The CP2U, or Cerebral Parallel Processing Unit, is a revolutionary piece of cybernetic headware designed to maximize mental capacity and control. Utilizing neural synchronization hardware similar to that which is found in a simsense rig, the CP2U aligns brain pulses in 180 degree push/pull phases, providing for higher neural throughput and supplemental processing not possible without this unit.

While the CP2U functions on all levels of brain activity, it's efficiency is demonstrated to the utmost with sympathetic and parasympathetic brain activity. Through fuzzy logic analysis algorithms and CDI's proprietary NITASC (Neural Instruction Tracking And Synthesis Capable) microtronics, the CP2U is literally able to monitor, predict, and handle low-level bodily requests, thus freeing up the mind for more demanding tasks. The result is an ability to process tasks requiring little or no mental effort almost on-the-fly, while high level mental tasks become much easier to handle. A character possessing a CP2U gains a bonus of one level to all technical, knowledge, and language skills.

The CP2U provides its user with one extra free action during any phase in which the character is eligible to act with a simple or complex action. This free action can be combined with a character's already-present free action to gain another simple action. By extension, a character with a CP2U could possibly have three simple actions per turn, or one simple and one complex action per turn.

The CP2U is a truly high-performance piece of headware, and it requires precise push/pull neural cycles to function effectively. For this reason, the CP2U is extremely sensitive to a character's mental state. Should the user of a CP2U be suffering from uncompensated stun damage of any sort, the CP2U's performance will likewise suffer. If the user of a CP2U should reach uncompensated serious stun, the CP2U loses all bonuses until stun damage is reduced below serious.

Another important matter surrounding the CP2U regards the extensive level of integration between itself and natural brain functions. The CP2U takes over lower level brain functioning to the extent that if the CP2U suffers damage, the user of the CP2U will undoubtedly sustain damage from the partial loss of "brain" functioning. Anytime the CP2U takes cyber-damage, it is necessary for the user to make a damage resistance test, as well, to see how fast the body is able to compensate for the loss of brain functioning supplied by the CP2U . Roll willpower plus intelligence dice to resist (damage level) D physical damage. That is, if the CP2U were to sustain moderate damage, the damage code would be 3D, serious damage would be 6D, etc. The power code of this attack cannot be adjusted by damage compensation, cyberware, magic, or any other means. It is quite possible that repeated damage of the CP2U could lead to the death of its user.

While the CP2U will provide bonuses to technical, knowledge, and language skills while decking and rigging, these occur as a result of background functions being overtaken by the unit itself. As no method currently exists to synchronize the neural phasing for the CP2U and a simsense rig or vehicle control rig, a character possessing a CP2U does not receive the bonus of "action phases" while decking or rigging.
 

>>>>>[Don't know what to make of this one chummers. Looks like it could be really wiz, but I don't really like the thought of dying if my headware shuts down. Why would they design something this way. It makes no fraggin sense.]<<<<<

--- Rhino <14:22:53 / 7-21-55>

>>>>>[CDI didn't have much of an option on this one. In order to get the level of performance the designers were pushed to produce, they had to integrate the headware's functioning much closer than they would have liked to the body's own biological functioning. The reason you could drop when the headware is damaged is because while it's attempting to cycle its instructions through a redundancy system, your entire body literally shuts itself down. No heartbeat, no muscle stimuli, not a fraggin twitch. The shock of this proved to be enough to kill some of the sorry slots doing beta testing. Think about that the next time you try to get some free "cutting edge" mods just for testing them.]<<<<<

--- Ciaran <17:07:13 / 7-23-55>