Human Hacked

CHAPTER 7My First Installs

My grandfather told me when I was a small child, “If you're going to do something, do whatever is possible to be the best at whatever that is.” It was time to put my money where my mouth was. If I was going to be a freak, I was going to be the biggest freak out there. At the modification parlor, the paperwork was essentially the same as what I'd completed for my tattoos and body piercings. Once the state paperwork was finished, it was back to the private room. It was time.

When I first met Pineapple the body mechanic, just by looking at him I knew I had found the digital shaman who would be my guide. From the traditional face tattoos and extreme gauged earlobes to the massive dermal implant in the top of his right hand, this guy fit the part perfectly. I don't think you could have any typical body artist do this. A procedure this outside the norm requires someone just as outside the norm. In retrospect, that meeting was the beginning of a friendship and partnership that continues to this day.

The first implant was the NeXT combination Near Field Communication (NFC)/Radio Infrared Identification (RFID) glass injectable implant. It required standard body modification procedures for preparation. The body hair around the site was removed using a disposable razor. The pre-loaded syringe was put into the autoclave sterilization machine. I have had multiple body piercings in my life, but the significance of this moment was not lost on me. Unlike any other ...