Cargo & Job Electronic Bulletin Boards (CJEBs)

Entry Type: Economic / Technological Infrastructure
Common Nicknames: Job Boards, CargoNet, The Grid
Established: Circa 2705 CE (sector standardisation under Concord Trade Protocols)
Administrator: TradeNet Consortium
Primary Function: Contract and job posting system for freelance and corporate work across inhabited worlds

Overview

The Cargo and Job Electronic Bulletin Boards — often abbreviated as CJEBs — are the backbone of interplanetary freelance economy within the sector. Present on nearly every inhabited world and orbital station, these interconnected digital boards serve as open-access platforms for individuals, corporations, and local authorities to post and accept work contracts.

Accessible through terminals in star ports, trade hubs, and planetary networks, the CJEBs enable instant access to sector-wide employment listings — from simple cargo runs to high-risk escort missions in pirate-controlled regions.

In a galaxy where communication lags can stretch days or weeks, CJEBs have become the pulse of commerce, linking worlds, crews, and clients in a constant rhythm of contracts and credits.

System Design

CJEBs operate through a distributed TradeNet lattice, ensuring postings are mirrored and updated across all connected worlds. Each board is authenticated by the Commerce Directorate and governed by local security protocols to prevent fraud and data tampering.

Individual listings include:

• Job Type: Cargo, Escort, Investigation, Recovery, Transport, or Custom Contract
• Origin & Destination: Planetary system and coordinates (if applicable)
• Required Clearances: Watch authorization, planetary permits, or specific ship certifications
• Payment Structure: Credit transfer (Concord-standard), bartered goods, or tiered bonus systems
• Risk Level: Rated from Green (Routine) to Crimson (Hostile/High Risk)

Job Categories

1. Cargo Transport Contracts

The most common listings across the CJEB network.
Freelance haulers, small crews, and corporate couriers can accept delivery or retrieval missions between planets.

• Often require cargo insurance or Watch registration for sensitive goods.
• Smugglers frequently exploit mirrored postings to mask illegal freight under legitimate manifests.

2. Escort and Defence Missions

Contracted protection assignments for merchant convoys, dignitaries, or private transports.

• Usually posted by shipping guilds or independent traders.
• Payment scales with sector security risk — outer rim runs fetch the highest rates.

3. Search and Locate

Investigative contracts involving missing persons, lost cargo, or derelict ships.

• May require specialised scanning equipment or Watch cooperation.
• Frequently used by families, corporations, or bounty intermediaries.

4. Extraction and Recovery

Includes salvage operations, hazardous retrievals, and rescue missions in unstable zones.

• Often paired with “no-questions” clauses for discretion.
• Most require high environmental or combat certifications.

5. Custom and Miscellaneous Postings

Ranging from research assistance to planetary survey work.

• These jobs are less regulated, but lucrative for multi-skilled crews or AI specialists.

Payment and Validation

All official CJEB transactions are processed through the Concord Credit Exchange (CCE), ensuring legitimacy and traceability.
However, many worlds also host “Grey Boards” — unregulated CJEB mirrors run by syndicates or pirate networks. These boards offer fast, often illegal contracts with no record trails, paid in unregistered data-chits or physical vault currency.

To prevent fraud, each completed job requires a Job Seal, an encrypted confirmation file uploaded by both contractor and client. Falsifying or hijacking a Seal is a serious offense under Concord Law, enforceable by the Stellar Watch.

Local Variants

While standardized under the TradeNet system, planetary interpretations vary:

• Core Worlds: Operate highly regulated, corporate-maintained CJEB hubs with direct Watch oversight.
• Frontier Worlds: Boards are often privately owned or maintained by guilds, with looser verification protocols.
• Station Boards: Frequently maintained by independent AI custodians, known to “curate” postings in exchange for a commission cut.

Cultural Impact

In many frontier societies, the CJEBs are seen as lifelines of opportunity — offering work, purpose, and adventure to anyone with a ship and a willingness to risk the void.
Entire crews, bounty teams, and mercenary groups owe their livelihoods to the steady hum of postings across the network.

The phrase “Check the boards” has become synonymous with seeking fortune, and “living by the boards” describes those who wander from job to job, system to system, never tied down — the freelancers, traders, and spacers who keep the sector moving.

Notable Notes

• CJEBs are often the first systems restored on a colonised world, even before full planetary infrastructure.
• Rumours persist of hidden “Redline Boards” — encrypted networks accessible only to high-level mercenaries and syndicate contacts.
• The Stellar Watch maintains covert monitoring of all CJEB dataflows to identify smuggling routes and black contracts.

Summary

The Cargo and Job Electronic Bulletin Boards form the connective tissue of the sector’s working life — a decentralised, digital marketplace where ambition meets risk and fortune often comes at the edge of a laser burn.
From the polished terminals of the Core to the flickering displays of the frontier, the boards never sleep — and neither do those who live by them.