How It All Goes Down
- At the Chiba Hilton, Molly makes Case a cup of coffee to straighten him out. Case also meets her employer, an ex-Special Forces man named Armitage.
- Armitage says its Case's lucky day and briefly discusses an old military operation called Screaming Fist. He states that the programs Case and other console cowboys use to crack code were developed for Screaming Fist.
- Case reminds him that he isn't a console cowboy anymore, but Armitage asks him what he'd say if the neural damage done by the mycotoxins could be reversed. Case asks for their terms.
- Just before the surgery, Molly and Case talk on the roof. Case recognizes Molly for a street samurai. When he asks about Armitage, Molly lets him in on the fact that someone is supplying Armitage with substantial amounts of money, tech, and information. She doesn't know who though.
- Case has the surgery to reverse his neural damage. It hurts. A lot.
- When he regains consciousness in his coffin, he finds Molly there to help the healing process. He learns that can't jack into cyberspace for the next eight days. Instead, she gives him a back massage, and the two have sex. Healing process and whatnot.
- Case wraps up old business. First, he goes to Chat and tells Ratz to tell Wage he has the money. When Ratz asks if his luck has turned, Case says, "Too soon to tell" (2.87).
- Then he goes to Julius's place with Molly. At first, Molly says her orders are too keep him in her sights, but she relents and gives him five minutes. Alone, Case asks Julius about Screaming Fist. Turns out that during a war, the American brass sent a bunch of soldiers into Russia to test some new equipment. Only one squad of Special Forces men made it out.
- Molly and Case head to the Chat where Case learns that his new pancreas prevents him from getting high on his uppers. We think we're meant to feel sorry for Case, but it's kind of hard to muster the sympathy here.
- Instead, they go to Sammi's, an underground fight club. Since Case is not the least bit interested in the fight, he heads off to grab some grub. He spies Linda in the crowd and chases after her, but he's tripped up by a thug who tries to kill him. Lucky for him—Case not the thug—Molly shows up in time and shots the man. Linda, however, is not so lucky.
- Molly reveals that Julius set Linda up when she tried to fence the RAM she stole from Case. It is hinted that Molly took care of Julius.
- Case, Molly, and Armitage leave Chiba City behind.