CYBORGIZATION and VIRTUAL WORLDS: Portals to Altered Reality

Sample file

CYBORGIZATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS: A character’s body is the means by which she perceives Portals to Altered Reality and interacts with her environment. When a character ex- tends her body by grafting robotic components onto it – or Volume 02 in the replaces some of its key components with biosynthetic sub- Posthuman Cyberware Sourcebook series stitutes – it inevitably alters the way in which she experiences the world. Written and edited by: Matthew E. Gladden The nature of a character’s forays into virtual reality is just one part of her life that’s transformed by the process of Special thanks to cyborgization. After all, it’s easy to know when you enter All those who offered feedback regarding the research and ma- a virtual environment if the tools you’re using are a VR terials that eventually found their way into this volume, as well headset and haptic feedback gloves. If the virtual experi- as those whose work as game designers, gamers, scholars, and ence is too much for you, you can always just rip off the authors provided inspiration for this project, including: headset: the digital illusions instantly vanish, and you know that you’re back in the ‘real’ world. But what if the Magdalena Szczepocka Sven Dwulecki VR gear that you’re employing consists of cranial neural Bartosz Kłoda-Staniecko Mateusz Zimnoch implants that directly stimulate your brain to create artifi- Paweł Gąska Nicole Cunningham cial sensory experiences? Or what if you’re toting dual-pur- Krzysztof Maj Ted Snider pose artificial eyes and robotic prosthetic limbs that can ei- Ksenia Olkusz Ken Spencer ther supply you with authentic sense data from the external Michał Kłosiński Nathan Fouts environment or switch into iso mode, cut off all the sensa- tions from the real world, and pipe fabricated sense data into your brain? What signs could you look for to help you Copyright © 2017 Matthew E. Gladden. All rights reserved. determine whether you’re in the real world or just a con- Mnemoclave produces resources designed to support game vincing virtual facsimile? designers, game masters, and players in their creative work, This second volume in the Posthuman Cyberware Source- with the hope that such materials will be as useful as possible. book series explores the two ways in which neuroprosthetic To that end, permission is given for owners of a print or elec- technologies immerse a cyborg in his environment and al- tronic copy of this volume to freely photocopy, share, adapt, transform, build on, or otherwise exploit its contents for pur- low him to sense and manipulate the world: through em- poses of any game session or campaign in which they are par- bodiment and embedding. The process of cyborgization not ticipating, for either non-commercial or commercial ends; ac- only grants its human subject an augmented body with en- knowledgment and attribution of material contained within hanced, reduced, or simply different capacities; it also em- this volume utilized for such purposes is appreciated but not beds him in a particular part of the real physical world and required. Apart from such uses, no part of this publication may provides the means by which he senses and manipulates be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in that environment. And it may be the instrument through any form or any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, which he dives into virtual worlds, as well. recording, or otherwise) without the prior permissionSample of the file publisher, other than for those fair-use purposes permitted by In this book we investigate these issues from many an- law. gles that may be of interest to players and GMs alike. The book is written especially for GMs who are designing adventures or campaigns set in near-future worlds with a cy- ISBN 978-1-944373-20-7 (paperback print edition) berpunk, postcyberpunk, or biopunk atmosphere in which ISBN 978-1-944373-19-1 (ebook) posthumanizing cyberware exists and societies are tilting 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ever further toward the dystopian. Like other Mnemoclave September 2017 • Version 1.0 products, the text draws on the latest research into neuro- cybernetics and the bioengineering, economic, sociopoliti- Published in the United States of America by Mnemoclave, cal, and cultural aspects of human enhancement, to sup- the RPG imprint of Synthypnion Press LLC port GMs who are looking to give their campaigns a hard SF edge. The volume includes dozens of special textboxes Synthypnion Press LLC with plot hooks, character traits, equipment descriptions, Indianapolis, IN 46227 and ideas for successfully GM-ing the ontological puzzles www.synthypnionpress.com and narrative twists that cyborgization and virtual reality make possible – to help you incorporate the material di- MNEMOCLAVE rectly into your game, regardless of which rule system www.mnemoclave.com you’re using. Researching and writing this book was a great pleasure. I hope that within it pages you’ll find something new, in- We would love to hear your feedback on this book – it helps us teresting, and unexpected to add to your adventures. make all of our products better! Please write to us with any – Matthew E. Gladden questions or comments at [email protected].

CYBORGIZATION AND VIRTUAL WORLDS: Portals to Altered Reality

A POSTHUMAN CYBERWARE SOURCEBOOK

Paths of Cyborgization: From Human How Hard Is It to Obtain Cyberware? ...... 4 Augmentation to Neuroprosthetic Control ...... 11 Legality and licensing requirements ...... 4 Devices that grant a host new capacities ...... 11 Cost ...... 4 Temporary addition of capacities ...... 11 On the edge of what’s legal ...... 4 Permanent addition of capacities ...... 12 Necessary medical expertise ...... 5 Devices that enhance a host’s existing capacities .... 12 Maintenance requirements ...... 5 Temporary enhancement ...... 12 Read those travel advisories carefully ...... 5 Permanent enhancement ...... 12 There’s a reason why the army didn’t keep The full-time cyborg ...... 12 better track of it ...... 5 Devices that restore a host’s lost capacities ...... 13 Required user customization ...... 6 Devices that suppress a host’s existing capacities .... 13 Self-implanting cyberware ...... 6 Paradoxes of cyberpsychopathy and A regular check under the hood ...... Sample 6 fileimplant control ...... 13 One size fits all? ...... 6 Temporary suppression ...... 14 Permanent eradication ...... 14 Reusability ...... 7 Devices with no impact on a host’s capacities ...... 14 How Does Cyberware Relate to Its Host’s Beyond human beauty ...... 14 Biological Body? ...... 8 Operational lifespan within the body ...... 8 Physicality and Virtuality: Neural Implants as Portals to Digital Realms...... 15 Device location and physical accessibility ...... 8 Are virtual worlds ‘unreal’? ...... 15 Physical visibility and discoverability ...... 8 Physical access to manipulate the device ...... 8 The cyborg body as a shell? ...... 15 Remote discoverability ...... 9 The full cyborg body as scion to a host’s rootstock ... 16 Level of neurocognitive interface ...... 9 The (ir)reversible effects of cybergrafting...... 16 Maintenance ‘guidelines’ or ‘requirements’? ...... 9 Neurocoupling resection syndrome (NRS) ...... 17 The signs to look for ...... 9 Virtual wardrobes ...... 17 Showing off ...... 9 Embodiment: The physical organism as a habitat for the mind ...... 18 Potential health impacts ...... 10 Reshaping the physical body: the host as cyborg ..... 18 Getting around anti-tamper mechanisms ...... 10 Full-body cyborgs ...... 18 A needle in a warehouse full of needles ...... 10 Mind uploading and the Ship of Theseus ...... 19 The disillusioned host ...... 10 The robotic mannequin ...... 19

Partial cyborgs ...... 20 Will characters even know when they’re in virtual Extended cyborgs ...... 20 worlds? ...... 25 How good does an artificial neuron need to be? ...... 20 Recognized immersion ...... 25 Unrecognized immersion ...... 25 Sessile cyborgs ...... 21 Hollow cyborgs ...... 21 Incorporating VR Use into Campaign Full-brain roboticization as a plot driver ...... 21 Storylines ...... 27 Reshaping others’ perceptions of the body: The host How much time do characters spend immersed in as avatar ...... 22 cyberspace? ...... 27 Cyberdoubles ...... 22 Virtual reality and the challenge of split parties ...... 27 Cybermorphs ...... 22 Making the mundane elements of cyberspace Embedding: The external environment as a habitat relevant ...... 28 for the body ...... 22 Characters’ awareness of their virtual state ...... 28 Augmented reality: A new way of experiencing the primary physical world ...... 22 Machine or madness? ...... 28 Informational overlays ...... 22 VR as a gateway to new settings and genres ...... 29 Refracted reality ...... 23 VR transitions and character disorientation ...... 29 Virtual reality: Worlds within worlds ...... 23 Taking a chance on the big reveal?...... 30 How deep into the virtual? ...... 23 Making the disclosure of virtuality meaningful and Maximal immersion ...... 23 enjoyable ...... 30 Partial immersion ...... 24 References ...... 31 Enhancement of virtual versus ‘real’ bodies ...... 24 How long does the immersion last? ...... 25 Index ...... 34 Temporary immersion ...... 25 Long-term immersion ...... 25

Sample file

How Hard Is It to Obtain Cyberware?

etting a neural implant might be easier than you think… or harder than you could imagine. G There’s a vast difference between the accessi- On the edge of what’s legal. The bility of mature types of therapeutic devices that’ve legal status and technical specs of a neuropros- been in use for decades (like cochlear implants) and ex- thesis are often tightly intertwined. Devices whose functioning can potentially induce physi- perimental military-grade cyberware designed to en- cal pain or create addictions, brain damage, or hance an operative’s combat capabilities. psychoses – or otherwise dangerously distort a Many factors that collectively determine the extent to host’s perceptions of reality – are often manufac- which a neuroprosthesis (and its related external sys- tured and sold with legally mandated throttling tem components, replacement parts, software, and mechanisms or regulators that block the devices technical manuals) will be available for acquisition by from operating at full capacity and ensure that hosts and operators. Here we consider some of the their effects are kept within ‘safe’ limits, as de- most important factors. fined by the government (with a helping hand from industry lobbyists). But hardware-based re- Legality and licensing requirements strictors can often be removed or bypassed, and software-based thresholds can be disabled by Some jurisdictions may enforce laws, regulations, and anyone with a modicum of motivation and skill. 1 Sample file licensing requirements that ban certain kinds of neu- And some manufacturers intentionally design roprosthetic devices altogether and require certifica- their barriers restricting device performance to tion as a skilled medical professional for those im- be as flimsy as possible – so they can satisfy legal planting other kinds of neuroprostheses. Particular requirements and avoid potential lawsuits while neuroprostheses may be authorized for implantation simultaneously appealing to those consumers only upon issuance of a prescription by a qualified who want to push the limits. medical professional confirming that use of such a device is medically indicated for a specific human host. With some types of military-grade cybergear The early-adopter deployment of posthuman neuro- (think cyberlimbs with concealed shotguns or prostheses for human enhancement by specialized cranial implants containing explosive charges military, police, and other governmental organiza- that are remotely triggerable by a cyborg’s em- ployer), it isn’t a question of ‘degree’: the private tions may be facilitated by the ability of such organi- possession and use of such a device is inherently zations to satisfy, modify, or obtain exemptions from unlawful. But if you build enough RF shielding such legal requirements. and digital smoke-and-mirrors into it, you can make it invisible to external scans – or at least, in- Cost distinguishable from less terrifying and more le- The costs associated with the purchase or construction gal equipment… of a piece of cyberware, its implantation surgery, and

1 See McGee, “Bioelectronics and Implanted Devices” (2008), and Kosta & Bowman, “Implanting Implications: Data Protection Chal- lenges Arising from the Use of Human ICT Implants” (2012).

adopters (like specialized military organizations) that Read those travel advisories have easy access to highly qualified medical personnel carefully. Cybergear that’s legally per- and that only provide neuroprostheses to a small, elite missible within the boundaries of one country, group of personnel. The potential future development city, or corporate facility may be outlawed some- of non-invasive neuroprostheses that can match the place else. A particular type of prescription drug, functionality of surgically implanted devices would encryption device, or weapon can easily be left also reduce the skills needed for device installation. behind if you’re planning to travel someplace where it’s not legal. A neural implant, not so Maintenance requirements much. Of course, the number of jurisdictions that The complex and ongoing maintenance processes5 would forcibly extract an unauthorized neuro- needed to keep a neuroprosthesis in safe working or- prosthesis from a visitor are relatively few. But der after its implantation tend to limit the deploy- many venues have no qualms about using jam- ming, shielding, hacking, or customized malware to indiscriminately disable any black-market gear that might’ve made its way onto their turf… There’s a reason why the army didn’t keep better track of it. its ongoing maintenance limit the ability of individu- Even if the military as an institution can’t imme- als or organizations to acquire and utilize such equip- diately commercialize its combat cybertech by ment.2 The cost of neuroprostheses for human en- offering it for sale to private purchasers outside hancement will be especially high for early adopters of the government, that doesn’t necessarily stop (like specialized military organizations) that have to some enterprising and unscrupulous individual bear the full costs of R&D for new device types – in with access to its facilities from trying to make an addition to the direct cost of manufacturing the de- extra buck by unloading some ‘surplus’ item on vices intended for implantation – without benefitting the black market. Of course, the army’s cyborg from the economies of scale or technology licensing fees warfare unit is likely to notice if one of their half- that would result from mass production and distribu- million-dollar finalized production implants goes tion of such cybergear within the general public as missing right before it’s supposed to be installed medical devices or consumer products. in a special forces soldier. They’d be less likely to notice the disappearance of a glitchy, half-func- Necessary medical expertise Sample tionalfile prototype – or a unit that was damaged in combat and removed from its deceased host for The type and level of medical expertise needed to suc- disposal. This means that anyone buying cessfully implant and operate cyberware limit its po- secondhand military cybergear had better in- 3 tential use. In particular, the small number of doctors spect it very carefully… Otherwise she might dis- and medical facilities capable of performing complex cover some unpleasant surprises down the road and dangerous neuroprosthetic implantation surgery – when it’s too late to do much about it. creates barriers to the acquisition of cyberware.4 Such requirements form less of an obstacle for early

2 See McGee (2008) and Park et al., “The Future of Neural Interface surgeons qualified to perform such complex and risky operations may Technology” (2009). For example, conventional cochlear implant result in waiting lists of 2-3 years for eligible recipients. See, e.g., surgery can currently cost between $40,000-$100,000 per person Fayerman, “Funding, doctors needed if brain stimulation surgery to (see “Cochlear Implant Quick Facts” (2016)), while DBS implanta- expand in B.C.” (2013). tion surgery costs between $35,000-$100,000 per recipient (Okun, 5 Regarding the role of maintenance in ensuring information system “Parkinson’s Disease: Guide to Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy” availability, see NIST SP 800-100: Information Security Handbook: A (2014)). Guide for Managers (2006) and NIST Special Publication 800-53, Revi- 3 Regarding the expertise that must be possessed by a device’s insti- sion 4: Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and tutional operators, see Clark & Fu, “Recent Results in Computer Se- Organizations (2013), p. F-112. Third-party organizations providing curity for Medical Devices” (2012), and Fairclough, “Physiological maintenance or upgrade services for implanted cyberware may enjoy Computing: Interfacing with the Human Nervous System” (2010). only a limited ability to access relevant device functions and data, For issues relating to the training of individual hosts and users of BCI due to legal restrictions regarding the privacy of personal health in- systems, see Neuper & Pfurtscheller, “Neurofeedback Training for formation that bind the devices’ installers and operators. See Glad- BCI Control” (2009). den, “Information Security Concerns as a Catalyst” (2016), and ISO 4 For example, even in those countries where DBS implantation sur- 27799:2016, Health informatics – Information security management in gery is funded by government health agencies, the lack of trained health using ISO/IEC 27002 (2016).

Self-implanting cyberware. Alt- A regular check under the hood. hough quite rare, there are a few known exam- Proper maintenance doesn’t just demand the ples of ‘self-implanting’ cyberware that are pack- right sort of intellectual know-how; it also re- aged with a disposable robotic mechanism that’s quires ongoing access to specialized diagnostic capable of injecting or implanting the device into equipment and software, a steady supply of con- a host’s body without the aid of a trained human sumables (like batteries, leads, drugs, hormones, surgeon, while the device itself is capable of biomaterials, and other elements that are de- scanning its surroundings and establishing the signed to gradually deteriorate or be expended necessary links with the host’s nervous system. by the device), and backup parts to replace com- Such cyberware is typically simple stuff for use in ponents that aren’t supposed to wear out but emergency situations: a battlefield trauma kit which could conceivably break – especially as a may contain self-implanting cyberware that’s ca- result of heavy use or exploitation of the device pable of diagnosing the injuries of a wounded for unintended purposes. An adversary who soldier, releasing drugs into his bloodstream to wants to cripple a host’s device but can’t risk a di- stabilize his vital signs, and even releasing a rect assault might instead try to disrupt or com- swarm of nanorobotic agents to perform basic promise the implant’s maintenance processes. emergency surgery. Breaking into a storeroom to tamper with a bat- tery that will eventually end up being delivered Pieces like cybereyes and cerebral augmenta- to a host for possible future use is a lot easier than tions are rarely self-implanting. But a would-be physically accessing her implant – and typically host who – for whatever reason – can’t ask a le- harder to trace: by the time the cybermedical ex- gitimate medical facility (or even a black-market aminer realizes there was a problem with the bat- cybershop surgeon) to perform the implantation tery, it’s been weeks or months since the store- may be able to acquire a secondhand general- room break-in… purpose surgical robot and find the necessary drivers and software plugins online so that it can handle the procedure. ment of such devices to institutions possessing appro- priate biomedical device maintenance facilities and One size fits all? It’s relatively easy for a black-market cybershop to acquire pieces of supply chains.6 Sample file cybergear and handle the implantation surgery for clients. But such dealers are typically less Required user customization knowledgeable about (and less interested in) the The ability to deploy a particular model of neuropros- full range of support services that legitimate thesis is diminished if it needs to be extensively custom- medical facilities and cyberware maintenance ized for each host or user7 – whether through physical firms provide in order to make the experience of molding and fitting of prostheses, adaptation of de- owning and using a neural implant safe and ef- vice software to a host’s unique neurological or behav- fective. Often a black-market client pays half up ioral characteristics, or assurance of biological and ge- front, before the operation, and half when he netic compatibility for devices with biological compo- wakes up in one piece following the operation. nents.8 Similarly, the ability to use devices may be Once the money’s in the bank, the shop may not limited if the anatomical structures, biological pro- particularly care if four or five weeks later the arm cesses, or psychological activity of potential hosts or starts seizing up during routine use, or the client users need to be ‘customized’ through surgery, phar- develops acute cyberware rejection syndrome – maceuticals, gene therapy or behavior modification and even if they cared, they might not have the before or after implantation in order to allow effective slightest idea what to do about it. operation of a device.

6 Regarding supply chain considerations for information system com- Turner, “The Development of Brain-Machine Interface Neuropros- ponents, see NIST SP 800-53 (2013). thetic Devices” (2008). 7 For issues relating to device customization, see Merkel et al., “Cen- 8 Regarding the possibility of neuroprosthetic devices that involve tral Neural Prostheses” (2007); Fairclough (2010); and Patil & biological components, see Merkel et al. (2007).

Reusability neuroprostheses: if you’re in the market for such a device, you have a choice between new, used, and really Some neuroprostheses (e.g., those composed of living used. biomaterials) may be impossible to extract from their location in a host’s body without destroying them or The potential for such devices to be reused by sub- rendering them inoperable; other neuroprostheses sequent hosts (which may or may not occur with the (e.g., non-invasive types) might easily be removed original host’s knowledge) requires effective proce- from their current host and integrated into the neural dures to be put in place regarding the disposal of de- circuitry of a new host without much hassle. The abil- vices in order to ensure the security of hosts’ personal ity of a particular model of implant to be reused by health information and confidential organizational additional human hosts after it’s been disposed of by data.9 its original host can increase the availability of such

Sample file

9 For procedures relating to the digital ‘sanitization’ of information and NIST SP 800-53 (2013), pp. F-122-F-123. systems prior to their disposal, see NIST SP 800-100 (2006), p. 24,

How Does Cyberware Relate to Its Host’s Biological Body?

here are many possible types and degrees of in- Device location and physical tegration between a neural implant and the accessibility T body of its human host. Some devices that plug into a standardized port that’s permanently anchored in A neuroprosthetic device’s physical situation includes the body can be ejected or swapped out at a moment’s its specific location in (or on) its host’s body and its notice with no ill effects for their user. Other implants physical connections to the host’s bodily organs. That that are engineered from biological materials may be to- situation affects other facets of the device’s operation. tally integrated into their host’s organism – and neither Physical visibility and discoverability removable nor even detectable without an invasive sur- Neuroprostheses that extend outside of their host’s gical procedure. biological body (as in the case of cyberlimbs) are often There are several factors relating to a neural implant’s visible to passersby, unless they’re fully concealed be- situation within its host’s body that determine which neath a host’s clothing. However, the fact that a neu- type of implant is most or least desirable for a given roprosthesis is visible doesn’t necessarily mean that its host’s circumstances. existence as a neuroprosthesis is visually ‘discoverable’ by outside observers: a device that’s completely life- Operational lifespan within the body like in its appearance and functioning may be visually The period of service or operational lifespan10Sample that a de- undetectable file to observers, especially if its seam or in- vice is expected to demonstrate before it needs re- terface with its host’s biological body is effectively ob- 13 placement11 or invasive maintenance is especially im- scured. portant in the case of those implantable neuropros- Physical access to manipulate the device theses for which replacement or maintenance requires a complex, risky, and expensive surgical procedure. The mere fact that the existence of a neuroprosthe- Drawing on practices utilized for computerized de- sis is visible to outside observers doesn’t necessarily vices more generally, a neuroprosthetic device’s oper- mean that they can physically access and manipulate ational lifespan can be quantified as its ‘reliability’ or the device’s key components without harming the de- mean time to failure (MTTF), the average length of time vice’s host, rendering the device inoperable, or de- 14 that a system will remain continuously in operation stroying data contained within it. Some devices are before experiencing its next failure. Similarly, the designed to offer easy physical access: a soldier with a mean time to repair (MTTR) is the average length of time combat cyberlimb may need to immediately pull the needed to detect and repair the failure and return the housing off his device and perform field maintenance system to operation.12 on it, if the prosthesis gets damaged or jams on the battlefield; there’s no time to wait for the nearest

10 See Merkel et al. (2007). (2008). 11 See Gasson, “Human ICT Implants: From Restorative Application 13 Regarding the significance of a device’s physical discoverability, see to Human Enhancement” (2012). Rao & Nayak, The InfoSec Handbook (2014), and Merkel et al. (2007). 12 Grottke et al., “Ten fallacies of availability and reliability analysis” 14 Regarding physical access controls, see NIST SP 800-53 (2013), p. F-129; Rao & Nayak (2014); and Merkel et al. (2007).