3

Case awakens in a bare Sprawl loft beside Molly, their gear newly delivered. Armitage arrives, projecting military authority, and reveals he has implanted dissolving toxin sacs in Case’s arteries, coercing compliance until the job is done. He sends Case to fetch more equipment, which includes a top-end Ono-Sendai deck and corporate-grade tools.

Later, Molly takes Case through the Sprawl to Metro Holografix, where her contact Finn provides a sealed white room for privacy. Finn scans them, confirming Molly’s implants and that Case carries no hidden biologicals. With Finn gone, Molly levels with Case: their mission is to steal the construct of the dead cowboy McCoy "Dixie Flatline" Pauley from Sense/Net’s vault, despite richer targets also stored there.

Molly voices suspicion that Armitage follows unseen orders and may not be who he claims, noting discrepancies with Screaming Fist records. She mentions a future teammate, Peter Riviera, and asks Case to quietly probe Armitage if possible. They agree to partner, each acknowledging their professional compulsions—Case to the matrix, Molly to combat.

Back at the loft, Case finally jacks in, his restored interface unfolding cyberspace in a euphoric return. After five hours he surfaces; Molly is gone. The security system admits Finn, who brings a sealed prototype "flipflop" module to integrate with the Ono-Sendai, allowing live or recorded simstim access—likely Molly’s feed—without leaving the matrix, further preparing the team for the upcoming heist.