Description: Motoko Kusanagi is a top operative in Section 9, a special anti-cybernetic terrorism unit of the Japanese government. The many hard missions have begun to take their toll on her, and she is beginning to wonder whether she is more machine than human now. Her doubts have made her become more philosophical, and this change in attitude has made her partner Batou worried. When Motoko and Batou encounter a ghostless mercenary during a data hack, it begins to lead them on the path towards a more intense mystery. A secret American computer AI, one designed to infiltrate and hack into target systems, has developed its own ghost and is trying to gain its freedom. Called the Puppet-master, this AI seeks to communicate with a kindred spirit. Who better than the ghost-searching Motoko?