| The Cosmic Turnabout |
Image Gallery | Transcript |
| Solomon Starbuck |
| Space is a boundless place. That's why it continues to capture people's imaginations. But the vastness of space shows us how insignificant we are in the scheme of things. The darkness just goes on and on forever, and ever, and ever... without end. |
Episode 4: The Cosmic Turnabout is the fourth and penultimate episode of the game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies. When Apollo Justice's friend Clay Terran is murdered at the Cosmos Space Center, he takes on the case with Solomon Starbuck as his client. However, a deeper plot begins to play out behind the scenes, involving a mysterious "phantom" that Simon Blackquill has been chasing for seven years. Tensions rise even further when Apollo Justice suddenly leaves the agency to investigate the case on his own, leaving Phoenix Wright to handle Starbuck's case.
This episode is unique in that, in the in-game chronology, it is interrupted by the events of Turnabout Countdown to pick up again afterward, and the case is not fully resolved until the following episode. It is also unique for featuring trial and investigation segments but beginning with a trial segment instead of an investigation.
Intro[]
| Apollo Justice |
| The courtroom bombing incident -- a terrible attack launched by the will of a madman. That incident perfectly symbolized the state of the legal world in this dark age of the law. Mr. Wright brought it to a resolution... of sorts. Ted Tonate was discovered to be the one responsible for the bombing. ............If only it were that simple. Somehow, I can't help but think... ...that there's a darker influence at work -- one that's lurking in the shadows, waiting... That's why I want to review the trial that was taking place when the bombing occurred. After all, I've got more than a few personal stakes in it... |
The launch of the HAT-2 rocket was interrupted by a bombing, just an hour before launch. Two astronauts made it out, one carrying the other before collapsing. However, one of them was later found dead, with a knife in his chest.
Acts and chapters[]
| Screenshot | Act | Chapters | Event(s) covered |
|---|---|---|---|
|
"Trial - Day 1" | "Trial - Day 1" | Trial (December 16, 2027) |
| "Cross-Examining Starbuck" | |||
| Apollo Justice clashes with Simon Blackquill in court once again, but this time, things are different. Both sides are acting tenser than usual, and Justice is sporting a bandage covering one of his eyes. The defense is immediately on the back foot as they have not had a chance to investigate the crime scene, thus having to rely on the information drip-fed by Detective Bobby Fulbright. As fired up as the proceedings get, no one is able to predict their explosive conclusion. | |||
|
"Investigation - Day 1" | "Investigation - Day 1" | The Cosmic Turnabout |
| "Questions for Cosmos" | |||
| "The Boarding Lounge" | |||
| "Questions for Fulbright" | |||
| "Investigation Report" | |||
| "Apollo Breaks Away" | |||
| The attack on Apollo Justice in the bombed Courtroom No. 4 has left him out of commission, leaving Phoenix Wright to take over as the lead attorney behind Solomon Starbuck's case. He and Athena Cykes arrive at the Cosmos Space Center, where they learn more details about the bombing prior to the murder, and find clues as to what transpired during the ensuing evacuation. Throughout all this, Wright notices hints of a connection between Cykes and the Space Center, as well as Bobby Fulbright's enthusiastic cooperation. While Wright ponders what all this means, he returns to his office, only for Justice to confront him with a bombshell announcement. | |||
|
"Trial - Day 2" | "Trial - Day 2" | Trial (December 20, 2027; Starbuck) |
| "Cross-Examining Cosmos" | |||
| "What Cosmos Actually Saw" | |||
| "Conclusive Evidence" | |||
| The finale of Solomon Starbuck's trial sees Yuri Cosmos, the Director of the Cosmos Space Center, take the stand as the star witness. It quickly becomes apparent that Cosmos is lying, desperate to hide the real events of the discovery of the body, as well as a certain conspiracy surrounding the HAT-2 rocket launch itself. With the help of the Mood Matrix, Wright is able to dismantle the lies piece by piece, but just as the case is barreling toward its destination, a conclusive piece of evidence suddenly appears, derailing everything but completely exonerating the defendant, putting another in his place. | |||
Trial, Day 1[]
- Main article: Trial (December 16, 2027)
- See also: Turnabout Countdown
Investigation start[]
- 3:21 p.m.
The mood at the Wright Anything Agency was gloomy despite the previous day's acquittal of Juniper Woods. Eventually, Phoenix Wright decided to take over Solomon Starbuck's case while Apollo Justice recuperated.
Wright met his new client at the detention center and learned about Starbuck's passion for his job, as well as his mentorship of Clay Terran. The utility knife used to kill Terran was part of a kit that was issued to all of the staff. Starbuck insisted that he would never take his anti-anxiety pills and compromise himself right before the launch, so somebody must have slipped those pills in. Starbuck also seemed to recognize Athena Cykes from somewhere, but he dismissed the thought.
"Questions for Cosmos"[]
Wright next headed for the Cosmos Space Center. At the entrance, he met Director Yuri Cosmos, who refused to say anything about the case until the trial. He did not, however, miss the opportunity to describe the HAT-1 mission, which was to send the Hope probe into the asteroid belt to collect samples. The probe had returned the day before Terran's murder, so there had not been time to analyze the samples. Cykes seemed to know a lot about the GYAXA space program as well.
The boarding lounge.
Wright and Cykes then entered Boarding Lounge 1, but a policeman told them to get clearance from Bobby Fulbright before investigating. Fulbright was in the Launch Pad 1 Corridor, and he was oddly eager to cooperate with the lawyers. Although he would not say why there had been a police presence before the launch, he did mention that he had been on the fourth floor when the bombs went off. He had ordered an emergency ladder lowered from a window because the stairs had been destroyed. Moreover, a staff member had seen something important through a window into the lounge while going down the emergency ladder.
"The Boarding Lounge"[]
Wright and Cykes returned to the boarding lounge to investigate, with a pamphlet in hand. There was a zero-gravity training device in the ceiling, where a piece of Terran's oxygen tank was embedded, proving that it had ruptured in the lounge. The lounge had three doors, with one leading to the elevators, another leading to Launch Pad 1, and a third leading to the control room, which only Director Cosmos could access. The fingerprint recognition systems on the Launch Pad 1 and control room doors had backup generators.
A moonwalk training pad was also in the lounge, beside the door to the elevators. Cykes found something inside a nearby grate, which turned out to be a small bullet fired from a .10 caliber handgun. Wright also noticed a trash chute beside the training pad. Wright then examined the door to Launch Pad 1. Cykes had brought fingerprint powder from the agency, so she dusted the hand scanner to find a single handprint. Cykes also noticed a knob was beside the hand scanner. Wright and Cykes went on to examine oxygen capsules and a mirror.
Wright and Cykes eventually found the buttons that controlled a holographic image on the wall. By turning it off, a bullet hole, which originally looked like a spider's web, was found on the screen. The duo was then interrupted by Ponco, a robot that Cykes seemed to know. Wright agreed to have Ponco take them on a tour.
The Space Museum.
Wright was treated to a tour of the Space Museum, and he saw a photo of the HAT-1 crew, which contained Terran and a bandaged Ponco. He also saw a photo of the Hope probe, and recognized a logo on the probe from the capsule in the crime scene photo. Ponco identified the capsule as the "Hope" Capsule, which contained asteroid samples from the HAT-1 mission. Wright also learned that the Space Museum used to be a second launch pad, and both launch pads could be moved on rails to the launch site.
"Questions for Fulbright"[]
Wright and Cykes returned to Fulbright to discuss their findings. Apparently, the bullet hole in the holographic screen had been fired by Candice Arme. Fulbright had compiled a database of fingerprints, and using this, it was determined that the handprint on the Launch Pad 1 hand scanner belonged to Starbuck. Wright asked if there was more to the security footage, but Fulbright revealed that the camera had lost power after the astronauts entered the lounge.
Wright and Cykes decided to press Fulbright on why he was being so cooperative, and Wright saw two Psyche-Locks around the detective using his magatama. Wright guessed that something had happened that went against Fulbright's convictions. Fulbright insisted that nothing out of the ordinary had been going on before the bombings, but Wright pointed out that there had been a heavy police presence in the area. The fact that Arme, a bomb specialist, had been part of this special security detail indicated that the police had known of the possibility of a bombing. Fulbright admitted that Director Cosmos had received a bomb threat by phone a few days ago. However, he had gone through with the launch attempt anyway, and he had the police keep the threat under wraps.
Fulbright also said that he was uneasy about Simon Blackquill and the fact that he was allowed to prosecute. Blackquill had told Fulbright that he had been hunting a "phantom" for seven years, and that he suspected this phantom's involvement in the Clay Terran case. Seven years prior, another bombing threat had been issued to the Cosmos Space Center by phone, and a murder had occurred soon afterward. It was this murder that had gotten Blackquill convicted. Blackquill seemed to think that Starbuck was related to the phantom somehow, and Fulbright worried that this was clouding his judgment. Wright saw Fulbright's concern for Blackquill and assured him that there would not be a false conviction on his watch. In gratitude, Fulbright informed Wright about a witness hanging around outside.
The mysterious figure Aura saw in the boarding lounge.
At the Space Center entrance was the witness, Aura Blackquill, with her robot Clonco. She told Wright that she had been in the robotics lab on the fourth floor during the incident, and she had lowered the emergency ladder like Fulbright had ordered her to. As she had passed by the third floor Boarding Lounge 1 window while going down the ladder, she had seen someone holding a lighter in the left hand and a knife in the right. Although the room had been too dark for her to identify the figure, she had seen the murder occur at 10 a.m. The lighter had an Earth emblem on it. Aura also seemed to have a strong dislike of lawyers and the legal system due to a past incident, and seemed to recognize Cykes's digital companion, Widget.
"Investigation Report"[]
Wright wondered what could have happened to make Aura so bitter about the legal system, but set that aside and headed for the detention center for a final talk with his client. When Wright mentioned the lighter, Starbuck started to remember that he had been conscious for a few brief moments in the boarding lounge. He, too, had seen the mysterious figure with the lighter. This made Wright even more confident that he could at least get Starbuck an acquittal, if not identify the third party.
"Apollo Breaks Away"[]
Best friends.
Wright and Cykes returned to the agency to prepare their case, but Justice arrived early. He insisted that he was fine, and that he had to solve Terran's murder. They started to talk about Justice's friendship with Terran, and it was clear how angry and determined he was. Suddenly, he announced that he would be taking a leave of absence to investigate the case on his own. All he would say on the matter was that he wondered whether the truth he was seeking was the same as the truth that Wright was seeking. Justice then left.
Trial, Day 2[]
- Main article: Trial (December 20, 2027; Starbuck)
Cultural references[]
- After Simon Blackquill comments on Wright's theory of a third party during the second trial, Wright thinks to himself, "As long as we aren't punished in the name of said moon..." This is a reference to the Sailor Moon franchise, where the titular character's catchphrase is: "In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"
- After cheering up Starbuck in the detention center, he exclaims, "To the stratosphere and beyond!" This may be a reference to the catchphrase of the character Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story animated films ("To infinity... and beyond!").
- Furthermore, during his first damage animation, Starbuck pretends to choke on the atmosphere when his helmet is retracted, much like Lightyear does in the first Toy Story.
- While using the Mood Matrix on Yuri Cosmos, Wright thinks to himself "Please tell me I finally sunk his battleship..." This is a reference to the game Battleship, where the player is supposed to say "You sank my battleship!" upon having all parts of their hidden ship hit by their opponent.
- When cross-examining Cosmos about being shot at, Wright silently mocks him by thinking that he himself is the "king of all Cosmos". This could be a reference to the recurring character the King of All Cosmos from the video game series Katamari Damacy.
- Upon finishing her check of the boarding lounge's doors, Athena Cykes will state, "Well I think that's about it for the Three Muskedoors of the boarding lounge!" This is a reference to the novel (as well as the many adaptations of) The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.
- While investigating the window at the back of the boarding lounge, Cykes and Wright discuss what it's really for, to which Cykes states "See? It's pointing out the virtual insanity of reality!" This may be a reference to the song "Virtual Insanity" by the British funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai.
- When Wright suggests continuing into the Center after his and Cykes' first conversation with Yuri Cosmos, Athena agrees and adds, "Let's make it so!" This may be referencing the catchphrase of Captain Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Make it so."
References to other cases[]
- When looking at the GYAXA sign on the outside of the Center, Phoenix Wright and Athena Cykes try to work out what it stands for. Cykes suggests that maybe the designer just liked the letter "Y", to which Wright thinks to himself that this conversation is familiar somehow. This may be a reference to The Stolen Turnabout, where, upon looking at a sign in the Lordly Tailor basement Warehouse that is partially hidden so that it only reads "BUR", Wright's then assistant Maya Fey suggests that it is short for "burgers".
- At the beginning of the investigation, Wright mentions that Apollo Justice was in the Hickfield Clinic for treatment. He also mentions that he has some experience with that particular institution himself. This is a reference to Turnabout Corner, where he found himself in the clinic after being hit by a car.
Notes[]
- The opening cutscene is misleading as it shows the inside of the Launch Pad that Terran was walking out of on fire. This should not have been possible since he and Starbuck were actually in the Space Museum, far away from the explosion, but this wasn't revealed until near the end of the case.
- If the player saves their progress during the first trial day, the image on their save file will be Apollo with a bandaged eye.
- It should be noted that this case reveals that the courtroom bombing actually wasn't the cause of Apollo wearing it. Although, the Mood Matrix hinted at it as it showed him facing left while saving Woods.
- This is one of only two cases to date in the main Ace Attorney series in which the defense manages to prove the defendant innocent without having to expose someone else as the true culprit. The only other example occurs in the first trial of Turnabout Reclaimed, when Orla Shipley is found not guilty. Unfortunately, in both examples, the defendant's innocence immediately causes another innocent character to be implicated for the murder instead (Athena Cykes and Sasha Buckler, respectively).
- The Cosmic Turnabout is the only episode in the main Ace Attorney series that ends without resolving the case at hand by finding the real culprit, instead leaving that to the next episode to do. The only other case that is left unresolved until later is the one in English Turnabout.
- There are a few similarities between The Cosmic Turnabout and Turnabout Samurai, in that in both cases: the victim was stabbed in the chest through a suit, the victim and the defendant were co-workers, the victim drugged the defendant, and what was initially believed to the crime scene turned out not to be (i.e., Boarding Lounge 1 instead of Launch Pad 1 and Studio Two instead of Studio One).
- The Cosmic Turnabout is one of only three episodes in the Ace Attorney series with an investigation chapter to begin with a trial chapter, the other two being The Final Witch Trial and The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo.
- Turnabout Airlines and A Turnabout Forsaken are in a similar situation in that they both start with an argument.
- The Cosmic Turnabout is one of only two episodes in the Ace Attorney main series in which a "Victory!" music track does not play, the other being Turnabout Beginnings. For The Cosmic Turnabout, this is the case despite it ending in a "not guilty" verdict.
- The lines during the announcement of Apollo Justice's leave of absence are somewhat different from the scene in Turnabout Countdown.
Errors[]
- Before the courtroom bomb goes off, Tonate says "The bomb was diffused" when it should be "The bomb was defused". This error is corrected in the Trilogy release.
- The HH-3000 training model is missing in the flashbacks of Tonate's breakdown.
