N-Squad Episode Two: Synopsis

Zeta is about to begin CPR on the prostrate body of Dr. Bryce Falco when Falco suddenly sits up. To the forensics bot's amazement the toxicologist is perfectly fine. His presence on the floor was due to a minor fall. Witnessing these developments is Detective Fred Smart, who has come to the lab to show Dr. Falco a news brief on the hit-and-run case. Among other things, the news report states that Smart is in possession of a parking lot receipt that indicates Cody Mara visited The Pit Café and Bar prior to the crash. It also alleges toxicological tests that would determine if the teen was driving under the influence of alcohol are taking longer than expected.

Smart informs Falco that a press conference is scheduled in 24 hours. If the detective had some help, he would know why Cody was at The Pit. Falco is doubtful that he will have the results of Cody's alcohol tests in time unless he too receives help. The player is presented with a choice: he/she can do some detective work with Smart at The Pit or assist Falco in the toxicology lab, but eventually the player worksthrough information with both characters.

The PIT
Detective Smart and the player find a bartender who remembers talkingto Cody and his companion, Anna Ellis. Apparently, Cody tried to purchase a beer, but the bartender refused to serve the underage teen. The bartender suggested that Cody,as well as his companion, Anna, look at materials designed to educate The Pit's customers on the dangers of inappropriate alcohol use. The resources are in the form of two games—ADH ATTACK and BAC-O-METER.

ADH ATTACK
Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), a liver enzyme, is one of the key factors in alcohol metabolism. In ADH ATTACK, the player is challenged to prevent alcohol molecules from reaching the brain by attacking them with ADH as they pass through the liver. From Level One of the game, the student will learn that if a drinker consumes a small quantity of alcohol, the ADH molecules can metabolize MOST of the alcohol, leaving very little to go to the brain. Level Two reveals that if a large quantity of alcohol enters the liver cells, the ADH molecules are unable to metabolize the alcohol rapidly enough. Excess alcohol continues on to the brain where it can cause intoxication.

BAC-O-METER
Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the percent of alcohol in a person's blood. In BAC-O-METER, the player manipulates a drinker's characteristics in order to learn how gender, weight, rate of alcohol consumption and metabolism affect BAC, and how BAC is related to level of intoxication. The player's understanding of these concepts is assessed through a role-playing scenario. He/she pretends to be a bartender who must determine which drinker in each of three pairs of drinkers should have the higher BAC based on the factors that influence blood alcohol concentration.
What did Anna and Cody do when confronted with these games? According to the bartender, Anna examined everything very carefully. However, the same could not be said of her companion whose only concern was to get out of The Pit. Cody and Anna left while the bartender was dealing with a rowdy customer.

The Toxicology Lab
Besides Cody, Dr. Falco has alcohol tests to do for several other deceased drivers. Using a method known as Headspace Gas Chromatography (HGC), the toxicologist and the player analyze the blood, urine, and vitreous humor of each driver for ethanol, the type of alcohol found in beer and other alcoholic beverages. The data, which are recorded in the form of graphs (chromatograms) and tables, show that Cody and some of the other now-deceased drivers had been driving under the influence of alcohol.

Zeta questions whether the tests are flawed. Shouldn't a driver's blood, urine, and vitreous humor alcohol concentration be the same? This query prompts the lab computer to present THE ODYSSEY, a tutorial on how certain biological processes affect alcohol as it travels through the body.

THE ODYSSEY
To unlock each stage in alcohol's journey, a mini-game is presented in which the player must connect the organs involved in each of three processes–absorption, distribution, and elimination. This game requires the player to know the role each process plays in causing alcohol concentration in tissues and organs to change with time.

Zeta takes a second look at the data. She concludes that Cody wasn't too drunk since his BAC was only 0.06%. After all, the higher the BAC, the more intoxicated a person is. Furthermore, Cody's BAC was below 0.08%, the legal limit for adult drivers. Dr. Falco reminds the robot that the brain of a teen and that of an adult do not react the same to alcohol. Cody had more than enough in him to impair his ability to steer, keep track of other cars, and respond to changing road conditions.

The Command Room
Having completed their tasks, Detective Smart, Dr. Falco, Zeta, and the student join Dr. Mya Perez in the Command Room for the press conference. The medical examiner informs the group to prepare for tough questions on alcohol. A leak has made the media aware that Cody had the drug in his system at the time of the crash. The player accesses the room's wall computer to field questions from three different news organizations. Suddenly a message to Detective Smart reveals that Anna Ellis is out of her coma and claiming she knows who hit Cody Mara's car. The detective leaves for Neuropolis General Hospital at once.

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