Written in 365 Parts: 78: Only Limited By Your Ability

“So how am I able to see this? I don’t get it, did you install some kind of telephoto system in my eyes or something?” Drick stood next to Marsh in a wide open plain, there were objects placed onto boxes set at varying distances from the pair of them. Drick had been asking Marsh to focus on the different boxes at different distances for the last few minutes. 

“No. We could have but we didn’t. More importantly, neither did the people who put the implant in your head. It is possible to fit enhanced optic into the human eye. Or to have bionic eyes. Or even to have genetically altered eyes to give more range of vision. But the truth is also that the eye without modification has a lot of capability that isn’t utilised. Evolution is often an efficient process. That extra capability is what the implant enhances.”

“You want to explain it to me?”

“Not really as it isn’t really my field of expertise, but like all the other questions you ask I will give you an answer by searching databases. Well I say that I will, actually Rodero is currently uploading info to me so that I can answer you without sounding too much like an idiot.”

“Do they do that for everyone or just you?”

“Everyone can use the search functions of an implant, you just need a network connection and to pull it onto a screen, I already showed you how to do that.”

“Right.”

“But Rodero is also an asset for the whole group, at this time you can utilise them as I am doing. They are faster and more efficient at grid surfing than you, or I, are likely to be.”

“Good to know.”

“Your eyes can see objects at some distance. A point of light, the size of a small flame, for distances up to fifty kilometres away. However, at that distance you would not be able to determine if it were one or two flames if they were close together. You might differentiate colours. Like in the way that you can with stars even though they are billions of miles away. Organic eyes can start to make out multiple elements, or separate elements, of a standard organic’s size at a distance of three kilometres. So two people walking next to each other would start to be distinct as two objects at that distance. What the implant does is take the information your eyes are seeing and then combine it with information about light density, angle, shape and trajectory. It factors out what the element cannot be and returns a more distinct image. So for those two people it might distinguish if they had bags, or guns in their hands. However at three kilometres you wouldn’t be able to tell much more. Note that you can detect colour at a much greater distance which really helps the implant with its ability to process the data. When we get to the sub two-kilometre distance the implant will have made enough guesses and refined enough data to clear the image adding edge detection and density. At that point you would be able to recognise someone who was well known to you and start to have an idea of clothing and other finer details. All refined by the implant of course. This is why we are training your eyes to look at different objects at different distances. We are in reality training the implant to work with your eyes and getting you used to how it helps and enhances.”

“I guess this will be useful in spotting someone coming at you or maybe if you are following them, but I don’t see any other real application.”

“That’s because you haven’t properly listened. The implant tracks a lot of data and extrapolates from it. So it will track trajectories, ratios, speed, colour, density, angle of interaction. This is near bodies as well as distant, and includes objects you have taken your eye, or focus away from. You cannot continue calculating an object coming at you when you are not looking at it, but the implant can. If it is an intelligent object then it might change its course and speed, but that’s the only real drawback. You can stay more aware, focussed and cognisant of threats and actions in a situation.”

“Okay.”

“It will even show close situations on screens in your view, extrapolate an attack and give you fast options to block, dodge or take actions yourself.”

“That’s a little more interesting. In fact it is bloody astounding.”

“There are a whole range of capabilities that are only limited by your ability to interact and respond.”“Okay. Show me more.”