Chem Sensor Array

A Chem Sensor Array is an implant which can read (and, depending on the model, generate) sensory details of taste and scent. The fidelity and worth of these implants vary tremendously from product to product.

High Fidelity

University is lightyears from home and so I rarely get to show up for the holidays. I'm so happy I got the full suite implant. Every sunday I telly home and sit in the kitchen, lost in the smell of dad's cooking.

— A customer review

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Summary

Item type

Cybernetic

Related Technologies

• Sensate

Dimensions

A series of 1cm by 1cm wafer nodes.

Base Price

1 Sapphire Orb for the lowest-tier reader, up to 1 Amethyst Orb for high-fidelity implants.

Small Joys

After a long day cleaning the line gutters at the chitin meal mill, Ruul was eager to get home and try out his new Yum-Fu'd ChemSense. The implant sites still stung a bit, but the swelling had gone down and the chop doc assured him it would be ready to use by that evening.

Ruul loaded a canister of Yum-Fu'd Ramen into its proprietary cooker. He trembled in excitement(and hunger) as the top closed and the small pot began to gurgle. On the lid, the hologram mascot of Yum-Fu'd appeared with a table and made a show of preparing the meal. The ritual took on a particular brilliance now that he had a ChemSense to sync to the pot; the scent of steamed veggies, broth, and grilled chicken flooded his senses.

Ruul broke out giggling in joy, tears welling in his eyes. Grilled chicken was a rare treat he only got to enjoy when he saw his parents for winter solstice—the smell of it was cathartic.

A few minutes later and he was on his stool and hunched over the bowl of steaming noodles, colored cubes that claimed to be at least 20% vegetable, and tofu. He pulled on a pair of low-fidelity immersion goggles—another luxury he'd spent months saving for. As advertised, the bowl synced with the goggles and he found himself immersed low poly tiki bar on the beach. The salty scent of an ocean breeze teased his nostrils for the first time in his life, and he inhaled deeply. Laughter bubbled from his lips as the scent of grilled chicken—not perfect, but better than had graced his apartment in years—flooded his senses.

He looked down. Though toonish and low res, the meal in the bowl before him looked delicious all the same. He dug in, weeping with joy. The price for this luxury had been well worth it.