In a society who collapsed because of the excess of virtual interaction, a new group, the neo-luddites, progressively takes over the weak government. They have managed to outlaw high bandwidth Internet connections and work on downgrading the Internet network to a modem based structure.
Joanna is a double agent. Cablewoman by day for the neo-luddites and member of the counter revolution by night. She organises fiestas, huge silent parties where people gather in the same room to enjoy the thrills of virtual interaction. Joanna regrets her past as a successful v-prostitute, a person who sells her feelings to make virtual worlds more realistic.
Cass accompanies her husband August to all his neo-luddite rallies but don't understand him any more. During one of her husband's speeches, she leaves the rally and wanders the streets where she discovers for the first time the fantastic freedom found behind a virtual reality helmet.
Meanwhile in the neo-luddites stronghold, Alex, a software designer, creates viral idols that are designed to infect still existing virtual worlds. He is alone and misses the only person who ever understood him, Cassandra, a childhood love. He hijacks the system to transform one of the idols into what could Cassandra be today. He uses this model to try to find the woman, with no success.
More and more insensitive to her husband's cause, Cass finds a way to get invited to a fiesta. There she meets Joanna. The two women are fascinated by one another. For Cass, Joanna is a new role model, and Joanna sees in Cass' admiration the way to regain some of her past glory. Joanna invites Cass to more important fiestas where the two women get closer without daring breaking the physical barrier created by the VR suit.
Despite Cassandra's update to the status of an idoru, an idol with an independent AI, Alex is frustrated. The interactions with the simplistic model aren't rewarding. He goes on a search for a v-prostitute to enrich Cassandra's personality. After many unsuccessful attempts, he finally meets Joanna who does a perfect job. Alex's dependency on her skills and Cass' admiration feed her narcissism. She uses the virtual Cassandra to replay her real life interactions with Cass and sometimes confuses the two.
After an unsuccessful attempt to bring back passion in his marriage, August follows Cass to a fiesta and discovers her as she exchanges a first kiss with Joanna. Mad with jealousy, he takes her home and becomes violent during the argument. Cass runs away. As she tries to contact Joanna, she discovers the virtual relationship between Joanna and Alex. She sneaks into Joanna's console and replaces her in the idoru's skin. Alex falls in love immediately with the couple Cass/Cassandra.
Joanna discovers that she has a competitor. She declares her love for Alex's mind. Rejected by Alex, she creates altered avatars of the idoru to play her virtual vengeance. She finds herself even more alone when Cass refuses to go to fiestas, preferring to use the time for interaction with Alex through the idoru.
When Joanna discovers Cass's plan to meet Alex at a fiesta, she informs August of the situation. To save his job August, who has been blind to Alex's excessive use of computing power, is obliged to inform is hierarchy. The militia tries to arrest Alex and prepares to raid the fiesta. August goes to the fiesta early to catch the lovers before the militia.
Alex barely escapes from the militia. He reaches the fiesta and meets Cass. August can't stand the second insult to his marriage and tries to kill Cass. At the same time the militia raids the fiesta and arrests Alex and August. Cass walks home safe. Thanks to Cass's blackmail on August, Alex is freed. Cass waits for him by the prison's door dressed as Cassandra, the idoru.
