Starfield:One Small Step

Barrett wants me to take the Artifact to his colleagues in Constellation. I'll have his ship, the Frontier, and his robot Vasco for the journey.

Quick Walkthrough

 * Follow Supervisor Lin
 * Collect Mineral deposits
 * Follow Lin
 * Explore the cavern
 * Break the Caelumite Deposits
 * Take the Strange object
 * Follow Lin
 * Equip a Helmet and continue following
 * Meet the client
 * Survive the shootout
 * Speak with Barrett
 * Board the ship
 * Take off from Vectera
 * Learn to Fly
 * Deal with the Crimson Fleet
 * Travel and land on Kreet at the research base
 * Deal with the Crimson Fleet Captain
 * Grav Jump to Jemison
 * Land at New Atlantis
 * Proceed to MAST District
 * Enter the Lodge and it's Library
 * Listen to the meeting
 * Polace the artifact
 * Listen to the Meeting
 * Talk to Sarah

Walkthrough
The introductory mission starts on May 7, 2330, with the player at the Argos Extractors Mining Outpost on Vectera. The player is accompanied by Supervisor Lin and Heller, a fellow miner. You being riding an elevator down into a mine:


 * Supervisor Lin: "Seals are good. Oxygen's good. Just do what you did last time, and you're fine. Follow my one simple rule. Heller, what's my one simple rule?"
 * Heller: "Listen to Lin. Boss lady knows best."
 * Supervisor Lin: "Exactly. Listen to me. Mining's just like any other job. Go steady, go safe, go home with a pocketful of credits at the end of the day."
 * Heller: "Yeah totally, it's just like, um... working the stardock. Except with more cave-ins, lasers, and accidental dismemberment."
 * Supervisor Lin: "Very helpful. Thank you."
 * Heller: "Ah, you're gonna be fine. Your first outing was solid. And let's be honest - it ain't exactly astrophysics."
 * Supervisor Lin: "That's why I keep him around. Good pep talks."
 * Heller: "Yeah...and the fact that I can pinpoint a Helium deposit from three hundred meters..."
 * Supervisor Lin: "Not untrue. A shame we won't find any down here, but the metal deposits alone should pay for our OWN helium. Hell, after this, we'll have enough jump fuel to bounce from one end of the Settled Systems to the next."
 * Heller: "More minerals, more money. And so the cycle repeats itself. Just no more unauthorized jumps into House Va'ruun space, okay?"
 * Supervisor Lin: "He's just a big baby. There are worse lives. You know, most dusties don't even make it this far. I have a good feeling about you."
 * Heller: "Group hug now or at the end of the shift?"
 * Supervisor Lin: "One of these days, Heller, I AM going to leave you behind."
 * Heller: "Promises, promises."

Once you reach the bottom, Heller and Lin will proceed out of the elevator. You will be in a large active mining site, with numerous miners working with cutters.

You should follow Heller and Lin:


 * Supervisor Lin: "Okay, let's see what we've got. How are we on time?"
 * Heller: "Little longer. Grab some samples?"
 * Supervisor Lin: "Always. But not you. Check on Isabelle. Make sure she eases up on the breach. I don't feel like getting buried alive today."
 * Heller: "Roger that."
 * Supervisor Lin: "Remember, dusty, keep your breathing steady. And never take that helmet off down here. Oxygen processors don't extend this far."
 * Heller: "Yeah. Because God forbid we drill on a rock with a breathable atmosphere..."
 * Supervisor Lin: "Know what I love about working in Freestar Collective space: fewer regs. A job like this in the United Colonies? Heh. Reams of red tape. Ugh. Look at this one over here... Calvert! No! No no no! It's a laser not a sledgehammer. Ease up. Bening, if you got paid per break you'd be a millionaire! Let's go."
 * Bening: "Yeah, yeah. Okay."
 * Supervisor Lin: "What do we say, dusties? You make your cut, you get your cut. No exceptions. Come on. Pick it up! Troy. What's the yield?"
 * Troy: "Minimal at this point. Occasional glimmer, but it's weak."
 * Supervisor Lin: "What do you think? Stay the course?"
 * Troy: "No ma'am. Juice ain't worth the squeeze."
 * Supervisor Lin: "Well okay then. Let's call this one tapped. Why don't you move over to that big vein we looked at?"
 * Troy: "Yes Ma'am."

Lin will now stop to give you directions to mine. Her specific comment will change if you have already grabbed a cutter, and if you had already mined what she was going to ask you to.


 * "Dusty, you're up. Grab a cutter and mine what you can."
 * "Dusty, you're up. Take that cutter you grabbed, and mine what you can."
 * "Well, look at you. Showing some initiative. Come on. Let's check in on Heller."

After equipping a cutter, you will start mining beryllium. There are five mineral samples in the section of the mine she points out. By holding down both triggers/both the left and right mouse button, you can mine faster. Once you are done, Lin will call you back as Heller is helping oversee a giant excavating machine punch through to a new cavern:


 * Lin: "They're ready for us. Get back up here."
 * Heller: "And here we go. In 3... 2... 1... Scanners reading a clean break. Shutting down."
 * Lin: "Heller, get the readings. "
 * Heller: "Yeah, about that..."
 * Lin: "Problem?"
 * Heller: "Not if you consider a spike in gravity readings a problem."
 * Lin: "I don't."
 * Heller: "You don't?"
 * Lin: "What we're after... it'll read as an anomaly. That's what I was told, anyway."
 * Heller: "Okay, now you're starting to freak me out."
 * Lin: "Relax. It's just another job. Come on."
 * Heller: "We're getting close... I think... Everything is just... Lin, seriously. There's something really effed up about this..."
 * Lin: "Where is it, Heller?"
 * Heller: "Through there. I think."
 * Lin: "Okay. You. You're up. Something goes wrong in there, we'll come get you."
 * Heller: "Why would anything go wrong? Shouldn't we..."
 * Lin: "Would you shut up? Both of you do your jobs. Client is on his way."

You will be sent ahead on your own. The cavern has little lighting ahead, and you can turn on your flashlight by holding to the left bumper or with the "F" key. More beryllium lines the walls as you forward, which you are free to mine if you wish. You will shortly arrive in a larger chamber with a central mineral deposit giving off light, with some minerals caught in a gravitational anomaly causing them to float. As you progress alone Heller and Lin will provide some commentary through a communication system.


 * Heller: "Still getting weird gravity readings. I guess that's a good thing? Just keep going!"
 * Lin: "Do you see anything?"

You will get an objective to break up the deposits covering what appears to be the source of the anomaly. Use the cutter to break through the caelumite, and you will shortly be able to free the mysterious object.

As you go to grab it, the game will switch to a cutscene of your hand reaching out. Once you make contact with it, you will see a white light, followed by a strange vision showing space, seemingly pulling further and further back until you are gazing at the entirety of the universe. A strange sound can be heard. You will then quickly move even further beyond, with a tunnel made up of the colors of the visible light spectrum, before ending on the white light from the beginning of the vision, before it fades to black.

You will hear Lin call out to you, and you will wake up sometime later in the infirmary.


 * Lin: "Dusty! Snap out of it!"

Upon waking up, you will turn to find Heller and Lin watching over you, and you will begin character creation.


 * Heller: "Come on. Come on. Okay. Take it easy. You were out cold. No physical damage. Mentally, the jury's still out. You know who you are? New recruit for Argos Extractors? Ring any bells? Any of this look familiar?"

Then Lin goes on


 * Lin: "Well, you got the sample. Client's on his way. Then we all get paid."
 * Lin: '"You remember anything that happened?"'
 * "There was this... light. And music..."
 * Lin: "Huh. Well, you passed out, that's for sure. Everything else? Probably just your brain playing tricks..."
 * Lin: "Either way, we got what we were looking for."
 * "It was incredible. Like a dream, or a vision."
 * Lin: "Easy there, high flier. Probably just the endorphins kicking in when you passed out. Don't go having an "experience" on me."
 * Lin: "You'll walk it off. More importantly, we got what we were looking for."
 * "Everything's a blank after I went into that tunnel."
 * Lin: "Huh. Well, makes the paperwork easier, and we got what we were looking for."
 * What is that thing?
 * Lin: "It's our payday, that's what. Sooner we get it off our hands, the sooner it isn't our problem anymore."
 * Heller: "All this trouble for that stupid thing? Sure don't look like much."
 * Lin: "Never mind what it looks like. It's worth more than this mine has pulled in all month. We'll be..."
 * Lin: "Speak of the devil."

Lin and Heller will move on, chatting. The player is informed of the imminent arrival of a Constellation ship.


 * Lin: "Our Constellation contact is on approach."
 * Heller: "Wait. The explorer's group? I thought they were kind of a joke."
 * Lin: "Not a joke. You're just too young to know better."
 * Heller: "Hey, I'm just saying, they got a reputation. Hell, I bet half the crew here doesn't even believe they really exist."
 * Lin: "Half the crew doesn't believe Earth exists, but it's still there. Same with Constellation."
 * Heller: "Yeah, but, come on. Exploring space? Who does that anymore? Ain't the space we've already got complicated enough?"
 * Lin: "Not to them, apparently."
 * Lin: "All right, Dusty. Airlock. Put your helmet on."

While walking to the ship pad.


 * Heller: "Really? In a Discovery class? That ship's older than this moon."
 * Lin: ''"It's not old. It's classic. Come on, let's do this."

A Man will exit the ship followed by a Robot.


 * Barrett: "Lin!"
 * Lin: "Been a long time."
 * Barrett: "Ha! Yes it has. That mine on... Bindi, right?"
 * Lin: "Ka'zaal. Hell hole. Like this place. Rare mineral contract. Your tastes are a bit more sophisticated now, huh?"
 * Barrett: "So... you found something?"
 * Lin: "Right here. The new guy/girl/one found it."
 * Barrett: "That right? And everything went... cool? Just like, grabbing those... minerals on Bindi? "
 * Lin:
 * "Ka'zaal. And no, Barrett. NOT cool. He/She/They passed out after the extraction. Doesn't even remember what happened."
 * OR "Ka'zaal. And no, Barrett. NOT cool. He/She/They passed out after the extraction. Woke up saying all kinds of nonsense."

To the player


 * Barrett: ''"Is that right, cowboy/cowgirl/(Nothing)? Went on a trip, huh?"
 * "You could call it that"
 * Barrett: "Ha! That fun, huh? Not the most gentle push into the great mysteries of space, but hey... been there!"
 * "I'm fine. Nothing to talk about"
 * Barrett: "All right. Little disappointing, not gonna lie, but reveling in the "weird" of space isn't everyone's idea of a good time. I get it."
 * How would you know about that?
 * Barrett: "Well, you could say that the infinite possibilities of the universe are full of everything but coincidences."


 * Lin: "Look, just hand over the credits, and I'll be happy to never see this thing, or you, ever again."
 * Barrett: "That's why I like you, Lin. All business."
 * Vasco: "Barrett. The scanners on the Frontier are reporting a ship coming in hot from orbit."
 * Barrett: "I REALLY thought I lost them..."
 * Lin: "Barrett!"
 * Heller: "Holy shit, that's the Crimson Fleet!"
 * Lin: "Weapons! Everybody get ready!"

After the shoot-out with pirates, Barrett invites the player to meet at the Constellation headquarters in New Atlantis. Vasco is set to Protocol Indigo, seemingly expecting things to go that way, and has to escort you there without any deviation unless absolutely necessary.


 * Lin: "Of course Barrett was being followed... Every. Time."


 * Barrett: "Now that was some fine work under pressure."
 * Barrett: "You dug up the Artifact, right? That means you saw it. The visions."
 * Barrett: "You're coming with me to Constellation. You're part of this now."


 * "If they can tell me what this Artifact of yours is, I'm in."
 * Barrett: "Marvelous."
 * "If you'll take me off this damn moon, sign me up!"
 * Barrett: "Nothing wrong with honest work. Although... yeah... see your point..."
 * "Whoa, wait. I didn't ask for any of this."
 * Barrett: "Hey, uh, I wasn't gonna bring it up but... we don't exactly know what the Artifact might've done to your head, and Constellation is really the only group qualified to help..."
 * "What is Constellation, anyway?"
 * Barrett: "You ever stare up at the stars at night, wondering what's out there? That's us. There's where we go."


 * Lin: "Oh no, Barrett. NO. You think you're just going to take off after the mess you caused?"
 * Barrett: "Oh right... I guess I DID just put you all on the Crimson Fleet hit list..."
 * Barrett: "How about... I stay. And I send your dusty here in my place. Uh uh uh... I know, I know. But he's/she's/they're not some miner anymore, Lin. "
 * Barrett: ''"Soon as he/she/they touched that rock, something changed. Don't tell me you can't feel it."
 * Lin: "Fine... it's a deal."
 * Lin: "Get out of here dusty. You're on to bigger things."
 * "Thanks for everything, Lin."
 * Lin: "Just go. Before I say something I regret."
 * "No way. Not my job."
 * Lin: ''"Don't you get it? You don't have a job here anymore. You're with those explorers now. Like it or not."
 * Lin: "Just go, all right? Figure out what happened to you when you touched that rock."
 * "What about the mine? Don't you need me?"
 * Lin: "Now that we've been attacked? *sigh* We've got to pack up and move on. Argos will come for the rest of us. You get going."
 * Barrett: "Well, now that's settled..."
 * Barrett: ''"Vasco, get he/she/them to the Lodge. No deviations unless absolutely necessary, okay? Protocol Indigo."
 * Vasco: ''"Indigo? Again? Very well."
 * Barrett: "Oh, and hey, take this. You'll find it very useful out there. And it even tells the time!"

Barrett Hands you it's watch which becomes your compass, Oxygen bar and planet name HUD element, Analysis mode (F by default) also shows Temperature, Oxygen levels on the planet you're on and Gravity.


 * Barrett: "Hey, look at that! The watch fits you perfectly. Now, questions?"
 * "Why send me? Shouldn't you go?"
 * Barrett: "Come on. You're really not at all curious about the light and music show you experienced? Why it only affected you? "
 * Barrett: "Because if you didn't notice, we've all been handling it since with no problem."
 * Barrett: "The way I see it, Constellation needs that Artifact, but they also need you. This mystery is only getting bigger each step we take, and you're part of it now."
 * "You're giving me your ship?"
 * Barrett: "Technically it's not even mine. Consider it a loan."
 * Barrett: "Vasco will keep you on course. Besides, I'm making an exception since you can tell Constellation about that vision you had."
 * "Who are you? What's Constellation?"
 * Barrett: "See, that's the problem with the Settled Systems. Too easy to take everything for granted."
 * Barrett: "While everyone else is busy playing politics, we're the ones braving the unknown. Charting the vastness of space."
 * Barrett: "Without us, the galaxy's just a big room with the lights turned out."
 * '''"What exactly did we dig up?"
 * Barrett: "That, my friend, is the million credit question. And Constellation can find the answer -- with your help."
 * '''"Why was the Crimson Fleet after you?"
 * Barrett: "They're just following the loot, like pirates do. And I have something of a reputation as a, um, "loot collector.""
 * Barrett: "And Vasco! Don't let him/her/them break my ship!"

As you enter the ship, Vasco will ask you if you know how to fly a class A ship.


 * Vasco: "Captain!"
 * Vasco: "I assume you know how to fly a Class A starship. As Barrett likes to say, it's ""as easy as learning to ride a bike."
 * Vasco: "I will attempt to boost the shields, just in case there are any difficulties."
 * Vasco: "Shields ready. the rest is up to you."

After takeoff the player can follow a tutorial about how to fly then has to fight a Crimson Fleet ship in space and two more after that before heading for a quick detour since Vasco insists the pirate pursuit is going to interfere with the return to New Atlantis.


 * Vasco: "The amount of Crimson Fleet hostility has been far more than anticipated."
 * Vasco: "At this rate, the odds of continual assault from their ships are high enough to jeopardize our mission. In short, they are after the Frontier and will not stop."
 * Vasco: "We will need to deal with the local Crimson Fleet captain. A recent scan indicates an abandoned facility on the nearby moon of Kreet. A perfect staging area for pirates."

Afterwards when moving to Kreet
 * Vasco: "We have arrived in orbit. The abandoned facility with our Crimson Fleet captain is on the surface."

Vasco will, upon landing, join you on the surface jaunt. You will have to fight your way through to the Crimson Fleet Captain. Once you can confront them you can try to persuade them to leave you alone, or fight them off.


 * Crimson Fleet Captain: "You gotta be kidding me. The Frontier has a new captain? You working with Barrett, or did you pry the ship keys out of his cold, dead hands?"
 * "I'm with Constellation. You need to stop attacking our ship."
 * Crimson Fleet Captain: "Oh no. You see, maybe your "colleague" Barrett didn't tell you, but there's a bit of a legend surrounding that ship."
 * Crimson Fleet Captain: "That Constellation keeps treasure hidden in the cargo bays. The loot from a hundred planets. And it's going to be ours."
 * '"[Lie] That's right. I killed Barrett. So tell your pirate friends to back off."
 * Crimson Fleet Captain: "Oh no. You see, we weren't really after Barrett. We're after that ship."
 * Crimson Fleet Captain: "Every Crimson Fleet rook hears about the Frontier. That Constellation keeps treasure hidden in the cargo bays. The loot from a hundred planets."
 * Vasco: "That statement is partially correct. The Frontier has been to many planets and moons."
 * Vasco: "But the only things held in the cargo bays are spare parts, dust, desiccated food particles, and a variety of species of ant."
 * Crimson Fleet Captain: "I don't care what kind of lies Barrett programmed that robot to say! We're taking that ship."
 * "[Attack] Enough talk. I have places to be."
 * "What's your problem with Barrett, anyway?"
 * Crimson Fleet Captain: "We don't have a problem with Barrett. We want that ship. The Frontier. If you're the captain of it now, that means we're after you."
 * "[Persuade]There's no treasure in my ship. Cut your losses before more people get hurt. "
 * "[Attack] Time to make the Settled Systems a safer place."
 * "I don't suppose we can just agree to disagree? No hard feelings?"
 * Vasco: "If he were here, Barrett would say he was proud of you for asking that."
 * Crimson Fleet Captain: "The answer is no."

You are now free to Grav Jump to Jemison, where you'll be scanned when orbiting, then down to the city of New Atlantis where your first destination should be the Lodge in MAST district, You can take the convenient NAT train a bit on your forward and right as you pass the security outpost. Once inside you will get to meet a few members and have a talk with them.


 * Sarah: "Welcome to Constellation. We have a lot to talk about."
 * Sarah: "Would you care to tell us what happened to our friend? Why you're here and he isn't?"
 * "Pirates attacked. Barrett asked me to deliver the Artifact."
 * Sarah: "Vasco. Verify."
 * Vasco: "All statements made have been factual."
 * "It doesn't matter. I have your Artifact."
 * Sarah: "Excuse me? I think you might have us confused with some cutthroat bounty hunter's guild."
 * Sarah: "Vasco. Verify Barrett's location and status."
 * Vasco: ''"Currently assisting the miners on Vectera following a Crimson Fleet attack."
 * Who are you?
 * Sarah: "Sarah Morgan. Chair of Constellation. That means anything you discussed with Barrett is my business. Now, if you would please answer my question?"
 * "Why don't we start with you telling me what Constellation is?"
 * Sarah: "Hmm... Very well. This is a private organization dedicated to exploration. Space primarily, but also anomalies throughout the Settled Systems."
 * Sarah: "It's inherently dangerous work, so if one of our own doesn't show up as planned, then we tend to have questions."
 * Sarah: ''"Speaking of which. Where is Barrett?"


 * Walter: "Oh, this is just typical. Barrett hands over our ship and our robot to some random employee of that discount mining outfit he uses."
 * Sarah: "Walter..."
 * Walter: "And if we hadn't insisted on installing those emergency protocols, I guarantee you this rock breaker here would be halfway to Neon!"
 * Matteo: "But that didn't happen. He's/She's/They're here. With the Artifact."
 * Sarah: "Thank you, Matteo. Now let's focus on what's in front of us, shall we?"


 * Sarah: "What happened when it was extracted? Did anyone see anything? Hear anything?"
 * "It was bright lights and music."
 * Sarah: "Interesting. Similar to Barrett's description of the experience. With less embellishment..."
 * "I'm not talking about this. That thing almost killed me."
 * Sarah: "So something DID happen. Barrett mentioned a loss of consciousness last time he found an Artifact."
 * "How many times has this happened? Who else has had these visions?"
 * Sarah: "We think it's anyone else who pulls one out of the rock for the first time. "
 * Sarah: "Why? We're not sure yet. So if you wouldn't mind adding another data point?"


 * Matteo: "There. Are you hearing this? Do you all believe me now?"
 * Walter: "Whether it happened or not wasn't in doubt. But honestly, Khatri, if you expect us to believe in fairy tales..."
 * Matteo: "If this is the greatest mystery in the universe, why couldn't it be part of the ultimate mystery?"
 * Sarah: "Gentlemen, can we please focus?"
 * Sarah: "Noel. I think it's time we tested your theory."
 * Noel: "Right. Let's see..."
 * Noel: "We know the Artifacts react to each other. The pieces we already have move when they're in close contact."
 * Noel:  "Now, if we add this new one to the two we already have..."
 * Sarah: "The Artifact. If you could place it on the table here."

Placing the artifact sets them in motion.
 * Walter: "That's it. Just like the others."
 * Matteo: "And to imagine we thought there were only two of them at first..."
 * Noel: "Oh my god. That's it. They're reacting! Look at how it's coming together."
 * Noel: "That energy that's arcing between them? No manufactured material in the Settled Systems can do that! None of them! This proves that..."
 * Sarah: "Easy, girl. Breathe. You'll have a heart attack."
 * Walter: "She's not the only one. If they're coming together, that means there's a set."
 * Matteo: "Built by an intelligence outside the Settled Systems."
 * Walter: "Still two thousand credits for our little wager, Khatri?"
 * Matteo: "You're on, Walter."
 * Sarah: "Well, if we had all the answers, it wouldn't be exciting, now would it?"
 * Walter: "Not to take away from the moment, but, what are we going to do about our new friend here?"


 * Sarah: "*chuckle* So, are you ready to get to work? See if exploration is the life you want to lead in this little universe of ours? "
 * "All right. I'm in. Tell me what happens next."
 * Sarah: "You should take some time to get settled in. Introduce yourself to everyone. Some of our members aren't here, but you'll meet them soon."
 * Sarah: "Come find me when you're ready. You and I are going to be doing some traveling together. Get your feet wet."
 * "This is all a little much. I need some time to clear my head."
 * Sarah: "Fair enough, but you need a place to stay in the city, right? Why don't you settle in here? We owe you that much."
 * Sarah: "Come find me when you're ready."
 * "How much do you know about the Artifacts? What are they?"
 * Sarah: "Individually, they're just odd hunks of metal. Another oddity from the uncharted reaches of space."
 * Sarah: "As to what they are? What they're building? Well, you'll be part of solving that puzzle now."
 * "You want me in Constellation? What does that mean? What's expected?"
 * Sarah: "We're all here because we're committed to exploring space. Humanity may have settled the stars, but that doesn't mean we should stop diving into the unknown."
 * Sarah: "Beyond that, you'll be expected to use your own judgement. Just like the rest of us."


 * Sarah: "And here. I think you've earned something for bringing the Artifact to us."
 * Sarah: "In addition to credits, why don't we set you up with a backpack with some boost capability? You'll need it out in the field, anyway. Just mind your head."

The quest will then be concluded and you will have the items Sarah mentioned added to your inventory.