Johnny Mnemonic (character)

"We're an information economy. They teach you that in school. What they don't tell you is that it's impossible to move, to live, to operate at any level without leaving traces, bits, and seemingly meaningless fragments of personal information. Fragments that can be retrieved, amplified..."
 —Johnny
: Johnny Mnemonic is a fictional character created by William Gibson, known for his role in the cyberpunk genre. The character appears in Gibson's short story Johnny Mnemonic (1981) and its 1995 film adaptation of the same name. Johnny Mnemonic is a data courier with a neural implant, navigating a dystopian future characterized by advanced technology and societal decay.
Origin and Creation:
* Creator: William Gibson
* First Appearance: Johnny Mnemonic (short story), published in Omni magazine, 1981.
* Film Adaptation: Johnny Mnemonic (1995), directed by Robert Longo.
== Character Background ==
He underwent a cosmetic surgery at Under the Knife, but the girl nurses were big fans of Sony Mao, and they insisted on adding the chic suggestion of epicanthic folds. Looking at his reflection before entering the Drome he saw himself as a basic sharp-faced Caucasoid with a ruff of stiff, dark hair. It is not known how much of it was natural or artificial; it is possible that he changed his appearance either for aesthetic reasons, or in order to approach Ralfi.
During his time in The Pit he changed his appearance again, including transplanting teeth, and he didn't look any more like Eddie Bax.
=== Cybernetic augmentations ===
He has undergone cybernetic surgery to have a silicon data storage system implanted in his amygdalate, where he stores digital encrypted data too sensitive to risk transmission on computer networks; the data are fed in through a modified series of microsurgical contra-autism prostheses and then stored in a special chip in his brain. It seems that this affects his own memories.
The data can be unlocked by a password known only to the intended recipient: Johnny enters a trance-like "idiot savant" state. The procedure he always expects to be more abrupt than it is: He slowly loses conscience, persons become hazy and movements blur like insect-quick ghosts, then all fades to cool gray static and he mechanically recites the text in technical language. While the data is being transferred or the password is being set, he is unaware of the contents and unable to retrieve it, even when drugged or tortured. The only way to recover the password is with Squids (short for "Superconducting Quantum Inference Detectors"). 
== Plot introduction ==
He is a young data trafficker in the Memory Lane of the Sprawl who makes a modest living by physically transporting sensitive information for corporations, underworld crime rings or wealthy individuals. He considered himself "technical", so he pretended to be "crude" to confuse the adversaries.
It is possible that he had visited Paris once, at the road to Notre Dame, with electric Mercedes and Japanese tourists, where perhaps he met Shinji; but the context is not clear enough to determine if it is a memory or some fantasy.
He was hired by Ralfi Face and had hundreds of megabytes stashed in his head. However Ralfi later learned that this sensitive data was stolen from the Yakuza and didn't came back for it, and even wanted to put out a contract on him. Wanting his money (and the astronomical charge for overtime storage) Johnny arranged to meet him in the Drome, as Edward Bax, clandestine importer, late of Rio and Peking. He bought pointed black shoes for this guise, and had changed his facial features at Under the Knife.
He was equipped with a sawed-off shotgun. He turned two 12-gauge shells from brass stock, on the lathe, and then dug up an old microfiche with instructions for hand-loading cartridges; he had to build a lever-action press to seat the primers, and had the triggers wired together.
== Character Traits ==
=== In the short story: ===
* Neural Implant: Johnny's neural implant allows him to store data but also puts his health at risk due to potential neurological overload.
* Survival Skills: He is portrayed as resourceful and determined, using his wits and abilities to navigate a dangerous and complex world.
=== In the film: ===
* Enhanced Abilities: Johnny’s neural implant is visually and conceptually more elaborate in the film, showing his capacity to store vast amounts of data.
* Physical and Mental Strain: The film emphasizes the physical and psychological toll of the overloaded implant on Johnny.
* Heroic Quest: The film adaptation includes a more action-oriented portrayal of Johnny’s quest to deliver the data and overcome various adversaries
Category:Mind Uploaders
Category:Novel Characters
Category:Movie Characters