Cyberware

Introduction

Ever since the first prosthetic limb was imagined, humanity has dreamed of replacing lost limbs, organs and otherwise. Such a technology promises to empower the crippled and give humanity the power of deciding it's own path of evolution. Various fictional stories has dreamed about what such a world would look like. Deux Ex, Cyberpunk 2020, Red and 2077 with various other Cyberpunk genre stories following the same theme.   In the Dark future of the 2070's, Cybernetic and Synthetic augmentations have become an everyday commonality. Cybernetics was pushed in the 2020s by major corporations such as Alphabet, Google for instance. Indeed many made critical and early advancements in the fields at this time. When House Industries took interest in technology, they rapidly progressed the field of science by decades with their intuitive and innovative designs. Basing their work off the work of others and indeed even hire them to help to make the augments possible.   In 2032, Maxwell and Hotoka took up patents for augmentation technologies and advanced the field for many decades. Nowadays Augmentations are very common amongst those who can afford them with Black Market augs also seeing a flourishing market for half the price but twice the risk. Augs have changed the world in some ways for the better but in others? For the worse.

Discovery

The first prosthetic limb ever discovered is the ancient Egyptian toes, which predate the earliest known limb by several hundred years. Roman Capula Leg previously thought to be the first, allowed ancient Romans to walk again. It was destroyed by an Allied Air raid in WW2 but it was not the end of Artificial Limbs. Many companies from the 1990s - 2020s worked to build new and modern limbs. Various teams made various discoveries but it was Henry House's House Industries to created the first Modern Cybernetic arm, functioning in a way seen only in fiction with previous versions getting close but not quite recreating the complex and articulate movements of the human arm and hand.  

Access & Availability

Despite the Sci-Fi capabilities of Modern Cyberware, the accessibility of the technology is severely limited by class. The Poor cannot get access to this tech and even if they do, it's usually black market alternatives that carry a slew of security risks, mostly due to the outdated security software that the black market normally has issues acquiring due to stringent protections on Security systems.   So while the Rich and powerful can replace every single thing in their body with near to no consequences. The average Joe is still very limited in acquiring any implants.  

Digital Psychosis

In Cyberpunk 2020, Mike Pondsmith invented the concept of Cyber-psychosis. The idea is that a person who implements too many augs into themselves falls into madness. Cyberpunk 2077 suggested the possibility of it being caused by Super AI from beyond the black wall, trying to get passed it by trying to use people as their vessels. In the dark future of Neonphage, a similar concept has come into existence.   Digital Psychosis is digitally uploaded mental disorders and behaviours, people with black market augs or out-of-date security are vulnerable to Viruses that alter their behavior. People infected with Digital Psychosis can be made to commit crimes, massacres or do anything their puppet master wants to. Netwatch is often used in cooperation with SWAT to handle Digital Psychos.   There is treatments for Psychosis however it is expensive so generally medicorps only bother with insuranced individuals. Meaning that most people who slide into Digital Psychosis end up dead. It's an entirely preventable virus that is entirely treatable, it's just that none really cares to. It's more profitable this way.   The consequence of this are that it means even your mind is not free in the world of Neonphage, you can have your entire mind, and personality and be overwritten and used like a sock puppet and you'll be none the wiser.    

Complexity

  The biggest issue with Implants both cybernetic and Synthetic is that it's possible that the Immune system can identify the new limbs or just any implant as a foreign object which can result in severe reactions such as the immune system kicking into overdrive and cause a series of problems that could result in death. So the first implant before anything else is Neural Link.   The link allows the brain to better interface with technology and register new limbs, organs and extremities as part of the body. However, the Neural Link does need the Immunosuppressants and Crisper or some other form of suppressant to prevent severe reactions to Neural link. Without the link, your Implants cannot work.   Crisper is an artificial genetic virus that modifies the DNA as a part of gene therapy that significantly boosts the chances of your body accepting the implants. Once done the version of Crisper will stay in your body forever, letting you add new implants. After the procedure is done, implants will react and feel like the original limbs but stronger and faster.   This is why Cybershops are called Gene Clinics.  

Manufacturing

  Every aug is built with 3d printers, this is because in order to create a mere hand, you require many, many complex little moving parts that if a human were to try and recreate 3 hands, 2 of the hands will not function properly. Even an experienced smith would still mess up 1 out of the 3 hands made. This is purely because of the need for precision.   Many Aug internals are made of Nanomer or some other synthetic material, this is because an Aug will be constantly used 24'7 meaning that it has to be well built and long last, otherwise they'll be too useless for anyone to bother buying and having it installed by a Cyberdock. While Hotoka and Maxwell made Cybernetics into what they are today, it is the Song Corporation that runs the overwhelming number of factories.   This is because Song is openly committed to deconstructing the stereotype about Chinese Products and has spent decades fine-tuning their Giga factories to output a high standard of products in a serviceable and favourable rate of production. Hotoka and Maxwell still make Cyberware but at a lower quality for a far greater quantity. Another common element is the use of A.I to fine tune existing designs, meaning that every generation of Cyberware is better than the last, increasing design and hype over new models.  

Social Impacts

The intended impact of this technology was to give people the power to decide the future and restore lost limbs. But in reality, it's just become another way for the rich and powerful to extort and abuse the poor and vulnerable. In addition to that, it's created total apathy over the idea of substance abuse. Why worry about your failing liver when you can just replace it?   Why be concerned over a kid smoking 4 packs of Cigarettes a day when you can just replace his lungs? This has led to the re-introduction of highly dangerous and sometimes lethal drugs being sold in the open, including in pharmaceuticals. No one cares anymore about their health, leading to a new generation of problems, no one has the financial incentive to fix.