Cortex Bombs
Murphy got me thinking ...

Corpies would 'protect' their information. And they'de value it alot higher than they'de value the life of the scientist.

I think it's pretty clear that cortex bombs will need both 'dead-man's triggers' AND 'remote controls'.

-Kevlar

it's interesting to speculate, would this be a permanent thing? it's an nice way of guaranteeing obediance or at least forcing people to be a bit more discreate and carefull about their betrayal.

but once the neck goes cablooey, would they reclone? would their be some program that prevents the SIC number that just exploded from recloning... insta perm?

different types of bombs, more -really- pricey (like most people wouldn't even see that sort of money) and rare ones could cause a perm...

*pictures the interesting fireworks*

How does Genetek -know- you're dead in order to activate your clone?

I think that the -legitimate- ie govt sanctioned uses of cortex bombs would carry an insta-perm designation, that would be the idea ..

Judge Pratt to [whomever] "Ok asshole, this is your -last- chance.
Pratt holds up a small transmitter with a single button.
"You screw up even this much," as he holds his thumb and forefinger 2mm apart "and you better -hope- you're in a sewer when I press this button, because your head's gonna get vaporized and your SIC ID will be tagged as 'do not reclone'. �If you have any next of kin, they can get a refund if you have a clone."
(there is a better way to do this but I don't want to chance giving away any IC info)

[whomever] glups audibly

Hospitals and clinics would do the -legit- bombs and your friendly neighborhood ripperdocs would do the unsanctioned ones, assuming they or someone could actually get ahold of the bomb. �

Hmmm, is this an opening for people with the explosives skill?

Chances of malfunction (not going off when triggered), and early detonation increase the worse the doc and bomb maker are ...

Max walks nervously down the street, the blinding snow all but obscuring his form.

Moss follows him, a transmitter in his hand.

As they meet Moss says to Max his thumb an inch above the trigger "You been behaving?"

Max eyes the transmitter and looks up to Moss, his face a pale mask. "Yeah, I've been go ..."

A small explosion is heard but quickly dies in the howling wind of the storm as Moss wipes bone fragments, chunks of flesh and bits of grey matter from his face. �"I knew I couldn't trust that doc ..."

Again, special skills needed. �It wouldn't be enough to surgically implant the bomb, you'd have to wire it to the SIC ...

Besides, if Cortex bombs cause perma, this is what people with them would do:

Rent a cube at the 'Rose and drop off all their things.
Update their clone.
Jump off Westinghaus.
Go back to Westinghaus and hide the body so no one ever knows they recloned - cyberware isn't genetic, it's metal and plastics grafted to various parts of you. Logically, it won't clone with you.

Removal: 5k, 15k if you get DCD. Take the cortex bomb off your corpse and sell it, and hell, you're probably making a profit, too.

If you're really enterprising, you'll even have someone there waiting for you with your things, so no PCs, NPCs, or ambient NPCs will see you with a Genetek jumpsuit on.

If it doesn't perma, then there's really no point in comiiting suicide to get it out. You'll die anyway, right?

But even if it doesn't perma, the cortex bomb can still be extremely handy. Especially if the charge is powerful enough to destroy most/all of your possessions.

Sure, bigwig corp scientist/programmer/executive gets 'extracted' with his data/prototype, what have you, but if he still has it on him when the bosses get wind....theft stopped. The guy may have gotten away, but the corp still has the data exclusively - or no one does, depending. It's still better than having it in the hands of the 'enemy'.

So it would be like a small frag grenade. The people in the room he is would hear a deaf explosion and his eyes, nose and ears would start to bleed a bit after it.

And counting that the explosion would be big enough to liquify one's head, he would turn himself into a grenade as the explosion would send skull fragments at high velocity in every direction, causing even more damage.

As we're slowing the healing period to a reasonable one, we might go and keep moving into the same direction to the new features.

As for expense, I'm fairly sure it -will- be expensive. Why? Not necessarily the parts - more likely because if supply and demand. I doubt there'd be ten thousand manufacturers competing with each other for the cortex bomb market. And, seeing as Genetek has a monopoly on cloning and controls the ONLY place this can get implanted right after cloning, regardless, they'd probably insist on supplying their own (which they could easily get away with - monopoly again) and gouge royally for the service. Besides that, yes, you need the explosive charge itself, detonator, a receiver, and some sort of casing for the unit to make implantation easier, right? But, I figure you DON'T want your star researcher to explode when someone dials the wrong number on their cell phone. It wouldn't be very good for morale. So, you'd need to shield this thing, and make sure it's VERY difficult to make it go off accidentally. And that's where the expense lies.

So gangs would have to implant you every time you clone - and they'd have to -know- you cloned. Considering what a pain in the ass Genetek seems to be as far as releasing info is, I doubt they could - so, you could basically have your bomb removed and never tell anyone. Selling it wouldn't be the brightest idea ('less your bosses have you selling a batch of cortex bombs), because the higher up wiseguys would probably hear of it if they have at least five brain cells between them. And that's when youre screwed. So obviously, suicide removal, however unpleasant and slightly psycho, would be the way to go - because no one but you needs to know that you're running bomb-free.

But still, even if people are scanned for them - if you know what the device scans for, exaclty, you can spoof it, removing key components of the bomb which AREN'T scanned for (after having it taken out - by suicide or otherwise. No accidents in the back of *my* head, thank you). So, if it scans for the explosive proper, you just remove the transmitter, or detonation mechanism. Safeguards? No problem, you take out the bomb, and make a phony, implant it. The scanners'll pick it up, but, it ain't the real deal.

I was also thinking - why should there be a detonator to take up more space? A simpler way would be a liquid explosive, in two parts, epoxy-style. Signal goes out, the chemicals mix, and BOOM. If they're kept separate, it's perfectly stable. So don't smash the back of this guy's head in with a bat if you know what's good for you, cos you'll get more than blood on it. New meaning to the phrase 'Bat out of hell'.

(Sorry, but when you said 'short' and 'fat', I thought 'Meatloaf')

A viola is a string instrument.

The term you're looking for is 'voila'. Unless you're trying to be the funny man. In which case, I laugh like this: :cheesy:

I guess let's start with Cloning: How does Genetek know when you die? I dunno. Make something up. They use a ULF burst transmitter which is much more expensive to maintain than the SIC transmitter uses and is completely unhealthy to humans when used in extreme closeness. Therefore the only time it can be activated is only for a nanosecond when the person is really truely dead. Sound ok? I mean don't take it as law and start talking about it IC or anything.

I immagine the 'remote control' would be tied to the SIC. Then you could just send the 'activation code' to them over the public/private SIC.

I love how this turns it into a 'hide in the sewers until I can get to a ripper doc' type of situtation. I think that's very in theme.

In theory, any type of cyberware in existance will be 'detectable' with the right type of equipment. We've not started on that framework at this time, choosing to concentrate initially on the 'install/uninstall' process which is very complex by itself. But a Doc working at SK would undoubetedly have access to some fun equipment.

Cyberware is metal and plastic permanantly installed in your body. It dosn't carry over with cloning. Bio-ware is nanites/chemicals/horomones injected into your body and is temporary in nature (lasting anywhere from a few minuts to months/years depending on the bio-ware). It dosn't carry over with clones, and nither does it's affects.

I am not going to comment about SIC IDs carrying over clones, other than to say the way it works will change before cyberware is released.

And take all of this with a grain of salt people. Nothing is ever set in stone, nor is my word the law.

But keep up the very intelligent and informed discussions. Great stuff.

-Kevlar