Zyme is a synthetic drug. Zyme vials appear as consumable items in Deus Ex.
Background[]
Zyme is a highly addictive designer drug that emerged around 2052,[1] brewed in underground labs across New York City.[2] It acts as a stimulant. Prolonged use causes heavy addiction,[3] making it a popular choice with drug dealers who sell it for hundreds of credits per vial,[4] frequently cutting the drug with other substances.[5] Substantial abuse can lead to death.[6]
Zyme seems to have originated in New York City. While it is pushed by dealers preying on the underclasses in its country of origin, it has a markedly different reputation abroad. In France, it's regarded as a "fabulous" new substance out of New York, popular among crowds frequenting the fashionable La Porte de l'Enfer night club.[7] European dealers do trade in high purity zyme, reported to be 100% pure.[8]
An increase in recreational drug abuse, zyme in particular, has been speculated to be behind the sudden rise in admissions in 2052, primarily of unhoused or otherwise vulnerable people, many suffering from Gray Death. The resulting stress of the public health system has led to calls for zero-tolerance solutions to be implemented.[1] Some communities have taken matters into their own hands. For example, the Mole People implemented a zero-tolerance policy towards zyme, expelling people addicted to it.[9]
2072[]
Zyme manufacture survived the Collapse and took on a new role. With the emergence of greasel fights, trainers started to use zyme to manage their "pets", as zyme could put an unconscious greasel back into fighting shape within moments, even increasing their ability to fight.[10] It's also used to reduce the greasel's need for sleep.[11] Greasel trainers use Zyme on greasels without much regards to creature welfare.[12]
Characteristics[]
Consuming a Zyme Vial will trigger a "delirium"[13] visual effect for 60 seconds. Continued consumption can cause the players vision to "zoom in" considerably, making simple controls difficult.
Consumption of zyme does not have any adverse effect otherwise. However, the internal game script includes a line that indicates an intention of deducting 10 base HP from the player's torso (which is 20 HP with the multiplier included).[14] Due to what appears to be an oversight, this line does not work, resulting in no negative health effects when consuming Zyme.
A Zyme dealer named Rock can be encountered in the Brooklyn Bridge Station. A vial of Zyme can be purchased from him for c250 and given to Lenny in exchange for a LAM.
In the Aucun Dites Motel in Paris, the mobster Renault will offer JC Denton the job of robbing a zyme stash from the Boulangerie Centrale bakery. Renault will pay for any zyme that JC is carrying, as the game doesn't differentiate between vials. Since 20 vials of Zyme can be carried in the inventory at once, 1,300 credits can be earned from Renault. In order to receive the maximum amount of credits per vial, JC must refuse to sell Renault the vials once, which will cause Renault to increase his buying price to c65 per vial.[15]
Behind the scenes[]
- As the item name suggests, zyme was originally called crack (as in, crack cocaine).
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 New World Press, Bellevue Reports Increase in Admittance
- ↑ Description: "A vial of zyme, brewed up in some basement lab."
- ↑ JC Denton: " Don't have any zyme."
Don: " Just a little bit, a crumb..."
JC Denton: " I said you're out of luck."
- ↑ Don: " The grenades? Oh, yeah, but they're all gone now."
JC Denton: " Where'd they go?"
Don: " A lot of people took 'em, but not me. I was too late."
JC Denton: " Who? Anyone still have one?"
Don: " Yeah, my friend Lenny, except he got sick. I don't know where he went."
JC Denton: " Anyone else?"
Don: " I think most people sold 'em to the NSF, but not me. That's why I'm broke. You gotta help me get some zyme. Rock's all high and mighty now that there's money going around."
- ↑ Don: "Who needs Rock? Huh? Not me. He could just die. Take his fifty-cut zyme and blow."
- ↑ Dead junkies at the 'Ton Hotel
- ↑ Datacube transcripts (DX): "I was at Porte de I'Enfer last night and managed to get some stupide Americain to buy me a drink, then I peeked his code when he wasn't looking. Do me a favor, pull some cash from his account and get your petit ami to pick me up some zyme -- it is fabulous, the new thing from New York."
- ↑ Renault: " You look like a smart guy. You want to make some money? Yes? I need to hire a thief."
JC Denton: " What do you want stolen?"
Renault: " The Baker at Number 15 keeps zyme -- 100 percent pure -- in one of the ovens."
JC Denton: " What do I get if I help you?"
Renault: " Fifty credits each vial. The place has boobytraps. Otherwise, I would break in myself."
- ↑ Don: " Yeah... sure. They're in the tunnels."
JC Denton: " And...?"
Don: " The keypad's under the sink. In the women's bathroom. Everybody knows that."
JC Denton: " The code...?"
Don: " Got me. The mole people keep me out cuz they don't like zyme."
- ↑ Alex Denton: "Serious. Knocked the gob out cold. She'll be sleeping for hours."
Greazel trainer: "Knocked her out? ! Gob-zilla? Tina'll just pump it full of zyme, and it'll bounce back twice as mean. There aren't a lot of rules in this business."
Alex Denton: "Sorry. I guess I blew it." - ↑ Greasel trainer: "I thought we had a deal, then I see Gob-zilla comin' down the chute. If you wanted more money, you should've said so. "
Alex Denton: " knocked that greasel out cold. You sure you saw Gob-zilla? "
Greazel trainer: "I said KILL. If a gob wants to sleep, the trainer just pumps its hide full of zyme. Sure I saw 'Zilla. You think I don't know my business? Damn... "
Alex Denton: "Sorry. I guess I blew it." - ↑ Greasel trainer: " The idiot didn't follow through, though. Tina just pumped Gob-zilla's hide full of zyme, and now there's my poor Snake-eyes up against Gob-zilla squared. Poor guy doesn't stand a chance. What I woulda paid to have the job done right."
- ↑ As named in Prima's strategy guide.
- ↑ "player.HealPlayer(-10, False);" in DeusEx.VialCrack
- ↑ JC Denton: " I don't deal in zyme."
Renault: " A dirty business. I understand."
JC Denton: " Slavery. Addiction's another form of slavery."
Renault: " Yes... of course. Your hands will not get dirty. Sixty-five credits, okay? The most I can offer."
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