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Message no. 1
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Mister Incognito)
Subject: Fingertip Compartment Question
Date: Fri May 4 04:50:01 2001
Fingertip compartment- or whatever they're called- are when you have the
last joint of a finger hollowed out to make a little compartment to store
things in.

So anyway, the question is would you be able to feel if you had a fingertip
compartment if you didn't know about it? I'm currently playing a full
amnesiac PC with absolutely no memories of anything, name his past or skills
or atts.- the GM completely created the PC. Last gaming session he found
that he had a fingertip compartment with an encrypted chip in it that he
hadn't known about.

The GM and me decided for games sake and to drive the plot that he didn't
know that I had it until I was scanned and told about it. We figured with
synth-skin and the fact that with SR cyberware you'd have exactly the same
movement and sensory feeling from the finger, that my PC wouldn't be able to
feel or know about it.

So, just for a smei-correct answer should I have been able to feel
thefingertip compartment?

Cheers.
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Message no. 2
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Gurth)
Subject: Fingertip Compartment Question
Date: Fri May 4 06:35:01 2001
According to Mister Incognito, on Fri, 04 May 2001 the word on the street
was...

> So anyway, the question is would you be able to feel if you had a fingertip
> compartment if you didn't know about it?

I'd say you feel it as soon as you touch something with that fingertip. Or
better: you _don't_ feel it, making you aware it's there (or at least, that
something is not entirely the way it should be).

> The GM and me decided for games sake and to drive the plot that he didn't
> know that I had it until I was scanned and told about it. We figured with
> synth-skin and the fact that with SR cyberware you'd have exactly the same
> movement and sensory feeling from the finger, that my PC wouldn't be able to
> feel or know about it.
>
> So, just for a smei-correct answer should I have been able to feel
> thefingertip compartment?

IMHO, yes. There wouldn't be any touch sensors in such a small
replacement, I think.

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
If there are vegetarian hamburgers, why isn't there beef lettuce?
-> NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://plastic.dumpshock.com <-

GC3.12: GAT/! d-(dpu) s:- !a>? C+@ UL P L++ E W-(++) N o? K w+(--) O V?
PS+ PE(-)(+) Y PGP- t@ 5++ X(+) R+++(-)>$ tv+ b++@ DI- D+ G+ e h! !r y?
Incubated into the First Church of the Sqooshy Ball, 21-05-1998
Message no. 3
From: shadowrn@*********.com (abortion_engine)
Subject: Fingertip Compartment Question
Date: Fri May 4 13:20:01 2001
From: "Mister Incognito" <misterincognito@*******.com>
> So anyway, the question is would you be able to feel if you had a
fingertip
> compartment if you didn't know about it? I'm currently playing a full
> amnesiac PC with absolutely no memories of anything, name his past or
skills
> or atts.- the GM completely created the PC. Last gaming session he found
> that he had a fingertip compartment with an encrypted chip in it that he
> hadn't known about.
> <snip>

That depends. It /could/ be created in such a way that you couldn't; you
could construct it with the same weight, structure, and tactile feedback of
a normal fingertip. If someone wanted it to not be observable /by you/ they
could do so.

However, if such was not done, you would certainly know; the fingers are
incredibly sensative to weight and tactile changes - they're supposed to be.
Put a ring too small for your finger on, just up to the top of the
fingernail; move your hand around, touching things and behaving normally.
You'll notice the weight.

An opposing viewpoint might add that, as a complete amnesiac, you wouldn't
really have a baseline to compare against; your index finger has /always/
felt this way. However, there are biological memories that would, I think,
feel "wrong" about the weight difference.

If there were no tactile sensors, and you had half a brain, you'd know
something was wrong, obviously. And you'd have some trouble working well.
For an example, try this - don't try it, really, unless you're qualified.
Inject some local anaesthetic - or saline solution - into the artery leading
/to/ your fingertip, or just under the skin of the fingertip. Try picking
something up. Be amazed at how much attention you have to pay to get it
right. While you do get tactile feedback from the next joint up, it's not
enough to grab and use properly without a great deal of attention. Rather
like letting your foot go completely to sleep and then trying to walk.

Okay, so I blew this question out of proportion. Still, I hope I answered it
in the meantime. :)
Message no. 4
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Lars Wagner Hansen)
Subject: Fingertip Compartment Question
Date: Fri May 4 16:15:01 2001
From: "abortion_engine" <abortion_engine@*******.com>
> From: "Mister Incognito" <misterincognito@*******.com>
> > So anyway, the question is would you be able to feel if you had a
> fingertip
> > compartment if you didn't know about it?
<Snip>
> However, if such was not done, you would certainly know; the fingers
are
> incredibly sensative to weight and tactile changes - they're
supposed to be.
> Put a ring too small for your finger on, just up to the top of the
> fingernail; move your hand around, touching things and behaving
normally.
> You'll notice the weight.

Just putting on nail-varnish will make your fingers feel differet when
you arn't used to it. It does however only take a very short time
(less than 2 hours in my case), and you will have completely forgotten
about the extra weight.

So I don't think you would notice the weight difference (which would
also be increased by the chip), but there might still be a tactile
difference.

However the essence cost (0.1) indicates that there has been done
quite a lot of work on your body, of which I would assume a lot is
used to contradict all the losses of weight and tactile sense.

IMO the 0.1 essence cost makes sure you don't feel any difference, so
I would assume that your charecter would be able to not know he had
the fingettip compartment.

Lars (and don't ask about the nail-varnish)
--
Lars Wagner Hansen, Jagtvej 11, 4180 Sorø
l-hansen@*****.tele.dk http://home4.inte.tele.dk/l-hansen
Message no. 5
From: shadowrn@*********.com (Simon and Fiona)
Subject: Fingertip Compartment Question
Date: Sat May 5 02:25:00 2001
-----Original Message-----
From: Mister Incognito <misterincognito@*******.com>
To: shadowrn@*********.com <shadowrn@*********.com>
Date: Friday, May 04, 2001 6:55 PM
Subject: Fingertip Compartment Question



I can just imagine when the person discovers it. Like when he pokes
something and it flips open. "AAAAAGGHHH! I just broke my finger!"
Made me smile, anyway.

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