Altered Carbon

Kovacs returns to Suntouch House to speak with Laurens. When he arrives, he sits with Laurens and Prescott and watches as Miriam plays tennis against Marco Kawahara, the son of Reileen Kawahara. Reileen is another powerful Meth, and she has ties to Kovacs’s past and Innenin. After the match, Kovacs meets some important UN officials with the Bancrofts. Then, he follows Laurens and Prescott inside, where Laurens admonishes him for being sloppy and expensive, requiring many bribes and payouts. Kovacs challenges Laurens, saying to put him back under if he does not like how he runs his investigation.

Laurens dismisses Prescott, and Kovacs asks why Laurens chose Ryker’s sleeve for him. Laurens reveals that it was meant as payback against Ortega for how she treated the initial investigation. Miriam interrupts them to tell Laurens that she is taking the UN guests for lunch, and before she leaves, she and Kovacs share a look. Kovacs then asks Laurens why he sees sex workers when he has Miriam. Laurens explains that his long life has changed his relationship with Miriam. Though he venerates her, sex now feels beneath them. He therefore needs a sexual outlet and turns to sex workers.