Installing Implants

How we go about installing the many implants known in the Solar System is not often given too much detail. In general, the upgrading process is not something most care to think about. But before Healing Vats became ubiquitous, and even now in places where they cannot be found one way or another, there were other forms of "installing" implants. This complex and messy topic is usually ignored in favor of promoting "safe" and "clean" installs and upgrades at your favorite corporate owned mod shop or open-source, public access medbay. But a Firewall Sentinel should familiarize themselves with the alternate ways implants can be handled, both so they can install in a pinch and know what potential opposition is doing. Illegal mod shops are a not-uncommon X-risk vector.

Software plug-ins for Infomorphs and Cyberbrains are the simplest. This can be done in moments with just about any software. Infomorph upgrades are most complex which require formatting to a particular Ego and require an integration suite of software to pull off. This can take days depending on the complexity of the Upgrade - so most are done in Simulspace time dilation, adding another set of equipment you'll need. Other than the software tools, however, most of this gear is pretty standard. And infomorph running on basically any server with a mesh connection can do this integration on their own or with a partner. This can make tracking such software mods a real pain.

Bioware is a different issue. Usually this sort of thing is handled entirely by a Healing Vat. The ability to permeate all tissues of the morph and provide micro-scale editing and healing can't be underestimated. Some bioware can't be installed at all without a Healing Vat, unless you start from scratch and program a new Morph with the DNA to develop it naturally. Minor bio- or neurochemistry modifications are pretty simple. Medical injectors filled with retrovirii or medical nanos can "install" such changes fairly quickly, and a few doses over time can ensure their permanence. Any idiot can follow the instructions to inject, though getting into the brain via eye socket or nose can turn a lot of stomachs. Glands and organ implants aren't too hard, it'll take about an hour for a medical maker or other form of wet-fab to clone the right part from blueprints. The messy part is the install. This will require somebody else to perform Implant Surgery, a process which can take several hours, to get everything transplanted right. Even with modern medicine, there's usually a short recovery time.

Full-body bioware, like muscle augs, chameleon skin or bioweave armor can be implanted out of a vat sometimes too. This involves a lot of treatments from head to toe, however, and is about as convenient as climbing in a tub full of nanos anyway, most people don't bother. The process to thoroughly install can take an hour or two, but expect it to take longer for the mods to actually fully manifest.

Cyberware is, in some ways, much simpler. Any piece of cyberware can be installed outside of a Healing Vat by a professional. The only downside is that it's all surgical. And a lot of cyberware is heavily neurological, meaning a lot of complex work to be done. But, it can all be done on a slab. This is why you see not just anti-genemod groups like the Jovians sporting old "chrome". A street gang might not be able to afford a jailbroken healing vat, medical-scale cloning and a proper environment to install bioware. But they can probably find a fabber and some rubbing alcohol to sterilize, so you'll see them adapting a lot of cyberware alternates to systems like enhanced hearing and vision on top of cyberlimbs and the like.

For small, non-invasive implants, basic stuff like a new set of access jacks (assuming you already have a cranial computer), ghostriders or liferecorders, you can get these placed in the body in a couple hours and get stitched up. Unfortunately, a lot of cyberware involves hooking into or going near your brain, as discussed above. This is slow, delicate work. The fastest (not necessarily the best) surgeons can get this kind of work done in 6-8 hours. A more realistic timeframe is about 12 hours, and none of this accounts for recovery time. Twelve is also a hard minimum to a serious structural mod, like a Hardened Skeleton. And expect to be down for at least twice that long on the other end.

Now, installing Nanoware is both a lot easier, but also trickier. Assuming your actual nanos are all in order and undamaged, they can be applied basically anywhere via all kinds of methods. Nanodrugs, direct injection, etc. However, because they're so tiny, they're also slow. It can take upwards of twelve hours of steady introduction for medichines to fully circulate in the body and be settled in. Same with something like Nanophages or Oracles. The upside here is that there's no surgical element a lot of the time. Once they've been introduced to your body you can get up and go - the only thing you're waiting on is for them to take full effect. This can be a little disorienting for some kinds of nanoware though, so I'd recommend sleeping on it. Nearly all these units are pre-programmed by default, but having somebody skilled with Nanomedicine around to make sure everything is working fine won't hurt.

On the other hand, some nanoware involves physical integration. Wrist-Mounted Tools are flexible sure, but they don't just assemble themselves inside your wrists - or else they could assemble themselves other places. This sort of stuff does involve implant surgery. It might be a bit quicker or cleaner than with cyber or bioware, but you'll get cut open nonetheless. A healing vat does it much easier, but a surgeon can do it in somewhere between 8-12 hours depending on what you're getting installed. Finding back-alley doctors willing to implant a nuclear thermocouple in your guts is another matter. This is what keeps jailbroken nanoware from running wild - lack of expertise. Nanomedicine is still advancing, and is fairly prestigious. Finding somebody who knows what he's doing can be hard, and while some of them are sure shady, they won't be hanging out in the same places are your regular chop-shop guy.

Robotic Enhancements are much simpler. Synthmorphs don't start bleeding out when you pop their outer shell off with an allen wrench set. They also have their own anaesthetic. Any robotics tech with a fully stocked tool kit and a fabber can install these augmentations. How long it takes depends on the aug and it's complexity. Stuff which integrates heavily into cyberbrains is much more sophisticated work than bolting a new layer of armor on. And don't get me started on the waiting time involved for Brain Boxes... The real problem is that IP protection on Synths can be a lot worse than some bios for the advanced ones, meaning shit like proprietary tools and non-standard sizes. Cheap mass-produced models can go too far the other end, cramming augs into a Case is often like trying to hot-rod your ghetto hoopty. You'll look real cool with a machine gun weapon mount right up until the servomotors in your legs blow out because the morph wasn't calibrated to handle the extra weight.

-B0n3z, Firewall Register

Fly-By Wires

"Fly-by-wire" is an old term referring to the replacing of manual, mechanical controls to an aircraft with electronic ones attached to a computer via electrical lines (hence "by wire"). These can also be attached to flight computers in order to digitally manage various elements very precisely, improving performance. Depending on the medium, this can also be referred to as "fly-by-wireless" or "fly-by-optics", which are generally how aerospace craft handle things in Eclipse Phase. However, the terminology for Fly-By-Wire stuck in another field; cybernetic implants.

Fly-By Wires: Also called "skillwires", this system predates modern Skillware/Skillsofts. Using an embedded microcomputer (or more commonly these days, direct link to a cyberbrain or mesh insert library) this implant runs synthetic nerves to the limbs which on command perform rote actions instantly, without conscious input from the user and overriding their own natural movements. This means that the user can perform a particular action with computerized precision every time on command, and these actions can be simple or complex, but they are rote - they do not allow for improvisation or adjustment by the user. Using a skillwire to bullseye a pistol shot into a target's head at 10 meters will replicate that headshot every time - unless the target happens to be dramatically shorter or taller than where the Fly-By Wire is set to. When purchased, the user should designate a single Skill which the wire is keyed for - they gain a +20 to all Task Actions with that skill, so long as that action involves routine, repeatable movements. At the GM's discretion, once per Action Turn the user may perform a Simple Action as a Free Action or a Complex Action as a Simple if it is related to that skill if they think it can be shortened by executing on-demand (e.g. a Fly-By for Kinetic Weapons might allow a user to reload for free). More advanced and expensive versions are available which are linked to computers with broader command libraries and heuristics - these designate a single type of skill (Combat, Technical, etc) instead, but are more expensive. [Low], [Moderate] for Advanced.

Fly-By Wires were envisioned by authors and wannabe-badasses as a way to "git gud" quick at things such as combat, but in reality, there's not always a practical use to rote performance of actions in a fight - it makes one very predictable and doesn't handle complex situations well. Instead, Fly-By systems were popularized as hardware installs for AIs and later even indentures in the decades prior to the Fall, allowing routine tasks to be performed with mechanical precision but still leaving an "observer" to interpret possible anomalies and work around any problems with a minimal amount of job training. This has since fallen off as Skillsofts are very easy to distribute and install directly in AIs and Infomorphs to give them a more flexible "graft" of knowledge, and sub-AI Expert Systems can generally be trusted to operate themselves with external transhuman oversight. This doesn't mean that hypercorps or other organizations don't occasionally decide to cut corners to get around high costs. Additionally, highly trained experts have picked up on the occasional use of Fly-By Wires to perform certain actions they need on a regular basis instantly, and let their own skills pick up the slack.

Heterotaxy Cyberbrain

"Heterotaxy" is the term for a form of genetic defect where major organs are not in the proper location in the body. While not unheard of in Flats, the defect has been extinguished in Splicers and better though technically some lines of morphs may be heterotaxic compared to standard transhuman or other "source" genes for design purposes. This idea of relocating organs for specific purposes can be applied to other things, such as implants, which led to the exotic development of the Heterotaxy Cyberbrain.

Heterotaxy Cyberbrain: In short, this implant/enhancement is applied to a morph which already has a Cyberbrain and relocates the cyberbrain to another location inside the body besides the normal one. For humanoid morphs this is typically the head, and the relocation may be to the body - but can be even so exotic as to be in a limb. The dimensions of the cyberbrain do not need to be exactly the same, but the relocated area must be able to hold a sufficiently strong computer to run the cyberbrain software. In place of the normal cyberbrain routing hardware is usually installed to make sure sensory input and command output is processed through the rest of the body correctly and prevent undue disorientation to the Ego. Sleeving into a morph with a Heterotaxy Cyberbrain is slightly unusual, and can be difficult, imposing a -10 penalty on Resleeving tests. This implant can only be applied to morphs with a Cyberbrain. [High]

The primary purpose of the Heterotaxy Cyberbrain is the obvious - a relocated brain makes it difficult to permanently disable a morph via cranial damage. While there are severe penalties due to problems with senses and coordination (i/e Wounds) for taking head trauma, a morph is unlikely to be stopped simply by suffering blows to the head - and instead suffers similar effects when struck in the area where the Cyberbrain has been relocated. It is often combined with the Possum Cache (p. 198 Transhuman) in order to better "play dead". Barring expensive implant masking, The Heterotaxy Cyberbrain is incredibly easy to detect if one knows what to look for, however. The cranial area is much less dense and will obviously lack a proper brain to scan ("empty-head" or "air-head" is a common nickname for HC users) and the increased mass and electrical activity of the relocated cyberbrain can be very obvious to many types of scanners. The users of the Heterotaxy Cyberbrain tend to be eccentric or paranoid.

Stack Encryption

Under normal circumstances, a Cortical Stack is a "write-only" device, which is deliberately isolated from most other data connections and storage to take only the neural network snapshots required for a backup. They can only be read using specialized equipment which is very expensive, and in many cases not portable. Even so, Even so, some people are worried about others having access to their stack in case they die or are killed. This has led to a proliferation of security measures, like Dead Switches, False Deaths, Self-Destructs, autodelete or copy-protection software and more. But for some, there are simpler solutions, though they have their own ups and downs.

Stack Encryption: This implant overhauls the cortical stack storage medium and it's underlying software, encoding brainscans in simple but hard to break encryption to prevent unauthorized users from reading the stack. The key to this encryption is usually held by a backup service, offsite data security, or with passwords/keys in the possession of the user (which means if you kill someone to take their stack, you can't get the password). A morph with Stack Encryption enabled gives a -30 penalty to Psychosurgery attempts to access or edit the backup data on the stack, and similar penalties to any InfoSec/Interfacing tests to tamper with the stack while still hooked up in a morph unless they have authorized access (or take time to break the encryption with a Quantum Codebreaking Computer). Normally this can only be installed in a morph with a Cortical Stack, but infomorphs may also take this as a Software Plugin which encrypts and obfuscates ego data recorded on a server - but would require another plugin like Emergency Backup (p. 140 Transhuman) to work. [Moderate]

Most insurance companies and several governments with resleeving programs actually ban or carefully regulate Stack Encryption because it harms their ability to do their job, and one often has to pay higher premiums on a Backup Insurance contract if your stack is to be encrypted and the company to store the authorization data. More security focused governments also ban this as part of their efforts to promote public safety - as it is very hard to interview someone in case of an accident or crime if their stack cannot be read. On the other hand, Covert Operatives engaging in risky operations may prefer encryption to Dead Switches or highly expensive emergency farcasters or QE comms - as the encryption can be held by their home agency and used to recover intel or egos if they are lost.

Shark Skin

As noted under Spinneret, many forms of bioware and other augmentations are inspired directly by the abilities of animals and plants in nature. Genehackers and implant doctors carefully tailor and design new genes, new biological structures and how to implant and maintain them in the system. The end result is with enough experimentation, many unusual characteristics may be added. Of course, many of the more extreme implants may automatically relegate themselves to niche uses - though the prevalence of new Exhuman clades often breathes life into many theoretical implants.

Shark Skin: Requires an armor implant (such as bioweave). This bioware implant mimics the natural scale configuration of sharks, skates and rays by integrating dermal denticles into the skin. It requires anchoring to a skin which has been strengthened or toughened already - and the physical structure of the denticles resembles teeth. The scales are not dense or hard enough on their own to provide additional armor, but can provide benefits similar to that of their original species. This morph gains a +10 bonus to Swimming tests while their skin is exposed, as the shark skin makes it much more hydrodynamic. There is also a secondary benefit - the denticles are sharp and rough, like an enhanced sandpaper, which can make physical contact with the skin unpleasant. This grants the morph a +20 on checks to break free from a grapple (reducing the normal penalty to -10) and whenever this character is targeted by a subdual attack, the attacker takes 1d10/2 DV in the scuffle. A cyberware variant which is compatible with synthmorph shell armor, or with the surfaces of body-covering armor is also available. [Low]

Shark Skin is mostly seen in either directly aquatic or converted humanoid morphs - as people find the additional hydrodynamism helpful and the added defenses useful in the confined, close spaces of underwater. Some even take it as a point of pride to remind others of their "superiority" over aquatic uplifts, who competed with several species of shark in their native habitats. Uplifts occasionally utilize the implant as well, but most purists and mercurials find it unpleasant or unusual to add to their biology based on a competing species. While submersion is not common outside of certain planetoid bodies, those who engage in close combat may also prefer the implant simply because of the "discouragement" it provides in grappling - and some people simply don't care to be touched.

Thermal Regulation

There are a wide variety of environmental protections afforded by Implants. Temperature Tolerance takes several stripes and enhanced forms, covering anywhere from 60 C to -200 C in the right environment. These sorts of protections are simple, but sometimes costly and follow a basic form - and they have a limit to how much they can protect. The Fat Storage (p. 197 Transhuman) augmentation is in a similar vein, allowing a body to more efficiently store water, and adjust fat distribution "on the fly" which does not grant a specific rating of protection, but rather increases overall tolerance by a rough percentage. But, nano-ecology groups like Black Eden have begun developing a new, more technologically advanced answer to the issue of environmental protection.

Thermal Regulation: This nanoware embeds temperature-sensitive nanites in all parts of the body. In cold extremes, the nanites can cause minute changes to increase heat transmission, generate small amounts of heat or energy to keep the body stimulated, or bind or destroy ice crystals directly like an advanced antifreeze. If it is too hot, the nanites act as a nanofluid which greatly enhances the body's natural cooling capacity, wick heat away from vital areas, and can even store the energy or convert it to other forms (such as if paired with Eelware). The end result is that much of the body acts like a temperature-sensitive smart material - making it ideally paired with actual temperature tolerance mods. This results in taking half DV (round up) from any damage which is caused by extreme heat or cold alone, such as from a severe environment. At the moment, the regulation is not fast acting enough or capable of storing enough heat to properly react to directed energy weapons - which often involve secondary damages besides flash-heating. [Moderate]

It should be noted that for an unprotected biomorph, Thermal Regulation may not seem to do much - but when combined with other implants to grant a morph greater protections it can combine to absorb a great deal of harm to the body in an emergency situations which cause extreme environmental exposure. When combined with Medichines to rapidly heal the damage, morphs can be very versatile to temperature extremes. As nanoware efficiency and capability arises, it may one day be possible to get nanites which can begin to absorb and transmit extra heat from energy weapons fast enough to alleviate their damage as well.

Spinneret

Bioware is often build on emulating the abilities of other animals. And humans have long been fascinated with the properties of silk, especially of spiders. Depending on the breed spiders can produce enough silk to cover multiple square meters, with fibers which are as strong as steel or twentieth century body armor. All while maintaining adhesion and elasticity. It's also remarkably sturdy to varied temperatures, much more than a spider might encounter in nature. This has made spider silk a bit of a hallmark for both natural and synthetic polymers for quite some time, and the target of genetic engineering projects for decades. Ultimately, genehackers are able to implement this idea into various morphs.

Spinneret: This implant adds an artificial gland based on spiders, which naturally produces a silken polymer. Usually located in the wrist, mouth or torso this appears to be a single pore or patch of skin but is a more complex organ underneath. The gland produces enough silk to cover an area of about 30 square meters a day, or a strand might have a maximum length of up to 100 meters, though this would take several hours of work to create and prepare, and at a maximum rate can extrude a meter every couple of minutes. The silk is a genefixed blend which takes the best qualities of many spiders into account, it retains strength and shape between -40 C and 220 C in temperature and if attempting to cut or destroy has a DUR of 50. The silk is adhesive (though the biomorph which produces is makes an enzyme in their skin which prevents it from sticking to them), and requires a SOMx2 or COOx2 check to escape, and a properly braced and woven strand can support the equivalent of several metric tonnes. The only real weakness is that the silk's durability is damaged by contact with water and other liquids - contact with water deals 1d10 damage to it. A character with this organ must maintain a diet of supplements to make the special proteins for the silk, or re-ingest the silk they produce when they are done with it.  [Moderate]

While still a fairly niche and advanced bioware, the Spinneret has many uses. Some socialites utilize special blends of it to make their own silk clothing, even weaving it on the spot before an event, or they produce beautiful woven art with it. Some of those who like to have self-reliance can even shape it into armor (Can make the equivalent of Armored Clothing with Hardware: Armorer or an appropriate Art check in an hour) or they use it in place of tech like a Spindle to produce fibers for climbing, tying and binding. Some Ego Hunters advertise their ability to produce silk in order to capture targets and bring them in unharmed. And of course, Exhumans of the Predator clade have been known to adopt several spider-like qualities, including weaving traps and alarms from silk.

Acid Gland

Utilizing implants, Transhumans have been able to weaponize their bodies in a number of ways. Claws (p. 305 EP) are most common, or implanted blades, but there are more exotic implants, such as poison glands, mounted weapons, and even some exotic morphs have hardened cybernetic teeth and jaws. While this suits most self-defense or utility needs, there are some (particularly Exhuman clades) who seek to mimic or implement even more defensive/offensive tactics - one of the most obvious and easiest is the Acid Gland - as nearly all biomorphs already produce acid naturally.

Acid Gland: This implant adds a new gland in the throat or mouth area which naturally produces and stores a small amount of acid of similar composition to stomach acid. With the appropriate stimulation or reflex, the morph can spray a jet of acid from their mouth at an enemy. This uses the Exotic Ranged Weapon: Acid Gland skill, and on a hit deals 2d10 DV and will deal an additional 1d10 DV each Action Turn for 3 turns, or until the acid is removed or canceled (such as by a chemical reaction). The damage is reduced by Kinetic armor, but the AV of that armor is reduced by the damage until repaired. This is a Cone attack with Range 5/10/15/20. Unfortunately, the gland suffers from metabolic limitations, and can only be used with this range and effectiveness roughly once per day. It does, however, also typically involve protecting the innards of the morph from acidic damage so they are not harmed by their own spit. [Moderate]
Bombardier Gland variant: This version of the implant was developed by Genehackers on Fortean, still trying to get around the "fire-breathing problem". While not necessarily able to project fire like a Torch, this version of the gland functions the same but instead of acid, it produces chemicals which when mixed and spat out produce a chemical reaction for intense heat, like certain insects use. It uses the same skill, has the same range, and inflicts the same DV, but this is reduced by Energy armor. If the attacker scores an excellent success, the target will be set On Fire, taking 1d10 DV each action turn until they can put it out. While not as useful as a last-ditch mechanism by Exhumans, for those who live in atmospheres regularly and would like a surprise that doesn't eat through the deck plates, it is an alternative. [Moderate]

The Acid Gland tends to be restricted in most enclosed habitats, due to their ability to inflict lasting collateral damage on people and infrastructure, noted above. Even some anarchist collectives have managed to vote to ban them completely. Thus, the implant is usually seen as something for antisocials or counter-cultures, either romanticised rebels or predator exhumans. They also take great skill to get used to for most humanoids, which means their accuracy is usually poor, but octopi have shown some natural aptitude for it. This has led to recent reports of possible Hidden Concern agents who shoot clouds of acid ink at pursuers, which is very unpleasant (though not able to cause severe damage as the acid is diluted).

False Death

For security, it is possible to neutralize oneself and prevent capture of an Ego. The Dead Switch (p. 306 EP) erases a stack completely if the morph dies. Emergency Farcaster (p. 306 EP) broadcasts regular backups and can be used to farcast from a morph in a quick emergency - but at the "cost" of destroying the body and all its implants. Memory Wipe allows memories to be protected (by deleting them) from a cyberbrain, infomorph or other situation with Mnemonic Augmentation. But, what if you only wanted to secure yourself for a little while? What if you just needed a second? Cyberware has existed long enough to grapple with security concerns like this and offer a solution - though not an elegant one.

False Death: This old style of cybernetic implant buries several self-charging electrical leads into the nervous system. On command from a cranial computer, they will activate, dispensing a charge which stops heart, lung and other autonomous activity. To a casual observer, the morph stops breathing, has no pulse and will show minimal brain activity due to interference from the implant - but their electronics will continue to function in low power mode for quite some time. Then, after either another signal or a preset amount of time, the implant activates again, resuming normal functions - faking a clinical death for a short period. Because of their age and often illicit uses, these implants also tended to be unpleasant and unstable, and even in AF 10 are inherently risky. The user of the implant immediately begins to suffer the effects of Asphyxia (as outlined on p. 194 EP) and could well pass out and die if the implant runs too long. This can be avoided by integration with Medichines (p. 308 EP), which can safely but the body in stasis to prevent damage - however the user is still likely to pass out - and must make DUR tests at increasing penalties as normal. This implant is only available to bimorphs. [Low]

When someone is under the effects of False Death, the only way to tell their still alive would be to take a detailed brainscan (which would probably take longer than the user has to live) or via a thorough examination of the morph (such as with X or Gamma Rays) which would detect the implant. A thorough forensic could identify cause of death as something unusual, but most persons still "alive" through the implant would be roused before an autopsy could take place. Historically, the implant has been very unreliable and make-shift - having a tendency to fail or inflict permanent brain damage. However certain persons attached to their morph are more comfortable with a brief clinical death than the possibility of "real" death or capture, making it an alternate option for some.

Joint Augmentation

Getting "stronger" is fairly easy. Muscle Augmentation (p. 305 EP) applies a quick bonus to the strength of a morph for a decent cost, completely sculpting and restructuring muscle fibers for better strength and fitness. Being more flexible is tougher. While some morphs (such as the Bouncer) are inherently cultivated for great flexibility (Modeled via the Limber trait (p. 146 EP)) this option is very resource intensive, requiring specific cultivation of a morph from it's inception to generate the desired genetic traits. For those who wish to rapidly improve flexibility and fine joint control, there are other options.

Joint Augmentation: The morph's joints have been comprehensively modded to have more elastic cartilage and stronger joint fibers - allowing more inherent flexibility and control over minute adjustments at points of articulation. Apply a +5 modifier to COO. Also adds a +10 to any test where flexibility would help - this bonus does not stack with the Limber trait. [High]

Despite it's simplicity, Joint Augmentation is actually fairly rare. While it is known or suspected to be used by several high-profile escape artists, it generally does not get wide use. It's primary market is actually to help those with joint damage or degradation, due to aging or a hard lifestyle. While Healing Vats can repair most damage and alleviate symptoms, damage can still persist - for those who still require frequent use of their joints in a singular biomorph, or are against resleeving or healing vats, it is a common therapeutic proceedure done over longer courses of gene therapy. On the less savory side, many mercs and assassins utilize Joint Augmentation on top of natural morph aptitudes to grant additional flexibility and emphasis the "hand" part of hand-eye-coordination.

Shepherd's Gland

Enhanced Pheromones (p. 305 EP) are a fairly standard social implant, which refines native biochemistry for natural pheromone releases to have more potency - improving social skills through affection and trust, but does not affect those with a different biochemistry system. Scent Affinity (p. 148 EP) is an implantation for Smart Animals which modifies them to be receptive to a particular scent of an individual. This is good for singular animals or a worker who works with many animals, but does not necessarily have field utility. For those who need a more utilitarian tool for animal handling, there are other options which mimic the utility of Enhanced Pheromones.

Shepherd's Gland: Utility bioware modeled after Enhanced Pheromones. This system allows a user to produce a number of common scent and pheromone cues for a variety of smart animals. These can be used to help push an animal to specific behaviors or emotional states. This grants the user a +10 to all Animal Handling rolls, assuming the animal can smell them and is in the gland's library. By default, the gland contains the ability to influence most extant mundane animals and their smart variety. An upgrade to handle specific exotic or neogenetic animals may be procured at a [Trivial] cost. A variation of this upgrade is made to handle uplifts - those who smell, anyway, and functions identical to Enhanced Pheromones, though many uplifts are not happy with the idea of being "handled" [Low]

Because of it's utility and lack of lead-time, many freelance animal trainers and handlers utilize it to have more flexibility than installing Scent Affinity and Cybercortexes in every animal. While not common, some habitats even have enough "wild" life in their regions to warrant animal control officers, who may also prefer this implant. And of course, there are less than scrupulous uses, such as for intrusion specialists who may need to work around guard animals who are predisposed to be hostile.

Gambler's Chip

The "transhuman future" has done little to impact the human nature of Gambling. While the Fall makes plenty of people strongly risk averse, in general society does little to actively discourage the occasional game of chance and skill. Legal, illegal and in-between gambling exists all across the Solar System, taking both traditional forms (sports bets, classic casino games, electronic games, etc) to new forms of games such as the incredibly complex "neopoker". Some games are cultural, others are played for their specific odds or skills. Some betting involves no "game" at all; dead pool, bets on Scum olympics, all kinds of things which rely on the skills of others. In this complex world, humans have always turned to technology to give an edge on situations beyond their control.

Gambler's Chip: Also known by nicknames of "Red Queen", "Pocket Ace" or "Skifter", this old-fashioned cyberware implant is a dedicated probability calculator armed with a small suite of data analysis and prediction software. From an age before bioware mental augmentations were common, this unit allows dedicated processing of data from sensory input (through an interface with a mesh insert or cyberbrain usually) without any conscious input and give suggestions to a user in their AR feed. Because this narrower focus is usually limited to analyzing odds and probabilities for chance - it is less complex and cheaper than Probability Mapping software (p. 156 Panopticon). It grants the user a +10 on all tests where the chip can help them predict the outcome of events, and also usually helps the user recognize dangerous outcomes, granting +1 on Initiative. [Low]

As noted above, the Gambler's Chip is from the Per-Fall time, when bioware mental augmentations like Math Boost and Eidetic Memory (p. 301 EP) were not as common or reliable to install. So, the chip comes in as a dedicated card to store and process data directly without input from the user. Such devices were banned in almost any casino, and many countries (not want to be seen as enabling a bad habit) heavily restricted or banned their installation. After the Fall, however, they've had a resurgence, not just by those with an affection for the old "chrome", but as regulations on implants grow looser over time. It is recommended, however, that one Mask (p. 148 Panopticon) such an implant before going to a reputable gaming house.

The modern Gambler's Chip is not only burned with the rules for most common games in it's memory, but is independently mesh-enabled to learn new rules and probabilities on the fly. However, the device is not infallible. It requires the user to be able to see certain information in order to best process it and generate odds, and the user must have time and concentration to observe and utilize the data it gives on their own. While a Muse can monitor chip output, this still is a singular data stream it must focus on. Additionally, without secondary implants such as Mental Speed, the chip still can require time to analyze and output data, and may lag when confronted with multiple complex calculations at once. It works best when the user has time to think about the outcomes the chip provides, not make snap decisions.

Artificial Organs

In the modern, 10 AF period, organ transplants and replacement are fairly simple. Biomods or Medichines will prevent most long-term damage, though severe damage or failures are not impossible. In this case, a quick dip in a healing vat will fix most damage - or, pre-Fall fabrication technology allows fairly rapid "printing" of a new organ from a DNA sample fairly quickly, to be implemented in conventional surgery. The latter method is so reliable at this stage that most morph manufacturers and rental services offer extended warranties on all organs to be replaced at no additional cost. And, worst comes to worst, a new morph can be provided.

Prior to this, "synthetic" or artificial organ technology was fairly mature - but is now underutilized. While Pods often utilize artificial or hybrid organs to save on complications of using purely organic ones, use as a full medical technology is incredibly limited. For those who do use it, it is because of stigmas or restrictions on fabrication technology which make printing of organs expensive or rare, or persons with specific ideological concerns about cloning - or "hipsters" who enjoy adding plastic and chrome to their bodies for aesthetic purposes, either completely voluntarily, or as an alternative to normal medical treatment. "Off the shelf" artificial organs are also sometimes used by doctors as a stop-gap measure to keep patients alive and functional if their facilities are overcrowded and/or understaffed. While most artificial replacements can operate well above human norms, most synthetics are adjusted to work at about the level expected by a particular Morph. Over- or underperforming organs can lead to health complications.

This means artificial organs are fairly cheap and almost entirely cosmetic. They offer no additional benefits to the user other than at GM discretion (such as a tailored toxin or virus which destroys heart tissue not affecting someone with a robot heart). For purposes of description, many forms of bioware installed as cyberware can be fluffed as artificial organs - such as a cyberware for enhanced vision being a synthetic eye. [Low]

Hand Shockwave

The Hand Laser (p. 308 EP) is very useful device, bringing the capabilities of a Laser Pulser into a small hand-mount which is concealable, portable, but tends to be low impact on the environment for habitats concerned about their infrastructure. In other cases, the Hand Stunner is available to offer a less-lethal alternative to the Hand Laser, delivering a shock to targets like the Stunner weapon. But there exists another way for a laser weapon to be used, which is normally enabled in a Laser Pulser but not possible in the stripped down design of the normal Hand Laser. This is a form of Pulsed Energy Projectile used by the Laser Pulser which can be integrated wholly into the cybernetic implant - at the cost of the normal firing mode.

Hand Shockwave: Another variant on the Hand Laser, this weapon is functionally identical to the normal base Hand Laser except that the internal construction is deliberately made so it only fires in what is normally "Stun" mode on a Laser Pulser. It uses a two-step laser pulse to generate shockwaves of plasma which erupt in a 1 meter radius of the target, similar to a flashbang, disorienting and knocking aside the target. Such PEP weapons are commonly used by law enforcement, and some prefer this type of approach in implanted weapons. All targets in the area of effect must make SOM x2 tests (SOM x3 for Synthmorphs or morphs with Pain Tolerance), failure meaning they are temporarily stunned and lose their next Action. Critical Failure results in the target being knocked down and being completely paralyzed for 1 Action Turn per 10 MoF. This deals only 1d10 DV, with an AP of 0 and only fires in Single Shot mode - like the variant on the Laser Pulser. A Hand Shockwave holds 50 shots worth of charge in the integrated battery. [Low]

Shock Tolerance

Shock Attacks (p. 204 EP) are an incredibly potent weapon against biomorphs and pods, able to completely incapacitate them or seriously hamper them long enough to subdue or engage with conventional weapons. The effectiveness of shock weapons is one of the primary reasons, combined with disabling pain sensors, that Synth morphs are considered the top tier of combat morphs. But, one cannot count out transhuman ingenuity, and so attempts have been made to improve biomorph's resistance to Shock effects, and they have some limited success.

Shock Tolerance: This bioware comprehensively strengthens the body to resist or dampen the effect of a Shock attack on the body. This involves improving interbody insulation, toughening certain nerve clusters and muscle groups, and actually improving muscular control so that one can maintain conscious control of the body even though some debilitating effects still occur. While impossible to completely alleviate the effects of a Shock attack (which many users note is still discomforting or even painful), Shock Tolerance makes it so morphs are statistically less likely to be completely incapacitated - though this involves many variables (physical location of the shock, overall health, etc) to nail down as a complete immunity. A morph with Shock Tolerance rolls (DURx2)+Energy Armor when struck with a Shock weapon to resist its effects. [High]

Shock Tolerance is sometimes used by habtechs who work with electrical gear to help prevent dangerous injuries when working with live cables or wiring, but the most common is in morphs with combat or security duties to resist a debilitating incapacitation, such as police in the LLA where synthmorph rights agitators often deploy Shock weapons en masse due to Synths' inherent immunities. On the other hand, Shock Tolerance occupies a place of dubious legality in many polities due to law enforcement's frequent use of Shock weapons. The legislature in the Titanian Commonwealth, for instance, has gone back and forth on if Shock Tolerance should be available to the average citizen. The resistance to non-lethal takedown by police not only makes things more dangerous for officers and other civilians, but also means police may have to endanger the life and limb of a suspect as well.

Hand Stunner

The Hand Laser (p. 308 EP) is a fairly common and typically affordable implant for combat morphs or personal defense - especially if a habitat has loose personal armament laws. It makes an effective weapon in that it is self-charging and cannot be removed short of gross physical damage to the morph, though like most small pulse lasers, it is not a high output weapon. But for some, the act of violence on another is unpleasant or immoral. Some may wish to utilize cybernetics to defend themselves, but try and avoid permanent injury to the other party. Other locales have strict regulations on law enforcement or other government personnel when it comes to harming citizenry. For this case, there is the Hand Stunner.

Hand Stunner: Similar to the Hand Laser, this implant embeds an electrolaser through flexible components in the forearm, with the lens aperture emerging between knuckles on the dominant hand. Same as the Hand Laser, the Hand Stunner is powered by a self-charging nuclear battery embedded in the torso. Because of the lower power, the Hand Stunner has better efficiency than a Hand Laser, but still less than an external Stunner, holding a total of 100 shots. This hand stunner deals 1d10/2+Shock DV and has an AP of 0. It fires in Semi-Auto mode. Like a regular Stunner, the Hand Stunner does not work in Vacuum. [Moderate]

Bioelectric Sense

Many aquatic animals (and some in other environments) possess a passive ability to sense minute electrical fields, such as those generated by the muscle impulses of living things. This ability is primarily used to supplement other senses to detect nearby creatures - predators or prey. Naturally, such a sense can be replicated using bioware, in addition to the ability of Cyberware to outright build a detector specifically for electric current, the Electrical Sense (p. 306 EP).

Bioelectric Sense: This implant installs passive electroreceptor organs in the skin of the morph, which detect electrical fields that get close. This has a range of approximately 5 meters in air, but goes up to 20 meters in water (especially salt water). Unlike Electrical Sense cyberware, the Bioelectric Sense only roughly gives a direction and distance to an object generating an electric or magnetic field, and may not sense such fields through certain shielded materials. The primary advantage of this implant is that it is sensitive enough to detect minute electrical fields generated by muscle contractions and other nerve impulses in living creatures, and does so passively. Due to the fact that their internal systems do not completely mimic biomorphs, this augment also gives a +20 to any perception check to observe if someone is a Synthmorph using a Synthetic Mask (p. 311 EP) in range. [Low]

Photosynthetic Skin

Advances in biotechnology and nanotechnology have allowed Transhumans to greatly decrease their resource consumption, and extend the amount of time they can survive without needing to consume normal foods. The Personal Power Plant (p. 153 Gatecrashing) utilizes exotic and rare isotopes combined with nanomachines to generate bodily energy for decades. The implant for Long Term Life Support (p. 189 Rimward) puts maker nanites directly in the body to recycle food and air, if the morph can stay supplied with chemical supplements and raw materials. Efficient Digestion (p. 197 Transhuman) optimizes the body to use less calories, at the expense of its natural aptitudes, while Digestive Symbiote (p. 198 Transhuman) nanobots allow the body to consume almost any organic material. Nano-ecologists have been able to produce their own tech which advances the Transhuman body's ability to survive on minimal supplies, though its environmental constraints limit its use.

Photosynthetic Skin: Developed by nano-ecologists, this nanoware implant places active nanite groupings in the skin of the morph, which absorb the energy used by sunlight, and use water and the body's natural waste CO2 to produce limited amounts of chemical energy. While it would be possible to use genehacking to simply build morphs with cells designed for photosynthesis, the implant is able to accomplish this with an efficiency without heavily altering existing structures, making it more cost-effective. This allows a morph with this implant to survive without eating up to a month using just sunlight and water, though as with the personal power plant, certain vitamins and other supplements may be needed for cell replenishment or to avoid unpleasant deficiencies with extended use. However, this comes at certain "cost", which is that in order to function, the morph must expose a majority of its bare skin to the sunlight for approx 8 hours a day, more or less depending on local light conditions - though certain artificial lights also meet this requirement. [Low]

Due to the sunlight and skin requirements, the Photosynthesis upgrade has very limited applications. As Mars gets more terraformed, it becomes possible for those in the Outback to utilize this to reduce food consumption, and certain Gatecrashers have been interested for use on exoplanets, as this can avoid problems with consuming "local" flora or fauna for extended periods. Where the implant is getting the most traction, however is with Reclaimers. Damage to the Earth's biosphere means natural food is fairly limited and will take much time to replenish, but with basic toxin filtration to remove worry about contaminants, there is still a great deal of water left on the planet which could allow a bimorph to survive extended periods on the surface. Supposedly, this application is "purely hypothetical" at this state.

Memory Wipe

While memories may never have been "sacred", the transhuman future means that a person's memories are more readily accessible by others than ever before. This means that to protect secrets or intentions, some people occasionally block or erase memories to keep them from others. Commonly, this involves devices such as the Memory Lock (p. 149 Panopticon) or drugs like Grey Ranks (p. 175 Firewall) to block long-term memories from forming. Others may undergo lengthy and possibly damaging psychosurgery to remove or alter their own memories, and similar processes can be done with Brainhacking. The fact that editing memories stored in a cyberbrain is much easier led to the advent of this particular technology, used by some criminal or special operations types.

Memory Wipe: The Memory Wipe is an add-on which integrates with Mnemonic Augmentation, such as is automatically included in Cyberbrains or Infomorphs. It serves as an automated process to delete certain memories stored in Mnemonic Augmentation, which puts them out of reach of brainhackers and psychosurgeons. This system can be fairly nuanced, either able to delete all memories held in a single period of time (up to one week), or memories can be "tagged" for deletion in the interface (Make an Interfacing test to tag memories in a pinch) and all scrubbed at once as a Complex Action. This can be highly disorienting to some people, as memory wipe users are often conscious and aware they have wiped their own memories, and thus keenly aware they can now no longer remember something. A gamemaster's discretion, deleting more than several continuous minutes of memories may require the user to make a Continuity test (p. 272 EP) to handle the possible stress. Like with many computer systems, the speed at which the Memory Wipe removes the memories means they are often not completely deleted, and a psychosurgeon may attempt to recover the memories with a -30 Psychosurgery test, in an action which may take minutes or hours of work depending on how much memory was deleted. This augmentation is also available as a software upgrade for Infomorphs. Requires Mnemonic Augmentation. [Moderate]

Enhanced Touch

In terms of bioware, the concept of enhanced senses is very common in the Transhuman Future. Enhanced Vision and Enhanced Hearing (p. 301 EP) are such common augmentations that many lines of morphs even come with them naturally. While not as common, Enhanced Smell (p. 301 EP) is similarly a useful modification with many applications for transhumans. However, the augmentation of Enhanced Touch can be seen as more exotic.

Enhanced Touch: In simple terms, this implant greatly increases the density, sensitivity and complexity of various cells in the skin responsible for tactile and haptic feedback, usually around 5x increase in sensitivity. This means that morphs with this implant have a much better sense of "fine touch", and are able to tell details about an object through simple touch much better than before, possibly even being able to get a sense of an object as good as with (unenhanced) vision. This augmentation also tends to give morphs a more detailed sense of small ambient details, such as shifts in airflow and temperature. However, this enhancement in sensitivity is invariably bonded to other aspects of the sense of touch, such as pain responses. The implant offers a +20 bonus to any purely touch-based Perception test, and a +10 modifier on any Skill Test which involves a fine touch (so long as you're using your bare hands), but a -10 on all tests related to pain, such as the WIL test caused by a Microwave Agonizer's "Pain" setting. [Low]

Many people who utilized Enhanced Touch operate in Socialite circles, the increased detail and fine touch sense are useful for many artisans, especially in the fashion industry. Others simply enjoy the novelty, or even pleasure generated from the enhanced sensitivity. Technicians, escape artists and cat burglars are the other most frequent users of Enhanced Touch, as it has great uses for manipulating small objects, or doing precise work on things you cannot see. Many criminal outfits make use of Enhanced Touch in certain morphs, either for purposes of interrogation or as an extremely "ghetto" version of Tasping if they cannot afford or perform conventional Psychosurgery. Enhanced Touch is also available as a Robotic Enhancement, and quite popular for Synths which may normally experience a certain dullness in their tactile sensors. The fact that all Synthmorphs can disable pain feedback make this option even more appetizing for them. For biomorphs, use of Sense Filters (p. 149 Panopticon) is recommended to avoid any unwanted side-effects.