Altered Carbon Online

Permanent death occurs only if the cortical stack is physically destroyed without a remote backup.

The process of downloading a stack into a new body. This leads to profound "fluidity of identity," where characters may occupy bodies of different races, genders, or ages. Altered Carbon

The protagonist, Takeshi Kovacs, embodies a "Stoic lesson" taught by his mentor, Quellcrist Falconer: that true strength comes from mastering one's own "despair" and internal "monstrosity" rather than relying on external technology. Permanent death occurs only if the cortical stack