Overlord: Atlas Station

The rogue VI must be stopped, but first the lockdown must be overridden from Prometheus and Vulcan Stations.

Acquisition
The mission is acquired after completing Overlord. At Hermes Station, Dr. Gavin Archer explains the situation with Cerberus' research outposts on Aite, and directs Shepard to locate the three other stations to contain the rogue VI.

The Situation
Dr. Archer starts talking and thanks you for buying some time. Respond any way you choose. Continuing the conversation will give an overview of the project and explain what they were doing. They were trying to gain influence over the geth by interfacing a human mind with a VI, but something went wrong. Respond, but Archer will say they succeeded but they the VI overpowered the test subject’s mind, who is Archer’s brother, and has evolved into a virus. Explore the various conversation options to learn more about what happened, and could happen. You can berate Archer, but he will say they couldn’t account for every possibility.

Archer will tell you that the VI has fortified itself in Atlas Station, and you need to override it from the facilities at Prometheus and Vulcan stations. Archer will explain that the lockdown procedure was in case of an emergency, and all three mission head are required to override it. Archer will explain the override procedure, however since he is the only one left, he tells Shepard that the other two need to be done manually. Once he is done explaining, Shepard asks what if they need to terminate Archer’s brother; he hopes it won’t come to that.

Explore the various conversation options to learn about the project’s history, its goals, the other stations, what went wrong with the experiment. When you have all the info you want, leave the conversation and Archer will say the rest of the stations are within driving distance. We wishes you luck. Before you leave it is recommended you save your game as you can’t do so inside the Hammerhead

Vulcan Station
Head to Project Overlord’s geothermal station and override the lockdown code there.

Completing this mission will put you back where you departed from for Vulcan Station.

Getting to Vulcan Station
To get to Vulcan Station, head out and make a left when you can. Follow the edge of cliff, not the aesthetically pleasing scenery to your left, and head along the rocks, but be careful not to fall off. Keep following the cliff edge and then cross the rock bridges. When you reach the tunnel to the station, there is a station to the left. Head over and grab the research packet there. This is one of six that are on the planet, as the Hammerhead’s VI will inform you. Head down the tunnel and you will be sent to Vulcan Station.

Prometheus Station
Head to Prometheus Station, a downed geth ship and override the lockdown code there.

Getting to the Station
You start from Vulcan Station and follow the arrows to the station. When you leave the station, there is a path up to the left, following it will dump you to where other pack it, guarded by two turrets. Take out the turrets and grab the package, then turn around and head left. When you approach a fork, take the left route and head up. Another outpost is here and has two more turrets as well. Take them out and grab the package. Below the rock bridges is another data pack, this one is guarded by two YMIR Mechs so be prepared. Once they are down, head back up and out.

Head across the clearing and out to a rocky plateau, again two turrets and one package. Head back out and there is a waterfall approximately in the center of the clearing, however this one has a metal ramp behind it. Head up the ramp, and grab the sixth and last data pack. No turrets near this one so no need to worry about combat.

Once you have all six packets, follow the arrows to Prometheus Station.

Atlas Station Entrance
Once you have unlocked the station, head there, near one of the data packets, under the waterfall, and “end this nightmare once and for all.” You again have the opportunity to change your squad, so do so if you wish.

The Hammerhead descends into the station to a landing pad, and the squad exits. Archer comes over the comm and says that the VI is trying upload itself directly from your location! Get to the server room and stop that. Archer is again cut off in midsentence before he can finish. Head through the door and investigate the damaged equipment to get access to the facility.

Head to the door, it will open and proceed down the hallway. Keep following the hall until you reach a door on your left at the bottom of the ramps. Head inside and you will hear another log by Archer. Grab the salvage and the med kit before heading down the ramp. Head across and call the elevator. Because the elevator has been damaged, it can only move so many floors at a time. In this case two. To get the elevator to your level, seven, call the elevator to level six, then reset the control at the computer, and it will drop to level three. Then proceed to call it up to seven.

Get into cover because if you expected that elevator to come up empty, then you are sorely mistaken. It comes up with a Geth Prime and two Geth Troopers. Take them out as quickly as possible, then head into the elevator.

After some ups and downs, the elevator crashes into the bottom of the shaft Tower of Terror style. Head out and you hear another of Archer’s logs. In the room is some refined palladium, a hackable computer, and a damaged geth that can be scanned for a Heavy Skin Weave. Once you have everything, head down the hallway and after attempting to access the door at the end, the open door shifts to the center door. Inside is the panel to cut all access to the outside world, so access it.

It is recommended you save BEFORE accessing the panel.

Destroy the VI
Shepard access the panel, but something goes wrong. The virus does something to Shepard’s Omni-tool and cybernetic implants. Shepard’s vision starts to fill up with computer like visions, and Shepard walks out of the room in a daze, then falls to the floor. After getting back up however, the door closes behind Shepard, trapping your squadmates in the room.

Welcome to Virtual Reality, in this mode you are just as deadly as in real life, so are your enemies, but you can understand David. Because you are alone, be sure to look around corners, conserve your ammo, and stay in cover to avoid being killed.

Move down the hallway and take cover at the corner, more geth are around there, so take them out before they do. Once the troopers are down, move to the end of the hallway and to the door on the right. In the room you see what happened once David was plugged in and how the first time he communicated with the geth went. Once the green reality goes and the orange returns, look around the room for power cells and some refinied palladium. Once you have them, take out the geth hub, with three attacked Geth Troopers in the next room before proceeding.

There are two databases in the main room, accessing one shows a scene where David is first interacting with the geth. The second shows Archer and David conversing before David was hooked up. When you are ready jump over the wall and into the next room but before leaving, grab the med kit and the wall safe. Head out into the corridor and stick to one side, preferably the one with cover. At the end of the hallway is a VI control node, shoot it, but since it will pop out, follow it and keep shooting until it blows up. Continue.

In the room at the end of the hallway has a computer that allows elevator access. However like the other one, this one comes up full too. A Geth Hunter and two Geth Rocket Troopers come up, so get into cover before they do. When they are down, search the room for some power cells, salvageable parts, and some palladium before heading down on the elevator. Save before accessing the elevator.

David
When you reach the bottom, you see the scene where David is first hooked up. However, David has now detected the Normandy SR-2 in orbit, and attempts to upload himself to your ship, STOP HIM! Shoot the VI control nodes that are floating around and when the shield collapses, let the core have it with heavy weapons and gunfire. Repeat the process until the core is dead. Keep an eye on the upload progress bar in the lower right hand, if it gets to 100%, then its critical mission failure. Keep an eye out because David will also call in geth to support him, so keep moving and keep in cover when necessary. Above all do not let that bar get to 100%.

When the core is destroyed, the Virtual Reality goes away, and David is shown in the core tied up to tubes and begging for mercy. Archer argues for Shepard to keep the experiment, but over the course of the conversation, Archer comes to his sences, and leave the final decision to you. You can either take him with you, or leave David at the station.

Paragon: If you choose to take David to the Jon Grissom Academy, Archer pulls a gun and shoots at Shepard. However the shots are dodged and then Shepard puts a gun in Archer’s face. A Paragon interrupt allows Shepard to pistol whip Archer instead of shooting him.

Renegade: If you choose to leave David with Dr. Archer, the Commander punches the doctor and tells him the only reason he gets to survive is because his research may prevent war with the geth.

After Shepard resolves the moral dilemma surrounding Project Overlord, the Commander radios Joker for pickup.

Logs
"Archer’s Log 135.3: For years my brother has been a handicap. That changed today. His autistic mind is the breakthrough I’ve been looking for - - he can communicate with the geth! Such a tremendous grasp of mathematics. It seems serendipity is alive well in the 22nd century."

"Archer Log 157.8: Unless he sees results, the Illusive man is shutting us down next week. I have no choice. I am going to tap David directly into the geth neural network and see if he can influence them. Danger should be negligible. David might even enjoy it."

"Archer Log 164.4: I’d be lying if I said that no harm could come to David. His autistic mind is just as alien to me as an actual alien. Anything could happen when we plug him in. But I have to try don’t I?"

Enemies

 * Geth Trooper
 * Geth Prime

E-Mail
Commander Shepard will receive one of two e-mails from the Illusive Man after completing this assignment, depending on the choice made about David Archer's fate:

Paragon: Dr. Archer's Brother

Renegade: Dr. Archer's Brother

Mission Summary
"Paragon: The rogue VI was successfully shut down, but the test subject was taken to a non-Cerberus facility for care. While this is a considerable setback for Cerberus, Dr. Archer's research will be instrumental in devising a safer approach to controlling the geth." "Renegade: The rogue VI was successfully shut down, and the test subject was left in Dr. Archer's care. After a suitable period of safety evaluation, Project Overlord will soon be up and running again."
 * Debriefing
 * Experience: 250 (312)
 * Upgrades
 * Heavy Skin Weave
 * Credits: 15000
 * Cerberus Funding: 7500
 * Credits Found: 7500
 * Resources
 * Palladium: 2000