[video]

[prostheticbody]

[The woman staring into the camera is (quite literally) well-built, and it's hard not to take note of her purple hair and red eyes. She's wearing a leather jacket over a low-cut gray bodysuit. Keen observers familiar with lifelike robots or prosthetics might notice something subtly artificial about her appearance, but she otherwise appears perfectly normal. Besides the hair, eyes, and questionable fashion choices, of course.]

I've been researching the history of this place on the net and there seem to be two major diversions from my own world's history: the Soviet Union's continued existence and Japan's relative unimportance on the world stage. The former is interesting because back home, I'd be standing in the Russo-American Alliance right now. And I guess we have the latter to thank for this monstrosity. [She holds up a cell phone that looks more like a brick than a high-tech communication device.] America always thinks that bigger is better.

I also seem to be the only person with a cyber-brain that I've encountered. There are hovering cars and nanotechnology, but true cyberization still hasn't taken place. I suppose that means I don't have to worry about being hacked.

Comments

[abduxel]

Careful, lady, I met one guy who said he could steal information from machines by hacking at them. [He doesn't sound very sincere or concerned. He doesn't really understand most of what he's talking about, and assumes she means she doesn't need to worry about her computer being hacked.]

What's cyberization?

[prostheticbody]

I've got defenses in place. [She won't tell him that she can do that too. It's not something you should really advertise.] Besides, hacking a cyber-brain is a little harder than a machine.

Back home, it's common for people to have their brains removed and augmented with cybernetic implants. It allows for wireless communication and access to the net, among other things.

[selfimage]

General rule of multiversal travel is that despite all unexpected twist and turns, that some of the larger points of interest in Midgardian history tend to kinda sorta remain the same. I say kinda sorta because some other larger aspects of these realms gets thrown into the melting pot. [ he gestures with his hand, as if he's tossing something somewhere. ] That's not even mentioning cosmic matters.

[prostheticbody]

[Midgard? She's gathered that this place brings all sorts, but potential Norse deities isn't something she's prepared to accept quite yet.]

I take it you have experience with this sort of thing?

permatext

[hypnotherapy]

Careful, now. Someone might take that 'unhackable' proclamation as a challenge.

[ He's just teasing.

Really, hacking someone's brain? That would just be rude. ]

Look on the bright side. You can use that phone as a projectile weapon and have a reasonably good chance of giving someone you dislike a concussion.

[prostheticbody]

I never claimed to be unhackable, but I'd be impressed if someone managed to do it.

[It'd take a Laughing Man-level hacker to even have a prayer, so she's justifiably confident in her abilities.]

I'm thinking of a less violent use as a doorstop. What's with the vintage 1950's aesthetic anyway?

voice

[hubris]

America is completely unimportant in my world, and the Moroccan Republic and Allied Prefectures of Hessia run the place.

But I don't even understand the technology all of you are familiar with.

[prostheticbody]

The only American successor state that's still relevant back home is the American Empire.

It seems like the level of technology I'm used to is the exception rather than the norm.

[earnedmystripes]

....C-cyber...brain...?

[That's completely horrifying what.]

[prostheticbody]

[It's just removing a person's brain and encasing it in a shell and putting it back in a person's head, what's so scary about that, come on guys.]

A cybernetically-enhanced brain. You've got a problem with it?

audio

[stealwithit]

[ Although it goes unseen, Kasumi is utterly impressed by everything she just saw. Japan? Picking a bone with tech? Cyber-brains? Hacking into said cyber-brains? The thing that sticks out to her most, however, is: ]

Talk to me more about this "true cybernization" thing you just mentioned. Does it mean what I think it means?

[prostheticbody]

That depends on what you're thinking. Peoples' brains are removed, enhanced with cybernetics for connecting to the net, encased so they can operate in a stand-alone state, and placed back in the body. Or in a prosthetic body.

audio;

[functionoverfeels]

My name is Tempo, and I'm a robot with a cyber brain. It's nice to meet you. I wish I could offer you more information on the history of this world, but I've only been here a couple months myself. An alliance between America and Russia doesn't seem entirely out of the question from where I'm from, if nothing else.

[prostheticbody]

[A robot, huh? That's interesting. She wonders if the robots here could be advanced enough to have ghosts.]

Nice to find someone else who's at least familiar with this level of technology.

Considering that the Americans and Russians seems to be trying to live the glory days of the Cold War forever, it doesn't seem likely here.

[animalage]

Soooo cyber-brain and hacking, huh?

Does that, uh... are you a robot? [he looks perfectly human to him, so he feels a bit awkward asking that.]

[prostheticbody]

[She smiles wryly. She guesses that's a perfectly understandable question, if an awkward one.]

No, but I'm not flesh and blood, either. I'm a full-body cyborg.

voice

[viced]

I don't know about that. I think some people are called... technopaths?

[ Not him. Nope. ]

What's "cyberization", anyway?

[prostheticbody]

Technopaths, huh? Are those people who can directly interface with technology?

Generally, it's augmenting the brain with cybernetics. Most people back home have their brains removed, cyberized, and placed into brain cases before being put back in their bodies. It sounds odd, but it has advantages.

video

[justimom]

I would be curious to hear more about this cyberization you spoke of. If you are willing to discuss it.

[prostheticbody]

[Okay, it's a blue woman. An alien? In any case, the Major doesn't miss a beat.]

In my world, it's common for people to have their brains augmented by cybernetics. It allows for instant wireless communication and connection to the net. Some people also have full cyborg bodies with only parts of their cyber-brains remaining from their original bodies.

text.

[janebond]

So what're you capable of, with a cyber-brain?

[prostheticbody]

Wireless communication and connection to the net without a device and external storage of memories, among other things.

[video]

[hands4healing]

[Winry is studying the video closely.]

Really? Your technology allows you to modify the brain directly?

[...]

That's amazing!

[prostheticbody]

That's right. Cyber-brains are more common than all-natural brains, at least in Japan.

[cartesianspidertank]

Major, all this talk of psychic hacking and technomancy is giving me the heeby jeebies!

[Military firewalls and the Tachikoma's own natural hacking ability has kept it safe from any potential hackers even through the laughing man crisis. It hasnt' had to deal with the concept of being unable to control its own body - well, at least for someone who isn't part of the Section 9 hierarchy and therefore has authorized control of its systems]

[prostheticbody]

Tachikoma?

[Well, this is a surprise. And also a complication.]

Just stay calm. It's new to me too, but as long as you don't go linking with everything you find, you should be fine.

video

[runout]

Back up a second there. Cyber-brain? Is that what it sounds like it is?

[prostheticbody]

A cybernetically-enhanced brain, so yes.

[resipiscent]

"Cyber-brain", huh? That sounds kinda cool. But I hear that the nanomachines can be hacked.

[prostheticbody]

I take it there's precedent for that? I heard something about people here being hacked recently.

Voice

[megabytes]

Your brain...can be hacked?

[prostheticbody]

It's possible, but unlikely.