Johnny is a data trafficker working as an information mule in a high-tech metropolis. Clients store encrypted information within his mind by placing him into a hypnotic state, leaving him unaware of the data's contents. He lacks first-hand knowledge of the criminal factions he works within, relying heavily on the expertise of others to survive dangerous assignments.

Molly is a cyborg with mirrored surgical inlays in her eyes and razor blades hidden beneath her fingernails. She possesses significant street wisdom and combat skills. She serves as a guide through the dangerous factions of the city, protecting those who hire her.

He is an American photographer documenting the Streamlined Moderne design style for a London publisher. As he immerses himself in the assignment, he begins experiencing sensory hallucinations of an alternate, highly optimistic future. He seeks advice from a friend to ground himself in reality.

Parker is a downtrodden man who previously escaped an indenture to a plastics company. He relies entirely on his makeshift apparent sensory perception (ASP) machine to sleep. He spends his waking hours longing for the past through recorded memories of his former lover.

Michael is a divorced linguistics professor who dresses poorly and lacks social grace. He becomes fiercely fixated on a mysterious woman he meets at a bar, following her through the city. His fixation causes his professional and personal life to deteriorate.

Antoinette is an attractive, enigmatic woman with the ability to alter her physical appearance and clothing to blend into any social setting. She acts as a swindler in bars and exudes an inhuman, almost magical quality.

Toby is an inspector tasked with receiving returning cosmonauts who have traveled into a space anomaly called the Highway. He frequently experiences a debilitating paranoia known as "the Fear." He possesses a critical awareness of the perilous, misguided nature of the space station's mission.

Korolev is an elderly Russian cosmonaut and the first human to walk on Mars. He lives on a decaying Kosmograd space station network and suffers from severe physical deterioration due to prolonged low gravity. He serves as a moral authority for the crew facing the station's closure.

He is an operative involved in corporate espionage and talent extraction for megacorporations. He works alongside his partner to acquire valuable research scientists. He falls for a woman during a mission, leading to complications that force him into hiding.

Fox is a corporate espionage agent driven by the pursuit of "the Edge," which he defines as irreplaceable human talent. He operates with calculated intelligence in a high-stakes corporate underworld.

Casey edits virtual reality film work by filtering raw subconscious material into consumer entertainment. He possesses high technical proficiency but struggles with his intense infatuation with a new talent. He relies on a mentor to understand the cultural weight of technology.

Rubin is Casey's mentor and an obsessive collector of cultural detritus and discarded technology. Known as the "Master of junk," he understands the historical and emotional weight of cast-off goods and provides guidance to his younger friend.

Lise is a mysterious, magnetic woman with a congenital condition that requires her to wear an exoskeleton. She possesses a powerful internal ambition that makes her a prime candidate for virtual reality stardom. She struggles heavily with drug addiction and a drive for cybernetic immortality.

Deke is a petty thief serving a sentence via a cybernetic brainlock that prevents him from returning to Washington, DC. He develops a severe obsession with a virtual reality biplane game called Fokkers and Spads. He prioritizes winning the game over basic human decency.

Nance is a highly talented software engineering student burdened with a chastity brainlock installed by her parents. She uses her programming skills to enhance Deke's gameplay. She relies on a concentration-enhancing drug called hype to maintain her academic standing.

Automatic Jack is a skilled hacker specializing in computer hardware. He approaches his criminal enterprises with a methodical, cautious mindset. He genuinely cares for his friends and tries to protect them from their own recklessness.

Bobby is a software-focused hacker who uses his skills to commit data crimes. He becomes infatuated with a woman and decides to pull off a massive heist to win her affection. He operates with a cocky, impulsive attitude.

Chrome is an extraordinarily wealthy and menacing figure with connections to organized crime. She maintains a cold, metallic demeanor and controls brothels that use neuroelectronics to incapacitate sex workers.

Rikki is an earthy, inviting woman who works in a heavily controlled brothel. She idolizes a simulated stimuli star and desires cybernetic eye implants. She harbors dreams of traveling to Chiba and entering the entertainment industry.

Ralfi is a client who owes money for a data trafficking job involving stolen information from the Yakuza. He travels with an imposing bodyguard and resorts to violence to resolve his debts and protect his own interests.

Squid is a cybernetic dolphin and former Navy asset addicted to heroin. He possesses the unique ability to uncover passwords protecting encrypted data within a trafficker's mind.

Kihn is a practical friend who offers advice regarding hallucinations. He suggests consuming mindless pop culture and pornography as an antidote to overexposure to intense design aesthetics.

Angela is Parker's former partner who introduced him to the ASP industry. She has left him, leaving behind only scattered belongings such as a sandal strap and a hologram rose.

Charmian is Toby's girlfriend and fellow space station worker. She shares his skepticism about humanity's attempts to contact a supposed superior civilization, viewing the contact as a dangerous curse.

Olga is a Soviet cosmonaut who vanishes into a strange area of space. She returns years later in a catatonic state, holding a seashell of an unknown species.

They are a group of astronauts who arrive at the Kosmograd space station. They seek to improve the station independently, free from government control, to establish an independent frontier.

Sandii is a beautiful, enigmatic woman who joins the espionage team. She quickly becomes romantically involved with the narrator, changing the group's dynamics.

Max is the boss at the Autonomic Pilot studio. He recognizes Lise's immense potential and pushes aggressively to make her a star in the consumer media market.

Tiny is a crippled veteran and the undisputed champion of the Fokkers and Spads virtual reality game. He dedicates his entire existence to maintaining his top position in the digital space.