Definition
Cybernetic Augments—or simply Augments—are biomechanical systems implanted to replace or exceed organic limits. Far beyond prosthetics, they merge flesh, machine, and neural code into a single adaptive organism, emblematic of the Authority’s vision of the Perfected Human.
Purpose & Classification
- Performance Augments: carbon-fiber myomer bundles, bio-servo joints, and kinetic dampeners enhancing strength, speed, and endurance.
- Cognitive Augments: neural lattice implants, reaction accelerators, and predictive computation nodes for multi-threaded decisioning.
- Sensory Augments: optical replacements (IR/UV/low-light), motion prediction overlays, auditory processors, and biosignature detection.
Integration Process
- Neural Sedation: precision AIs guide implantation while isolating trauma memory.
- Molecular Rewrite: nano-mediators adapt tissue to synthetic components, preventing rejection.
- Post-Install Tuning: calibration cycles align augment behavior with mission profiles.
The process leaves no scars yet alters identity—turning perception into calculation and instinct into algorithm.
Authority Ethics
Presented as progress, augments double as control architecture. Internal regulators link to oversight systems capable of throttling adrenaline, logging emotional variance, or enforcing paralysis during insubordination. To the Authority, augmentation is obedience refined.
Agent Thalos
- Musculature: synthetic myomer bundles deliver near-superhuman strength and reflex velocity.
- Optics: multi-spectrum vision with motion prediction and retinal datalinks to command.
- Spinal Core: embedded kinetic dampeners withstand high-impact shock and grav shifts.
- Behavioral Governors: onboard compliance circuits maintain mission alignment under stress.
Thalos exemplifies precision without hesitation—a weapon disguised as a man.
Risks & Side Effects
- Identity Drift: diminished empathy, detachment from prior relationships.
- Overfit: augments bias perception toward threat and mission patterns.
- Exploit Surface: oversight links may be subverted; jamming can trigger failsafe lockdowns.