Guide to Xenobiology and Guide to Xenobotany: Difference between pages

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Xenobiologists are in charge of the creation, care, and eventual culling and harvesting of 'Slimes', which are extremely dangerous to handle without the right equipment.


== Familiarize Yourself ==
[[File:Xenoflora Workspace.png|thumb|640x640px]]
Generally speaking, you and your slimes will be at a remote facility, far from the main station, referred to as Xenobiology. It has many cells to place your slimes inside of, where they cannot get out without some serious effort. Each cell has a disposals chute, used to safely give food to the slimes inside the cell without endangering yourself, as well as a button to lock down that specific cell, in case the glass breaks or you have something even more dangerous than a slime inside. Elsewhere, you should have a Processor machine, which is used to harvest dead slimes and recycle food.
A Xenobotanist is a [[Scientist]] who works to determine and manipulate the genetics of plants in space. A xenobotanist works in Xenoflora.


==Get equipped==
== Tools ==
You'll need these items to do your job.
* Nutrients - Feeds your plants.
* A fire extinguisher, to efficiently kill slimes. Some slimes might also light you on fire. For best use, move the slime into a corner so all the water hits them.
* Bucket - Used to pour water (or other chemicals) into trays.
* Alternately, grab a spray bottle, dump the space cleaner out and fill that with water instead! this allows you to be more specific with which slimes you hit, and can be used through windoors if you and your target is adjacent to them.
* Pest spray - Removes pests from hydroponics trays.
* A syringe, used to inject various fluids (generally Phoron, blood, or water) into Extracts, which you obtain from processing dead Slimes.
* Mini-hoe - Removes weeds from hydroponics trays.
* A slimebaton, which functions similarly to a stunbaton, however it is only effectively against Slimes (and Prometheans). One hit will stun the slime for a few seconds, and will discipline it. A slime baton can be used to build a slime securitron, which is very useful if you're the only Xenobiologist but there is a friendly Roboticist onboard. More slimebations can be made in Research and Development.
* Hatchet - Used to chop wood.
* A Slime Taser, which like the above, functions similarly to a normal energy weapon, however it is only effective against slimy things like Slimes and Prometheans. The stun duration is smaller than the Baton, however it can be used at range, and across window panes. Like the baton, more can be made in Research and Development.
* Plant Analyzer - Shows a readout of useful information concerning the plant.
* Galoshes, which prevent you from slipping on wet surfaces. The fire extinguisher makes the floor wet, and not wearing these can be extremely dangerous if you slip while a slime is trying to eat you.
* Wire cutters or Scalpel - Used to take plant samples.
* Welder and welding helmet. Useful for minor self repairs that will be inevitable, if you or your co-worker is a Full Body Prosthetic or Bound Synthetic. Also useful for mending the cracks on the cell windows, as slimes tend to smash them if they see food on the other side of the window.
* Flora data disk - Stores a single gene from a specific plant variety.
Optional but highly useful things to acquire to make your job easier.
* A slime securitron, from Robotics, which is optimized to fight slimes and other minor xeno-lifeforms.
* A medibot, also from Robotics, to heal you from minor harm the slimes may do to you, as the closest medical bay might be far away or even off-world.
* A temperature gun, from RnD. It can kill slimes at a range when set to the 'cold' setting, and can replace the fire extinguisher.


==Basics of Slime Care==
== Genetics ==
When you start your shift, you should have two grey colored slimes in different cells. They will most likely try to escape their cell to eat you or your co-worker, so feel free to use the xeno taser to stop them. One of these cells should be dedicated to growing grey slimes, so you will have a renewable source of monkey cubes. If you run out of monkey cubes, you will need to get more from Cargo, which could take awhile.
Plants have twelve genes, labelled and ordered at random each round. Each gene represents a set of traits from the plant. These include:


When your 'grey' cell slime reproduces, you should always ensure that one grey slime is always alive inside, and kill or separate the rest into different cells. It is a good idea to keep one grey extract in reserve in case all of your greys are lost, for whatever reason, as injecting a grey extract will create a new grey slime.
* '''Biochemistry''': Which reagents the fruit contains; which gases the plant generates.
* '''Hardiness''': Endurance. Tolerance to toxins, pests, and weeds.
* '''Environment''': Plant's preferred temperature and light levels, and how much tolerance it has for changes in light level.
* '''Metabolism''': Whether the plant requires water or fertilizer. Whether it alters the ambient temperature.
* '''Appearance''': Unused.
* '''Diet''':  Whether the plant consumes gases in its environment; whether the plant is carnivorous (eats pests) or eats tray weeds; how much water and fertilizer it consumes.
* '''Pigment''': The color of the plant and its fruit; the color of any bioluminescence.
* '''Output''': Whether the plant produces electrical power or bioluminescent light.
* '''Atmosphere''': The plant's tolerance for changes in temperature and pressure away from its preferred levels.
* '''Vigour''': How long the plant takes to mature and produce fruit. How much fruit it produces. Whether it can spread out of its tray.
* '''Fruit''': Whether the fruit is juicy and will splatter when thrown; whether the plant has stinging spines and will inject its reagents into anyone coming in contact with it.
* '''Special''': The ability to teleport the thrower or target when thrown.


Cells should never have more than one color of slime inside, as they tend to fight each other and it can be difficult to tase them due to other slimes being in the way.
A gene label from any given plant represents the same trait across all plants; in other words, if gene F6 represents products for tomatoes, it will also represent products from ambrosia.


Some colors are more useful than others, for instance;
== Lysis-isolation Centrifuge ==
* Dark Purple, obtained from going (Grey > Purple > Dark Purple) or (Grey > Orange > Dark Purple), allows for a renewable source of phoron. You start with ten sheets, which gives 200u of liquid phoron when ground up, or 40 injections. Generally, the more useful reactions from extracts require phoron, but you'll have enough to not need more unles you're going heavily into things.
This piece of machinery accepts a seed packet or cutting as well as a data disk. When used to scan a seed, it destroys the seed in order to reclaim its genetic information, which can be loaded onto a data disk a certain number of times before the stored genome degrades completely.
* Blue, which is just one step from Grey, will give you two useful things. Slime stability agents reduce the odds of mutation when a slime reproduces, which you should give to your dedicated Grey slime until the chance goes to 0%, to increase the average yield of monkey cubes as well as to prevent the rare but possible situation of all four new slimes not being Grey anymore. Blue slimes also give you Frost Oil, which isn't terribly useful on its own but can be very useful when paired with a Metal Slime, for reasons explained below.
* Metal, which like Blue, is one step from Grey. Metal slime extracts allow for most types of metal material to become renewable, which includes steel, plasteel, gold, silver, uranium, and platinum. One extract creates 20u metamorphic liquid metal, which will turn into a different type of liquid metal (e.g. liquid gold, liquid silver, etc) when it touches them in a reagent container, like a beaker. Liquid metals are not very useful on their own, but can be made into a solid sheet of material by adding 5u Frost Oil to the reagent container. The Frost Oil is consumed when this is done, and 20u of liquid metal makes one sheet. Frost Oil is obtained from Blue slimes.
* Purple, which is like Blue and Metal, one step away from Grey. The extract can make a Slime Steroid Agent, which when applied to a living slime, will increase how many extracts it will make when put in the processor.
* Cerulean, which is obtained from (Grey > Blue > Dark Blue > Cerulean) or (Grey > Purple > Dark Blue > Cerulean), will create Extract Enhancement Agent, which adds more uses to an extract. This is extremely useful, as less slimes need to be breed to produce a given number of things.
* Red, which is obtained from (Grey > Orange > Red), will make a Slime Mutation Agent, which increases the odds of mutation when slimes split. Useful for if you're targeting a specific color, as higher odds for mutation mean less generations are needed to get there.
* Yellow, obtained from (Grey > Orange > Yellow) or (Grey > Metal > Yellow), can create self recharging 10k power cells, which are very useful for Bound Synthetics, Hardsuits, Defibs, certain APCs, and potentally anything that uses power cells.
* Pink, obtained from (Grey > Blue > Pink), can be used as a source of healing, both while alive, as well as when using their extracts. The extracts can produce three different kinds of advanced medications, which Medical might want. The medications can fix organs, fix bleeding, or fix bones, depending on what is injected into the extract.
* Light Pink, which is one step from Pink (Grey > Blue > Pink > Light Pink), can be used to make a specific slime be friendly and harmless forever, which might be useful to use on a Pink slime, so you can replace a medibot.
* Sapphire, obtained from (Grey > Metal > Gold > Sapphire), is how you get Prometheans. The extract gives you a slime cube, which creates a Promethean if it can find another player who wishes to play as one.


== Slime Protection ==
== Bioballistic Delivery System ==
Slimes can kill you in many ways, dependent mostly on their color. Wearing the correct armor when handling a specific color can make survival much easier. Xenobiology has been provided with a large range of specialized clothing to wear, when the need arises.
When loaded with a data disk and a seed, this machine is used to apply the gene stored on the data disk to the loaded packet. It will overwrite the corresponding gene on the target packet. Seeds can only be overwritten a certain number of times before they degrade completely and can no longer be modified.
* Bio Suits, which prevent damage from slimes trying to eat you. Note that slimes will wise up to this and instead try to glomp you to death instead. A bio suit will also stop slimes from spreading certain chemical-based attacks onto you.
* Fire Suits, as the orange slime can ignite you, and the dark purple slime can release Phoron gas if killed improperly.
* Bomb suits, as the oil slime explodes if killed improperly (hit with fire).
* Radiation suits, as the green slime is radioactive. It is also thick enough to protect from slime chemical attacks.


== Slime Life-cycle ==
==How to Modify Seeds==
[[File:Slime-mutations-Temp.png|thumb|
* Identify your genes.
Here is a chart of all the slime reproductive color cycle.
** Pick two plants whose genes are very different from each other. Since all the plants from the seed vendors have the same Resistance, Environment, and Consumption genes, it helps if one of the plants is an exotic seed that you've planted and harvested more seed packets from, either through tasking cuttings or by extracting seeds from fruit. If you don't have exotic seeds, you can mutate an existing species to have genes that are different.
]]
** Have three or four identical seed packets from each species.
Slimes start their life as a small baby. Don't be fooled, it is still very dangerous and capable of killing anyone careless. Slimes require food, or else they will die. Starving slimes have been known to turn on their captors.
** Using the lysis-isolation centrifuge, add a seed packet from Species 1. Analyze the genome (this will destroy the seed packet!). Then add a flora data disk to the centrifuge and copy each gene onto the disk. Eventually, the genetic information in the lysis-isolation centrifuge will be exhausted, and you'll need to add and analyze another Species 1 seed packet. Repeat this until you have a disk for each of the twelve genes.
** Using your plant analyzer, analyze Species 2 and make a note of its characteristics.
** Put a seed packet from Species 2 into the bioballistic delivery system. Add one of your flora data disks with genes from Species 1, and apply the modification.
** Eject the seed packet and analyze it again with the plant analyzer. Note which gene has changed. For example, if the plant from Species 2 now has a trait from Species 1, you know that's the trait you have transferred, and that that's the gene on the disk.
** Label your disk with the gene, or make a note of which gene is which.
** Repeat this with the other five disks, each time making a note of which gene is which. If the modified plant doesn't change at all, it's likely that you've transferred a gene that is identical in Species 1 and Species 2--usually the Flowers gene. Eventually, modifying any given seed packet will no longer be viable; the machine will tell you when that happens. You'll have to switch to a new seed packet.
* Now that you have your genes identified, think about which genes you want to transfer from which plant to which. Typically, with exotic seeds, you'll want to make them viable for growing on the station.
** Vigor is a good gene to transfer to plants that grow or produce fruit slowly. Choose a plant which produces fruit quickly or in large quantities and transfer the Vigor gene to the exotic plant. Vigor genes from a plant that doesn't grow kudzu-style can be transferred to one that does, to make these plants more manageable. (Or you could transfer the kudzu vigor gene to a non-spreading plant; we're not judging here.)
** Environment genes from station-adapted plants will help the target plant to grow on the station.
** Consumption genes from plants that are particularly frugal, or which can eat weeds or pests, can be transferred to plants that don't.
** Resistance genes from resistant plants can be transferred to plants that are vulnerable to pests, toxins, or weeds.
** Bioluminescence can be transferred from one plant to another via the Flowers gene.
** The Products gene is special: Instead of replacing the gene on the target plant, it's added in. Your target plant will now produce two types of fruit, one from the source and the other from the target, and each fruit will contain chemicals from both fruit types. However, transferring a Products gene will result in a generally less vigorous plant with less potent fruit.


When fed enough, baby slimes will grow into an 'adult' form, which makes them tougher. When the slime eats enough as an adult, it will reproduce, by splitting into four new slimes. There is a small chance that one or more of the new slimes may mutate into a different color. If this happens, the mutated slime should be isolated from its siblings, as they will fight each other to the death if they are separate colors. A slime taser is useful for this, as it can shoot through the glass of the cell.
== Dangerous Plants ==
=== Taming Kudzu ===
Kudzu, and other spreading vines, will spread from their tray into the lab. Given time and open doors, a vine plant could spread throughout the station. It will also entangle people who step into an area with thick growth, and may inject any chemicals from its fruit into the people it has entangled. Garden-variety kudzu isn't so dangerous; the dylovene it contains is not toxic. But beware the vine which contains cyanide.


== Slime Psychology ==
To control a spreading vine:
* Before you plant, modify a vine-type plant by splicing in a Vigor gene from a plant that doesn't spread.
* Plant a vine-type plant in the isolation area of the Xenoflora lab.
* A hatchet can cut down vines more quickly than most tools.
* Plant-b-gone and other chemicals that kill plants can also kill vines.
* A goat will eat vine plants quickly and effectively (but is also ornery enough to bite you). Order one from Cargo.
* If the plant injects something poisonous, don't be where the vines are. Borgs are safe from poisonous substances.
* If the plant has the trait that makes it very carnivorous, it will drain blood from people it captures in its vines. Once again, don't be where the vines are.


=== Discipline ===
=== Atmospheric Hazards ===
Slimes can be subjugated by force by various means, with the easiest way being the slimebation. The slime will give a sad face, however it won't harm humanoids for a little while. If it was trying to kill something, it will stop doing so.
Some exotic plants emit gases ranging from nitrogen to phoron. Some of these gases are dangerous only when the plant has created so much of them that the pressure in the room is dangerously high; others are dangerous even in small quantities.


Successfully removing a slime from someone it's eating will also discipline it.
To grow a plant that produces gas:
 
* Always plant unknown exotic plants in an isolation tray connected to a port.  
Beating the slime with a heavy object repeatively will sometimes discipline it, however this is not guaranteed.
* Your PDA includes an atmospheric scanner. Pull it up and monitor the air to detect gas-producing plants before you're unconscious or poisoned.
 
* If a plant produces gas, toggle the tray lid on the tray. This will isolate the tray, but it may not be the kind of environment the plant likes. Plants grown in isolation trays with the lids up will need careful tending and a lot of diethylamine.
=== Obedience ===
* Call for Atmospherics if the problem has gotten bad enough to contaminate the room (an atmos alarm panel flashing orange or red).
Giving 'justified' disciplining to a slime will cause it to become more obedient, making future disciplining last longer. Sufficient amounts of obedience can make discipline last forever. Note that slimes in that state are still dangerous, as they will still defend themselves against attackers.
* If you were exposed to phoron gas, leave the room immediately, decontaminate and get to Medical.
 
An act of discipline is 'justified' when it is done while the slime is trying to harm or eat someone, otherwise it is 'unjustified'.
 
A slime securitron will automatically engage 'guilty' slimes, but leave innocent ones alone.
 
=== Resentment ===
Giving 'unjustified' disciplining to a slime will cause the slime to hold resentment towards their captors. If pushed too far, the slime will enrage, and try to kill everything it can see, so try to not be like Security.
 
Sometimes it is possible to calm down a raging slime with enough disciplining, however it is generally easier and safer to just kill it with a slimebation and fire extinguisher.
 
A slime securitron engage an enraged slime in a fight to the death, not stopping until the slime dies, or the securitron is destroyed.
 
=== Speech ===
Slimes appear to be capable of slow, simple speech, and will respond to various topics and requests that it hears.
 
If a slime likes you enough or is sufficiently obedient, it can be given certain commands, such as to '''follow''' you, to '''stop''' attacking/eating/following things, or to '''attack''' a specific target. You'll need to say the slime's 'name', or say 'slimes' to give the command to all the slimes that can hear you.
 
You can also say hi to them, and they will respond.
 
=== Tactics ===
All slimes have various means to harm things. The most common attack is a 'glomp' which will hurt whatever it hits, and will hurt more if the slime is a big one. Some slime colors will cause a substance to enter your bloodstream if it successfully hits you. Sufficiently thick clothing should stop that from happening.
 
A more dangerous 'attack' is that the slime may decide to attach themselves onto their victim, which is how slimes eat things. This causes severe cellular damage to the victim, and will require advanced medical treatment to fix, so you are advised to remove the slime from yourself or your co-worker <abbr>ASAP</abbr> if it latches on. A slime securitron will rush to you if this happens to you. Slimes won't try to eat inorganic entities, instead glomping them.
 
Slimes can also incapacitate its target in two ways. First, it can try to knock down its target by shoving them down, which stuns for a brief moment, however it is not guaranteed to work. Second, it can use stored up electricity to shock a target to stun them for a longer period of time. After downing a target, a slime generally will try to eat it if it's organic, or continue glomping it to death if not.
 
=== Friend or Foe ===
Slimes will never willingly harm another slime of the same color, or a Promethean. When under the effects of discipline, a slime will not try to fight or eat humanoids or robotic entities, but will still eat monkeys.
 
A slime pacified with a slime docility agent will never harm anyone and is incapable of doing any harm. Pacified slimes will also never enrage, even with a red slime extract.
 
An enraged slime will ignore the effects of discipline.
 
== Slimes Biology ==
Slimes come in many colors, and most of them have unique properties. Their extracts will do different things depending on the color, as well. Slimes will attack slimes of a different color, so separating them with different cells is required.
 
When slimes reproduce, there is a chance that one or more of the offspring will mutate into a different color. The chance is usually at around 25%, however this can be increased or deceased by giving the slime a mutation agent or stability agent, which can be obtained from a red extract and blue extract, respectively.
 
Each color, except for the grey slime, will have a specific trait unique to that color, and may warrant additional preparation before handling. A list of slime colors is provided below.
 
=== Special: ===
 
==== '''Rainbow Slime''' [[File:rainbowbabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' N/A
'''Threat Level:''' Medium
'''Special Abilities:''' Never harms or is harmed by another slime due to seperate color
'''Recommended Preparations:''' N/A
The rainbow slime is very rare color that other slimes consider to be their color, and so they won't attack it.
Injecting with Slime Jelly creates a unity agent. When you use it on a slime, it will never attack slimes of other colours, and this is inheritable.
Injecting with Water causes you and everyone near you to see all the colours of the rainbow. So pretty!
Injecting with Blood creates a random extract
Injecting with Phoron Spawns a random slime from the others available in Xenobiology, Caution!
 
=== Tier 0 ===
 
==== '''Grey Slime''' [[File:Greybabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 0
'''Threat Level:''' Medium
'''Special Abilities:''' N/A
'''Recommended Preperations:''' N/A
Grey slimes are the first slimes you will have, as you start with two. It's generally recommended to always have a cell with grey slimes, as their extracts create monkey cubes, which you will need a lot of. A grey slime stabilised with blue stability extracts provides a gaurenteed, high efficiency food source for your other slimes.
Injecting with water creates 30u of Slime Jelly in the extract.
Injecting with Blood creates monkey cubes when injected with blood, a fresh source of food for more slimes!
Injecting with Phoron creates a fresh grey slime when injected with phoron, which is useful as a backup in case all your specimens die or all your greys mutated.
 
=== Tier 1 ===
 
==== '''Orange Slime'''[[File:Orangebabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 1
'''Threat Level:''' Medium
'''Special Abilities:''' Increases flammability of targets per hit, chance to ignite per hit
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Wear a firesuit
Orange slimes can light you on fire if you're careless, however generally this is not a big deal as you have a fire extinguisher (you did bring one right?). If you want to be extra safe, wear a fire suit.
Note that if an orange slime can trigger the dark purple or oil slime's effect.
Injecting with Slime Jelly Creates 30 units of pyrotoxin in the extract.
Injecting with Water creates a cloud of harmless smoke.
Injecting with Blood Creates a burst of heat, raising the temperature of air and anything around it, Dangerous!
Injecting with Phoron Creates a Phoron fire on your location, Dangerous!
 
==== '''Purple Slime'''[[File:Purplebabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 1
'''Threat Level:''' Medium
'''Special Abilities:''' Injects toxins per hit
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Wear a biosuit
Purple slimes inject a weak but long lasting toxin into their victim with each attack. A thick armor such as a biosuit or spacesuit will stop this from affecting you.
Injecting with Slime Jelly creates a fertility agent. This increases the amount of 'children' a slime splits into by 2, up to a maximum of 6. This is not inheritable.
Injecting with Water creates a shrink agent - it reduces Adult slimes back to their baby forms.
Injecting with Blood creates an infertility agent. when used on a slime, it reduces the amount of 'children' a slime splits into by 2, to a minimum of 2. This is not inheritable.
Injecting with Phoron creates a slime steroid agent, which is a potent chemical mix that causes a slime to produce an additional extract when processed. It needs to be alive for the steroid to be applied.
 
==== '''Blue Slime'''[[File:Bluebabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 1
'''Threat Level:''' Medium
'''Special Abilities:''' Injects cryo-toxin
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Wear a biosuit
Blue slimes chill their enemies with cryo-toxin, so a biosuit will keep that away from you. Don't wear a winter coat, it isn't thick enough to stop the injection and it will actually make it take longer to warm up, potentially making the cryo-toxin lethal.
Injecting with Slime JellyCreates 30 units of cryotoxin in the extract
Injecting with Water creates a pulse of calmness, this removes rage from all slimes in vision range and removes t heir rage modofier (this extends to prometheans under the buff from the red slime extracts effect).
Injecting with Blood will create a slime stability agent when injected with blood, which reduces the odds of mutations by 15%, and carries through across generations. Useful for your grey slimes so they stay grey forever.
Injecting with Phoron creates 30u of frost oil, which can solidify certain liquid metals like liquid iron, gold, silver, etc. Five units frost oil and twenty units of a metallic liquid will make one bar of solid metal, consuming the frost oil in the process. Some foods also call for frost oil in their recipe.
 
==== '''Metal Slime'''[[File:Metalbabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 1
'''Threat Level:''' Medium
'''Special Abilities:''' More durable, resistant to weak weapons
'''Recommended Preparations:''' N/A
Metal slimes are harder to kill by virtue of being able to take more punishment before dying. They are one of the few slimes able to survive a dark blue extract cold snap. They otherwise aren't much more dangerous than a regular grey slime.
Injecting with Slime Jelly Creates 1 stack of 25 sheets of steel.
Injecting with Water creates 3 stacks of 5 sheets of random 'unorthodox' materials.
Injecting with Blood creates 2 stacks, 10 sheets each of random advanced construction materials.
Injecting with Phoron creates 3 stacks, 10 sheets each of random basic construction materials.
 
=== Tier 2 ===
 
==== '''Yellow Slime'''[[File:Yellowbabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 2
'''Threat Level:''' High
'''Special Abilities:''' Shoots lightning, charges electricity faster
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Out-range slime with slime taser, wear insulation if possible
Yellow slimes are one of the few slimes to possess a ranged attack. Be warned, the lightning can go through the glass of its cell, so the blast doors may be required. The lightning technically has a very high range, but slimes will only fire it if they are between two to three meters from their target. Yellow slimes don't fire lightning when in melee range (their glomps actually hurt more, however).
Injecting with Slime Jelly will create an object that can be used as a large powercell, with a capacity of 10k. Unlike regular power cells, these will unconditionally self recharge at a slow rate. Useful for APCs, Defibs, and Synthetics. It cannot be used as a substitute for device or weapon cells.
Injecting with Water will create an EMP blast, as strong as a regular EMP grenade. The user is not immune to the EMP blast, so be careful.
Injecting with Blood will create an object which glows with yellow bio-luminescence.
Injecting with Phoron will create a instantaneous lightning strike, striking multiple mobs nearby~ Extremely dangerous.
 
==== '''Dark Purple Slime'''[[File:Darkpurplebabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 2
'''Threat Level:''' High
'''Special Abilities:''' Injects phoron per attack, creates phoron fire if killed with fire
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Wear a biosuit
Dark Purple slimes inject phoron into its target, which is extremely toxic, so a biosuit is required.
Injecting with slime jelly will create 30 units of blood in the extract
Injecting with Water creates 30 units of Phoron in the extract.
 
==== '''Dark Blue Slime'''[[File:Darkbluebabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 2
'''Threat Level:''' High
'''Special Abilities:''' Lowers temperature of nearby entities, resistant to cold temperatures
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Wear a winter coat
Dark Blue slimes passively lower the temperature of entities near it. It doesn't actually lower the room temperature, however. Note that other slimes can be harmed by the 'cold aura'. Dark Blue slimes are also unharmed by cold temperatures, however water will still kill them.
Injecting with Slime Jelly creates a Death agent, this will kill any slime instantly when used on it.
Injecting with Watercreates 5 units of ice in the extract.
Injecting with Blood Grants a buff that improves resistance to temperature and heat damage in a short radius around you.
Injecting with Phoron will create a 'cold snap' when injected with phoron, after a delay, which rapidly lowers the temperature of nearby entities, and lowers the temperature of the surrounding atmosphere. It is generally capable of instantly killing most types of slimes, except for the Metal and other Dark Blue slimes, therefore it is ideal for containing a slime outbreak. It is recommended to wear cold protection, like a winter coat, when using the cold snap.
 
==== '''Silver Slime'''[[File:Silverbabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 2
'''Threat Level:''' Medium-High
'''Special Abilities:''' Reflects beams and energy projectiles
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Use slimebation instead of xeno taser
Silver slimes will always deflect most energy-based weapons. This includes the slime taser. This can cause you to accidentally discipline the wrong slime, posing an enrage risk if the slime you hit didn't deserve to be tased. The slimebation still works on them.
Injecting with Slime Jelly creates 1 stack, 10 sheets of silver.
Injecting with Water creates 3 stacks, 5 sheets each (1 for particle smasher materials) of completely random materials.
Injecting with Blood creates 1 stack, 3 sheets of random advanced science material.
Injecting with Phoron creates 2 stacks of 5 sheets of random basic science materials.
 
==== '''Red Slime'''[[File:Redbabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 2
'''Threat Level:''' Medium-High
'''Special Abilities:''' Moves faster, enrages if disciplined
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Don't discipline if possible, otherwise isolate it from everything else
Red slimes are extremely aggressive, and will never submit to your attempts to civilize them. They also move faster than other slimes.
Injecting with Slime Jelly creates a ferality agent. This causes any slime it's used on to behave like a red slime, becoming more angry at discipline attempts and will be inherited when splitting. Why would you do this?
Injecting with Water creates 30 units of capsaicin in the extract, spicy!
Injecting with Blood causes all slimes that can see the user, and are not pacified, to become enraged, Dangerous!
Injecting with Phoron creates a bottle of slime mutation agent when injected with phoron, which makes a slime 12% more likely to mutate, and carries across generations. It's the opposite of the stability agent.
 
==== '''Green Slime'''[[File:Greenbabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 2
'''Threat Level:''' Medium
'''Special Abilities:''' Radioactive, injects radium per hit
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Wear a radiation suit
Green slimes will irradiate nearby entities and cause their cell to become radioactive for awhile. This can be bad or can be put to use with creative means.
Injecting with Slime Jelly creates a stack of 10 sheets of uranium
Injecting with Water creates 30 units of radium in the extract.
Injecting with Blood creates an irradiated slimeball that will constantly irradiate anything near it, dangerous!
Injecting with Phoron creates a pulse of radiation to everything in the vicinity, Dangerous!
 
==== '''Pink Slime'''[[File:Pinkbabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 2
'''Threat Level:''' Medium
'''Special Abilities:''' Heals living entities nearby
'''Recommended Preparations:''' N/A
Pink slimes heal other entities near it. Things being healed will sparkle pink for a few seconds. It won't apply the heal to things the slime is trying to kill, so you will likely need to discipline or pacify the slime before you can use it as a source of healing.
Injecting with Slime Jelly will create a healing 'pulse', healing 25 Brute, burn, toxin and oxy damage on every carbon mob in the vicinity, including dead ones.
Injecting with Water will create 'Agent C', an organ fixing liquid.
Injecting with Blood will create 'Agent A', a clotting liquid which will heal bleeding, internal and external.
Injecting with Phoron will create 'Agent B', a bone fixing liquid.
 
==== '''Gold Slime'''[[File:Goldbabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 2
'''Threat Level:''' Medium
'''Special Abilities:''' Immune to stuns
'''Recommended Preparations:''' N/A
The gold slime absorbs energy, and trying to stun it will actually charge it. Despite this, your slime tools will still discipline it, so this is only an issue if it enrages.
Injecting with Slime Jelly Creates a stack of 10 sheets of gold.
Injecting with Water will create a random mob, that will be passive, or defensive.
Injecting with Blood will create a random hostile mob, Dangerous!
Injecting with Phoron Generates 3 random mobs, Dangerous!
 
=== Tier: 3 ===
 
==== '''Bluespace Slime'''[[File:Bluespacebabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 3
'''Threat Level:''' High
'''Special Abilities:''' Teleports to target
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Seal slime behind blast doors
The Bluespace slime can teleport out of its cell, which makes containing it difficult. The best method is to stun it with the slimebaton, then close the blast doors very fast. Running away from a Bluespace slime without the ability to stun it is generally futile.
Injecting with Slime Jelly creates precise slime teleporter
Injecting with Water will randomly teleport everything within a short range, Dangerous!
Injecting with Blood creates a bluespace slime pouch, works like a bluespace bag!
Injecting with Phoron creates 5 slime crystals that teleport you to random location in short radius when used
 
==== Ruby Slime ====
'''Tier:''' 3
'''Threat Level:''' Very High
'''Special Abilities:''' Unnatural physical strength
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Kite and use slime taser, or ask security for riot armor
The Ruby slime is very strong physically, and has the potential to crit a human in three hits. The slime has an outgoing damage multipler, reduced incoming damage, higher base health, and is stunned for less time. This ability can be yours, at least temporarily, with its extract.
Injecting with Slime Jelly Pushes unanchored objects around you out
Injecting with Water Creates 30 units of brute juice in the extract
Injecting with Blood Pulls unanchored objects around you in
Injecting with Phoron will grant a 'buff' to nearby entities, giving the entity similar boons to the Ruby slime, for ten minutes. The entity will have red sparkles while it lasts.
 
==== Cerulean Slime ==== [[File:Ceruleanbabyslime.gif|32px]]
'''Tier:''' 3
'''Threat Level:''' Medium
'''Special Abilities:''' Higher base stations than average
'''Recommended Preparations:''' N/A
The Cerulean slime is a 'jack of all trades, master of none' color, so it isn't much more threatening than a regular grey slime.
Injecting with Slime Jelly creates a random slime agent
Injecting with Water creates mimic agent. When used on another agent, turns into a copy of that agent
Injecting with Blood creates invigoration agent. When used on an extract, even inert, destroys it and creates slime of same type as the extract
Injecting with Phoron creates a slime extract enhancer agent which adds more 'charges' to a specific extract. It's a good idea to use this agent on your second Cerulean extract, so you get a large amount of enhancer agents
 
==== Amber Slime ====
'''Tier:''' 3
'''Threat Level:''' High
'''Special Abilities:''' Feeds other slimes passively
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Separate from other slimes to prevent runaway slime reproduction
The Amber slime feeds other slimes (it cannot feed itself, fortunately) through some unknown process, and can cause them to reproduce without being fed monkeys. This can be exploited if one is careful.
Injecting with Slime Jelly cauaes the Extract to create a gooy clump of slime that is edible for humans. It is very filling and sweet.
Injecting with Water creates 3 to 5 nutritious slime globs
Injecting with Blood creates 2 to 4 random pieces of food
Injecting with Phoron creates a slime feeding agent, which when applied to a specific slime, will instantly cause the slime to evolve and reproduce.
 
==== '''Oil Slime'''[[File:Oilbabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 3
'''Threat Level:''' High
'''Special Abilities:''' Explodes if hit with fire or another explosion
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Wear a bombsuit
Oil slimes are essentially walking welding tanks. Don't try to kill one with a welder, laser, or anything that causes burns, as it will make it explode.
If an oil slime gets enraged, it will do a suicide charge at someone and blow themselves up. This is extremely lethal if it attaches to you before exploding.
Injecting with Slime Jelly creates an explosion. If the extract is enhanced, the explosion is more powerful, but still only has one use. Dangerous!
Injecting with Water creates a fake explosion (sounds real though!).
Injecting with Blood creates 30 units of cooking oil in the extract.
Injecting with Phoron creates 30 units of welding fuel in the extract.
 
==== Emerald Slime ====
'''Tier:''' 3
'''Threat Level:''' High
'''Special Abilities:''' Makes entities nearby go very fast for a few moments
'''Recommended Preparations:''' N/A
The Emerald slime goes very fast, faster than the red slimes, and can make other slimes go just as fast. It can also make you go fast, if it's not trying to eat you. This can be exploited by an enterprising Xenobiologist looking to cut down on travel time.
Injecting with Slime Jelly makes everything around slippery, whoops!
Injecting with Water makes 30 units of hyperzine in the extract.
Injecting with Blood creates a short-timed buff that makes you go fast. You are speed!
Injecting with Phoron will 'buff' entities near the extract for ten minutes, allowing them to move slightly faster. Projectiles will hit them less often, as well. The entity will have green sparkles for the duration.
 
==== Light Pink Slime[[File:Lightpinkbabyslime.gif|32px]] ====
'''Tier:''' 3
'''Threat Level:''' Low
'''Special Abilities:''' Will never attack humanoids or most synthetics
'''Recommended Preparations:''' N/A
The light pink slime is essentially permanently disciplined. It will still eat monkeys, but nothing else.
Injecting with Slime Jelly creates obedience agent. When used on slime, causes them to instantly become disciplined to maximum level. Note: usage is considered a discipline itself
Injecting with Water creates a slime pacification agent, which makes the slime be just as safe to handle as Ian. It might also work on other things than just slimes… Note that a pacified slime will not eat and therefore cannot reproduce.
Injecting with Blood creates a slime loyalty agent, which makes the slime be your ally forever. It also might work on other things. This is inheritable.
Injecting with Phoron Creates a friendship agent, this will make the slime your friend and wont attack you, they will also obey commands if they're a slime. This is inheritable
 
==== Sapphire Slime ====
'''Tier:''' 3
'''Threat Level:''' Extremely High
'''Special Abilities:''' More robust combat tactics
'''Recommended Preparations:''' Outrange and outnumber, get a slime securitron
Sapphire slimes are one of the most dangerous slimes, as they are more intelligent than the others and will use more effective fighting tactics, generally stunning much more often.
If two sapphire slimes are fighting you, one will keep you stunned while the other eats or glomps you to death, so bring a buddy or a slime securitron.
Injecting with Slime Jelly Creates sentience agent. When used on any simplemob, makes them eligible for ghost joining
Injecting with Water Creates 3 to 5 random non-large plushies
Injecting with Blood Creates 30 units of mutation agent
Injecting with Phoron creates a slime cube, which is used to create a new Promethean. Use it in hand and wait for a ghost to accept the prompt, and then a new slime person will appear!


== Tips and tricks ==
* Your general purpose as a Xenobotanist is to find out which gene mask corresponds to which trait and use this info to make bizarre mutant plants.
* You can click a disk in hand to clear the contents and reuse it. You have a limited number so keep an eye on them. More can be ordered from cargo.
* Plants have varied traits. Using a given plant to isolate a specific trait may be worthwhile (ie. kudzu for spread, poppies for flowers).
* Other traits should be fairly easy to find (product trait will cause the target to grow extra fruits, etc).


[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Research Locations]]

Latest revision as of 22:33, 9 January 2020

This article or section is from the VOREstation wiki.

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File:Xenoflora Workspace.png

A Xenobotanist is a Scientist who works to determine and manipulate the genetics of plants in space. A xenobotanist works in Xenoflora.

Tools

  • Nutrients - Feeds your plants.
  • Bucket - Used to pour water (or other chemicals) into trays.
  • Pest spray - Removes pests from hydroponics trays.
  • Mini-hoe - Removes weeds from hydroponics trays.
  • Hatchet - Used to chop wood.
  • Plant Analyzer - Shows a readout of useful information concerning the plant.
  • Wire cutters or Scalpel - Used to take plant samples.
  • Flora data disk - Stores a single gene from a specific plant variety.

Genetics

Plants have twelve genes, labelled and ordered at random each round. Each gene represents a set of traits from the plant. These include:

  • Biochemistry: Which reagents the fruit contains; which gases the plant generates.
  • Hardiness: Endurance. Tolerance to toxins, pests, and weeds.
  • Environment: Plant's preferred temperature and light levels, and how much tolerance it has for changes in light level.
  • Metabolism: Whether the plant requires water or fertilizer. Whether it alters the ambient temperature.
  • Appearance: Unused.
  • Diet: Whether the plant consumes gases in its environment; whether the plant is carnivorous (eats pests) or eats tray weeds; how much water and fertilizer it consumes.
  • Pigment: The color of the plant and its fruit; the color of any bioluminescence.
  • Output: Whether the plant produces electrical power or bioluminescent light.
  • Atmosphere: The plant's tolerance for changes in temperature and pressure away from its preferred levels.
  • Vigour: How long the plant takes to mature and produce fruit. How much fruit it produces. Whether it can spread out of its tray.
  • Fruit: Whether the fruit is juicy and will splatter when thrown; whether the plant has stinging spines and will inject its reagents into anyone coming in contact with it.
  • Special: The ability to teleport the thrower or target when thrown.

A gene label from any given plant represents the same trait across all plants; in other words, if gene F6 represents products for tomatoes, it will also represent products from ambrosia.

Lysis-isolation Centrifuge

This piece of machinery accepts a seed packet or cutting as well as a data disk. When used to scan a seed, it destroys the seed in order to reclaim its genetic information, which can be loaded onto a data disk a certain number of times before the stored genome degrades completely.

Bioballistic Delivery System

When loaded with a data disk and a seed, this machine is used to apply the gene stored on the data disk to the loaded packet. It will overwrite the corresponding gene on the target packet. Seeds can only be overwritten a certain number of times before they degrade completely and can no longer be modified.

How to Modify Seeds

  • Identify your genes.
    • Pick two plants whose genes are very different from each other. Since all the plants from the seed vendors have the same Resistance, Environment, and Consumption genes, it helps if one of the plants is an exotic seed that you've planted and harvested more seed packets from, either through tasking cuttings or by extracting seeds from fruit. If you don't have exotic seeds, you can mutate an existing species to have genes that are different.
    • Have three or four identical seed packets from each species.
    • Using the lysis-isolation centrifuge, add a seed packet from Species 1. Analyze the genome (this will destroy the seed packet!). Then add a flora data disk to the centrifuge and copy each gene onto the disk. Eventually, the genetic information in the lysis-isolation centrifuge will be exhausted, and you'll need to add and analyze another Species 1 seed packet. Repeat this until you have a disk for each of the twelve genes.
    • Using your plant analyzer, analyze Species 2 and make a note of its characteristics.
    • Put a seed packet from Species 2 into the bioballistic delivery system. Add one of your flora data disks with genes from Species 1, and apply the modification.
    • Eject the seed packet and analyze it again with the plant analyzer. Note which gene has changed. For example, if the plant from Species 2 now has a trait from Species 1, you know that's the trait you have transferred, and that that's the gene on the disk.
    • Label your disk with the gene, or make a note of which gene is which.
    • Repeat this with the other five disks, each time making a note of which gene is which. If the modified plant doesn't change at all, it's likely that you've transferred a gene that is identical in Species 1 and Species 2--usually the Flowers gene. Eventually, modifying any given seed packet will no longer be viable; the machine will tell you when that happens. You'll have to switch to a new seed packet.
  • Now that you have your genes identified, think about which genes you want to transfer from which plant to which. Typically, with exotic seeds, you'll want to make them viable for growing on the station.
    • Vigor is a good gene to transfer to plants that grow or produce fruit slowly. Choose a plant which produces fruit quickly or in large quantities and transfer the Vigor gene to the exotic plant. Vigor genes from a plant that doesn't grow kudzu-style can be transferred to one that does, to make these plants more manageable. (Or you could transfer the kudzu vigor gene to a non-spreading plant; we're not judging here.)
    • Environment genes from station-adapted plants will help the target plant to grow on the station.
    • Consumption genes from plants that are particularly frugal, or which can eat weeds or pests, can be transferred to plants that don't.
    • Resistance genes from resistant plants can be transferred to plants that are vulnerable to pests, toxins, or weeds.
    • Bioluminescence can be transferred from one plant to another via the Flowers gene.
    • The Products gene is special: Instead of replacing the gene on the target plant, it's added in. Your target plant will now produce two types of fruit, one from the source and the other from the target, and each fruit will contain chemicals from both fruit types. However, transferring a Products gene will result in a generally less vigorous plant with less potent fruit.

Dangerous Plants

Taming Kudzu

Kudzu, and other spreading vines, will spread from their tray into the lab. Given time and open doors, a vine plant could spread throughout the station. It will also entangle people who step into an area with thick growth, and may inject any chemicals from its fruit into the people it has entangled. Garden-variety kudzu isn't so dangerous; the dylovene it contains is not toxic. But beware the vine which contains cyanide.

To control a spreading vine:

  • Before you plant, modify a vine-type plant by splicing in a Vigor gene from a plant that doesn't spread.
  • Plant a vine-type plant in the isolation area of the Xenoflora lab.
  • A hatchet can cut down vines more quickly than most tools.
  • Plant-b-gone and other chemicals that kill plants can also kill vines.
  • A goat will eat vine plants quickly and effectively (but is also ornery enough to bite you). Order one from Cargo.
  • If the plant injects something poisonous, don't be where the vines are. Borgs are safe from poisonous substances.
  • If the plant has the trait that makes it very carnivorous, it will drain blood from people it captures in its vines. Once again, don't be where the vines are.

Atmospheric Hazards

Some exotic plants emit gases ranging from nitrogen to phoron. Some of these gases are dangerous only when the plant has created so much of them that the pressure in the room is dangerously high; others are dangerous even in small quantities.

To grow a plant that produces gas:

  • Always plant unknown exotic plants in an isolation tray connected to a port.
  • Your PDA includes an atmospheric scanner. Pull it up and monitor the air to detect gas-producing plants before you're unconscious or poisoned.
  • If a plant produces gas, toggle the tray lid on the tray. This will isolate the tray, but it may not be the kind of environment the plant likes. Plants grown in isolation trays with the lids up will need careful tending and a lot of diethylamine.
  • Call for Atmospherics if the problem has gotten bad enough to contaminate the room (an atmos alarm panel flashing orange or red).
  • If you were exposed to phoron gas, leave the room immediately, decontaminate and get to Medical.

Tips and tricks

  • Your general purpose as a Xenobotanist is to find out which gene mask corresponds to which trait and use this info to make bizarre mutant plants.
  • You can click a disk in hand to clear the contents and reuse it. You have a limited number so keep an eye on them. More can be ordered from cargo.
  • Plants have varied traits. Using a given plant to isolate a specific trait may be worthwhile (ie. kudzu for spread, poppies for flowers).
  • Other traits should be fairly easy to find (product trait will cause the target to grow extra fruits, etc).