diff --git a/code/datums/components/afterimage.dm b/code/datums/components/afterimage.dm
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ecec2aa3a06f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/datums/components/afterimage.dm
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+/datum/component/after_image
+	dupe_mode =	 COMPONENT_DUPE_UNIQUE_PASSARGS
+	var/rest_time
+	var/list/obj/after_image/after_images
+	
+	//cycles colors
+	var/color_cycle = FALSE
+	var/list/hsv
+
+/datum/component/after_image/Initialize(count = 4, rest_time = 1, color_cycle = FALSE)
+	..()
+	if(!ismovable(parent))
+		return COMPONENT_INCOMPATIBLE
+	src.rest_time = rest_time
+	src.after_images = list()
+	src.color_cycle = color_cycle
+	if(count > 1)
+		for(var/number = 1 to count)
+			var/obj/after_image/added_image = new /obj/after_image(null)
+			added_image.finalized_alpha = 200 - 100 * (number - 1) / (count - 1)
+			after_images += added_image
+	else
+		var/obj/after_image/added_image = new /obj/after_image(null)
+		added_image.finalized_alpha = 100
+		after_images |= added_image
+	RegisterSignal(parent, COMSIG_MOVABLE_MOVED, PROC_REF(move))
+	RegisterSignal(parent, COMSIG_ATOM_DIR_CHANGE, PROC_REF(change_dir))
+	RegisterSignal(parent, COMSIG_MOVABLE_THROW_LANDED, PROC_REF(throw_landed))
+
+/datum/component/after_image/RegisterWithParent()
+	for(var/obj/after_image/listed_image in src.after_images)
+		listed_image.active = TRUE
+	src.sync_after_images()
+
+/datum/component/after_image/UnregisterFromParent()
+	UnregisterSignal(parent, list(COMSIG_MOVABLE_MOVED, COMSIG_ATOM_DIR_CHANGE, COMSIG_MOVABLE_THROW_LANDED))
+	for(var/obj/after_image/listed_image in src.after_images)
+		listed_image.active = FALSE
+		animate(listed_image, time = 1 SECONDS, alpha = 0)
+		QDEL_IN(listed_image, 1.1 SECONDS)
+	. = ..()
+
+/datum/component/after_image/Destroy()
+	if(length(src.after_images))
+		for(var/obj/after_image/listed_image in src.after_images)
+			animate(listed_image, time = 1 SECONDS, alpha = 0)
+			QDEL_IN(listed_image, 1.1 SECONDS)
+		src.after_images.Cut()
+		src.after_images = null
+	. = ..()
+
+/datum/component/after_image/proc/change_dir(atom/movable/AM, new_dir, old_dir)
+	src.sync_after_images(new_dir)
+
+/datum/component/after_image/proc/set_loc(atom/movable/AM, atom/last_loc)
+	return src.move(AM, last_loc, AM.dir)
+
+/datum/component/after_image/proc/move(atom/movable/AM, turf/last_turf, direct)
+	src.sync_after_images()
+
+/datum/component/after_image/proc/throw_landed(atom/movable/AM, datum/thrownthing/thing)
+	src.sync_after_images() // necessary to fix pixel_x and pixel_y
+
+/datum/component/after_image/proc/sync_after_images(dir_override=null)
+	set waitfor = FALSE
+	var/obj/after_image/targeted_image = new(null)
+	targeted_image.active = TRUE
+	targeted_image.sync_with_parent(parent)
+	targeted_image.loc = null
+
+	if(color_cycle)
+		if(!hsv)
+			hsv = RGBtoHSV(rgb(255, 0, 0))
+		hsv = RotateHue(hsv, world.time - rest_time * 15)
+		targeted_image.color = HSVtoRGB(hsv)
+
+	if(!isnull(dir_override))
+		targeted_image.setDir(dir_override)
+
+	var/atom/movable/parent_am = parent
+	var/atom/target_loc = parent_am.loc
+	for(var/obj/after_image/listed_image in src.after_images)
+		sleep(src.rest_time)
+		listed_image.sync_with_parent(targeted_image, target_loc)
+	qdel(targeted_image)
+
+
+
+//to-do, make this emissive
+/obj/after_image
+	mouse_opacity = FALSE
+	anchored = 2
+	var/finalized_alpha = 100
+	var/appearance_ref = null
+	var/active = FALSE
+
+/obj/after_image/New()
+	. = ..()
+	animate(src, pixel_x=0, time=1, loop=-1)
+	var/count = rand(5, 10)
+	for(var/number = 1 to count)
+		var/time = 0.5 SECONDS + rand() * 3 SECONDS
+		var/pixel_x = number == count ? 0 : rand(-2, 2)
+		var/pixel_y = number == count ? 0 : rand(-2, 2)
+		animate(time = time, easing = pick(LINEAR_EASING, SINE_EASING, CIRCULAR_EASING, CUBIC_EASING), flags = ANIMATION_PARALLEL, pixel_x = pixel_x, pixel_y = pixel_y, loop =- 1)
+	
+/obj/after_image/proc/sync_with_parent(atom/movable/parent, loc_override=null)
+	if(!src.active)
+		return
+	src.name = parent.name
+	src.desc = parent.desc
+	src.glide_size = parent.glide_size
+
+	var/parent_appearance_ref = ref(parent.appearance)
+	if(istype(parent, /obj/after_image))
+		var/obj/after_image/parent_after_image = parent
+		parent_appearance_ref = parent_after_image.appearance_ref
+
+	if(src.appearance_ref != parent_appearance_ref)
+		src.appearance_ref = parent_appearance_ref
+		src.appearance = parent.appearance
+		src.alpha = src.alpha / 255.0 * src.finalized_alpha
+		src.plane = initial(src.plane)
+		src.mouse_opacity = initial(src.mouse_opacity)
+		src.anchored = initial(src.anchored)
+
+	var/atom/target_loc = loc_override ? loc_override : parent.loc
+
+	if(target_loc != src.loc)
+		src.loc = target_loc
+
+	if(src.dir != parent.dir)
+		src.setDir(parent.dir)
+		
+/obj/after_image/Destroy()
+	src.active = FALSE
+	. = ..()
diff --git a/code/modules/surgery/organs/augments_chest.dm b/code/modules/surgery/organs/augments_chest.dm
index c58ac8b27f2f..39e918e90e5a 100644
--- a/code/modules/surgery/organs/augments_chest.dm
+++ b/code/modules/surgery/organs/augments_chest.dm
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@
 				human.physiology.crawl_speed -= 1
 			owner.next_move_modifier *= 0.7
 			owner.add_movespeed_modifier("spinalimplant", priority=100, multiplicative_slowdown=-1)
-		RegisterSignal(owner, COMSIG_MOVABLE_PRE_MOVE, PROC_REF(move_react))
+		owner.AddComponent(/datum/component/after_image, 16, 0.5, TRUE)
 	else
 		if(COOLDOWN_FINISHED(src, endsoundcooldown))
 			playsound(owner, 'sound/effects/spinal_implant_off.ogg', 70)
@@ -270,7 +270,8 @@
 				human.physiology.crawl_speed += 1
 			owner.next_move_modifier /= 0.7
 			owner.remove_movespeed_modifier("spinalimplant")
-		UnregisterSignal(owner, COMSIG_MOVABLE_PRE_MOVE)
+		var/datum/component/after_image = owner.GetComponent(/datum/component/after_image)
+		qdel(after_image)
 	on = !on
 	if(!silent)
 		to_chat(owner, span_notice("You turn your spinal implant [on? "on" : "off"]."))
@@ -285,15 +286,6 @@
 	for(var/datum/action/A as anything in actions)
 		A.build_all_button_icons()
 
-/obj/item/organ/cyberimp/chest/spinalspeed/proc/move_react()//afterimage
-	var/turf/currentloc = get_turf(owner)
-	var/obj/effect/temp_visual/decoy/fading/F = new(currentloc, owner)
-	if(!hsv)
-		hsv = RGBtoHSV(rgb(255, 0, 0))
-	hsv = RotateHue(hsv, world.time - last_step * 15)
-	last_step = world.time
-	F.color = HSVtoRGB(hsv)	//gotta add the flair
-
 /obj/item/organ/cyberimp/chest/spinalspeed/on_life()
 	if(!syndicate_implant)//the toy doesn't have a drawback
 		return
diff --git a/yogstation.dme b/yogstation.dme
index 3638fd4ba854..6e5cfb6d8ed9 100644
--- a/yogstation.dme
+++ b/yogstation.dme
@@ -565,6 +565,7 @@
 #include "code\datums\brain_damage\split_personality.dm"
 #include "code\datums\components\_component.dm"
 #include "code\datums\components\action_item_overlay.dm"
+#include "code\datums\components\afterimage.dm"
 #include "code\datums\components\anti_magic.dm"
 #include "code\datums\components\armor_plate.dm"
 #include "code\datums\components\art.dm"