The year is 2011. Tiny mechanical mice roam the floors of ourhomes, eating fallen crumbs and killing microscopic germs embeddedin the carpet's bunched fibers. They eat fast and disappear, hardlynoticed. Various other robotic creatures make the house come alivewith metallic fervor. But it's a disconnected sort of life thatpervades the house.
Only our flesh seems really alive, pulsing with every heartbeat.But something there doesn't belong. We sense an unconformity thatmakes us somehow like those robots. A certain unnatural, almostrobotic quality, resides in us, though we've long since rejectedour natural bodies.
What hides beneath our skin is death. Death of what?
Freedom.
And anonymity. Why? Because implanted beneath our skin is theVeriChip, a permanent identification chip, complete with all vitalinformation, stamped on our lives like the tattoo of a Holocaustsurvivor. Only less visible.
We can't escape those eyes that orbit the earth, circling likevultures eying their prey. Or can we?
If all of this has the overtones of an Orwellian novel or soundslike a futuristic society conjured up by the imagination ofBradbury, you shouldn't worry.
Well, maybe just a little.
In any case, the VeriChip is very real. This recently developeddevice is about the size of a rice grain and is inserted into theskin of the arm or hand via syringe -- probably duringunconsciousness on the post-surgery cot.
Just kidding.
Ideally, this chip would only be used for health records. In theevent of accidents, or just a routine visit to the doctor, a simpleradio scan will reveal a unique 16-digit identification number.With this number, the Gestapo -- excuse me, doctors -- can accessall records.
The idea is to eliminate John Doe and help things run moresmoothly. The widespread use of this technology could potentiallysave lives and prevent errors in medical treatment. It's all aboutconvenience. Of course! Why should we have been suspicious? Americais about convenience, not tyranny! Ok, I feel better.
In all seriousness, the concept of this technology is not aterribly bad idea. Intentions are pure, no doubt. They always startthat way. The only question is whether the masses can overcome thescience fiction factor and get over the fear of sub-dermalidentification. It is not likely that our society will take on thehues of dystopian sci-fi novels such as George Orwell's "1984" orRay Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" as a result.
But will we casually hand over our anonymity? Or possibly ourfreedom?
Already, most pets today are inserted with a similar ID chipthat contains their health records and helps owners find them whenlost. In Mexico, over 1,000 people have received the VeriChipimplant. Even Mexico's attorney general and several subordinatesare equipped with a similar chip that grants them access to vitaldocuments.
Of course, skeptics continue to fight the new technology.Certain religious fundamentalists argue against the ID tag, callingit the "mark of the beast" in reference to the Book ofRevelation.
But we'll not get carried away.
Yet, while the beginning scenario is exaggerated, it is notimpossible. The VeriChip is apparently not capable of satellitetracking. We're supposed to believe this because, well, they sayso. We'll assume it's true.
But let's not forget that one can boil a frog slowly bydegrees.
Still, I'm no conspiracy theorist.
Really.
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