Tag: cybernetics

#Lore 24 – Entry #113 – Sci-Fi Month II #22 – Chroniclers of the Codex Infinitum

From the Personal Journal of Seraphino Basara, Chronicler of the Lady Goldeneyes, assigned UEF-04 Maharani Morgiana

My first strange new world!  I probably shouldn’t be getting so excited over the short visit we had in the Charvis system, but I simply can’t help myself.  Seraphina thought I was being a bit too excitable too, but she was just disappointed there weren’t any ruins to explore.  Did the planet or the solar system look particularly different from any of the others we’ve been to?  No, not really.  But it was just knowing that it’s all the way out here, on the frontier, and home to a true frontier colony that made it such a unique experience!  Getting to speak with the colonists, hoping for a successful new life far away from the rest of the world, tempting fate and putting their lives on the line just to see their dreams of free living come true.  It’s such a classic tale!

I recorded as much information as I could into the official records, of course, but still feel the need to say more in my personal journal.  It is one of the tenets of the Goldeneyed Librarian to record one’s own interpretation of experiences along with the facts of the event, after all.  How else can the Codex Infinitum be updated properly?  Oh, there is just so much we don’t know, so much we could know, if we could but glimpse its pages!  I digress, though; sometimes I do tend to ramble…

The colony itself, a pleasant enough little village by the name of Swiftwater Creek, will likely grow into a proper town and likely even larger soon enough.  Our planetary scans indicated that the world is stable, the system itself shouldn’t experience any particularly devastating solar events for the foreseeable future, and raw materials and food were plentiful.  The colonist’s rangers described some of the predators in the area they chose to settle within as comparable to most worlds, not the highly aggressive ‘Demon Sector” variants encountered on some worlds.  It’s entirely likely they are upon this world too, and simply haven’t been encountered yet, but the colony is well defended, and keeps their ships in working order should they need to evacuate in an emergency, or at least, as well as can be expected.  I would assume they’ll have more assistance coming soon, given that A3 have staked claims on several of the asteroids in the belt, and on the moon.  Some of the colonists I spoke to were understandably apprehensive about the coming corporate entities to the system, but others, as much as they wanted to get away from such things, find the idea of aid close by reassuring. 

Perhaps in a few years, once we’ve reached Marchosias, I can return to Charvis and see how things have progressed?  It would certainly make an interesting follow up to this entry, I think!  I’m not the only one, either.  My brother and sister Chroniclers, well, most of them, were just as eager to explore this world as I was, in their own ways.  I’m just now starting to look over all the scans that were done, and while nothing leaps out as amazing, I’m still going to perform my due diligence so that we can properly discuss the colony during our next long jump; I believe it will be another few weeks before we’re due to drop out of hyperspace again.  Some may dislike the slow speeds we’re limited to by the bulk of the Morgiana and her docked support vessels, but I find that it’s absolutely perfect for getting caught up on our collected notes and data; we should easily have it properly processed and catalogued by the time the next courier missile is launched.  I must say, since the Chroniclers adopted these Thought-to-Text and data processing implants, it’s made our jobs much simpler and more efficient.  Having the group discussions in a virtual space took a little getting used to, but I’ve come to enjoy our times in the VR version of the ancient Great Library on Andyllion.  My only real fear is running out of space in our storage matrices, but we should be able to create new ones should we find ourselves with the need for them.

I am curious, though; given that there are only a hundred of the Chroniclers aboard, will we be enough to properly record all that should be saved?  It seems like such a small number, but it is more than the first three expeditions had, and they seem to be getting along fine.  Perhaps I’m just worrying over nothing here, idle thoughts, I suppose.  Anyway, I think I will venture out into the Morgiana now that we’ve returned to hyperspace and get the impressions of some of the other explorers who were along with us.  I am rather curious what the reporter, Seiko Kajira, thought of her interviews with the colonists, and some of the scouts who got to explore some of the different regions of the surface of Charvis VII. 

So much work to do!  So much information to record!  Truly, exciting times!

LORE24 ENTRY #15 – Cybernetics

Category – Technology

Though true cybernetics are a modern develop, there are many recorded instances, and surviving artifacts, from the ancient times where limbs had been replaced with magical, artificial replacements, assuming limbs couldn’t be magically regenerated.  However, in the modern era, with most lacking the power, or faith, for such a feat, cybernetics have been developed as a viable and safe option to replace lost limbs and organs.  In most cases, the replacement functions exactly as the original, having been built to the exact specifications to suit the user.  Generally such replacements only require occasional tune-ups and recharging of their power cells.

In recent years, however, there has been a growing evolution of cybernetics, as information has slowly leaked from within the well-protected walls of various companies who have dedicated themselves to advancing the technology with a mind to increasing effectiveness and lifespans of soldiers.  These advanced cybernetics can enhance their users, increasing physical ability, awareness, and ability to interface with technology through varying degrees.  There have even been a few instances that have leaked involving cybernetic weaponry, such as blades or even projectile weapons, hidden within artificial limbs that have led to a growing fear of “cyborg assassins” coming after a corporate rival.

There is a growing subculture outside the corporate-controlled territories, stemming mostly from Sentinel Prime, where cybernetics are being installed when no replacements are needed, simply to enhance the individual.  These are not always as subtle or as refined in nature as those from a corporate source, and not with nearly as high of a safety record, but the fact that such things are now possible is a potential game-changer as the technology is further refined and improved, though there are plenty who have spoken quite vocally against such “abominations” and “defilement” of the natural form.

However, cybernetics have yet to become a cure-all for everyone.  Certain genetic factors, severe damage due to radiation, or other anomalous issues with a person can prevent the use of cybernetics as their body simply rejects the implants.  Further damage to the body can result from such situations unless the implants are removed in a timely manner.  In these cases, only magical means may fix the person, though these are usually even more expensive, and much more difficult to source, than cybernetic replacements.  There are early-phase trials in place regarding specialized replacements based upon individually bioengineered cybernetics tailored to a recipient’s DNA, but currently there is little to show for it.