The Border

"Freedom, nothing is more important."

After crossing Road 96, you reach the final stretch of any runaway teen's journey: The Border. The other side seems within an arm's reach, but crossing it often the most difficult part of the journey. Due to Tyrak's increasing militarization of the border, it has only gotten more difficult to cross unscathed, and every method of escape carries its own risks. From being smuggled out to climbing the peak Mount National itself, there's still many ways for a teen to find their freedom so long as they're prepared to go through with their decision. There is a small concession stand ran by Gary near the diverging paths that offers food, drink, and advice.

## Crossing the Border

### The Smuggler

Directly to the right of the concession stand leads you to a small Black Brigade camp that is guarded by Sean who lets you in after a short bit of questioning. Near the entrance on the left is a woman you can talk to that will offer her services to you for an initial starting price of $50, though this can be circumvented by either having Lucky Star or a credit card. Afterwards, she will led you to a forest path, and ask for another $50 which you can negotiate down to $25 if you're lucky.

This makes the method diverge slightly on whether or not you pay, but the result is the same.

If you pay, she'll continue taking you down the path until you meet another teen who is lost. You can pay $10 to have the smuggler help you both, and she'll take you up to a checkpoint where she'll ask for another $25 to bribe the guard. Once the transaction between them is finished, she'll lead you both to a portion of the wall that is scalable. However, a police van will come out of nowhere and begin firing on you, the other teen, and the smuggler. The smuggler will die and you'll have a choice between helping the teen scale the wall with you by dice roll, or letting him lift you up which leaves him to die and gives you an apathetic disposition.

If you don't pay at any point the smuggler leaves, and you will have to continue on your own until you meet the lost teen. You can have him come with you, and once the security checkpoint is reached, you two will have to start running towards the wall. Once there, the police van will arrive to begin shooting, and the choice is the same as the other scenario.

If you don't bring the teen along, you'll reach the section of the wall with no one to help you up, and you won't be able to cross and instead be arrested. If you try to run back into the woods you will get shot and die.

### The Truck

There are three ways to enter the trucks on the road to the border gate. You can either lockpick your way into one if you have the lockpicking ability, break open a lock for two energy sections, or pay a truck driver $50 to smuggle you.

Due to Tyrak's new security policies, trucks must be searched using three different methods. The guards will first scan the trailer using a motion detector. It matters little whether you stay still or not, as they will next search the trailer with a dog who you can distract with a snack if you have one. Either way, you will next have to move under the trailer through a hatch, and hide there while they do a final scan. For about 20 seconds they will scan around the truck using a breathing detector, and you must hold your breath the entire time if you are to make it. Around every few seconds you will lose a section of your energy bar, so it is recommended to be full or nearly full of energy before doing this. After the seconds pass, the truck will finally be free to cross with you in it.

Note: The time it takes the breathing scanner to complete may be dependent on karma, with good karma shortening the time and bad karma extending it. If this is the case, then it would be best to build up good karma before taking this route.

### The Mountain

This is the most straight forward method of escape, but it costs the most energy as you have to scale Mount National of the beginning of the trail to the other side of the peak. There's not much to discern between using the OMEN Vitality or selecting the other option as it does not immediately take away your energy and both follow the same route. The route initially takes about 3 sections of your energy, lets you recover to by sleeping, though perhaps in what could be considered the worst place to sleep, and then you have to spend another 4 climbing down until you reach the rope. You should have your energy nearly or completely maxed out before climbing Mount National.

### The Exam

This crossing requires cleverness or government pass. Approach the guard at the checkpoint, and say you are there to take the offshore worker exam. You must answer every question correctly or bribe the interrogator. If you fail the exam, you will be detained. This is the only method you can do twice.

Possible questions:

What is your candidate number?

* Thirteen

How old is your eldest child?

* One-year old

If you pass, how long will your stay abroad be?

* Five years total

What age would your eldest child be when you return abroad?

* Six-years old

Are you, or have you ever been, a Black Brigade?

* No

Have you ever listened to illegal radio stations? Be honest.

* No

When did the Black Brigade terrorist attack occur?

* September 9, 1986

Who is Sonya Sanchez?

* TV news anchor

Who is our great president?

* Tyrak

What is your primary skill as a worker?

* Construction

Which of the following do you enjoy the most?

* Patrolling with patriotic youth

Have you answered all questions truthfully?

* Yes (if the guard never reacted to any answers)
* I have money (offer at least $30 if guard reacted to any answer)

Do you have any questions?

* I have nothing to ask now

Do you like Petria?

* Yes

### The Tunnel

In the same camp with the smuggler is a doorway to an abandoned tunnel that is rumored to lead to the other side of the border. It's best to enter in with the hacking ability as you don't have to search for a magnetic card that will be used near the exit. Down the stairs you'll find a flashlight and a vent you have to crawl through. Once past, there's a pathway and a door you can lockpick which has a snack you can keep inside. This can later be given to a family camping on the other side of the pathway as they have yet to find a way out. After speaking with him, there's another pathway that then branches into two tunnels that both lead to the same door that requires either the hacking ability or a magnetic card. Once opened, you'll have to run towards the exit as the guards have finally caught on that people have been using the tunnel to escape. Although there is a 20s timer, the exit is only a few seconds away so it's nearly impossible to fail this by accident.

## Escape with Zoe

After helping Zoe escape from police custody, the run immediately afterwards you find here near the waterfall. She has you walk with her, and eventually the two of you sit behind the waterfall. You gather some firewood and matches after she gets done reading an abandoned journal to you, and she then presents a stolen document outlining how Tyrak was behind the peak collapse. The Black Brigades are working with Zoe to get her across the border so she can share this document with news outlets and governments outside of Petria. Zoe and the teen you're playing fall asleep on the ground as she says they'll need rest for crossing. When you wake, she's gone with only a note left behind explaining why she left. Though once you move the rock blocking the exit of the cave, you'll find that she dropped her walkman and pick it up automatically.

Zoe is still waiting at the border by the time you arrive, trying to find a walkman as she needs to listen to the Black Brigades' radio station for a signal. You show her the walkman she dropped, and she takes you to the small camp overlooking the border gate where you give her the walkman back. She then asks you to put the station to 191.9 so that she can listen to John's signal. He says that the rooster will call three times, which means that Zoe must be ready at 3 am. She decides to take you along, and you both sleep one more time before it cuts to a truck crashing into the border wall. That's when you and Zoe sneak into the complex that comprises the border gate, and you both have to run through until you get to the exit where either you or Zoe lock pick it open. It leads to an underground tunnel where two officers are shooting from above, and you both have to run towards the rising platform. However, Zoe will get shot, and you have the choice to either save her by sacrificing yourself or leave her to die. Either way, the document will leave Petria's borders as copies were made by the Black Brigades.