11

At the Vingtième Siècle, Case suffers stimulant aftereffects as Armitage and Molly dine. The lights dim and Peter Riviera presents “The Doll,” a holographic performance assembling an idealized Molly and then depicting violence. Nauseated and enraged, Case bolts outside to vomit; Molly disappears.

Returning, Case finds Armitage vacant and unhelpful; Armitage says Molly is preparing and that Case won’t see her until the run. Case glimpses a striking woman on a balcony (later identified as 3Jane) and leaves for the hotel, finding Molly gone.

From his room, Case phones the Marcus Garvey, has Maelcum patch his Hosaka to the Dixie Flatline, and orders Dixie to hack Freeside records to locate Molly. Wintermute interrupts via the Braun screen as Lonny Zone, taunting Case about Linda and warning he’s tripping alarms. Dixie returns an address shielded by nightclub ice.

Fueled by rage, Case enlists Bruce and Cath for a ride, then descends to the club’s cubicle level. After checking a rented cubicle, he unlocks number forty-three; Molly attacks on reflex, then lets him in. She’s receiving a Straylight briefing from Wintermute and says the run is tomorrow.

Molly explains Riviera’s show triggered her history: early in the Sprawl she worked as a meat puppet under a cut-out chip to fund her Chiba augmentations; incompatibilities bled memories through, and management switched her to cruel specialty software. After waking mid-session to a bloody snuff scenario with a powerful client, she retaliated and fled under contract threat. She now confirms Riviera is already inside Straylight by 3Jane’s invitation and vows to kill him. Case leaves with Bruce and Cath, asking to be dropped on the Rue Jules Verne.