with 5152k credits.
  
  You keep careful watch as amalgs clamber over the hull of your ship, burning the arcane symbol prominently into the metal.
  
  > talk to the twin
  "So, you got an Imago Republic visa, won the respect of the amalgs, saw the inside of Hardshell, met a molonk, entered the Orphanage, visited a world of cats, commanded a crew of four, caught a bounty... but we still need to catch an alien sea creature, get a badass implant, win an orbital race, catch all the bounties..."
  
  > read the list
  Arrest on sight and turn over to a Marshal at Venter.
  Successful bounty hunters eligible for visa chip.
  
  Phelim (terrorism) - 50k reward
  Kal-Y (piracy) - (caught)
  Natalya (fraud) - (caught)
  Marisa (murder) - (caught)
  Pyrogut (war crimes) - 100k reward
  Rella (kidnapping) - (caught)
  Luciano (racketeering) - (caught)
  Yuzo-I (espionage) - (caught)
  Jade (identity theft) - (caught)
  Reuben (bio-piracy) - (caught)
  
  > Arrest pyrogut
  You aim your autorevolver at Pyrogut and tell him that he's under arrest.
  
  Passing amalgs side-eye the two of you, but refuse to engage in someone else's dispute.
  
  Pyrogut drops his blade and shows you his hands. He laughs a slow, resigned laugh.
  
  You lock him up in your ship's brig.
  
  > jump to Venter
  (You launch first.)
  
  Space junk crowds around a planet of dark clouds and oily seas.
  
  An amalg war junker tries to blend in with the garbage.
  
  The golden rings of a gas giant sprawl across the stars, dwarfing the grey and icy moon below. Bright lights and luminous structures shine from within the satellite's largest crater.
  
  A spinning, largely transparent, medusoid habitat serves as the base of operations for the venerable Marshal Zila-S.
  
  A fuel jockey orbits lazily - tentacles trailing, bladders
  swollen with deuterium.
  
  > give Pyrogut to the zila
  The marshal's remote deputies collect Pyrogut and transfer your 100k credit reward.
  
  As he's led away, the amalg throws back his head and howls with maniacal laughter.
  
  The marshal just watches him go. "I don't get the joke."
  
  > P.
  Known Merchants:
  -Grimo (Junkbucket Interior)
  -Matej (Surface of Cygnet)
  -Fono-H (Surface of Koltsov)
  
  Odd Jobs:
  -Delivering packages for Viktoria, orbiting Pearl
  -Hauling pods for Devrim on Cygnet
  -Autark Orbital Race run by Silver
  -Turn bounties in to Marshal Zila-S, orbiting Venter
  -Fish on Nereus
  
  Other Opportunities:
  -None known
  
  > jump to Grimo
  (Jumping to Junkbucket, where you last saw Grimo.)
  
  Something loops around this faltering white dwarf star: space station modules, starship wrecks and synthetic biomes all grafted together into a single improbable habitat - a vast and irregular megastructure.
  
  Amalg freighters lumber back and forth, strapped haphazardly
  with cargo.
  
  A few Network traders orbit at a wary distance.
  
  > Land
  A fever dream of metal architecture, plastic conveniences and rotting leftovers. Corridors curve back on themselves; centrifuges speed and slow, varying the gravity; too-big spaces are reinforced with jury-rigged struts and cyborg body parts.
  
  Fireballs periodically burst into the air from the eye sockets of a giant metal fuel skull.
  
  Filthy, many-limbed Grimo pitches items of dubious provenance
  to the passing crowds.
  
  Sawbones potters around in her chop shop.
  
  Every unscheduled blackout, cacophonic music begins to pump out of the nightclub run by Halftwin.
  
  > buy the booster
  (the chemical rocket booster)
  You buy the chemical rocket booster for 3k credits, leaving you with 5249k credits.
  
  > buy the tank
  You buy the reserve fuel tank for 10k credits, leaving you with 5239k credits.
  
  > Refuel
  You can replenish your fusion cells at the fuel skull for 1k credits each. 9 cells are expended.
  
  How many do you want to refuel?
  
  > jump to the fono
  (Jumping to Koltsov, where you last saw Fono-H.)
  
  (You launch first.)
  
  Something loops around this faltering white dwarf star: space station modules, starship wrecks and synthetic biomes all grafted together into a single improbable habitat - a vast and irregular megastructure.
  
  Amalg freighters lumber back and forth, strapped haphazardly
  with cargo.
  
  A few Network traders orbit at a wary distance.
  
  Below thick clouds and barren mountains, geometric shapes are etched into the surface of this world.
  
  A fuel jockey orbits lazily - tentacles trailing, bladders
  swollen with deuterium.
  
  > Land
  A labyrinth of ribbed tunnels, through which ooze giant construction polymorphs.
  
  centre.
  
  Fono-H oversees the output of one of the primary sphincters.
  
  Nursing his latest crop is a hab farmer.
  
  > buy the membrane
  You buy the solar sail membrane for 3k credits, leaving you with 5227k credits.
  
  > jump to the Autark
  (You launch first.)
  
  Below thick clouds and barren mountains, geometric shapes are etched into the surface of this world.
  
  A fuel jockey orbits lazily - tentacles trailing, bladders
  swollen with deuterium.
  
  Airless ice-moon of a black-ringed, aquamarine ice giant. Scattered across its surface are bright lights and gaudy megastructures.
  
  An asteroid on an eccentric orbit has been carved into the luxury habitat of reclusive trillionaire Leda.
  
  Souped-up ships with huge engines line up in view of a vast-windowed habitat. An orbital race overseen by Silver.
  
  > talk to Silver
  Voluptuous and barely dressed; her hair spills out around her in a ridiculous cloud of floating curls.
  
  "We still need a sixth racer, captain. If you're not too embarrassed by your last performance, do you want to take part again?"
  
  > Yes
  You line your ship up alongside the other racers and plot your course past the furthest moon from the ice giant. Crowds waving banners press against the habitat's windows, their jubilant cries failing to carry across the vacuum.
  
  You notice a laughing spectator wearing a snail costume and waving a crude "Zuwarmdraussen" banner.
  
  A glowing hologram of Silver throbs into existence beyond the starting line. "Ready..."
  
  line. "Ready...""Set..."
  
  line. "Ready...""Set...""GO!"
  
  spitfire6 slams your ship's throttle to the max.
  
  spitfire6 slams your ship's throttle to the max.G-forces push you back into your seat. You easily pass by the slowest racer - a moustachioed bioroid in an antique spacesuit, flying a brightly coloured rocketship. He waves to you, jovially. Then you pass...
  
  rocketship. He waves to you, jovially. Then you pass......a high performance shuttle, weighed down by elegant flight surfaces. The pilot winks one of her eight bionic eyes at you.
  
  pilot winks one of her eight bionic eyes at you....a bundle of engines strapped to a crew pod filled with murky acceleration-absorbing fluid. Whatever floats inside, it gives you the finger.
  
  Whatever floats inside, it gives you the finger....a shellskin riding a missile. He slams his fist against it in rage.
  
  a missile. He slams his fist against it in rage....a living spaceship - human brain plugged into a stripped-down orbiter. The running lights give you a respectful salute. That's it! You're in first place!
  
  give you a respectful salute. That's it! You're in first place!"Well ladies and gentlemen, history has been made today. The Zuwarmdraussen, a jump-capable starship weighed down by superluminal engines, crew quarters, and God knows what cargo... has won the Autark Orbital Race! It just goes to show: if you strap enough engines to it, anything can go fast!"
  
  Your credit balance ticks up 6k to 5233k.
  
  > talk to the twin
  "So, you got an Imago Republic visa, won the respect of the amalgs, saw the inside of Hardshell, met a molonk, entered the Orphanage, visited a world of cats, commanded a crew of four, won an orbital race, caught a bounty... but we still need to catch an alien sea creature, get a badass implant, catch all the bounties..."
  
  > jump to the Chimera
  What you can see of this world's surface through the thick storm clouds is a cratered wasteland. Every so often, an explosion flashes below.
  
  A Commonwealth troop carrier bombards the planet from orbit.
  
  Skirting the edge of the gravity well is an amalg grappleship.
  
  (Dr Pico-G pays you 1k for bringing him to a new world.)
  
  The amalg grappleship sends you a wary message of respect.
  
  > talk to the carrier
  "Jump out of this system immediately. It is not safe here."
  
  > talk to the grappleship
  They maintain a polite silence.
  
  > Land
  Once a thriving settlement, before the amalgs came. Now a skeletal city of raging fires, billowing smoke and constant gunfire. Anti-aircraft lasers and bursts of flak are the only colour in overcast skies.
  
  Commonwealth commandos have secured the landing pad. They
  scurry between sand-bagged positions and periodically fire tracers into the city.
  
  A refueller truck sits beneath thick camouflage netting.
  
  Viscera leads the amalg forces from an iron-ribbed hovercraft.
  
  The roboclaw of a dead amalg protrudes from a shallow grave.
  
  > get the roboclaw
  It pulls away with the snapping of old, decayed bone.
  
  > talk to Viscera
  Viscera has the face of a beautiful woman. You doubt it was hers originally. Every other part of her is finely honed war machinery or toned, transplanted muscle.
  
  "You got some guts, talking to me. Some pretty fine guts indeed. I'll leave them where they are for now. They'll keep better."
  
  > take the roboclaw
  You already have that.
  
  > talk to the commandos
  Their officer narrows his eyes at you. "Are you sure didn't take a wrong turn somewhere, captain?"
  
  > talk to the truck
  of fuel.
  
  > jump to the hardshell
  (You launch first.)
  
  What you can see of this world's surface through the thick storm clouds is a cratered wasteland. Every so often, an explosion flashes below.
  
  A Commonwealth troop carrier bombards the planet from orbit.
  
  Skirting the edge of the gravity well is an amalg grappleship.
  
  A colossal sphere of wrinkled biomechanical flesh, large enough to enclose a whole star system. A few intestinal structures spill across the surface, and countless cilia probe the vacuum.
  
  There is no apparent way inside.
  
  (Dr Pico-G pays you 1k for bringing him to a new world.)
  
  > Scan
  You've already mapped Hardshell. Not that the scanner could penetrate it from up here.
  
  > Land
  A bizarre vista: organic and squirming.
  
  Mechanoid drones stride across the shell-flesh, maintaining its integrity.
  
  > jump to the xanadu
  (You launch first.)
  
  A colossal sphere of wrinkled biomechanical flesh, large enough to enclose a whole star system. A few intestinal structures spill across the surface, and countless cilia probe the vacuum.
  
  There is no apparent way inside.
  
  This planet's sparse green patches cluster around small seas. The only indication of habitation is the brightly lit space elevator protruding from the equator.
  
  > Land
  You dock with the space elevator, which ferries your ship down to the surface.
  
  A lone hyperspace conduit to Hub stands at the heart of parched scrublands and bare hills.
  
  The surface is deserted but for the odd simple obelisk standing stark against the sky. Each marks an entrance to the subterranean facilities where stacks of bodies and brains are plugged into a virtual reality world.
  
  A visitor's port will let you jack in temporarily.
  
  xDreamQueenx sashays through the deepest corridors.
  
  Mirek has been plugged in.
  
  > Jack in
  A chaotic jumble of tessellating realities. Fields spill into oceans beneath floating cities that tower towards a hundred different skies. You can jack out at any time.
  
  The virtual superintelligence, Nephele, sprawls through
  multiple domains.
  
  Bright colours and flowing shapes spill from the hands of a thought artist.
  
  hotSpyder sits thoughtfully on a cloud.
  
  > talk to the nephele
  Shapeless, a million colours at once, constantly shifting.
  
  It subjects your mind to a barrage of indecipherable information that momentarily stuns you and then leaves you with the vague sense of having had a satisfying conversation.
  
  > talk to the artist
  "One day," he says, scattering winged rainbows from his fingertips, "this place will be larger and more intricate than the Universe outside. One day... the Universe outside will die, and this will be the new totality."
  
  > talk to Prex
  You find him dozing at the scanner console. Pale, slender and blue-haired.
  
  "Maybe a dinky spaceship like this is what I've been looking for all this time. I'll, ya know, do the dishes every so often."
  
  > talk to the spitfire
  Her silver skull sweeps back to an aerodynamic point. Not to go faster. Just to look good.
  
  "Can hardly believe this scrapheap actually flies, but don't worry: I'll make it do things no-one will see coming."
  
  > talk to Pico
  An unshaven bioroid in a clean, white environment suit.
  
  "You've taken me to 31 worlds outside the Imago Republic, Network or the Diasporan Commonwealth, captain. I can't thank you enough, but the more data I can get, the better."
  
  > talk to Szymon
  Szy lurks in the bowels of your starship, doting over the core systems. A bit too much radiation exposure has left him a cybernetically-preserved head floating - detached and jawless - in the space helmet of a heavily patched old EVA suit.
  
  His simulated voice rasps and crackles. "The engine's purring like a kitten, reactor's as efficient as it's ever been. Everything else, I leave up to you."
  
  Before descending back into the depths of the engines, he adds, "Glad you got your twin back. Was always the more sensible one out of the two of you. No offence, captain."
  
  > jump to Sawbones
  (Jumping to Junkbucket, where you last saw Sawbones.)
  
  You'll have to jack out first.
  
  > Jack out
  A lone hyperspace conduit to Hub stands at the heart of parched scrublands and bare hills.
  
  The surface is deserted but for the odd simple obelisk standing stark against the sky. Each marks an entrance to the subterranean facilities where stacks of bodies and brains are plugged into a virtual reality world.
  
  A visitor's port will let you jack in temporarily.
  
  xDreamQueenx sashays through the deepest corridors.
  
  Mirek has been plugged in.
  
  > jump to Sawbones
  (Jumping to Junkbucket, where you last saw Sawbones.)
  
  (You launch first.)
  
  The space elevator ferries your ship back into orbit.
  
  This planet's sparse green patches cluster around small seas. The only indication of habitation is the brightly lit space elevator protruding from the equator.
  
  Something loops around this faltering white dwarf star: space station modules, starship wrecks and synthetic biomes all grafted together into a single improbable habitat - a vast and irregular megastructure.
  
  Amalg freighters lumber back and forth, strapped haphazardly
  with cargo.
  
  A few Network traders orbit at a wary distance.
  
  > give the wings to Sawbones
  She bares several rows of teeth, each a different kind of gem or metal. "These won't quite let you fly, most gravities, but they should give you a non-fatal terminal velocity. And make quite a fashion statement. Just 3k credits. Agreed?"
  
  > Yes
  "Excellent. You hold still and you bite down on this."
  
  ...
  
  You stretch your wings wide, exalting in your newly punk-angelic appearance - and also knocking a few things over.
  
  "A start," Sawbones says. "Couple more parts, you don't look so bad."
  
  Your credit balance is now 5232k credits.
  
  > jump to Phelim
  Phelim is a wanted fugitive. You'll have to keep an eye out.
  
  > read the list
  Arrest on sight and turn over to a Marshal at Venter.
  Successful bounty hunters eligible for visa chip.
  
  Phelim (terrorism) - 50k reward
  Kal-Y (piracy) - (caught)
  Natalya (fraud) - (caught)
  Marisa (murder) - (caught)
  Pyrogut (war crimes) - (caught)
  Rella (kidnapping) - (caught)
  Luciano (racketeering) - (caught)
  Yuzo-I (espionage) - (caught)
  Jade (identity theft) - (caught)
  Reuben (bio-piracy) - (caught)
  
  > jump to Jarland
  (You launch first.)
  
  Something loops around this faltering white dwarf star: space station modules, starship wrecks and synthetic biomes all grafted together into a single improbable habitat - a vast and irregular megastructure.
  
  Amalg freighters lumber back and forth, strapped haphazardly
  with cargo.
  
  A few Network traders orbit at a wary distance.
  
  A dark, cratered moon in the shadow of a turbulent gas giant. Networks of bright lights shine from the surface.
  
  A fuel tanker refuels passing traffic.
  
  > Land
  The thin atmosphere is a subtle glow at the horizon, behind glass hemispheres large and small. Each dome brims with lush greenery and minimalist buildings.
  
  Maximo runs the Bell Jar Pub, an olde timey establishment
  filled with antique astronaut paraphernalia.
  
  the side of his bubble.
  
  yellow boiler suit.
  
  Phelim hauls cargo out of a low, ugly, opaque warehouse.
  
  The highest ranking official that'll talk to a random space captain is Minister Ramos.
  
  > talk to Phelim
  His thick beard flows dangerously over the neck ring of his urban camouflage spacesuit.
  
  "No world can be truly independent when the cyborgs and 'roids have banded together into their cartels. Even the Commonwealth is more interested in bullying smaller nations than furthering the diasporan cause."
  
  > arrest him
  He makes a casual movement, and suddenly a large gun is in his hand.
  
  Before he can aim it, you've shot it out of his grip with your autorevolver.
  
  "Phelim," he says. "Corporal. Four eight five six one five."
  
  You lock him in your ship's brig.
  
  > jump to Venter
  (You launch first.)
  
  A dark, cratered moon in the shadow of a turbulent gas giant. Networks of bright lights shine from the surface.
  
  A fuel tanker refuels passing traffic.
  
  The golden rings of a gas giant sprawl across the stars, dwarfing the grey and icy moon below. Bright lights and luminous structures shine from within the satellite's largest crater.
  
  A spinning, largely transparent, medusoid habitat serves as the base of operations for the venerable Marshal Zila-S.
  
  A fuel jockey orbits lazily - tentacles trailing, bladders
  swollen with deuterium.
  
  > give Phelim to the zila
  The marshal's remote deputies collect Phelim and transfer your 50k credit reward.
  
  He stares hard at you with unwavering eyes as he's led away.
  
  "Your personal little war's over, Phelim," the marshal says. "And you lost."
  
  "Well that's it, captain," the marshal adds. "You've caught all ten most wanted fugitives. The Imago Republic owes you a debt of gratitude."
  
  > talk to the twin
  "So, you got an Imago Republic visa, won the respect of the amalgs, saw the inside of Hardshell, met a molonk, entered the Orphanage, visited a world of cats, got a badass implant, commanded a crew of four, won an orbital race, caught a bounty, caught all the
  bounties... but we still need to catch an alien sea creature..."
  
  You sigh. Really? Does that one last lousy thing really matter that much?
  
  > jump to the nereus yourself
  Your twin ignores your orders. So much for being captain...
  
  > jump to the nereus
  The world below is a bright, reflective blue: endless oceans broken up only by sparse white clouds and even less substantial wisps of land.
  
  own.
  
  > Land
  Airy, simple buildings break up a multi-coloured and chemically unstable mix of diasporan and native flora. The ocean sparkles at the horizon in every direction.
  
  Nereus' most famous resident is the radical artist Tomer.
  
  A smiling girl strolls the pier, twirling her parasol.
  
  A marine biologist lives out of his submersible, washing strung between two palm trees.
  
  A group of surfers lounge around a beach barbecue.
  
  > Fish
  Standing on the beach, the alien surf between your toes, you cast your fishing line into the sea.
  
  > wait
  a tug on the line.
  a tug on the line.You reel in your fishing line.
  
  You've caught something native to Nereus. Whatever it is, it's pulsating with light and has nine eyes on stalks.
  
  You sell it to the Nereus Ocean Research Institute for 1k.
  
  > talk to the twin
  "So, you got an Imago Republic visa, won the respect of the amalgs, saw the inside of Hardshell, met a molonk, entered the Orphanage, visited a world of cats, caught an alien sea creature, got a badass implant, commanded a crew of four, won an orbital race, caught a bounty, caught all the bounties... That's quite an adventure.
  Maybe we should head to Waystation. We've earned it, right?"
  
  > Record Waystation
  You record Waystation in your ship's log as a place of potential interest.
  
  > jump to the waystation
  (You launch first.)
  
  The world below is a bright, reflective blue: endless oceans broken up only by sparse white clouds and even less substantial wisps of land.
  
  own.
  
  Tattered solar arrays reach out from the dual rings of Waystation like fingers grasping at the Milky Way. The station is only partially lit, but the axle landing beacon is as clear as ever.
  
  The face of the planet below is marred by canyons that radiate from a gaping impact crater. Debris forms an orbital ring of readily accessible metals.
  
  (Dr Pico-G pays you 1k for bringing him to a new world.)
  
  > talk to the cicerone
  A sleek humanoid of shiny black plastic. Its head is dented and cracked.
  
  "This world has no wider affiliation."
  
  > Land
  Used to be, this place was a vital refuelling stop between Pearl and the Old Worlds. Then jump drives increased their range by a few orders of magnitude and the Old Worlds faded in importance. Now the shops are shuttered and the apartments are stripped bare.
  
  But this place will always have a draw for space captains like you.
  
  Elva-G sits slumped against the Superluminauts' Wall.
  
  > talk to the elva
  Her synthetic features are hidden behind tangled white hair that spills to the floor, knotting around the matte black data cables that snake out from her skull and into the ceiling.
  
  "What is your name, captain?"
  
  > ClubFloyd
  "Is that right? Captain ClubFloyd?"
  
  > Yes
  She holds out a small laser cutter in her gnarled fingers. "Will you scratch that name onto the Superluminauts' Wall, to be preserved for untold aeons?"
  
  > Y.
  You scratch your name awkwardly into the hard material of the wall, next to the most recent addition.
  
  Elva-G takes the laser from you and adds more words below. When she is finished, your spot on the wall reads:
  
  "Captain ClubFloyd of the Zuwarmdraussen: Adventurer, explorer and bounty hunter; peer to diasporans, cyborgs, synthetics and amalgs; victorious racer; humane angler; TRUE SPACE CAPTAIN."
  
  "I guess we can take a break now," your twin says. "Then it'll be time to find some more trouble to get into."