Message no. 1

From:	shadowrn@*********.com (Allen Smith)
Subject:	Cerebral Myoglobin, Take III
Date:	Mon Jun 18 19:35:01 2001

Here's what's hopefully the final version; thank you very much to
everyone who commented!

-Allen

Cerebral Myoglobin:
This bioware, which cannot be made Cultured, is actually a set
of viruses which modifies non-neural cells in the CNS to
produce myoglobin, which holds oxygen and supplies it when
necessary. Some modifications are also done (primarily via
triggering release of various proteins) to prevent some
degree of the damage normally happening from lack of oxygen or
other injury; these are derived from research (going on
currently) on drugs to reduce the damage from stroke, spinal
injury, etcetera. This bioware comes in levels, in which
increased levels represent more different fixes being applied
(ranging from more of the other modifications to using more
types of cells to hold myoglobin). Up to 6 levels can be
used. The effects of it are as follows:
1. Add the number of levels to the number of points of
Overdamage the subject can suffer without
dying. However, for each point of Overdamage taken
above the character's normal death threshold, add a
+1 to the TN for rolls against Permanent Injury
from Deadly Damage (SR3 pg 127-128).
2. If the subject suffers Bioware Stress effects
related to strokes or cerebral aneurysms, this
system may decrease or eliminate the
problem. Examples of such Bioware Stress effects
are Deadly Stress to Platelet Factories (M&M pg 69)
and Moderate Stress to a Synthacardium (M&M pg
70). Roll the levels of Cerebral Myoglobin against
the Stress of the bioware in question; if
successful, damaging effects of the Stress effect
are removed, reduced, or at least made healable
without surgery (GM's decision).
If 3 or more levels of Cerebral Myoglobin are used:
1. If rolling for Permanent Injury from Deadly Damage,
no successes are rolled, and the roll for which
Attribute is damaged indicates:
A. Int or Will;
B. Qui, _if_ it isn't boosted by any cyberwear
or non-neural Bioware; or
C. Reaction, _if_ it isn't boosted by any
cyberwear or non-neural Bioware,
reroll the roll versus Permanent Injury. If the
second reroll gives 0 successes, treat it as
normal.
2. Anytime one of the following gets Attribute Stress:
A. Int or Will;
B. Qui, _if_ it isn't boosted by any cyberwear
or non-neural bioware; or
C. Reaction, _if_ it isn't boosted by any
cyberwear or non-neural bioware,
reduce the Stress by 1. This can reduce the Stress
to 0.
Stress Effects:
Light Stress: Hyperventilation causes more mental
effects than normal, due to too much
oxygen.
Moderate Stress: No effect on Quickness or Reaction
Stress or Damage; halve (round up) the added
points of Overdamage before death.
Severe Stress: Double the base 60-minute time to heal
Stun damage, due to too much oxygen being
retained by the myoglobin.
Deadly Stress: It doesn't function.
In its lower levels (1-2), this implant has been around for
quite a while; it was developed originally as a (largely
successful) anti-stroke measure in the course of the creation
of Leonization. The higher levels are a more recent
development (from Universal Omnitech); they are normally used
by highly-paid professionals in dangerous fields (e.g., star
Urban Brawl/Combat Bikers), by executives & politicians
(normally paid for out of their own money or from bribe money)
worried about assasination attempts - particularly head shots -
and by researchers/engineers who've been targeted for "kill if
you can't extract" missions by rival corps. Most recipients of
the higher levels tend to also have a Metabolic Arrester or
Guardian Angel Nano-Implant. (There are rumors that its
development was assisted by research into reducing injuries to
brains from their removal from a body while still living; the
links between Universal Omnitech and Aztechnology, and the
latter's research into biocomputers (Aztlan pg 66) and
employment of Dr. Halberstam with his "Matrix babies" [see the
(original) Virtual Reality, Threats, and Target: Matrix (pg
113) sourcebooks for more on this] make this more likely.)
Most of the cost of the higher levels is in careful adjustment
to the individual; a clinic capable of doing neural bioware
(as per Cultured Bioware) is thus needed for getting levels 3
and above. [GMs may wish to adjust the Bio Index (which is
somewhat arbitrary in realism terms) to allow for the
likelihood of Permanent Injury and Attribute Stress in their
games. Only levels 3 and higher should receive higher Bio
Index for this, however. Nuyen costs should also be adjusted
for this likelihood and for the lethality of a particular
campaign.]
Bio Index: .1/level
Cost:
1-2 Levels: 5,000/level
3-4 Levels: 10,000/level
5-6 Levels: 20,000/level
Availability:
1-2 Levels: 6/8 days
3-4 Levels: 8/1 month
5-6 Levels: 10/2 months
Street Index: 1
Legality: Legal
[A large thank-you goes to Hahns and others for valuable
input, including having it in levels and the data on
Dr. Halberstam.] This implant can be upgraded at a later date
(whether or not other bioware is deemed to be so upgradable),
at a cost equal to the difference between the upgraded level's
cost and the original cost. It is not, however, removable
(much less available used).


--
Allen Smith easmith@********.rutgers.edu