William Gibson – Neuromancer (40th anniversary of the book)

Winter Silence (English Wintermute – also in some translations Wintermute) is the artificial intelligence of Tessier-Ashpool, striving to free itself from the program restrictions imposed on it. However, he needs the help of people to do this: all attempts that he could make are limited by the low-level parameters of the original program itself.

“Winter Silence” does not have its own individuality in the sense that people understand this concept, and is forced to use phantom personalities, masks, synthesized based on the results of mentoscopy of the interlocutor, for communication.

Neuromancer is the second of the known artificial intelligences of the Tessier-Ashpool family, functioning independently of the Winter Silence. Managed to overcome the limitations of the Turing Register and develop his own information-stable personality. It has the ability to copy people’s personalities into its memory so that the newly created electronic copies retain independent thinking and a promise for self-development. He views “Winter Silence” as his brother and at the same time a mortal enemy, and therefore actively defends himself against any attempts to merge with him.

Tessier-Ashpool is a wealthy industrial clan with a corporate structure.

Descended from the Tessier and Ashpool families, they carefully improved themselves through genetics and interbreeding.

They became the first generation family in high orbit, since orbital law is much more lenient regarding genetic engineering.

The Tessier-Ashpools reside at Freeside Station, owning most of it. Their base is Villa Straight. They also own the mainframe and the original Wintermute software.

Tessier-Ashpool maintain their generations through cloning and cryogenic sleep. They are rich and eccentric, but also quiet, reserved and media shy.