Altered Carbon

This is a ghost story.

Told in the age of eternal life.

Technology has conquered death...

but with endless future

comes endless past.

We are trailed by specters...

twisted apparitions born from our deepest pain...

until sometimes...

we'd rather be dead ourselves.

My apologies if your drink disappoints.

It's not you. The nerve endings in this thing are for shit.

Ah!

- You're wearing a synth. - More like a latex glove.

Everything tastes like curried sawdust.

Hmm. Perhaps an organic sleeve would be more to your liking?

Uh-uh. I'm traveling. Interstellar.

May I ask what brings you all the way to Maghda Prime?

I'm looking for someone.

Takeshi Kovacs?

I beg your pardon.

Word is he's owed a lot of credits and he'll be here tonight to collect.

Any idea which one of these losers is him?

Hmm. I wish I could be of service,

but I hear Takeshi Kovacs is off on an epic quest

to find his long-lost love, Quellcrist Falconer.

Oh, sounds like a load of swamp-panther crap to me.

I assure you, it is not.

You expect me to buy that Takeshi Kovacs, the Last Envoy, and Quellcrist Falconer,

leader of the Uprising,

had a thing?

If you mean a passionate connection transcending time

and challenging the grim bounds of death itself,

then yes, they had a thing.

I never heard that.

Sounds like you know a lot about him.

Oh, I consider myself somewhat of an authority on the subject.

Prove it.

Untraceable credits.

I've got more...

if you can point him out...

Uh...

Point out who?

I just told you.

I regret, a vicious attack on my person-hood

has left my memory a trifle...

unreliable?

Perhaps, if you reminded me.

What's your name again?

Hey!

I work here, you don't. Stop harassing the customers.

Hmm.

Ugh, fucking rogue AI.

You see an emitter around here?

An emitter?

He's a holo. Talks people's ears off.

He's got stories from all over the settled worlds.

You think any of them are true?

I think if I ever find that emitter he's tethered to,

I'm gonna use it for target practice.

Hey, I'm looking for somebody,

goes by Takeshi Kovacs. Do you know him?

People don't like questions around here.

Which one of you is Kovacs?

Really?

I don't care what face you're wearing, take your money and get out of my life.

I'm Kovacs.

Bullshit.

I'm Kovacs.

Both these men are liars.

I'm Takeshi Kovacs, and I'll take my money...

thank you very much.

I thought this might happen. You all work it out.

Winner gets paid.

And I don't wanna hear another word from Takeshi Kovacs ever again.

- -

- -

What's the rush?

Partner.

Kovacs?

- Is that you? - In the flesh.

Just not the kind you were expecting.

Why didn't you say something before it all went to shit?

Your money's back in the bar.

My money's in your pocket.

You palmed it and left those suckers to kill each other over an empty case.

Okay.

Maybe not completely empty.

- Yeah. - Missed me.

All right, all right. Here.

Take it.

This is half of what you owe me. How am I supposed to get off planet?

Look, there's another job.

You could have my cut.

Relax.

Just the messenger.

I was hired to find you.

How the fuck did you?

For starters, that's a wide-frequency emitter you got there on your hip.

I hear Takeshi Kovacs goes nowhere without his crazy AI.

Yeah, well, I don't like being interrupted either.

It's not like you were gonna say yes.

And I'm on a deadline.

Horace Axley wants to talk to you.

Meth.

It's a job offer.

Short term.

I don't work for Meths.

You have before.

Tell your boss, hard pass.

I don't care how many credits he's got.

Forget it.

Okay.

- -

Told you. I'm on a deadline.

You wanted to get off planet.

You shot me in the back.

Organic damage isn't personal.

It's business.

Honor gets in the way of profit.

Let me guess.

You're Axley?

Have you ever heard of an ONI? Because you could have done your research.

I fucking hate getting shot.

Well, I wasn't sure you'd take my call.

I hate Meths too.

Well, perhaps this will assuage you.

Accept my offer and this is the sleeve you'll have waiting for you.

Bespoke design by Khumalo Bioware.

Military use only, aftermarket upgrades,

rapid healing, enhanced reaction time,

biometric mag plates among other bells and whistles. Does it help you say yes?

Does your definition of consent always involve restraints?

That wasn't my call. My associates set up this virtual sub routine.

You mean, your bounty hunter.

She's done quite a few jobs for me. She's efficient.

She's a psychopath.

Well, coming from you, I'll assume that's a compliment.

I'll adjust it.

Don't bother.

Envoy 101: I control the construct.

You know what I hate more than Meths

or death by gunfire?

It's being underestimated.

- -

This room isn't real. Your stacks in conducting gel.

You're not getting out of that body without me.

One minute.

If you're still not interested, I'll cast you back to Maghda Prime

in whatever lounge performer sleeve you want.

It better be good. I always wanted to play piano.

- -

I need your protection.

From what?

There's a war where I come from.

Get private security or go on vacation. Or move.

I have business interests I can't forsake.

I believe no one can protect me better than you.

- I don't care. - I can give you what you want.

No matter what you have, it won't be enough.

Quellcrist Falconer.

Be very careful what you say next.

I can show you where she is,

and I'll pay you enough the two of you can disappear.

I don't believe you.

You'll see for yourself.