PHOENIX WRIGHT ACE ATTORNEY: GLOBAL OPERATION
~~~ EPISODE 1: THE TURBULENT TURNABOUT ~~~
~~~ INTRODUCTION ~~~
"Electrical problem."
"Where?"
"And damage to No. 1 engine."
The plane captain reached for the radio and contacted the other side of the line. "Air traffic, how far to the runway?"
In the air traffic control tower, one of the air traffic controllers responded to the captain's call. "Eight." Eight miles.
There was a pause. Then the captain spoke, "We'll make it."
The soft whirring of the plane as it descended through the rainy clouds over the coast of Los Angeles were interrupted by a deafening explosion, rocking the plane violently.
"What's that?"
One of the crew members assessed the situation. "Engines 1 and 2 are down! They're…"
The captain immediately responded. "Brace your positions! Report status."
Another crew member, stationed in the cargo hold, was looking around and assessing the environment. Because of the previous explosion, some of the lights in the cargo hold went out. "There's a box here near the…"
Suddenly, another explosion rocked the plane, knocking the crew member out as he hit his head on the wall.
"I'm hit!" came one of the crew members through the radio.
The captain sounded frantic. "What?"
"Shrapnel… debris everywhere," answered the first crew member, the one who stated that the two engines were down. "Crews 3 and 4 are knocked out."
The captain grunted. "We're almost there. Crews, get everyone out of the shaft!"
At that moment, a second air traffic controller responded, "All runways available. Pick your spot. You're four to touchdown."
The first controller said in response but to the other controller, "I'll go get Captain Hugo. He has the manual."
The plane captain responded over the radio, "We're three." At three miles to touchdown, however, a third explosion rocked the plane. The cargo plane had suffered extensive damage but, to the captain's amazement, was still flying strong. Would they make it?
"What happened? Crew?"
One of the crew members who managed to endure the three explosions responded through their radio, "We made it."
The plane captain felt relieved for a moment. "Alright, we advise everyone to brace for impact."
All of a sudden, another explosion rocked the plane. This time, it came from the cargo hold.
"Can't those things stop?" The captain was gritting through his teeth.
"It's from that box?" The volume of the crew member was inaudible because of the strong wind that passed through a hole. This was confirmed when the cockpit of the plane began blaring warning signals.
"Dammit," hissed the captain.
The air traffic controller went back on transmission. "You're already visible."
"We just have to make it there," grunted the plane captain.
Taking the opportunity, the plane captain did everything he could to assess the situation while he fixed the controls and relied on the master caution feature to override. However, when he flipped the switch for the landing gear, he panicked.
"I can't get the landing gear down!"
"Override!" said the air traffic controller.
"No! I can't!"
"Override!"
The captain, desperate to land the plane safely, realized it was too late to do so. In his panic to override the alarm, he did not slow down the plane as it approached the runway in a deadly breakneck speed.
"Mayday! Mayday!" called the captain. "Do you…? Gah…!"
All of a sudden, another explosion, this time a softer one and not as lengthy as the other ones, was heard before the transmission cut off.
In the air traffic control tower, the first controller quickly bounced off from his seat and scrambled out of the radio room, leaving the second controller in his way. The first controller descended the lonely stairs and approached a figure slowly making their way upstairs.
The lightning suddenly flashed, pulsing through the glass windows like an eerie scene in a spooky classic movie.
"Captain Hugo!" the controller said, recognizing the figure behind his gray uniform and the captain's cap. "We have an emergency!"
The first person, Captain Hugo, looked up, his mustache frizzed with stress. "Hm? I'm aware of that."
"Yes, sir… and…" When the controller looked up, his eyes registered with realization… and fright. "Wait, you're…!"
*BANG*
The glass window crashed as a person was hurled backward. The body, already pierced by a gunshot bullet to the heart, fell five floors down with the sparkling shattered glass as the raindrops plunked on his lifeless body. As it landed with a thud on the grass below, the victim's eyes rolled upward one last time to see the silhouette of a person with long hair gracefully fleeting with the wind gathering through the glass hole before the victim rolled into the oblivion of eternal darkness of the night.
~~~ PART 1: DAY 1 TRIAL FORMER ~~~
August 12; 9:18 AM
District Court; Defendant Lobby No. 3
*RING* beeped the cellphone. Athena picked up her phone from the defendant lobby table and answered the call. "Athena Cykes here," she answered.
From the other side of the phone, a cheerful male voice responded, "Good morning! And good luck with the trial!"
"M-Mercury?" she said.
"Yep. I'm still looking for anything related to the case. I have a feeling something big will come out."
"Uh-huh… good luck on that one!"
"Hmm, why less cheerful today?"
Athena sighed. "It's just… I haven't conducted a trial for a while."
"And you'll be fine out there," Mercury piped, his enthusiasm beaming straight into Athena's soul just from words over telecommunication.
"Heh, thanks!"
"That was some talk," a confident voice said behind Athena.
Athena turned to talk to her client, a woman her height and dressed in a suit for air traffic controllers in the International Airport. She did not seem nervous today, probably in the faith that Athena would get her off the hook.
"One of my co-workers wished us good luck," Athena told her client.
"How very thoughtful."
Athena nodded then flashed a victory sign. "Just hang in there and this will be done in a jiffy."
The client smiled. "I'm glad you're still energetic even after these years."
("Our client for today is Anna Nuncer. She works at the International Airport as an air traffic controller. We were classmates only for a year when I was in primary. I owe her for finding enthusiasm. Now I have to return the favor.")
"Our boss always told us to keep smiling," Athena said.
"And the evidence?"
"Right! I might have found a good lead."
"Sounds good," Anna smiled.
("Actually, I never really got the chance to review the evidence because of the sudden request… But still…!")
"Well, I just hope it ends well," said another voice behind the two ladies.
Athena turned around to see a youthful man wearing a pilot's uniform. He had long flowing jet-black hair that curled down to his shoulders. He had a fair complexion, a seemingly nasty but determined attitude, and a demeanor that made him look like a prankster. The shiny silver nameplate over his chest read his name, "Capt. Baerdly Flynn."
"Capt. Flynn, you're here!" said Anna, relieved.
Flynn nodded. "Like I said yesterday, Anna. You're innocent."
Anna sighed. "If… if only it were that easy."
Flynn smiled, almost ear-to-ear. He turned to Athena. "Miss Lawyer, please do everything in your power to relieve her of all charges, y'hear?"
("I'm not really comfortable with his over-the-top personality, but…")
Athena nodded. "Of course!" She pumped a fist to her other palm. "We'll do everything it takes!
Capt. Flynn nodded as he adjusted his nameplate. "I'll be watching from the gallery. Good luck!" With that, he strutted out from the defendant lobby.
"I'm glad I chose you to be my attorney," Anna said, relieved. "I hope this will end well for the both of us."
"You can count on that!" ("… if we won't be backed into corners all the time.")
The lobby doors flung open. "Will the defendant and her attorney proceed to Courtroom No. 2? The trial will begin shortly."
"It's time," Athena told Anna softly.
"Let's do this," Anna said, still smiling.
"Even as you're the one in trial, you're always on the bright side."
("My name is Athena Cykes, a lawyer in the what-I-believe esteemed Wright Anything Agency. I've been employed for a year and handled my own trials. The case today is your usual murder. The scene: the International Airport where our client works. Even though I had limited access to the crime scene, I've picked up some information from our client during our talk yesterday in the detention center.")
As Athena and Anna made their way to the courtroom while being assisted by two bailiffs, she reviewed the pieces of evidence through the holographic screen projected by Widget, her technological necklace. Anna was ahead with bailiffs on both side – not that she would escape easily but it was all part of the protocol.
There were two pieces of evidence accepted and listed in the Court Record during the pre-trial: (1) the victim's badge ripped off from his personage; the badge contained a set of unidentified fingerprints; (2) the flight recording delivered by representatives of the Aviation Board. Athena had listened to the flight recording numerous times and found a few spots to dig for questions.
("No turning back now… this is now or never!") Athena took a deep breath and followed her client into the courtroom.
August 12; 9:30 AM
District Court; Courtroom No. 1
DAY 1 – Court Is Now In Session; ALL RISE
"Court is now in session for the trial of Ms. Anna Nuncer," the Judge announced.
"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor," the prosecutor, Gaspen Payne, said.
("Wait… you?!") Athena slumped over her desk.
Gaspen Payne chuckled. "I apologize if I have to stand here as the prosecutor, young lady. You see, the prosecutor from the pre-trial fell ill. It's generous to have the chief prosecutor appoint me to head the case."
("Cut me some slack here! I'm calling in sick as well…")
"Why him again?" Widget beeped.
The Judge cleared his throat. "It's better to have both sides ready than to have none at all. I'm sure we can agree on that, lady and gentleman."
Athena recovered from her momentary shock. "A-Anyway, the defense is ready."
The Judge turned to Prosecutor Payne. "Please proceed with the opening statement, Prosecutor Payne."
Payne cleared his throat mightily for the audience to listen as if his words were that of a divine messenger. "A week ago, news programs erupted with news of a sensational murder in the International Airport. Minutes after the crime, police apprehended a suspect – whom you see today standing in the defendant's box. And the murder…?" He pulled out copies of the autopsy report inside a manila envelope and had these distributed to the Judge and to the defense attorney. "The victim died of a gunshot wound."
Athena read the autopsy report. "It also said that he had 'multiple bruises on the torso and a snapped neck.' So why did the victim die from a gunshot wound?"
Payne flicked his bangs, his signature pose. "There's a photograph in the envelope that explains the situation."
Athena dug once more into the manila envelope and pulled out an envelope. While she viewed the gruesome picture, Payne explained, "After the victim was shot, he was tossed out from the window of the fifth floor of the control tower. The bruises suggest that he was thrown out a max of ten minutes after he died."
"I see…" ("What I don't understand is that why the poor soul would be thrown out of the window after being shot to death.")
"The Court accepts this into evidence," the Judge said.
Victim Autopsy Report added to the Court Record.
"Now a question for the defendant," Payne directed to the defendant.
"What is it?" Anna said confidently, ready for the questions just as Athena told her to expect.
"Who is Hans Semblar?"
("They're talking about the victim.")
Anna breathed in and out. "Engineer Hans Semblar was also an air traffic control. We work together in the air traffic control with a few others."
"Thank you, Ms. Nuncer." Payne then told the members of the Court. "It is clear that Ms. Nuncer was around at the time of the crime." He held up a sheet of paper that contained what seemed to be a schedule. "Ms. Nuncer clocked in for work at nine that evening. Only her and the victim, Mr. Semblar, were the ones working that night – narrowing our list of suspects!"
Objection! Athena blurted. "It is true that Ms. Nuncer and Mr. Semblar were manning the station that night. But they weren't the only ones present in the control tower."
"Is that so?" the Judge inquired.
Athena nodded. "The flight recorded presented during the pre-trial also captured information of the presence of one Captain Hugo."
The Judge fell into deep thought. "I believe it is best that we do a playback on the flight recording." While the bailiffs prepared the audio material, the Judge warned the attorneys and the members of the gallery to refrain from disclosing information to the public. He mentioned strict consequences of leakage. When the bailiffs finished their preparations, they attached the black box to the audio speakers. One of the bailiffs manned the audio equipment for the playback.
Crew 1: Electrical problem
Captain: Where?
Crew 1: And damage to No. 1 engine
Captain: Air traffic, how far to the runway?
Air Traffic Controller 1: Eight.
Payne called for a pause and told the Court that the voice they heard just now was the victim's. He also mentioned that they would hear a second air traffic controller whose voice would belong to the defendant.
"And how did you know this?" Athena asked.
"The previous prosecutor gave me the details yesterday," he said. When Payne finished, the recording continued.
Captain: We'll make it…
*explosion some ten seconds later*
Crew 2: What's that?
Crew 1: Engines 1 and 2 are down! They're…
Captain: Brace your positions! Report status.
Crew 3: There's a box here near the…
*another explosion*
Crew 1: I'm hit!
Captain: What?
Crew 2: Shrapnel… debris everywhere. Crews 3 and 4 are knocked out.
Captain: *grunting* We're almost there. Crews, get everyone out of the shaft!
ATC 2: All runways available. Pick your spot. You're four to touchdown.
ATC 1: I'll go get Captain Hugo. He has the manual.
ATC 2: Alright, return quickly.
Captain: We're three.
*another explosion*
Captain: W-What happened? Crew?
Crew 2: We made it.
Captain: Alright, we advise everyone to brace for impact.
Crew 2: We…
*another explosion, louder*
Captain: Can't those things stop?
Crew 2: It's from that box!
Captain: Dammit…!
ATC 2: You're already visible and on fire.
Captain: We just have to make it there!
*silence between tower and plane for fifteen seconds while the captain struggles*
Captain: I can't get the landing gear down!
ATC 2: Override!
Crew 1: Wh-What's happened…?
Captain: No! I can't…! Gah…!
ATC 2: Override!
Captain: Mayday…! Mayday…! Do you…? *a bang is heard then transmission cuts off*
When the transmission cut off, the members of the gallery were murmuring among themselves. The murmuring was silenced by three raps of the Judge and his call for order.
"It was established by the Aviation Board that the explosions heard in the audio were from electrical faults causing the engines to explode," finished Payne.
Athena nodded. "The evening of the murder was also the evening of the plane crash in the runway of the airport. Needless to say, these two events are something not to overlook."
"You're not suggesting… a connection?" Payne asked Athena.
Athena folded her arms. "We can't be too sure yet." ("When you really think about it, it's hard to dismiss these events as two isolated cases.")
The Judge struck down his gavel. "Call your first witness."
Smugly, Payne declared, "The prosecution would like the defendant to take the stand."
