Guide to Nanites
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Reynard Parker, the Roboticist says: "Move over Geneticist, there's a better way of making super humans these days. What is this method, you may ask? Nanites, son. It's not without it's risks to the user, but it's not like anybody is going to detonate anybody from the inside out with these things, right...?" |
Nanites are tiny nanomachines that live in a host's bloodstream, providing different functionalities depending on how they're programmed. The mob where the nanites reside is usually defined as their host.
Nanites
NANOMACHINES, SON!
Implanting
Nanite implantation can be done through the Nanite Chamber. A second person must operate the chamber from outside and begin the implanting process, at the end of which a new swarm will take root in the host.
Another method is to build a Public Nanite Chamber. Use a multitool on the Public Nanite Chamber circuit board first to choose which backup cloud you want it synched to. If you don't multitool the board it will default to cloud 1. Build the chamber using a machine frame. The public nanite chamber will automatically implant nanites into anyone who enters it, without the need for a second person.
Volume
Nanites generally expend a part of their volume while their programs are active. Luckily, modern technology allows them to integrate with the host's metabolism to replicate without interfering with biological processes, causing them to have a slow but steady growth rate. Nanites by default have a safety threshold where they'll stop using nanite-consuming programs; it can be customized using a Nanite Chamber. If the swarm reaches a population of 0, there's none left to replicate, and the host will have to implant nanites and programming from scratch.
Programming
Nanite swarms can contain nanite programs. These programs can have a huge variety of effects, and are loaded into a nanite swarm in two main ways: uploading them manually with a Nanite Chamber or by syncing them with a Cloud Backup. Once loaded programs cannot be directly modified; instead, a copy of the same program with the desired programming must be uploaded again to overwrite the previous one. There is no limit to the amount of loaded programs, but using too many at once will usually rapidly deplete the nanite population.
Cloud
Nanite swarms can be set with a Cloud ID. If so, they will, every 30 seconds, copy the programming of the Cloud Backup with the same ID, if it has been set. Cloud backups are controlled by Cloud Control Consoles. They can create new backups (with codes from 1 to 100), as well as upload programs from a disk into the selected backup. Cloud control consoles also serve as storage, meaning that if they're disabled they will no longer sync with connected nanites, and that if all cloud consoles are destroyed, all backups will be lost.
Cloud synchronization has several benefits over direct chamber programming: it can update programs without a second person to operate the chamber, it will reset programming in case of tampering or data corruption, and can be updated remotely by a second person. Of course, the last part also makes it very risky, since anyone could upload malicious programs at any time if they have a console to do it with.
Nanite Programs
Nanite programs determine what nanites do inside the host. They have different categories, and range from helpful to deadly.
Obtaining programs
Programs are unlocked through techweb research. Once unlocked, they can be downloaded into Nanite Program Disks at any Nanite Program Hub.
Customizing Programs
Programs have sevral parameters that can be customized with the use of a Nanite Programmer. Simply insert a program disk in the machine and set the parameters you prefer. Note that codes set to 0 are inactive and cannot be signaled.
- Activated: Determines if the program starts activated or not.
- Activation Delay: Determines, in seconds, how long until the program self-activates.
- Timer: Determines the length of the timer. Disables the timer if set to 0.
- Timer Type: Determines what happens when the timer counts down. Has four settings:
- Deactivate: Deactivates the program.
- Self-Delete: Deletes the program.
- Trigger: Triggers the program, if possible.
- Reset Activation Timer: If there is an activation timer, it's reset to 0, deactivating the program until it counts down again.
- Activation Code: The code that must be signaled to activate the program.
- Deactivation Code: The code that must be signaled to deactivate the program.
- Trigger Code: If the program can be triggered, the code that must be signaled to trigger the program.
- Kill Code: The code that must be signaled to delete the program.
Some programs have an extra setting available for customization, like relay channels or signal codes.
Signaling Programs
Nanite Remotes can send coded signals to nanites. When a nanite swarm receives a signal, all its programs react if they recognize the code.
Nanite Remotes can be set to four modes:
- Self targets the person who is holding the remote.
- Targeted targets only the mob that is being clicked on.
- Area targets all mobs in sight.
- Relay allows the user to choose a relay channel; the signal is then sent globally to all hosts which have a relay program set to that channel.
Triggered Programs
Some programs do not have an effect over time, and instead must be triggered. To do so they can either receive a Trigger Code or set a Trigger Timer. Triggering a program generally has a cooldown as well as a cost in volume; if those requirements are not met the program won't trigger. If the program is not activated, it will also be unable to trigger, but activating the program is not the same as triggering it.
Data Corruption
Events like EMPs or shocks might result in data corruption in nanite programs, which can result in one of several different effects: - Toggles the program, deactivating it if active and viceversa. - Triggers the program, if it can be triggered - Deletes the program completely - Resets all the codes, preventing it from being signaled by remotes or signal programs. - Converts the program into a corrupted version. The glitch program depends on the program that got corrupted.
Nanite Types
Nanites are split in several categories.
Utility Programs
Programs that interact with the nanites themselves, or have general utility purposes.
| Program | Effect | Volume per second | Trigger Cost | Trigger Cooldown | Required Techweb | Corruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metabolic Synthesis | The nanites use the metabolic cycle of the host to speed up their replication rate, using their extra nutrition as fuel. The host must be at least well fed. | +0.5 | -- | -- | Smart | Toxin Buildup |
| Viral Replica | The nanites constantly send encrypted signals attempting to forcefully copy their own programming into other nanite clusters. | 0.5 | -- | -- | Military | Toxin Buildup |
| Monitoring | The nanites monitor the host's vitals and location, sending them to the suit sensor network. | 0 | -- | -- | Basic | Toxin Buildup |
| Host Scan | The nanites display a detailed readout of a body scan to the host. Can pick between medical, chemical, or nanite scan. | -- | 3 | 5s | Neural | Toxin Buildup |
| Stealth | The nanites hide their activity and programming from superficial scans. | 0.2 | -- | -- | Smart | Toxin Buildup |
| Subdermal ID | The nanites store the host's ID access rights in a subdermal magnetic strip. Updates when triggered, copying the host's current access. | -- | 0 | 5s | Basic | Dermalysis |
| Relay | The nanites receive and relay long-range nanite signals. Must be set with a relay channel beforehand. | -- | -- | -- | Basic | Toxin Buildup |
| Signal Repeater | When triggered, sends another signal to the host, optionally with a delay. Useful to set up multiple codes for the same program. | -- | -- | -- | Basic | Toxin Buildup |
| Relay Signal Repeater | When triggered, sends a signal via relay, optionally with a delay. | -- | -- | -- | Basic | Toxin Buildup |
| Infective Exo-Locomotion | The nanites gain the ability to survive for brief periods outside of the human body, as well as the ability to start new colonies without an integration process; resulting in an extremely infective strain of nanites. | 5.5 | -- | -- | Hazard | Hypoxemia, Necrosis |
| Mitosis | The nanites gain the ability to self-replicate, using bluespace to power the process, instead of using the host's metabolism. This rapidly speeds up the replication rate, but it causes occasional software errors due to faulty copies. Will not activate if the nanites are synced to a cloud backup. | +0.5 to +5 | -- | -- | Hazard | Toxic |
| Electromagnetic Resonance | The nanites cause an elctromagnetic pulse around the host when triggered. Will corrupt other nanite programs! | 0 | 10 | 5s | Mesh | Toxin Buildup |
Augmentation Programs
Augmentation programs offer boosts and bonuses to the host.
| Program | Effect | Volume per second | Trigger Cost | Trigger Cooldown | Required Techweb | Corruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nerve Support | The nanites act as a secondary nervous system, reducing the amount of time the host is stunned by half. | 20 | -- | -- | Neural | Nerve Decay |
| Dermal Hardening | The nanites form a mesh under the host's skin, protecting them from melee and bullet impacts. | 0.5 | -- | -- | Mesh | Dermalysis |
| Dermal Refractive Surface | The nanites form a membrane above the host's skin, reducing the effect of laser and energy impacts. | 0.5 | -- | -- | Mesh | Dermalysis |
| Rapid Coagulation | The nanites induce rapid coagulation when the host is wounded, dramatically reducing bleeding rate. | 0.1 | -- | -- | Biological | Hypoxemia |
| Electric Conduction | The nanites act as a grounding rod for electric shocks, protecting the host. Shocks can still damage the nanites themselves. | 0.2 | -- | -- | Mesh | Nerve Decay |
| Mental Barrier | The nanites form a protective membrane around the host's brain, shielding them from abnormal influences like a mindshield implant while they're active. | 0.4 | -- | -- | Synaptic | Neuro-Necrosis, Brain Misfire |
Healing Programs
Healing programs fix a variety of damage and ailments that affect the host. They generally consume a lot of nanites, so it's advisable to activate them manually when necessary.
| Program | Effect | Volume per second | Trigger Cost | Trigger Cooldown | Required Techweb | Corruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerated Regeneration | The nanites boost the host's natural regeneration, increasing their healing speed. Does not consume nanites while the host is undamaged. | 2.5 | -- | -- | Biological | Necrosis |
| Temperature Adjustment | The nanites adjust the host's internal temperature to an ideal level. Does not consume nanites while the host is at an ideal temperature. | 3.5 | -- | -- | Mesh | Dermalysis |
| Blood Purification | The nanites purge toxins and chemicals from the host's bloodstream. Does not consume nanites if the host has no chemicals nor toxin damage. | 1 | -- | -- | Smart | Hypoxemia, Necrosis |
| Neural Regeneration | The nanites fix neural connections in the host's brain, reversing brain damage and minor traumas. Does not consume nanites if the host has no brain damage. | 1.5 | -- | -- | Neural | Neuro-Necrosis |
| Blood Regeneration | The nanites stimulate and boost blood cell production in the host. Does not consume nanites if the host has enough blood. | 1 | -- | -- | Biological | Hypoxemia |
| Mechanical Repair | The nanites fix damage in the host's mechanical limbs. Does not consume nanites if the limbs are undamaged. | 0.5 | -- | -- | Basic | Necrosis |
| Selective Blood Purification | The nanites purge toxins and dangerous chemicals from the host's bloodstream, while ignoring beneficial chemicals. The added processing power required to analyze the chemicals severely increases the nanite consumption rate. | 2 | -- | -- | Harmonic | Hypoxemia, Necrosis |
| Bio-Reconstruction | The nanites manually repair and replace organic cells, acting much faster than normal regeneration. However, this program cannot detect the difference between harmed and unharmed, causing it to consume nanites even if it has no effect. | 5.5 | -- | -- | Harmonic | Hypoxemia, Necrosis |
| Neural Reimaging | The nanites are able to backup and restore the host's neural connections, potentially replacing entire chunks of missing or damaged brain matter. | 3 | -- | -- | Harmonic | Neuro-Necrosis, Brain Misfire |
| Defibrillation | The nanites shock the host's heart when triggered, bringing them back to life if the body can sustain it. Ghost has 8 seconds to re-enter their body after the trigger. The host can not have 200 or more total damage (including toxin and oxyloss damage) or the revive will fail. Unlike with ordinary defibrillators (just need less than 180 brute and burn) the revive will not heal or cause any oxyloss or other damage, which means it's possible to stand up instantly if hurt less than crit threshold. | -- | 25 | 12s | Harmonic | Shocking |
Glitch Programs
Defective programs caused by data corruption, and not otherwise obtainable. Generally range from mildly to moderately dangerous. Can stack.
| Program | Effect | Volume per second | Trigger Cost | Trigger Cooldown | Required Techweb | Corruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glitch | A heavy software corruption that causes nanites to gradually break down. | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- | None |
| Necrosis | The nanites attack internal tissues indiscriminately, causing widespread damage. | 0.75 | -- | -- | -- | Glitch |
| Toxin Buildup | The nanites cause a slow but constant toxin buildup inside the host. | 0.25 | -- | -- | -- | Glitch |
| Hypoxemia | The nanites prevent the host's blood from absorbing oxygen efficiently. | 0.75 | -- | -- | -- | Glitch |
| Neuro-Necrosis | The nanites seek and attack brain cells, causing extensive neural damage to the host. | 0.75 | -- | -- | -- | Necrosis |
| Brain Misfire | The nanites interfere with neural pathways, causing minor psychological disturbances. | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- | Neuro-Necrosis |
| Dermalysis | The nanites attack skin cells, causing irritation, rashes, and minor damage. | 0.25 | -- | -- | -- | Necrosis |
| Nerve Decay | The nanites attack the host's nerves, causing lack of coordination and short bursts of paralysis. | 1 | -- | -- | -- | Necrosis |
Weaponized Programs
Aggressive programs which use nanites as a military-grade weapon. Moderately to extremely dangerous to the host and/or their surroundings.
| Program | Effect | Volume per second | Trigger Cost | Trigger Cooldown | Required Techweb | Corruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellular Breakdown | The nanites destroy cellular structures in the host's body, causing brute damage. | 1.5 | -- | -- | Biological | Necrosis |
| Poisoning | The nanites deliver poisonous chemicals to the host's internal organs, causing toxin damage and vomiting. | 1.5 | -- | -- | Biological | Toxin Buildup |
| Memory Leak | This program invades the memory space used by other programs, causing frequent corruptions and errors. | 0 | -- | -- | Smart | Toxin Buildup |
| Aggressive Replication | Nanites will consume organic matter to improve their replication rate, damaging the host. | -1 | -- | -- | Harmonic | Necrosis |
| Meltdown | Causes an internal meltdown inside the nanites, causing internal burns inside the host as well as rapidly destroying the nanite population. Sets the nanites' safety threshold to 0 when activated. | 10 | -- | -- | Military | Glitch |
| Chain Detonation | Detonates all the nanites inside the host in a chain reaction when triggered. | 0 | 25 | 10s | Military | Toxin Buildup |
| Heart-Stopper | Stops the host's heart when triggered; restarts it if triggered again. | 0 | 12 | 1s | Military | Nerve Decay |
| Cryogenic Treatment | The nanites rapidly sink heat through the host's skin, lowering their temperature. | 1 | -- | -- | Mesh | Dermalysis, Sub-Dermal Combustion |
| Sub-Dermal Combustion | The nanites cause buildup of flammable fluids under the host's skin, then ignites them. | 4 | -- | -- | Military | Dermalysis, Cryogenic Treatment |
| Mind Control | The nanites imprint an absolute directive onto the host's brain while they're active. | 3 | -- | -- | Hazard | Neuro-Necrosis, Brain Misfire |
Suppression Programs
Programs with the goal of acting as a deterrent against the host. Generally nonlethal.
| Program | Effect | Volume per second | Trigger Cost | Trigger Cooldown | Required Techweb | Corruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric Shock | The nanites shock the host when triggered. Destroys a large amount of nanites! | -- | 10 | 30s | Mesh | Toxin Buildup |
| Neural Shock | The nanites pulse the host's nerves when triggered, inapacitating them for a short period. | -- | 4 | 30s | Neural | Electric Shock, Nerve Decay |
| Sleep Induction | The nanites cause rapid (but not instant) narcolepsy when triggered. | -- | 15 | 120s | Synaptic | Neuro-Necrosis, Brain Misfire |
| Paralysis | The nanites actively suppress nervous pulses, effectively paralyzing the host. | 3 | -- | -- | Neural | Nerve Decay |
| Death Simulation | The nanites induce a death-like coma into the host, able to fool most medical scans. | 3.5 | -- | -- | Harmonic | Necrosis, Nerve Decay, Neuro-Necrosis |
| Pacification | The nanites suppress the aggression center of the brain, preventing the host from causing direct harm to others. | 1 | -- | -- | Synaptic | Neuro-Necrosis, Brain Misfire |
| Blindness | The nanites suppress the host's ocular nerves, blinding them while they're active. | 1.5 | -- | -- | Synaptic | Nerve Decay |
| Mute | The nanites suppress the host's speech, making them mute while they're active. | 0.75 | -- | -- | Synaptic | Neuro-Necrosis, Brain Misfire |
| Forced Speech | The nanites force the host to say a pre-programmed sentence when triggered. | -- | 3 | 2s | Synaptic | Neuro-Necrosis, Brain Misfire |
| Skull Echo | The nanites echo a synthesized message inside the host's skull. | -- | 1 | 2s | Smart | Neuro-Necrosis, Brain Misfire |
| Hallucination | The nanites make the host hallucinate something when triggered. | -- | 4 | 8s | Synaptic | Brain Misfire |
Sensor Programs
Programs that will self-pulse a given code when their condition is met.
| Program | Effect | Volume per second | Trigger Cost | Trigger Cooldown | Required Techweb | Corruptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Sensor | The nanites receive a signal when the host is above/below a certain percentage of health, with crit being 0. | 0 | -- | -- | Biological | Glitch |
| Critical Health Sensor | The nanites receive a signal when the host first reaches critical health. | 0 | -- | -- | Biological | Glitch |
| Death Sensor | The nanites receive a signal when they detect the host is dead. | 0 | -- | -- | Biological | Glitch |
| Nanite Volume Sensor | The nanites receive a signal when the nanite supply is above/below a certain percentage, with the safety threshold being 0%. If safety threshold is higher, it will skew the percentage. For example, with threshold 50, 100 volume will count as 50 available volume, which means 10% instead of 20%, and the full 500 volume will count as 90%. | 0 | -- | -- | Basic | Glitch |
| Damage Sensor | The nanites receive a signal when a host's specific damage type is above/below a target value. | 0 | -- | -- | Biological | Glitch |
| Voice Sensor | Sends a signal when the nanites hear a determined word or sentence. | 0 | -- | -- | Smart | Glitch |