“Comm, what are the requirements for me to race in the Sol 1000?”

YOUR SHIP DOES NOT MEET MINIMUM SAFETY SPECIFICATIONS

“I’m aware of that. What are the minimum safety specifications, and how much would a retrofit cost?”

MINIMUM SAFETY SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE SOL 1000 ARE:

• M^ SPEC GRAVITY STABILIZATION FOR PILOT CAPSULE: 10,000Cr
• M^ SPEC SHIELDING AGAINST HEAT, COLD, PRESSURE, VACUUM, EM, KINETIC, AND MAGNETIC DAMAGE: 40,000Cr
• M^ SPEC AERODYNAMICS HULL REBUILD: 100,000Cr
• M^ SPEC SELF-POWERED WORMHOLE-BASED EMERGENCY ESCAPE DEVICE FOR PILOT CAPSULE: 90,000Cr
• M^ SPEC THRUST, CONTROL, AND DECELERATION MODIFICATIONS TO ALL FORMS OF MOBILITY: 30,000Cr
• MISCELLANEOUS OTHER SMALL MODIFICATIONS FOR PILOT SAFETY: 123,000Cr

A FULL RETROFIT WOULD TOTAL AT APPROXIMATELY 393,000Cr, AND A SIMILAR COST WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DOWNGRADE YOUR SHIP IF YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN A STANDARD INTERGALACTIC CIRCUIT EVENT AFTERWARD.

“Oh. Wow. I could buy a mid-range battlecruiser with that. What am I gonna be doing, diving into a gas giant?”

YES. AT SLIGHTLY PAST THE HALFWAY POINT IN THE RACE, YOU WOULD BE EXPECTED TO TAKE A TWENTY MILE DIVE INTO THE FIFTH PLANET IN THE SYSTEM, THROUGH A JUMP RING INSTALLED DEEP WITHIN THE ATMOSPHERE FOR THE RACE.

“Is that the most dangerous part of the race?”

STATISTICALLY, THAT IS THE LEAST DANGEROUS MAJOR OBSTACLE.

“Computer, list the primary obstacles for the Sol 1000, in order from least to most dangerous. Omit the gas giant.”

IN ORDER FROM LEAST TO MOST DANGEROUS:

• YOU WILL MAKE A RUN THROUGH THE SYSTEM’S OUTER DEBRIS FIELD AT RELATIVISTIC SPEEDS
• YOU WILL MAKE A 10 MILE RUN THROUGH A MOON MADE PRIMARILY OF WATER
• YOU WILL RUN ALONG THE SURFACE OF THEIR STAR FOR 100 MILES
• YOU WILL RUN THROUGH A LARGE, ABANDONED COLONY STATION MAINTAINED EXPLICITLY FOR THE SOL 1000
• YOU WILL RUN THROUGH THE DETRITUS OF A 100 YEAR OLD BATTLE, WITH LIVE MINES AND ACTIVE MILITARY DRONES WHICH WILL ATTEMPT TO INTERCEPT AND DESTROY ANY NEARBY CRAFT

“Well. Computer, what are the expected benefits, if I do well in the Sol 1000?”

THE SPONSORSHIP VALUE OF A PLAYER WHO PLACES IN THE TOP THREE IN THE SOL 1000 INCREASES BY AN AVERAGE OF 5,000%, WITH RAPIDLY DIMINISHING RETURNS FOR EVERY HUMAN RACE PARTICIPATED IN UNTIL THE TENTH, AT WHICH POINT PILOTS ARE BANNED FROM THE STANDARD INTERGALACTIC CIRCUIT UNDER THE SAME POLICIES THAT BAN HUMANS AS A HAZARD TO THE WELL-BEING OF RACERS.

“Yeah, yeah, I know the rules. Hmm. Earlier, you stated the upgrade specifications were higher than military spec. Do those specifications have a name?”

OFFICIALLY, THERE IS NO NAME FOR BUILD SPECIFICATIONS OF THAT CALIBER. UNOFFICIALLY, THEY ARE REFERRED TO AS “HUMAN SPEC”