Bionics

Bionics are cybernetic enhancements which perform similarly, if not better than, their organic counterparts. While research and development of bionic limbs has been in development since the 80's, they would only start rolling out as commercially viable in the late 2020's during the Second Korean War, when even a single casualty would be a hindrance.

## Introduction

The first cybernetic limb was commercially manufactured by Sanai Bio-Electronics in Hokkaido, Japan. They were primarily appendages that excelled past previous electronic limbs by using a special low-resistance material that could let bio-electric synaptic signals from a user's nerves into the prosthetic. This resulted in an almost real-time response in the limb, at the time, fifteen milliseconds. They were outfitted in the wounded Japanese soldiers, which then excelled far greater than those who were not outfitted with cybernetics. Cybernetics and Bioelectrics quickly became a booming industry, for productivity would often be far greater in jobs requiring strength and precision.

In 2034, Winslow prosthetics would then adapt their prosthetics to allow the user to feel through the prosthetic by copying major nerve structures and adapting it through nano wires. Soon, larger appendages and even vital organs would be developed. The late 30's were considered the golden age of prosthetics at this point, with many people having a disdain over having a natural body.

In 2040, however, prosthetics would soon become a large poverty issue. With many unable to afford a limb, they would have trouble seeking job opportunities, as people who had prosthetics would end up being picked over those that didn't. A Catch-22 would also develop with some users, as some prosthetics would eventually become outdated in time, making them unsuitable for work. Those that did not ride the wave in the 30's would soon end up on the street. Some occupations did not require limb enhancement, but positions for those jobs were sought after like gold. Some jobs would often supply their own prosthetics to entice more workers, but it would often be a double edged sword, because if an employee quit or was fired, they would lose their issued limb, and thus become one of the many limbless homeless persons out in the streets. Some jobs even shut off the limb but keep it attached to the employee in question. The mayor of Seaoko attempted to put a 'Bioelectrics Tax' on those who had prosthetic limbs, but was quickly shut down by The Benefactor. A UN Charter Law passed in 2032 would disallow people to use or have bionics while convicted of a felony. While many have cited this to be a human rights issue, it was eventually just accepted.

### Installation procedures

Bionics are installed on users with a standardized BCI (Brain Computer Interface), and installed through various innervation or reinnervation operations. From there, the Bio-Control and Haptic Feedback System (BCHFS), or ‘Squishware’ suite is installed onto the BCI through the externally accessible Patch Panel. Eyes are the cheapest and most commonly installed bionics on the market, with legs being a close second.
The end-user performance on bionics depends on their neuroplasticity. Those with a higher neuroplasticity tend to use their bionic to a lesser extent than those with lower neuroplasticity. Therefore, the sweet spot to install bionics onto a user is between the ages of 23 and 35. Children can be outfitted with bionics, but they have to be replaced as they grow older.

### Powering Bionics

Early forms of bionics had varying power sources, from battery powered to a bio-electric capacitor. Bio-electric capacitors were the standard throughout the 30's, being charged by the nerve endings that the limb was connected to. When fitted, the patient would not be able to use it for at least two weeks, so as to fill the capacitor. Nowadays, most bionics are powered by nanomachines injected into the digestive tract to convert nutrition into the required energy for the bionics, called NCN (Nutrio Consumption Nanomachines). However, this became somewhat popular for reasons outside of bioelectrics; the side effect of these nutrition conversion nanomachines is significant weight loss, and the need to consume more than normal (The recommended calorie intake for a bionics user using NCN Nanomachines is ~4,000 per day). This created a fad where people looking to lose weight became bionic to cut out dieting altogether. Using NCN without bionics lead to severe side effects, notably entering a coma until a bionic was installed in (or on) the patient. Of course, prosthetics powered by NCN are often extremities or high-powered military grade hardware. Sensory bionics and organs most often still use the constant and trusty bioelectric capacitor.

### Fitting limbs

The recommended age of prosthetic fitting is after the age of 23, when limb growth is definitely stopped, but the legal age of fitting is after 18. This is due to the need of knowing the exact length of synapses within the intended limb or organ. If the limb would have grown past the point of the prosthetic, numerous problems would occur, notably incompatibility with the limb. The arm would have grown past the fingers on the prosthetic, thereby making the fingers inoperable, for example. This is due to the synaptic relay channels requiring specific micro-voltage in order to operate an electrical limb. Bionics relying on chemical calcium channels do not have this problem, though they are weaker and more expensive. While refitting or resizing is an option, this is not cost effective, and in adolescents and children a non-bionic limb is often preferable in the case of involuntary amputation or accident.

### Linking to the BCI

Every bionic user requires a Patch Panel just behind the left temple of their brain, which directly interfaces with the central nervous system. This patch panel is necessary for registration and maintenance by bionic engineers, though most patch panels have been breached in one way or another, allowing for malicious actors to register stolen 'Squishware' as their own.

Though there is a bionic for nearly every organ and limb out there (Even sexual), the complications which come with becoming a 'Cyborg' outweigh the benefits. NCN is primarily intended for use with at least one or two limbs at a time, and using multiple Bioelectric Capacitors can take months to recharge, not to mention taking a heavy toll on the user. Cyborgs are rare, and are usually only ever seen in Military or AFUN applications, using an external power source. Becoming the legal definition of a Cyborg (Over 50% of the body is replaced with bionics) also has its own laws in several different countries.

## --Types of Bionics--

### Extremity

An Extremity bionic is classified as a bionic which occupies a limb or major body part such as a hand or entire leg. The most common Extremity type Bionic is usually an arm with hydraulic or magnetic manifolds. There are several variations of an Extremity Bionic:

#### **Flesh-Fused**

* Older generation bionics were limited to fusing the bionic with the flesh of the host. While this ensured that the bionic was secure, it meant that changing out the bionic in the future would lead to complications, including infection or reducing the size of the Origin Piece (The remaining organic section of the part replaced by bionics).

#### **Socket Type**

* Bionics that can 'snap in' with the host body was incredibly difficult to engineer, given that there has been no standard with attaching bionics to a host, basically meaning that each installation was 'Ad-Hoc'. The BEIC (Bionic Engineering and Integration Council) was created to standardise the installation of bionics through a series of sockets and different alignments. The common standards are Bionic Interchange Sockets versions 1 and 2. Version 1 is older but is well suited for hand and foot replacements, while Version 2 is newer and better suited for replacing arms and legs, nerve resonance is faster, but has an odd twitch which was corrected with version 2.1. Said socket will need to be attached to the host before installation, and BIS v1 is not compatible with BIS v2.x.

#### **Hybrid**

* Some bionics are combined with the flesh of the host to create a 'Hybrid' bionic. A bionic usually cuts off the organic part of the body to form the robotic one, but hybrid parts can be part flesh part bionic. Some Hybrid Extremities can even be an interlaid Bionic with the flesh on top of the bionic, though illegal in many jurisdictions. Such bionics are not really popular with those looking for performance, but those who cannot afford a model with nerve endings to feel with their limb often opt with these.

#### **Non-Fused**

* A Non-Fused bionic can refer to the oldest bionics, where they were primarily secured by straps on the host body, and movements of the limb were only limited by a few commands at a time. Non-Fused limbs were controlled by the electrical impulses of muscle tissue, which were generally clumsy. They can also refer to an Exo-Suit, where bionics support an organic limb.

### Implant

Implant Bionics are referred to an internal organ or a plug-in component inside the body. The most common implants are usually eyes or voice modulators used by chronic Zalim victims. BEIC standards are relatively new to organ implants, as redirecting the flow of blood from the original organ (Save for the kidneys and heart) is more complicated than redirecting from an extremity. The newest method is using a nanoturbine within the blood channel to generate electricity alongside the bioelectricity, and absorbs some of the oxygen stored within the blood. This creates about 800 microwatts of power for the bionic, which can power a small part of the bionic before the bioelectric capacitor or NCN supplies the current. Organ weight limits are the main issue to tackle with Implants, being too heavy will have gravity pull down on the organ, too light will cause balance issues. There are a few variations of an Implant Bionic:

#### **Subdermal**

* Perhaps the oldest Bionic, this involves the bionic to be inserted just under the skin. Common applications are RFID chips or subdermal thermostats.

#### **Patch Slot/Card**

* A bionic inserted into the Patch Slot of a user's Patch Panel. They are (usually) cheap enhancements for bionic people, commonly used as a mood stabiliser, or interfaced with a user's eyes, bionic or organic, for use as a HUD. The original Patch Slot is being phased out for the more universal HyperCard, but "Patch Card/Slot" has stuck. The amount of Patch Slots a user has depends on the user's installed BCI, their neuroplasticity, and available power requirements. Some patch cards serve to simply dump data into the BCI and aren't required to stay slotted inside the brain, such as for data transfers or simple programs/enhancements.

#### **Organ**

* Self-explanatory, the most common organ replacements are usually the eyes or heart. Eye UIs are often packaged as seafoam green by default, as the lower contrast and 'brightness' causes less strain than other high contrast colours.

#### **Exodermal**

* An arbitrary form of Bionic which goes beyond an intended replacement or slot. The most known form of these are Exodermic Eyes, which include sensors that surround the eye socket. Exodermal bionics often give additional features that allow for later expansion, but recent bionics offer a more compact package.