Нейромант
Chapter 24
YouknowtheoldRCABuilding?’TheKuangprogramdivedpastthegleamingspiresofadozenidenticaltowersofdata,eachoneablueneonreplicaoftheManhattanskyscraper.
`Youeverseeresolutionthishigh?’Caseasked.
`No,butInevercrackedanAI,either.’
`Thisthingknowwhereit’sgoing?’
`Itbetter.’
Theyweredropping,losingaltitudeinacanyonofrainbowneon.
`Dix--’
Anarmofshadowwasuncoilingfromtheflickeringfloorbelow,aseethingmassofdarkness,unformed,shapeless...
`Company,’theFlatlinesaid,asCasehittherepresentationofhisdeck,fingersflyingautomaticallyacrosstheboard.TheKuangswervedsickeningly,thenreversed,whippingitselfbackward,shatteringtheillusionofaphysicalvehicle.
Theshadowthingwasgrowing,spreading,blottingoutthecityofdata.Casetookthemstraightup,abovethemthedistancelessbowlofjade-greenice.
Thecityofthecoreswasgonenow,obscuredentirelybythedarkbeneaththem.
`Whatisit?’
`AnAI’sdefensesystem,’theconstructsaid,`orpartofit.Ifit’syourpalWintermute,he’snotlookin’realfriendly.’
`Takeit,’Casesaid.`You’refaster.’
`Nowyourbestde–fense,boy,it’sagoodoff–fense.
