A Companion may be requested but Guild law states a Companion chooses the client Interplanetary Freight
E Basic rates per day, not counting expenses Medical Care
Medical treatment is not always available on the outer planets
Ship Repair ₡ 640 / 1,600p E Price per hour of labor; parts may cost extra
ammo (armor piercing, high-explosive rounds, etc), miniaturization down to 1/100 normal weight, force field technology, laser technology, gravitic technology (other than for shipboard artificial gravity).
Zero-G Thruster Cane. Not everything at this level is deadly dangerous. Conceived of by an eccentric ship’s mechanic, the ZgTC appears to be a gentleman’s fancy dress cane, metallic black with a white tip and a silver handle. Unlike most canes, however, the ZgTC has a small compressed air thruster built into one end (the tip of the cane acts as the jet) and a magnetic grapple in the other (the cane’s handle can be sent shooting out to up to 50 feet, attached to a thin cable). The cane is used for dramatic entrances, quick getaways, and impressive party tricks.
To make it, you have to combine two items.
Assume the GM rules that the actual cane costs basically nothing, with the thruster and the grapple costing as much as a vacuum suit, this would ordinarily be a x5 cost Newtech item. However, because of the miniaturized machinery involved, the GM decides it will be a x10 cost item. So add the miniaturization and combine two items, and you have spent ₡ 670 for a walking stick—but a very nifty one, all told.
Some folks have special talents that others are willing to pay good platinum for. Knowledge can turn straight into cash if someone else needs the knowing you’ve got in your head. This is the place to look for such services. If you can’t find it here or you can’t afford it, don’t despair—poke around the odd spaceport, look through the Cortex listings, maybe post a sign. You’ll find someone with the know-how you need at a price you can manage.
SERVICES
Allied Postal Service: The Allied Postal Service is a fairly reliable way to send small parcels on interplanetary freight. The maximum possible load is 500 pounds for a cost of ₡ 5 per 25 lbs, or fraction thereof, beyond the 10 lb limit. If the recipient does not have a permanent home address or lives on a ship (at least currently), the receiver will be sent a wave and then have 2 weeks to pick up his parcel from a nearby Postal Office, though service and quality depend on the individual franchisee.
Companion: Companions are trained in all the arts, at least rudimentarily (though they must demonstrate skill at several), as well as games, and pastimes of all manner, including fencing and archery. Schooled in music, dance, etiquette, languages, and, of course, the physical skills required, Companions provide comfort and care to their clients. Companions choose their own clients and may reject and even blacklist those who cross the line.
The Companion’s Guild has transformed the sex trade into an established and respected industry. The Guild is very powerful and protects its own (and its reputation) through networks of contacts that they have established over the years.
Interplanetary Freight: Running cargo and passengers from one place to another is a necessary part of the industry of the Alliance, and most other organizations in the ‘Verse. A reputation for speedy and reliable service, as well as the quality of the transport can be weighty factors in the negotiation of prices. The rates given on the chart represent the level of quality and comfort a Firefly or similar vessel can provide—which is to say, not all that much. A luxury liner like the El Dorado could charge up to ₡ 300 per day, providing fresh food, entertainment, private suites, and the like to its customers.
Sailing the black can be mightily expensive. The ship needs to be in good condition to be space worthy. Since help may be far away, you need to keep supplies on hand for all sorts of emergencies. Parts, supplies, and fuel are more expensive for spacecraft than for planet-side vessels. You can make a lot of money hauling cargo for the Alliance (and maybe a lot more hauling it without the Alliance finding out), but one big breakdown, a problem with a major crime boss, or a run-in with the law can cost you your ship—and maybe even your life. Things often don’t go smooth, so the trick is to stay five minutes ahead of the posse and hope there’s a Shepherd praying for you.
Cargo Run: People pay to have cargo shipped.
The cargo may be legal, in which case they are likely also paying government tariffs (cutting into profits on all sides). The cargo may be illegal, meaning you might have to split the profits with a middleman, but you might well get more money due to the danger involved. If the goods are legal, then you’ll have to settle for less so the owner can get a tax-break (otherwise she’d just use legal channels). Banned goods bring in a heftier profit, but can get you jailed for possession. Either way, you’ll probably stand to make money.
Passengers: Aren’t generally worth as much as cargo on lower-class ships, but they can pay for the cost of a fuel cell or two, and sometimes folk can’t afford better or they want to move around without much publicity (in which case they might even be willing to pay a bit more!). However, since a passenger eats food, takes up space, and uses air (unless stowed away in a cryo chamber, in which case you definitely want to keeps the Feds’ noses out of your business), the prices for travel still tend to be high.
Medical Care: Medical care on the Rim can be spotty or nonexistent at times. Not many MedAcad-trained doctors want to move out where there’s
nobody with the money to pay ‘em. If you can even find a local doctor, chances are he’s a crackpot or a drunk, a self-taught “talent” or maybe even a fugitive on the run. In any case, this doc probably won’t charge as much as doctors on the Core. Then again, you get what you pay for.
Sometimes a local baron might hire his own personal physician and pay to transport him from the Core. If he allows the locals to use his M.D., the doctor will likely charge 10 times the going rate. The baron will get his cut, of course.
Antibiotic Course: A basic treatment course for an infection. Pop one pill once a day for about two weeks. Unfortunately, sometimes you can’t find even common antibiotics out on the Rim.
Full physical: A basic exam. Generally, it’s a good idea to get checked out regular.
Surgery, Major: Major surgery can mean anything from extensive cosmetic alterations to heart replacement surgery. The price varies widely between different operations, but the listed price can serve as a median for surgery of this nature, which probably requires at least three medical personnel and an extended stay in a hospital.
Surgery, Minor: Minor surgery refers to reattaching ears, laser surgery on eyes, appendix removal, or other operations that are potentially serious, but do not require extraordinarily advanced equipment, extended hospital stays, etc. However, the prices can still vary, so use the listed cost as a baseline.
Ship Repair: The listed price refers to the time spent on repairs. Much of the higher costs come from replacing expensive parts. Generally, replacing major parts (engine components, etc) should cost about 1% of the value of the ship. Systemic repairs (replacing the entire drive system) should cost 10-20% of the value of the ship. For routine maintenance costs of a specific model, see Chapter Four: Boats and Mules.