CRAP. IT'S A GUY WITH A GUN. This is WAY worse than a SPIDER!

But also, he seems familiar somehow. He lowers his GUN just a little bit and calls out to you.

Jimmy? No...it can't be. You're not a manager.

He narrows his eyes, giving you a stern yet suspicious look.

...Why are weeds always happy and uproarious?

>> get flashback cutscene of how we know Trent from Apex.

It's...it's all coming back to you now! That face...that color...those WORDS!

It was him! Your friend, TRENT EASTREAM, is the one that gave you that RIDDLE in the first place! He must be testing you to make sure that you are indeed JIMMY.

>> Answer 'Because they are Dandelions.'

You respond with the phrase that TRENT is surely expecting. He breaks into a wide grin and lowers his GUN entirely.

So it is you, Jimmy!

>> Wave and say " 'sup? "

Holy cow, how did you get here, Jimmy? Were you promoted without me hearing about it? You're...you're not here on...business, are you?

You tell TRENT the whole story, about how you got bored one day and decided to wander around APEX, resulting in your battles with the IT DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE and DREDLOCK. You explain how you chanced upon GUITIERREZ'S MEETING with CASSANDRA DE VRIES, and how when they found you, you ran for your life, eventually ending up in BURAM. You realized APEX had strange yet concerning ties to this place, and you're more or less on a quest to wreak havoc for your apparently-evil EMPLOYER.

Hmm. So you're...in quite a bit of trouble, then. And to top it all off, you're in Buram on someone else's managerial keycard. It's not like security was tight here anyway, but still, that's quite the interesting story.

>> Before he can say anything else distract him with a riddle of your own: "Two coins make up 30 cents and one of them is not a nickel".

TRENT grins and answers:

Yes, but the other one is. You haven't changed a bit, Jimmy.

>> If he cools down, ask him what he's doing here, and if anyone else is with him.
>> Ask Trent to explain this freakin' castle, the Jaitia, the village, and everything else altogether.

No, I'm alone as well. To be honest, I'm doing pretty much the same thing as you. I overheard old eyepa--er, Guitierrez talking about this place in one of his meetings as I was passing by one day. He's most definitely up to something sinister...but I have no idea what. I don't know how this entire place came to be, or where we are, or anything like that. The castle was apparently before our time, but I think Guitierrez has had his crew renovate it into something usable without attracting the villagers' suspicion.

It's all got to be tied to the Jaitia somehow. About half a month ago, I was checking this place out when I heard the castle start making noises one night. I came over here and was able to peek in a window, and there was some sort of Jaitia refinery in there! Guitierrez is forcing the villagers to mine it just so he can refine and collect it, but past that I've no clue what it's used for.

So I did what I could to put a stop to Guitierrez's plans.

I got some supplies back at Apex, snuck into the upper mining tunnels one night, and used some dynamite to cause a cave-in. To be honest, it did a pretty darn good job of keeping the villagers from being able to mine anything substantial. I've been holed up up there these past couple of weeks, just on the other side of the cave-in, waiting for an Apex employee to stumble in so I could knock 'em out and get some answers about what's going on around here.

As insurance, I set up a backup plan--a piece of tripwire just inside the entrance to Buram Castle, rigged to a small wireless transmitter that would let me know when someone walked in. Only an Apex manager with an orange keycard or better could possibly gain entry, but it seems you're more resourceful than that. You inadvertently tripped the wire, so I thought someone was here. I used the last of my dynamite to blow the top shaft wide open again, and raced down the hill in a mine cart, sprinting over here before you could escape.

It was all for naught, though...and now the top shaft is cleared again. The village miners are going to be able to continue digging the high-quality Jaitia.

>> Ask him how HE got here without being a red-card manager.

What are you talking about? I'm a Level 2 Manager, don't you remember?

>> Pick up and re-equip the PICKAXE that we dropped.

You go ahead and pick your PICKAXE off the ground and re-equip it, since you figure TRENT won't be shooting you anytime soon after all.

>> Call for EPONA using your mouth as the ocarina.

You're not very good at using your mouth as a MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. Regardless, EPONA stays where she is.

>> Ask him if he wants to breakdance with you.

Heh; just like old times, eh? I think I'll pass, friend.

>> demand Trent prove his worth as a companion by spinning on the pickaxe himself.

Fine, fine. I suppose I can give you that much.

TRENT pockets his GUN as you hand him your JAITIA-STAINED PICKAXE.

This all seems nostalgic somehow.

>> steal gun while Trent spins.

He already put it away. You don't get the feeling he'll be using it against you anyway, so you should probably let him have it. He's a better shot than you are, if you recall correctly.

>> ask Trent to help you push the buttons

The buttons, of course! I messed around with everything inside the castle myself, but I couldn't get that door or the door with the keypad to open. It definitely requires two managers. Or, in this case--just one!

TRENT follows you inside as you position yourselves on either side of the REINFORCED NORTH DOOR. You press the BUTTONS at the same time..

...and the DOOR opens!

>> Ask Trent to Join our Party.

Hmm. We do have the same goal, don't we...

He seems to be seriously considering it!