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32

in an important ceremony, but only the highest-level

priests understand that there are other chips and that

they can be interchanged. Characters need to discover

this vital piece of information during one of their

quests. Natives of the Egyptian dome have only the

Egyptian brain chip at the start of play, leaving them

with room for two more before one must be removed.

The secret to creating new brain chips is held by only

a few of the most advanced A. I.s Fortunately, brain

chips are nearly indestructible; only great heat can

really destroy one past the point where its inherent

nanotechnology can’t repair it. When a person dies, his

or her brain chips automatically “eject” themselves. In

Thebes, recovering the brain chips of departed citizens

for reuse is a sacred rite.

Each of the 77 Worlds have their own brain chips

for understanding that planet and the unusual

environments found there.

Brain chips can always be found in the entrance areas

of the domes. When vacationers came to a particular

dome, they were required to change their brain chips

and leave inappropriate brain chips behind in a holding

area. This gives the Game Master wide leeway for

including brain chips with all sorts of benefits. When

characters find their first batch of brain chips, they

should have some hard choices to make. Remember

the 24-hour adaptation period; the benefits of a new

chip aren't instantaneous.

A generation before the aliens came, mankind was

transformed through the invention of the brain chip.

Every human has the capacity to absorb three chips

into their brain. These brain chips impart knowledge

and skill that the human didn’t know before, as if they

had significant training. This technology was one of

the reasons behind the aliens’ assault; they foresaw

humans returning to their aggressive ways, and with

such powerful technology at their disposal, they would

be nearly unstoppable.

Brain chips are a combination of biological plasma

and nanotechnology. Each brain chip is engineered to

impart specific training and memories to the user.

A person can determine what information is stored on

a brain chip (in a very general sense) simply by holding

the chip in his or her hand and focusing on it. To

“install” a brain chip, the person presses it against the

right side of their skull and “wills” it to install itself. The

chip is absorbed through the skull within seconds. The

brain needs 24 hours to adjust to the new chip before

the information on it is available for the brain to use.

A human can have no more than three chips in their

brain at one time. Removing a chip is the same process

as installing one, in reverse, but as soon as the chip

is removed, all its knowledge and abilities disappear

immediately. It’s worth noting that at the beginning

of the campaign, what characters know about brain

chips is mostly wrong. They are administered by

priests of the temples to infants as gifts of the gods

Abilities and Brain Chips