Patron: Computer Programmer
Required Skills: none
Required Equipment: Jump-2+ starship

Players’ Information:
It’s a sorry departure morning on the players’ starship as they wake to find they have had a program storage crash; they need a new copy of the Jump-2 program. The players can quickly purchase the software from local starport’s software store. The owner of the store and developer, Bruce Siakashvali, contacts the players via the starport or planetary network about 5 minutes after the purchase. Bruce is in a bind and could use the players’ help. He will provide a special update of the software provided they help him. The updated software is unique: it not only computes their own jumps, but can also predicts another ship’s jump destination based on the jumping ship’s exit vector.

Obviously this software is a major boon to the ship, fleet, organization, or government in possession of it.

Referee’s Information:
Various interactions with Bruce and the software are possible:

1. Bruce has been shot and is being chased by pirates, who want to keep the software to themselves. Bruce wants to use his software to camouflage his escape. Cr 2,000 per crew member + fuel and ship expenses.

2. Bruce’s dependent / loved one (as appropriate) is being held by pirates. Bruce hires the players to solve the problem as pirates maneuver to jump out system. Cr 3,000 per crew member + fuel and ship expenses.

3. The players are hired to endorse the software. Bruce and the jump predictor are legitimate – the software works as well as it can. The players’ ship will chase a different ship around the subsector, proving to Bruce, the players, and the crew of the other ship that the jump predictor works. (Suggest the Reidain subsector for this journey.) All expenses paid and the players can make some money with light cargos.

4. As above, but Bruce is a charlatan; the other ship is going on a pre-arranged course or has some abnormal or “undetectable” signaling method. The endorsement has initial value but the players are forever shamed as being involved with “that Bruce Siakashvali’s product.”

5. The players got the wrong product from the online software store – it’s the completely unlocked jump predictor. Bruce wants it back and he is going to track down the players on his own.

6. Bruce’s ex-wife, understanding the value of the software, contacts the players to strongly suggest that they turn over the software to the Avalar government and bring Bruce in for a bounty (which may or may not exist, as appropriate).