Ghost in the Shell - Scene 4: Ghost Hack Humans

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

[4 Ghost Hack Humans]

(A man is picking up trash, while another is at a phone.)

Come on!

All right!

We're already 40 seconds behind schedule!

Gimme five more seconds.

Of all the lousy luck...

Hey, sorry.

My last partner, the one they busted for working without a permit, was a better worker than you! You're actually trying to ghost-hack your own wife just to see what's on her mind?

She doesn't have any time for me and now she wants a divorce. On top of that, my daughter, my only child thinks I'm cheating on her mother!

So how'd you get your hands on cracking software?

From some programmer. A really nice guy I met in a bar. I told him my wife's lawyer was keeping me from seeing her and he said he'd help. Told me to access from different places to keep from getting caught. Smart guy, huh?

(Another car cuts him off.)

Asshole! Ya tryin' to get yourself killed?!

Looks like we aren't the only busy people out here.

(We switch to the car.)

(Batou:) Nobody here.

What's the point? Even if we trace the calls the guy's already gone by the time we get there.

Vicious cycle, huh?

Quit complaining! Kusanagi and Togusa are headed for the next expected hack point. You two look for something there.

Look for what?

Anything.

Fuckin' old coot. He tells US to snoop around?!

Wait a sec! Damn, missed him.

Hey, Pops. Did you see a garbage truck go by here?

Who wants to know?

Did you see it or not?

Yeah, but they were gone by the time I got my trash. One was using the phone, so I thought I had time--

(They get in their car and drive off.)

Uh, can you take this to them?

A garbage truck? Of course... They move every seven minutes. Control! Get me the trash collection routes for that sector!

(We switch to a computerized view of the city, similar to what we saw in the first scene.)

There are eight garbage trucks operating in the target area. Target is a type C collection truck, #79.

Let me drive. Ishikawa, check out the drivers' homes. Batou, you get to their next stop before they do!

He may be in contact with someone else. Observe, but don't move in!

Route data accessed. Hacking points traced and matched. Target now stopped at next point. Confirm access via HA-3.

(The same man as before hangs up the phone.)

Sorry, sorry. How about I do the trash and you make the call on the next stop? Okay?

Leave me out of your little crime spree.

Can't believe this load of bullshit...

Do you have kids?

Do I look like I do?

Then you couldn't understand. My daughter's my life. Take a look. Isn't she just a little angel?

(He tries to show him a photo, but he doesn't look.)

I hate looking at other peoples' family albums.

(The phone rings.)

Yeah, truck 79. Oh, boss. What's up? The cops were checking our routes? You wanna know why? How should I know?!

They spotted the hack! I gotta warn my friend! We're gonna have to skip our next stop!

Target has deviated from route. Increasing speed to next point.

(Batou:) Is he on to us? Didn't think he could see me.

(Kusanagi:) My accessing the sanitation department network may have tipped him off.

Shoulda used a back door.

Too late. Go for the collar.

You can drive now.

(Togusa takes the wheel, and spots the garbage truck.)

(We see a man with sunglasses at a phone, sliding a card under it.)

(He hears something, looks and sees the garbage truck. Next it's zoomed in, looking like a television. He zooms in further to the trailing truck, with Togusa driving. He shoots up the garbage truck and blows apart Section 9's. Batou speeds in from behind, but he puts up the hood on his coat and disappears.)

Jesus... He blew a perfectly good armored van to shit.

He hosed us with high-velocity AP rounds! That car door's no cover!

In a submachinegun? The guy must be nuts.

(Batou sees him slipping by on his left, and opens fire.)

He's using thermoptic camo, too?!

Keep after him! I'll flank him from above! Togusa, if you're still alive, arrest those two garbage men.

Roger. This job just never lets up, does it?

Police! Everybody down!

All finished?

You all set? That's what you get when you overload the ammo rating. Frame's bent all to hell. The barrel's shot, too.

Doesn't matter if you arrest me. I'm not gonna talk!

Talk?! And what would I ask a guy who doesn't even know his own name?!

Your mother's face. The place you grew up in. Memories of your childhood. Can you remember any of those things?

There's nothing sadder than a puppet without a ghost. Especially the kind with red blood running through them.

---

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Ghost in the Shell - Script

• ghost in the shell