Human Hacked

CHAPTER 6A Technological Rebirth

Having tattoos over the majority of my body, as well as multiple body piercings and a hobby of doing flesh hook suspensions, the idea of modifying my body by implanting microchips was not so far out of the realms of possibility for me. I needed to know everything, and I felt like I did when I got that first password—the excitement, the possibilities. I was happily diving down the rabbit hole: descriptions of the procedure, form factors, frequencies, and protocols. By the time I was done, I would know everything I could about this crazy subculture.

I searched the Internet and discovered two implant distributors: Dangerous Things in Seattle, Washington, and KSEC in the United Kingdom. Dangerous Things was a consumer-grade implant distributor that had a number of wireless technology implants and an online store, and it was exactly what I was looking for. Near Field Communication (NFC) implants, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) implants, and magnets were available for purchase. Years later, I discovered that the tattoo parlor where I had first heard about the implants was using the same chips that I eventually found online.

The chips were separated into one of two physical form factors. The differences in the characteristics of the implants also dictated the installation procedures. The easiest entry point to transhumanism would be the injectable glass-encapsulated chips. These implants are 2 mm × 14 mm, so not that much bigger than a single ...