Memsift cyberware

DN: 12
Wound: Mortal
Cyber Rating: +3
Cost: 40,000 (23)
Effect: Allows access to the memories of someone else (who must have a nervejack).

The Memory Sifter works in a manner similar to a cyberdeck, except that instead of jacking into the Grid (or the GodNet) the user jacks into the mind of another person, allowing access to that persons memories (similar to cracking a data vault). The attacker connects one end of a data cable to the nervejack of the victim and the other end to a nervejack of his own.

The process of memory sifting is harmful to the victim and death is usually the result. If the victim doesn't die, his mind is still shattered by the experience; "little more than a lump of flesh" is how Thratchen put it to Mara when he told her about Dr. Alec-Four.

Memories are gained by mental combat and uses the Interaction Results Table and the Combat Results Table. Only the person with the Memory Sifter is able to gain any information from the combat; the victim can resist but thats all. Willpower or test of wills may be used by either party to attack or resist.

The attacker generates a skill value total and compares it to the skill being used for defense by the defender, who may actively defend if he wishes to (usually a good idea). Result points are read on both the Interrogation column of the Interaction Results Table and on the Combat Results table, with the defender taking the appropriate amount of damage. It is up to the gamemaster to determine what level the desired information is found at, as per normal interrogation rules.

Instead of defending, the person being attacked can try to break free of the VX environment and disconnect the cable connecting him to his attacker (this of course assumes that the defender will be physically capable of disconnecting the cable; a victim tied to a chair will not be able to break free because he cannot grab the cable and disconnect himself). To do this the defender must generate a willpower total against the willpower of the person attacking him; on a Good result or better the defender is able to throw off the Sifter long enough to disconnect the cable attaching him to his attacker.

It is also possible for either character to use Interaction skills against his opponent; trick, test, taunt, and intimidation can be effectively used to unskill an opponent which will make things easier for the person who still has his skills.

If the victim survives this (either the information was easy to get to or the victim is Possibility-Rated and bought off enough damage), it isn't as simple as just healing mental damage. For each wound that the attacker inflicted, the gamemaster makes a check to see if any permanent damage was done. To do this the gamemaster generates a bonus number and adds it to eight; if the result is higher than the Mind of the victim, the victim loses one point of Mind permanently . Perform all the checks before deducting any Mind points from the victim.

Torg, West End Games, and WEG are trademarks of Purgatory Publishing. You can find out more about Torg at www.westendgames.com.