networked-alliances

Miranda, finishing her evening shift as a ractor in a samurai-themed interactive drama, receives an unexpected invitation to a sophisticated party hosted by the Parnasse Company. At the Cathay Hotel in Shanghai, she encounters Carl Hollywood, who introduces her to two privateers, Mr. Beck and Mr. Oda, hinting at a potential alliance to help her find Nell. The chapter explores Miranda's conflicted identity and her navigation through a complex social and technological landscape marked by surveillance, cultural tensions, and personal stakes.