"Since our gods and our aspirations are no longer anything but scientific, why should our loves not be so, as well?"
Villiers de L'lsle-Adam "Tomorrow's Eve"
Report 202 to Control. Arrived at target airspace.
Commencing data relay. Affirmative 202.
Look out! Look out! Hey! Ugh! Watch it! People are walking here!
What's going on?
Fill me in.
The perpetrator killed the owner a few minutes ago at the first crime scene,
... then ran off.
It was called in anonymously. At the second crime scene down that back alley,
two cops were ambushed and killed.
All access points are blocked. We'll storm in there in a couple of minutes.
Hey! Hold it. He's from Section 9.
He's a cyborg cop; not healthy to get in his way.
Roger that. E-Police wants us to intervene.
They're asking me for a data link.
Section 9 has priority.
Tell them their request is denied.
Help me...
Please help me...
Already, this week we've had eight cases of gynoids murdering their owners.
After each killing, they would commit suicide or self-destruct,
initialising their electronic brains.
In each case, the model in question is a Locus Solus...
... type 2052 or the "Hadaly."
It was a prototype developed for testing.
They were provided for free to contractors.
Now all the prototypes have been recalled.
According to the most recent reports,
they haven't found any defect in either the software or the hardware.
What do you know about all this?
I know that Locus Solus invented some sort of gynoid that goes berserk and kills their owners, and...
that the company is recalling all the prototypes.
They're worried about all the lawsuits by bereaved families,
inevitable liability trials and mammoth damage awards.
I understand all that except why Section 9 is involved in all this.
Understand, you say?
Understanding is in principle solely based on wishful thinking.
Right now, Section 9's involved for two reasons.
First of all, not one single family has filed a lawsuit.
In every single case, all the complainants have settled with Locus Solus out of court.
Second, the victims include...
a retired Public Safety cop, a very high level policitian and other officials.
Because terrorism is a possible motive in this case,
we need to determine if Section 9 needs to get involved in it or not.
Ishikawa and Azuma are getting background checks on the victims.
I want you two to check out the gynoids in question.
You have your assignment. Get going.
Just for the record, I didn't volunteer for this job.
Cause I'm not the Major. I can't replace her.
No one's asking you to.
So, is she still listed as missing?
Mmmm... originally all she could call her own was her brain and her ghost.
But even she wasn't certain whether they were real or not.
But her electronic brain and hardware were nothing but government property,
and her entire memory including the
classified information were government property as well.
The brass only cares about one thing; recovering that memory.
They don't gave a damn about her life. It's not an issue for them.
So, where should we start?
Locus Solus is located in the northern frontier.
First step is to check in with the local forensic boys.
"Police"
What do you guys want?
We're here about the gynoid my partner took out.
She cost us the lives of two young officers.
You're not here to ask me for her back, are you?
It depends on what we find whether we want her back or not.
Huh... the lab is upstairs - 19th floor. Go right at the end of the hall.
You need me to take you up?
No thanks. I think we can find it ourselves.
When persimmons are green and not quite ripe, even the crows don't pick it.
They only come round when they're ripe; just like you two arseholes sticking your nose in my case.
Look, when you're back on the Police force, I'm sure you didn't like it very much
when other detectives came in unannounced and took over your case. Don't let it bother you so much.
That's why it bothers me. It's exactly the way I used to be.
Mmm... When one's face is distorted, why should you blame the mirror?
The mirror does not help to enlighten but rather to confuse. Right?
Well, neither one of us is good-looking enough to stare into a mirror.
You can come here all you want but I won't change my mind. I'm not sharing this investigation.
If you persist, I'll have you detained.
I'm Togusa, Section 9. I believe you know my partner.
Yeah, he's the cop who blew this girl apart, isn't he?
It would be easier to examine her if you shot her with .50-caliber rounds
instead of buckshot.
She killed three people. Two of them were policemen.
She was trying to kill herself before you shot her. Wasn't she?
What do you mean... Miss... er...
Haraway.
Miss Haraway, how would a robot commit suicide?
By intentionally malfunctioning, these gynoids can authorise
themselves to attack people...
Technically, this glitch would liberate them from being
restrained by Moral Code 3.
"Maintain existence without inflicting injury on humans."
Isn't "self-destruction" a more accurate term then?
Ah... Only if you wish to make a clear distinction between machines and human beings.
Are such suicides confined to a particular model of robot?
Not neccesarily.
In recent years, we've seen a surge in robot-related problems...
... especially among the "pet" robots.
What causes it?
Oh, we don't know for sure. Any brain contamination from microbes and viruses.
Human errors in the production process.
Functional defects from wear and tear.
Take your pick. But...
But what?
Well, I think it's because humans discard their robots...
... once they're useless.
When owners constantly trade-up to newer models,
some of those abandoned become vagrant,
... degenerate from lack of maintenance.
No robot wants to be treated like a disposable item.
That's a little far fetched.
Humans are different than robots.
But such a belief is nothing more than simply acknowledging that.
Which is no different than saying white is not black.
Unlike industrial robots, at least the androids and gynoids were designed as pets.
They have no real utilitarian or practical purpose.
Why did they have to be created like a human?
Particularly an idealized version of a human.
I wonder why humans are so obsessed with creating robots that resemble them?
Do you have any children?
I have a daughter.
Children have always been excluded from the customary standards of human behaviour.
Only if you define humans as beings who possess...
... a conventional identity and act out of free will.
And what are children who live in the chaos preceeding maturing as humans?
They're clearly different from humans but they definitely have human form.
Little girls use dolls to play house and pretend that the dolls are their babies.
The dolls are not surrogates in place of real babies.
The girls are not practising child rearing at all.
It may be that just playing with the dolls happens to be similar as raising children.
What the hell are you talking about?
I'm just saying that raising children is the simplest and fastest way to...
... achieve the ancient dream of creating artificial life.
See what I mean?
That's bullshit! Children aren't dolls!
You see Descartes didn't differentiate man from machine, animate from inanimate.
He lost his beloved 5-year old daughter...
... then named a lookalike doll after her and doted on the doll.
The doll became a surrogate.
Can we get back to reality here, please?
I'd like your assessment regarding the Hadaly robot...
type 2052 manufactured by Locus Solus.
Let's see.
It's very well designed.
I understand it's a prototype but it's intended for a particular function.
Particular function?
It's equipped with unnecessary organs.
Meaning what?
It's a sexoid.
Nothing to brag about but it's not illegal.
Now I get it. No wonder those families settled out of court.
When it shuts down, the e-brain initialises itself.
That's standard operation for protecting manufacturer's proprietory software.
But...
Yeah, go on.
There was one file left in the audio buffer. I'll play it for you.
Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me! Help me!
Help--
Thanks for everything.
Er... hey!
Um, I'm very sorry to ask you such a personal question but...
No, I've never given birth or raise children, and...
I'm not registered at the orphan bank either.
Thank you Miss... er...
Haraway. No need for Miss or Missus.
She's not exactly your typical techkie.
I bet she writes her own opinions in the columns of her reports.
I used to do that.
That's why you didn't get promoted.
Anyway, we need to secure that gynoid's brain at the Section 9 lab.
Guess we're done talking to that lady then.
Why? Did she turn you on?
Yeah, she was kinda hot. What's next?
We follow procedure.
The Consignment Inspector, right?
09 calling 907. There's been a homicide in a boathouse
at 201 Marquee Street.
Victim is Consignment Inspector for Locus Solus.
Roger, 907 out.
Well, talk about timing.
A fine spring day at carriage sprint between this world and the next. Life goes on, pal.
Ishikawa. you're here by yourself?
Yeah, Koga got reacquainted with the tuna sandwich he had for dinner
and headed on back with the corpse.
Maybe he should add the chicken.
This was the scene 20 minutes ago.
You made a green rookie deal with that mess?
Hey, everything's a learning experience.
This is what we got so far.
The victim's ebrain verifies that he's...
Jacques Vaucanson, aged 54, Consignment Inspector at Locus Solus.
He submitted a vacation request five days ago, and went missing
three days ago. He rented this houseboat for a week...
The murder weapon - several kitchen utensils.
Inspection of the area turned up a vehicle licence linked to organised crime.
We're checking it out.
Seven credit cards were found in a jacket presumably the victim's.
We're investigating the transaction history.
Here .38-caliber SW
Model 2602.
Looks like he didn't have a chance to use it.
I doubt it would have done him much good.
An illegally altered powerful cyborg. Or maybe a professional trying to make us think he's a psycho.
969 to 906. We're 20 seconds away.
- Don't contaminate the crime scene. - Yeah, I know.
Let's leave this mess for the bone team.
907 to 09. We're handing the scene over to 969 Forensics. Over.
09, roger that.
Today happens to be my daughter's birthday.
That's great! Congratulations!
Can I drop you off?
I'm going the other way. Ishikawa?
Yep, me too.
Okay, your daughter's birthday takes priority.
Did you screw up my crime scene?
Wow! Look! The big man himself is here.
I had to come because the corpse is missing pieces.
Take your time. We're on our way out. Have fun.
Why aren't the local cops doing this?
Because the Old Man has an interest in this case.
Sir! In here! His organs are divided up in jars in the refrigerator!
Heart, liver, kidneys, the pancreas.
Sick frigging nut case.
Fresh dog food again, huh?
If you get the dry dog food, it will last a hell of a lot longer.
I bet you wouldn't eat that crap.
So they got you teamed up with Togusa, huh?
Well, it's certainly better than being partnered up with a green rookie fresh out from the academy.
Yeah, well, for an ex-detective, I guess he's okay. I really have no complaints about him.
Yeah, I know. The only one who ever really measured...
... up to your standards was Major Kusanagi.
- Right? - Ishikawa,
if you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it.
See ya.
Batou.
Yeah, what is it?
I got some advice for you. You should really stick to the dry dog food.
It's better nutritionally and it's a lot better for the dog.
Therefore, it was concluded that he died from a blow that severed his cervical vertebrae.
The kitchen utensils were used to remove organs; not as murder weapon,
Meaning someone took their time
dismembering the corpse after killing him?
It looks that way.
We've confirmed that the organs in the refrigerator were the victim's.
They reveal early stages of gastritis and cirrhosis of the liver.
Guess he was an alcoholic.
Why do you think he did that with the organs?
Maybe he wanted us to believe that he was some kind of psycho or freak?
Or maybe to make him look like it was some kind of revenge.
If that's the case, the possibility of an assasin posing as a thrill-seeker is out.
Who wants to deal with a door knob?
Analysis indicate it was a Chinese prosthetic limb model NR26.
The Crab Claw.
Isn't that for military use?
You can get them on the black market but a lot of 'em are defective.
As a matter of fact, the marks on the mutilated corpse match the Crab Claw.
What happened to the owner of the vehicle with the criminal record?
It was hard to track him down because of the multiple illegal modifications--
Now, what does that mean?
We round down the plates from the nearby parking lot.
The vehicle is registered to an organised crime group called Koujinkai, which means the Red Dust Society.
The car's bullet-proofed with reinforced chassis and rear shocks.
It's been spotted in a number of crime scenes.
What's a cyborg doing with a car like that?
The cyborg was a bodyguard that was illegally altered.
You think this was a mafia hit?
What would be the motive? And who the hell is this Koujinkai?
It's a well-established Japanese crime syndicate.
Drugs, hookers, gambling, scams. Anything goes.
The big boss had his head
ripped off by a Hadaly gynoid three days ago.
A new boss, Wakabayashi, took over the operation.
Now, we have motive.
He has to avenge the boss' death before he can take over.
But there's only one problem. If the victim knew that revenge was coming, it doesn't make any sense
that he would hide out there in their territory. That would make him a sitting duck, wouldn't it?
His ebrain has been wiped clean. The only choice we have is to inquire into the victim's past.
Yeah, that's something for the local cops to worry about.
Can terrorists be masquerading as deranged robots?
At this point, there isn't any political link between any of the victims.
So I think that scenario is improbable.
I want Batou and Togusa to investigate all these so-called berserk Hadaly cases,
including this one full time.
The rest of you, get back to your regular shifts.
Dismissed.
Togusa.
I'd like a word with you. Come see me.
How is it going?
Well, sir, we're going to check out any links between the Koujinkai mob and Locus Solus.
I meant with Batou.
Part of your job, detective, includes monitoring your partner's emotional state.
I know but I'm not a cyborg or an electronic neurologist.
"One need not be Caesar in order to understand Caesar."
You have a family, isn't that right. Mmm... mmm... Do you still consider yourself to be happy?
Well, yes...
Most of us aren't as happy or as miserable as we think we are.
The important thing is not to get bored with living your life or having hopes.
What are you trying to say?
It's just that lately Batou reminds me more and
more of the Major before she vanished.
Let no one walk alone, commiting no sin,
with very few wishes, like elephants in the forest.
Chief, why did you pick me for this assignment?
Because you were originally picked by the Major.
What was that all about?
Apparently, you don't have to be Caesar in order to understand Caesar.
That goes without saying.
That's the one thing I have to say about the Chief. He's a master of the obvious.
You planning on starting a war or something?
You don't need to be a yakuza to go to the headquarters of a yakuza,
but we'll need weapons, right?
Listen, I want to get something straight before we go.
What is it?
We're only going to question them, right?
Do you like the yakuza?
No, I hate them.
So do I.
But we're just asking questions, right?
Like I said, you don't need to be a yakuza--
Yeah, to go visit a yakuza.
But you also said we're gonna need weapons.
I have a family, you know?
I don't mind going by myself.
I'll go with you because we are partners.
But promise me, no shooting.
We'll go and have a little chat and try to avoid shooting, as much as possible.
- Are you happy now? - That's all I ask.
Let's go then, partner.
What the hell do you want?
We want to talk to a guy by the name of Wakabayashi. Go get him.
Didn't you promise no shooting?
I really tried. I swear. They pulled out their guns!
Go and find our guy. I'll hold these hoods off.
What the hell?
That son of a bitch infiltrated our vision!
I can't help it if you guys are a bunch of lame ebrains.
What's up?
We've got some narrow dark stairs. What's the plan?
Stagger our moves. I'll go first. Cover me.
I'll go first. You're too damn big, I can't cover you.
Thanks for the gifts but they never hit their target.
Hey, Wakabayashi, even presuming that your grenades went off at their most lethal range,
do you really think that two grenades are enough to terminate an armoured cyborg.
You're mistaken.
Now start talking. Tell me about the dead Consignment Inspector
and your connection with Locus Solus.
Look who came to the party!
Bring it on, Crab. You ain't too bright if you want to dance with me.
Thought you could take me? You're even dumber than you look.
They said they'll tell me where to find the Consignment Inspector, so we struck a deal.
I've been in the joint for three years! I just got out!
I don't know what the old boss was doing with that company! I swear! Don't hurt me.
Are you still alive, partner?
All I could see were my wife and daughter's faces.
It wasn't your wife or daughter you saw.
It was the face of death.
I ordered you to conduct an investigation.
I never said you could skip the paper work and take the law into your own hands.
I certainly don't recall ordering you to barge into that yakuza office guns blazing!
This isn't the jungle, and you are not Special Forces hitmen!
You're not still mad, are you?
No, not really.
And I hate to sound ungrateful to the man who saved my life but...
I'm just a little worried that as long as I'm working with you as my partner, I'm not going to be around for very much longer.
Look, it's only the two of us on this case.
A half-assed approach just won't cut it.
If Locus Solus has anything at all to hide,
you better believe they're gonna come after us.
Is that why you put on that little show back there?
If the Chief was actually pissed at us, you and I would've already been suspended by now.
Just drop me off over there.
Later.
You've entered the killer zone.
Don't tamper with any of the settings on that new right arm.
If you fool with it, the operating system upgrades will end up having a conflict with the weapon control system...
... and the whole thing will become completely useless.
If that happens, you'll reinitialise it.
Hey, what did you do with my original arm anyway?
It's history.
I made certain that the organic components in this new cybernetic arm matched your exact DNA.
So the more I use the new one, the more it'll feel like my own, right?
Ouch! Hey, hold on! Take him!
So, the fact that you brought him here means you must have...
Yeah, you guessed it - I broke into your place.
I couldn't bear the thought of him starving to death; covered in crap
while waiting for you to come home.
I may not look like it but I'm a dog lover, just like you.
But I'm the one who took him to my place for the night.
My daughter really enjoyed it but my wife's still pissed off about the dirty carpets.
So how long have you been following me?
Does it really matter?
Yes, it does matter. I'm the one that was used as a smoke screen.
If you had more experience, you would have noticed.
If you want to blame someone, blame it on the Chief.
Was your dog a clone? Originals are expensive.
I heard that this breed was the first to be bred by artificial insemination.
It's really not like you to let them hack into your brain like that.
And then your daily routine makes you susceptible to being ambushed.
That's why I told you to stick to dry food.
But he likes the fresh dog food and that's the only grocery store around my place that carries it.
Yeah, but those hackers had you going totally berserk.
They made you shoot five bullets into your own arm and if
Ishikawa hadn't arrive, you would have even blown the store owner away.
You were very lucky this time. They just caught you with your guard down. I don't think anyone can hack into you again
except for maybe the Major.
I don't understand why these guys didn't just make me blow my own head off?
Because they wanted a scandal. They didn't want to just kill you.
First, you barged into a yakuza office, killed a dozen men and sent another dozen to the hospital
the very same day you unload your weapon in the grocery store.
It's only natural that we think you've gone crazy whether your ebrain's gone haywire.
Wait a minute.
The fact that they retaliated proves that this case was not an accident. We can't pull out now cause--
We would jeopardise all of Section 9 and even the
Major would have said the same thing.
Here's the message from the Chief. "Stay on top of it."
"But it's cutting off anymore official support from Section 9 until you
come up with some sort of material proof..."
Guess we'll just have to go directly to Locus Solus then.
"This assignment is top secret and the clock is ticking. We're sending you to the far North Frontier."
To the far North?
You leave right away. Any questions?
No, not really... What about the dog?
What about the dog? It's ridiculous he has a dog in the first place.
And of all the dogs he could choose,
he picks a high maintenance Basset hound! I don't have time to worry about the dog!
You two figure it out.
This is one of the largest cities in the Kureo Islands.
It was very properous in its heyday. But it was originally built to be one of the most
important information centres in the Far East. See those towers?
This city was really something but its dubious sovereignty
has made it the ideal haven for multi-national corporations in the criminal element.
It's now a lawless zone beyond the reach of the E-Police.
It reminds me of the belief that each element that is part of the whole body
is as much an expression of DNA as the entire body.
Doesn't all that apply to beaver dams and spider webs as well?
Yeah, I guess that's true. You use your metaphors, I'll use mine.
If the essence of life is information that is carried in DNA,
then society and civilisations are just collosal memories stored
systems and a metropolis like this one
is simply a spralling external memory.
As is said in the Bible: "How great is the sum of all thy thoughts!
If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand."
I recognise that. It's Psalm 139 of the Old Testament.
The way you spontaneously spout these ancient exotic references,
I have to say that your own external memory is pretty twisted as well.
Oh yeah right, look who's talking?
Sorry to interrupt, guys. We're about to fly over Locus Solus.
I'm diverting the route just for you. Hope you enjoy the view.
So much for the free tour. Now prepare for landing.
"His legion's angel forms who lay in trance; Thick as the ton of leaves."
"that spew the brook."
Now you're quoting Milton but we're not exactly Satan, you know buddy.
Ba-Ba-Ba-Batou!
You must be somebody pretty important not to address me as "sir"?
I know you said that before I owe you one!
You're damn right you owe me one and I'm here to collect.
Please give me a break, Batou! Sir!
Oh, now you're trying to suck up and call me "sir."
Please forgive me! I'm begging you! What do you want from me anyway?
I'm looking for a bastard named Kim.
I don't know any Kim's, I swear!
There's a lot of people with that name in this town. It's a very common name, you know.
Don't give me that crap. You're gonna tell me where he is.
I'm no snitch, you know. I'm loyal.
There's loyalty that protects secrets and loyalty that protects the truth.
You cannot serve them both. So which loyalty is yours?
Look, I like to help you but I don't know nothing!
I'll ask you one more time.
I don't know the guy! I told you I don't know anybody by that name!
"Life and death come and go like marionnettes dancing on a table."
"Once the string is cut, it easily collapse."
And?
Kim used to be a long-range military scout.
He's what they call unfit as a commander and unfit to be commanded.
While he was bouncing around between Special Ops and electronic forces,
he somehow got drawn into the nefarious world of black market weapons
and his reputation after that soon went down the toilet.
And in the end, he just wound up being a typical hacker.
The guy had quite a past, didn't he?
But no matter how far a jackass may travel, it will never return as a horse.
In his case, his downfall came when his reach exceeded his grasp.
Let's go.
Batou. The study's on the top floor.
Well, I guess it looks like we must have arrived a little too late.
Proactive firewall must have zapped him hacking in somewhere.
In any case, it sure doesn't look like he would have been a lot of help to us.
"The deceased firmly declines any offerings of fresh flowers
or birds released in his honour." Right.
Hey!
Looks like he's dead, right? Well, he doesn't fool me.
Even Confucius said you should never pretend to sleep like a corpse.
I don't have time for any of your stupid little bullshit games, Kim.
Long time no see, since that mining operation in Nemuro.
Yeah, I'm here on a job.
You mean Locus Solus? They came late into the robot manufacturing business,
but expanded rapidly once they
focused on high-end gynoids.
There are whispers of links to politicians,
bureaucrats, even crime syndicates.
Wary of local regulations, they moved production...
... to a factory ship anchored in international waters outside local jurisdiction.
They produce mighty fine dolls.
Are they fine enough to murder humans and then commit suicide?
If that's true, it's very uncultured of them.
I don't understand those who want to replicate humans...
... by breathing souls into dolls.
The definition of a truly beautiful doll is a living breathing body devoid of a soul.
It's nothing but an unyielding corpse tiptoeing on the brink of collapse.
Or reduced to a ravished body with an ebrain? Is that the reason?
Humans are no match for a doll in form or elegance.
You see, my dear Batou, the inadequacies
of human cognitive ability are the cause for the imperfection of reality.
Perfection is possible only for those without...
... consciousness, or with infinite consciousness.
In other words, dolls or gods.
Can we get down to business now, Mr. Kim?
Actually, there is one more mode of existence that is equal to dolls and deities.
Are you talking about animals?
Yes, I am. Shelly's skylarks, for example,
are subfused with the profound instinct of joy. Joy that we humans can never know
because of our awareness of our own mortality.
Making joy more elusive than becoming a god.
So because of your emotional needs, you decided to become a doll. Is that what you're saying?
Confucius says, "Without knowing life, how can we know death?"
It's rare to find any human being who understands death.
Most face death not with preparedness
but with ignorance; because that's their experience.
In other words, people die simply because it's inevitable.
But a doll doesn't have to concern itself of that.
And that's the reason why Kim chose to evolve himself into a complete machine.
And?
He's what they call unfit as a commander and unfit to be commanded...
He somehow got drawn into the world of black market weapons. And his reputation after that
went down the toilet. He wound up being a typical hacker.
The guy had quite a past, didn't he?
But no matter how far a jackass travels, it won't come back as a horse.
Hey, what're you doing? We should go.
Batou!
"The deceased hereby proclaims that on this day of this month,
I have attained my own celebrated death."
Hey!
Truly disturbing, isn't it? Not if you understand it.
You doubt whether a creature that certainly appears to be alive, is really alive,
Conversely, you doubt that a liveless object
might actually be alive.
The eeriness of dolls come solely from the fact that they are
completely modelled on human beings.
In fact, they're nothing but human, really.
They make us face the fear of being reduced to simple mechanisms and matter.
In other words, they make us face the fear
... that fundamentally all humans belong to the void.
Enough of this. Let's get down to business, Kim.
Science seeking to unlock the secret of life,
also brought about this fear.
The notion that nature can be calculated inevitably leads to the conclusion...
... that humans too can be reduced to basic mechanical parts.
Metri said the human body is a machine which winds its own springs
and is a living example of perpetual motion.
The modern technologies of robotics and electronic neurology...
... resurrected the 18th century theory of man as machine.
From the time computers had made eternal memory possible,
humans have pursued self-mechanisations aggressively...
... in order to expand the limits of their own function.
Determined to leave Darwinian natural selection behind,
this human determination to beat evolutionary odds also
reveals their desire to transcend nature.
The very thing that gave birth to humankind.
The mirage of life equipped with perfect hardware is the very source of this nightmare.
God is everlasting geometry.
Let's go!
Batou!
You're feeling better now?
What just happened?
You just had a whole maze of virtual experience hacked into your ebrain.
Just as luck appears in threes, so does misfortune,
because you don't want to see it, you don't see it coming.
Even if you notice it, you don't say anything.
Even if you're told, you don't listen. Then boom, the end comes!
In our world, if you miss the first sign, you're dead.
Let alone all three signs.
I told you before I don't have time for your stupid bullshit, Kim!
When did you figure it out?
You know the old expression: no one's easier to trick than a trickster?
You may be some kind of an electronic warfare specialist, Kim,
... but you seem to forget that I'm an intelligence expert as well.
And besides, I've got a guardian angel looking over my shoulder
who helps me out in situations like these. Dig up the hall image in your external memory database.
The word "aemaeth" means truth of god.
Jacob Grimm wrote that with that word on Golum's forehead to claim and live.
But if you remove the "ae" from the beginning of the word, it becomes "meath"
which means "death". That word made Golum return to clay again.
And that's how I knew what I saw wasn't true.
Someone broke through the firewall I devised?
That's absurd! No one could do that!
You're wrong. Someone did do it. My guardian angel.
The game's over, Kim. It's time you started talking.
You know you're starting to piss me off.
Now knock it off. The next bullet in my gun is yours.
Batou, are you certain this is not an extension of
false illusion generated by virtual signals.
My ghost is whispering to me, if that's what you mean.
Humans are nothing but the thread from which the dream of life is woven.
Dreams, conciousness, even ghosts,
are no more than the rips and warps in the uniform weave of the matrix.
I'm just a worthless human being, just like you are, Kim,
but we wear very different shoes, walk very different pathways.
Of course, for those people who don't believe in ghosts...
... there's always a convenient insanity or schizophrenia for that matter.
At any rate, a little that's left of your original body will not self-destruct immediately.
It will continue to function only physically until the time when your suitable death comes to meet you.
Are you sure we're actually back in physical reality?
Well, there's no way to distinguish reminiscence from true memory and
whichever they are, they can only be understood after the fact.
The passage of time itself can't be stored so it's difficult to discern.
Unfortunately, it is inevitable now that we have ebrains and share eternal memories.
However, the real question is: are the memories real or have they been put there?
Does your wife and daughter truly exist? Are they waiting for you at your house?
Or are you actually still single
living in a room somewhere, just dreamimg of having a family?
Do they exist in reality or is it just your reality?
Don't you want to verify which is actually real?
If you knew this, why didn't you say anything?
Because I wanted to ascertain his motives. Kim set up the trap knowing full well that I would come
inserting the virtual experiences to turn us away.
And that is about the gist of it.
When Kim hacked into me in the grocery store the other night,
and made me blow away my own right arm, he must have planted somrthing in my ebrain.
Remember when we were talking and Ishikawa told you that not many people could pull
something like that off on me?
I'm pretty sure Locus Solus felt the same way.
So you anticipated all of this?
I was just gonna jump in deep by pretending to fall into his trap. That was my plan,
but Kim was pretty skilled and without
the signs in the hallway, I may not have figured it out at all.
And what about the "guardian angel" you were talking about before?
Well, seems she's vanished again. Somewhere beyond that rip in the weave of the matrix
or somewhere in the vast net, just merging along with the entire domain.
There are many paths of proving your existence,
as there are ghosts in the entire universe.
You've got your daughter, that's your proof.
And I am certain that Kim knew about all this stuff when he was back in the jungle.
Well, at least there's one thing I got figured out.
What's that?
Only that I'm really not cut out to be your partner.
I thought we work well together?
I don't want to sound like a whiner or anything
but I like to stay alive long enough to see my daughter.
Fine, but I still need you to work long enough to earn your salary.
You still want to keep going?
Don't we have enough information from Kim's ebrain to nail Locus Solus?
No, we can only prove that he interfered with an investigation. That plus the ethics violation.
Besides, our investigation is officially off the record.
So if we're going to make any of these charges stick and these gynoid murder cases,
we need to find some material evidence. Otherwise, all this was for nothing.
So what do we do? Kim is a dead end now.
No, not really. He's just out.
His ebrain's been ghost-packed, and it's still connected to Locus Solus.
We're gonna have to hustle him, catch them with their pants down...
... before they can clean everything out.
There's a good old saying that goes something like this,
"When there's no right or wrong, it's time to beat the drums and attack." Right?
When talking doesn't work, it's time to break shit up.
Hey! This isn't gonna be like barging into some yakuza office again, is it?
Well, if I were you, I'll bring more than your Mateba.
Birds see refuge high up in the heavens, the fish, on the other hand, dive deep into the sea.
- I've made contact with the escort. - Roger.
I can't believe a big guy like you decided to dive.
It's so deep here that if you sank, even we'd never be able to retrieve you.
I used to know this cyborg. She used to love to go diving.
What about it?
I never knew what she was thinking.
I don't know what you're thinking.
No one's ever comes back from that ship alive. I'm only helping you because you're a friend of Lin's.
Well, I appreciate it.
Let's go to that ship.
Hold on tight.
In 12 seconds, you'll trip their sensors.
I can send you a couple of seconds of camouflage signal.
Roger.
This guy, Kim, has a direct connection to the ebrain of the chief of security.
Initiating synchronization.
I'm in. Forward the vessel data.
Download completed. You got my vision in your sights?
Of course. We're recording.
I wouldn't miss my mentor's assault for anything in the world.
You're a real smartass, you know that?
I learnt from the best.
Infiltrator detected. Re-booting level 2 security system.
Review status of all onboard ebrain.
Scan for matches of memory usage and virus size.
It may be a latent virus. Cross monitor.
Logical contact with Chief's ebrain denied.
Reformatting procedure engaged.
Re-booting of level 2 security system complete.
Creating detour to divert infiltrator.
Rebuilding logic firewall. Loading antibodies.
Scanning viruses.
Response team, prepare decoys for ambush.
Deploy all latent viruses along firewall.
Security wall 014 breached.
Error type 280 in security wall...
Merging of affected area
Rebuilding level 1 external security wall.
Intruder detected.
Transmitting counter-virus.
Pull out Togusa!
It's too dangerous beyond this point!
They'll fry your brain!
Not yet! I can go a little further!
Don't be an idiot!
You pull out of here right now!
Right now!
"Life and death come and go like marionettes dancing on a table."
"Once the string is cut, they easily collapse."
Illegal access at Hadaly gynoid final production area.
Suspect unconfirmed virus. Discharge vacine for intruder.
Affirmative. All systems activated.
Cannot establish logical contact.
Currently, loading combat robotic control software.
Clear off! All securirty personnel.
Clear off and investigate.
Warning! Warning!
Abnormality on the TH07 model. Secure arms.
Oh crap! There's another one!
What took you so long?
It's been a long time, Major. Or should I call you that?
How should I address you now?
To be precise, this is just a fragment of me downloaded via satellite.
This gynoid's ebrain lacks capacity.
It can only handle the combat robotic control system.
This is the best I can do for facial and vocal expression.
There should be an emergencey access terminal
50 meters down this passage.
If you can infiltrate that, we'll take over the whole system.
You haven't changed a bit, Batou.
You go ahead and be the point man.
I'll cover the rear just like the old days.
Who can gaze into the mirror without becoming evil?
A mirror does not reflect evil; but creates it."
Hey, no time to be philosophical now! We're running low on ammo.
Therefore, one should have a glimpse in the mirror; not stare into it.
Hey, isn't that risky?
It's just until I shut down the operating system.
Plug into the auxiliary inputs on the floor.
I had to gain control of the system or this gynoid's non-functional.
I'm counting on your .30 caliber arm, Batou.
My brain can control the firing but I've only got one clip left.
And I have my doubts about going hand-to-hand with these gynoids.
Here we go.
Illegal onboard breach of main system.
Security breach! Security breach! Isolate access port.
Engage black firewall.
Comm signals identified. No fluctuation in any terminal.
Outside access detected.
Terminate all external network links.
Disengage external inputs.
Emergency control system not responding.
Remote ignition impossible.
Defuse viruses coalescent. Breach in system area firewalls.
Preparing system reset. Isolating level 1 data.
Multiple illegal access is in core system. Counter measures ineffective.
We're in control. All external links are severed.
This ship is now standalone.
We're moving?
Yes, we're heading south...
... leaving international waters for sovereign territory.
The entire ship will be the material evidence that proves Locus Solus' involvement in these crimes.
They'll come after us.
Before they can, we'll have a Police vessel escort us.
I already called it in.
But more important than that, don't you want to see...
... the Locus Solus technique that infused the dolls with souls?
Don't you already know?
You've got a hunch about this too. Right?
It's totally silent. They must be blocking off all electric waves.
Ghost dubbing...
In animal experiments, they discovered that mass replication of inferior copies was possible,
but the technology was later banned as they found out that the brain of the original being was destroyed.
Locus Solus brainwashed these girls that were supplied by the Koujinkai mob,
dubbing their ghosts on the gynoids.
It was the ghosts that made Locus Solus' gynoids so desirable...
Help me...
Are you all here to rescue me? Mr. Vaucanson promised me
that the police would come to rescue me very soon.
I was stage 4, but my friend Sowana, you see she's already in stage 5.
She can't hear anything, and never answers anymore.
Vaucauson, the murdered Consignment Inspector revised their ethics code.
Exposed, the yakuza took him out to avenge the death of their crime boss.
That's probably what happened.
He told us if the robots made trouble, someone out there would notice!
Then someone will come and save us!
I didn't think that there were any victims.
And I'm not just talking about the humans.
What about all those dolls out there right now who were endowed with human souls?
I... I...
I never wanted to be a doll! I want to go!
We weep for the blood of a bird but not for the blood of a fish.
Blessed are those who have voice.
If the dolls could speak,
no doubt they'd scream, "I didn't want to become human!"
Can I ask you a question? Do you consider yourself finally happy now?
A nostalgic value, I suppose, to be happy.
At least, I am free of dilemna now. And that's nice.
Let one walk alone, commiting no sin.
With few wishes--
--like elephants in the forest.
Batou, always remember...
Whenever you access the net, I'll be there by your side.
I'm going now.
She showed up on that ship, your guardian angel. She showed up there, didn't she?
You're not gonna tell me? What do you think? I'm gonna put it in my report?
I'll pick you up at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning.
I really owe you one for looking after my dog for me. Thanks a lot.
If you would like, you could come in for a bit?
No thanks, it's not my bag to hang out with other people's families.
Daddy! Daddy!
Did you remember to bring me something?
- I didn't forget your present. See? - Yay!