Disclaimer: I do not own Ghost in the Shell or any of the characters, except for the ones I created.

Note: I would like to dedicate this chapter to Project Dark Overlord who gave me wonderful advice on getting through my writer's crisis. Without her, this chapter would not have been completed to its full potential. Thank you so much:)

Note: Thanks again for all of your wonderful reviews:) I do read them carefully and consider your opinions. Some of you may even notice that your own theories of Dr. Masaki Katsuo are included in this next chapter as a complement to your close observations of his character. I loved your comments on him and could not help but include your input:)

Note: Sorry, this chapter took so long but I lost my first rough draft and had a difficult time salvaging this chapter. With the help of one of my readers I was able to recreate it better than ever:) I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It may be the longest chapter yet. This chapter features the entire team of Section Nine, the Tachikomas, Dr. Katsuo, and Miki so I think everyone will have a scene to enjoy:)

Note: This chapter discusses the existence of False Memory Syndrome and hypnotherapy which is a modern day issue. For more information on False Memories and hypnotherapy please refer to my profile as this real life situation has been a great inspiration for my fanfiction and I hope you all enjoy the modern relevance:) Again, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as I had to do it twice, but it was worth it:)

Chapter 9: Trepidation

The elevator climbed slowly into the zenith of the clouds. Its ascent was accompanied by the mechanical groaning of the gears and the rebellious shrieking of the pulleys as they strained against the weight they bore. Through the elevator's pellucid walls, Togusa viewed the gauzy clouds coated in the sun's golden rays. With the turbulent city buzzing beneath him, Togusa could only marvel at the placid nebulous mass, unengaged in the overloaded, industrious world that humanity had created below. Togusa had witnessed this phenomenon many times before while taking the elevator to work each morning, but seeing a natural occurrence so spectacular that even technology could never hope to recreate, he was still enraptured by its glory.

A message opened in his e-brain, and Motoko's austere face appeared in his direct line of vision, blocking the view of the clouds. Togusa, where the hell are you? The briefing started five minutes ago.

I'm on my way, Major. Togusa sighed, closing the message window and returning his gaze to the spectacle before him. Ever since he blocked the Major during the investigation of Masaki Katsuo at the Kowasake Institute, she had exerted more effort into keeping tabs on Togusa's behavior. He was rarely late to a meeting so when he was she knew it meant that something was wrong. This time, he was late because of the dream he had the night before. Upon waking, he had spent hours laying awake in bed replaying the dream sequence in his mind, pondering its meaning or whether it was a dream or something more significant. 'Cyborgs don't have a subconscious so they don't dream.' Togusa reminded himself. 'Maybe it was just a sequence of images brought on by misdirected electrical signals? Or was it...?'

Togusa would not allow himself to finish the thought. He would not even consider that the dream had been an assimilated memory, but despite his efforts to dismiss this concern, the doctor's voice filled his anxious mind. "Do you ever wonder if your memories are truly your own? What if they were planted in there in the lab? What if your brain has been tinkered with by those neurologist?"

The elevator came to an abrupt stop and Togusa pushed his worries aside for a more immediate concern. As the metallic doors slid open he braced himself for the onslaught of Tachikomas that were surely waiting for his arrival on the other side. Despite Batou's reassurance that the Tachikoma's would lose interest in his prosthetic body, they were still enthralled with him like children with a new toy.

Togusa barely stepped out of the elevator when he was surrounded by a swarm of squealing think- tanks. Bobbing and squeaking inaudible words of glee, they looked as if they would explode with excitement.

"Wowy, Mr. Togusa!" The Tachikoma Togusa identified as Batou's favorite shrieked, its claws waving in the air and its four eyes swivelling about. "I still can't find a single difference between your prosthetic body and your natural one!"

"Trust me, it's different." Togusa growled, as the Tachikomas' claws clasped his arms and hair, examining him like a specimen in a laboratory.

"Have you gotten any upgrades yet?" The squeaky Tachikoma trilled, grabbing his only free arm and shaking it wildly. "You still have a domestic model. You should consider arming it with weaponry."

"Yeah, I'm sure my wife would love that." Togusa said sarcastically, pulling his arm free, only for it to be taken by another Tachikoma. "Damn, I didn't realize that spiders hunt in packs!"

"While your thinking about upgrading, maybe you should consider a new hairstyle." The ditzy Tachikoma took Togusa by the turf of his hair and pulled. A replicated sensation of pain shot through his scull. "That mullet is so outdated."

"Why not consider a customized face too!" Batou's favorite chimed in, carried away by the excitement. "Wouldn't you like to get rid of that mug of yours?"

"Let me see!" One of the Tachikomas cried out, desperately flailing its arms about, wanting to grab on to a part of Togusa's body. Now, he wished he had turned his pain receptors off; their claws were pinching. "I never get a turn!"

"Mr. Togusa, you never answered my question concerning whether your new body was anatomically correct!" The squeaky Tachikoma cried, no longer bashful with its spherical eyes rolled down and its claws hooked innocently. The tank looked him directly in the face; the tachikomas had no shame.

"That's enough! Get your claws off of me!" Togusa pulled his arms free and pushed passed the stunned think-tanks. Once his escape was complete, he made his way down the hall and through the door, into the briefing lounge. The Chief swivelled about in his chair, his face taking on the expression of a fowl tempered chimpanzee. The other members turned about on the couch to see what had disrupted their meeting.

"Your late." Motoko snapped, unamused. Despite her small stature, she was still an intimidating figure and demanded respect. "If your going to be late don't even bother showing up."

"Sorry," Togusa could not think of another response. "I was mobbed outside of the elevator."

"Guess I need to give the Tachikomas another lecture on personal space." Batou laughed amused, leaning back against the sofa casually. He seemed to be pleased with the meeting's interruption. "Don't worry, little guy, they'll lose interest in you...eventually."

"Very funny, Boss." Togusa laughed, taking a seat between Batou and Saito on the leather couch. The cushion sunk even further with the added weight.

"Well, I guess we''ll be nice and fill the late-comer in." Motoko said, reactivating the large screen. An image of Masaki Katsuo projected for the members to see. "Ishikawa, care to re-explain what you found."

"Sure, why not." Ishikawa said, non-convincingly. Pulling his head from his hands, he rubbed his temple between his forefinger and thumb. He had already developed a headache from explaing his findings the first time, and the prospect of a second round drained him further. "This time pay attention, Batou."

"I'm all ears." Batou grinned sheepishly in response, leaning further back against the leather furniture. It creaked in protest. "Whenever your ready."

"You're a real smartass, you know that." Ishikawa grumbled, finding no humor in Batou's antics today.

Motoko interrupted Ishikawa before he even started. "To start with, there have been three more cases of homicides reported in the last week, similar to the previous murders. Two of the cases displayed the same qualities as the last, but the third murder involved a twenty-seven year old woman whose husband allegedly abused her."

"The thing is, like the previous cases, her body didn't show any sign of physical abuse." Saito said. "She was also a patient of Dr. Katsuo's."

This last statement startled Togusa. He remembered the doctor saying that his only returning patients were children and that the few adults who did try the treatment usually quit after just one trial. "Perhaps, they are afraid of what they would discover about themselves after believing so long in their own illusory identities." He recalled the doctor's personal explanation for this trend.

"This reminds me. It seemed to me that the doctor has an apparent bias against humans." Motoko said. "During my observation of the doctor a few alarms went off. He is very intelligent but devious too. It would almost seem that he favors those who are cyberized over natural humans."

"So what? Is the psycho trying to eliminate natural humans all together?" Batou laughed. "The bastard!"

"Batou, be serious." Aramaki said. "We've already gone through this with you before. Please, try to take this seriously."

"Anyway, I'm just saying that whether or not he has any relevance to the homicides, he is still a person to look out for." Motoko said. "He may be able to give us some answers on these bizarre crimes."

Togusa felt the Major's eyes boring into him. He knew she was expecting him to add his own observations of the doctor, but he decided not to speak on the matter yet. He did not trust the doctor but he did not want to discredit him just yet. Seeing his reluctance to speak, Motoko turned the table to Ishikawa.

"While surfing the net, I came across a file on False Memory Syndrome and hypnotherapy created by representatives of the International Board for Regression Therapy or IBRT for short." Ishikawa said. "This journal covered cases dating back to 1999."

A low whistle escaped from Batou's pursed lips. "Makes you wonder if the doctor really has discovered something new."

"False memory syndrome?" Togusa inquired, his interest peaking. He wondered if this would explain the reason for the strange dream he had.

"False Memory Syndrome is not actually a syndrome." Borma answered knowingly. "False memories may exist, but they don't have the characteristics of a syndrome. That was just added to make it sound like a professional diagnosis."

"Then what is it?" Togusa asked, slightly disappointed that this particular syndrome was false and could not explain his problem. He was still hopeful that this information could provide him with some answers. "How does one get false memories then?"

"Therapists working with patients with fears often discover conceivable evidence of sexual or violent abuse when they attempt regression therapy." Borma explained. "Now, if the therapist knows what he is doing, he can project the symptoms of, for example, sexual abuse in a repressed area of childhood. This is how false memories are born."

Togusa listened attentively to Borma's explanation, trying to determine if his dream had any of the characteristics of a false memory.

"Of course, there may be clients that are psychotic." Batou related the only part of the briefing he had payed attention to the first time around. "They may make things up, until even the therapist believes them. Only an inexperienced therapist will fall for that trick. Of course, there will be some therapists without the power of discrimination who may misguide their clients. Although lack of professional grounding and gullibility may be factors in producing false memories, the main reason is the ambition of a couple of quack doctors looking to make a name for themselves at the expense of their patients."

"Impressive, Batou." Saito laughed. "You actually listened a little."

Ishikawa took the lecture from there. "It has been discovered that clients who claimed to have relived sexual abuse by a parent when they were very young remembered something that did not happen. It has led to court cases against parents, shaken over the false accusations of a child and negative publicity. The therapist involved worsened the situation by preventing the child to have any contact with thier denying parents."

"There is partial truth to all of this." Borma concluded. "The more the body is involved in memory, the more rememberable it is. Interestingly, this is one of the main reasons for the development of false memories. The therapist sees what the client feels in their bodily reactions. Reactions such as posture, tension, panting and struggling, shows that a rape has occurred. Even a good actor cannot create that kind of a response without previous experience."

"With that being said, I want to explain how this relates to the case." Motoko said impatiently. Throughout his college career and his professional life, Katsuo showed a great interest in these cases and developed many of his own theories and techniques based on these studies."

"It was from that method of regression therapy that the doctor based his treatment on." Ishikawa said. "The doctor developed this machine after his own cyborization. His colleagues were scrutinous of its results and found the procedure unethical. The doctor tested the machine on himself first, with the help of two of his colleagues, to whom he related evidence that the neurologists have been tinkering with his brain and creating illusions. His colleagues dismissed the project and suggested that it created false memories, but he went on to receive approval for the use of his program. Despite his success, he began to doubt himself and his existence and tried to convince others of his findings."

"It would be nice to know from those two colleagues which cases they know and how often in those cases false memories were involved." Pazu said. He rarely spoke during a briefing, but when he chose to, he always made his point simply.

"With that being said, I suggest we move on to the next order of business." Chief Aramaki said, turning to face the team. "Borma, Ishikawa, you two go through the files, uncover more information on Katsuo's research on False Memory Syndrome. Pazu, do a background search on Katsuo and make a list of his patients and see what you can dig up on their progress."

"Yes sir." They answered in unison.

"Batou, Motoko." The Chief, swivelled his chair to face the two. "You two pay a visit to Katsuo's colleagues. See what you can find out about the doctor's methods."

Togusa gripped his pant legs, anxious that the chief would try to exclude him again. His worry quickly subsided as the Chief turned to face him. "Togusa, I need for you to go undercover as a patient, again. Pretend you are interested in undergoing treatment. Find out all you can about the doctor and his theories on False Memory Syndrome. Perhaps his program has some relation to these homicides." Lastly, the Chief turned to the entire team. "This case has dragged on too long. It's time to solve this issue before it escalates to further disaster."

"Yes sir." Togusa said, grateful to be included in the case, and he could not help but anxiously anticipate another appointment with the quack doctor.


In the lobby of the Kowasake Institute, Togusa was greeted at the main desk by the same receptionist as the time before.

"Good afternoon, Sir. Do you have an appointment or can I schedule you one?" The woman spoke cheerfully as her job required.

"I have an appointment with Dr. Katsuo at noon." Togusa smiled inwardly as the receptionist recognized him from their previous encounter.

"Mr. Togusa, I remember you and I certainly do not remember scheduling you an appointment." She checked the records on her computer. Reading his name, she lowered her glasses to take a second look. "Well, this can't be right."

"I'll just have a seat until the doctor's ready." Togusa said, leaving her to recheck the records again and again, all the while knowing she had not scheduled an appointment for him. In the waiting room, Togusa returned to the chair beside the in-table which displayed the magazines. He scanned over the titles. The selection was new and he did not recognize any of the magazines from the day before. While leafing through the various titles, Togusa came across a Global News magazine which cover featured an impressive illustration of a cyborg. The image portrayed a prosthetic body with the innocent yet frightening features of a doll. Its dislocated limbs were suspended by its loose threads and wires, much like a marionette. The body was twisted in a grotesque manner and its face displayed a hint of sorrow as if to suggest that life in a shell was a negative existence.

Togusa allowed his eyes to wander from the illustration to the title of the article featured within. Defining the Indefinable: How Technology has Redefined the Meaning of Existence and Opened the Question What Does it Mean to be Human?

Intrigued, Togusa lifted the magazine from among the pile. This time, he only crinkled it slightly in his grip. Flipping open the cover, he turned each page carefully until he came to the article of interest. As he turned each page, not a single sheet was torn or bent. 'Major improvement.' He thought, triumphantly. 'Now if only I could hit the center mark during target practice.'

As he read the article he became aware of the author's apparent bias toward cyberized humans, proclaiming that they were no longer humans at all. He also became aware of a presence in the seat beside him. Before he even looked he knew who it was. "Hello, again." Togusa lowered the magazine into his lap and swivelled his head to glance at the girl. "Miki, wasn't it?"

"Mr. Todasa?" The girl struggled to recall his name exactly. Her blond hair fell back as she tilted her head questioningly.

"Togusa," He corrected her. Miki smiled slightly in return. Togusa thought she looked tired for her eyes appeared dull and sunken.

"Mr. Togusa." She said, without smiling. "May I have a sheet of paper so I can draw?"

"Sure." Togusa said softly, concerned for her behavior. He recalled her being very energetic and cheerful, but now she did not even smile as he handed her the cover page of the magazine. Turning the sheet over to the clean side, Miki set the page on the drawing board on her lap and began to draw. As she drew, she hummed quietly to herself. It was not a mirthful child's tune, but rather an unpleasant melody. It disturbed Togusa to hear a child sound so somber.

He returned his attention to the article. Meanwhile, Miki continued to scribble thick lines across the paper. Her hands were still difficult to control and the lines were just as clumsy as the scribbles of her previous drawing. Togusa listened to her mournful song and the harsh sound of the crayon dragging along the slick paper. He knew she must be having a difficult time. He assumed that being cyberized so young must have been a traumatic experience and the strain to her body as she upgraded would be even more painful. He could only guess that her sorrow was caused by the realization of the difficult future that lay ahead. Togusa glanced over as she pressed the crayon through the delicate paper. Without seeming to notice, Miki returned the crayon's waxen tip to an uncolored section and pressed until the crayon snapped in her hand. Unabated by this minor setback, Miki withdrew a red crayon from the box and continued.

"Mr. Togusa, the Doctor will see you now." Katsuo's personal receptionist pulled Togusa's attention away from the girl. In a glance he could tell she was an android. Her lifeless eyes stared unfocused in his direction and as she spoke her face was stuck in a permi-smile. She had all of the characteristics of a doll. Considering Dr. Katsuo's bias against humans and his preference for cyborgs, it only made since to Togusa that his receptionist would be an android.

As he rose from his seat, he stole a glance of Miki's latest masterpiece. Expecting a pleasant drawing of her father, Togusa was surprised to see that she had drawn a monster. Its face and hair were colored with black crayon and its eyes and mouth were scribbled in red. It seemed a fitting creation from any child's nightmare, but there was something about it that bothered Togusa. "What are you drawing?"

"I am drawing daddy." She said quietly, a haunted expression passed over her face. "This is how I remember him."


"This way, Mr. Togusa." The android directed Togusa down the hall. Her movements and speech were slow and sloppy, and Togusa suspected that she was an older model. Her AI was horribly underdeveloped and her greatest asset seemed to be her pleasing appearance. She came to a sudden stop at the end of the hall. "Please make yourself comfortable. The doctor will be in shortly."

"Thank you." Togusa said, unsure if manners were necessary with a ghostless robot. Upon entering Katsuo's office, Togusa began his investigation. His eyes scanned along the many plaques and certificates proudly displayed on the simple beige walls. He allowed his eyes to rove quickly across the many photographs, stopping briefly on several framed newspaper articles. It was all seemingly innocent. Togusa assumed that if the doctor had come into some trouble with his program the press had been well censored. Togusa examined the papers scattered about the doctor's desk. Sliding a folder over, he was shocked to discover that it was Miki's file. Glancing back into the empty hall, Togusa flipped the folder open. He quickly scanned through the doctor's observations during her sessions. He skimmed through reports of mental and physical abuse and the image of her drawing flashed in his mind. "He is helping me to remember my daddy." Togusa recalled her hopeful words."I don't want to forget daddy."

"Find anything interesting to read about?" Masaki Kastuo said auspiciously from the doorway. Togusa quickly returned the folder to where he found it as the doctor entered the room and came around his desk. Reclining slightly in his swivelling chair, he lay his hands casually over his lap and waited for Togusa to respond. When he didn't, he smiled unpleasently and leaned forward. "Those files contain private information about my patients, you know."

"Uh, sorry." Togusa said shamefaced at being caught. "I was just curious."

"Have a seat." The doctor impatiently waved him to the chair opposite his own and as if under his spell, Togusa slid into the seat.

"So Mr. Togusa, have you reconsidered undergoing the treatment?" The doctor asked hopefully, pushing his glasses up to the rim of his nose. "Or do you still need more persuasion."

"I want to know more about the procedure before I decide to give it a try." Togusa said bluntly. "Tell me how the process works."

"It is rather simple, really." The doctor smiled, eager to explain the process that he invented. "After the internal memories are transferred from the sub-brain into the computer the images are displayed and analyzed. Once we isolate the time period from which those memories took place we are able to relocate lost memories."

"But how do you distinguish false memories from real ones?" Togusa asked, trying not to sound too fascinated, but ever since he had that dream, his interest in false memories had peaked.

"It is simple once you have the technology to understand and decode the signals." The doctor answered easily. Either he had his answers prepared well in advance or he was not lying. "Anything else? This is your time."

"One more thing." Togusa said. "What is your opinion on False Memory Syndrome? What do you know about that?"

"It is interesting that you ask as my studies have always focused on False Memory Syndrome and cases concerning it. Especially the early cases concerning the occurrences before cybernetics." Katsuo said with building excitement. "I based most of my research on those cases and in fact, it was because of the occurrence of false memories in natural humans that I began to question its contingency in cyberized humans."

"So your saying that False Memory Syndrome is real?" Togusa asked, carefully.

"I would not classify it as a syndrome exactly, but it is a true occurrence among natural and cyberized patients alike." The doctor said, a flash of light washed over the lenses of his glasses. "While I base most of my own theories on the cases involving natural human patients, I choose to focus on how that information relates to cyberized human beings."

"Is it true that you began your studies after your own cyborization?" Togusa asked, trying not to sound like a detective. "Did that have anything to do with it?"

"It is true that my own transition to full prosthetics did inspire the project, but I did not do it simply based on personal interest." The doctor said pensively. "It merely helped to push me onward despite criticism from my colleagues."

"I understand that you tested the machine on yourself." Togusa asked. "How did you go about that?"

"With the aid of my colleagues, of course; however, they dismissed my findings as mere illusions and refused any future aid concerning my project." Katsuo said bitterly, with a glint in his harsh blue eyes. "Now that my program is becoming successful, I do not doubt that they are sorry for dismissing my project so easily."

"What kind of memories did you uncover?" Togusa asked. Now, he was no longer interviewing the doctor for the sake of the case as much as he was questioning him for his own personal interest. "Did you uncover any false memories?"

"Indeed, I did." The doctor said, simply. "I will let you in on a secret that I discovered during my own session concerning those neurologists. I discovered that they do indeed tamper with your mind during maintenance."

"Are you sure of this?" Togusa asked, chilled by his words. He had already heard Dr. Katsuo's accusations during the briefing, but hearing it directly from the doctor himself made the news seem much more momentous."How can you be sure?"

"I can feel it in my ghost." The doctor whispered as a streak of light blanched his lenses, hiding the expression in his eyes. When the light passed by, his face took on a calmer expression."I understand how you may doubt all this. You have not been cyberized long enough to begin questioning your existence."

"I do, but I trust my own memories to figure that out." Togusa said, torn between belief and skepticism.

"You work for a secret organization, don't you Mr. Togusa?" The doctor asked. Togusa gasped slightly in response. "Don't be surprised. I took the liberty of having one of my receptionist do a background check on you. It seems that you work for a very secretive employer. Tell me, what line of work are you in?"

"Public security." Togusa answered truthfully. "That is how I ended up in this shell."

"In such a field, do you ever consider that your mind may be controlled by your superiors in order for you to carry out your duties?" The doctor asked him seriously, his voice taking on a cynical tone. "Perhaps, they created the memories of your injury and cyborization to distract you from the truth. Perhaps you were never human at all."

"That's ridiculous." Togusa said harshly, unnerved and slightly insulted. Until now, he had been absorbed in the doctor's theorology, but his previous distrust of him quickly returned. "Why are you so persistent to convince me to undergo this treatment of yours?"

"I see I have failed to persuade you once more." Masaki Katsuo said somewhat bitterly. He feigned a disappointed frown as he motioned for Togusa to leave."However, my offer remains open for whenever you change your mind. Our appointments are completely confidential so your officials would never even know."

Without a word, Togusa pushed himself from the chair and hurried to the door. He had the information he needed and the confirmation that this man really was a quack doctor.

"By the way." Dr. Katsuo's voice stopped him in the doorway. Togusa froze in expectation of what words would follow. "Good luck on your investigation."


The elevator rose as deliberately as ever, but to Togusa its speed had declined to an unbearable tempo. The mournful cries of the pulleys and the moaning of the gears only added to his anxiety. He glanced out the window, hoping to absorb some of the clouds' refreshing calm, but was only further depressed by the bleak darkness of twilight. Now, the harsh neon lights from the city below glowed with building intensity and the buzzing nightlife tore into the stillness of dusk. His apprehension grew and without an outlet to release his stress, Togusa found himself lost in his vexation.

'Could the doctor be telling the truth? Could the Chief be controlling my mind through my memories?' He searched his mind for the answer. Togusa considered the doctor's words carefully. Katsuo had claimed that his machine had the capability to distinguish false memories from real ones, yet Togusa wondered if the machine itself did not create the fantasies. He remembered what he saw when he dove into the victim's e-brain. For a brief moment, their minds had been linked and his own memories and thoughts had melded with the other man's. Through the net, he had become connected to this man and had even witnessed the final moment's of his life. His affinity toward the man had only grown stronger with the connection of his daughter who had robbed both men of their lives. Now, as he recalled the memory, he relived the man's emotions, his misery and his bewilderment, as his daughter accused him of crimes he did not commit. 'If her memories were false then maybe...?"

The elevator came to a sudden stop, disrupting Togusa's thoughts. As the doors slid open he prepared himself for the Tachikomas, but this time they did not bombard him. Togusa found them conjugated in the lab, waiting for their turn for mandatary maintainance and analysis. Togusa paused to watch as the technicians opened their heads and tinkered inside. The Tachikoma's seemed oblivious to what was happening and carried out an argument as if nothing was a mis.

"I remember, there was a ghost inside the box I found." Batou's favorite chortled and seemingly sighed. "That was a once in a lifetime find."

"What are you talking about?" The ditzy Tachikoma whined, its eyes rolling about. "I am the one who found the box!"

"That's not true, it was me!" The squeaky one cried, throwing its arms in the air. "I found it!"

"We have already been through this, before." Batou's favorite piped in. "I was the one receiving natural oil so I'm the one who found it."

As Togusa listened to their bickering he considered that the Tachikomas were controlled by individual AIs, capable of speech, curiosity, and even a personality. Though they possessed individual AI, their memories were synchronized daily. This often lead to identity confusion such as the current argument. Paradoxically, their personalities were distinct from one another, despite the fact that they shared memories.

Togusa often noticed the Major's negative reaction to the Tachikomas' fast developing AI and he wondered if she ever had their progress stunted during analysis. Now, he began to seriously question if his memories were also controlled by Section Nine. This reminded him of a case where they arrested a man who had become a victim of a ghost hack. A successful cyberhacker had rewritten his entire memory, making him believe that he was a married man undergoing a terrible divorce. In his pocket, he had carried of picture of himself which he believed was a photograph of his daughter. The man's conviction that this child had existed still haunted Togusa to this day and Togusa wondered if he too was a victim of an assimilated experience, perhaps created by technicians here at Section Nine.

"Togusa." Motoko called out to him from the end of the hall. Togusa saw her coming and panicked. Without a second thought, he turned and headed back toward the elevator.

"Togusa!" Motoko tried to call him back, confused by his sudden reaction toward her. "Togusa, where are you going?"

Ignoring her calls, Togusa hurried into the elevator and frantically pressed the button repeatedly until it closed. As the doors slid shut he watched the Major's surprised face disappear between the sliding doors. In the safety of the elevator, he withdrew his wallet from his pocket and pulled out his family photograph. He stared into the picture, absorbing the familiar image of his wife and daughter smiling for the camera. He was standing with them, his daughter fondly hugging him at the waist. Togusa examined the photograph closely, trying to see what it really showed. He wondered if this photograph was really just a picture of himself with a dog or if it was a photograph of someone else entirely. 'My family could be false.' Togusa thought frantically. 'My entire life could be no more than an assimilated memory.'

As Togusa returned the photograph to the pocket of his wallet, the doctor's warning reverberated once more in his mind."The truth can only be found through science, a truth, no religion can ever hope to realize. In a world where artificial intelligence makes true intelligence obsolete, when our own minds and memories fail us, only technology can determine what is true and what is a creation of the net."

With those words haunting his mind, Togusa decided that it was time to give the doctor's treatment a try.


Note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter:) For now on it is all action and suspense so I hope you all enjoy. The next chapter may be a while in coming, so I made this chapter extra long. As always, feel free to R and R. I enjoy hearing from all of you and if you have any thoughts concerning False Memory Syndrome please visit my profileor feel free to send me an e-mail.