Best cybernetic implants in fiction. (semi-RAR)

[Rossum]

Suppose that every single civilization, company, or cult in all of fiction and science fiction that makes recular use of cybernetic implants were to meet together and start trading tech. The call it CyberCon where all the cybernetics companies gather together to show off their tech and potentially sell to new customers (or get recruits for their collectives). The convention takes place in a sort of bubble universe connected to all other universes through magic doorways. Basically, anyone in any major city anywhere can show up and look at it all. The booths have professionals on-site to install cybernetics to anyone with the money (money changers are set up that can convert any currency into any other and they have decent payment plans) and if its legal in your come country (sadly, the Borg can't sell you Borg nanoprobe injectors unless you have a valid state-issued license for it and the same thing goes for any immortality inducing implants).

The whole thing is regulated enough so that nobody can exploit it for galactic domination or traveling to other worlds, its just a friendly little convention where all the technocrats and post-human enthusiasts can check out each others tech and sell stuff between universes. Trans-dimensional copyright laws are apparently pretty strict and complicated so trying to copy other peoples stuff without their permission is not a good idea.

You find out that a portal is opening in your home city in a few months (and the government knows about it and they have to let civilians browse if they want their own scientists to be able to look.) You've got some time to plan any purchases you might make (apparantly CyberCon has its own transdimensional website you can use to check the prices on any stuff they might be selling.) and you can make arrangements with your local governement to see what you are allowed to buy.

Oh, and the CyberCon will be happening about ever three years or so (due to the logistics of interacting with infinite universes in non-linear time) so if you don't decide to replace any of your squishy human organs this year you can always wait and see how the guys who did it this year reacted to the process.

[RowanE]

Presumably you're asking what we/I do?

I sell literally f---ing *everything*. My computer, my phone, I'm 16 and live at home so that's it for the valuable stuff I own. Probably not enough...
I sell my clothes, my organs, my soul, anything within a 10-km radius that's not bolted down, anything that is bolted down, and the bolts, so I can get me a sweet robod body.

Come to think of it, the exchange rate of earth money to the currency of any posthuman civilization is probably terrible, so i might not be able to afford anything decent even if I was Bill Gates. How does the exchange rate work?
Or, on the other hand, post-scarcity civilizations might have stuff for free. Does the Culture have cybernetics?

[Starglider]

The Culture can and has produced ridiculously excessive cybernetics, e.g. implanted shields, energy weapons, skin that can resist active volcanoes, brain-linked processors with extreme computing power etc etc. This is mentioned a couple of times where the history of the culture is discussed. If they felt like it they could also upload you into a nanomorph form roughly equivalent to the T-1000 from 'Terminator 2', but with antigrav, extreme speed, energy weapons, antimatter missiles etc etc. However at the time that the novels are written, the Culture is described as having 'mostly returned to a basic human form', in-universe due to fashion and out-of-universe author fiat to make the characters more understandable. As of 'Excession' the only standard-issue cybernetic implant is a 'neural lace' implanted wireless data network interface. The Culture are of course sufficiently advanced at biotech that they can give you things like biological immortality or functional feathered wings on a whim.

[Imperial528]

Hmm....

I need a second processor so I could do math in my head, and maybe some RAM to go with it....

Yes, yes, that's it. And a video card with long-range, high-speed, wi-fi (or the equivalent) transceiver, so that I can also play StarCraft I/II in my head.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Stuff like this I am a simple guy. I don't need super powers, I just like a good body.

Some brain "upgrades" for memory and faster processing would be nice and something to increase my Metabolism and stimulate muscle growth and I'll be happy.

[Eternal_Freedom]

I'd would take cybernetics to replace my ordinary, fucked human eyes and replace them so I could see in the whole EM spectrum and ultrasound for underwater. Rangefinders etc naturally included

I would also opt for some funky nanoprobe kind of stuff that keeps my body fit, strong and healthy without me worrying about diet or excersise (ah, the lazy nerd's dream). Note that I wouldn't let this make me immortal, just healthy, I'd still age, but slower

Improved computing power in the old noggin would be good. Also, software to go with the vision implants to control muscles allowing for perfect hand/eye corrdination, perfect aiming of throwing balls etc, stuff like that

[adam_grif]

Sans culturewank, Ghost in the Shell has complete cyborg bodies that exceed human performance, although they do require periodic maintenance. Nearly everybody in the first world also has a cyberbrain.

[The Yosemite Bear]

artificial pancreas and full eye enhancements for me please.

[Rabid]

My personal shopping list :

Brain :
- A reasonable memory extension, to stock ‘dead’ knowledge and re-injecting it in live memory when the need arise (Math, physic, ‘how to pilot a plane’, etc.)
- A processing power augmentation, be it by allowing me to hold numerous ‘line of thought’ at the same time or by significantly fastening/optimizing the thought process.
- And the ever popular eye-implant, associated with a cranial computer and a decent associated operating system.

General life support :
- Bio/Nano technology allowing a faster and safer healing process, and an enhanced immune system.
- A personal preemptive cure against cancer (really bad family antecedent...).
- If possible, a DNA check, to see if I suffer of some DNA-related illness, to correct that ; and to make a copy of my DNA-code, just in case...

Cosmetic (optional) :
- The ability to apply minor change to my anatomy ‘at will’

Optional :
- Personal nano-replicators, allowing me to produce by myself nearly everything I’ll need to live (food, clothes, shelter, medical drugs, etc.), just by extracting things from the surroundings.
- If it exist, some sort of universal translator, or at least something that allow me to learn very, very easily other’s languages.
==> I always wanted to wander the Earth...

If the preceding conditions are met and if I have sufficient credits (probably not at this CyberCon but at later ones) :
- Blueprint permitting my personal nano-replicator to build a Slower-Than-Light spaceship allowing me to travel in my lifetime everywhere in the solar system like a space-Gypsy. If possible, I’ll take one than can be easily upgraded to a Faster-Than-Light mean of propulsion.
- Nano-replicator blueprints for asteroid mining and space-colony building.
- I’ll see if I can reasonably trade something to obtain the technology to make real ‘artificial gravity’. That could come in handy.


The general life support techs can be found in the Commonwealth’s stand, of the Peter F. Hamilton’s tetralogy ‘The Commonwealth Saga’ (‘The Pandora Star’, etc...). So does the brain augmentation.
I haven’t read the book yet, just the on-line version, but the nano-replicators, and the cosmetic thingy can come from ‘The NanoTech Network’ setting.
The space-faring technologies could be bought at the Culture’s stand, but it would be interesting to see what technologically inferior settings have to offer (as I suspect that Culture’s setting blueprints would be really, really expensive, or even forbidden for me to buy ; if not just to prevent someone to easily conquer its own galaxy). Any suggestions on that ? For FTL travel, I’d take the wormholes of the Commonwealth’s setting any day of the week, if it weren’t just so fucking expensive, money and energy wise : it takes easily something like half France’s nuclear power capacity [wich represent 75% of the country’s electric supply] just for one wormhole generator...

[Ryan Thunder]

Large memory capacity and the ability to index it for rapid searching.

I'll never fail another test again, if I go to the lectures, and I'll actually have guiltless free time to work out.

[Swindle1984]

Brain/nerve enhancements:

- Access to a rapid computer able to wirelessly access the internet and store data, as well as perform rapid calculations and conversions, basically allowing me instant mental access to almost any information. A very well-designed firewall is mandatory. The last thing I need is to suddenly suffer a seizure at the food court and start shouting about penis enhancement.

- Replace my shitty eyes with new ones equipped with starlight and IR night vision, range finders, binocular zoom, and the ability to "see" readouts from my onboard computer.

- Enhanced reflexes and the ability to shut off pain at will.

- Either universal translator software or just a program loaded with every Earth language so I can understand anyone no matter where I go.

Body enhancements:

- Enhanced musculature to make me stronger, faster, and have more endurance.

- Enhanced metabolism to keep me healthy.

- Enhanced kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, etc. to make them more efficient and durable.

- Blood/organ nanites to help my immune system and help repair damaged cells, bones, and teeth as necessary.



Slowed aging and increased longevity; I don't necessarily want to be immortal, but I wouldn't mind being able to hang around for a few centuries and see all there is to see.

I also wouldn't mind a laser or particle beam weapon or whatever, but I'd rather have it in conventional form than as an implant.

[Eternal_Freedom]

I wouldn't go for built in weapons, too many chances for things to go wrong with mental control. In an agument, thinking "dude STFU or I'm gonna shoot you" could have disastrous consequences...

If I needed to fight normal humans, I'd simply use the super hand/eye coordination, enhanced musculature and heavily strengthened bones to beat the living shit outta the other guy. Or rip off metal table legs and throw them with perfect aim as spears

On a side note, what is this RAR thing I keep seeing in post titles?

[adam_grif]

On a side note, what is this RAR thing I keep seeing in post titles?

It has no official meaning, but in some cases I've seen in backronymed to be "Retarded Alternate Reality". It is usually used in the form of "RAR!" and posted when you're dealing with alternate reality scenarios. I think Zor had something to do with it's origin, but I'm not 100% on that.

[Shroom Man 777]

Its a randome altarnate realty originated when Zors made his hippotheticel scenareos and altarnate histries, and Mayabirdies went and coined the term "RAR!"

[Lord of the Abyss]

The Culture can and has produced ridiculously excessive cybernetics, e.g. implanted shields, energy weapons, skin that can resist active volcanoes, brain-linked processors with extreme computing power etc etc. This is mentioned a couple of times where the history of the culture is discussed. If they felt like it they could also upload you into a nanomorph form roughly equivalent to the T-1000 from 'Terminator 2', but with antigrav, extreme speed, energy weapons, antimatter missiles etc etc.

Another high end example would be Mickey Finn from the Callahan's Place series, who has personal FTL capability and enough firepower to destroy planets. He also has enough built in manufacturing capability to whip up a global anti-ICBM missile network.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Thank you, adam_grif and shroomy. Clears things up

Internal FTL? Fascinating idea.

Trouble is, I don't think I'd want to be too advanced over everyone else because I have a tendency toward, well, insanity and megalomania. The idea of having planet-killer weapons, or even anti-personel weapons is worrying. Just today I was in the queue in a shop and I wa thinking "God if this stupid woman in front takes much longer I'm gonna do something she'll regret." Having built in particle cannons would make that situation, ummmm, messy

[Rabid]

But why refuse the appeal of power ? Why having consideration for these miserable insects ?

To the Post-Human Power they shall bow lest total annihilation is what they want !
... That or massive mind-rape involving a psychopathic AI, a virtual reality, brains-in-jars and an unlimited array of new means to torture there very souls. //Evil laugh//

[sirocco]

But why refuse the appeal of power ? Why having consideration for these miserable insects ?

To the Post-Human Power they shall bow lest total annihilation is what they want !
... That or massive mind-rape involving a psychopathic AI, a virtual reality, brains-in-jars and an unlimited array of new means to torture there very souls. //Evil laugh//

= Hyperion's Shrike and its Tree of Thorns

Though I can't remember if the Shrike was an AI of the Technocenter itself or just one of their agents.

I'll chose the usual nanomachines cocktail with the flavors below:
- control of bone structure and muscle
- increased RAM and CPU
- better eyes (and/or internal sensors)

That will do... until I've got the chick next door... and all her girlfriends... Mwahhhaha

[IvanTih]

Let's see:
-Faster Brain
-Better Eyes
-Enhaced musculature,reflexes,bones,organs
-Bigger penis

[Hamstray]

Tentacles
- for ... you know

[darth_timon]

Something to give me increased strength, reflexes and intelligence. I don't really see any personal need for built-in weaponry (although bullet-proof skin might be nice- combined with strength and speed well in excess of an ordinary human, I could wear tight leather outfits and be superhero

[The Yosemite Bear]

well so far we have a minor consensus, probably based on the number of people with bad eye sight alone, cyber-eyes is winning

ok, low-light options, and thermal vision and natral "hawkeyez" would be good upgrades on the cybereye package.

personally I want mine to look catlike.

[Bottlestein]

^ I would go cat eyes, but only if I could then get fake cybernetic cat fur, cat breasts, cat tail, and a maid outfit

[Eternal_Freedom]

Oooooooooooooook....

For my cyber-eyes I'd want to see across the entire EM spectrum in super-duper ultra HD, and include fun stuff for rangefinding and so on. Ultrasound stuff would be good for underwater stuff.

Low-light is a must I think. As well as digital image enhancing utilising bits of my cerebral cortex I'm not thinking with

The whole EM bit would make my Astronomy course a lot easier

[TOSDOC]

Do any of the booths offer oxygen extraction from seawater and the ability to alleviate extreme pressure effects, nitrogen narcosis and emboli? I want to see where the sperm whales go when they dive. (should probably get night vision too).