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Case 1-1: Project TurnaboutTopic%20Title

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Hi, this is the first case in my Ace Attorney fan game. I have planned the game pretty well but am not so good at getting it down. I'll probably post all the cases here eventually, and would appreciate some feedback. Please let me know if there are any particularly issues or logic problems, and I'll answer any questions about things that are unclear, and make edits when needed. I also know these aren't as complex as real Ace Attorney cases, but oh well.


Harlan Fidel: Ace Attorney
Bonds of Truth


Case 1: Project Turnabout

On a dark rainy night, a man enters a busy restaurant, approaches an older man dining at the back with a pretty blonde woman, and shoots him dead. The room erupts into chaos. Some time later, a brave young police officer discards his weapon and enters the restaurant to confront the gunman alone, who has taken the woman hostage. After looking at the young officer and coming to some sort of epiphany, the gunman releases his hostage and shoots himself in the head.

For his bravery, the police officer is awarded his detective's shield in a small ceremony at the police department. An officer at the back of the room wearing a hidden camera records the events and streams them directly to a television in a lavish study, where a man sits in an armchair, sipping wine and watching the events proceed with interest...


Two men in lab coats stand in a dark laboratory, looking at a vial of liquid on the counter in front of them. One says that Project Prometheus is a success, and this discovery will make them rich and famous beyond their wildest dreams. The other man turns away, darkly murmuring that perhaps what happened here should never leave this room. A blue mist fills the room, and one man falls, a knife thrust into his back. When the mist clears, he lies dead, and the second scientist stands over him, clutching a bloody knife...

Harlan Fidel is awoken by his alarm, and gets up to start his morning routine. As he showers, brushes his teeth and dresses, he contemplates the importance of the day's trial. The famous defense attorney Phoenix Wright has just been disbarred, and the city's wrongly accused need a new hero – a role Harlan is eager to fit into. His business partner Laura Gratia calls him, encouraging him not to be late. Harlan assures he he is just leaving. Just before he leaves his apartment, he grabs a pair of gold cufflinks inside a small box and puts them in his pocket before heading to the courthouse.

Trial Part 1 – May 21st 2019

Harlan arrives in the defendant's lounge and is greeted by his business partner, mentor and friend Laura Gratia, who asks him if he has thoroughly prepared. Harlan assures her he was up late last night rehearsing his strategy, and just hopes his client sticks to the testimony they arranged. The client, Ozzy Gens, arrives at that moment, fidgeting nervously and fiddling with his goggles and face mask. Harlan tells Ozzy not to look so nervous, as he is confident he can get him found Not Guilty today. Harlan tells him to just shut up and say what Harlan told him to say, and all will be well.

Ozzy promises he will do his best, thanking Harlan again for taking his case at the last minute. Harlan says it is nothing, and he is just looking forward to seeing Ozzy leave a free man. The bailiff shouts that the trial is about to begin, and Laura departs to sit in the gallery. Before Ozzy goes, he stops Harlan to ask him a question he has been curious about for a while now; why has Harlan never directly asked him whether he is truly guilty of the murder he is accused of? After a moment, Harlan bluntly says that it does not matter, and Harlan will get Ozzy off regardless of what actually happened. Harlan departs, leaving a confused Ozzy behind.

The trial begins. Facing Harlan in court is Winston Payne, the so-called 'Rookie Killer', who has experienced a new surge of confidence since Phoenix Wright's disbarment. The Judge asks Payne for a brief summary of the crime. Payne explains that on May 19th, at 1:45pm, police were called to the third floor of Aragnino Science Laboratories on the outskirts of the city, where a murder occurred. The victim, Hida Rogens, and the defendant, Ozzy Gens, are both biochemists who were participating in an experiment in Secure Lab A, one of the building's seven secure rooms. The Judge is baffled by the jargon, and Payne suggests summoning the case's lead detective to better explain.

Detective Michael LaFalle, a veteran approaching retirement, arrives on the stand. He and Harlan have faced each other in court, and LaFalle assures Harlan that what happened during the Cadaverini case won't happen again. LaFalle begins his testimony, explaining that for the duration of the two-hour experiment, the two scientists were sealed inside Secure Lab A; no one could have left the room without the approval of a third scientist – the eyewitness – who was monitoring the experiment via the control room outside. He explains that the defendant's fingerprints were found on the murder weapon – a small surgical knife used for cutting up samples.

LaFalle shows the court the victim's autopsy report – showing he died of a single stab wound in the back and bled out severely – and a photograph of the crime scene. Harlan begins his cross-examination, asking why the photograph shows such a small blood pool around the body, when the autopsy report claims a great amount would have been exuded. LaFalle explains that to prevent any dangerous contaminants or chemicals escaping the lab, the automated dispersion system releases a solution into the room every 30 minutes, in the form of a blue mist. This may have degraded the evidence found at the crime scene.

Police were called at 1:45 but did not arrive until 2:10, ten minutes after the release of the cleaning solution. This seems to explain where most of the victim's blood went. Harlan already knew this, but is simply trying to throw doubt on the prosecution's case. LaFalle presents a detailed report explaining when the cleansing solution was released on the day of the crime. The Judge asks LaFalle to further explain what evidence indicts the defendant. LaFalle explains that the victim's left fingerprints were on the murder weapon, proving only he could have committed the crime.

Harlan shows the crime scene photo, which shows the victim wearing gloves. If latex gloves are an important part of the scientists' garb, why were the defendant's fingerprints on the knife? LaFalle admits the defendant's left glove has vanished, and they have not yet found it. Harlan asks why a killer would remove his glove to commit murder, but Payne claims that is it not their job to understand a murderer, asking the Judge if they can move on. The Judge agrees, but admits that there is a lot of shaky evidence in this case.

At Payne's urging, Ozzy Gens himself is brought to the stand. The Judge asks him for his version of events, and Ozzy follows the story Harlan told him to say, claiming he fell unconscious at around 1:45 at the end of the experiment, waking ten minutes later to find the victim dead and a knife in his hand. He was locked in the lab until the police arrived. The Judge and Payne both doubt his story, but Ozzy claims he is telling the truth; he must have been drugged somehow. Payne smugly asks Ozzy about exactly what the nature of the experiment the two men were working on was about, and Harlan objects.

Harlan claims it is irrelevant, but the Judge is intrigued and overrules him. Ozzy hesitantly admits that he and Hida were working on something called Project Prometheus; they were hired by an armaments firm to develop a form of synthetic compound that could be used to create weapons, bullets and explosives on a massive scale. They had just finished the experiment when the murder occurred. The gallery is outraged, and Harlan – eager to keep the court from condemning Ozzy due to his participation in this morally-questionable experiment – urges the Judge to let him move on.

Although the court is now turned against the defendant, Harlan goes through the motions, cross-examining Ozzy. He knows Ozzy's story is weak, and is eager to move on to the eyewitness when Ozzy suddenly mentions drinking coffee earlier that day. Harlan, who had been told Ozzy had had nothing to eat or drink all day, is outraged, asking how Ozzy could have forgotten this. Ozzy says that Nita, the third scientist, brought he and Hida coffee about ten minutes before the experiment's end; he doubts she would have drugged him, but Harlan is adamant that this is further evidence his client was framed.

Payne protests, but the Judge is eager to hear from this Nita, and the eyewitness, Nita Rogens is brought to the table. She wields a small portable chemistry set, and is constantly stirring, mixing and sniffing a variety of mixtures. She nonchalantly introduces herself as the victim's sister, which makes Harlan uncomfortable; she would have every reason to lie to finger her brother's killer. Nita was watching the experiment through the window in the control room for the whole two hours, and admits to bringing coffee inside. She also says that she is a chemist and has access to sedatives, but denies drugging Ozzy.

Nita says that at 1:45pm, she witnessed Ozzy murder her brother. She ran to call the police, and let them into the lab to arrest Ozzy when they arrived. Harlan knows she is lying about something, but is unsure about what at the moment. Nita is impenetrable, but when she identifies Ozzy as wearing his gloves when he stabbed Hida, he pounces, saying Ozzy's left glove was never found. Payne says the glove probably went missing after the murder, but Harlan shows that the position of the blood on the knife handles prove that the fingerprints were left before blood was spilled. Nita cannot explain this, and the Judge insists they move on.

The Judge tells Nita to explain more about the state of the laboratory, to help them better comprehend where any of this missing evidence might be. In Nita's explanation, she mentions seeing the coffee cups on a counter when the police arrested Ozzy. Harlan reads the cleansing solution report, identifying that common polystyrene cups should have been destroyed when the solution was released at 2:00. Harlan questions whether the solution was released at all.

Nita says that the solution is released without failure every 30 minutes, and although she had the privileges to alter the release, it would have served her nothing. Harlan suddenly realizes he is no longer following his original plan; he believes Nita could indeed be the true culprit, and is following in Phoenix Wright's footsteps to beat back the tide of evidence against his client. He decides to stick to this trail for now and keep doing what comes naturally.

Harlan says that if the solution was released earlier due to schedule alterations, it would not have occurred at 2:00pm. He claims that Nita arranged for the solution to be dispersed at 1:45, the time of the murder. After the police had arrived, she then returned the schedule to normal and deleted all records. Payne asks what evidence Harlan has of this happening. Harlan reminds him of the missing glove; if it was removed, it would be structurally weak enough for the cleaning solution to dissolve it. Payne asks why the glove was removed during a sterile experiment in the first place.

Harlan reminds Payne of his client's naturally nervous and scratchy disposition, wondering if the defendant removed his left glove just before he fell unconscious. Nita, not noticing this, identified him as wearing both gloves when she testified earlier. Nita is silently angry, and the Judge demands to know if Harlan is accusing Nita of being the true killer, of having murdered her own brother. Payne slings muck at Harlan, but Harlan decides it is too late to go back now. When the Judge asks why Nita could do such a horrible thing, she agrees to testify about her possible motive.

Nita claims she loved her brother, and they had both been friends with the defendant for many years, ever since university. Harlan asks for her opinion on Project Prometheus; she says she did not personally agrees with it, but the money both men would have received would have been a great boon to the labs' coffers. Harlan picks up on a slight pause when she talks about her brother, and asks more about Hida's opinions. She reluctantly admits Hida was somewhat hesitant about completing the procedure, worrying about ethics. Payne immediately says this gives a greedy killer like Ozzy a reason to kill her morally-sound lab partner in a fit of avarice.

The Judge asks what has happened to the finished Project Prometheus serum; Payne adds it was not found at the crime scene and is presumed gone. Harlan says that Nita would have had plenty of chance to steal the serum before the police were called, with the victim dead and the defendant unconscious. Nita blows something deadly-looking, asking Harlan if he wants to taste it. She asks why she would do such a thing. Harlan says that if her brother was having doubts, maybe he could have convinced Ozzy to abandon the project before handing in the finished serum. Perhaps she is the greedy one, and decided to make sure neither man's morals would get in the way of her becoming rich and famous.

Nita asks why she would have released the cleaning solution fifteen minutes earlier. Harlan says that her brother was stabbed in the back – unawares. If the mist was released at the moment the experiment was due to be completed, she could have opened the lab door, entered, stabbed her brother while Ozzy lay unconscious, steal the serum, and leave. She did not notice the defendant had removed his glove – leaving it to be disintegrated by the solution – and did not think to remove the coffee cups, proving the solution was not released at 2:00 when the cups would have lost enough heat to be disintegrated

Nita almost loses her cool, but then asks why Ozzy's fingerprints were on the knife if it was supposedly held in his hand before the stabbing. Harlan says that after the murder, Nita placed the knife in the unconscious Ozzy's hand and curled his fingers around it, not noticing in the mist that he was not wearing his glove, thus leading to her deception being discovered. Nita mixes one final chemical, filling a thick vial full of gray bubbling acid before drinking it. Her hair stands up on ends and her glasses break as she collapses on the witness stand.

Nita is lead away and the Judge contemplates how cold-hearted someone would have to be to murder their own brother, just for money. Harlan thanks the Judge for his service, and sarcastically thanks a wounded-looking Payne as well. The Judge pronounces Ozzy Gens 'Not Guilty'. In the defendant's lounge, Laura heartily congratulates Harlan on another victory, saying he certainly performed differently today; not just disproving his client's guilt, but uncovering the true killer as well.

Ozzy is not overly pleased, however. He says he thought Nita was a good person, but in the end she murdered her brother just to get rich. He wishes Hida talked to him about his doubts before, as he trusted his best friend and would have backed out of the project if he had just asked. Furthermore, the Project Prometheus serum is likely gone now, and no good can come out of it anyway. Harlan says that might be for the best. He hands Ozzy a bill, saying he needs to pay him within a month. Ozzy is a little blown away by Harlan's prices, but nervously agrees, thanking him once more and departing.

Laura jokingly calls Harlan a miser, but Harlan remarks that he needs to make a living. Laura says her husband is making dinner tonight, and invites Harlan along. Harlan accepts, saying he always enjoys spending time with her and her family, but he has an appointment to keep first. Knowing what he means, Laura says she hopes it isn't too painful for him this time. Harlan says it is a responsibility he has, and his father would never forgive him if he missed a meeting.

Some time later, Harlan is in a prison visitors' room, speaking to his older brother Trey about the day's trial. Trey warmly says that his little brother is going to be a household name soon, and they joke about Payne's hairpiece and the Judge's senility, before a guard calls for Harlan to leave. Before he departs, Harlan tells Trey he is sorry he cannot help him instead of other people. Trey says he has made his decisions, urging Harlan to keep doing the good work he is doing. Harlan leaves.

Elsewhere, across town, a man carrying a metal briefcase marked with the logo of Aragnino Labs sits on a park bench, then after a moment gets up and leaves the suitcase behind. Another man sits down, then after a moment gets up and takes the suitcase with him.
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