Part 31: Episode XXX: Welcome to the Family, Son

Episode XXX: Welcome to the Family, Son


Music: Rays of Light (Quiet)



There’s one last sidequest in the City Ruins that is actually doable at this point in the game before we move on to go visiting Pascal again. There’s one back in the Resistance Camp that requires visiting an inaccessible area. Another one is over by the sewer leading to the Amusement Park that I think might straight up be an error for existing this early in the game because it involves an escort mission against a horde of Level 50 dudes. And one is a race that is just a complete fucker until we can augment 2B’s speed some more.





The aforementioned doable quest is initiated on a rooftop just north of the overpass leading to the Factory Ruins. Here we find a member of the Resistance hanging out in a barren storeroom. Let’s see what he needs from our top of the line android duo.



Hmm... Look, I know this is a bit out of the blue, but can you help me? I’ve got something of an emergency on my hands. It seems that some machine lifeforms have stolen several plug-in chips containing classified data. If they realize what they have, we’re going to be in big trouble. You have to help me get ‘em back!
<Lend a hand.>
Thanks. I have to track down a total of three plug-in chips. I’ll go ahead and send you the signal codes so you can track them. They’re all located somewhere in this city, so hopefully it won’t take too long.



So begins “Retrieve the Confidential Intel” mission. Tracking down three chips by trashing some machines. That sounds within our wheelhouse.




Marking approximate location on map.



What a helpful Pod. We’ve got two of ‘em on nearby rooftops a couple blocks down and one in the world’s most popular ruined building in the city. Let’s get crackin’!


Music: Rays of Light (Medium)





All the machines during this mission are Enhanced (red and black painted) versions of earlier machine lifeforms. The first mission hotspot, just the north of where the quest giver is hanging out, features Enhanced versions of small and medium flyers. They’ve gotten more zealous with their orb spamming but otherwise are a flat stat upgrade of what we’ve already seen.



Trashing all of these machines will automatically add the first Plug-in Chip to 2B’s pockets or... wherever she is storing these garbage bags full of loose chips and assorted garbage materials.



The second mission hotspot is on a rooftop just southeast of Jackass’s Desert Camp pathway. It takes some rooftop parkour to transverse to this location. But hey, that’s what double jumps are for!



It is likely in the possession of a machine lifeform.





Up in this mission zone we’ve got two Enhanced Axemen. We already saw them in the crater ambush mission from a couple updates ago. They’re no big deal. Slightly more worrying is the Enhanced Medium Biped Gunner. Instead of simply a steady stream of energy orbs, it is instead a shotgun scattershot. Which can be a problem. More pressingly...



They’ve got a charge-up shot doom laser that inflicts a massive amount of damage and can stunlock 2B into an early grave if she eats it in the face at a bad spot. It’s a good idea to avoid streams of plasma energy in general. Both in video games and real life.



A trio of trashed Enhanced machine lifeforms later and the second of three chips slides into our inventory. Let’s head on out to the third and final loca—



Oh?
This chip is a model used exclusively by YoRHa units. There is no reason for a non-YoRHa android to possess it.
A YoRHa-only chip?



Well, I mean... it’s not like the machine lifeforms should be holding onto those chips anyway. We’d best gather the last of ‘em. We can sort out the chain of possession afterwards. Anyway, the final chip is located on the ground floor of that building we fought Engels... and the YoRHa betrayers and landed on a few times.



In here we find a whole mess of Enhanced versions of the electric-shield wielding Stubbies.





We already saw the best way to deal with these guys back during Jackass’s trials and the answer to this situation is unleashing Mirage and quickly mopping up any machines not outright destroyed immediately by the Mirage’s activation.



As soon as the final Stubby is sent to the scrapyard, the third and final chip flies from its corpse and straight into 2B’s hands. All in a day’s work!



That’s a timely broadcast. Let’s see what the Commander wants this time. Hopefully no further covert assassinations under the guise of desertion. That’d be great...



This unit was in possession of several plug-in chips that contain classified information. I need you to seek out whatever intel you can regarding their current whereabouts and status.
Roger.
*disconnects*
Chips with classified data, is it?

Hmm... That does sound kinda familiar, doesn’t it? Ya know, let’s take a quick look at those chips we’ve been gathering. I mean chips drop all the time from machines. It could just be a coinci—



Hmm... No, looking at it closely now... Yeah, I see the fine print. Right on the bottom here. Containing classified information. That’s a bit troubling. Let’s head back to that guy who gave us the quest and see what the deal is here...





We are given the option to refuse this request and it does yield additional dialogue as well as making 2B not quite seem like a total idiot. So...

<Refuse.>
Huh? Why not? You don’t actually suspect me of something, do you? Come on! I need those chips!
<Refuse.>
Before I give you the chips, I need you to answer a question. Do you know anything about a missing YoRHa unit in the area?
...No.
You sure?
Look, just forget about the chips. See ya.

Alright, don’t be like that, ya weirdo. Unfortunately, there is no alternate resolution here. If we want to remove this sidequest from our bucket list, we’ve got to go ahead with this. Speaking to him again...

What? Do you feel like giving me those plug-in chips now?
<Hand over the chips.>
Thank you. Oh, and I know this isn’t much, but please take it.



Well, that’s actually pretty generous. Some of those materials are fairly rare at this point and that G/EXP bonus doesn’t hurt. But that’s not all!





The shady Resistance member also forks over a new Pod Program – A140: Gravity. Gravity well... it plops down a vortex that sucks up all enemies to it center for several seconds. They can still attack there and it does no damage when the gravity well dissipates so... Yeah, Gravity sucks ass. I suppose you could use it to suck up enemies and have an easier time following up with another Pod Program. Or you could just use two offensive Programs. Or a Level 2 singular one.



Oh yeah, this Pod Program can also crash the game if it sucks in more than ten enemies at once. It’s very rare for there to be that many enemies at once that can be hit with Gravity. But the possibility exists and they still haven’t patched that yet! So that’s cool.





Your... family, huh? I really don’t like the sound of that. Please don’t be doing weird sex things to that missing YoRHa unit, dude? That would fall very much under “NOT COOL!”



Anyway, this mission is only listed as Reported, not Completed. Which means there is a follow-up at a later date. Though unlike the missing Resistance member quest or others like it, there’s no automatic notification. Instead, a new quest marker quietly appears over by the Desert Housing complex. So let’s head out there.


Music: Memories of Dust (Vocal)



It’s been a while since we’ve last traveled out here. Fun fact: It’s possible to backtrack to where we fought Dickless Sephiroth Adam. It’s now an infinite enemy spawning point for grinding. But we don’t need to use that at the moment.



What we do need to do is head to the southernmost apartment building ruins on the outskirts of the Desert Housing. Here, we find whatshisface from earlier. Let’s see how he’s getting along with those chips...



Er, I suppose you noticed those chips were YoRHa, huh? Well, there’s a reason for that. Let me introduce you to the new addition to my family.


New Music: The Color of Depression



I always wanted family, you know? Or at least I was pretty sure I did. Seeing all the machines living together in the same area was starting to make me... lonely. So I went out and stole a broken-down YoRHa body. I’m hoping I can repair it and use it to kick off my very own family.
H-H-H-Hello?
Unbelievable...
I know it isn’t right, but I don’t care. I need someone I can live with. Someone I can protect. You won’t tell anyone, will you?
P-P-P-Pleeee...ase...
......



WELP! Nothing about this feels comfortable. Let’s uhh... let’s just back up slowly and get out of here. And then IMMEDIATELY tell Command there’s some sinister business going on out in the desert. Again.



As soon as we head back to the Resistance Camp an e-mail comes in from Command. Let’s see what that’s all about. Maybe Pod 042 called the YoRHa equivalent of child protective services.



...Oh. Uhh.



Mission complete...? Well, the name of the mission was “Retrieve the Confidential Intel” and it technically was retrieved in the end so. Yeah... Go team...?



Really. That’s it. That’s all. They both died off-screen to machines. Or aced by YoRHa not wanting state secrets to be known by some weird hillbilly android. Who knows! The end! Hmm... how about next time we go visit Pascal and his folks. They seem like a happier lot. Remember waving that white flag? That was fun.






Video: Episode 30 Highlight Reel





City Ruins Concept Art – It’s gonna tip over any day now...