- Chief. - Where's Naoki-kun?
We didn't make it in time. By the time we arrived, he was already...
This is the footage from the surveillance camera.
Where is the doctor?
She's at the hospital now.
It seems she hit her head hard while trying to protect Naoki.
She'll be fine. It's not a life threatening injury.
Senpai, where's Naoki-kun?
Alien Occult, why are you here?
Who is that gentleman?
He's Kurashiki-san with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
We're investigating the Lyden Group together.
Unofficially, of course.
He's going to help us out.
That's great. The more allies, the merrier.
So, you got any leads?
Mogami-san got some information from the chip.
It's the name of Naoki-kun's original.
Original?
Tabe Masaaki, 78 years old. Founded Tabe Consulting in 1978.
He's a man of great wealth, with earnings of 70 billion a year.
He's said to have a close relationship with Tsubaki Bunji,
the advisor to Lyden Group's Japan Branch.
In addition to owning several museums,
he's known to be quite the health fanatic
who's been trying out every possible health regimen.
So that must be why he made a clone as a spare
just in case something happens to his organs.
What a scumbag.
However, Tabe was diagnosed with lung cancer 3 months ago
and was told he only has 6 months to live.
Currently, he's bedridden at the Nagatacho International Medical Center.
That must be why they were desperate to find Naoki-kun.
They may be planning to perform the organ transplant immediately.
But
I can't believe they're really making clones in Japan.
It isn't in Japan.
When we looked into it, we found out that clones were
being made in China, where Lyden Group's headquarters is located.
China?
Once the clones born in strict secrecy in China are raised to a certain age,
they are put on board Infa Transport's ship and transported to Japan Branch's Cocoon.
Are you saying that the China headquarters is the mastermind behind the clone business?
Yes.
And they're exporting clones
not only to Japan, but all over the world where they have branches.
Exporting?
Naoki-kun is alive. What do they think life is?
I don't want to think so, but I guess it's just business to them.
Even if it was, there's one thing that bothers me.
It's what Iwasaki-san, the informant, was saying.
Their true objective may not solely be organ transplants.
What does that mean?
I don't know.
If what Iwasaki-san said is true,
there may be more secrets that are being hidden.
Secrets...
In any case, let's find Naoki-kun as soon as possible.
Deceptive Plan of the Goddess
Pandora's Fruit
Scientific Crime Investigation File
The clone is safe.
You didn't hurt the body, did you?
Of course.
Take him to that place immediately.
The party will go on as planned.
Doctor, are you all right now?
I'm fine. More importantly, where's Naoki-kun?
We're trying to track him down now.
I'm sorry. It was my fault.
If I had acted more cautiously...
It wasn't your fault, Doctor.
I'm the one who asked you to analyze the chip.
Anyway, let's just concentrate on finding Naoki-kun for now.
Okay.
Senpai.
- Sawada's starting to make a move. - Sawada is?
I had my colleagues from the Ministry stake out at the Royal Port Building.
The building with the lounge where Sawada often hangs out?
But looks like he evaded them.
Chief, we found the vehicle which we believe abducted Naoki-kun, so
I'm uploading it on our shared screen.
It was caught on a surveillance camera
at a gas station last night at around 21:17.
Where is the gas station?
60km north of the villa.
Looks like the vehicle continued heading northwest.
Northwest?
Yes, it's the opposite direction from the relay point.
All right.
Okuda-san, please continue with your search for the vehicle.
Will do.
Since they're going in the opposite direction, does that mean they're not heading to Cocoon?
Then where are they taking Naoki-kun?
I'm also concerned that Sawada started to move.
Saegusa.
Are there any facilities related to the Lyden Group to the north?
No, there shouldn't be any.
Hasebe-san, did you find out something?
There's no doubt.
Tabe Masaaki was staying at this hospital.
But it seems he was suddenly transferred to another hospital 5 days ago.
Transferred? Where?
The thing is, even his doctor wasn't told about it.
All we know is that a doctor named Samejima Takao made the arrangements.
Samejima Takao?
But it's weird.
This doctor named Samejima is a neurosurgeon.
As I recall, Tabe's problem was with his lung, right?
So why would he need a neurosurgeon?
The Japan Branch is sending a scientist to Cocoon once a month.
What is the name of that scientist?
The neurosurgeon...
Neurosurgeon.
Surely he's not the one who went to Cocoon...
"Samejima Takao, 38 years old. Neurosurgeon."
“Published numerous papers, mainly in the field of biotechnology."
Kohhi, look at this.
So this man is Naoki-kun's original...
It was a neurosurgeon named Samejima Takao
Body Hacker Japan Headquarters
who transferred Tabe Masaaki to another hospital.
Our investigation revealed that this man named Samejima
had participated in a workshop sponsored by Body Hacker Japan.
Yes, I remember him.
What is your relationship with this man?
It's not much of a relationship.
We just spoke a few times at the workshop.
What did you talk about?
We talked about his research.
Research?
Aha.
I figured out what Lyden Group's real objective is.
Samejima's research was about memory transplant.
Memory transplant?
Samejima was conducting a research on
transplanting human memory into another human being.
That's why he was doing research on identical twins.
For identical twins who possess the same genetic information,
the behavior of the brain synapses have the same tendencies.
In other words, they can have similar brain circuitry.
If the circuits are similar, data transfer may even be possible.
So Samejima thought that it might be possible to transfer memory
if the twins' brains were connected by a computer.
That's when he took an interest in the headgear that we at Body Hacker Japan developed.
Headgear?
You mean the brain machine interface?
This is the brain machine interface, isn't it?
If you connect the brain to the headgear, you can read that person's thoughts.
Samejima thought that it would be possible to
transfer the twins' memory by applying that technology.
Twins.
The same DNA.
Did he think he could do the same thing with the original and the clone?
Yes.
Could the Lyden Group be trying to perform
the transplant of the original's memory to the clone?
You create your own clone, and transplant your own memories into the clone.
By doing that, you can live your life all over again in a young body.
But what happens to the one who receives the memory transplant?
I don't know.
Whether the new memories replace the old memories, or
whether the memories merge with each other.
If Naoki-kun's memories are taken over, it would be the same thing as death for him.
I cannot allow that to happen.
I feel the same way.
We can't let Lyden Group make a sacrifice of Naoki-kun.
That's a surprise.
To hear something like that from you.
Is that a surprise?
As far as I know, your objective is the realization of immortality.
I thought you would be keenly interested in memory transplant through the use of clones.
It's just that I made a promise with Naoki-kun.
Promise?
That the next time we meet,
I'd have a book of mazes and Hideki's cape for him.
Hideki's cape?
Naoki-kun told me.
That you can go anywhere if you have the cape.
Mikawamachi, Inatori-gun, Ibaragi
Tabe Memorial Museum
Things are starting to get out of hand.
I believe it's only a matter of time before the existence of Cocoon comes to light.
Don't worry about that.
More importantly, there's no problem with the party, right?
But of course.
Even the headquarters in China
hasn't succeeded in the memory transplant of clones.
If we succeed in it first,
I believe Japan Branch's position will be markedly stronger.
Failure will not be tolerated.
I understand, Chairman.
Memory transplant, huh? This is getting crazier.
Just thinking about getting your body taken over by an old man in his late 70's
gives me the creeps.
We have to find out where Naoki-kun is before it's too late.
Senpai, take a look at this.
The relay point between Japan Branch and Cocoon, right?
Yes.
Even if they were traveling by truck,
I'm sure Cocoon's located within a 50km radius.
Since they're secretly raising more than a dozen children,
they need a facility that's large enough.
So we did a thorough search of all the facilities owned by the Lyden Group.
We then found out that they
owned a children's home through a certain dummy company.
Children's home?
"Sakura Primary Academy"?
What's more, this facility was closed 10 years ago,
and currently, it's supposedly no longer in use.
Then is this it?
Yes, I think it's Cocoon.
As expected of Chief's informant, you do good work.
Saegusa and Kurashiki-san, please check out this facility.
We'll go track down Naoki-kun.
Okuda, car!
You were born for the sake of your mother and father,
and eventually, the day will come when you give your body to that father or mother.
That is a very fortunate thing.
He's awake.
You're Naoki-kun, right?
Where am I?
You don't need to worry. You just came back to where you belong.
To where I belong?
That man is your original.
Original? You mean my father?
Naoki-kun.
The time to fulfill your mission has finally come.
- Get ready. - This is it, right?
I won't ask what's about to begin.
Go take a final look around the building.
Yes, sir.
That's the cleaner.
Cleaner. First time I've seen one.
You'll dissolve so be careful.
Oops.
Let's go.
That means that kid's gonna get dissolved, right?
I don't know.
Why did she have three containers?
I don't know.
Sakura Primary Academy
27km to Cocoon.
It's the relay point, isn't it?
Am I going to die now?
You don't need to be afraid.
Your teacher at school taught you, remember? That dying is a fortunate thing.
But Haruto turned out like that,
and he didn't look happy at all.
Sawada-san, Tabe-san's condition is deteriorating.
If we don't transplant the memory soon, it will be too late.
Thanks to you, he can continue to live on.
This is a wonderful thing.
That is what you were born for.
Doctor, we're here.
Can you see anything?
Chief, that's the vehicle, isn't it?
The vehicle that abducted Naoki.
Looks like this is the place as you thought.
But Doctor, how did you know?
In the northerly direction where the vehicle carrying Naoki-kun was heading,
there's a museum owned by Tabe Masaaki.
Upon hacking the satellite photo,
I found out that a large piece of equipment was brought in 4 days ago.
Hacking? Satellite, as in military satellite?
- Hey, don't ask any more questions. - But...
Okuda-san, it's all right.
Doctor, we're going inside now.
Okay.
Kohhi, Hasedon, Okki,
please rescue Naoki-kun.
Leave it to us. We'll be sure to get him out safely.
Chairman, we're done with the preparation.
Begin.
Thank you for your patience, everyone.
I'm Sawada, senior manager at Lyden Group, Japan Branch.
All of you gathered here for this party are
politicians, businessmen, celebrities from all walks of life,
and are the chosen ones who have succeeded socially.
For you all, I have a new product to offer.
Some of you may already had a clone made
as a spare to be used for organ transplant.
However, at this point in time, we have to admit that
clones for spares, as much as it costs to raise and maintain them,
there's not much of a payback.
But from now on, things will be different.
I would like to show to you all a new future using clones.
That would be the transplant of memories to a clone.
By connecting to each other's brains,
the memories of the original will be transplanted to the clone.
Then with rejuvenated body,
you will be able to live your life all over again.
Of course, getting younger isn't the only thing.
With the latest genome editing technology, you can also change the way you look.
Hey, look. I'll be right behind you.
It's me.
Can you go to my apartment right away? Yeah.
In the back of the closet there's an overnight bag.
I want you to take that and go to Choji-san's place. Yeah.
I feel uneasy for some reason.
Long time no see. You're looking good.
Hey, can you hear me? Sh, sh... can't hear me?
Gross!
Like making a body that doesn't get sick,
and customizing talent and ability at will,
your choices are infinite.
Moreover, memory transplant can be done over and over.
By continuing to transplant memories into the young body of a clone,
you can even evade death.
Naoki-kun.
The new product that we, the Japan Branch, offer to you...
it is the eternal dream of mankind,
immortality.
We will now go into the explanation of the product.
We offer the clone at a price of 10 billion yen a body.
In addition, there will be the raising and managing expenses,
as well as memory transplant expenses...
Thank you for your prompt purchase.
Thank you very much.
What are those guys doing?
They're selling and buying lives.
Lives...
Unforgivable.
Tabe-san's body won't hold up any longer.
Well then, everyone, thank you for your patience.
We will be showing you the world's first memory transplant procedure!
All right, that's it.
We're with the National Police Agency, Scientific Crime Countermeasures Office.
You're all under arrest for kidnapping of a minor as well as unlawful arrest and confinement.
Don't you guys move!
Whoa! That's violation of the Firearms Act!
- Okuda, go get him! - Okay!
What do you think you're doing!
Hey, hey, Doctor.
Where are you going?
Dissolve.
Dissolve!
Okuda, you haven't dissolved?
I haven't dissolved.
Tough.
Tough...
Anesthesia's the only thing that can win.
I told you, didn't I?
That I'll do whatever it takes to get the evidence.
You're finished now.
This is it, huh?
Let's go.
No one's here.
- What's going on?! - They beat us to it.
Naoki-kun.
You're going to be fine now.
This onee-chan beat them all up.
Yes, I did.
Soon after that, Tabe Masaaki passed away.
His condition deteriorated because he was forced to leave the hospital.
In the meantime at Cocoon,
by the time Saegusa and his colleagues arrived, it was already completely empty.
All the evidence had already been taken away.
Thanks for your hard work on this case.
What became of Sawada?
He confessed to all the charges.
The series of crime involving Lyden Group
was processed as crimes committed solely by Sawada.
Pinning the blame on a subordinate, huh?
What about Tsubaki Bunji?
He got off scot-free.
We never did find any evidence leading to Tsubaki, after all.
What about those people who were participating remotely at that time?
The Cybercrime Division investigated the matter, but
they couldn't track them down because they were going through overseas servers.
Anyway, don't look so glum.
Here's the DNA test result for Tabe Masaaki and Naoki-kun.
It's been proven that he's a clone.
Naturally, these documents cannot be publicized.
But as long as we have this in our hand, I doubt
Lyden Group would try to do anything weird to the folks at the Ministry.
Director.
Thank you for everything.
We learned that 2 days ago, Infa Transport ship
with 10 children on board made a voyage to China.
Does that mean
they sent the children from Cocoon to the China Headquarters in order to hide the evidence?
Moving forward, we'll be going after
Lyden Group's Headquarters in cooperation with the Chinese authorities.
Katsuragi-san, please be sure to rescue the children.
Yeah.
Leave the rest to us.
Thank you!
This is where I used to study with Haruto.
But Haruto is gone now.
My father died too.
I don't deserve to live anymore.
Naoki-kun.
Scientific Crime Countermeasures Office, huh?
Who are you?
Can I ask you a question?
Why do you take on a foe you know you can't beat?
Tsubaki Bunji.
I believe in science.
That as long as the power of science is used correctly,
it will illuminate the future of mankind with hope.
But you're using science to prey on life.
I cannot allow people like that to get away with it.
You must be an idealist.
Then you're taking on the wrong person.
There is no right or wrong way to use science.
It's all...
a matter of the needs of society.
The Apollo program succeeded because in the age of Cold War,
there was the mission to get to the moon before anyone else.
Cell phones, GPS, internet...
these technologies were also developed
because there was a need to dominate the countries in war.
The same goes for the development of drugs.
If there's a need for it, it will get developed, but
drug companies won't even touch drugs to treat unprofitable intractable diseases.
Are you trying to say that it's the same thing with clones?
"I want to live a long life."
"I don't want to die. I want to overcome death."
That is
the eternal desire for mankind.
As long as that desire exists,
no one can stop the development of human clones.
I'm not the one you should be taking on.
It's the human desire, itself.
What's wrong?
It's nothing.
It's nothing at all.
Oh, Naoki-kun.
Do you want to go out with us?
So this is the ocean.
I wish I could've seen it with Haruto.
Why was I the only one left behind...
Doctor.
What is this? It's water but it's salty!
Interesting, isn't it?
There are lots of things in this world that you can't tell by just looking.
You have to experience things for Haruto-kun too.
Naoki-kun.
Not all people are born with a mission.
Not everyone can find the meaning of life.
Even so...
Even so, people will live on.
Things you want to see, places you want to go... There are many more, aren't there?
- Doctor! - Watch out, here I come!
That was close...
You're going to be Naoki's guardian?
We got Naoki-kun a new name and family register.
Of course, we worked it out so that the public won't know that he's a clone.
Why did you decide to look after Naoki-kun?
I'm sorry, but you don't look like that type of guy.
I was born without both legs and arms.
My parents left me at an orphanage soon after I was born,
and I never knew their identity or their whereabouts.
You mean you felt pity for Naoki-kun who has no past?
It isn't pity.
It's because I'm the only one who can understand his loneliness.
I will think about Naoki-kun's independence above all else.
For his life hereafter,
I plan to let him do as he please and go wherever he wants.
"Wherever,“ did you say?
That's like Hideki's cape.
What's this?
- They're mazes Naoki-kun made himself. - He made them himself?
He wasn't satisfied with just solving mazes,
and started creating his own.
Let's see...
Naoki-kun was telling me that
"mazes are the most fun when you're trying to solve it."
"That's why I'm going to make mazes myself now“
"so that someone else can have fun."
So that someone else can have fun, huh?
But this is hard! Does this have a way out?
He said there's always a way out.
I'm going to solve this if it kills me.
Meat's ready!
Saegusa.
Senpai, I can't drink that fast.
I'm not young anymore, you know.
Thank you.
- But don't you get told a lot? - No, I don't.
Seriously, I almost didn't make it.
But for the first time in a while, I really thought I was going to die.
Really, huh?
I wouldn't have made it either if it wasn't for you.
Thanks.
Oh, please...
Stop that. We're friends, aren't we?
Pour me some too.
- Oh, if it isn't the doctor. - Here you go.
Wait, wait. That's too much.
Yay, rabbit apples!
So where is Naoki-kun going?
He'll be going to New Zealand.
Oh my, he's only 10 years old. Can he go study abroad by himself?
In New Zealand, they can study abroad by themselves from the age of 10.
There are children of the same age at the free school, so he'll be fine.
Besides, this is something Naoki-kun, himself, wished for.
"I want to see the big world with my own eyes," he said.
I see.
But it's worrisome, isn't it?
He'll do just fine.
Yes, he will.
Sera.
Mommy's grapes!
It finally bore fruits, huh?
Let's have an all-you-can-eat grapes special.
Ah~ no way, no way. Old people can't do all-you-can-eat.
Okay? Ready...
Oh! Can you reach it?
- Which way? - This way, this way.
Huh? This way?
- Stop! - Okay.
- Wah! - You got it!
- I got it! - You got it? Woah!
Wow, that's awesome.
- You got it! - Wow!
I wish Mommy was here too.
When we have a child,
let's pick grapes together.
Mommy's here too.
- I have a feeling that she is. - Eh?
Yeah! Let's all eat Mommy's grapes!
Daddy, go this way! This way!
- One more time? - Okay, let's pick, let's pick.
Oh, excuse me, but do you have a step ladder? A step ladder or something.
Oh, everyone! I'm going to guide you!
Really? Then Sera-chan, which one?
Here you go.
Oh, I knew you'd find one! Okay then, Okuda!
Pick them all!
- Okki, Okki. - Since you're the tallest.
You reached it!