The BlackHammer CyberPunk Project

New Optics for the Discerning Punk

Bioware Nictating Membranes

Safety from irritants and daily optical hazards!
These membranes are slim films which lower to protect the wearer's eye on somatic command (usually blinking hard). They are an extra eyelid which fits under the wearer's own outer natural lid but is transparent and does not hamper vision. The membranes protects the eyes from dust, smoke and other surface irritants including liquids. Swimming in polluted water or walking in the summer time smog is much less of a problem.

Although there are many manufactures there are two main types of membrane; biological and cybernetic. Both come in pairs and are not compatible with any type of contact lens. To install a set of them requires minor surgey which costs $500 and they will be disfunctional until the wearer is fully healed.

The biological membranes offers +2 against irritant gases and liquids (inc. mace, CS gas etc). They have complete protection against water and other non-irritant agents, including smoke and dust. For an extra $300 they can have a photoreactive chemical which helps protect the eye from bright lights, although not as good as cyber- or bio-optics - it halves the amount of time the wearer will be blinded. A pair of these costs $300. They have a total humanity cost of 2D4.
Bio Nictating Membranes300eb2D4 HLMI Surgery
(by Richard Harris / Rich)

Nictating Membranes

Cybernetic, more complex and more versatile nictating membranes
The cybernetic versions are more complex and have more functions than the biological versions. Not only do they offer complete protection against non-irrantants but they also add +4 against irrantant gases and liquids. They also have a small number of modifications which makes them superior to the biological versions. They have a base of two option slots although extra option spaces (for each membrane) cost $300 and up to four slots can be bought.

Options are installed in both shields and take one up option slot. Note that the Nerve link option does not take up any extra space as it is situated outside the membrane. These enhancements will only engage when the nictating membranes are visable and the wearer is looking through them. Note that having the actual membrane coloured does not count as an option although the wearer will only be able to have a permanent colouration and none of the high tech special effects created by fashion effect cyberoptics. The systems with an asterisk (*) next to them require a nerve link to patch them into another system without which the option would not work.

Anti-dazzle: This offers the same cover as anti-dazzle for cyberoptics. It prevents the wearer from being blinded by bright light such as sunlight, strobes or flash bombs.

Armoured: This option adds a thick, scratch proof and damage resistant layer to the membrane. If the user receives a critical hit which would normally blind them, there is a 3 out of 10 chance that they will not be blinded.

Coloured: This basically a fashion effect and make be switched on/off at the wearer's commands. Any effect which can be created in a cyberoptic may be recreated with this option.

Covert: This option is somewhat difficult to obtain owing to its grey ops background (difficult [20] streetwise roll). These are enhanced membranes and appear as little more than a slightly thicker film across the eyes. They require a very difficult [25] awareness roll to spot or a difficult [20] task if the viewer is close to the subject.

Low Light: This allows you to see in near dark conditions so long as there is a nearby light source visible to the unenhanced eye (such as a streetlight or relatively full moon). This option not allow you to see in pitch blackness, however.

Nerve Link: This is vital if the wearer has either the targetting or window option. It runs a link from the shield into a small nanoprocesser which links into either the wearer's interface plugs via their neural processor.  It allows the user to control devices via their data plugs but with information feeding directly to the membrane's window or targetting function.

Targetting: This option is a targetting scope which is designed to be used with a smartgun. It requires a nerve link to function.When the user chips into their smartgun the sight will ready and it adds +1 to hit. Note that this is not cumulative with any other targeting scope as only one may operate at any one time.

Window: this option grants a small picture-in-picture which the user can use to output data to. It requires a nerve link to either the wearer's interface plugs. It can display anything a computer screen can from pictures, information or video source. This option also includes a WIMP system (window, icon, mouse, pointer) which gives the possibility of controlling devices attached to the wearer's data plugs (either directly or via a radio modem).

Nictating Membranes200eb2D6 HLMinor Surgery
Anti-Dazzle500eb0.5 HLNegl Surgery
Armoured600eb2 HLNegl Surgery
Coloured200eb1 HLNegl Surgery
Covert1,000eb0.5 HLNegl Surgery
Low Light400eb0.5 HLNegl Surgery
Nerve Link1,000eb2 HLMinor Surgery
Targetting *800eb1D3 HLNegl Surgery
Window *600eb1D3 HLNegl Surgery
(by Richard Harris / Rich)