DIYbernetics

Nothing compares to making it yourself.

— Jorge Sprock, DIYberneticist

The DIYbernetics is a subculture of do-it-yourself enthusiasts and hobbyists that make and modify their own cybernetics. From making the parts the doing the surgery, the DIYberneticist are tinkerers and inventors who enjoy doing it all by themselves. It's a sub-culture on the rise - when the technology improved and the surgery became less intrusive every year, it wasn't long before people started to go "Well, I can do that!"
But most still don't fancy doing cybernetic surgery without insurance.

Self-Made Cyborg

The DIYbernetics are all about cyberware and all about doing it themselves. The true DIYberneticist make their own take from off-the-shelf supplies and plans out their own surgery. The forums of the DIYbernetics are full of tips, tricks, and tutorials on how newbies to the scene can do everything from amputating their own limbs to first-time implanting. In the eyes of the DIYberneticist, its never been easier - serviceable cybernetic is within reach of the masses. There's a sense of pride in doing it all themselves that can't be replicated by just going into a clinic and getting Chromed.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

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As Cybernetics become wide-spread every year, it is getting more common to at least tinker - hacks and tricks to improve the function of a new limb or unlocking features hidden behind consumer protection software.
Self-modification, either through chrome or biotech, isn't considered much more outlandish than dyed hair, so long as it is kept within bounds of what's deemed to be polite.

DIYbernetics is one of the more popular and well-known sub-cultures in Megacorpolis, with a steady presence across every streaming and online video service. They feature in many TV and reality shows, with shows like the Cybernetics Show-Off currently in its sixth season.

DIY Divisions

In addition to the general crowd, there are four sub-groups of DIYbernetics of various levels of influence and importance. Whenever there are more than a few DIYbernetics around, there'll inevitably be an argument about who is or isn't a "true" DIYberneticist. Feuds and endless video rebuttals commonly make the circuit online, with some controversies lasting for years. These often become a sort of cultural milestone for the DIYbernetic culture as a whole, brought up in reference and jokes years down the line.

Metalheads

Metalheads love the chrome. They are the tinkerers who take pleasure in intricate or artful pieces of cyberware. To them, creating the chrome is a puzzle that they can plan out in painstaking detail and execute with mastery. Metalheads tend to have the best tools and the most skilled when it comes to putting pieces together, with some even crossing over to work for Corps on occasion. On the other hand, Metal Heads leave surgery to the others - the joy of DIY lies in metal, not in meat.
Many of the more popular DIYbernetic personalities belong to the Metalheads and they are often the ones that end up on TV.

Cosplayers

More interested in looking the part than becoming something else, Cosplayers is often considered a second-tier DIYbernetic by the other factions. The less charitable view on the Cosplayers are wannabes and hangers-on who just take whatever others make. In reality, the Cosplayers are usually skilled DIYbernetics, generally with a more artistic flair and less focus on the nitty-gritty of function.
Because they make it look good, the Cosplayer faction has some of the most influential and successful DIYberneticists - something that drives the more exclusionary in the sub-culture absolutely insane.

by Johny Mnemonic

Surgeons

The opposite of Metalheads, the Surgeons are a quiet and small group within the DIYbernetic that find their interest lies in the way metal and meat merge. They specialize in implanting cybernetics and finding new ways to make the human body interface with their tech. Most surgeons don't do much of the actual construction, though most acquire some tinkering know-how if only to stay "cool" in the group.
To the Surgeons, there's something fascinating in watching the man become a machine. Many are transhumanist that seek to erase the line between the two. Others are more akin to mad scientists who just want to see what happens. Out of all the sub-factions, it is the smallest and the least famous, but without them, a lot of DIYbernetics would find themselves without the necessary expertise or equipment to make use of their creations.

Buy-Boys

Even the haughtiest of elitists will give the Cosplayer this much - at least they're better than the Buy-Boys. It is a derogatory term used for the wealthy in the sub-culture who buy their cybernetics instead of making it, then pretend it was all their doing.
Either unwilling or unable to invest in creating the gear for themselves, the Buy-Boys flex their considerable financial muscle to do it for them. Smart ones buy from other DIYbernetics, while the idiots buy straight from the nearest cybernetic-clinic. There's almost always some drama raging within the DIYbernetics circles about who might be buying their stuff instead of making it.
Despite being near universally despised, the Buy-Boys assets is something that keep the sub-culture fueled and going. The biggest and most successful trade-show and cons are financed by some Buy-Boy or another.

There's a secondary division among the DIYbernetic that revolves around the argument of quality versus quantity. While most DIYbernetics have a few pieces of cyberware that they tinker or improve, some think that more is better and the one who has the most wins. Some become addicted to the chrome - others to the idea that they are remaking themselves and becoming a creature of their own creation. Either way, the results aren't pretty and they aren't cheap, leading the more extreme DIYberneticists into various hair-brained heists and schemes.

by Johny Mnemonic

DIY-corpolis

I'm a self-made man; literally.

— Jorge Sprock, DIYberneticist

The DIYbernetics are one of the more common sub-cultures within the Megacorpolis and profitable enough for their growth to be encouraged by corporate sponsors. All those tools and all that material has to be purchased from somewhere, as does the emergency medical care when something goes wrong. As long as they stay profitable, the corporations are willing to tolerate those who tinker with their wares or make dangerous modifications.

On occasion, a DIYberneticist will find something they weren't supposed to or try to hold up a clinic to get their chrome-fix, and things get ugly.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

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For the average citizen in the street, the DIYbernetics are clever and entertaining, with a few that take it a mite too far. Dozens of celebrities from the sub-culture make a regular appearance in everything from video games to TV shows.
Unlike many other sub-cultures, the DIYbernetics are fully integrated into Megacorpolis society - for the most part.

Despite this, they aren't without their critics. From body-purists to cyborg activists, the DIYbernetic spends almost as much time embroiled in controversy and flame-wars as they are with their hobby. Most of all, the DIYbernetics fight each other over every conceivable variable - from the type and make of various cybernetics to the definition of what a real DIY project is. There are hundreds of DIYbernetic groups across Megacorpolis, divided by favorite cyberware or brand of screwdriver. Like any other brand fanatic, when these groups meet, it's almost always going to end in a fight.
As of now, most people buy rather than make their own cybernetics, but DIYbernetics have a strong presence online. They are allied with various other sub-culture with aligned interests, and it is even whispered of some secret project being worked on with the outlawed AI-Sentience Group.

Cybernetics
Alternatively called Cyberware or Chrome, Cybernetics started as a way to replace lost limbs or organs before blossoming into a wide-range of products for corporations to sell. Everything from cosmetic improvements to full functional arm-cannons, Cyberware has reached further and faster than anyone could have predicted. In 2108, a majority of the citizens in the Megacorpolis have some form of Cybernetic implant - whether they know it or not.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

"Chrome" or "Cyberware" are other terms for Cybernetics, with the first being more of a Low English slang-term.

Cybernetic Show-Off!

Pitting DIYbernetics against corporate-trained specialists in a race to see who can make the best chrome under various constraints and complications. Its pilot episode helped launch the DIYbernetics into the mainstream, propelling several personalities into a position of prominence they still occupy.
While early seasons took two teams and had them compete, later episodes have introduced everything from relay type of challenges where the contestants have to work blind with whatever the person before them has done to specific themes or tools.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

What most don't know is that the results are often predetermined. Whenever there's a need for a marketing push, the corporate specialists do better. On occasion, some sort of spectacular failure is orchestrated to warn against certain types of DIY modifications.

The Face of DIY

Jorge Sprock is one of the most famous internet personalities that have emerged from the DIYbernetic movement. Jovial and friendly, Jorge makes a variety of "what if"s with his cybernetic, ranging from practical to pure fiction. His show has been running on the internet for a decade without pause, with several corporate sponsorships to his name. Although it has enabled him a level of financial security most DIYbernetics can only dream of, but the pressure has made Jorge turn to more extreme experiments to remain relevant.
Jorge is more machine than man due to a combination of corporate influence and accidents from his own experimentation, but he's still going strong.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)

Every now and then, the DIYbernetic will create some modification or model that becomes so popular that it is stolen by the corporations.
If the DIYbernetic in question is lucky, they get used for marketing. If they aren't, they're buried under an avalanche of lawsuits as all their videos suddenly come under scrutiny. These rarely go well for the DIYbernetics in question.

Cyber-Clinics

For anyone who isn't building their own, corporate cybernetic clinics are available across the city for anyone who wants a little chrome. They offer everything from amputation to implanting replacement limbs, to maintenance or repairs. Just be sure to read the fine print.
Many types of cybernetics require some license or another, though controls are lax. Corporations have never been the types to let legality stand in the way of making a sale.

I.R.O.N

An extreme group of techno-revolutionaries, I.R.O.N believe in the conversion of all of humanity into a superior, technological form - by force, if necessary. What once started as a group of DIYbernetic trans-humanist has turned into one of the most infamous terrorist groups in Megacorpolis. It's no secret that they still have deep ties into the DIYbernetic culture and often trade tech with various groups.
When they aren't busy causing havoc or robbing chrome-clinics, I.R.O.N leads the bleeding edge of experimental cybernetics and go where no one has ever gone before - or would ever want to, for that matter.

by Johny Mnemonic (with slight alterations)