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Layer 07; Society: Lain sits in front of her NAVI. She talks to the screen, thinking she is different when she is on the WIRED and that her sister has changed too. There appears to be a different Lain on the WIRED and she does not want to become that Lain. In the city, a man walks through the crowd - he has a NAVI unit strapped to his back in a backpack and is wearing VR goggles. He mutters as he walks along, saying that he should be able to join the Knights because of his contribution to the WIRED - not only is he going where he wants, he is on the WIRED at the same time. A gorgeous executive assistant sits in a chair, waiting for a young businessman to finish his work. He watches her as she uncrosses her legs and switches positions. She informs him he has an appointment now and he says in three more minutes. She leaves the room. He goes back to his NAVI. A strange symbol appears on the screen. Lain sits at her desk, holding a portable NAVI. She continues to investigate what has happened and continually navigates the WIRED through her touch screen. Arisu watches from the other side of the room. A dirty apartment with a fat man laying on his stomach on a mattress on the floor, typing on his NAVI. The symbol flashes on the screen. He criticizes, saying he is different. Lain stands on top of the school roof. Arisu comes over and tells Lain she is acting like herself again. Lain just nods. Arisu says her friends were taking her out a lot because they were worried about her. She apologizes to Lain because of this, because she knows Lain does not like to go out that often. Lain says it was all right and they hold hands, smiling at each other. The news channel on the WIRED describes a breakdown by the Knights in the protocol that the news "may reach you tomorrow or yesterday", then talks about Lain. The delivery boy comes into the apartment where a mother watches her son play a video game. She says she has to get her stamp and he checks her out as she walks away. They talk and he notices her NAVI, then talks about his own, that he cannot afford one like that. He volunteers his services if she needs any help but she thinks he is hitting on her. He leaves and she goes back to her son, opening the package only to have a daughterboard fall out - the large chip has the mysterious symbol. Lain walks home. The two men in black encounter her and ask her to join them. Lain does not want to but they say all her questions will answered if she comes with them and they do not mean to harm her. She gets in. The man with the NAVI on his back continues to wonder the streets, begging to be let into the Knights. A girl shows up on his screen - Lain. The cars stop in front of the Tachibana Research Labs and Lain walks in front of the two men. She walks into the room to find a man with an ancient PC. He says he the machine is too old to accept the company's firewall but it was his first machine and he does not want to get rid of it. Asking Lain if she can fix it, she is hesitant at first, then changes several things around. The man is impressed. Suddenly, the screen comes on and the conversation between the man and alternate Lain comes on - he accuses her of being part of the Knights but she ignores him. Lain backs away. The man continues to try and contact the Knights, saying he will worship their God. His viewer flickers and the images of the other people who had the mysterious symbols on their screen flicker by. The man sitting in front of Lain turns to her and begins to sternly question her - when was her father born, birthdays, when did they get married? Lain cannot answer. Confused, she tries to get away but the men in black block her. Suddenly, Lain's personality changes. The men in black watch her but the other man continues on, explaining how the WIRED and the real world appear to be merging. Lain leaves the room. In a secluded ditch with the highway far above, the body of the man with the NAVI on his back lays dead. His goggles continue to flicker images. Layer 08; Rumors: Taro is playing a game on the WIRED. He holds a giant sword and sheathes it behind him, then watches the clouds go by. Lain comes to him and asks about Tachibana Research Laboratories. He does not know, then sees a foe - a large monster. Taking his sword out, he slays the beast. Lain does not see the point of all this killing. Lain is back in her house. She comes down to the kitchen to get a glass of water and sees her parents sitting on the couch but they do not look at her. She tells them what happened the other day but they do not respond to her. As she washes her glass, she looks over her shoulder to see both of them watching her. When she leaves the room, Miho says they should make the most of the time they have left. The next morning. Arisu walks up to Lain and confronts her about what she did. Reika and Juri also confront Lain but she does not know what they are talking about. Arisu says she believes her. Suddenly, Arisu sees a teacher checking in with the school guard. She runs off after him as the other girls tease her. Lain is left alone. Lain sits in class, using her portable NAVI. In a chat room with headless people who only have mouths, she stands in the middle of two endless rows. She listens as the users think the Knights are American hackers and other WIRED rumors. She hears a voice coming from above her and all around her. It talks about God. Lain wants to know more. The voice says he is omnipresent. Lain returns to the real world. Something is wrong. She looks up and her teacher is standing right in front of her. The entire class is looking at her. Her NAVI beeps, announcing she has mail. The message is typed out: Lain is a peeping tom. Unable to bear the eyes on her, Lain runs away. But everyone in the hall is watching her. She runs outside but the people continue to watch her. She goes onto the school roof and collapses, calling for Arisu. But she is not there. Lain wonders what her alternate self was doing in the WIRED. Arisu sits in front of her NAVI. She fantasizes about the teacher; he warns her about what they are about to do but she responds she wants to. Her hand moves to her lap. She thinks she sees something out of the corner of her eye. Lain is sitting on Arisu's bed with a huge grin. Lain taunts her that she is in love with... Arisu realizes that it really was Lain who spread the rumors around the school but Lain just laughs at her, causing Arisu to cry. Lain is on her NAVI. The powerlines outside shoot sparks as Lain searches for her alternate self. She finds alternate-Lain still sitting on Arisu's bed with a grimace. Lain has had enough and tries to strangle her but alternate-Lain respond she is committing suicide. Lain realizes she is warm. Alternate-Lain laughs and says she is her. Lain shrieks out. Everyone in the chat room sprouts a head - a mannequin of Lain. Lain hears the voice saying she has always been with the WIRED but Lain cannot believe it. She begins knocking the bodies down and a head lays on the ground, the mouth still moving. The voice continues that the WIRED is for exchanging information. Lain challenges the voice that if she did have the power, she could rewrite the memory of others. God encourages her to try it. Lain walks towards the school when the other girls coming running up to her. It seems Arisu has no memory of what happened. She takes a step towards them but alternate-Lain steps out of her. She goes over to the girls and start talking to them, walking passed the now invisible Lain. Lain calls after them but them do not hear. Lain returns to her NAVI and wonders who she is. |
