Sporechid

Sporechid is a plant that naturally appears in the Oil Biome and spreads Zombie Spores into nearby gases. It is notable for combining a very high Decor value with a large effect radius, making it useful as a decoration plant if the germ it produces can be safely contained. Because it is dangerous to leave exposed, it is often kept behind glass or otherwise isolated from Duplicants and other vulnerable areas.

The plant is a source of infection through inhalation or contact with an infected Duplicant, and the resulting illness applies -10 to all attributes for 18 cycles. Unlike many common germs, Zombie Spores die off slowly: in gases, only 3% die per cycle, while in liquids 29% die per cycle. This makes containment especially important, since infected gas can linger for a long time and spread into connected spaces.

A Sporechid can survive in a narrow set of materials and environments. It tolerates a temperature range of -105 to 290 °C, and can survive in Diamond, Coal, Carbon Dioxide, Natural Gas, Sour Gas, Crude Oil, Petroleum, Naphtha, and Methane. It is disinfected by Chlorine, Liquid Chlorine, and Bleach Stone. Any other gas inhibits it, while other solids, liquids, or radiation exposure kill it. Because of this, it is easy to accidentally destroy the plant if it is placed in an unsuitable atmosphere or flooded.

Practical notes:

• Sporechid can be used to contain or concentrate other germs, similar to Buddy Bud, but it is much riskier because it produces a dangerous germ and requires Carbon Dioxide to function.
• Its high Decor and wide radius make it valuable in base designs where the germ can be sealed away from normal traffic.
• Keep a close eye on seed storage, since Pips can plant the seeds if they gain access to them.
• If you want to use it decoratively, isolate it with glass or another barrier so the germs remain trapped.
• Jet Suits and Atmo Suits can protect Duplicants from infection.
• Infected Duplicants can spread the disease to one another; when they interact, they may both receive the Zombie Spores buff, reducing infection duration and Stress.
• The disease can be cured with a Serum Vial in the Disease Clinic, or by waiting it out, though waiting is dangerous because the affected Duplicant may die and infect others before recovering.

A useful edge case is that Zombie Spores persist especially well in gases and can become a major problem in environments that repeatedly release Carbon Dioxide, so any setup using Sporechid should account for long-term contamination rather than only immediate exposure.