diff --git a/Laptop/insurance Contract.cpp b/Laptop/insurance Contract.cpp
index 418df377..ab97fb1b 100644
--- a/Laptop/insurance Contract.cpp	
+++ b/Laptop/insurance Contract.cpp	
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ void			InsuranceContractUserTextFieldCallBack( UINT8 ubID, BOOLEAN fEntering );
 INT8			CountInsurableMercs();
 void			DisableInsuranceContractNextPreviousbuttons();
 void			CreateDestroyInsuranceContractFormButtons( BOOLEAN fCreate);
-void			HandleAcceptButton( UINT16 ubSoldierID, UINT8 ubFormID );
-FLOAT			DiffFromNormRatio( INT16 sThisValue, INT16 sNormalValue );
+void			HandleAcceptButton( SoldierID ubSoldierID, UINT8 ubFormID );
+FLOAT		DiffFromNormRatio( INT16 sThisValue, INT16 sNormalValue );
 void			InsContractNoMercsPopupCallBack( UINT8 bExitValue );
 void			BuildInsuranceArray();
 BOOLEAN		MercIsInsurable( SOLDIERTYPE *pSoldier );
@@ -177,8 +177,8 @@ UINT32		GetTimeRemainingOnSoldiersContract( SOLDIERTYPE *pSoldier );
 UINT32		GetTimeRemainingOnSoldiersInsuranceContract( SOLDIERTYPE *pSoldier );
 void			EnableDisableIndividualInsuranceContractButton( UINT8 ubMercIDForMercInForm1, UINT32 *puiAcceptButton );
 BOOLEAN		CanSoldierExtendInsuranceContract( SOLDIERTYPE *pSoldier );
-INT32			CalculateSoldiersInsuranceContractLength( SOLDIERTYPE *pSoldier );
-INT32			CalcStartDayOfInsurance( SOLDIERTYPE *pSoldier );
+INT32		CalculateSoldiersInsuranceContractLength( SOLDIERTYPE *pSoldier );
+INT32		CalcStartDayOfInsurance( SOLDIERTYPE *pSoldier );
 
 BOOLEAN		AreAnyAimMercsOnTeam( );
 //ppp
@@ -394,12 +394,14 @@ void RenderInsuranceContract()
 	{
 		sMercID = gubInsuranceMercArray[ sNextMercID ];
 
-		pSoldier = &Menptr[ GetSoldierIDFromMercID( (UINT8) sMercID ) ];
-
-		if( ( sMercID != -1 ) && MercIsInsurable( pSoldier ) )
+		SoldierID ID = GetSoldierIDFromMercID( sMercID );
+		if ( ID != NOBODY )
 		{
-			DisplayOrderGrid( ubCount, (UINT8)sMercID );
-			ubCount++;
+			if( ( sMercID != -1 ) && MercIsInsurable( ID ) )
+			{
+				DisplayOrderGrid( ubCount, (UINT8)sMercID );
+				ubCount++;
+			}
 		}
 
 		sNextMercID++;
@@ -499,18 +501,22 @@ void BtnInsContractNextButtonCallBack(GUI_BUTTON *btn,INT32 reason)
 
 BOOLEAN DisplayOrderGrid( UINT8 ubGridNumber, UINT8 ubMercID )
 {
-	VOBJECT_DESC	VObjectDesc;
-	HVOBJECT hPixHandle;
-	UINT16	usPosX, usPosY;
-	UINT32	uiInsMercFaceImage;
-	INT32		iCostOfContract=0;
-	char			sTemp[100];
-	CHAR16		sText[800];
-	BOOLEAN		fDisplayMercContractStateTextColorInRed = FALSE;
-
-	SOLDIERTYPE	*pSoldier = &Menptr[ GetSoldierIDFromMercID( ubMercID ) ];
+	VOBJECT_DESC		VObjectDesc;
+	HVOBJECT			hPixHandle;
+	UINT16			usPosX, usPosY;
+	UINT32			uiInsMercFaceImage;
+	INT32			iCostOfContract=0;
+	char				sTemp[100];
+	CHAR16			sText[800];
+	BOOLEAN			fDisplayMercContractStateTextColorInRed = FALSE;
+	SoldierID		usID = GetSoldierIDFromMercID( ubMercID );
 
+	if ( usID == NOBODY )
+	{
+		return(FALSE);
+	}
 
+	SOLDIERTYPE	*pSoldier = usID;
 	usPosX=usPosY=0;
 
 	switch( ubGridNumber )
@@ -747,8 +753,8 @@ void BtnInsuranceAcceptClearForm1ButtonCallback(GUI_BUTTON *btn,INT32 reason)
 	{
 		if (btn->uiFlags & BUTTON_CLICKED_ON)
 		{
-			UINT8	ubButton = (UINT8) MSYS_GetBtnUserData( btn, 0 );
-			INT16	ubSoldierID =  GetSoldierIDFromMercID( gubMercIDForMercInForm1 );
+			UINT8		ubButton = (UINT8) MSYS_GetBtnUserData( btn, 0 );
+			SoldierID	ubSoldierID =  GetSoldierIDFromMercID( gubMercIDForMercInForm1 );
 
 			btn->uiFlags &= (~BUTTON_CLICKED_ON );
 
@@ -759,7 +765,7 @@ void BtnInsuranceAcceptClearForm1ButtonCallback(GUI_BUTTON *btn,INT32 reason)
 				HandleAcceptButton( ubSoldierID, 1 );
 
 				//specify the length of the insurance contract
-				Menptr[ ubSoldierID ].iTotalLengthOfInsuranceContract = gsForm1InsuranceLengthNumber;
+				ubSoldierID->iTotalLengthOfInsuranceContract = gsForm1InsuranceLengthNumber;
 
 				//reset the insurance length
 				gsForm1InsuranceLengthNumber = 0;
@@ -791,8 +797,8 @@ void BtnInsuranceAcceptClearForm2ButtonCallback(GUI_BUTTON *btn,INT32 reason)
 	{
 		if (btn->uiFlags & BUTTON_CLICKED_ON)
 		{
-			UINT8	ubButton = (UINT8) MSYS_GetBtnUserData( btn, 0 );
-			INT16	ubSoldierID = GetSoldierIDFromMercID( gubMercIDForMercInForm2 );
+			UINT8		ubButton = (UINT8) MSYS_GetBtnUserData( btn, 0 );
+			SoldierID	ubSoldierID = GetSoldierIDFromMercID( gubMercIDForMercInForm2 );
 
 			btn->uiFlags &= (~BUTTON_CLICKED_ON );
 
@@ -803,7 +809,7 @@ void BtnInsuranceAcceptClearForm2ButtonCallback(GUI_BUTTON *btn,INT32 reason)
 				HandleAcceptButton( ubSoldierID, 2 );
 
 				//specify the length of the insurance contract
-				Menptr[ ubSoldierID ].iTotalLengthOfInsuranceContract = gsForm2InsuranceLengthNumber;
+				ubSoldierID->iTotalLengthOfInsuranceContract = gsForm2InsuranceLengthNumber;
 
 				//reset the insurance length
 				gsForm2InsuranceLengthNumber = 0;
@@ -836,8 +842,8 @@ void BtnInsuranceAcceptClearForm3ButtonCallback(GUI_BUTTON *btn,INT32 reason)
 	{
 		if (btn->uiFlags & BUTTON_CLICKED_ON)
 		{
-			UINT8	ubButton = (UINT8) MSYS_GetBtnUserData( btn, 0 );
-			INT16	ubSoldierID = GetSoldierIDFromMercID( gubMercIDForMercInForm3 );
+			UINT8		ubButton = (UINT8) MSYS_GetBtnUserData( btn, 0 );
+			SoldierID	ubSoldierID = GetSoldierIDFromMercID( gubMercIDForMercInForm3 );
 
 			btn->uiFlags &= (~BUTTON_CLICKED_ON );
 
@@ -848,7 +854,7 @@ void BtnInsuranceAcceptClearForm3ButtonCallback(GUI_BUTTON *btn,INT32 reason)
 				HandleAcceptButton( ubSoldierID, 3 );
 
 				//specify the length of the insurance contract
-				Menptr[ ubSoldierID ].iTotalLengthOfInsuranceContract = gsForm3InsuranceLengthNumber;
+				ubSoldierID->iTotalLengthOfInsuranceContract = gsForm3InsuranceLengthNumber;
 
 				//reset the insurance length
 				gsForm3InsuranceLengthNumber = 0;
@@ -1067,12 +1073,12 @@ void CreateDestroyInsuranceContractFormButtons( BOOLEAN fCreate)
 
 
 
-void HandleAcceptButton( UINT16 ubSoldierID, UINT8 ubFormID )
+void HandleAcceptButton( SoldierID ubSoldierID, UINT8 ubFormID )
 {
 	//passed in either 1,2,3 should be 0,1,2
 	ubFormID--;
 
-	PurchaseOrExtendInsuranceForSoldier( &Menptr[ ubSoldierID ], CalculateSoldiersInsuranceContractLength( &Menptr[ ubSoldierID ] ) );
+	PurchaseOrExtendInsuranceForSoldier( ubSoldierID, CalculateSoldiersInsuranceContractLength( ubSoldierID ) );
 
 	RenderInsuranceContract();
 }
@@ -1139,7 +1145,7 @@ INT32	CalculateInsuranceContractCost( INT32 iLength, UINT8 ubMercID )
 	SOLDIERTYPE	*pSoldier;
 
 
-	pSoldier = &Menptr[ GetSoldierIDFromMercID( ubMercID ) ];
+	pSoldier = GetSoldierIDFromMercID( ubMercID );
 
 
 	// only mercs with at least 2 days to go on their employment contract are insurable
@@ -1458,7 +1464,7 @@ void EndInsuranceInvestigation( UINT16	ubPayoutID )
 void InsuranceContractPayLifeInsuranceForDeadMerc( UINT16 ubPayoutID )
 {
 	//if the mercs id number is the same what is in the soldier array
-	if( LaptopSaveInfo.pLifeInsurancePayouts[ ubPayoutID ].ubSoldierID == Menptr[ LaptopSaveInfo.pLifeInsurancePayouts[ ubPayoutID ].ubSoldierID ].ubID )
+	if( LaptopSaveInfo.pLifeInsurancePayouts[ ubPayoutID ].ubSoldierID == LaptopSaveInfo.pLifeInsurancePayouts[ ubPayoutID ].ubSoldierID->ubID )
 	{
 		// and if the soldier is still active ( player hasn't removed carcass yet ), reset insurance flag
 		if( LaptopSaveInfo.pLifeInsurancePayouts[ ubPayoutID ].ubSoldierID->bActive )
@@ -1552,14 +1558,12 @@ void EnableDisableInsuranceContractAcceptButtons()
 
 void EnableDisableIndividualInsuranceContractButton( UINT8 ubMercIDForMercInForm, UINT32 *puiAcceptButton )
 {
-	INT16	sSoldierID = 0;
-
-	sSoldierID = GetSoldierIDFromMercID( ubMercIDForMercInForm );
-	if( sSoldierID == - 1)
+	SoldierID sSoldierID = GetSoldierIDFromMercID( ubMercIDForMercInForm );
+	if( sSoldierID == NOBODY)
 		return;
 
 	// if the soldiers contract can be extended, enable the button
-	if( CanSoldierExtendInsuranceContract( &Menptr[ sSoldierID ] ) )
+	if( CanSoldierExtendInsuranceContract( sSoldierID ) )
 		EnableButton( *puiAcceptButton );
 
 	// else the soldier cant extend their insurance contract, disable the button