Aberrant: Children of Quantum Fire - Rules and Setting - Gagetteer Factor

[Quantum Fire]

The following thread is cover things that Alexandra (or others) have invented that is available to you folks, at least the things that have been approved by the ST..

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Smart Metal - made by Alexandra not too long after she reached apotheosis, smart metal is a unique metal substance that has similarities to eufiber, in that it is malleable, can change shape, can store quantum, and doesn't need attunement to work. Unlike eufiber, however smart metla has a limited number of forms it can take, and these forms must be set by a nova with molecular manipulation, or at least the shape alteration technique. It can't shape forms that aren't one solid piece, but it can be set to take forms like a wrench, a sword, a staff, or a shield, and it fully integrates the nova's quantum signature, which means that a nova can use it in any shape without destroying it. [Device rating 1-5 || for each dot of rating it hold 1 additional form and can hold 1 points of quantum and used a shield (which requires a parry roll) it has a soak of 1 points per level]

Cryogenic Stasis Pod - Though she was not quite there before apotheosis, after apotheosis, it It took Alexandra about 20 minutes to figure out and build a viable format of these, though designed for nova physology, it would take her only a bit longer to design ones for a the more fragile baseline physiology. Anyone inside one of these pods is in a state of perfect cryogenic stasis, unconscious and unaging, until woken.

Psychic Inhibitor - Created by working with Zia and Epiphany, this device is designed to weaken or prevent psychic signals, in particular to reduce Zia's extreme sensitivity to emotions. When worn as a circlet around the head, this device weakens nova psychic powers, reducing the range of nova psychic powers significantly.

[SalmonMax]

Because I love writing technobabble fluff. If you dislike such, I advise against reading this post.

Smart Metal - When Alex confronted the radical notion of recreating her body as a machine she had to face a deal-breaking limit; no machine had ever been created that could interact with quantum energy. The only quant-active material known was the MR Node, and eufiber. In the throes of Apotheosis-fueled brilliance, Alex studied both. She came away with the prize; sufficient understanding to artificially duplicate the trait of quantum resonance within an inorganic, non-living, component. To do so, she had to move away from the notion of 'quantum energy' being treated as a force, and towards recognition of a pervasive quantum field made up of a complex webwork of interacting nuclear forces and vacuum energy fluctuations....all keeping one another precariously balanced. She found that unstable molecules on the brink of radioactive decay reacted to disturbances in this ambient field of forces, and that this reaction could be detected and measured by encasing the molecule within a cage of carbon atoms (a buckyball). The rest of the invention was just Nanotech 101...smart metal is made up of engineered molecules that are equipped to grip and release one another, and has a tiny computer built in along with a power source. On cue, detected by the quantum-reactive molecules, the computer sends commands to each of the 'gripper' molecules, informing them of how to move and arrange themselves. Because the computer is so tiny, it can store only a limited number of configurations that are hardcoded into the chip. The chip must be physically replaced (or reshaped) to change possible forms.

Spin-Offs: Nova-finder. Polysuits. Dynamic hydro/aeroshells.

Cryogenics - Cryonics was an established science long before Alex came along. However, she solved a persistant problem preventing its use with living human tissue. When living tissue is subjected to freezing temperature, the water in it turns to ice...with regrettable consequences for cell membranes. Certain animals possess a kind of natural 'antifreeze' in their bodies, allowing them to hibernate in the permafrost layer of soil without dying. No analogue for humans had ever been successfully developed though. Alex's solution was an entirely different approach. By increasing the pressure on the body, the temperature at which water freezes can be lowered. Of course, the pressure increase creates other problems that Alex solved by making the cryogenic solution oxygen-impregnated, similar to the emulsion used for ultra-deep diving. The 'liquid oxygen' doesn't compress the way gas does, and a pump circulates it over the alveoli, so the subject does not have to move to breathe. When supercooled to below freezing, the body's metabolism slows to a barely detectable level. Because of the pressure, the water in the body is forced to remain liquid. Removing someone from the 'freeze' is time consuming though, requiring a gradual decompression.

Psychic Inhibtor - Alex developed her theory of Quantum Field Effect Consciousness while working on a mechanism to transfer not just her memories and personality, but her identity and sense of self to a new body. She found that human consciousness is a field effect generated by the human brain, but that it could be analyzed and 'written into' the quantum field. After making some observations, she came to believe that a similar process (albeit done via direct node manipulation rather than the cruder instruments available to her) was responsible for effects in which a nova's consciousness could affect other consciousnesses. Knowing how those powers worked gave her a means by which to interfere with them. In this case, a device that generated random pulses of 'noise' into the local quantum field. This noise makes it hard to encode meaningful information into the quantum medium, or even to passively detect patterns. It is, essentially, a 'jamming' device. It will not work on Psions, as they do not access the quantum field to obtain their information.

[Quantum Fire]

Quantum Detector

- An offshoot of smart metal, Alex can create a sensor that is capable of sensing quantum signatures at a relatively close range. The larger the array, the longer the detection range and the more individual quantum signatures it can distinguish between and track simultaneously. The detector can give a rough idea of the nova's Quantum score, but gives no other clues about abilities. The sensor is passive, and emits no radiation that can be tracked. Novas that are dormed, or otherwise posesss no quantum emisssion, are not detected.

Sensor ability based on Device rating, which also gives an idea of its size.

1 dot = microsensor suitable for placing on small robot, or wearing in a piece of jewelry. Distinguishes 1 signature at a time, at close range (5 meters per Quantum of detected nova).

2 dot = handheld sensor that looks about the size of a garage door opener or remote control unit. Distinguishes up to 3 signatures at once at 10 meters per Quantum.

3 dot = Backpack sized sensor array that can differentiate between and track up to 10 signatures at 25 meters per Quantum.

4 dot = About the size of a human torso, this unit is best used installed in a small vehicle. It can track 25 signatures at up to 250 meters per Quantum of the target.

5 dot = For use in capital vessels and installations. Up to 100 signatures can be detected and tracked at up to 1 kilometers per Quantum rating.

Any sensor can detect presence of absence of all quantum sources within range. Known sources and signatures can be edited out of outcomes manually. Each signature 'ommitted' counts as one being tracked, however.

Nova Alcohol

Amp Well's were only the beginning, a nova master chemist managed to recreate drinks that did every thing above and beyond the things the pheromone body modification can do, and the strength of them can even affect nova's with health or adaptation, if a very special catalyst drink is taken with them (which appears to be able to suppress the enhancements with the drink only, strangely enough), the nova is then affected as though all individuals they are with are putting off those pheromones. The only chemist who has been able to create these drinks works for the Andy 'Ironskin' Vance, and as such they are only available to and has been unwilling to appear or make them for anyone else.. though Alexandra has begun attempting to replicate them, after a day of work, it wasn't easy and took using more then one power, but confirmed in her mind that Andy's secret chemist must have some limited ability at reconfiguring things on a molecular level.

[Quantum Fire]

Nova Killer

This rare innovation was the masterpiece of a nova genius, a bullet that when fired, would pierce though all kinds of barriers and resistance, it would break though shields then cause cellular repair on it's way in, leaving no entry wounds or any indication that someone was shot, then expand and cause huge amounts of damage, poison and then cause total biological breakdown. This bio-organic bullet would then break down within the cells, leaving no trace of the effects, and the gun designed with this bullet was completely soundless and recoil-less as well.

[Quantum Fire]

The following Items are inventions of Alexandra.. presently the only ones with access are Exalt! and Shen's children (and the latter don't really need it)

Taint Reduction Implant

Requiring Mega-Intelligence 5, medicine 5, scientific, engineering & medical prodigy and a specialties in neurology, noetic theory and quantum engineer.. though someone with Mega-Intelligence 7+ can work with just 5's and scientific prodigy, this implant litterly implants the taint resistant merits into someone, by filtering tiny threads of a metallic form of eufiber mixed with nanotech.. at the present, Alex is the only one who can really do it, though she can teach anyone with Mega-Intelligence 3 or better how to install an implant she's already designed. It does has the side effect of permanently reducing one's quantum pool by 10%, at least as long as the implant wiring is installed in the nova's skull.. which is part of why it's so difficult, the threads must litteraly be threaded though the nova's brain, in order to reduce the tension and taint caused by the node. It count's as cyberware background 6+ ultrablack (though Utopia would likely desire to implant it in their own if they could get a copy, and make it legal no doubt)

Mechanically it gifts one with the taint resistant merit and it also the taint resistant mega-intelligence enhancement but using the device rating rather then mega-intelligence to produce the reduction. Removing the implant is as difficult as installing it, and certain to be deadly unless one knows exactly how, or possesses extreme regenerative abilities. If for some reason the nova has the dispersed organs modification, then it would have to be carefully designed for just them in mind, something only Alex has the know how to do at this time.

Taint Reduction Chamber

Working with a series of inspired technologies and the extreme knowledge that only a nova with 8 mega-intelligence is capable of, this chamber is very unusual, a mix of womb and device that psions from another reality and century would recognize as very similar to what would become called the Prometheus chamber, it has very similar requirements, and puts the nova under for a period of three months, with time hyperaccerated so that the nova inside is actually going though a year's time. A mix of biological, technical, nanotech, some sort of viscous liquid mixed with eufiber-like threads, this chamber completely wipes away temporary taint, but not permanent taint, though when the nova leaves the chamber drained completely of quantum.. they are cleansed of any temporary taint gain, though they lose a bit in the process (about 3 xp nessary for a purge). During the process, the nova is harmonized with their quantum and sub-quantum internal nature, slowly soothing away the imbalance, if that is what it can be called. This is more sure then simply dorming down as there is no roll nessary and one does not have the chance of gaining taint, it's a safe and certain way to deal with the issue, at the moment, Alexandra is working on refining the process to make it shorter, and it's a jump off point for her project of dealing with permanent taint.. something she now is sure can be done. It has no effect on Chrysalis, but it is still useful for a terat who might want to wipe away temporary taint gained in the process of gaining chrysalis.

[Quantum Fire]

Nova Essence Realignment Chamber.

Based on the same technological Quantum Noetic breakthough that allowed the creation of the Taint Reduction Chamber, this chamber deals with permanent taint that a nova has gained, this device is a chamber like it's 1st generation cousin, but it is much more capable and efficient then Alex's first creation.

The chamber takes a week to purge each point of temporary taint and about 6 months for each point of permanent taint purged, the nova has to remain within the chamber the entire time, so using the same system that she did to create true cryogenics, Alex puts the nova under for that period of time. The nanites and energies within spend some time realigning the nova's noetic structure so that the degree of taint is reduced. This is akin to a form of Chrysalis in which one can only reduce taint, or the Qi Meng's styliests methods of reducing taint, and as such also costs xp, as it draws from the nova's own growth to do this.

The XP cost is a bit higher however then for either of those techniques of dealing with taint. This will not get rid of aberrations caused by taint, though certain aberrations become less of a problem, such as mental issues that can be treated psychologically... physical or quantum related aberrations however are not so easily dealt with.

[Shosuro Miren]

Privata

The Nova Age's answer to Mega Perception and soundproofing. The material is designed to not only block the movement of sound, but actually catches the sound waves in the material itself and scrambles them, making a "white noise" effect that can hamper exceptionally perceptive novas from hearing what is said in an area enclosed by the material. Often laid underneath normal wall material for privacy, the entire White House, Senate, Pentagon, and most corporate executive offices and meeting rooms have been retrofitted with Privata.

The material is not prohibitively expensive for mid-sized companies or upper middleclass households. The thickness can be custom ordered: the thicker the more protection offered. The creator, surprisingly, is actually a team of baseline students at MIT. A cross-discipline capstone project has been part of the curriculum since 2018 and the results have usually been quite academically interesting; Privata is the first project that has required the execution of certain parts of the student contract regarding royalties and patenting, but the newly minted billionaire graduates seemed quite pleased with the results and all accepted positions with the sprawling MIT think-tank immediately upon graduation.