Chip



A chip is the smallest and most unobtrusive device that can implanted into the body of an organic individual. Some are mandatory of every registered citizen, but most are elective. Mandatorychips are implanted at birth and replaced as needed, as the citizen grows or as the chip requires repairing. Elective chips are more expensive, though some states offer incentives for increased assimilation.

Though chips are often imbedded deep in the tissue, where they are of most use to the body, they are often marked on the surface of the skin by a small, metallic circle, about 3 cm in diameter. This circle is connected to the implant by a thin but durable fiber, allowing for efficient external recalibration, should the need arise. Replacement or removal is fairly easy, though it requires surgery and anesthetic. In recent years, many removals have become either very difficult to obtain, if not deemed illegal.

Filter
The air on Thaeta occurs in irregular concentrations due to hasty aerforming measures developed around the time of its development. In some places there is not enough and in others it is toxic. A filter chip, located somewhere on the lateral line of the ribcage, is the first line of protection between this threat and the human lungs. It monitors the levels of oxygen and other gases in the body via many vein-like tendrils attached to the side of the lung, expelling them accordingly. Individuals suffering from a malfunctioning filter chip will experience vision problems, disorientation, and shortness of breath.

Filter chips are mandatory and their maintenance is free of charge by state-sanctioned doctors.

Immunity
Cures for a number of diseases have been developed and filed accordingly, but most can only be matched by a constantly evolving immune response. The immunity chip is a now necessary supplement to a body's defense against infection, parasitism, and disease. With it, sickness is rare and symptoms of disease last for hours. Without it, an individual is left extremely vulnerable within days. The immunity chip consists of a circle between the shoulder blades and a thin line that stretches the length of the spine, connecting directly to the spinal cord.

Immunity chips are mandatory and their maintenance is free of charge by state-sanctioned doctors.

Tracking
As the human population increased throughout the universe, it became necessary to develop a more efficient means of collecting a census and tracking lawfulness. The tracking chip is located at the base of the neck and contains all vital information and statistics concerning that individual. Its data can be accessed at any time with permission of the wearer or by those with the appropriate license.

Tracking chips are mandatory and their maintenance is free of charge by state-sanctioned doctors. The intentional removal of this device is considered evading the law and a felony in all recognized states.

Communication
Located on the palm of the less dominant hand, the communication (or comm) chip is the inevitable result of the cell phone's development. It is used by lifting the hand near the face, typically the ear, and speaking call instructions. Anyone with a comm chip or telephone (as in offices and some homes) can be contacted using a comm chip. Though its only invasive wires exist to hold it in place, it is also connected to major veins in the wrist so as to contact local medical stations in the case of a problem.

Communication chips are not mandatory. Thaeta's most current census states that 96.9% of registered citizens have chosen to install one.

Survival
Supplementary to the filter chip, survival chips are used mostly by outlands settlers who live distant to the aeroformed protection of major cities. Each allows for the body to endure a specific environmental challenge—such as extreme cold or heat, altered air pressure, or the presence of certain toxins—by releasing a specific series of compounds into the bloodstream upon exposure to it. In urban environments, protection from specific pollutions or poisons are uncommon but available. Depending on the needs of the individual, any number of survival chips may be listed on the lateral line of the ribcage.

Though survival chips are not required by any government, they are all but compulsory in all of Thaeta’s small outposts.

Radio
Most cities and outposts have a number of radio stations with which they transmit news, music, and information. Located just behind the dominant ear lobe, the radio chip transmits the sound of one station at a time directly into the ear. Though it is deemed mostly obsolete with a reliable grid connection, many retain their radio chips for the rare case of an emergency. Top government officials can access radio chips and make announcements for this purpose.

Radio chips include two circles, one within the other, that act as dials when touched. The outer circle controls volume and the inner circle controls transmission station. There are twelve available stations with different local identities, and a thirteenth that can only be accessed by members of the Authority. Radio chips are elective.

Fitness
The fitness chip is an accessory that acts as a sort of supplemental metabolism, allowing for a lean figure no matter a body’s level of exercise or food intake. Its calibration is dynamic, so that the same chip can help an unhealthy person to reach an acceptably healthy body type, maintain that body type, and account for any changes in diet and exercise. Though a fitness chip can make a person look healthy, true physical performance cannot be achieved without proper training. Should a person with an installed fitness chip operate at or beyond a healthy lifestyle, the fitness chip remains dormant. A fitness chip is located on the upper right side of the belly, directly over the liver.

Fitness chips are elective. More expensive fitness chips can be programmed to provide for a more specific body type.