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Niihama Residential
Refugee Sector
Sealed District
All teams, designate target building.
Operation code is I-S.
Repeat, operation code is I-S.
HQ to all teams. The armed refugees possess a sentient tank. Exercise extreme caution.
Repeat, the armed refugees have a sentient tank. Exercise extreme caution.
J-1, execute Code I-S and support mobile troops.
Neutralize the target upon discovery.
Repeat, neutralize the target upon discovery.
Affirmative.
Even if this is just a drill,
I've got to blow up the real thing at least once.
J-1, your pulse rate is above normal.
Is there a problem?
I'm fine. I'm good... to go.
All teams, we have reached the target.
Unit R-D has completed drop.
Unit S-T has completed drop.
Unit W-R has completed drop.
Unit S-J has begun wire drop.
Unit S-W has begun wire drop.
Go, go, go, go!
Unit G-2 has neutralized target.
Unit G-3 has neutralized target. Unable to confirm presence of sentient tanks.
Unit G-4 is also clear. We have neutralized the armed refugees.
We are unable to confirm the presence of sentient tanks.
Target confirmed!
The target has weapons-lock on your unit.
Bastard!
J-1, your pulse rate is above normal again.
Are you still operational?
Shut up!
Even if we're only using dummy shots,
who the hell could stay calm with that alarm blaring?!
Gotcha...!
J-1, report!
Your pulse rate is zero.
We have an emergency.
It appears that J-1's pilot has terminated in the cockpit. Cause undetermined.
The support AI has engaged the autopilot.
At present, J-1's flight status is stable and there is no danger of a crash.
HA-01AV, disengage Code I-S and return to ship ASAP.
Repeat, disengage Code I-S and return to ship ASAP.
Attention all teams: we have an emergency.
This is not a drill.
J-1's pilot terminated in his cockpit for undetermined reasons.
Disengage Code I-S to prevent any further chance of fatalities.
Execute Code S-A and go to standby.
Repeat, execute Code S-A and go to standby.
HA-01AV has not disengaged Code I-S.
The pilot continues to respond to life support.
While his cardiac arrest has been confirmed,
there are still vital signals from his cyberbrain.
We believe this lead the support AI to ignore retreat signals from the control tower and to prioritize the pilot's safety.
The AI appears to have decided that the retreat code was an enemy attack...
H-Hey, the Wasps are...
Department of Defense
Kubota.
Aramaki.
It seems the situation requires expediency.
It seems you just can't help digging into anything when there's even the slightest possibility that crime is involved.
For now, we've told the media that the operation was an aerial refueling drill for units in development.
In reality, it was the largest scale classified live-fire drill in the past three years.
It was conducted in light of the government's upcoming implementation of the new refugee policy.
Wasn't the machine in question the same sentient helicopter
that got a lot of attention for its probable collusion with the American Empire regarding our security alliance?
Actually, thats not it.
The Ground Self-Defense Force feared the media's attack,
so they apparently participated in the drill using one of their own models modified to integrate AI-support,
and dubbed it the Digger Wasp Advance.
The GSDF believes that this incident occurred because the pilot died accidentally.
Given all that information, don't you think the current situation is too suspicious?
I can't slip anything by you, can I?
So, how far towards the truth has your team penetrated?
During the live-fire drill, the pilot of an AI-assisted anti-tank helicopter
collapsed at approximately 5:57 AM,
after which the support AI's autopilot takeover seemingly resolved the situation, without further problems.
However, the AI proceeded to ignore the code disengagement command from the control tower,
and entered the residential refugee sector's airspace at 6:03.
Furthermore, the AI simultaneously hacked two of its sister units
and an airborne refueling unit that were stationed on the aircraft carrier.
These three hacked units took off from the aircraft carrier at 6:12.
They rendezvoused in the residential refugee sector
and are apparently still circling above the radio tower.
That's about right.
In addition, there is an unconfirmed report that two sister units from the military garrison in Awaji
and three from the garrison in Wakayama
have also taken off without any pilots on board.
That is also correct.
Bases that received word of the incident immediately engaged autistic mode on all other sister units.
but two more units were lost from Itami, which was slow to respond.
What of the possibility that this is an act of cyber-terrorism that's targeting the support AIs?
Getting past a military firewall to do that would be very difficult.
Taking the possibility of terrorism into consideration,
our intelligence division has already detained all personnel who were involved in the support AI's development.
and is currently conducting an investigation,
but nothing has been found.
What if a backlash within the teams caused them to disarm?
That's not possible either.
The particularists couldn't have influenced them.
We even suspected team members who were part of the hedonist cult, Stabat Mater,
which has been singled out by the media for attack.
That wasn't the case either?
The leadership is desperate to bring the situation under control by passing it off as an accident.
Fortunately, the attack choppers are only circling above the radio tower.
One hopes that's all that'll come of it.
The refugees, eh...?
And that's what he has to say, Major.
His information is neither more nor less than what we've obtained.
It looks like the district has been brought under the control of the Prefectural Police's mobile troops.
Not only the angry refugees
but the GSDF mobile troops, who came to bring the situation under control, appear to be denied entry.
The Prefectural Police claim that they were the ones
who were putting their lives on the line trying to exercise jurisdiction.
Pathetic.
It's the end of the world.
Just in case, I'm having Togusa and Ishikawa investigate the supposedly-deceased pilot's home.
What else could we do, anyway?
We've almost reached the residential refugee sector.
For now, get close to the target and stand by.
I'll wait for the Prime Minister's final decision as to whether this situation falls within our jurisdiction.
Roger.
What I said does not leave this room.
It'd be trouble enough if someone were to see me with you like this.
What...
You still can't abandon ambition?
I'm sorry, but I can't live life the way you do.
Excuse me.
You must be Mr. Aramaki from Public Safety's Section 9.
Cabinet Intelligence Agency, Investigative Council for Possible Changes to Wartime Strategy,
Gouda Kazunoto
Representative Aide
Cabinet Intelligence Agency, Investigative Council for Possible Changes to Wartime Strategy
Gouda Hito.
That would be Gouda Kazunoto.
It's not often that I come across people who can ready my name correctly,
even though I don't believe it's all that unusual.
But now, I believe it is a very good name.
After all, once I tell people the correct way to say it, most people will remember.
Especially when they associate it with this face.
So, what business does the Cabinet Intelligence Agency have with me?
We would like Section 9's cooperation to handle the present situation.
We knew that it would be impolite to ask, but I decided to approach you directly.
I am sure you are aware of this fact,
but the Cabinet Intelligence Agency is an organization that, under the supervision of the Chief Cabinet Secretary,
mainly serves to collect and analyze both domestic and foreign intelligence,
and to sometimes manipulate public opinion.
We would prefer to have you consider this request to be a direct order from the Chief Cabinet Secretary himself.
After all, we can hardly expect the Prime Minister's crisis-management abilities to lead to rapid decision making.
What the hell is that?
What is that thing's refueling capacity?
If its specs haven't changed,
it can supply six years' worth of fuel for a car.
Even though that Digger Wasp is a fuel hogger, the tanker should have enough fuel to keep it airborne for ten hours.
Well, it seems as if it's distributing fuel to all the units,
so if you do a simple calculation, each unit should be able to fly for at least another hour.
Assuming that the Digger Wasp has an average cruise duration of 2.5 hours,
one would assume that they have less than an hour's worth of flight time remaining.
What's the possibility that the fuel supply tank over there will go down first?
Zero.
That one will go down last.
After all, it's becoming lighter and lighter.
That means its cruise duration will increase.
Hey, Batou-san. They're AIs, just like us, right?
Well, yeah, although they're support-type AIs designed with the assumption that there'll be a human pilot on board.
Still, not only are they presently without pilots,
they're also staying airborne of their own free will, right?
They really must've disliked their labor conditions.
Are the military's labor conditions that harsh?
Jeez, gloomy AIs snap so easily!
We still have to fight them if we get orders?
That's right.
Anti-tank helicopters would be our natural enemies, right...?
Batou-san, Batou-san!
What?
Can we go home? We have upset stomachs.
Stomachs? Where?
Looks like the GSDF went too close.
They tried to dive into the support AIs and failed, probably.
The GSDF pilot's salary must be pretty low, huh?
Chief...
What's going on? Why did you bother to come all the way here?
Were you unable to free yourself from the Prime Minister's "leash"?
Major, let me explain.
He is an agent with the Cabinet Intelligence Agency, and...
A representative aide of the Investigative Council for Possible Changes to Wartime Strategy, Gouda.
I will state the conclusions first.
Section 9 will soon be granted complete freedom to resolve this situation.
However, I'd like for you to conduct the operation in accordance with his suggestions.
Old man, are you insane?!
We didn't stay in Section 9 just to become the government's dogs.
According to our calculations,
the first unit will crash into the residential refugee sector in 48 minutes.
The damage will become irreparable once that occurs.
This is obviously an act of terrorism.
What will you do?
Fine.
Let's hear your plan.
Nice and obedient. Good.
Major, assuming we take everything he said at face value,
why would you agree to his plan?
Even supposing that the pilot's sudden death and the AIs' rebellion weren't an act of terrorism,
if one of the helicopters crashes, this area will sustain damage.
There is no guarantee that the refugee situation won't become a powder keg if that happens.
Besides, without his information, we didn't have a hand to play, anyway.
What I meant to ask was what our stance was in all of this, and...
Nevermind.
Saitou, are you ready?
I'm ready.
All right.
So, they indiscriminately attack anything that moves...
Let's start.
All right, let's go!
Here they come!
Don't go back down to ground level.
If we do, we won't be able to evade their missiles if they lock on to us!
The odds are totally against us.
Not only is the ratio two-to-one, but we're inferior with firepower to begin with.
Good, it's as he said.
Batou, the target unit is tailing me.
I'm counting on you.
Target confirmed.
Major, when you pass in front of me,
make the target tilt up.
I'd like to shoot through the canopy's side.
in order to shoot the pilot without destroying the AI.
Roger that.
Tachikoma!
It accepted the control tower's code disengagement command.
I'm glad our predictions were accurate.
We decided that once the cyberbrain signals of the pilot, who had suffered cardiac arrest, were cut,
the support AI would accept the control tower's code disengagement command.
In addition, I exercised good judgement in requesting your aid in this matter.
Thanks to you, we were able to avoid having the SDF troops bear the stain of having killed one of their own.
Then what?
You mean you don't care if Saitou has to bear that burden?
Batou, I'm used to it.
Good job.
The return of all eleven units has been confirmed.
Have you heard Togusa's report?
No.
Cardiac medication was found in that pilot's home.
It appears he was hiding his ailment from his superiors.
Then, are you suggesting that this incident wasn't an act of terrorism, as Gouda insisted,
but instead was just an accident?
I don't know.
Until we conduct a structural analysis of the medication we found and the deceased pilot's blood,
there's no way to confirm either way.
The Cabinet Intelligence Agency's director appeared at just the right moment, and it seemed as if he knew everything.
In addition, the GSDF helicopters flew directly above the refugees in such a way as to unnecessarily provoke them,
as if that was their intention.
What is the significance of all of this?
It could be that crime on a massive scale is in the works, somewhere unknown to us.