Original subtitles

I'm a soldier, znatchit ya... I'm a soldier, and that means...

...i otvetchik i sud'ya ...that I am both defendant and judge.

Ya stoyu na dvuh kontsah ognya I stand at both ends of the fire.

Ogibaya virazhi, Leaning into the curves,

obgonyaya smert' i zhizn', overtaking life and death,

ya begu srazit'sya s ten'yu lzhi I'm running to fight the shadow of lies.

Skol'ko b nitej ne plyol obman, No matter how tangled the web of deception is woven,

pokazhet lik sveta istina... truth will always illuminate the outline of the light...

Save your tears for the day...

...when the pain is far behind.

On your feet, come with me.

We are soldiers, stand or die.

Save your fears, take your place.

Save them for the Judgment Day.

Fast and free, follow me.

Time to make the sacrifice.

We rise or fall...

This concludes the report from the SDA forces which were involved...

...in the bomb disposal operation at the Kyushu Broadcast Tower.

Does this settle the matter?

This does mean that there is still more than 10 kilos of plutonium remaining in Dejima.

Prime Minister.

I will announce an official mobilization of the Self Defense Army along these lines.

Does that meet with your approval?

The Cabinet has reached a consensus. I have nothing to add.

The business at this Cabinet meeting seemed a bit too forceful to me.

Are you going to ignore the calls from our neighboring Asian countries,

starting with the Chinese government, to avoid the use of armed force?

A country that declined to take in any refugees has no right to meddle in this matter.

Nevertheless, concerns among our neighbors over our arms buildup is growing even more...

That reminds me, we received a message from the American Empire, as well.

They say that we mustn't allow the refugees to set a precedent...

...of gaining independence by means of nuclear weapons.

To that end, we should present a united front in dealing with this issue,

even if that means moving up the schedule on the Security Treaty.

When did they say that? I hadn't been told anything about...

You're too pro-China for their tastes. They don't trust you.

It looks as if the Kayabuki Cabinet will only last until the fall of Dejima.

That son of a bitch will probably catch on any minute now.

Probably.

The target vehicle has been found abandoned in a parking area on the Nagasaki Expressway.

What about the plutonium?!

There was no sign of it, sir.

I see...

We have no choice, then. We can't let the media catch wind of this.

We'd like you to give top priority to information manipulation,

and work under our command to carry out the retrieval of the plutonium.

I know all that. I'll let you handle this, but...

Don't worry. If you do exactly as I tell you, everything will work out fine.

I'll go back to the office and begin work on spinning this situation.

Understood.

Well, it looks like the Major and the others are on their way to Spring-8 as we speak.

That's good.

It's been officially decided to mobilize the Self Defense Army.

The Chief Cabinet Secretary's press conference is at 7 o'clock,

at which time the Self Defense Army mobilization will begin.

That's less than an hour from now.

Preparations are already underway in Nagasaki, I expect.

Mr. Aramaki, I don't understand what the Chief Cabinet Secretary...

...hopes to gain from allowing the situation to deteriorate this badly.

This will do nothing but turn the situation into a quagmire.

Dejima will fall almost as soon as the fighting begins,

so it won't become one of the Security Treaty's potential enemy states.

But if that's true, I don't believe that jibes with the goals of the Chief Cabinet Secretary,

who is hoping to establish a military-industrial complex.

That's certainly true.

Nevertheless, if we assume that the quagmire itself is his goal,

it makes a certain amount of sense.

Even if the refugees surrender, that doesn't mean that they are going to go away.

It establishes a reason to take the funds that had been going...

...to the refugee policy and divert them towards a military buildup.

That's true, but it's going to mean more pressure from China, as well...

He must have some other trick up his sleeve that we aren't aware of yet.

A thought occurs to me, Prime Minister.

Perhaps if you handed the decision over to the UN in order to buy some time?

Major, it looks like the GSDA has a checkpoint set up ahead.

Well, I didn't expect them to let us go this easily...

What's the plan?

Major, it's me.

The Prime Minister has submitted a request to the UN for a nuclear inspection.

If all goes well, the inspection team will arrive in Japan in two days.

If we can hand over the plutonium to them when they arrive,

there is a strong chance that we can put an end to this situation.

Do you think you can remain at large until then?

Yes, if we can find somewhere to lie low.

I think it'll be tricky to find a way to meet with the inspection team, though.

Find a way to make it work. This might be the last card we have to play.

I'll do everything I can.

Also, about the recruits who are back at headquarters...

Just in case something happens, arrange it so that they don't get involved.

From here on in, we'll handle this ourselves.

Understood. I'll make the necessary arrangements.

Also, about the Tachikoma units...

What's the matter?

Our signal was cut off.

Maybe it's the local communications restriction provision...

...of the National Emergency Law System.

The conference will be starting soon. I'm going to the press briefing room.

So, do we have ourselves a war now?

The United Nations? Did Kayabuki call them in?

Yes, sir.

Make the necessary preparations to oust her from office.

Yes, sir.

All right, let's get started.

On the heels of the Self Defense Army's cordoning off of Dejima,

large-scale traffic roadblocks are being erected in the surrounding districts.

Today, we will win our independence in all but name!

We demand that the Japanese government...

...acknowledges Dejima as an independent country!

Then we would be able to trade freely and be self-sufficient!

Where is the crime in that?!

We have in our possession nuclear weapons!

The government has admitted to this fact!

This is the fruit of Comrade Kuze's labor!

For that reason alone, throwing him out is an unthinkable act!

Furthermore, the deadline before we begin attacking is two days.

The final deadline will be the arrival of the United Nations' nuclear inspection team.

If we do not receive an answer from the refugees by that time,

our preliminary attacks will begin.

That is all.

Looks like it's started.

Now that we've been cut off from the Chief,

we have no choice but to operate on our own initiative.

But I'll leave it up to each of you to decide whether or not to take part in this op.

Hey, what's the deal?

It's not like this is the first time we've had to act like a gang of rogue thugs.

Aren't we just gonna play hide 'n seek against the Self Defense Army?

No, we're going to take the plutonium to Dejima.

To Dejima?!

That's right. We'll sneak into Dejima under the cover of the SDA invasion.

Anyway, Dejima is where the inspection team will be coming.

That being the case, we'll apprehend Kuze before then...

...and hand over the plutonium to them as a package deal.

That idea is so crazy it could only come from you. I'll come along for the ride.

I'm okay with it, too.

I'm in, too, of course.

I don't have any objections, either, but...

You're against the idea?

No, I'm gonna earn my pay in exchange for some thrills.

Then that settles it.

Large-scale roadblocks have been erected by the military on the streets of Nagasaki, where...

In addition, all domestic flights are currently...

So in that sense, this decision of the government's is...

Ishikawa, what's your condition?

That you, Major? I'm still laid up in bed.

A little medical leave every once in a while isn't so bad.

Or more to the point, the real reason I'm calling is that I have a favor to ask.

Like what? If there's something I can do to help, just name it.

I just sent a Tachikoma out to you.

Inside the its pod is half of the plutonium we recovered from the Kyushu Broadcast Tower.

I want you to take it to Spring-8.

Oh, okay... I see what you're up to.

Sure, I can do that for you. But what about you guys?

We're heading for Dejima with the remaining plutonium.

To Dejima?!

That's one seriously crazy plan you've come up with...

What about Togusa?

He's with the Chief at the Prime Minister's residence.

Glad to hear it. Major, I'm sorry I can't be there with you guys,

but don't do anything crazy.

If they start bombing the place, there's no telling what will happen.

I know. You should watch your back, too.

You can count on me.

I'll leave you to it.

Look for us on the news when we hand over the plutonium to the UN inspection team.

Don't get yourself killed, Major.

Say, Major.

Mind if I ask you something?

Shoot.

Back when I used your external memories to have my little chat with Gohda,

well, I felt bad about doing it, but I took a peek at your memories regarding Kuze.

So?

It's not like I really saw anything,

but I got the impression that you have special feelings for Kuze.

What happened to you when you dove his brain?

Nothing special happened.

But when I made contact with his memories, he reminded me of someone I used to be close to.

Used to be close to?

Yeah, but that's in the past. It's ancient history now.

Okay, we're just about there!

Are they really gonna attack us with tanks?

Yeah, 'cause they know we're ready to suicide bomb their asses.

Comrade Kuze said not to do anything, remember?

Whatever you do, don't start anything.

If we do that, international public opinion will be on our side.

We'll win this war without firing a shot.

Make sure you connect with Kuze before you do anything.

So, you must be Hideo Kuze.

And you are?

You know, I saw you overseas once.

Oh, you did?

You were surrounded by throngs of people in Taiwan,

but it seems like there aren't many people in Dejima who know what you look like.

It's because many people here have cyberbrains.

Ah, I see. That's how you're circulating your beliefs among the refugees.

Of course, I think it's a miracle that you've had the mental strength...

...to continuously answer questions from three million people.

Yes, but there is a hidden danger in it.

Hidden danger?

Yes.

Just as water runs downhill, the human heart also tends to revert to its basest instincts.

After I broke free of the ideological virus and returned to Dejima,

many refugees began to link with me.

Ever since then, I've come to value their goals...

...and have made helping them fulfill their dream my sole motivating principle.

That's why it didn't prove very difficult to become their leader.

I've filtered out all other consciousnesses but theirs,

and have tried to synchronize my beliefs with the refugees who are constantly linked to me.

Right after the war ended, I wandered Eurasia,

trying to find the reason for being of individuals within a system.

In the course of my quest, the refugees taught me...

...that human beings inherently exist only through the intervention of others.

If you place your duties and your rights on the scales to weigh them,

and first add weights to the "rights" side,

you won't lose your sense of self even if you obey society's rules.

Yes.

That universal concept seemed very appealing to me.

But once the refugees figure out the net and learn of the upper levels of the hierarchy,

they forget all that, and they revert to their basest instincts.

When you have power, you want to put it on display.

Just like when you have a weapon, you want to try it out.

If you knew that, why have you drawn out the situation this far?

Did you seriously think that you'd be able to accomplish...

...this "revolution" nonsense so easily?

No, I didn't. However, the revolution that I have in mind is still a ways off.

I see this as a first step, as pointing people in the direction of the superstructure...

...that is the ultimate goal of my revolution.

Superstructure? That's not the same thing as the hierarchy?

No, it isn't.

The network that now covers most of the Earth is already turning into the base.

With its original purpose complete, it is now creating a new meaning.

From there, it will become an entity with new meaning...

...that will exert an opposite effect on the base.

Although it cannot be separated from the base,

it will undergo a shift to become the superstructure.

That is the definition of the revolution I have in mind.

I don't really follow all that, but can you really get the refugees to share in that belief?

I think they share it on an abstract level, but not quite on a concrete level just yet.

Long ago, I left public service out of a fascination towards people.

If you'll listen to the advice of a doddering old man like me,

I'd say that you should put your priority on reality rather than ideals right now.

You can still put an end to this mess.

Tachikoma, I'm going to dive Kuze's cyberbrain one more time. Back me up.

Do you think that's safe?

Connecting with him isn't difficult.

The real question is whether he'll accept a message from us.

Representative. We've received a report that a helicopter...

...just took off without orders from the Oomura garrison.

So, we've found them. They're following my script to the letter.

What's the status on our EP-3C deployment?

Sir, we believe it is already on station above Dejima.

Good, we'll start with that.

We'll cover all of Dejima with a jamming signal, rendering the refugees into standalones.

If we do that, the refugees will start running out of control all on their own.

Gosh, the net's being cut off...

It looks like a communications blackout is starting on Dejima.

Have a defense barrier array on standby. We'll fire in our message file!

- Roger! - Roger!

What?!

What's the matter?

They're coming here? And with the plutonium, to boot...

What are you talking about?

We're cut off from the net. The SDA's jamming us?

They must be trying to isolate the refugees.

The tanks are coming!

It looks like someone in the government subscribes to the same philosophy as me.

I'll go to the barricades on the bridge. There's a strong chance that fighting will break out.

I can't allow people like you to be killed. If you can, please escape from Dejima.

You're the one who can't die. There must still be something you can do.

I hope you're right.

Did it work?!

The message got in just before the net was cut off!

Good!

Shit, I'm gonna kill these guys!

I hit him!

We've got a man down! Cover us!

I hear gunshots! Has fighting broken out?!

Stop it! Don't shoot! Hold your fire!

They have nukes over there!

Just as water runs downhill, the human heart also tends to revert to its basest instincts.

What the hell happened? Looks like fighting's broken out down there!

The tanks are coming in, just like we thought! Drop the bridge!

Finding out a galaxy...

...of planets and stars within me...

Listening to each of them...

...singing the same silent melody...

I've never seen such beauty...

In possibility...

No speck of doubt or fear...

Wake up!

I hear a voice,

hear a voice calling out to me...

I see inside,

see the light now ever holding me...

All the truth, all I need...

...to make of this reality, it's inside...

The beauty within the shell...

I hear a voice,

hear a voice calling out to me...

I see inside,

see the light now ever holding me...

All the truth, all I need...

...to make of this reality, it's inside...

Right here within the shell...