Prologue: Awakening

You escaped the Cerberus medical facility. The Illusive Man is the next likely source of information.

Acquisition
The mission is acquired automatically after the completion of Prologue: Save Joker.

Walkthrough
Prologue: Awakening is the second mission of the prologue. It begins right after completing Prologue: Save Joker, and it serves a dual purpose as a tutorial, providing a basic combat tutorial and introducing field mission concepts. This mission situates Commander Shepard in the Mass Effect 2 universe as a Cerberus operative with a new team.

After the destruction of the Normandy SR-1 two years ago, Shepard's body was recovered shortly after death by Cerberus, who spent the time rebuilding Shepard into a cybernetically-enhanced symbol of humanity. Shepard awakes on an operating table at the Lazarus Research Station to alarm bells ringing, as the station's personnel comes under the attack of its own security mechs. Although alone and under-equipped, Shepard is guided by the station's commanding officer Miranda Lawson via the loudspeaker to safety, meeting and teaming up with Cerberus Operative Jacob Taylor along the way. After additionally teaming up with Wilson to reach the escape shuttle, Miranda, who was already waiting at the shuttle bay, shoots Wilson as the final door to the bay opens, citing him as the station's betrayer.

Escaping the Lazarus station
After the opening credits, which show you being literally "rebuilt" by the Lazarus Project, you awake on a laboratory table to the sound of the station alarm. Miranda Lawson will introduce herself over the radio and give Shepard instructions.

Shepard first has to walk to the locker to obtain a pistol and armor, and then must take cover to avoid damage from an explosion, which blows the room's door. This allows Shepard to exit the room and find a spare thermal clip on the floor, just past the door, and inserting the thermal clip in Shepard's pistol unlocks the door to the next room. There, Miranda tells Shepard to vault over a low obstacle. A lone LOKI Mech, which arrives from the stairway, will have to be destroyed. Shepard may then collect more thermal clips and head upstairs. Upon entering the next room, Shepard receives a radio warning that several more mechs are coming, and that the safest way to dispose of them is to take cover until they are destroyed.


 * Note: The LOKI Mechs are among the easiest enemies that can be found in the game. It might be a good idea to knock them down and kill them in order to obtain the Brawler achievement.
 * Overload and AI Hacking make this part much easier if playing on a harder difficulty.

After exiting that room, Shepard may witness people being gunned down by a heavy YMIR Mech if looking through the window to the left. Moving on, Shepard will find a new weapon, the M-100 Grenade Launcher. Miranda advises Shepard to use this new heavy weapon to dispose of a group of incoming LOKI mechs. After taking an elevator downstairs, Shepard storms through a fire obstacle created from the grenade launcher explosion. The radio communication with Miranda soon starts to break up. Straight ahead is a room containing computers where Shepard can access recordings by Miranda and Dr. Wilson about their experience reviving Shepard. There is also a wall safe here, which you can bypass to gain 975 credits. This is Shepard's first experience with the bypass mini-game, and the Commander has infinite tries to get it right. After climbing up some stairs, Shepard should find another audio note from Wilson on a public computer and witness another member of the station's staff being gunned down by an heavy mech.

Entering the next room, Shepard will meet Jacob Taylor on a bridge area, fighting a group of mechs standing on another small bridge at the other side of the room. He observes that things must be dire if Miranda awoke Shepard, and confirms that he is on your side. Depending on Shepard's conversation choices, some Paragon or Renegade points may be awarded. Finally, Jacob asks Shepard to help destroy the mechs, promising to answer more questions when they are disposed of. He also indicates that he is a biotic and may use his powers to aid them, should Shepard order it. And, in fact, Shepard must order it, otherwise the enemies will continue to re-spawn and the pair will be unable to move on. Once done with the mechs, Jacob will join your squad, and Shepard may obtain more background information on the situation and what happened after the attack on the SSV Normandy two years earlier. When the conversation ends, Jacob receives an incoming call from Dr. Wilson, who is surprised to learn that Shepard is awake and alive. He gives them directions to be able to reach him safely.

On the path towards Dr. Wilson, Shepard and Jacob encounter additional mechs, as the path is less secured than planned. In a side room along the path, after some stairs up, Shepard should find another computer, giving Shepard access to one more video recording by Miranda. Finally, Shepard will meet with Wilson, who appears to have a wounded leg. Shepard is asked to retrieve medi-gel from a medical station on a nearby wall, then use the unity power to heal Dr. Wilson. Dr. Wilson will then join your squad. After agreeing where to go next, a group of mechs enter the room and Shepard has to use Dr. Wilson's overload ability to make the explosive crates explode to be able to move ahead. Before going on, Jacob feels compelled to reveal to you that the Lazarus Project is a Cerberus operation. Shepard can again be awarded Paragon or Renegade points based on conversation choices.

In the next room heading to the shuttle bay, you will find a datapad on a corpse. The datapad be hacked for 900 credits. This first experience with the hacking mini-game again offers unlimited tries to get it right. Going downstairs and through a corridor, Shepard's squad enters a large shipping area, cluttered with crates and more hacked mechs. Once cleared, one should proceed to the upper left part of the area to find a small room with a computer, which gives Shepard access to another log recording by Miranda, another datapad to hack (975 credits) and a wall safe to bypass (900 credits).

In a small room opposite the upper platform lies the door to the shuttle bay. As Wilson opens the door, Miranda is standing on the other side, and shoots him without ceremony. She explains that Wilson was a traitor, who hacked the security mechs, endangered the project, and cost the lives of most of the staff. Shepard can press Miranda for more information and receive Paragon or Renegade points during this conversation, at the end of which everyone leaves the station.

Meeting the Illusive Man
During the shuttle ride from Lazarus station to another Cerberus facility, Miranda will ask Shepard to answer questions about the past, to check Shepard's memory. Jacob finds the exercise unnecessary, and Shepard may stop the conversation at any time by choosing some variant of "We're done here!." If you imported a Mass Effect save file they will ask you about who joined the council. Whatever you answer will be assumed true regardless of what choice you actually made. i.e you chose Captain Anderson to join the Council but in this question you answer Ambassador Udina. Udina will be the councillor if you answer this way.

Shepard arrives at a waiting room in the facility, where the player can change armor or casual appearance using a console in the wall, but will be unable to take any further actions until speaking with the Illusive Man. To this end, Shepard enters a communications room, where the Illusive Man explains that entire human colonies and thousands of colonists have gone missing. He will ask Shepard to investigate Freedom's Progress, the latest colony to go missing, with the assistance of Miranda and Jacob. Shepard may inquire after further information, and up to 8 paragon/renegade points may be awarded, depending on Shepard's dialogue choices.

Shepard returns the waiting area, where it is possible to talk with Jacob and Miranda for further paragon/renegade points. Taking the door out of the entrance will end the mission and start Freedom's Progress.

Enemies

 * FENRIS Mech
 * LOKI Mech

Mission Summary
Shepard escaped attack on facility, along with operatives Taylor and Lawson. Facility destroyed by remote detonation. Salvage teams will ensure no incriminating data survived. Per Miranda's recommendation, I'm running security sweeps on the other cells to ensure that Wilson was our only mole. Regardless of the cost, Lazarus was a success. Shepard is back.
 * Experience gained: 1,000 (1,250)
 * Total Credits: 7,500
 * Cerberus Funding: 3,750
 * Credits Found: 3,750
 * Acquired weapons:
 * M-3 Predator Heavy Pistol
 * M-100 Grenade Launcher
 * New squad members:
 * Jacob
 * Miranda