"Another air strike has started!" "Has anybody managed to find any signals from the crew?" "It's no use!" "I don't see any signals that we might be able to back-hack!" "Tachikoma!" "Gather up all the free space you can find inside cyberspace and secure enough room for me to upload the memories and Ghosts of three million people." "Why the heck would you want us to do that?" "just get to it!" "B" " But is that even possible?" "I don't know." "But I don't see any other way to salvage the refugees." "Get to it!" "R-Roger!" "I just ordered my support AI's to start work on securing all the available space in cyberspace." "let's get started." "Thanks for your help. what about those refugees who don't have cyberbrains?" "Refugees with family members like that will have difficulty accepting this decision." "I expect that they will lose faith in me and leave Dejima of their own accord." "the role of the leader is both invaluable and filled with uncertainty. you're sometimes forced to make tough decisions to deal with a situation." "I'm sure that those people will understand." "I hope you're right." "Tachikoma!" "What's the shortest route to the Major's location?" "!" "Mr. Batou?" "!" "I thought you were going to the bridge!" "I'm gonna help the Major to..." "Mr. Batou?" "The line went dead..." "Do you think they'll use the confusion caused by the air strike to fire off the nuclear missile? the launch time might have been set beforehand." "If that's the case... we might be looking at a launch time of 10:00 hours... tell me what you really think." "Do you think the refugees' Ghosts will be preserved just by uploading their memories to the net?" "all right." "memories are nothing more than data." "But isn't the Major betting everything on this as their last hope?" "but this order is crazy!" "too." "either." "That's why I think that we ought to ignore the Major's order." "then?" "!" " We can't do that!" "Are you having any luck?" "It's no use." "I'm not getting a response." "but..." "But that would mean..." "This is so frustrating." "I realize that I was simply a face to put on the billboards to win the general election after the breakup of the last Cabinet." "But I didn't do anything to deserve this sort of treatment!" "I'll put an end to this situation my own way!" "ma'am?" "we did it!" "This makes eight!" "Calculations like this are what we do best!" "This next satellite will let us put up a flak curtain along the missile's trajectory! deciding to take a chance on dropping satellites in its path sure was the right call!" "Yeah..." "What's the matter?" "The plan is gonna work!" "The thing is... isn't this satellite the one that our Al is kept on?" "I don't get it!" "That's an American Empire satellite!" "Yeah..." "But it looks like we we're being stored in leased payload space on an American Empire satellite that was launched from Japan." "we're still doing exactly what they say!" "why do you think the Major would put our Al onto one of their satellites?" "maybe she was planning to use us to spy on them or something." "but this really puts us in a tough spot..." "We're almost out of time!" "Mr. Ishikawa!" "what?" "I have to go somewhere with the guys... huh?" "I'm sorry." "That's okay." "Look after the Major and the others." "Sure!" "now..." "I guess I really am on my own from here on in." "Major?" "Where are you?" "Kuze." "Yes?" "Do you know how to fold origami cranes?" "Cranes?" "Yeah." "And only using your left hand." "anyone can do that." "That's not what I mean." "Can you do that?" "Fold one left-handed?" "I can now." "too." "but who are you?" "though." "isn't it?" "You're right." "I've been given countless names by the refugees. but maybe the real reason I joined them was to keep the loneliness at bay." "you couldn't make it go away." "you couldn't count on them." "Do you have someone that you can open yourself up to?" "Sort of..." "I see... long time." "We'll be fine!" "The missiles won't come near the bridge!" "Stay calm and keep moving!" "Motoko! 250)}ikite iru kara kanashii n' da {\cH00FF00}and we can feel sad 'cause we're alive!" "250)}tenohira wo taiyou {\cH00FF00}When we hold our hands up to the sun... 250)}makka ni nagareru boku no chishio {\cH00FF00}we can see the deep red blood flowing inside!" "and even water striders! 250)}tomodachi nan da {\cH00FF00}and we're all friends! 250)}ikite iru kara warau n' da {\cH00FF00}and we can laugh 'cause we're alive! 250)}ikite iru kara ureshii n' da {\cH00FF00}and we can feel happy 'cause we're alive!" "250)}tenohira wo taiyou ni {\cH00FF00}When we hold our hands up to the sun... 250)}makka ni nagareru boku no chishio {\cH00FF00}we can see the deep red blood flowing inside!" "and even honey bees!" "and we're all..." "I bet that you guys have Ghosts..." "What's wrong?" "!" "Proto!" "Proto?" "What happened?" "It looks like the Tachikomas rammed their satellite into the nuclear missile." "They did what?" "!" "then." "sir." "I don't follow you." "It appears that some of my people sacrificed themselves to stop the nuclear missile." "You lost some of your men?" "!" "ma'am." "Who did you call just now?" "It's me." "The missile was intercepted?" "no matter." "we'll use Kayabuki's actions to establish a cold-war framework." "he wasn't able to become a hero..." "Was that blast what I think it was?" "I heard the Tachikomas singing." "Were they the ones who stopped it?" "What happened?" "but it looks like my AI's did something other than what I ordered them to." "Major!" "You okay in there?" "!" "The Tachikomas..." "I know." "it'll... arresting the Chief Cabinet Secretary and Gohda takes priority." "There's a chance that what happened today won't be made public in our lifetimes." "let's clean up this mess as quickly as possible." "Understood!" "Enter." "I assume you know the reason why we're here." "as well as mass murder under the guise of war." "I can't stand idly by and let them blow themselves up with a nuclear weapon." "They don't have any such weapons!" "That little storyline was fabricated by you and Gohda of the Cabinet Intelligence Service!" "Gohda?" "All I did was fast-track the Security Treaty with the aim of securing this country's future." "We're in a war against the refugees." "Secretary!" "unofficial inquiry..." "I've been prepared for that all along." "you were even more of a woman than I thought you would be. but this country has to stand on its own two feet without the American Empire!" "You seem to be working under a false impression." "That doesn't look like a nuclear explosion." "sir?" "Shall we launch a second missile?" "No." "Let's hold off until we ID the southbound bogeys that're approaching from the northeast." "What if they're marked with the "ba yi" military insignia?" "National independence through personal independence." "I like to think that I have acted in accordance with that ideal ever since I took office." "the Kayabuki administration will pursue a policy of independent action and UN reconciliation. as well as Asia and the nations of the EU." "huh?" "Japan's made their intentions clear." "We're pulling out." "Take him away." "ma'am." "The Prime Minster sent us!" "Get in!" "You got it!" "Stand up." "if you don't mind." "Saito!" "Paz!" "Borma!" "Major?" "but stay put and give a thorough report to the Self Defense Army." "Understood." "You're..." "I take it?" "if you don't mind." "you mean this?" "That's right." "punk." "Section 9 specializes in dirty tricks and information warfare. the starvation of the consumer state is inevitable. the arteries of capitalism will harden. it is the ideal socialist state. brains capable of managing the blood's distribution become necessary." "I'm sure it's the same in your country." "Of course!" "But what we do publicly and behind closed doors are different matters entirely." "All right..." "Do it!" "Don't do it!" "Don't be in such a hurry to die." "Mr. Aramaki..." "What might this be about? ...as well as conspiring with a foreign power to start a war for personal gain." "You're coming with us." "The Chief Cabinet Secretary has already admitted to most of the charges." "the final act of your play was a flop." "arresting me now would be pointless." "What's that supposed to mean?" "the Chief Cabinet Secretary and I have always had a standalone relationship." "a report written by me personally should already be at Metropolitan Police Headquarters." "I can't be charged with any of the crimes you just mentioned." "I'm going to a country that has need of my abilities." "Are you sure?" "That's how you want to play it?" "I have a note here from the Prime Minister." "The Prime Minster holds your abilities in the highest regard. we're to prevent that from happening at any cost." "we shouldn't hesitate to use lethal force." "How do you want to do this?" "Don't worry about him." "It's just a bluff." "Let's go." "Right." "do you?" "then!" "what a cryin' shame..." "Hi!" "you're that bastard from..." "How long have you people been involved in this?" "!" "Chief!" "Hurry!" "We can't let them eliminate him!" "Major!" "What's that you have there?" "A crane..." "A crane?" "aren't they?" "You'll have a painless death." "but we see you as a dangerous element." "Your country has no need of charismatic leaders that can't be controlled." "that's the ticket." "I'll go on ahead..." "Major!" "Where are you off goofing around?" "!" "Rendezvous with Azuma and Proto in Niihama Ward 4!" "What's the matter?" "The supplementary budget you requested was passed in its entirety." "Uchikoma!" "Information!" "sir!" "Major..." "A great many lives were lost in this incident..." "and PM Kayabuki's "Self-reliant United Front" policy will probably prove to be a thorny path for the populace." "People like us will be needed more than ever now." "Maybe." "what's with you?" "You make it sound like it's somebody else's problem." "have you?" "I have a report stating that the supplementary budget passed in the 329th session of Parliament." "Right!" "I'm calling off our round-the-clock cherry blossom surveillance operation!" "we're back on the job!" "'Bout damn time..." "Yeah..." "I thought I was gonna die of boredom." "I shoulda had a drink to warm myself up." "Nice to have our Major back..." "What about the briefing?" "Wanna handle it with a brain dive?" "300)}Penetrate in whispers... 300)}In shadows rise to surface... 700)}In someone's mind... 700)}Echoes that dwell..." "3000)}Echoes that dwell!" "you go on ahead without me and take command." "I'll meet up with you later." "You will?" "What is it?" "forget about it." "300)}Blameless sorrow... 300)}Hollow hush of trees... 300)}Roots are deeply intertwined... 300)}Penetrate in whispers... 300)}In shadows rise to surface... 300)}In someone's sigh... 300)}Segments that yell!" "is crying... 300)}Christmas in the Silent Forest... 1000)}The limp ticking of the hand..."