Floral Scent

Floral Scent is a germ type that exists primarily in gases and is associated with certain plants and materials. It is spread into nearby gases by Bristle Blossom when it blooms and continuously by Buddy Bud; Buddy Buds generate Floral Scent in bursts averaging 5,000 units every 5 seconds. A Bristle Blossom releases a single large bloom pulse of 1,000,000 units of Floral Scent when it matures. Some materials also carry Floral Scent: Wooly Mammoth scat or other mammoth-derived fluff contains 1,000 Floral Scent germs per kg. Polluted oxygen produced by slime in an atmosphere already containing Floral Scent will contain Floral Scent rather than Slimelung, so slime combined with Buddy Bud and a deodorizer can be used to produce oxygen that is free of Slimelung but contains Floral Scent instead.

Floral Scent survives across a broad environmental envelope. Its temperature tolerance is -10°C to 100°C and it persists at pressures from 0 kg to 1000 kg. The germ can be disinfected by solids, gases, oxygen, and liquids under normal mechanics; however, Floral Scent dies off roughly 20× faster in Polluted Oxygen than in clean Oxygen, effectively making Polluted Oxygen act as a highly efficient disinfectant for this germ compared to ordinary Oxygen.

Exposure to Floral Scent has gameplay effects tied to duplicant traits and general morale. Duplicants with the Allergic trait suffer +15% stress per cycle and +10 Sneeziness when exposed; other duplicants receive -5% stress per cycle while exposed. These exposure effects last 0.1 cycles per exposure tick. Infection mechanics for Floral Scent are binary: either a duplicant becomes infected or not, and infection chance is not modified by immune-boosting effects.

Floral Scent can be treated and mitigated. Allergy Medication crafted at the Apothecary prevents allergic reactions for 720 seconds and is also used to cure an existing Floral Scent allergic infection. Floral Scent contamination can also be mitigated by using Bleach Stone to disinfect contaminated tiles and mediums.

Practical notes for handling Floral Scent:

• Buddy Buds continuously seed nearby gases; consider placement and ventilation to prevent unwanted spread into living or food-prep areas.
• Bristle Blossom blooms produce a one-time enormous pulse; schedule bloom timing or isolate Bristle Blossoms to avoid sudden contamination spikes.
• Use Polluted Oxygen deliberately if you need rapid die-off of Floral Scent in an atmosphere, since it causes much faster decay than clean Oxygen.
• To avoid Slimelung when using slime to generate oxygen, combine slime with Buddy Bud and a deodorizer so the resulting Polluted Oxygen carries Floral Scent instead of Slimelung.
• Treat allergic duplicants with Allergy Medication preemptively during prolonged exposure, and use Bleach Stone on surfaces or gas filters to remove lingering Floral Scent.
• Remember the environmental limits: Floral Scent will persist within its temperature and pressure ranges, so cooling below -10°C or heating above 100°C will eliminate it by exceeding its tolerance.