Hacker's Memory 20 HM

Section

Cases

Lines

194

Interested GuyAh, I see that sign caught your attention, too.

Player?

Interested GuyThe "Super Ultra True Puppet"... It's quite the intriguing name, that's for sure.

Interested GuyLike the name says, it's an exquisitely crafted doll made to look just like a real human being that you can buy online, or so I hear.

Interested GuyThough calling it "Super" and "Ultra True" is a tad redundant. They could have gotten the point across without using both terms.

Interested GuyIt's actually not that expensive. I'm thinking of saving up my money and buying one myself.

Interested Guy...And it's made by "Jorogumo Co., Ltd." A nice, snappy name for a company, although there's a bit of a sketchy vibe to it, too.

Interested GuyAnyway, I wonder who the model behind this doll is, too, come to think of it...

KyokoHey, a case has come in from Mei at the Inoden Occult Research Club. Drop by the office when you can, all right?

MeiDetective Kuremiiii! You have to help us! You have to help us, please!!!

LilyMei, calm down! I'm sure she'll help us!

KyokoTell me what's going on. What's wrong?

KyokoGiven that this is business from the Occult Club, I take it we've got another supernatural case on our hands?

MeiYeah... I mean... I mean, no... Probably. I don't think...this has anything to do with the occult this time.

KyokoOh? Then why all the big fuss?

LilyWell...there are apparently these "dolls" being sold on the Internet that look just like me and Mei.

Player!?

KyokoYou must be referring to the "Super Ultra True Puppets." I've heard rumors about them. All right, tell me more.

MeiThese dolls, their faces, their bodies... everything from top to bottom looks just like us. They're so accurate, it's creepy...

LilyAaaand, to make matters worse, they're being sold real cheap! You'd think they could go for at least a little more money on the market!

MeiUh...that's not really the problem here. You get that, right?

LilyBut it still sucks! It makes me feel like they see me as some kind of cheap piece of junk!

MeiI mean I find it weird, too, that your doll costs several thousand yen more than mine, but...

LilyWait, so you do care about the prices after--

MeiI said it's not important! Anyway, these dolls that look just like us are being bought by otaku all over the place.

MeiAnd when I think about what those guys are probably doing with, er, TO them...it just really creeps me out.

KyokoHmm...you know, this reminds of another incident. I wonder if this is connected to that.

LilyWhat kind of incident?

KyokoThere's a really dicey-looking service out there that's call the "Perfect Girl Project."

KyokoYou can use it to get a living doll made in the image of your "ideal girl" and live the life you've always dreamed of.

KyokoBut, the police have been hearing about how owners of these dolls are going missing. I was just discussing it with Detective Matayoshi.

MeiSuper Ultra True Puppets... and living dolls made in the images of people's dream girls...

LilyI guess they sound like they could be related, but are you sure there's really a connection?

KyokoThat's the tough part to prove. To make dolls that look so similar to how you two really are, it'd take having pretty specific data on your bodies.

KyokoI imagine getting your hands on something like that isn't exactly easy...

MeiActually, I have an idea how they might have managed to pull it off.

MeiThere's an "LDC" machine in an arcade in Akihabara that I think might be suspicious...

Kyoko"LDC"...? You don't mean "Lustful Dream Chicks," do you? They're certainly not one for subtlety if that's the case.

LilyNo no, not that! I mean "Living Doll Club"! That's what LDC stands for!

MeiRight. It's a machine that scans all of your body and makes a 3D-printed figure of it.

MeiOur data could have somehow leaked out of that, I guess...

KyokoHmm... I definitely can't deny the possibility.

KyokoThen our next step is clear. We need to head straight to Akihabara and gather info on this Living Doll Club machine.

KyokoThat'll be your job, Player. As for me, I'll see if I can dig up anything else regarding the Perfect Girl Project.

LilyI think those dolls are called "Super Hyper Ultra Lookalikes" or something like that...

Odd ManYou there!

Odd ManI can tell from your body language you're frustrated and unhappy!

Player!?

Odd ManYeah, I'm talking about you!

Odd ManI know this is outta the blue, but I bet you're into beautiful women, aren't you?

Player?

Odd ManHahaha, you're a really interesting person!

Odd ManI'll have you know that I sell top-notch dolls of only the prettiest girls. Maybe you've heard of them, they're called "Super Ultra True Puppets."

Player!!!

Odd ManIf you want, I can let you have one for cheap.

PlayerI won't know if I want it unless you show me. How can I buy anything without seeing it? You sure don't know when to quit.

Odd ManGo ahead, check this one out for yourself!

Player!!!

Odd ManGranted, this one's an ugly one that was made as an experiment, and it hasn't sold well. But you understand how real my dolls look now, right?

PlayerCould have fooled me! Yeah, it IS pretty ugly. Still looks better than the real thing.

Odd ManWell, if you're interested in having one of these for yourself now...

Odd ManI've got something even better, but it's a top- secret service. Nobody can know... Mwahaha.

Player?

Odd ManLet me ask you, how are you doing health-wise?

Player!?

PlayerBest I've ever been! Well enough. Meh. Could be better, could be worse.

Odd ManGreat to hear! Really, even if you weren't 100% perfect, you'd probably still be fine...

Player?

Odd ManI bet you're bored with how your day-to-day life is going. Wouldn't you love to just throw it all away and spend it with the girl of your dreams?

Odd ManDoesn't that just sound fantastic?

Player?

Odd ManBecause with the "Perfect Girl Project," I can offer you exactly that.

Player!!!

Odd ManWith the Perfect Girl Project, you can have your ideal girl recreated and sent straight to your room as a living, breathing human being.

Odd ManThere's just one condition you have to abide by if you use this service.

Odd ManJust one condition and you can be free from the tedium you've lived with up until now!

Odd ManMwahaha, I bet you're wondering just what that condition actually is? I understand, that's a fair question to ask.

Odd ManTell you what, I'll let you in on that condition, free of charge.

Odd ManThe one condition is that once your dream girl has been sent to your room, you can never leave it for the rest of your life! Simple, right!?

Player!?

Odd ManOh, you don't have to worry about survival. The girls take care of that for you. So what do you think? Not a bad deal, right?

Player...

PlayerLet me think about it. My heart isn't quite ready yet... I should talk to my mom first.

Odd ManThat's okay, take all the time you need to think. Once you know you want one, just get in touch and I'll make it happen... Mwahaha!

PlayerRight now, I think I'll just go check out the LDC machine at the arcade.

Odd Man...

Odd ManThe Perfect Girl Project is a top secret service provided by Jorogumo Co., Ltd. If you're interested, just come talk to me... Mwahaha!

KyokoHow's your investigation into the LDC machine coming along?

KyokoAh...so you're just about to get started on it.

KyokoThat's good timing, because I'm detecting a faint Digital Noise signature close to where you're standing.

KyokoYou better take a close look at that arcade machine. I bet you'll find some clues about how these Super Ultra True Puppets are being made.

KyokoAs usual, this case is starting to take some weird turns, so be ready for anything in there.

PlayerLooks like I can Connect Jump into the LDC unit...

KyokoHmm? You encountered a suspicious man out by the LDC machine?

InfermonI TAKE PEOPLE'S DATA, MAKE DOLLS FROM IT

InfermonLOTS AND LOTS OF DOLLS, DOLLS THAT STEAL SOULS THEN PEOPLE BECOME DOLLS

InfermonTHE DOLLS ARE LIFELIKE, THE PEOPLE ARE DEATHLIKE

InfermonHUH? WHO, WHAT ARE YOU?

InfermonANY INTERFERENCE MUST BE PUNISHED

InfermonANY INTERFERENCE MUSTTT BEEE PUNISHEDDDDD!!!

PlayerThere's something on the ground...

Odd ManD-d-did you j-just come...out of the...out of the LDC machine?

Player?

Odd ManY-you're not with the cops or something, are you!? Are you!?

Player!?

PlayerSomething like that! I'm a Cyber Sleuth! I'm the cops' secret weapon!

Odd ManOh...

Odd ManI didn't realize that was who I was hitting up... I must not be on top of things like I used to be.

Odd ManWell, I've made a good amount of money as it is... Maybe it's time to call it good enough for now.

Player?

Odd ManDon't bother trying to come after me! If there's one thing I'm still good at, it's running away! See you!

Player!!!

Player...

KyokoSo the perpetrators behind this case are probably that salesman you met and a Digimon, working together...

KyokoIt's unfortunate he got away, but we'll live.

KyokoAs we suspected, those two probably used that LDC unit to gather up girls' data, and then used it to make the Super Ultra True Puppets.

LilyThen does that mean you guys checked out the LDC unit in Akiba?

MeiThat probably means you have a good idea of who's behind our dolls then, right?

KyokoDon't get too excited. We didn't arrest the guy, but we've got him cornered. I doubt he'll try to pull something like this again anytime soon.

KyokoBut the question still remains as to what's become of the Perfect Girl Project now... Hmm...

KyokoAt the very least, we know each doll's looks are derived from a real person.

KyokoThe dolls' realism is then used to help sway potential candidates to join the project.

MeiBut what is the Perfect Girl Project even really about in the first place?

LilyI think Detective Kuremi mentioned that people who are a part of it have been disappearing, right?

KyokoIndeed. Player actually picked up some rather useful information about what's required of anybody who does join the project.

Lily...Wh-what is it?

KyokoAnybody who has their dream girl sent to their room can never leave it, ever. I'm sure I don't need to explain why that's probably a bad deal.

KyokoOh? What's this...? My, it's a URL left at the scene of the crime.

KyokoThis might come in handy. Player, I want you to go to that URL and check it out.

KyokoBut...don't worry about going too deep inside.

KyokoWe don't know what you'll find in there. It's very possible we could be dealing with something extremely dark and sinister.

MeiDark and...

LilySinister?

KyokoWe're talking as grim as the stuff you look at for fun in your club... Maybe even more so.

KyokoWhatever's on the other side, it's not going to pretty by any means.

Dreaming GuyHuh? Who are you? A... Cyber Sleuth...? Heh, man, this place sure is getting crowded now.

Dreaming GuyIs this my room? Yeah, of course it is.

Dreaming GuyWhat's this about it being inside EDEN?

Dreaming GuyHaha, stop joking around. This is clearly the real world! How could I be in cyberspace!?

Dreaming GuyWho are all these girls around me? They're my dream girls... My dream girls as pure, pristine dolls...

Dreaming GuyYep, this has all been made possible thanks to the Perfect Girl Project! You really know your stuff!

Dreaming GuyAs promised, in exchange for these dolls, I've stayed locked up inside my room.

Dreaming GuyLife with these girls is the best! I couldn't be happier! They take care of everything I need...

Dreaming GuyReally, I don't see any reason to ever leave this place anyway. It's perfect here!

Dreaming GuyBut this really is inside EDEN?

Dreaming GuyAhahahaha, cut it out already with that, man! Are you sure you're not the one who's actually dreaming right now?

Player...

KyokoHuh. All right then...

KyokoSo that URL led you to one of the victims of the Perfect Girl Project.

MeiVictim...? What do you mean?

KyokoRemember, to join the project, you have to stay holed up inside your room for the rest of your life.

KyokoBut in reality, he was lured into EDEN and now he's living with those girls there while he's actually unconscious.

LilyBut then that means...

KyokoRight. The so-called "life" he's leading with those girls in cyberspace is just one big lie. The whole thing's just a sad scam.

KyokoAnybody who falls prey for it is unwittingly imprisoning themselves for life inside cyberspace, thinking they've never left the real world at all.

MeiThat makes sense... It's also makes sense if you think about the name of the company behind it, Jorogumo...

Player?

MeiJorogumo is a mythical spider who appears as a beautiful woman to attract men to her waterfall. They'd plunge in for her and die at her hands.

KyokoOhoho, I knew if there was anyone here who'd know about this, it'd be you, Mei. You really know your occult history.

LilyOkay, so I get all that, but why go to the trouble of locking victims up in their room and then imprisoning them in cyberspace?

KyokoIf somebody's stuck inside EDEN thinking they're still in the real world and don't log out, then...

KyokoAll that's left inside the locked rooms are living bodies...which could be used for any number of things.

MeiLike... Like what?

KyokoAccording to police investigations, the victims' bodies are carried off by a third party and taken overseas to foreign countries.

LilyWhat? Why would anyone do that?

KyokoA lot of the applicants are young and healthy. There are who knows how many people around the globe who'd want such fresh bodies.

Player!!!

KyokoDo any of you have an idea as to how much you can sell organs for on the black market?

MeiThat's... That's so horrible!

KyokoWe don't know for sure that it's anything along those lines. It's just a theory right now.

Lily*shiver* Just thinking about it gives me real goosebumps...

MeiAaaaaaaaaaanyway! About that guy your assistant met a little while ago, what do you think has happened to him?

KyokoIt's hard to know for certain... On the one hand, his body might already be lost forever...

KyokoBut, on the other hand, we might still have a shot at saving him. Might as well see if we can still call out to him.

KyokoBut we should be prepared for the worst...

Dreaming GuyHmm? What's this?

Dreaming Guy"Please, you need to log out"...

Dreaming GuyIs this another one of that kid's pranks?

Dreaming GuyHow many times do I have to tell you, buddy? I'm in the real world! I couldn't log out even if I wanted to!

Dreaming GuyYou must be pretty clueless if you think this could possibly be inside EDEN, ahahaha!

Dreaming GuyAhaha... ahaha... ha...

Dreaming Guy...

Dreaming Guy...

Dreaming GuyWell, it couldn't hurt to try.

Dreaming GuyI mean there's no way it'll work. That's not how it works in the real world. I mean, come on.

Dreaming Guy...

Dreaming Guy...

Dreaming GuyHuh?

Dreaming GuyWhat am I... What am I seeing here?

Dreaming GuyI don't get it...

Dreaming Guy...

Dreaming Guy"Error: Nowhere to log out"...

KyokoThe line between dreams and reality can be murky. It's why I can't dismiss the possibility outright. Who are we to say we don't live in a dream?

PlayerLet's listen to what that guy has to say...

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