kipple

John Isidore encounters a frightened young woman, Pris Stratton, who has just moved into his dilapidated apartment building. He tries to connect with her by offering help and explaining the pervasive decay and 'kipple' that overtakes abandoned spaces, while Pris remains guarded and evasive about her identity. Their interaction reveals themes of isolation, survival in a decaying world, and the tension between human empathy and emotional detachment.

Rick Deckard returns early from Seattle and prepares to hunt the Nexus-6 android Polokov, who has disguised himself as a scavenger but has disappeared from his apartment. Deckard is instructed to work with a Soviet observer, Sandor Kadalyi, who arrives to assist with the hunt. Meanwhile, Rachel Rosen from the Rosen Association offers Deckard help, suggesting a Nexus-6 android could better approach the escaped models, but Deckard declines.

In this chapter, John R. Isidore visits Pris Stratton, a new tenant who is isolated and fearful due to the threat of bounty hunters targeting her and her friends. Pris reveals her traumatic experiences on Mars and her distrust of others, while Isidore tries to offer comfort through food and companionship. The chapter ends with a tense moment as someone knocks on Pris's door, prompting suspicion and fear.