Body modification refers to the process of replacing a body part with a synthetic version and sometimes refers to the addition of tech or weapons to the body. Advancements in technology yield mod-parts that blur the line between the synthetic and the organic. Born-given eyes are replaced with synthetic eyes that render enhanced sight which can be modded with different forms of “seeing” such as X-Ray vision. Weapons can also be built into appendages, a practice which has become outlawed in many star systems.

Necessary Evil

Regulations on Body Modifications and laws against weaponized body-mods suggest that governments can only regulate the Body-Mod trend since outright bans lead to a rise in crime or an abandonment of homeland from a significant portion of the Body-Mod population. Religious bodies tend to frown upon and even kill those with body-mods. There are radical religious sects, such as the Marnens, that roam the galaxy in search of "sinners" to murder, body-modders included.

"I am"

With body-modification rising in popularity even with conservative cultures, there has been much discussion as to what constitutes a person and what constitutes a machine. How much body modifications can one make before that person becomes a machine and ceases to be a person? There are official definitions of what constitutes a person, a cyborg, a machine or sentient being in many star systems, but they are effectively meaningless since these definitions differ from one another so much that they sometimes contradict each other.

Ghost in the Machine

Moral and spiritual questions arise in conversation as well. Exploration of what defines a person leads way to thought on what defines a soul. Do all sentient beings have souls? If a being has thought, does it not have a soul? Does a machine not have a soul if it is capable of self-awareness? When one modifies their body to the point of ceasing to have organs, does the ghost stir within the machine? What is a soul? Do souls even exist?

With body modification on the rise, the evolution of thought on what constitutes a person rises as well.