Henry Dorsett Case

Case is the main protagonist of William Gibson's 1984 cyberpunk novel Neuromancer. A washed-up console cowboy (cyberspace hacker), Case is a character defined by his deep connection to the digital world of cyberspace, his addiction to stimulants, and his bleak outlook on life.
Before the events of Neuromancer, Case was a highly skilled console cowboy who performed hacking jobs for various criminal clients. However, after betraying his employers, they damaged his central nervous system with a mycotoxin, rendering him unable to access cyberspace. This loss drives him into a deep depression, leading to a life of desperation in the dystopian underworld of Chiba City, Japan. Case becomes addicted to drugs and engages in petty crimes, constantly searching for a way to repair the damage to his nervous system.
He possesses a Mitsubishi Bank chip that identifies him as Charles Derek May, a name he favors over Truman Starr, the alias on his forged passport. He is also noted for wearing nylon running shoes.
He smokes Yeheyuans and has a history of addiction to highly potent central nervous system stimulants, particularly a strong type of Brazilian dex in the form of flat pink octagonal pills. Neuromancer is told from his perspective, often highlighting his hazy perception and fragmented memories, which suggest his thinking may be impaired due to his drug use or addiction.
Case's journey is not just a physical mission but also a deeply personal one. His experiences force him to confront his own identity, mortality, and the blurred lines between the real and virtual worlds. As he delves deeper into the mission, Case grapples with existential questions about free will, the nature of consciousness, and the implications of artificial intelligence. His relationship with the enigmatic Molly and his interactions with various AIs and constructs push him to rethink his perception of reality and his role in it.
He embodies many of the themes central to Neuromancer and the cyberpunk genre. His character is a representation of humanity's relationship with technology, exploring the allure and dangers of cyberspace, the impact of technological enhancement on the human body, and the moral ambiguities of a world where data is the ultimate currency. Case's addiction to cyberspace mirrors a drug dependency, illustrating both his yearning for escape and the dehumanizing effects of technology.
== Biography ==
=== Background ===
Case originates from the Sprawl and exhibits a street-smart sense of style. He is unable to distinguish a pine tree from an oak and is irritated by "naturalistic" designs when objects aren't synthetic or machine-made.
During his youth, Case was emotionally detached, even in his riskiest times as a hacker and hustler. When agents damaged his nervous system, he only felt mild confusion. He remained numb through drug deals and even murders. This emotional detachment extended to his relationship with Linda; even when he saw her die, he felt only a dull sense of sickness and disgust. It was Wintermute that first sparked anger in him—first, when the simstim ghost of Linda offered him comfort and then vanished, leaving him abandoned, and again when Wintermute appeared as a holographic projection of Lonny Zone.
At the beginning of Neuromancer, Case is approached by a mysterious employer named Armitage, who offers to repair Case's nervous system in exchange for his services on a mission. Desperate to regain his ability to jack into cyberspace, Case agrees. He undergoes surgery to repair his nervous system and is subsequently fitted with a toxin sac that will release a deadly toxin if he fails to complete the mission, ensuring his compliance.
Case is teamed up with Molly Millions, a "street samurai" with augmented reflexes and retractable razors under her fingernails, and other characters as they undertake a series of tasks to help the artificial intelligence (AI) named Wintermute merge with its counterpart, Neuromancer. Throughout the novel, Case's skills as a cyberspace cowboy are tested as he navigates both virtual and real-world threats.
== Augmentations ==
To prevent pancreatic failure, Armitage provided him with a new pancreas and installed implants in his liver that bypassed amphetamines and cocaine, rendering him biochemically incapable of getting high and freeing him from his dangerous drug dependence. However, it seems he is still able to metabolize betaphenethylamine.
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