Personal Database

Key to Cyberian Society is the Personal Database (PB). At the age of 12, each Cyberian Citizen receives an implanted computer system which contains his or her or its personal information, updated throughout the rest of their life, and destroyed upon death unless you want to be in the history books (which also depends, of course, if anybody else gives a damn).

To protect your information, your DNA becomes your personal password. This provides a fairly secure way to prove your identity as a unique citizen, as long as you are a unique citizen. However, I am sure that my alert readers spot the potential flaw in this security system--in a nation of mad scientists, how long will it be until one of them figures out a way to clone a human being?

The Cyberian government has considered this potential security flaw. As a countervailing protection, by Cyberian law, if you, as a unique individual detect a clone of yourself, you have the right to eliminate that clone with extreme prejudice. After all two identical unique individuals would comprise an oxymoron, and oxymorony is considered a capital offense in Cyberia.

However, this assumes that you are faster on the draw than your clone. One hopeful indicator: so far animal clones display birth defects and development flaws more frequently than naturally born creatures, indicating you may have a survival advantage in a contest with a clone. However, as your clone will be younger than you, you can always turn to the adage, Old age and treachery defeats youth and beauty for encouragement and consolation. However, nothing in life is for sure, and as they frequently say in Cyberia, "Oh, well."

Handling of personal information involves your relationship with the government, with businesses, with other individuals on the slightly personal level, and with other individuals on the very personal level, all covered in future articles in this series, so keep reading.