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The Traveller’s Laws of Space Exploration

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  1. Worlds that do not trade with other worlds are poor and have low technology.
    • 1st Corollary of Law 1: Poor, low tech worlds are in constant danger of extinction.
    • 2nd Corollary of Law 1: Exceptions to this law tend to be extremely nasty.
  2. You are not the first traveller to arrive in this system.
    • 1st Corollary of Law 2: If you don't know what happened to previous travellers, you are asking for trouble.
  3. The people that built your ship assumed that you would always be fully supplied, have a full fuel tank, and not have more than the recommended amount of cargo and passengers before entering hyperspace.
    • 1st Corollary of Law 3: The most important knowledge a traveller must have is how to bend Law 3.
  4. Human beings are short-sighted, paranoid, selfish, greedy, and delusional.
    • 1st Corollary of Law 4: This is the primary source of profit for travellers.
    • 2nd Corollary of Law 4: This is the primary source of danger for travellers.
    • 3rd Corollary of Law 4: This applies to your crew, too, so watch your back.
  5. Always be prepared to nuke the site from orbit (a.k.a. Dead men tell no tales).
    • 1st Corollary of Law 5: Remember that everyone you meet is trying to figure out how to kill you if they decide they have to.
  6. Exposure to hard radiation does not give you super powers. It simply kills you.
  7. Gravity is a harsh mistress.
  8. Don't touch that.
    • 1st Corollary of Law 8: If you think you can profit by touching that, go ahead, but be prepared to be wrong.
    • 2nd Corollary of Law 8: Much better to order a crewman to touch that.
  9. Never forget where you landed the shuttle.
    • 1st Corollary of Law 9: When on a planet, always conduct yourself in such a manner that you are on the shuttle when it takes off again.
    • 2nd Corollary of Law 9: Always remember that your captain can probably recall the shuttle on autopilot.
    • 3rd Corollary of Law 9: It doesn't do any good to be on the shuttle when it returns if your captain is simply going to throw you out the air lock.
  10. It's good to be the Captain.
    • 1st Corollary of Law 10: Your entire crew knows this.