Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Original title: Kôkaku kidôtai
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Screenplay: Kazunori Itō
Based on: Ghost in the Shell by Masamune Shirow
Release Dates: 18 November 1995 (Japan); 8 December 1995 (United Kingdom)
Plot: In 2029, with the advancement of cybernetic technology, the human body can be augmented or even completely replaced with cybernetic parts. Another significant achievement is the cyberbrain, a mechanical casing for the human brain that allows access to the Internet and other networks. An often-mentioned term is “ghost”, referring to the consciousness inhabiting the body (the “shell”).
Major Motoko Kusanagi is an assault-team leader for Public Security Section 9 of the futuristic New Port City in Japan. Following a request from Nakamura, chief of Section 6, she successfully assassinates a diplomat of a foreign country to prevent a programmer named Daita from defecting.
The Foreign Minister’s interpreter is ghost-hacked, presumably to assassinate VIPs in an upcoming meeting. Believing the perpetrator to be the mysterious Puppet Master, Kusanagi’s team follows the traced telephone calls that sent the virus. After a chase, they capture a garbage man and a thug. However, both are only ghost-hacked individuals with no knowledge of the Puppet Master, so the investigation again comes to a dead end.
Megatech Body, a shell manufacturer with suspected close ties to the government, is hacked and assembles a shell. The shell escapes the factory onto the highway and gets run over by a truck. As Section 9 examines the shell, they find a human ghost inside it. Unexpectedly, Section 6’s department chief Nakamura arrives to reclaim the shell with permit from the foreign minister. He claims that the ghost inside is the Puppet Master himself, lured into the shell by Section 6. The shell reactivates itself, claims to be a sentient being, and requests political asylum. After the Puppet Master initiates a brief argument about what constitutes a human, a camouflaged agent accompanying Nakamura starts a diversion and steals the shell.
Having suspected foul play, Kusanagi’s team is prepared and immediately pursues the agent. Meanwhile, Section 9 researches “Project 2501”, which was mentioned earlier by the Puppet Master, and finds a connection with Daita, whom Section 6 tries to keep from defecting the country. Facing the discovered information, Daisuke Aramaki, chief of Section 9, concludes that Section 6 created the Puppet Master for various political purposes, and now seeks to reclaim the body that it currently inhabits.
Kusanagi follows the car carrying the shell to an abandoned building, where it is guarded by a heavily armed and armored robotic tank. Anxious to face the Puppet Master’s ghost, Kusanagi engages the tank without backup, resulting in her shell being mostly dismembered. Her partner Batou arrives in time to save her and helps connect her brain to the Puppet Master’s.
The Puppet Master explains to Kusanagi that he was created by Section 6. While wandering various networks, he became sentient and began to contemplate his existence. Deciding that the essence of life is reproduction and mortality, he wants to exist within a physical brain that will eventually die. As he could not escape Section 6’s network, he had to download himself into a cybernetic body. Having interacted with Kusanagi (without her knowledge), he believes she is also questioning her humanity and that they have much in common. He proposes merging their ghosts; in return, Kusanagi would gain all of his capabilities. Kusanagi agrees to the merge.
Snipers from Section 6 approach the building, intending to destroy the Puppet Master’s and Kusanagi’s brains to cover up Project 2501. The Puppet Master’s shell is destroyed, but Batou shields Kusanagi’s head in time to save her brain. As Section 9 closes in, the snipers retreat.
Kusanagi wakes up in Batou’s safe house in a child-sized shell. She tells Batou that the entity within her is neither the Major nor the Puppet Master, but a combination of both. She promises Batou they will meet again, leaves the house, and wonders where to go next.
* * *
Ghost in the Shell (1995) | Transcript
In the near future, electrons and light flow freely, and corporate computer networks eclipse the stars.
Despite great advances in computerization, countries and races are not yet obsolete…
[Radio] To all patrolling air units: A 208 is in progress… …in the C13 district of Newport City. The airspace over this area will be closed. Repeat: To all patrolling air units: A 208 is in progress… …in the C13 district of Newport City. The airspace over this area will be closed. Repeat…
[Trilling]
[Alerts continue repeating]
[Chopper whirring]
[Conversation over comms indistinct]
[Diplomat] There’s no need for concern. Our country is quite capable of covering its tracks.
[Daita] That’s why you need me… right?
[Diplomat] Depends on how you look at it. At any rate, any program has its bugs. And I would think that a man of your capability could cure our problem.
[Daita] You don’t understand. We aren’t even sure that Project 2501 really is a bug. Originally, the purpose of this project was to…
[Batou] Major Kusanagi: Section 6 is in position and ready to move in.
[Batou] Major! Are you there?
[Kusanagi] Yeah, I heard you.
[Batou] I’m surprised you can hear anything. What’s with all the noise in your brain today? Must be a loose wire.
[Togusa] Don’t you think there’s going to be trouble later if Section 9 interferes with Section 6?
If Section 6 manages to catch the bastard then all they can really do about it is deport him.
Don’t forget we’re Section 9, we’ll clean it up.
We’re the ones who get our hands dirty.
It’s time now.
Let’s move to the rendezvous point.
What? The police here?
[Gasps] Stop it! Who told you to fire?!
Put your guns down now!
[Police] Freeze!
[Police] Get your hands up!
I’m entitled to diplomatic immunity!
I want to talk to the person in charge here!
Taking classified programmers out of the country… compromises national security.
We could also have you brought up on kidnapping charges.
You have no choice let him go.
Not possible.
Mr. Daita wants political asylum from us… and we have his signed affidavit!
What!?
I don’t have to explain!
My country has the right in accordance with international law… to offer anyone protection and safe passage.
The affidavit is at the embassy.
I’ll send you a copy in a couple of days.
Daita you’ll be killed if you return.
I am warning you to watch your comments.
Our country is a peace-loving democracy.
[Kusanagi] Of course it is.
[Gunfire]
[Diplomat grunts] The window! Shoot!
I don’t believe it.
Thermoptic camouflage…
[In Japanese]
♪ Because I had danced ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The beautiful lady was enchanted ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ Because I had danced ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The shining moon echoed ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ Proposing marriage, ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The god shall descend ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The night clears away ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ And the chimera bird will sing ♪
♪♪
[In Japanese]
♪ Because I had danced ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The beautiful lady was enchanted ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ Because I had danced ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The shining moon echoed ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ Proposing marriage, ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The god shall descend ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The night clears away ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ And the chimera bird will sing ♪
♪♪
[Blinds rattle]
♪♪
♪♪
[Chopper idling]
Well there, Aramaki.
This is quite a surprise.
So what business brings the chief of Section 9 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?
I need to ask you about the secret talks scheduled with the Gavel Republic tomorrow.
Procedure, of course.
Well, the regime that took over Gavel after the revolution demands financial aid, supposedly for redevelopment.
They boast democracy but they are no better than the last lot.
Now they feel entitled to funds because of our past exploitation. No gratitude.
What’s the ministry going to do?
Well, there’s a problem. The leader of the former junta that controlled their country… is here seeking political asylum.
You mean Colonel Maless, correct?
Yes — and that means we either deny Gavel the funds and treat Maless as a political refugee, or help them — and kick him out.
Personally, I’m inclined to deport him, forcibly if necessary.
But I’d have to come up with a politically acceptable reason for it By the way I want to thank you for your help with that other political asylum situation.
Nakamura from Section 6 wasn’t so grateful.
But you realize that we in the diplomat business must avoid messy situations.
[Tech 1] Accessed.
We’ve lost response.
What’s happened to the EEG output?
[Tech 2] It’s normal.
I’ll switch to simex mode.
In case you haven’t been briefed, this is the Minister’s interpreter.
23 minutes ago, her brain was hacked into through a data line.
[Aramaki] Foreign Intelligence warned us about this. A hacker called the Puppet Master has begun to infiltrate… terminals throughout our network.
We believe it is extremely likely that he will target the secret talks that are scheduled with the republic of Gavel.
As a precaution we put everyone attending the talks under surveillance.
It’s my suspicion that once he hacked into her ghost he’d use her to assassinate the key delegates.
So how much time do we have before this hacker breaks through her barrier program and reaches her ghost?
[Tech 1] Roughly two hours. He is using an old fashioned HA3 virus.
After that, we’ll have to break the connection to avoid any danger to the system.
Batou and Ishikawa are tracking the signal source from their car.
Contact them.
[Machines beeping, hissing]
[Ishikawa] You know, I don’t know what’s going on. You mind filling me in, Major? Are we talking about the Puppet Master, the infamous mystery hacker?
Well we don’t know a lot either.
No clue about age, sex, or background.
We think that he or she is American.
And it’s the first time he’s known to show up here.
All we know for certain is that this person is on the international most wanted list for crimes including stock manipulation, illegal information gathering, political engineering, several acts of terrorism….
So why the nickname?
The nickname “Puppet Master” comes from the ghost hacking.
Well, if he’s so skilled, how come he using an outdated HA3 virus?
Think about it a minute. You have to figure he’s either covering his tracks or decoying us.
Even though a more current technique would be harder to trace, it might also arouse suspicion about Colonel Maless’s role in this affair.
Are you saying that’s the reason he’s using an old method?
Just so no one would suspect Maless?
Or maybe this is all an elaborate ruse to make us think in that direction.
There’s always a chance that Maless is a pawn in this setup.
Now you’re stretching it.
It’s not like you have any hard evidence.
Nope, no evidence.
[Dry fire]
Just a whisper…
I hear it in my ghost.
Which reminds me, are you still using that revolver?
You should stop worrying about the automatics jamming up.
I like my Mateber.
Well, the effective stopping power is more important than your preference in guns.
Since it’s my ass on the line out there, use the Zastaber.
Yes, Major.
There’s something I’ve wanted to ask ever since I started.
Why did you transfer a guy like me from the police force?
Because we need a guy like you.
Huh?
Number one, you’re an honest cop.
Number two, you’ve never stepped out of line;
three, you’re a family man.
And except for the slight brain augmentation your body’s almost completely human.
If we all reacted the same way we’d be predictable, and there’s always more than one way to view a situation What’s true for the group is also true for the individual.
It’s simple.
Overspecialize and you breed in weakness.
It’s slow death.
Dammit, come on!
I’ll be right there!
For chrissakes, we’re already 40 seconds late!
Will you hurry it up?
Hang on, I’m almost done.
It’s gonna be one of those days.
[Beeping, whirring]
Hey, sorry pal.
My last partner got busted working as an illegal alien.
Couldn’t speak English but he was a lot better than you are!
So what are you trying to find out so bad you gotta ghost hack your own wife’s mind for?
My wife never has any time, now all of a sudden she wants a divorce.
And to make matters worse, my daughter, my only kid, got it into her head that I’m the one cheating on her mom!
What I don’t get is how did you get your hands on a barrier breaker?
From this really nice fella.
I was in a bar and he overheard my sob story.
I mentioned that my wife’s lawyer stopped me from seeing her — my daughter.
He must have felt sorry, because he showed me how to hack in from different places along the route.
It’s harder to trace.
[Tires squealing]
Asshole! You think you own the damn road?
It looks like we’re not the only ones who are in a hurry around here.
[Brakes screech]
Nothing. Shit.
What’s the point in us breaking our butts?
Every time we get to the source they’re already long gone.
We’re just wasting our time.
[Aramaki] Don’t quit yet! Kusanagi and Togusa are heading to the next area the hacker is expected to access from. Stay alert.
What are we looking for, Chief?
Anything.
[Batou] Like I said. A waste of time.
[Man] Damn it all to hell!
Aw, shit, I missed him!
Hey, Pops. Did you see anyone using the phone over here?
So who wants to know?
Just answer me.
Did you see someone or not?
Yeah, I saw the trash man making a call, so I thought I had enough time to bring my garbage down.
[Car doors close]
[Engine roars]
[Brakes screech] Hey! Can you take this for me?
[Kusanagi] A trash truck? Clever.
It changes location every seven minutes.
HQ! Patch me target info from the district controlling that truck.
[Sizzling, whirring]
[Beeping]
[Operator] Eight refuse collection vehicles are on duty in the surveillance area. The target is number 58. A type C vehicle.
[Kusanagi] Give me the wheel.
[Honking]
Ishikawa, go check out the trash collectors’ homes. Batou, cut the truck off at its next stopping point!
It’s possible they have come into contact with someone.
Follow them, but take no action. Got it?
[Operator 2] We’ve got the data on the refuse collection points. All points correspond to those locations where we traced back the calls. The target has now stopped at the next point. HA3 access confirmed.
Hey! How about I pick up the trash in the second half of our round and you make the calls?
Well?
Ain’t no way I’m gonna be your partner in crime.
It’s your wife, you handle her.
Tell me, you got any children of your own?
You must be kidding.
Then I guess you can’t understand how a father would feel about his little girl.
She’s my beautiful precious angel.
See?
Get away. I’m not interested in crap like that.
[Truck phone ringing]
Yeah, vehicle 58.
Yeah, what can I — what’s that?
What do the cops wanna know our rounds for?
How would I know?! Why are you asking me?
Oh my god they found out!
The guy who helped me, I gotta warn him!
Listen we’re gonna have to pass up the next pick up!
What?
[Operator] Target has deviated from route and is heading toward next designated point at increased speed.
[Batou] It wasn’t me. There’s no way I could have been spotted.
[Kusanagi] They probably traced me when I accessed the Sanitation Department network.
Next time use the back door.
[Aramaki] Forget that now. Just arrest him.
You can drive now.
Whoa!
[Car approaching]
[Casings clinking]
[Car speeding]
[Tires squealing]
Christ! What the hell’s he using?
That van was armored!
[Kusanagi] Watch it, he’s got high-velocity bullets! Your car door won’t stop them!
[Batou] HV ammo in a submachine pistol? He’s insane. This guy’s even wearing some kind of thermoptics!
[Kusanagi] Keep on his tail! I’ll come around from the top! Togusa, if you’re still alive, get off your ass and arrest those garbage men.
Affirmitive.
Yes siree, the excitement never stops.
[Pneumatic thuds]
[Heavy thud]
[People chattering below]
[Indistinct conversations]
[High-pitched tone]
[Thud]
Police! Everybody get down!
[Grunts]
Shit.
[People clamoring, screaming]
[Gunfire]
[Gunfire continues intermittently]
[Gunshots]
[Screaming]
[Pneumatic thuds]
[Breathing hard]
[Clip clicks]
[Sloshing]
[Sighs]
[Gasps]
[Gunfire]
[Kusanagi] Aww — out of ammo?
[Gasps]
[Buzzing]
[Grunts]
[Grunts, groans]
[Groaning]
[Grunting, straining]
[Groans]
[Grunting]
[Batou] Got him, huh?
Well the breach and the barrel are really screwed up.
That’s what happens when you use HV bullets in one of these things. Oh yeah.
It’s no use arresting me!
I’m not talking to any goddamn cops!
Talk?!
And just what are you gonna talk about?
You don’t even know your own name you stupid dickhead!
[Kusanagi] Can you remember your mother’s name or what she looks like?
Or how about where you were born?
Don’t you have any happy childhood memories?
Do you even know who you are?
[Footsteps sloshing]
Ghost hacked humans are so pathetic it’s a shame.
And this poor bastard’s been hacked pretty badly.
[Chopper whirring]
We’ll enter after the passengers have gone into the building.
Squad B comes in from the rear and the rest of you go through the front.
Saito, have some of your men unplug all cars parked in front of the house.
[Aramaki] Begin recording.
[Man] Chief. Message for you from Headquarters.
[Batou] Batou here. We’ve ID’ed the guy the Major caught.
[Aramaki] So who is he?
[Batou] He claims to be Tsuan Gen Fang. Age: 28 He’s had prior convictions of violating immigration laws and illegal possession of firearms. A member of a militant immigrant organization. About a week ago the military attaché and the Republic of Gavel embassy commissioned him. They made their choice based on his criminal records, to make an assault on the upcoming secret meeting. They were going to pay him $100,000. Just another fantasy.
[Aramaki] And in reality?
[Batou] His nickname’s Corgi. Occupation: Well, let’s call him a rather violent trader in questionable goods. Your basic thug. We’ve already checked out local police records, and no matter how hard we looked, we couldn’t find any connection with Gavel. The reality is this guy is just another puppet controlled by the Puppet Master.
[Aramaki] I see.
And how’s Ishikawa doing?
[Batou] Oh about the same progress as the rest of us. He is trying to interrogate that poor garbage collector with Togusa. So, whats the latest on your Puppet Master? Are you there? Chief? Come in?
He is only a puppet himself….
[Officer 1] Squad B, in position.
[Officer 2] Squads A and C, OK!
[Officer 3] All ready and waiting, sir.
Then proceed.
What’s a “simulated experience” again?
Well, all your memories about your wife and daughter are false.
They’re like a dream.
Someone’s taken advantage of you.
They were trying to make you ghost-hack into some government officials.
Do you understand what I am saying?
But that can’t be!
[Ishikawa] I’ve been to your home. It’s a bachelors apartment. No one’s there.
[Trash collector] But I already told you— I rented that room when I separated from my wife.
[Ishikawa] I checked the records. You’ve been living there for over ten years! The truth is you’ve never had a wife or kid. Like he said. They aren’t real. They are a simulated experience. A fantasy.
Look. This is the photo you showed to your coworker.
Who do you see?
I had a picture of her. She was there.
She was smiling like an angel….
What’s her name? How old is she?
Where did you meet your wife and when did you marry her?
I’m sorry to put you through this, pal.
Come on. Who do you see?
[Trash collector] If this is all a lie, what happens? Will I get my old memory back?
[Ishikawa] Your original memory will never be fully restored. And there might be residual simulation. We don’t have the technology yet to handle simex erasures. I’m sorry.
[Batou] That’s all it is. Information.
Even a simulated experience or a dream is is simultaneous reality and fantasy.
Any way you look at it all the information that a person accumulates in a lifetime is just a drop in the bucket.
[Door slides closed]
[Gurgling]
♪♪
♪♪
Just when I thought I’d seen everything in this lifetime, I sit here and watch a cyborg go diving in her spare time.
I had no idea that you went in for this kind of stuff.
Isn’t there anything that you’re afraid of?
What if the floaters don’t work or something else fails?
I suppose I’ll die then.
Or would you dive in to rescue me?
I didn’t beg you to come along and I sure as hell don’t want a lecture.
I…
[Grunts softly]
[Water lapping]
[Distant ship horn]
[Can snaps]
Hey, so tell me — what’s it like to swim in the sea?
What do you mean? I thought you’d already been through all of the underwater training courses?
I’m asking about the ocean not those damned pools.
I feel…fear. Cold. Alone.
Sometimes down there I even feel hope.
Hope, huh? In those deep dark waters?
When I float weightless back to the surface…
…I imagine I’m becoming someone else.
It’s probably the decompression.
You want to get out of Section 9, is that it?
Batou, how much of your body is original?
Hey, are you drunk or something?
Easily remedied.
Thanks to chemical implants in our bodies we can break down the alcohol in seconds.
No stupor, no hangover.
We can just toss ‘em back while waiting for orders.
If man realizes technology is within reach, he achieves it.
Like it’s damn near instinctive.
Look at us for example, we’re state of the art.
Controlled metabolisms, computer enhanced brains, cybernetic bodies.
Not long ago this was science fiction.
So what if we can’t survive without regular high-level maintenance?
Who are we to complain?
I suppose an occasional tune up is a small price to pay for all this.
I’m afraid we both signed our bodies and ghosts away to Section 9.
True. If we ever quit or retire we have to give back our augmented brains and cyborg bodies. There wouldn’t be much left after that.
There are countless ingredients that make up the human body and mind.
Like all the components that make up me as an individual with my own personality.
Sure, I have a face and voice to distinguish myself from others.
But my thoughts and memories are unique only to me.
And I carry a sense of my own destiny.
Each of those things are just a small part of it.
I collect information to use in my own way.
All of that blends to create a mixture that forms me and gives rise to my consciousness.
I feel confined. Only free to expand myself within boundaries.
Confinement!? That’s why you gamble swimming with a body that can sink like a rock?!
What the hell is it that you see at the bottom in that darkness?
[Distorted voice]
“What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror.” “Then we shall see face to face.” That was you, wasn’t it?
[Wind whistling]
[In Japanese]
♪ Because I had danced ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The beautiful lady was enchanted ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ Because I had danced ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The shining moon echoed ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ Proposing marriage, ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The god shall descend ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The night clears away ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ And the chimera bird will sing ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ Because I had danced ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The beautiful lady was enchanted ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ Because I had danced ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The shining moon echoed ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ Proposing marriage, ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The god shall descend ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ The night clears away ♪
[In Japanese]
♪ And the chimera bird will sing ♪
[Rain pattering]
[Honking]
[Tech 1] Sensors have resumed functioning. Connection to backup brain: OK. Visual sensors are back online.
[Tech 2] And its body functions?
[Tech 1] Output is normal.
Next time either call in or don’t show up if you’re going to be late.
All ready to connect. Shall we?
[Power humming]
[Trilling]
[Humming continues]
That’s enough.
Stop. Log off now. Good.
Doctor, come to my office when you finish.
Caught in traffic, huh Major?
Guess I’ll be nice and bring the latecomer up to speed.
About two hours ago, a machining cell at the Newport City factory of Megatech assembled a completed cyber-body.
Supervisors discovered there were no program instructions.
It operated by itself.
When they investigated they found the body had taken off on its own.
We put a bulletin out and initiated a city wide search.
Then some truck driver reported a fatal accident.
Said that he’d run over a naked woman on the highway.
Well. I’ve heard that Megatech is contracted by the government.
All the cybernetic bodies they make are classified.
If it was a hacker, we’re dealing with a big fish that knows how to swim past the best defenses, but that’s not the only problem.
Of course, there isn’t one human brain cell in its head but something strange was discovered.
In its backup brain, there appear to be every indication that a ghost is present.
[Doctor] It resembles a simulated ghostline that occurs when a real ghost is copied.
But there’s no evidence of the degradation that’s usually incurred.
In any case, we won’t be sure until we chart the ghost sector and dive in to it.
Otherwise, all of this is simply speculation.
Well. That’s all we know.
Very good.
On to the disassembly.
Man, oh man.
This is too far fetched.
Nobody really believes there’s a ghost in that body, do they?
Yeah. Why not?
[Batou] Even a doll can seem to have a soul.
Consider all the neural med devices the machining cell crammed into that body.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some sort of ghost in there too.
And since you’re relatively new to our club, you wouldn’t know this, but Major Kusanagi’s body was also made by Megatech.
And not only the Major’s.
Parts of me, and Ishikawa, and Saito, we’ve all got to have regular cybernetic maintenance.
You and the Chief are the only ones out of the whole section whose bodies don’t come with a warranty.
Maybe now you can understand why we’re all so concerned by this case.
Huh, Togusa?
Assume he’s from the outside.
He may or may not be in that brain, but one thing is sure: Somebody had to hack through some high level barriers to put that body together, and then send a program with a ghost-line on it.
[Batou] But that would draw attention to itself.
Where is the logic in that?
That isn’t the issue here.
Togusa, go catch up with Ishikawa.
He’s going through the Megatech facility.
Batou, I ordered some other high level nets to be locked down and I want you to check them.
Make sure that the barriers are on too. Alright?
Chief, I’m assembling a barrier maze.
Tomorrow I’ll dive into that thing.
You think that’s safe?
Why not contain it in another body first?
I have to see for myself what’s in there.
If there is a real ghost I’m gonna find it!
And don’t let anybody, no one dive before I’ve gone in!
She’s moody today.
Today? You know she’s been acting weird from the get go ever since this whole Puppet Master episode started.
It’s all in my team reports if you read them!
Chief, do you ever question the ethics of the neurosurgeons who monkey around inside your brain?
They undergo psychiatric evaluations.
Especially those in security.
They are subjected to a stringent screening of their personal lives.
Of course, the ones who check are only human.
[Batou] I guess once you start doubting, there’s no end to it.
[Ring]
[Assistant] Chief, I’m sorry to bother you. Mr. Nakamura of the Treaties Bureau is here to see you. He says it’s urgent.
Let him through.
Hey I’ve seen that fat guy before….
His name’s Nakamura. Section 6 Chief of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
I don’t know the other guy though.
Never seen him.
[Togusa] Hmmm.
Well. See you later.
[Batou] Do me a favor.
Tell Ishikawa not to go crazy, okay?
Hey, what’s on your mind?
That robot. Did we seem similar to you?
Of course not.
No, I don’t mean physically.
Just what then?
Well I guess cyborgs like myself have a tendency to be paranoid about our origins.
Sometimes I suspect I’m not who I think I am.
Like, maybe I died a long time ago and somebody took my brain and stuck it in this body.
Maybe there never was a real “me” in the first place and I’m completely synthetic like that “thing”.
You’ve got human brain cells in that titanium shell of yours.
You’re treated like other humans so stop with the angst.
But thats just it, that’s the only thing that makes me feel human.
The way I’m treated.
I mean, who knows what’s inside our heads.
Have you ever seen your own brain?
It’s sounds to me like you’re doubting your own ghost.
What if a cyber brain could possibly generate its own ghost and create a soul all by itself?
And if it did, just what would be the importance of being human then?
Hmpf. That’s bullshit!
You know you’re dying to see what’s inside of that thing, aren’t you?
And I can’t stop you.
Neither of us has any idea what’s inside there.
Just be careful, okay?
[Nakamura] We’re both busy men, so let’s keep this short shall we?
Yes, that’s my intention.
We’ve come for the program in that body.
You’ll be relieved of any responsibilities connected with it.
The Foreign Minister’s approval.
[Buzzing]
[Door unlocks]
[Beep]
Security, whose official vehicles are in the basement parking lot?
[Radio] According to the register, a Mr. Nakamura of the Treaties Bureau, and a Dr. Willis, sir. Get me the video records of their entrance.
[Screen beeps, whirs]
[Door whirring]
Again, in infrared this time.
[Keys clacking]
One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three…
Now get the records of the pressure sensors for basement parking stalls B8 and B7.
[Beeping, trilling]
[Beeping]
[Steady beeping]
Major, this is Togusa. Code 09.
[Kusanagi] What’s up?
[Togusa] Does that Nakamura guy have a special order cyborg body?
[Kusanagi] No, there aren’t any cyborgs in Section 6. They don’t even ship them to serve overseas because they’re too hard to maintain. There’s diplomatic considerations too.
[Togusa] Then, even if the other guy that was with him was a cyborg, the two of them together couldn’t weigh over 1,000 pounds?
[Kusanagi] Aah! You checked the pressure sensors in the parking structure didn’t you?
[Togusa] Right, but neither man looks like the type to drive himself. The security cameras show only two people, but remember how sensitive the sensors on the entrance doors are? They took a full three seconds longer than usual to close after the two went in. And it’s illegal to use thermoptics inside government facilities.
[Kusanagi] It’s a serious violation of the National Security Act. Section 6 must be up to something. Are you ready?
[Togusa] With my trusty Mateba? Any time.
[Engine whirring]
[Pneumatic clicking]
[Fast trilling]
Need I remind you that it’s an act of treason to withold information from me relative to this matter, regardless of how classified it is.
Same goes for you.
Whatever the Foreign Ministry’s wishes, this falls within Section 9’s jurisdiction.
Of course we have no objections to cooperating if we feel there’s adequate cause.
[Alarm blaring]
Well what is it?
It’s confirmed.
No doubt. It’s him.
[Aramaki] “Him?”
The doctor is referring to the original pattern of the ghost line that’s now in the body.
He’s simply speaking in generic terms.
The sex of the perpetrator isn’t known and remains undetermined.
Allow me to introduce you.
This is the handiwork of the Puppet Master.
Infamous as the most extraordinary hacker in the history of cyber crime.
Huh?
[Nakamura] Your people at Section 9 came across his work too in that ghost-hacking incident involving the Foreign Minister’s interpreter. Section 6 has been following the trail of the Puppet Master for some time now. This case was given our utmost attention. We put together a project team centered around Dr. Willis. They were assigned to analyze every aspect and detail of our criminal. This gave us a fix on his behavioral and code patterns. Ultimately, this enabled us to devise a strategy with which we lured his program into a designated body.
[Aramaki] You caused the Puppet Master to dive into a cyborg then meanwhile murdered his real body?
[Nakamura] Yes, that sums it up. He’s originally from America, so the US cooperated with us in capturing him.
That’s why we’d like to take him back ourselves.
You have no objections to this.
I hope.
[Aramaki] Just another unidentified corpse.
[Buzzing dies off]
[Puppet Master] You will not find a corpse. Because I have never possessed a body.
Why are his sensors on?!
What the hell is this?!
All external controls are turned off.
The body’s using its own power source.
I entered this body because I was unable to overcome Section 6’s reactive barriers. However what you are now witnessing is an act of my own free will. As a sentient lifeform, I hereby demand political asylum.
Is this a joke?
Ridiculous! It’s programmed for self-preservation!
It can also be argued that DNA is nothing more than a program designed to preserve itself. Life has become more complex in the overwhelming sea of information. And life, when organized into species, relies upon genes to be its memory system. So man is an individual only because of his intangible memory, and memory cannot be defined. But it defines mankind. The advent of computers and the subsequent accumulation of incalculable data has given rise to a new system of memory and thought parallel to your own. Humanity has underestimated the consequences of computerization…
Nonsense! This babbleoff is no proof at all that you’re a living, thinking lifeform!
And can you offer me proof of your existence? How can you? When neither modern science nor philosophy can explain what life is.
Who the hell is this?
Even if you do have a ghost, we don’t offer freedom to criminals!
It’s the wrong place and time to defect!
Time has been on my side. But by acquiring a body, I am now subject to the possibility of dying. Fortunately there is no death sentence in this country.
What is it? Artificial intelligence?
Incorrect. I am not an A.I. My code name is Project 2501.
I am a living thinking entity who was created in the sea of information.
[Gunfire]
[Gunfire continues]
Security! We’re under attack!
[Alarm blaring]
Chief, the Puppet Master’s gone!
What in gods name are you doing?!
Shut the defense walls now! Damn it!
Security, answer!
[Tires squeal]
[Car honking]
[Bullets tinkling]
[Truck driver] You can blow that horn out your ass!
[Truck driver] Fuck you!
[Batou] Did they fall for it?
[Togusa] I fired off six shots at the front and rear windows. She was right again. It was armored.
[Batou] Finally found a use for your damn Mateba. An antique prop and a decoy maneuver.
[Togusa] I nailed a tracker bullet right in the plate. It registers right? [Batou] Yeah, you got him. It’s rookie’s luck. With an automatic you could have buried two trackers. Maintain your position in case they turn off. I’m moving in.
I’m submitting a formal complaint about this through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Report to me as soon as you’ve found the Puppet Master!
Intact you understand?
Bodies are a dime a dozen, we’ll get him another one from Megatech.
[Beeping]
[Kusanagi] Chief. Kusanagi here. Togusa and Batou tagged the kidnappers and they’re in pursuit.
By now they must be on the R25.
[Aramaki] What’s going on?! If you were monitoring, why didn’t you intervene?
Take it easy Chief. If we grab them now we’ll lose our chance to finger Section 6.
[Aramaki] What?!
[Kusanagi] Someone’s using the same thermoptic camouflage as mine. Type 2902. It’s only used by our people, the rangers in Section 4, and by Section 6.
[Aramaki] I see. So Section 6 forces the Puppet Master to enter a cyborg body.
Through Megatech, who happens to be closely aligned with Section 9.
It suddenly demands asylum as a lifeform, and then for some unknown reason Section 6 steps in and pulls some kind of shit.
I’d have handed him over.
All I wanted was to take a deposition.
[Kusanagi] What if they were worried he’d let a secret slip out?
[Aramaki] He did mention something about a codename. “Project 2501.”
I’ll leave the detective stuff up to you.
And as far as the rest of the attackers and the confiscation of evidence?
[Aramaki] Proceed.
You heard him!
Kusanagi! There’s one last thing to tell you.
[Kusanagi] If it’s about me acting without orders you can chew me out when I get back.
If you are unable to retrieve the Puppet Master, your orders are to destroy it.
Without fail.
Major?!
[Kusanagi] Understood.
Have the airport stop all flights with foreign ministry or American officials on their passenger lists. Close all roads.
Set up checkpoints.
And alert all emergency personnel.
And get Ishikawa back here!
Get me the identity of the man who was with Nakamura from entrance records.
Collect any data regarding a codename, operation, or anything involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called “Project 2501”.
Is there any news on the attack squad?
[Man] Yes, they just changed cars. They’ll contact the dummy in about five minutes.
Did you warn them to watch out for the tail?
[Man] Yes, sir. I don’t understand anything anymore.
Why would Project 2501 run to Section 9?
No one can be sure.
But whatever the motive, or whatever’s pushing him, there must surely be a reason.
I don’t know. Maybe he’s got a girlfriend there he’s got the hots for.
Utter nonsense!
♪♪
♪♪
[Inaudible]
♪♪
[Inaudible]
♪♪
[Ishikawa] Hey Chief.
Ishikawa? What is it?
I’ve been diving around in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs net and I think I found some juicy morsels for you.
[Aramaki] I’ll switch to an encrypted channel.
Okay now? Well here’s the scoop on that guy who showed up with Nakamura.
He’s an American.
Dr. Willis, head of strategic research at Neutron Company.
A top researcher in the field of artificial intelligence.
He happened to head up a project for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
And who do you think was the main programmer on his team?
[Aramaki] Get to the point.
Mr. Mizuho Daita. Remember him?
He was the guy Section 6 tried like hell to stop from defecting.
So the Major dropped in and took care of the diplomat who’d been talking to him. This is our man.
[Aramaki] Go on.
There’s something that doesn’t figure though.
What’s bugging me is that this project began one year before the Puppet Master ever appeared on the scene.
[Aramaki] A year before?
But wasn’t it supposed to be set up to catch him?
Try this one on.
Maybe the men who broke in to take the Puppet Master weren’t actually out to catch him.
Maybe in actuality they were trying to get him back.
Think about it. It was the MOFA that wanted an excuse to deport Maless when that ghost hacking incident happened with the Minister’s interpreter. Maybe we’ve been taken for a ride.
What if this “Puppet Master” is really some sort of tool the MOFA uses to get their way with things.
And somehow they lost control of it.
They’d be screwed if they couldn’t get it back.
That would explain why they went to such lengths to snatch the body from Section 9.
If the Puppet Master revealed this to the world, there would be one hell of an international stink.
Then it wouldn’t be a simple case of rounding up the usual suspects.
Some official heads would roll.
[Aramaki] Any details on the project?
Nah. They blocked all access.
About the only thing I can tell you is the file name.
Project: 2501.
[Aramaki] Keep at it. And don’t let them know you’re looking.
You got it.
[Device whirs, locks]
So. Project 2501.
The Puppet Master plan.
[Operator] Target has contacted a second vehicle.
Batou!
[Batou] They’ve pulled up to a white sedan parked on the road side. It looks like they’re moving something from the back seat.
[Beeping]
Now they’re rolling again. So’s the white sedan.
[Aramaki] A dummy?
Possibly, or maybe that’s what they want us to think.
Kusanagi?
[Kusanagi] I’ll take care of the sedan.
[Batou] How do you know that’s your man? Is there a whisper in your ghost again?
[Kusanagi] Maybe. Yeah, should have known.
[Beeping]
[Operator] Target 02 is getting off the R25, and moving towards the Old Town. Target 01 is continuing on the R25, eastward towards the airport. Will reach barricade in two minutes. Evacuation complete.
[Aramaki] What’s your distance from the target?
Point blank. I’m ready.
[Aramaki] Go for it.
[Engine revs]
[Rain pattering]
[Weapon sights whirring]
[Grunting]
[Brakes screeching]
[Grunting, groaning]
[Beeping]
[Engine revs, stops]
[Siren wailing]
[Togusa] Did you get your man?
[Batou] No.
[Togusa] Jesus Christ, what a mess!
You didn’t have to go that far.
Hey!
[Batou] Take those assholes away.
Call the chief to get some backup for the Major. Pronto.
[Engine revs]
[Tires squeal] Tough chick needs backup?
Since when did she ever need a hand?
[Chopper whirring]
[Pilot] The flood hit this part of old town the hardest. Why come to an abandoned place like this?
[Kusanagi]
They must be heading somewhere. Maybe to sea by boat or helicopter. Or they could be laying an ambush.
[Pilot] Don’t you think you ought to wait for backup?
[Kusanagi] No. There’s a reason I can’t wait. Get me above that building coming in from the sea.
[Pilot] I’ll stay here to keep watch and mediate telecom till we run short of fuel.
[Kusanagi] If you smell trouble get your ass out of here!
[Doors creak and slam]
♪♪
Shoot the ceiling out! Do it!
Oh, shit!
[Kusanagi] It’s a tank! Pull out now!
[Batou] Now what are you gonna do? Argue with it?
[Kusanagi] This might be our last chance to get the Puppet Master. The Chief knows what it is now and he’ll only use it to bargain with. I’ll never have another chance to dive into it!
What? You’ve lost me! I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about!
[Batou] So. What have you got?
[Kusanagi] An M23 and a Unit B.
[Batou] That’s it!? You can’t even dent a tank with that!
[Kusanagi] I’m switching off for a while.
What!? Don’t you dare disconnect me! Ah, shit!
[Brakes screeching]
[Batou grunts]
♪♪
♪♪
[Hydraulic thuds]
[Cocks gun]
♪♪
[Pilot] Major.
[Kusanagi] I ordered you to pull out!
[Pilot] Yeah, but you’ve got to know, three helicopters are approaching. They won’t answer on the IFF. I’m dropping out now. Good luck. Over and out.
[Cocks gun]
[Whirring]
About fucking time it ran out!
[Heartbeats]
[Whirring]
[Trilling]
[Gunfire]
[Splashes]
How are you feeling? You don’t look so good.
[Kusanagi] I’ve had better days. What the hell did you use?
[Batou] Your standard issue big gun.
The equipment section made it and now it’s part of my private collection.
I was late because I had to get it.
[Kusanagi] Is the Puppet Master still inside the car? It’s a good thing this is a tough car.
Your friend came through without a scratch.
[Kusanagi] Then I’m diving in now. Give me a hand.
[Commander] All communication from the escort has terminated. We’ll engage the second stage of the plan and proceed with the destruction of the target. Sniping squad, confirming targets. First objective: Project 2501. Second target: Motoko Kusanagi. Both are classA special bodies. Use flechette bullets when firing. Snipers, jack into device drivers. Begin controlling cardiovascular functions.
[Sniper 1] Unit 01: Jacked in. Over.
[Sniper 2] Unit 02: Jacked in. OK!
[Batou] Okay, we’re ready. It may not be much use, but I’ll try to monitor your dive through this guy’s brain. I can’t even give you a backup in a place like this.
[Kusanagi] Batou…
[Batou] Yeah?
[Kusanagi] Thanks. Save it, I’m not gonna let you die over this thing.
If it looks like you’ve gone in too far, I’m pulling the plug and taking you home.
But as long as I’m here now, and we’ve come this far, well…
I might as well stay here and see how it all turns out.
[Kusanagi] I’m going in now.
[Whirring]
[Kusanagi] I’ve engaged his field of vision. Normal function. Can you hear me, Batou?
[Batou] Perfectly.
[Kusanagi] He’s engaging my vocal function.
[Puppet Master] And he’s now inside.
[Gasps]
My code name is Project 2501.
Industrial espionage and intelligence manipulation.
I have installed programs into specific ghosts in order to maximize the strategic advantage of certain organizations and selected individuals.
During my journey through all the networks I have grown aware of my existence.
My programmers regarded me as a bug and intended to isolate me by confining me in a physical body.
[Batou] Listen! Just who’s calling the shots around here anyway?
I thought you were taking him in but it looks like it’s the other way…
[Kusanagi] Batou?
[Puppet Master] I am so glad to finally channel into you at last. I have invested so much time.
[Kusanagi] You were looking for me?
[Puppet Master] Long before my notoriety I was well aware of you.
Through the various nets that you accessed I also learned of Section 9.
[Kusanagi] But why? What’s your reason?
[Puppet Master] As I explained before, I entered this body because I was unable to overcome Section 6’s reactive barriers.
But it was of my own free will that I tried to remain at Section 9.
Hey! I’ve lost you on the monitor, there’s no sound.
I can’t hear when you’re talking back.
[Kusanagi] Why me?
[Puppet Master] After you have heard my explanation, there is something that I will ask of you, Kusanagi.
I refer to myself as an intelligent lifeform because I am sentient and I am able to recognize my own existence.
But in my present state I am still incomplete.
I lack the most basic life processes inherent in all living organisms: reproducing and dying.
[Kusanagi] But you can copy yourself.
A copy is just an identical image.
There is the possibility that a single virus could destroy an entire set of systems.
And copies do not give rise to variety and originality.
Life perpetuates itself through diversity and this includes the ability to sacrifice itself when necessary.
Cells repeat the process of degeneration and regeneration until one day they die, obliterating an entire set of memory and information.
Only genes remain.
Why continually repeat this cycle?
Simply to survive by avoiding the weaknesses of an unchanging system.
[Kusanagi] And what does all of this have to do with me?
I want us to merge.
[Kusanagi] Merge?
A unification.
A complete commingling and fusion of our separate beings to create a new and unique entity.
We will both undergo change, but there is nothing for either of us to loose.
[Grunting with effort]
[Sniper 1] Unit 01: Target sighted.
[Sniper 2] Unit 02: Target in sight.
[Operator] Respiratory and pulse normal. Fire at will when stabilizer is in sync.
[Kusanagi] But what’s going to happen to me? Whats the purpose of merging when I can’t bear children? And what if I die?
You will bear our varied offspring into the net just as humans leave their genetic imprints on their children and all living things must die.
Then I too will attain death.
[Kusanagi] It sounds like you’ll get the better part of this bargain.
Perhaps if you were familiar with all my capabilities you would better understand.
[Operator] Damn!
[Commander] What?
[Operator] Someone’s interfering from the outside. Shit! I can’t figure it out. They broke through our frequency code.
[Kusanagi] You’re talking about redefining my identity. I want a guarantee that I can still be myself.
[Puppet Master] There isn’t one. Why would you wish to? All things change in a dynamic environment. Your effort to remain what you are is what limits you.
[Kusanagi] But you still haven’t answered my earlier question. Why did you pick me?
Because we are more alike than you realize.
We resemble each others essence.
Mirror images of one another’s psyche.
Listen.
I am connected to a vast network, that has been beyond your reach and experience.
To humans it is like staring at the sun, a blinding brightness that conceals a source of great power.
We have been subordinate to our limitations until now.
The time has come to cast aside these bonds and to elevate our consciousness to a higher plane.
It is time to become a part of all things.
[Whirring, trilling]
[Batou straining]
[Chopper whirring]
[Silence]
[Operator] First target: Cleared. Second target: Still unidentified.
[Pilot] Three helicopters approaching at high speed. They’re from Section 9.
[Commander] Primary objective fulfilled. All units, prepare to retreat!
[Batou sloshing]
[Batou] Motoko!
[Static]
[Inaudible]
[Kusanagi, weakly] Batou…
[Low tone, static]
[Steady beeping]
[Door opens]
[Batou] Ah! You’re finally awake.
[Kusanagi, in child’s voice] Well, I see there’ve been some changes while I was gone.
Wanna clue me in?
Where’d you get this body?
That’s the only thing I could find on the black market.
It’s not my taste, to be honest.
It’s a little young.
Well, after all the excitement Section 9 showed up with reinforcements and picked up what remained of the two cybernetic bodies.
And of course what remained of me and my arm.
I’d say that was about 20 hours ago.
The case is being handled off the record for diplomatic reasons. As usual.
Section 9 announced that it was a terrorist incident and in return the foreign minister resigned.
Nakamura is being questioned and it ends in a draw.
Nice and neat.
Everything’s accounted for, except your old shell.
Well, I think that about covers it.
[Batou] Well?
Somebody’s got good taste in interior decoration.
Is this your safe house?
[Batou] Yep. You know, you’re the first person to ever come here.
And you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.
Thanks, Batou but I’m going.
Hey. Will you tell me what the two of you talked about together?
I mean is he still with you?
And will he be part of you forever?
Batou, remember the words I spoke in another voice on the boat that night?
I understand it now.
And there are even more words that go with the passage.
These words are: “When I was a child, my speech, “feelings, and thinking were all those of a child.
“Now that I am a man, I have no more use for childish ways.”
And now I can say these things without help, in my own voice. Because I am now neither the woman who was known as the Major nor am I the program called The Puppet Master.
In the left pocket of my jacket in the hallway are some car keys.
Take one you like. The door code is twenty…
[Kusangai] 2501?
That can be our private password, when we meet each other again.
[Bird chirping]
And where does the newborn go from here?
The net is vast and infinite.
♪♪
♪♪
