Ghost in the Shell Page #4

around Dr. Willis...

...to analyze all data

on the Puppet Master's...

...criminal tendencies

and behavior patterns.

We then constructed

special anti-Puppet Master

attack protection...

...to lure him into

a secret cyborg body.

You made him dive into a body

equipped with a cyber-brain...

...and then had

his real body killed?

Yes, exactly.

He may have shown up

in your back yard...

...but he was born in America.

And since we were cooperating...

...with the Americans

to catch him we want

to take him back ourselves.

Surely you've

no objections.

Leaving his unidentified corpse

to be found somewhere.

There will be no corpse.

Because, until now,

there never was a body.

The sensors are active!

Why didn't you say so?!

We've cut all external controls.

It's running on internal power.

I may have entered

this cyborg body because...

...l was unable

to crack Section 6's

attack protection...

...but it was of

my own free will

that I came here.

As an autonomous life-form,

I request political asylum.

A life-form?

Ridiculous! You're merely

a self-preserving program!

By that argument, I submit

the DNA you carry is...

...nothing more than

a self-preserving program

itself.

Life is like a node

which is born within

the flow of information.

As a species of life

that carries DNA

as its memory system...

...man gains his individuality

from the memories he carries.

While memories may as well

be the same as fantasy...

...it is by these memories

that mankind exists.

When computers made it possible

to externalize memory...

...you should have considered

all the implications that held.

Nonsense!

No matter what you say...

...you've no proof

that you're a life-form!

It is impossible

to prove such a thing.

Especially since modern science

cannot define what life is.

Who the devil are you?

Even if you have a ghost,

criminals don't get set free!

You're mistaken if you think

you'll get asylum!

Time is on my side.

While there is now

the possibility

I can be killed...

...this country does

not have a death penalty.

Half immortal...

An artificial intelligence?

I am not an A.I.

My code name

is Project 2501.

I am a life-form that was born

in the sea of information.

Security! lntruders!

Chief, the Puppet Master!

- Where's your security?!

- Lock defense walls! Security!

Security, come in!

All right, I'm moving!

A**hole!

Did you do it?

Helluva car. My 9mm

didn't even scratch it.

Finally found a use

for that Matever of yours.

Okay...

Not bad for a rookie.

I got one right

in the license plate.

Pretty good, huh?

Next time, get two in.

Okay, now it starts.

Catch up with them

before they switch cars.

The Ministry

of Foreign Affairs...

...will be filing

a formal complaint

about what happened!

Contact me as soon

as you've recaptured him!

Alive, preferably.

Megatech can always

build another body.

Batou and Togusa

are tailing the guys

who took the Puppet Master.

They're on highway 25.

What do you mean?! lf you were

monitoring this, then why--

If we'd got them here,

we'd never prove

Section 6's involvement.

Section 6?!

Definitely.

They used type-2902

thermoptic camo, like mine.

That's only used by us,

the rangers in Section 4,

and Section 6.

Let's go over this.

Section 6 gets

the Puppet Master into a body.

But he chooses

Megatech Body, which is

deeply tied to Section 9.

Then, he claims

to be a life-form...

...and gets nabbed by Section 6

when he asks for asylum.

But why do that?

They could've had him

as soon as I took a statement.

But what if they were afraid

of what he might have told you?

He did mention something odd,

now that I think about it.

"Code name:
Project 2501."

I'll leave that

for you to check.

Now, as to the matter

of attacking Section 9

and stealing evidence...

- You're authorized.

- Okay, punch it!

Kusanagi! One more thing!

You can punish me

for acting without orders

when I get back.

If you can't recover him,

I want the Puppet Master

destroyed.

Without fail.

Well?!

Roger.

Contact the airport

and stop any flights

due to take on...

...any Foreign Ministry officials

or American diplomats.

Close the highways

and set up roadblocks.

Recall our off-duty personnel

for this.

And get lshikawa back here!

Use the entrance data

to find out who the Caucasian

with Nakamura was.

And search for any sort

of MFA project, operation,

or anything...

...coded as "Project 2501."

Any word from

the assault team?

They switched cars

one minute ago.

They'll join up with the decoy

in five minutes.

Tell them to watch

for a tail.

Yes, sir.

But why did the Puppet Master

run over to Section 9?

It was his decision.

Probably for reasons

we can't even guess at.

Perhaps he has a thing

for someone over there.

Ridiculous!

- Chief.

- Ishikawa? Well?

I dove the MFA net and found

some interesting things for you.

Hold on, let me get

a secure channel.

Okay? First, that guy

who was with Nakamura.

He's an American.

Dr. Willis, head of strategic

research at Neutron Corp.

Top man in the field

of A.I. research.

Anyway, he was made head

of a Foreign Ministry project.

And who do you think

the project's

main programmer was?

- Get to the point.

- Mizuho Daita. Age: 28.

Remember him?

He was the guy Section 6

was trying so hard to...

...keep from defecting.

The Major had to take out

the diplomat...

...who was going to take him.

That programmer.

Continue.

What bothers me is that

this project was started...

...a year before

the Puppet Master

first appeared.

A year? Wasn't the project

started to catch him?

Try this on for size.

They started the project to...

...chase the Puppet Master,

but not to capture him.

I think they wanted

to get him back.

The day before

the minister's interpreter

was ghost-hacked...

...he said he wanted

a good excuse

to deport Maless, right?

I think we may have been

taken for a ride.

Suppose the "Puppet Master"

is really a program

the MFA created...

...to grease the wheels

of diplomacy, so to speak.

Now suppose, for some reason,

they suddenly lost control

of it.

That would explain why they'd

risk assaulting Section 9

to get it back.

If the Puppet Master

started talking...

...it'd be

an international incident.

Not one you could solve

by having the minister resign.

Any details

on the project?

The protection they have

only let me get the file's name.

Code:
2501

Keep at it. And don't let them

know you're in there.

Roger.

Project 2501...

The Puppet Master Project...

Target now contacting

another vehicle.

Batou!

He's stopped at a white sedan

on the side of the road.

They're transferring something

from the back seat.

They're moving again.

So's that sedan.

- A decoy?

- Or one meant to look like one.

- What do I do?

- I'll take the white sedan.

How do you know he's in there?

Another whisper from your ghost?

Maybe.

I knew she'd say that.

Target 02 leaving highway 25,

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