GLOSSARY

buttonhead: Someone who is addicted to some vice--be it pornography or direct stimulation of the pleasure centers of the brain--piped in through neural jacks.

cybersnake: An implanted weapon, resembling a snake, that rests when down the owner's throat when not in use. Replaces part of the owner's tongue.

hardfire: A drug that triggers hardwired skills.

hardwired: Implanted, digitally encoded, digitally improved. From the computer term for functions automatically performed by the computer, often on startup, regardless of software.

i-face: Cyberspace.

panzerboy: Someone who pilots a speedy ground assault vehicle used for smuggling.

the Rock War: The war between the Earth and the Orbitals. The Earth capitulated after the Orbitals began dropping asteroids on population centers.

thirdman: A combined middleman and agent for criminals. He or she sets up the job, hires the criminal, arranges for the support and equipment, and pockets the majority of the take.