With the release of MNI2 technology companies were quick to develop
computer systems that would work with MNI2.
Within a year the first VR interfaces had been prototyped and in mid-2039
the first portable interface devices were created. These cybernetic
interface devices were initially about the size of a keyboard and had an
external interface port and could operate for about three hours on a charge. By
years end, simple computers capable of running programs and network
connectivity were available, giving anywhere anytime access to the Net via cyberdeck
interfaces.
So then why were people so keen to jack their brains
directly into the internet? The official
reason was to enable your mind to work independently of the body. Most cyberdecks put your body into a state of
sleep allowing it to physically rest.
Your brain then only required around two to three hours of actual
sleep. Other popular options featured motor
stimulation programs. You could connect
in while on specially designed exercise equipment. Your body went through the motions of
physical exercise while your mind worked on the Johnson report or attended a meeting
in Tokyo.
The real reason that cyberdeck interfaces become so popular
though was virtual reality.
Virtual Reality
Initially just simple meeting rooms and chat rooms, VR
became what most people think of now as the Internet. Most internet surfing starts at Portals –
specialized based around information or hobbies. Most portals are publicly advertised and
linked to by other portals. Portals are
generally run by some sort of company that sells other services – most often
advertising. In addition, Portals also provide a social network interface as
you can simply just interact with others using the same portal you are. Most activity in portals is monitored and so
sexual or violent conduct is usually dealt with swiftly.
From a portal you can find a Gate. Gates are connections to virtual reality
environments and range from infinitely stocked shopping storefronts where you
can try on every outfit and drive every car to dark brothels.
In addition there are “dark” portals – portals you need to
be given the address of the Portal’s Gate to get to and “dark” Gates. Dark Portals are the underground of the
internet – connecting users to Gates that provide even seedier sexual fetishes,
drugs, stolen or illegal goods, even services that you do not want advertised
publicly.
Dark Gates can range from anything already mentioned and
connected by gates to research facilities and corporate connections that are
not accessible to the public. Dark Gates
are often very well protected and their addresses can change with little to no
notice.
Malice in Wonderland
As cyberdeck interfaces became prevalent, it was immediately
apparent that it would be possible for a malicious person to misuse the technology
by feeding in code to the users subconscious or even controlling their body’s
nervous system directly. In lab trials, researchers
were able to actually stop the heart of attached primates or cause so much intracranial
pressure that a hemorrhage occurred.
The response to this was to highly limit the actual
applications ran on a cyberdeck and put a specialized filter and firewall on every
device. The firewall also functioned as
a broadcasted identification number to prevent user fraud and could be easily
traced back to the owner of the device.
And while neural sensations were dulled and reaction times were slowed,
the safety aspects of the device were gladly accepted by the public at large. Programs were shifted to centralized system
of the attached VR, leaving most decks with nothing more than a basic VR room and
some productivity software.
In an effort to get better reaction times, hackers figured
out how to add a mentally activated bypass circuit to their cyberdecks. Bypass circuits enabled full two-way communication
between the user and anything outside of its system. Hackers can mentally activate or deactivate
the firewall at any given time, but having it up enabled the tracking feature
as well as disconnecting any outbound processes.
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