Spoilers: Early game
Abiotic Factor Office Sector: Silo 3 & First Power Cell
Gather Office supplies, build a tier-one Keypad Hacker, follow Silo 3 to the first Flathill Power Cell, and open the Manufacturing forklift door.
Silo 3 to Flathill: a first Power Cell run
Before leaving: craft a tier-one Keypad Hacker at a Crafting Bench with 1 Controller + 1 LCD Screen + 1 Infrared Emitter. Equip it in its equipment slot. Bring food, drinking water, room for loot and radiation protection for carrying the Power Cell. A Hazardous Materials Suit increases thirst, so allow extra water.
- At Office Level 3, hack the Silo 3 door and operate the security panel inside to open the portal.
- In Flathill, descend from the treehouse, cross Bounty Basket into the ice-cream shop, then use its upstairs vent to reach the video store. Locate the return portal near the truck before collecting valuables.
- Pass the Library frontage to the public bathroom. Its vent leads toward the playground; cross the play tunnel and gate to the statue-fronted civic building (called “City Hall” in the illustrated guide).
- Inside, take the stairs, yellow door and ladder to the rooftop containment unit. Remove the first Power Cell and use the portal it creates.
- Descend the Arcade roof vent. Open the ground-floor yellow exit and shortcut toward the shops, then return to the starting portal if you are leaving with this cell.
- Back in Offices, install the cell in the forklift at the Manufacturing door. Confirm the door opens before putting the objective aside.
Break line of sight with Composers and stay away from openings they can reach through; entering a large doorway does not automatically make you safe. Use the return portal near the start so your first supply run need not become a full Flathill clear.
Missing the three Hacker components?
Craft each of these at a Crafting Bench; these are finished-component requirements, not three random computer drops:
| Component | Recipe for one |
|---|---|
| Controller | 1 Computation Brick + 2 Keyboards + 2 Desk Phones + 1 Box of Screws |
| LCD Screen | 1 Computation Brick + 3 Tech Scrap + 1 Glowstick + 1 Box of Screws |
| Infrared Emitter | 1 Circuit Board + 1 Computation Brick + 2 Glass Scrap |
Each Computation Brick takes 1 Security Bot CPU + 3 Circuit Boards + 1 Tech Scrap + 1 Case Fan. If crafting all three Hacker components from scratch, reserve three CPUs, not one. You need ten Circuit Boards in total across these recipes: nine for the bricks and one for the emitter. Salvage computers for Circuit Boards, or craft each board from eight Tech Scrap.
Use the Data Farm for computer materials, and prepare a powered trap and repair supplies before attempting a Security Robot. The component list explains why repeatedly scavenging desks without obtaining CPUs can leave the Hacker unfinished.
Why is the Manufacturing door still closed?
The main Office objective chain involves the forklift, Power Cells, Silo 3 and the Flathill portal. Use this checkpoint list:
- Follow the current conversations about reaching Manufacturing and obtaining Power Cells.
- Complete access to Silo 3 rather than assuming its keypad door is already open.
- Enter the activated portal and recover a Power Cell in Flathill.
- Return to use the cell at the forklift supporting the Manufacturing door.
Use the route above for the first cell, then return to the progression checklist to continue without repeating completed objectives.
Choose a landmark by need
| Need | Landmark to investigate |
|---|---|
| Computer components | Data Farm |
| Tainted water | Gym pool |
| Gardening materials | Bio Lab D |
| Travel connections | Level 1 tram plaza |
Find the first three on Level 2. Check the remaining supplies before planning a return trip.
Plan a return before filling your inventory
A focused supply trip to Level 2
Pick the destination from your shopping list before leaving your base. For electrical components, investigate the Data Farm and inspect the computer equipment there. For a liquid run, bring an appropriate container to the gym pool and verify that you collected tainted, not clean, water. For gardening materials, find Bio Lab D between Reception and the pool area, near the Level 3 elevator.
These are different trips with different inventory needs. Carrying a full bag of scrap to the pool leaves less capacity for the container you came to fill; hauling gardening supplies does not advance a Power Cell objective by itself. Keep the desired material and the current story task separate.
The Data Farm also has a Security Bot in the area. A useful resource landmark is not necessarily a safe room. Identify a return route and avoid treating every office as harmless storage space.
Identify the way back to your base and carry only what supports the trip. If you are collecting water, consult tainted water before treating a pool as a drinking source.
For an initial base setup, use getting started.
A map warning
Use current room signs and the active objective to navigate Level 1. A destination label does not mean its connecting door is unlocked.
Should you collect the other two cells now?
For a full run, the next containment unit is on the Arcade’s upper level, followed by the Library route and Corn Syrup Factory server area. Open shortcuts as you go. The server-room Composer sees you on elevator exit; move immediately to either side and use cover or vents to break sight. These later sections are optional to this first-cell route, not required to fill the one forklift socket.
Do not confuse the accessible Office Data Farm supply area with a Power Cell behind a tier-two access requirement. Upgrade-gated loot is not the starting substitute for this Silo 3 trip.
Can a tram bypass the progression requirement?
Do not assume a destination sign means its connection is usable yet. The central Level 1 plaza contains several tram routes to later sectors, while additional terminals are located elsewhere. Use available shortcuts after confirming access; seeing a line on a map does not satisfy the objective that opens it.
Before the first long departure, check your drinking and cooking supplies and your bench’s overnight supply. Keep a workable return base, without postponing progression until every optional room is decorated.
Use the early progression guide for the next major stage. Choose your next destination from the materials and objective you still need.
