Mission Name: Obtaining the Cure!
Objective: Pay 25,000,000 credits to the Royal Boron Trading Station in Shore of Infinity or Queen's Harbour (randomly determined upon leaving Paranid owned space)
Time Limit: 75 hours
Reward: Paranid Race Rank of 0 (Nomad)
Hyperion Vanguard with 6x FBL, 4x HEPT, 4-5x ISR, 3-5x 200MJ shield, 0-2x 25MJ shield, Cargo Lifesupport, SETA, Jumpdrive, 0-4 pieces of random equipment (Fight Command Software MK1, Hull Polarising Device, Internal Sentry Lasers, Trade Command Software MK1, Freight Scanner, Docking Computer, Trading System Extension, Video Enhancement Goggles, Mineral Scanner, Trade Command Software MK2, Advanced Firewall Software, Boost Extension and Navigational Command Software MK1), 0-11x Fighter Drone, 0-6x Fighter Drone MK2, 0-9x Banshee Missile, 5-8x Marine with 25% chance of having up to 4 stars and highly variable and potentially overtuned ship upgrades (speed: 148.8-216.4 m/s)(turn rate (4.0-6.7)
Advanced Perseus with SETA, 2x PBE, 0-1x FBL, 0-1x Banshee Missile, 1-4x 25MJ Shield, 0-3x 5MJ Shield, 0-2 pieces of random equipment (same list as for the Hyperion Vanguard), 0-10x Fighter Drone, 0-5x Fighter Drone MK2 and highly variable and potentially overtuned ship upgrades (speed: 171-218.5 m/s)
The timer for this mission begins immediately for the Poisoned Paranid starting scenario even if the player tries to ignore the mission triggering message that appears once the player ship leaves Paranid space. If ignored the message will automatically pop up after 20 minutes of gameplay. Avoid accepting the Flight School mission as the clock is ticking. The starting scenario puts the player on a knife edge which causes a single hostile action against Paranid ships to send the player to -4 Paranid Race Rank that will send even any escort fighters into a homicidal frenzy in all sectors which can make this mission a lot harder.
Assuming the player survived escaping Paranid space start trading on the way to the nearest Teladi Stock Exchange (PTNI Headquarters or Grand Exchange depending on starting sector). If lucky there might also be some salvage along the way. As the player ship does not start with a Trading System Extension go by eye if stations have a surplus or depletion of wares. Use the first income to maximise Engine Tunings since the player ship is a very slow TS with a large cargobay. Try to purchase 2x Navigational Relay Satellites and a Trading System Extension along the way.
Dock at the Stock Exchange, pay the 10,000 credits charge, save the game and invest in Natural wares that have an index close to 100 or higher (Biological Micro-Organisms, Construction Equipment, Weapon interface Chips, Terran High-Tech Goods and Jumpdrive Components are quite volatile in PTNI Headquarters while Artefacts, Artificial Fertilizer, Luxury Foodstuffs, Medical Equipment and Promotional Plates are good in Grand Exchange). If the index does not move or goes closer to 100 load and make a better investment. If the index drops earning credits save and wait to see if more money can be made loading if the profit drops. Each investment can easily make a >60% return however, they are unpredictable, unreliable and limited to around 600,000 credits investment so a transition into stock market manipulation is recommended.
At around 2,000,000 credits place a Navigational Relay Satellite 6 squares above the ecliptic in the Stock Exchange sector and head to the PTNI Headquarters Stock Exchange region (if not already there) and explore Two Grand, Profit Center Alpha, Eighteen Billion and Ianamus Zura for Energybolt Chaingun Forges and Light Weapon Complexes. If the player Combat Rank has not been increased the NPC ships will have the Xenon on the ropes in Xenon Sector 347 making travel across it quite safe. Make regular stops at stations to save and check the stock market. Buy all the Energybolt Chainguns keeping at least 600,000 credits for the stock market, do not forget the Teladi Space Equipment Dock in Ianamus Zura and Military Outpost in Eighteen Billion ensuring there is at least 140,000 credits left when all Energybolt Chainguns in the PTNI Headquarters region have been purchased.
Head to Grand Exchange (to pass through the warzones the player needs to have gained some Argon Race rank through trade), gain access to the local Stock Exchange (if not having done so already) and place the second Navigational Relay Satellite 6 squares above the ecliptic. Buy as many Energybolt Chaingun stocks as possible (should be (4+number on player ship)*2 available assuming no rapid response craft). Fly through the West gate to Belt of Aguilar and sell the shares before flying back to Grand Exchange to buy the shares again (this can be done at least 6 times per minute). Keep repeating until the shares are earning 150,000 credits per transaction (do this at least four times) and fly to the Military Outpost and Light Weapons Complex (if spawned) in Merchant Haven to buy more Energybolt Chainguns giving the player total control of the Energybolt Chaingun stock price. Continue the Belt of Aguilar/Grand Exchange Energybolt Chaingun stock cycle.
Using the satellite in PTNI Headquarters buy a Harrier (M5) and max the speed before buying Navigation Command Software MK1, a Duplex Scanner and Explorer Command Software. Use this ship to navigate remotely to Seizewell or Company Pride via the Split sectors and explore that Stock Exchange region buying all Energybolt Chainguns found. Once done return the M5 ship to the player ship and transfer the wares for even larger profits. By this stage the stock exchange should be earning over 1-2 million credits per transaction so exchange ships to the M5 and start heading to the Royal Boron Trading Station to complete the mission while the TS is controlled remotely to keep the credit income continuous.
Finally dock at the Royal Boron Trading Station needed to complete the mission and save. Say "Yes" to the message that appears when you dock to claim the reward but reload if the Hyperion Vanguard is not overtuned (good marines are secondary). This mission can easily be done in under 10 hours with the transition from first Stock Exchange investment to stock market manipulation taking under 2 hours and from stock market manipulation to mission completion taking under 4 hours (most play time is taken getting to the Stock Exchange in the slow un-upgraded starting ship and the random nature of station starting inventories). The advantage of this method of completing the mission is that the player could even succeed within the restrictive time limit of the Tormented Teladi mission and create a credit generating engine that rapidly allows for empire building.