Passage

Worlds orbiting different stars are reached by interstellar travel, which makes use of the jump drive. Once a starship moves to a safe distance from a world, it may activate its jump drive. Jump drives are rated from 1 to 6 : the number of parsecs which can be traveled in one week.

Making any jump takes about one week, regardless of the distance traveled. Commercial starships usually make two jumps per month. They spend one week in jump, followed by one week in the star system, travelling from the jump point to the local world, refueling, marketing cargo, finding passengers, leaving the starport, and proceeding to a jump point again. The week in the system usually provides some time for crew recreation and for wandering around the planet. Non-commercial ships usually follow the same schedule of one week in jump and one week in a system. If haste is called for, a ship may refuel immediately and re-jump right away. This allows the ship to make one jump per week, but makes no provision for cargo, passengers, or local stops. Interstellar travel is priced on the basis of accommodations; prices cover a trip from starport to starport, encompassing one jump, regardless of length. There are four types of passage:

**LOW PASSAGE: (LoPsg)**

 Transportation while in cold sleep (suspended animation) is possible at relatively low cost to the passenger. The passenger is placed in a low passage berth before the ship takes off, and travels the entire journey in a state of suspended animation. They does not age, and requires very little life support. Unfortunately, the low passage system involves some intrinsic dangers to the passenger, and some risk of not surviving the voyage is possible.

* Throw 5+ for each passenger when revived after the ship has landed.
* Attending medic of expertise of 2 or better: +1
* Low passenger with an endurance of 6 or less: - 1

*Failure to achieve the throw results in death for the passenger.*

Refunds or civil liability if a low passenger fails to survive the trip are not allowed. A player character who travels low passage and survives should keep records on the discrepancy between his chronological age and physical age; a character does not age physically while in low passage.

The Low Lottery:

It is customary for the captain to contribute 10 Cr out of each low passage towards a lottery. Each low passenger guesses the number of low passengers who will survive the trip. If the winner does not survive, the captain receives the money. The ship's steward administers the lottery. Since low passengers are typically without funds (who would travel low if there were any other choice?). the low lottery provides some chance for the individual to have funds upon arrival at the destination.

*Low passage costs 1,000 Cr and includes a baggage allowance of 10 kilograms.*

**MEDIUM PASSAGE: (MedPsg)**

In order for starships to fill their staterooms with passengers, middle passage is offered on a standby basis, in the event that not enough high passages are sold. While middle passengers occupy staterooms normally similar to those occupied by high passengers, they do not receive the service or entertainment accorded the higher paying passengers. In addition, the quality of the cuisine is rather low.

A middle passenger may be "bumped" and the stateroom taken by a late arriving high passenger. The middle passenger's ticket is returned, but no other compensation is made.

*Middle passage costs 8,000 Cr and includes baggage allowance of 100 kilograms.*

**WORKING PASSAGE:**

A starship captain with a crew shortage may hire an individual to fill the vacant position, paying not money but passage in return. Working passage may not continue for more than three jumps, or the individual is considered to have been hired for standard salary. In order to be hired for working passage, the individual must have some expertise in the position for which he or she is hired (jack-of-all -trades may be substituted if necessary) .

Working passage is without cost to the individual and includes baggage allowance of 1,000 kilograms.

**HIGH PASSAGE: (HiPsg)**

The best method of travel is called high passage, which involves first class accommodations and cuisine. High passengers have the services of the ship's steward, entertainment, and complete attention to their comfort.

*High passage costs 10,000 Cr and includes baggage allowance of 1,000 kilograms.*