Neural Interfaces - The Blending of Man & Machine

Technology has made incredible advancements. One of the greatest has been the Neural-Link. These systems come in varying configurations, with their own benefits, risks, and limits. The most basic merely connect a human brain to a basic machine function, while more advanced ones can create artificial telepathy, extend the human mind, and transport you deep into virtual worlds.

The Basic Link

At the most basic-level, a neural link is just a machine that can read and respond to human nerve impulses. The simplest links are used to replace damaged limbs, simulating muscles and sensations that aren’t actually there. These are often considered a dummy-link. A system on this scale is just bridging natural human function to machine signalling. There isn’t much elaborate processing or advanced capabilities. It’s only a basic extension of the human experience.

At this scale, a link implant can be used to replace or augment a human sense, add basic prosthetics, and potentially link human muscle movements to larger machines. They’re regarded as secure and safe - there’s no network connectivity and all it does is connect to a nerve. Anything that could be done to these links can be done to a human nerve anyway.

The Building Block

This basic link is the building block of all that comes after. It was the great innovation: machines that understand human nerve signals. Every advanced link is essentially one of these basic links wired up to a more complex machine that sends more complex signals into the brain. Essentially every advanced link can perform all the functions of the simpler links that came before it. These technologies build on each other.

The UnMarketed Product

Despite the incredible advancement that it is - these basic links are almost unheard of. Companies cannot take advantage of them. It’s simple and reliable, it does ONE job and it does it well. There’s no recurring revenue, no subscription, and no way to take control of someone’s body with this type of product.

Consequently, most of the population does not have such links. They certainly exist and with patience and persistence, one can be acquired, but they’re purpose built and the companies would much rather you buy something are more powerful.

Common Neural Links

Once more advanced technology is added, Neural Links begin to branch out and become almost like a long-lived hand terminal. These implants are fitted into the brain and provide a wide-range of features and functions.

• Interface to the Network

A basic network connection that allows a human to access machines, databases, and information directly. They can signal their door to shut at a thought or look up some historic information, book a hotel room, and all the rest: in their mind. Most commonly these provide integrated comms.

• Extending the Human Experience

Senses and knowledge can be integrated seamlessly into the human brain. Where a basic link generally can only work with a sense you already have, these units can wire in new ones. You can have a sense of magnetism or a sense of air pollution. You can augment your sight with overlays and huds.

• Interface to Mods

Those with extensive bodily augments will need a link to control and work with them. These neural-links allow to strength-amplification actuators to be tuned and controls, deep connections to pilot large machines, or simply managing your pace maker or artificial heart for intensive sports.

• Bodily Function

These units can cut off your motor functions and sight, replacing them with virtual inputs. This effectively creates an on-demand VR Experience. You can lay down in bed and your unit will give you access to a virtual world as if you were really there. You’ll run, jump, smell, and feel as if it were the real world. This technology can be used for recreation, fun, social interaction or job training. Shipboard crews will use it on long-haul journeys to avoid feeling trapped in tight spaces - especailly under hard-burns.

The Downside of a Link

The cheapest of these links are corporate property. You’re only ever leasing it. These deeply invasive connections are a gold mind for the greediest of companies. At the best of it, you’re forced to watch ads in your day to day life. In the middle of it, your secrets are mined, sold, and used to blackmail you. At the worst, a company will take your entire body ransom or use their interfaces to force you into hard-labor.

Consider for example, missing a payment or cancelling your subscription. The unit shutsdown and it takes with it your senses. No more sight, or hearing. You see only the offer: “Subscribe?” They can disable your motorfunctions and leave you paralyzed until you pay up.

Poor security and rushed development means these links have vulnerabilities and that gets exploited by hackers. Some random bad actor on the net can hijack your unit and demand the same extortionate rates as the manufacturer or trick you into performing crimes.

Custom Links

Customers with deeper pockets can opt for a far nicer product. These links are made FOR the customer and tailored to their specific use cases. Corporate-elite typically have the same model as their customers, but minus the bullshit and maybe better security. Militaries have custom units that are effectively unhackable. Modders and others get units with AI augmentation that make them faster and better.

These units are extremely expensive, they’re very uncommon, but those who have them? They love them. The best reason to have one is for your own personal safety over the lesser models.

AI Assisted

An AI-Assist model has a full AI built into the system. Under ideal circumstances it helps in life-tasks and augments the user. Some of these are conscious and aware units while others are just very intelligent aids. They can automate life around the operator or provide tactical assistance.

Military Units

The military models are implanted during bootcamp. They vary by design. Some more authoritarian militaries integrate a kill-switch that will terminate a captured soldier. Others, like the Martian Marines trust their soldiers and build their implants to make them far deadlier. These top-end units can interface with human muscles to compensate for recoil and aim errors, include an integrated sensor suite that augments the soldier, have AI systems to help operate ships and vehicles, and they are extremely hard to hack. These units are locked down.

Blackmarket

The base-tech of the implants is almost all the same. Therefore there is an abundant blackmarket. The firmware from high-end units can be transplanted into lower end ones, or the security vulnerabilities in the low-end units can be exploited to allow custom firmwares that replaces the corporate bullshit - or enables worse features.

There is always risk going this route but it’s common. Many power-users who cannot affford better, but refuse to settle for less, get hacked units. Some fall prey to criminal gangs while others are lucky enough to come out on top.

Installation

Unit installation is actually fast and easy. The Operator is secured to a surgical chair and an AI-controlled needle is placed through the neck. This reaches up into the brain stem and using a mix of x-rays and ultrasound, guides the interface into place piece by piece. A series of artificial neural-fibers move themselves into place as they’re inserted and then attack to the actual link itself. The procedure takes about 30 minutes.

Notable Player Examples

Daisy - Ex Marine

A former Martian Marine, she has one of the best tactical links available. Daisy is able to get aim-assist, maps, and even vehicle controls through her unit. It makes her a more deadly assassin. The unit can numb and dull her pain when injured, as well as assess some of her injuries.

Astrid - Growing executive

Astrid has a custom unit that focuses heavily on augmenting her abilities. The unit stores facts and figures, performs rapid calculations, and can even perform an analysis of others emotional reactions via micro-expressions. It’s meant to make her a sharper executive, but she’s no fool - this is one free of corporate dangers.

Lee - The Bio-Mechanical Slave

Lee’s nerual implant was used to take control of him. His human brain is effectively comatose. His body does as his master’s command. he’s a machine to be ordered about. This is one of the darkest outcomes. An AI drives his body and he functions like a breathing bot.