Ministry:
Hello, Aramaki. This is a quite surprise.
So, what business brings the chief of Section 9 to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs?
Aramaki:
I need to ask you about the secret talks scheduled with the Gavel Republic
tomorrow.
Ministry:
Procedure, of course.
Well, the regime that took over Gavel after the revolution demands financial
aid,
supposedly for redevelopment.
They boast democracy, but they're no better than the last lot.
Now they feel entitled to funds because of our past exploitation . No
gratitude.
Aramaki:
What's the Ministry going to do?
Ministry:
Well, there's a problem. The leader of the former junta that controlled their
country is here seeking political asylum.
Aramaki:
You mean Colonel Malles, correct?
Ministry:
Yes, and that means we either deny Gavel the funds and treat Malles as a
political refugee, or help them, and kick him out.
Personally, I'm inclined to deport him, forcibly, if necessary,
but I have to come up with a politically acceptable reason for it.
Ministry:
By the way, I want to thank you for your help with that other political asylum
situation.
Nakamura from Section 6 wasn't so grateful.
But you realize that we in the diplomat business must avoid messy
situations.
akafuku:
Access.
akafuku:
We've lost response. What's happened to the EEG output?
akafuku:
It's normal. I'll switch to Simex mode.
Aramaki:
In case you haven't been briefed, this is the minister's interpreter.
23 minutes ago, her brain was hacked into through a data line.
Foreign intelligence warned us about this.
A hacker called the Puppet Master has begun to infiltrate terminals throughout
our networks.
Aramaki:
We believe it's extremely likely that he'll target the secret talks that are
scheduled with the Republic of Gavel.
As a precaution, we've put everyone attending the talks under
surveillance.
Aramaki:
It's my suspicion that once he hacked into her ghost, he'd use her to
assasinate the key delegates.
Motoko:
So how much time do we have before this hacker breaks through her barrier
program and reaches her ghost?
akafuku:
Roughly 2 hours. He's using an old-fashioned HA-3 virus.
After that, we'll have to break the connection to avoid any danger to the
system.
Aramaki:
Batou and Ishikawa are tracking the signal source from their car. Contact
them.
Togusa:
You know, I don't know what's going on. Mind filling me in, Major?
Are we talking about the Puppet Master, the infamous mystery hacker?
Motoko:
Well, we don't know a lot either. No clue about age, sex or background.
We think that he or she is American.
And it's the first time he's known to show up here.
All we know for certain is, this person is on the international most wanted
list for crimes
including stock manipulation, illegal information gathering, political
engineering, several acts of terrorism.
Togusa:
So, why the nickname?
Motoko:
The nickname Puppet Master comes from the ghost hacking.
Togusa:
Well, if he's so skilled, how come he's using an outdated HA-3 virus?
Motoko:
Think about it a minute. You have to figure he's either covering his tracks or
decoying us.
Even though a more current technique would be harder to trace,
it might also arouse suspicion about Colonel Malles' role in this affair.
Togusa:
Are you saying that's the reason he's using an old method, just so no one would
suspect Malles?
Motoko:
Or maybe this is all an elaborate ruse to make us think in that
direction.
Motoko:
There is always a chance that Malles is a pawn in this setup.
Togusa:
Now you're stretching it. It's not like you have any hard evidence.
Motoko:
Nope. No evidence.
Just a whisper. I hear it in my ghost.
Which reminds me. Are you still using that revolver?
You shold stop worrying about the automatics jamming up.
Togusa:
I like my Matever.
Motoko:
Well, effective sopping power is more important than your preference in
guns.
Since it's my ass on the line out there, use the Zastaber.
Togusa:
Yes, Major.
There's something I've wanted to ask ever since I started.
Why did you transfer a guy like me from the police force?
Motoko:
Because we need a guy like you.
Togusa:
Huh?
Motoko:
Number one: you're an honest cop. Number two: you've never stepped out of line.
Three: you're a family man.
And, except for the slight brain augmentation, your body's almost completely
human.
If we all reacted the same way, we'd be predictable.
And there's always more than one way to view a situation.
What's true for the group is also true for the individual.
It's simple. Over specialize and you breed in weakness. It's slow death.
