Mission 14: The Primary Containment

Mission 14: The Primary Containment

Welcome to Mission 14, "The Primary Containment." This mission ramps up the tension significantly, requiring careful navigation and resource management. Your primary goal is to activate the primary containment field to trap the Alien, but expect heavy resistance and environmental hazards. Stealth and distraction are your best allies here. This mission is a true test of your resourcefulness and ability to manage multiple threats simultaneously.

Objective: Reach the Primary Containment Control

You begin in a relatively safe area, but this won't last. Take a moment to gather your bearings and prepare for what's ahead. Your starting point is typically within the Seegson Communications area, specifically near the transit system access point you used to arrive.

• Initial Area Scavenge: Before moving forward, thoroughly check your immediate surroundings. You can often find valuable crafting components like Scrap, Blasting Caps, Gel, and Ethanol in lockers, on tables, and within storage containers. check under desks and behind crates! Look for medical supplies (Medkits) and ammunition for your Revolver or Shotgun, as these will be crucial later.
• Accessing the Main Corridor: Proceed through the door marked "Maintenance Access" or "Control Room A." Be wary; this corridor is often patrolled by one or two Working Joes. The layout here can be somewhat labyrinthine, so keep your map handy.
• Working Joe Encounter Strategy:
  • Stealth Approach: If you have a Noisemaker or Flare, consider throwing it down a side corridor or into a distant room to draw the Joes away from your intended path. Use floor vents if available to bypass them entirely. Remember, Joes have predictable patrol patterns; observe them before making your move.
  • Combat Approach (Last Resort): If forced into combat, aim for the head with your Revolver or Shotgun. Two headshots from the Revolver or one from the Shotgun are usually sufficient for standard Joes. A well-placed Pipe Bomb or EMP Mine can also disable multiple Joes or stun a single one, giving you time to escape or finish them off. Remember, Joes are resilient, so conserve ammo. Avoid melee combat unless absolutely necessary, as it often draws the Alien.
• Finding the Keycard: Your path will likely be blocked by a locked door requiring a specific keycard or access code.
  • Location: The keycard is usually found in a small office or security booth adjacent to the locked door. Look for a terminal with a blinking light, a desk with a data pad, or a body of a deceased crew member. Specifically, in the "Security Office" or "Operations Control" rooms within this section.
  • Retrieval: Be cautious when entering these smaller rooms, as they can sometimes contain a lone Working Joe, a lurking human survivor (who may be hostile), or even the Alien if you've made too much noise. Always peek around corners and use your Motion Tracker before fully entering.
• Navigating to Primary Containment: Once you have the keycard, proceed through the now-unlocked door. You'll typically traverse a series of maintenance tunnels and service corridors. Keep an eye out for more crafting materials and potential hiding spots. The Alien will begin to make its presence known more frequently here, often dropping from vents or patrolling main thoroughfares.

Objective: Activate the Containment Field

Once you've navigated through the initial sections, you'll reach the Primary Containment Control room. This is where the real challenge begins, as the Alien's activity will significantly increase.

Activating the Power Grid

The containment field requires power, which you'll need to restore manually. The control room itself will be dark or dimly lit, indicating a power failure.

• Locate the Power Conduit: Follow the objective marker to the power conduit panel. This is usually located in a sub-section of the control room or an adjacent utility room. It will require a specific action, typically involving a mini-game on your Security Access Tuner or a series of switch activations on a power distribution board.
• Alien Presence: Expect the Alien to become highly active during this phase. The noise of the power activation will attract it directly to your location. It will often drop from ceiling vents directly into the control room or patrol the immediate vicinity.
  • Evasion Tactics: Use the environment to your advantage. Duck into lockers, hide under tables, and utilize floor or wall vents to break line of sight and create distance. Your Motion Tracker is invaluable here – keep it out constantly and listen for audio cues (footsteps, growls, vent noises).
  • Distraction: If the Alien is too close or blocking your path to the power conduit, a well-timed Noisemaker or even a thrown object (like a flare or an empty bottle) can buy you precious seconds to complete the power activation or move to a safer position. Throw distractions away from your intended path.
• Security Access Tuner Puzzle: You'll likely encounter a panel that requires your Security Access Tuner to reroute power. This will involve a mini-game where you match frequencies or align circuits. Take your time, as rushing can lead to errors, which often produce loud noises that attract unwanted attention from the Alien. If you fail, quickly re-attempt or hide.
• Power Restoration: Successfully completing the power puzzle will restore partial power to the control room, illuminating some consoles and bringing the main containment field controls online. This also often triggers a loud electrical hum, further alerting the Alien.

Initiating the Containment Sequence

With power restored, you can now initiate the containment sequence from the main console in the center of the Primary Containment Control room.

• Main Console Interaction: Approach the central control console. Interacting with it will trigger a timed sequence, typically a progress bar that slowly fills. This process cannot be interrupted once started.
• Defensive Stance: During the sequence, the Alien will be relentless. It will be actively hunting you within the control room, often making multiple appearances. You cannot stop the process, so your only option is to survive the duration.
  • Hiding Spots: Identify good hiding spots around the control room beforehand. Lockers, small alcoves, under the console itself, or even crawling behind equipment racks can offer temporary refuge. Be prepared to move between these spots as the Alien patrols.
  • Flamethrower Usage: This is an excellent opportunity to use your Flamethrower. A short burst (1-2 seconds) directly at the Alien will deter it, forcing it back into the vents. Conserve fuel, using it only when absolutely necessary to push the Alien away from your hiding spot or the console you're interacting with. Do not try to kill it; you cannot.
  • EMP Mine Strategy: If you have EMP Mines, deploying one near a vent the Alien frequently uses or in a choke point can stun it for a critical few seconds, giving you a brief window of safety to move or hide. Combine with a Pipe Bomb for maximum effect if you need to clear an area for a longer duration.
  • Noise Discipline: Avoid making unnecessary noise. Sprinting, bumping into objects, or firing unsuppressed weapons will draw the Alien directly to you. Move slowly and deliberately.
• Monitor the Progress: Keep an eye on the progress bar on the console. It will be displayed prominently on your HUD or on a screen within the game world. Once it reaches 100%, the containment field will activate, completing this intense objective. A cutscene will usually play, showing the Alien being trapped.

Congratulations, you've successfully initiated the primary containment! The immediate threat of the Alien is temporarily neutralized, but the fight for survival on Sevastopol is far from over. Prepare for the next phase of your mission, as new challenges and revelations await.