Rei Ryghts: Ace Attorney

Turnabout of the Mobile Tank

by Derald Snyder

Investigation- Day 1 (Part 1)

April 15, 10:15 AM

Detention Center

Visitor's Room

Rei and Sophia sat down as they waited for Jacob to be escorted from his cell. As he walked in and sat down, Rei realized this the first time she'd actually seen his face.. a young, boyish face with sharp green eyes, framed by short black hair with small red streaks, slightly spiked in the back... Instead of the red and white armor Rei remembered him wearing, he was dressed in standard prison garb.

"H-hello there, Mr. Fredrick," Rei politely greeted. "D-do you remember w-who I am?"

"Uhhh..." Jacob blinked a few times. "...Aren't you the actress who played the villain in 'The Revengers' movie?"

The former goddess actually found herself blushing slightly at this. "W-well, yes, that's t-true..."

"Jacob, don't you remember?" Sophia cut in. "This is the woman we saved from freezing to death almost two years ago!"

"Huh...?" The boy narrowed his eyes for a moment, before it finally came back to him. "Oh yeah! Now I remember! You're that woman the guys at the emergency room were afraid to admit for whatever reason! ...but what are you doing here?"

"Mr. Fredrick, I'm a lawyer," Rei indicated her badge. "And the time has come for me to repay my debt to you."

"You are? You mean, you'll take my case? Really?!"

"Really and truly, Mr. Fredrick. And I'll be working pro bono, so don't worry about money..."

"She works for the best defense attorney in Lowee, so I think we have a decent probability of actually beating these false charges," stated Sophia.

Jacob just chuckled. "That's just like you, Sophia... always recommending the best tool for the job, so to speak..."

Rei then cleared her throat. "A-anyway, g-getting down to b-business... Mr. Fredrick, could you p-please tell me what happened, f-from your own p-perspective?"

"Just Jacob is fine, Miss..."

"Rei. Rei Ryghts."

"Right," Jacob nodded, though Sophia gave the lawyer a slightly shocked look. "Okay, so this is how things went down... Sophia and I were patrolling the area in our mobile tank, watching for any signs of trouble, when all of a sudden we hear a lady screaming! Sophia pinpointed the heat signature, so I revved the tank into gear and got moving... and then, THUMP-THUMP! We ran over something... something big! So I got out of the vehicle to see what we hit... I dig away a little snow, and it was a man!" Jacob paused to take a breath. "I dunno how the heck we hit him... Neither Sophia or I saw anything... Anyway, I hear a scream, and I look up to see this young woman pointing at me, crying 'Murderer!' And then... I think she pulled a taser on me..."

"You 'think' she did?" Rei pressed.

"Well, I don't remember actually seeing it, but I do remember getting shocked into dreamland... next thing I know, I'm in the back of a police van with handcuffs on my wrists." Jacob shrugged helplessly. "And so here I am..."

"Hmmm..." Rei closed her eyes in thought for a moment. "Is it possible that the scream you heard came from the same woman who tased you?"

"I dunno," Jacob sighed. "I mean, a lot of girls sound the same when they shriek in horror or whatever..."

"They did sound similar," Sophia supplied. "But Jacob has a point- it doesn't necessarily mean they were the same woman..."

Rei nodded. "Alright then... how about the victim? Do you have any idea who he is?"

"Not a clue," Jacob shrugged. "He was face-down when I found him... never got a chance to look at his face before that lady showed up."

"Norris Linebeck, a local sheriff," Sophia spoke up. "At least, that's what the police told me..."

"What?! A sheriff?!" the young man cried in distress, lowering his head and running his hands through his hair. "Aw, man... I can't believe this...!"

(Guess that explains why they're so eager to prosecute...) Rei mulled to herself. "B-but how d-do we know th-that he wasn't a-already d-dead when you ran o-over him?"

"That is a distinct possibility," Sophia nodded. "If he was already dead, and his corpse covered with snow in the interim, that would mean our running him over was just an unlucky coincidence..."

"That would seem to be the best angle to argue from for now," Rei nodded. "But first, I'd like to see the crime scene for myself..."

"Well, I'm sure Sophia can point you in the right direction," said Jacob. "Even if it was an accident, though, I'm still gonna feel guilty over this..."

"I'm pretty sure this is the part where I say, 'Keep your mouth shut,'" Rei stated firmly. "If the p-prosecution hears you say that, they'll t-twist it to fit their case... I-I've seen it happen b-before..."

"Point taken," the young man agreed, "So I'll just say, good luck..."

April 15

Taxi Cab- En Route to Iris Field

"By the way..." Rei spoke up, "W-what exactly is it th-that you and Jacob d-do a-anyway?"

"Well..." Sophia began, "technically, our official occupation is 'bounty hunter', but Jacob doesn't like that description... He's more of a good-natured vigilante, traveling the land and helping people however he can..."

"S-so how d-did you two meet?" the lawyer inquired.

"My mother is a professor of robotics engineering," the blonde explained, "And Jacob was one of her brightest students, with a curious streak a mile wide... So when she mentioned a new mobile tank she was designing, he jumped at the opportunity to help test it... That's when he met me." She smiled a little. "Actually, I was supposed to be the one designated to operate the mobile tank, but when Jacob got in the driver's seat, he proved to be far more adept with it than I... So we formed a partnership of sorts. He drives the tanks and operates its weapon systems, while I provide support and maintenance."

(Sounds like a purely platonic relationship, so far,) Rei mused. "W-well, you t-two do seem to m-make a g-good couple..."

Sophia's eyes widened slightly as her face colored briefly. "I... we... that is... *ahem* W-we are just friends right now. Nothing more. But that friendship will be sundered forever if we don't get Jacob cleared..."

"D-don't worry," Rei promised, "I swear I will d-do everything I c-can t-to prove your f-friend's innocence in c-court!"

"I'm sure you will," Sophia nodded. "By the way... Rei Ryghts... isn't that the name of a psychotic CPU who nearly leveled Planeptune some time back?"

The lawyer's eyes went wide with shock. (NOW she brings that up?!) She heaved a forlorn sigh. "Yes, that was me..." She then explained what had happened as best she could...

"I see," the blonde nodded as Rei finished. "So you don't have any memory of what happened... But does that mean, in that movie you starred in... did you actually transform, or was that CGI?"

"Y-yes, I can still transform to HDD," Rei admitted. "B-but it's usually s-something I'll only d-do i-if I have n-no other ch-choice... Th-thankfully, I've m-manged to s-stay in control, but... well, th-that's why Lady Blanc k-keeps a c-close eye on me..."

"Understandable," Sophia nodded. "Well, I won't judge you for your past actions..." Suddenly, the cab stopped.

"We're here, ladies," the driver announced.

"O-oh, right!" Rei grunted as she dug through her purse to pay the cabbie.

"No need," Sophia shook her head as she pulled out a card. "Do you take a credit card?"

"Yeah, sure," the cabbie nodded as he took the card and swiped it, the reader soon printing a receipt. "There you are," he handed the card and receipt back.

"Th-thanks, Sophia," said Rei. "OK, t-time to investigate the c-crime scene..."

To be continued...