Нейромант

           Thecrowd,hesaw,wasmostlyJapanese.NotreallyaNightCitycrowd.Techsdownfromthearcologies.Hesupposedthatmeantthearenahadtheapprovalofsomecorporaterecreationalcommittee.Hewonderedbrieflywhatitwouldbelike,workingallyourlifeforonezaibatsu.Companyhousing,companyhymn,companyfuneral.

           He’dmadenearlyafullcircuitofthedomebeforehefoundthefoodstalls.Heboughtyakitorionskewersandtwotallwaxycartonsofbeer.Glancingupattheholograms,hesawthatbloodlacedonefigure’schest.Thickbrownsaucetrickleddowntheskewersandoverhisknuckles.

           Sevendaysandhe’djackin.Ifheclosedhiseyesnow,he’dseethematrix.

           Shadowstwistedasthehologramsswungthroughtheirdance.

           Thenthefearbegantoknotbetweenhisshoulders.Acoldtrickleofsweatworkeditswaydownandacrosshisribs.Theoperationhadn’tworked.Hewasstillhere,stillmeat,noMollywaiting,hereyeslockedonthecirclingknives,noArmitagewaitingintheHiltonwithticketsandanewpassportandmoney.Itwasallsomedream,somepatheticfantasy...Hottearsblurredhisvision.

           Bloodsprayedfromajugularinaredgoutoflight.Andnowthecrowdwasscreaming,rising,screaming-asonefigurecrumpled,thehologramfading,flickering...

           Rawedgeofvomitinhisthroat.Heclosedhiseyes,tookadeepbreath,openedthem,andsawLindaLeesteppasthim,hergrayeyesblindwithfear.SheworethesameFrenchfatigues.

           Andgone.Intoshadow.

           Puremindlessreflex:hethrewthebeerandchickendownandranafterher.