Ghost in the Shell - Scene 3: The Infamous Mystery Hacker

• June 1, 2008
• James Skemp
• dvd / movie, philosophy

[3 The Infamous Mystery Hacker]

This is a rare pleasure, Mr. Aramaki. What can the Foreign Ministry do for Section 9?

What are these secret talks you've scheduled with the Gavel Republic for tomorrow?

The usual. Foreign aid. The new government reopened the request after the revolution. They claim to be more democratic but they'll probably be as bad as the last bunch. Giving them money they don't earn will help nobody. They consider it reparation for past exploitation and won't thank--

And what will the government do?

The problem is that we have the leader of the old junta here looking for political asylum.

Col. Maless, right?

So, do we throw him out and grant them the aid? Or do we publicly recognize him as a refugee and cut the aid? Not an easy decision to make. Personally, if I could find a politically acceptable reason I'd have the man deported in a heartbeat.

(Aramaki grimaces.)

Oh yes, thanks for your help with that programmer defection.

Nakamura over in Section 6 said he was grateful. After all, we in the diplomatic corps have to keep our hands clean.

===

(We see a computerized view of a brain being scanned.)

Accessed. We've lost response. How's her brainwave output look?

Normal. Switching over the virtual experience mode pattern.

(Aramaki:) The Foreign Minister's interpreter. 23 minutes ago, her cyber-brain was hacked via telephone connection. Just as Foreign Intelligence division predicted the Puppet Master has begun to break into every terminal on the network. Pattern analysis shows a high probability that he's attempting to disrupt secret talks with Gavel. We've placed everyone attending the talks under surveillance. Probably trying to hack her ghost so she'll kill people at the meeting.

How long till he hacks through her protection and reaches her ghost?

He's using an old-style HA-3. I'd say about two hours. After that, we'll have to cut the line to eliminate all risk.

Batou and Ishikawa are in a car, tracing the signal. Rendezvous with them.

===

The Puppet Master... That phantom hacker, right?

They think he's an American. Age, sex, personal history... Everything about him is unknown. Since last winter he's been mainly active in the EC. Internationally wanted on dozens of charges of stock manipulation, spying, political engineering terrorism, and violation of cyber-brain privacy. He's ghost-hacked so many people to carry out his crimes he's earned the code name "The Puppet Master." This is the first instance of him operating in this country.

So, if he's so hot, why's he using an old HA-3?

Well, a newer type would be less detectable and be harder to trace. But it could also implicate the former junta leader, Col. Maless.

So he's using an older type to keep us from suspecting him.

Or somebody else wants us to think that. Maless may just be another pawn in this whole thing.

Now you're overthinking this. There's no evidence of that.

Evidence? I just have a whisper... A whisper from my ghost. By the way, are you still using that revolver? Afraid both guns in a two-man team'll jam up?

I like the Mateba.

Since I depend on your backup, I think stopping power is more important than personal preference. Especially since it's my ass on the line. Use the Zastaber instead.

Major, I've been meaning to ask you. Why'd you ask for a guy like me to be transferred in from the police?

Because you're a guy like you.

Huh?

An honest cop with a clean record. And you've got a regular family. With the exception of your cyber-net implants, your brain's real. No matter how powerful we may be fighting-wise a system where all the parts react the same way is a system with a fatal flaw. Like individual, like organization. Overspecialization leads to death. That's all.

===

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Ghost in the Shell - Script

• ghost in the shell