110: Risk

ENTRY 110: Risk

The universe of transhumanity is too large to contemplate every angle before making a decision, but few transhumans make it to old age by being rash and impulsive. Many transhumans, especially older ones or with cyberbrains, tend to become stuck in working through their problems rigorously, contemplating and evaluating each possible action for so long that they miss out on small and immediate opportunities. The lack of decisiveness is especially devastating in the battle, when those who dare may win, while those who play it safe or stop to work out all the probabilities before acting may lose the initiative, and their lives. For those transhumans that recognize this failing in themselves, there is Risk.

Risk was first marketed by Oldtel, a pharmaceutical hypercorp out of Luna that repackages and repurposes centuries worth of medications as cognitive and health drugs. The one-shot inhalers, based off drugs to combat Alzheimer’s, stimulate risk-taking behavior. Originally marketed to military professionals, business people, and the elderly, Risk was phased out of general production after disastrous trial run pairing it with a cognitive focusing agent led to several cases of permanent brain damage. The formula for Risk was hacked and posted to the Mesh, where it continues to find an audience in a small network of users and producers, where user-focused support groups and programs help users to handle the potential outcomes of using Risk. Detractors point out that the Risk community are basically enablers for negative behaviors like extreme sports, gambling, unprotected sex, and greater experimentation with more dangerous drugs.

Mechanics

Type	Application	Onset Time	Duration	Addiction Modifier	Addiction Type	Cost
Chem	Inh	1 minute	8 hours	-	Mental	Moderate

Risk provides mental flexibility and drive needed to take advantage of immediate opportunities, but it also reduces the character’s judgment and ability to discern and avoid risky behavior of all types. Risk provides 1 temporary point of Moxie to the user; if not used within the duration of the drug, this point expires and is lost. However, Risk users also take a -10 penalty to Will tests for the duration, which may become permanent with extended use. Other common effects of long-term use of Risk include addictions to gambling, unprotected sex, daredevil stunts, etc.

Seeds

• Experiments with a Risk nanoalgorithm by Oldtel have been fairly positive…until a synth went mad and started humping major appliances. The poor transhuman is stuck in a permanent Risk-high, impulse control dropping by the day. Oldtel asks the player characters to quietly capture the synthmorph before ze does too much damage and return hir to Oldtel for treatment.
• A minor chemist in the Belt has been experimenting with Oldtel’s folly, combining Risk with other drugs to focus the risk-taking behavior, and she’s made a bit of progress. Unfortunately, the samples she’s sent out have induced temporary obsessive compulsive disorder-type behavior with regards to their high-risk behavior of choice. Relatives and friends of the afflicted ask the player characters to track down the source and cut it off. Of course, the easiest way to do that is to infiltrate the Risk community itself.