In 1998, a growable neurochip was made at Harima Science City.
Its cells are dying due to excessive growth.
The fibers have grown to terminals composed of galactose-infused polystyrene
derivatives, distorting the thin membrane the terminals are printed on.
That same month, cyberbrain technology begins shifting to a micromachine base.
In 2028, neurochips are widely used in robots and AIs.
In the near future, electrons and light race back and forth
through corporate nets that blanket the globe,
but the notions of nationality and ethnicity still cling to life
despite the spread of technology.
A strange corporate collective state lying in a corner of Asia...
Japan Nihon, Nippon Island nation located in East Asia.
Total area, 377,815 square km. Total population, 76 million (as of 2029).
MARCH 5, 2029
NIIHAMA PREFECTURE ARTIFICIAL ISLAND METROPOLIS OF NEWPORT CITY
Why the sudden interest in silicon deposits?
It's important enough that it will guarantee that my government
will stay out of your country's official policy of not recognizing secessionists.
Our stated position is that we provide aid once independence is recognized,
so this will not conflict with our own trade interests.
We will work through a third-party country.
Excellent. After all, if a slave state is negligent in its service,
the master country will starve.
Our manpower shortage will really give the slave trade a huge boost.
This does deviate somewhat from our socialist ideals, I must admit.
Despite all your country's protestations of being capitalists,
the truth is that you're the ideal socialist state!
What's keeping Team 2?!
Is it the union again?
They say there's been a bomb threat!
We've finished evacuating the civilians, sir.
Major, Public Security is ready to go.
I know, for crying out loud...
When you let an AI handle the encryption,
everyone and their mother will be able to listen in.
All right! Turn off the building's electromagnetic shield!
All teams, comms are open!
Go for breach!
What's going on?
You let the likes of Public Security surround us?
You fools!
Stay where you are!
Who gave the order to open fire?!
Hold it!
And what do we have here?
If it isn't the Far East Trade Representative,
the Vice-Minister of Commerce, and an Executive of the union.
Oh, it's just you, Aramaki.
This will finally give me enough evidence to send you packing to your home country.
I wouldn't count my chickens so fast if I were you.
Shall I have you sit in on his deposition, Vice-Minister Ito?
Just to make sure I have a detailed account
regarding the bombing that killed the late Prime Minister
and who leaked the conference location.
It's all over...
I'm afraid that won't be possible, Aramaki.
The Vice-Minister will be joining me on my flight.
His request for asylum has been granted,
and I have a signed affidavit, too.
When?!
I'm under no obligation to answer that.
Under international law, I have the authority to take him
into protective custody and take him home.
Then in accordance with international anti-terrorism laws,
we request his extradition!
When the paperwork arrives, we'll consider it.
Mark my words, Vice-Minister, you'll be killed for this.
My country is a civilized, pacifist nation.
Oh, is it now?
Wha...
Utilizing low-velocity, soft-point explosive bullets
Outside the window!
There's nothing on the sensors!
Is that 2902 thermal optical camo?!
- Go get a tracker! - Yes, sir!
Here's the tracker, sir.
It's too late.
The next day, that woman appeared at the Minister of Internal Affairs' office,
a kill order signed by the former Prime Minister in her hand.
This woman, who gave her name as "Motoko Kusanagi,"
proposed the formal creation of a new special forces unit,
citing the need for crisis management.
That same day, the Minister of Internal Affairs summoned Daisuke Aramaki,
requesting that he devise a plan to bring her into Public Security.
Aramaki agrees.
People like her, you need to keep on a tight leash.
She requested the formation of a special forces unit.
Just like you did.
APRIL 10, 2029
Major. We got a job. Meet up with "Suisen" in South Niihama Ward 4.
Funny, I don't remember signing a contract.
No contract, no deal!
The budget you requested to set up your pet special forces unit
was just passed by the National Council.
Fuchikoma! Check the public record!
Yessir!
Don't moan like that, damn it! It grosses me out.
An audio implant I had installed the other day has a loose connection.
So what's up?
You're really going through with this deal with Public Security?
If I'm gonna set up an official special forces unit,
I can't do it without the Bureau's help.
That outfit's chief is no dummy. We'll get swallowed up by Public Security.
Report located confirming passage of budget by the 327th National Council!
Well...
I guess that means he wasn't lying about that, anyway.
Okay! Our round-the-clock cherry blossom observation is canceled!
Let's go to work!
I thought I was gonna die of boredom.
Okay, people, stand by to brain-dive.
We'll get tapped if we do it on comms.
Do you want a sit-rep before we get there or not?
I'll use an attack barrier
created by a wizard cyberbrain tech to keep the hackers away.
It's a hardcore type that kills the hacker.
When you feel a tingle, that's my Ghost line. Don't dive past there.
Yeah, fine.
That brain of yours is in serious need of decluttering.
Wow, Major, your prosthetic hands are killing you, huh?
What's this bitter taste I'm getting? Some kind of sedative?
You got the intel for the op, right?
If you're not out of my head in two seconds, I'll fry your brain cells!
I can't believe those clowns dove that close to my damn Ghost.
This is why I hate letting a bunch of insensitive jerks into my brain!
SOUTH NIIHAMA WARD 4
"Suisen" Field Command Post / Ground Crew: 2 / Command Post Admin Robot: 1
SOUTH NIIHAMA CULTURAL CENTER
So, what's the situation?
Public Security currently has the Sacred Citizen Relief Center
under round-the-clock surveillance.
Relief center?
It's a welfare facility that takes in war orphans,
and provides them with a home, education, and work opportunities.
If that's the case, it has nothing to do with us. Buh-bye.
They have a Ghost controller, Major!
Whoa, old school.
To boost the effectiveness of the brainwashing,
they also appear to be developing a new type of Ghost key.
You had a hacker poke around and they came up empty, huh?
So, what? Steal it? Kill them?
Nothing of the sort!
Your objective is to subdue them if necessary and arrest them.
Without any evidence or a warrant?
We got a hit, that much is certain!
Is their plan to bait me into attacking the place and then go after me in court?
Hell if I know.
Sheesh!
Doing half-assed stuff like this won't get us anywhere.
Is Ape-face trying to sabotage me?
The relief center is a happy, happy place!
The teachers are oh so nice!
The meals are the best.
The beds are soft as clouds!
And even the work is fun!
We're so lucky to get rice gruel every day!
We humbly thank you, School-Master!
Thank you so very much!
Eat up!
If you don't like it, don't eat it!
All of you, get to work!
Work for the food you ate!
The bed you slept in! And the work we give you!
That looks painful.
Why isn't the Human Rights Bureau doing anything?
If you don't want to work, go to the learning course!
And if you don't want to do either one, I won't apply you for a Citizen's Card!
They got him too, huh?
I hope he can take what they dish out.
Do you have a feed from the learning course?
Sorry, no.
No?!
Major, I'm sending you a feed from the learning course on line four.
The universe is falling on me!
Hey! You're overflowing to the others! Calm down!
I can't take it anymore!
It's just a plain old education device!
Don't yank my chain! "Ghost controller," my ass!
Hang on. They've dispatched security to get him.
Yeah, so what?
Just before the feed cut out,
didn't you feel like, "If they catch me, at least it'll all be over"?
Togusa! Ishikawa! Plant the runaway kid with a baby spider.
On it.
"If this goes sideways, you can retire and the unit will go on," huh?
I wouldn't get off that easy. I appreciate the thought, though.
Look, Ishikawa... I've got a bad feeling about this.
Suck it up, Newbie.
That female-ape has our balls in her mighty grip.
My hearing's mighty, too.
How lucky we are to have such a young and beautiful and kind squad leader!
Good.
Circle around and head him off.
Yes, sir.
This guard will be in sleep mode for 25 seconds, Newbie.
Give the "Newbie" crap a rest! I'm on it!
Major.
The guards here
are some seriously modified Sagawa Heavy Industries type 2033s.
Those are custom jobs used by the military in artillery squads.
They're just back-alley chop shop cyborgs using that same model.
They're also using government-issue fiber optic nerves.
That means that they're on the government's payroll.
Are you sure you didn't get hit with a simulated experience?
My barrier is no cheap piece of junk.
Either way, it'll be a scandal if we storm the place.
Who's gonna be the one to take the heat? Some politician?
Or us? Or those kids?
He must've passed out from low blood sugar or something.
Too bad, three strikes and it's brainwashing time.
Sucks to be him.
Get ready to move in, people!
A unit like us is a must in any era.
So we have nothing to lose.
Trying to create a scandal.
Politicians trying to screw each other over.
Kids being brainwashed.
Rooting out bastards who do this crap is why I made a deal with Ape-face.
So I say screw it, let's do this.
A little voice is urging me on...
That voice is my Ghost!
Seal off the drainage tunnel ASAP!
The kid has a bug on him.
They're onto us! Togusa, emergency evac!
Switching comms over to attack barrier mode!
How did they even know about the drainage tunnel?
Do we have a leak? Or was this really a trap?
Damage detected in pipe number 17.
You two go check it out.
What are you doing? You'll get fried by their attack barrier!
I can't, I got locked--
Let's go, Batou. She was nothing but a speaker.
Public Security will fix her up.
And give her a whole new program while they're at it?
There's something sad about these Ghostless puppets.
Especially the type that bleeds red.
That's strange.
I didn't feel that last burst of defiance you get when a Ghost is fried.
Was it an artificial intelligence that I roasted?
We're up against pros!
Hey! What's the matter, Togusa?
Togusa!
Togusa! Ow.
Damn it!
This stupid audio implant with the dumb loose connection!
Hey! Why are you just standing there?
I... I can't go any further.
This is a message to not throw my life away.
The war is over.
I'm sick of killing people!
Hmph! I'm not a gutless wimp like you!
Fine. Die, then.
Togusa is out cold!
Smack him awake and get away from there!
- To leave? - To storm the place, obviously!
Our princess is one hell of a slave driver.
Hang on, that's Ishikawa's Fuchikoma!
What's gotten into him?
Why does his thing have such a lousy targeting system?
Ishikawa! Snap out of it, damn it!
Major! Their security has a Ghost controller!
Fuchikoma! Close the channel! Go to lockout mode!
He was able to get in before my attack barrier could react!
Fuchikoma!
Back-trace his signal path! Nail his ass with an attack barrier!
Yessir!
You son of a... You'll pay for that!
Having a substitute barrier running saved my ass.
I have to neutralize that weird commander of theirs.
No sight, no heat, no sound...
A Kyo-Re Invisibility Cape?!
Okay, enough! I surrender!
Please, just don't damage my brain!
You and me, we're both just doing a job!
The Ghost infiltration key and Ghost controller.
Fine, I'll hand them over!
You're under arrest for cyberbrain ethics violations.
Are you kidding me?! You're Public Security?
Y-You came to take us away from here, right?
Huh? What do you even want?
Are you gonna mooch off of welfare without meeting your obligations
to society as you're being brainwashed by trashy media?
At the expense of all the countries that haven't been as quick to rebuild.
You have a Ghost, too, don't you, kid?
You have a brain in that head of yours. And you can access a cyberbrain.
Make your own future!
Yes, that was one of the government's brainwashing facilities.
They were starting to go rogue, so I had you make an example of them.
The Boss says he wants a word.
I'll transfer you.
Ah, Major Kusanagi. You went a tad bit overboard, don't you think?
I think you knew that we would make a mess.
That request I also got from you. What was it again?
Ah, yes. About the forming of that unit.
When things like this happen... How can I put this?
It makes things difficult.
Of course, if you were to be a team player,
perhaps I could find a way to afford you some leeway.
Give me that Ghost infiltration key.
Mr. Minister? Might I trouble you for a direct connection for two seconds?
Sure, that would be fine.
If staying here means being a Public Security errand girl,
I'll find another line of work.
Chief?
I suppose it wasn't meant to be.
Join me for a drink! Batou, write up the report.
Blech!
Hm? Where'd Togusa go?
After you chewed him out, he left, bawling his eyes out.
That guy is such a newbie!