Contents
5
Overview
Case and Molly consult the Finn and learn Wintermute is a Tessier-Ashpool AI likely backing Armitage. The Finn recounts Tessier-Ashpool’s secretive power, Freeside/Straylight, and a lethal ninja reclaiming stolen property. Molly gives Case Armitage’s London data to crack. Case activates the Dixie Flatline ROM, confirming its limitations, and prepares to dive.
Summary
After Molly’s medical treatment in Baltimore, Case relays the message “WINTERMUTE” from Lupus Yonderboy. They travel to New York and meet the Finn, where Molly silently signals she has intel. The Finn verifies her tip: Wintermute is an AI with limited Swiss citizenship, built and owned by Tessier-Ashpool S.A., and likely backing Armitage.
The Finn tells a cautionary tale: another fence, Smith, received a baroque, talking terminal head from a burglar named Jimmy. A vatgrown ninja politely but lethally retrieved it on behalf of its owners; Jimmy was killed shortly after. Tracing the piece led to Tessier-Ashpool, a secretive, clone-heavy orbital dynasty controlling much of Freeside and the private Villa Straylight, with cryogenic rotations and convoluted legal control.
With Wintermute and T-A identified, Molly assigns Case a side job: use coordinates and codes (bought from the Moderns) to crack an Armitage data store in London. Separately, Case notices a Freeside ad marked with the T-A sigil, reinforcing the connection.
Back at the loft, Case reflects on the legendary hacker McCoy “Dixie Flatline.” He connects the Flatline’s ROM construct and confirms it retains no memory between sessions unless given sequential storage. Case enlists the construct’s expertise and prepares to sleaze into the London grid to access Armitage’s data.
Who Appears
- CaseHacker-protagonist; brings the Wintermute message, learns of T-A’s AI, and prepares to crack Armitage’s London data with the Flatline ROM.
- MollyInjured operative; brokers intel via the Moderns, hires the Finn’s help, and tasks Case with cracking Armitage’s database.
- The FinnFence and fixer; identifies Wintermute as a Tessier-Ashpool AI, recounts T-A’s history, Freeside/Straylight, and the ninja incident.
- McCoy "Dixie Flatline" PauleyLegendary hacker’s ROM construct; awakens without persistent memory, agrees to assist Case on the London grid job.
- Tessier-Ashpool S.A.Secretive orbital dynasty; builders/owners of Wintermute, control Freeside/Straylight, use cloning and cryo, employ a deadly ninja.
- SmithArt-dealer fence in Finn’s story; receives a mechanical terminal head and is coerced into returning it.
- JimmyBurglar in Finn’s story; steals the ornate terminal head from Straylight and is later killed.
- Vatgrown ninjaPolite, lethal agent retrieving T-A property; pays Smith and ensures the theft is avenged.
- Lupus YonderboyPanther Modern who delivers the “WINTERMUTE” message; his group sells Molly Armitage data.