Нейромант

           `Christonacrutch,’theFlatlinesaid,`takealookatthis.’

           TheChineseviruswasunfoldingaroundthem.Polychromeshadow,countlesstranslucentlayersshiftingandrecombining.Protean,enormous,ittoweredabovethem,blottingoutthevoid.

           `Bigmother,’theFlatlinesaid.

           `I’mgonnacheckMolly,’Casesaid,tappingthesimstimswitch.

           Freefall.Thesensationwaslikedivingthroughperfectlyclearwater.Shewasfalling-risingthroughawidetubeofflutedlunarconcrete,litattwo-meterintervalsbyringsofwhiteneon.

           Thelinkwasoneway.Hecouldn’ttalktoher.

           Heflipped.

           `Boy,thatisonemeanpieceofsoftware.Hottestthingsinceslicedbread.Thatgoddamthing’sinvisible.Ijustnowrentedtwentysecondsonthatlittlepinkbox,fourjumpsleftoftheT-Aice;hadalookatwhatwelooklike.Wedon’t.We’renotthere.’

           CasesearchedthematrixaroundtheTessier-Ashpooliceuntilhefoundthepinkstructure,astandardcommercialunit,andpunchedinclosertoit.`Maybeit’sdefective.’

           `Maybe,butIdoubtit.Ourbaby’smilitary,though.Andnew.Itjustdoesn’tregister.Ifitdid,we’dreadassomekindofChinesesneakattack,butnobody’stwiggedtousatall.MaybenoteventhefolksinStraylight.’

           CasewatchedtheblankwallthatscreenedStraylight.