text: k-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.
  
  > Status
  Credit balance: 12k
  Equipment: spacesuit (don't need air)
  
  Crew:
  Yourself, Aurea and Szymon
  
  Installed systems:
  jump drive (superluminal travel)
  sleek heat shield (atmo entry)
  
  Fuel:
  5/5 fusion cells charged
  
  Passengers:
  Link-J (Venter)
  
  Readable Data:
  Diasporan Commonwealth star map, debt note, flight manual, ship's log and trading log
  
  Cargo:
  nothing
  
  > talk to Leda
  Your transmission is refused immediately.
  
  > talk to the Silver
  Voluptuous and barely dressed; her hair spills out around her in a ridiculous cloud of floating curls.
  
  "This race is a hyperbolic orbit out past the furthest moon. First place gets 6k, sixth place 1k. Our sixth racer just pulled out - overclocked reactor melting down or something - so even if you come in dead last you still make some creds. So, do you wanna race, captain?"
  
  > Yes
  "What's your ship called, then? Something fast-sounding, I hope."
  
  > Zuwarmdraussen
  "Let me make sure I got that right. Your ship is the Zuwarmdraussen?"
  
  > Yes
  "Now if you'll just sign these disclaimers, waivers and other things you don't need to read too carefully, you're ready to race!"
  
  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.
  
  A glowing hologram of Silver throbs into existence beyond the starting line. "Ready..."
  line. "Ready...""Set..."
  line. "Ready...""Set...""GO!"
  
  You slam your ship's throttle to the max.
  You slam your ship's throttle to the max.The other racers, in their specialised ships, easily pull away from you, leaving you trailing far behind. By the time you reach the finish line, another glass-sided habitat, your underdog status seems to have won you some fans.
  
  "And crawling over the finish line in sixth place, it's the Zuwarmdraussen! It seems that sometimes you do get a prize
  just for taking part."
  
  Your credit balance ticks up 1k to 13k.
  
  > Land
  Domes and arcologies crowd the horizon: spacious mansions, dirty communes, unregulated sweatshops and outlandish temples.
  
  A trendy office neighbours the landing pad, rented out by an entrepreneur for unspecified business.
  
  Luciano conducts his business in an avant-garde park,
  talking on multiple comm screens at once.
  
  A cyborg starship pilot drowns her sorrows in a holo-nudie bar.
  
  Autark her home.
  
  The Snake will be in his private dome, surrounded by
  bodyguards.
  
  > talk to the entrepreneur
  She lights a cigarette. "I don't even know how I made a profit on Pearl with all that red tape. This place is a paradise."
  
  > talk to Luciano
  A handsome, well-dressed man with a winning smile and immaculate hair.
  
  "I'm sorry, I don't think you have an appointment. Have your people call my people."
  
  > talk to the pilot
  Her silver skull sweeps back to an aerodynamic point. Not to go faster. Just to look good.
  
  "Name's spitfire6. Had a few too many close calls out there, but the deep black still calls to me. You need a pilot who can dodge amalgs for a couple of rounds, I'll work for an upfront fee of 5k."
  
  Pay her 5k credits?
  
  > No
  "Your loss, captain."
  
  > talk to the violet
  Violet only agrees to talk to you on a pre-paid vidphone. It's unclear whether the hard-femme punk on the screen is her real appearance or a simulation.
  
  "You want in to the Imago Republic and you don't want to jump through hoops? I got my hands on a private key from the 'roid Immigration Ministry on Venter. Don't ask how. So what I got now is the only guaranteed perfect forged visa chip in existence. 45k credits."
  
  > talk to Snake
  A bodyguard stops you at the dome's entrance. "You got five million credits, captain? No? Turn around."
  
  > jump to Venter
  (You launch first.)
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  > talk to the zila
  The marshal's an ancient, plasticky synthetic in a pre-Diasporan spacesuit and a ten-gallon hat.
  
  "You're looking to make some creds, maybe get a visa chip? Well, you're in luck. Unlike some nations I could name, the Imago Republic respects sovereign territory. That said, sometimes fugitives from our law wind up abroad. To that end we offer sizeable rewards to those who can arrest them on our behalf."
  
  He hands you the Imago Republic's most wanted list. "We can
  always use more bounty hunters, captain."
  
  > read the wanted 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) - 50k reward
  Natalya (fraud) - 25k reward
  Marisa (murder) - 50k reward
  Pyrogut (war crimes) - 100k reward
  Rella (kidnapping) - 50k reward
  Luciano (racketeering) - 25k reward
  Yuzo-I (espionage) - 25k reward
  Jade (identity theft) - 25k reward
  Reuben (bio-piracy) - 25k reward
  
  > Land
  A synth-futurist city of wide open spaces and glass-sided buildings that would seem almost idyllic were it not sitting in the crater of an airless ice moon. Bioroid citizens stroll through the plazas and avenues in casual clothes, unbothered by the hard vacuum.
  
  Space-suited refugees form a lengthy queue outside the Border Ministry, where they are turned away by a polite official.
  
  immigrants.
  
  A scruffy scientist sits on his luggage beside the landing pad.
  
  Link-J disembarks, pausing to shake your hand, awkwardly. "My
  journey is far from over, but this part wouldn't have been possible without you. Here is the 13k I promised."
  
  > talk to Aurea
  An unnaturally beautiful, golden-haired woman with a jagged scar across her face and a cheap robotic arm. She slouches in the co-pilot's seat.
  
  "Prex knows more than anyone about getting out of Hardshell, so hopefully he can get me back in. He was last seen heading to Jarland."
  
  "We should be on the lookout for an amalg called Viscera."
  
  "Dr Vosov-R on Diallo tried to scan Hardshell or something."
  
  > look
  A synth-futurist city of wide open spaces and glass-sided buildings that would seem almost idyllic were it not sitting in the crater of an airless ice moon. Bioroid citizens stroll through the plazas and avenues in casual clothes, unbothered by the hard vacuum.
  
  Space-suited refugees form a lengthy queue outside the Border Ministry, where they are turned away by a polite official.
  
  Link-J has joined the queue.
  
  immigrants.
  
  A scruffy scientist sits on his luggage beside the landing pad.
  
  > talk to the refugees
  You pick a refugee at random. "I fought in the Battle of Franklin. Now here I am."
  
  > Continue
  You pick a refugee at random. "I'm a bioroid if you can believe it. Just had the dumb luck to be gestated in some far flung shithole."
  
  > Continue
  You pick a refugee at random. "I couldn't get into the Commonwealth. Seems even less likely I'll get in here. But what choice do I have?"
  
  > Continue
  You pick a refugee at random. "Used to be a nomad. Looking for a home."
  
  > Continue
  You pick a refugee at random. "Amalgs destroyed my home. I was lucky to get away."
  
  > talk to the official
  "I'm afraid the Border Minister has been called away to Zhao. I have no authority to issue visa chips myself."
  
  > record Zhao
  You record Zhao in your ship's log as a place of potential interest.
  
  > talk to Link
  "As I said, my journey is far from over, but already I have made friends. Do not worry for me."
  
  > talk to the immigrants
  Someone who clearly warrants considerable respect among the workers beckons you into one of their break rooms. "Hey, captain. So life ain't so bad for us shellskin here on Venter. Working hard, sure, but we get visa chips at the end of our contracts. Those poor bastards outside the Border Ministry though..."
  
  She shakes her smooth, featureless head. "They're supposed to get help. But it doesn't always work out that way. Look, all I'm saying is, you get us some oxygen, we'll pay for it, see it gets distributed to who needs it."
  
  > P.
  Known Merchants:
  -Matej (Surface of Cygnet)
  
  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
  
  Other Opportunities:
  -Besnik, selling an autodoc unit (Surface of Pearl)
  -homeless veteran, selling a classified intelligence report (Surface of Storm)
  -shipping-and-receiving clerk, selling a large oxygen canister (Surface of Cygnet)
  -Tomer, selling a decompressionist statue (Surface of Nereus)
  -red hot diver, selling an unauthorised specimen (Subsurface of Skadi)
  
  Potential Buyers:
  coastal nomads (Surface of Khamsin), nervous woman (Surface of Nereus), Chef Elin (Subsurface of Skadi), shellskin immigrants (Surface of Venter)
  
  > talk to the scientist
  An unshaven bioroid in a clean, white environment suit.
  
  "Ah, captain. You look like someone who has seen the wilderness." He extends a hand. "Dr Pico-G. I'm looking to make observations of certain astronomical phenomena from a wide variety of perspectives. I've already collected data from across the Imago Republic, the Diasporan Commonwealth, Network..."
  
  He looks over your ship. "But I need to go farther afield. If you take me on board, I'll pay you 1k credits for every unaffiliated world we visit. I might even be able to wrangle a visa chip for you."
  
  > take the scientist
  He boards your ship, swaying under bulging cases of equipment.
  
  "Pleased to be aboard, captain."
  
  > jump to the cygnet
  (You launch first.)
  
  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.
  
  Grey, airless and cratered, its surface is nevertheless dusted with countless lights and scarred with broad highways.
  
  An industrial fuel rig extends its arms to passing freighters.
  
  Grayson runs a low-revolution saloon in high orbit, a spinning constellation of gaudy neon. A grizzled traveller sits slumped
  over the bar.
  
  > buy the canister
  You buy the large oxygen canister for 2k credits, leaving you with 24k credits.
  
  > jump to Venter
  (You launch first.)
  
  Grey, airless and cratered, its surface is nevertheless dusted with countless lights and scarred with broad highways.
  
  An industrial fuel rig extends its arms to passing freighters.
  
  Grayson runs a low-revolution saloon in high orbit, a spinning constellation of gaudy neon. A grizzled traveller sits slumped
  over the bar.
  
  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.
  
  > Refuel
  You can replenish your fusion cells at the fuel jockey for 1k credits each. 3 cells are expended.
  
  How many do you want to refuel?
  
  > Land
  A synth-futurist city of wide open spaces and glass-sided buildings that would seem almost idyllic were it not sitting in the crater of an airless ice moon. Bioroid citizens stroll through the plazas and avenues in casual clothes, unbothered by the hard vacuum.
  
  Space-suited refugees form a lengthy queue outside the Border Ministry, where they are turned away by a polite official.
  
  Link-J has joined the queue.
  
  immigrants.
  
  > sell the canister to the immigrants
  "Thank you, captain. We can do a lot of good with this - make sure the most needy get it when they, well, most need it. We hope 10k credits is enough?"
  
  > P.
  Known Merchants:
  -Matej (Surface of Cygnet)
  
  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
  
  Other Opportunities:
  -Besnik, selling an autodoc unit (Surface of Pearl)
  -homeless veteran, selling a classified intelligence report (Surface of Storm)
  -Tomer, selling a decompressionist statue (Surface of Nereus)
  -red hot diver, selling an unauthorised specimen (Subsurface of Skadi)
  
  Potential Buyers:
  coastal nomads (Surface of Khamsin), nervous woman (Surface of Nereus), Chef Elin (Subsurface of Skadi)
  
  > Status
  Credit balance: 31k
  Equipment: spacesuit (don't need air)
  
  Crew:
  Yourself, Dr Pico-G, Aurea and Szymon
  
  Installed systems:
  jump drive (superluminal travel)
  sleek heat shield (atmo entry)
  
  Fuel:
  5/5 fusion cells charged
  
  Readable Data:
  most wanted list, Diasporan Commonwealth star map, debt note, flight manual, ship's log and trading log
  
  Cargo:
  nothing
  
  > jump to zhao
  (You launch first.)
  
  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.
  
  Slender megastructures rise gleaming from the silvery continents below, arcing over oceans and snow-tipped mountains.
  
  The muscled war beasts of the Imago Defence Fleet are in orbit,
  guns protruding from every orifice.
  
  A fuel jockey orbits lazily - tentacles trailing, bladders
  swollen with deuterium.
  
  > talk to Fleet
  Echoing voices transmit from the war beasts. You make out the words: "WE... ARE... WATCHING."
  
  > Land
  Warning signals and weapon lock-ons bombard your ship from the surface. You'll need a visa chip to land on this world.
  
  > jump to Jarland
  (You launch first.)
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  (Dr Pico-G pays you 1k for bringing him to a new world.)
  
  > 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 Maximo
  Maximo's arms are tattooed with rocket engine blueprints. He winks and pours you a drink.
  
  "To hear those Commonwealth types talk about it, you'd think Jarland was some lawless rogue world like Splinter, but we're a democratic state like any other. Just not interested in being part of anyone else's plans."
  
  > Record splinter
  You record Splinter in your ship's log as a place of potential interest.
  
  > talk to the farmer
  His overalls hang from a pale and lanky frame that has never seen the outside of a dome.
  
  "Shipping crops interstellar gives you the thinnest profit margins - unless it's a true luxury, like this blue asparagus. 4k is a
  fair price, in my eyes."
  
  > buy the asparagus
  You buy the blue asparagus for 4k credits, leaving you with 28k credits.
  
  > talk to the Chief
  She wipes sweat from her brow with a grimy hand.
  
  "You think it's easy, so many people living in a near vacuum? Always checking for positive pressure and racing to find the leak. I'd kill for some help."
  
  > 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."
  
  > talk to Ramos
  Tall. Slender. Pale. The product of a carefully controlled environment.
  
  "Your friend here is from inside Hardshell?"
  
  Aurea looks herself over, as if wondering what part of her ridiculous appearance gave it away. "You knew Prex?"
  
  "I met him when he first arrived. It was pretty big news."
  
  "Is he still here? I need to speak with him."
  
  Ramos shakes his head. "He never settled in. Claustrophobia. Sort of. Terrified of getting cut off from the Universe. Thought he'd feel closer to the vacuum living in a dome, but it wasn't enough."
  
  "Where is he now? Please."
  
  "A nomad worldship passed by some time ago. Prex talked his way on board. I think they were stopping by Source 3 for supplies, then heading off away from civilisation. No idea where you'd find them now."
  
  > Record source 3
  You record Source 3 in your ship's log as a place of potential interest.
  
  > P.
  Known Merchants:
  -Matej (Surface of Cygnet)
  
  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
  
  Other Opportunities:
  -Besnik, selling an autodoc unit (Surface of Pearl)
  -homeless veteran, selling a classified intelligence report (Surface of Storm)
  -Tomer, selling a decompressionist statue (Surface of Nereus)
  -red hot diver, selling an unauthorised specimen (Subsurface of Skadi)
  
  Potential Buyers:
  pressure chief (Surface of Jarland), coastal nomads (Surface of Khamsin), nervous woman (Surface of Nereus), Chef Elin (Subsurface of Skadi)
  
  Cargo:
  some blue asparagus
  
  > jump to the skadi
  (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.
  
  A bright white moon, its surface smoothed over by cryovolcanic snow. There are very few lights visible on its surface.
  
  A small squadron of private security ships monitor traffic in the system, led by the infamous combat synthetic, Kala-D.