In my sci-fi english class, we watched the movie "Blade Runner," directed by Scott Ridley and read the story "Blood Music," by Greg Bear. When reviewing and taking notes on both stories, I noticed that they both had similar themes. Both stories were very strange and made me think of what would happen if the events that occurred in the stories actually happened in real life. I cannot imagine cyborgs and technology taking over people's bodies! That is the thing that stood out to me the most; the fact that they were trying to mix technology and human bodies to create one fully functioning being with human characteristics. However, it is obvious that in both of the stories, the "people" were not natural...and by people I mean the cyborgs/replicants and the biochip infected people.
In "Blade Runner," the replicants were created to mimic humans in every aspect minus emotions and living a full life. Other people's memories were implanted into their brains, but over time they could develop their own memories based on their experiences. Also over time, they could develop feelings. If a replicant was put in a crowd of people, you could not tell who the replicant was. To find out which "people" are replicants, they are asked a series of questions where they are supposed to answer as quickly as they can. Replicants could only live for a maximum of four years, and after their time is up they shut down. They could not live past the four year mark and there is no way to extend their lives.
In "Blood Music," a character named Vergil had biochips put into his body an was injected with a type of protein to make the cells multiply and grow easier and the technology could mix with his body. Over time, the cells started to take over and change his body. All of his test results said that his body was suffering from infection, but he claimed it was just the cells working. Vergil's friend saved him by killing him, but he became "infected" as well. In the end, the cells changed his body and he morphed into a blob because the cells completely took over his body.
What these stories lead me to believe is that the natural cycle of life and the way our bodies work naturally should not be tampered with. Technology is not natural in any way and cannot think, feel, or act the same way as a human with a soul can. A piece of technology will never have a soul and will never replace real living creatures. Nature works perfectly on its own without us trying to change it.
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