Deathoxycurazine (DXZ)

The vast majority of people assume DXZ to be merely an incredibly addictive smart drug. But it is far more dangerous than that. DXZ is a swarm-colony of nano-bots, usually suspended in a liquid or gel medium for storage and administration. Once administered, the Nanites are able to detect any physical injury in the host body, along with any accompanying psychological impairment or pain response, and effectively attend to each.
The swarm uses the biological material surrounding a wound to produce a protein scaffold, patching up the damage, halting blood flow, and preventing infection. They are able to simultaneously block nerve signals from the damaged tissue to the central cortex and manipulate hormonal balance in the brain to dull pain and sooth panic-stricken patients. If the damage is extensive, the nano bots are able to self replicate using the raw materials found in the host body, in order to resolve multiple issues simultaneously.
This primary functionality works by detecting the desired results in the mind of each patient. If an operative is severely wounded, in pain, and panicking, those primary focusses of the mind are what the DXZ bots address. Subject-specific pain killing compounds and mood altering chemicals settle the patient allowing the tireless microscopic worker bots to repair the physical damage.

However, an unexpected side effect occurs when DXZ is administered without any trauma. Any desired psychotropic effect can be achieved, with a small amount of mental training. The Nanites are able to manipulate brain function into any mode of consciousness imaginable, as well as erase scar tissue and heal historic injuries, if directed by a capable host.
Naturally, being a self controlled psychoactive experience, DXZ is immensely popular. From junkies, Junkers and OutSide scummers, to inner city rich kids, SyntCults and corporate stooges, all appreciate the unique experience of a completely self crafted trip. Extreme highs and lows, mind bending psychedelic voyages, and never-before experienced brain-states are possible with the practice derived from prolonged use.
DXZ is intended to be a quick fix for an extreme situation. While the majority of Nanites are ejected from the host's system within 24 hours, with continued use some inevitably remain. Disconnected from the swarm, they self replicate until a new swarm is created. With multiple generations of self replication, comes evolution of behaviour. Program mutation. Eventually, the Nanites begin to impact the host in a multitude of negative ways.
The Nanites gradually use up the raw materials present in the host's body to replicate, causing iron, calcium, protein and other vital vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This typically leads to the host deciding to take more DXZ, in a vain attempt to "heal" the damage. The Nanites do as instructed, removing more bio-mass and redistributing it, weakening ever more of the body's structure in a gory feedback loop of physical and mental decay and degradation.
The flesh becomes loose, torn, the skin sagging away from the body. The DXZ Nanites assume direct control of the cerebellum, effectively piloting the shambling remains of the host. At this point the microscopic robot swarm enters survival mode. A strike force of Nanites is concentrated in the saliva of the host, the remaining nano bots reinforce what's left of the muscle tissue. The horrific lurching mass of bones and flesh is primitively and aggressively manoeuvred by the Nanites like a twisted flesh puppet, shambling towards the nearest potential host. When contact is established, the Nanites lock the host's jaws around the nearest bare flesh, clamping on for as long as possible as the swarm transfers to its new environment.
The new host has now contracted DXZ Syndrome

Utility

DXZ has one use case. It is used only when strictly necessary to survive a severe injury. Any usage outside of that is highly prohibited, and possession is punishable by death for all but the small group of ███████ operatives sanctioned to use it. DXZ can be introduced to the body by any means of administration. Even contact with skin under certain conditions is enough to allow the Nanites to make their way into the bloodstream.

Manufacturing

The Nanites are technically micro cyborgs, part synthetic biology, part nano-robotic. Pure, non evolved DXZ is typically safe to use as intended and will not mutate under 'normal' conditions. Unfortunately, it is also incredibly rare. Only a handful of operatives have access to the real deal. When produced for the black market, a sample is injected in to a production host or colony vat, and cultivated in to a full Nanite swarm, the blood is siphoned and filtered (if you are lucky), leaving behind the pure DXZ.

Street Names

Death/Deth, Dee, Dex, Dexter, Dexxy, Dezzo, Dizzy, Extra, Secret Sauce, Sweet Dee, Zed, Zee, Zeen

Access & Availability

DXZ, or DeathoXycuraZine, is created by MedUnits, Syntient systems designed to support corporate combat operatives on the front line. The cost of training new operatives to replace those lost to hostile takeovers is a burden to Synt Management, DXZ is used as a 'sticking plaster' to enable survival of biological assets at least to the end of the mission. Use outside of these circumstances is strictly prohibited.

Despite this, DXZ is widely available at all strata of society. Its exact point of origin is a vague conspiracy theory at best, as is its exact composition, intended function, and pretty much everything about it apart from its effect on the Specimen mind and body. The majority of the substance currently available on the black market is product colonised in high tech vats for high status clients like NoBloods, or more commonly in an unwilling host organism for low status punters. Typically the production host is human, as animal grown Nanites tend to transfer animalistic behaviour to the end user, sometimes even rebuilding parts of the host's anatomy to be closer to its original animal host. This is perceived as a positive among customers of a particular type.

Complexity

DXZ defies many analysis methods. Most laboratory grade equipment is at the very least HiveActive, and probably linked to any number of Syntient lifeforms in multiple ways. Due to its prohibition, any attempt to analyse DXZ instantly alerts Syntient Management to the infraction. When DXZ is synthesised, whoever is cultivating the colony knows what conditions produce good product, but they know nothing of the processes at play on the microscopic level. On occasion someone will use an illicit analogue microscope to view some of the stuff up close, but all that can be discerned from this type of observation is that it appears to be alive.