Aurora

The Aurora is a spacecraft sent to the Ariadne Arm by the Alterra Corporation in order to build a phasegate. However, its secondary mission, unknown to most of the crew, was to search for and, if possible, rescue the survivors of the Degasi crew.

During a gravity slingshot maneuver around Planet 4546B, the Aurora was struck by a mysterious energy pulse, resulting in catastrophic hull failure, leading to its crash landing on the surface of the planet. It is later revealed that it was the Quarantine Enforcement Platform that shot it down. Many Lifepods were destroyed by the energy pulse and the ones that did launch were all compromised with the exception of two. Lifepod 5, which contained Ryley Robinson, and Lifepod 4, although the latter's flotation devices seemingly failed, or was possibly overturned by a Reaper Leviathan.

By the time the Player awakens and begins his exploration of the area, all of the other Lifepods have been destroyed and their occupants have vanished. After the Aurora's Drive Core explodes, the ship's wreckage is surrounded by Radiation and is unapproachable without a Radiation Suit. While quite dangerous and far out, it is possible for a player to visit the Aurora early in-game once it explodes, although several tools are needed to properly explore the ship.

The Aurora is visible from the surface nearly anywhere on the map, making it a useful landmark, especially if the player lacks a compass. The Aurora is located on the far Eastern edge of the map, with its bow facing North and its stern facing South.

The crash resulted in huge quantities of Metal Salvage and Vac-packs being dispersed within the vicinity of the ship, providing useful materials such as Food & Water, batteries, or Titanium.

Upon crashing, the Aurora plowed into the terrain, unearthing it and leaving small sand hills around the ship, providing small amounts of resources such as Metal Salvage. Multiple Reaper Leviathans guard the crash site.

Secret Auxiliary Mission
The Mongolian Empire lost contact with private vessel 'Degasi' 18 months after it left colonized space. The Empire has purchased passage aboard Aurora for Emissary Khasar, and your orders are to afford him every reasonable facility to locate and, if appropriate, retrieve Degasi crewmembers, without compromising the primary mission.

Degasi crew manifesto has been distributed to senior officers in a separate data package.

Mission classification: Aurora crew should not be informed of this mission until such time as their co-operation in locating or retrieving Degasi crew is required. It should be stressed that humanitarian auxiliary missions fall outside normal remuneration structures.

Crash


Some more information on what happened just before the crash was released on August 6th, 2015, hidden within the update post of the Habitat Update.

Clicking on the "LOG" buttons placed all over the page results in displaying a window with what appeared to be short snippets of a conversation between two employees at the Colonial Headquarters, with a few nods to the Natural Selection game series. The last of these logs, however, only shows a code consisting of hex values. Converting them into ASCII characters and deciphering the result using the Cesar Cipher reveals the hidden message:

PDA Speech
The PDA reports the Aurora's state to the Player and information about the environment to the player as they explore.

Situational Assessment
"The Aurora suffered orbital hull failure. Cause: unknown. Zero human life signs detected.



First Aurora Report
"Detecting increased local radiation levels. Trend is consistent with damage to the Aurora's drive core, sustained during planetfall."



Second Aurora Report
"Caution. Continued degradation of the Aurora's drive core may result in a quantum detonation. Continuing to monitor."



Third Aurora Report
'''Warning. Local radiation readings suggest the Aurora's drive core has reached a critical state. Quantum detonation will occur within 2 hours."'''



Fourth Aurora Report
"Emergency: A quantum detonation has occurred in the Aurora's drive core. The reactor will reach a super critical state in T- 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1-

Aurora Exploration
Over the course of several in-game days, the PDA informs the Player on the condition of the degradation of The Aurora's engine, until its eventual explosion.

The explosion is focused towards the front section of the ship.

Only after the explosion is the Player able to explore inside the Aurora, but only if equipped with a radiation suit. All three parts to the suit must be equipped in order to negate the radiation damage. Upon entry, the PDA warns that creatures around the Aurora contain traces of human tissue inside their digestive systems, indicating all bodies were consumed by Bleeders and Cave Crawlers. Also, fire and falling debris can injure the Player, and periodic shaking of the hull occurs. Further dangers are posed by the Reaper Leviathans that spawn around the ship, Cave Crawlers that litter the entrance area of the ship, and Bleeders in the underwater sections within the Aurora.

For avoiding the Reapers, there is usually one patrolling between the basin West of the Aurora, and the deep chasm beneath its bow. A Seamoth can safely sneak past by approaching from the Safe Shallows nearest to the Aurora and hugging the Aurora's side, until reaching a gap large enough for the Seamoth to squeeze through. It is recommended to disembark in shallow water so that the ramp beneath you will protect you from Reaper attack, though the Reaper doesn't normally swim that close to the entrance.

The following equipment is recommended for exploring the Aurora:
 * Radiation Suit (required to approach the Aurora)
 * A weapon for self-defense against Cave Crawlers (Such as a Stasis Rifle, Propulsion Cannon, or Repulsion Cannon)
 * Repair Tool, for repairing the Drive Room and mending broken doors.
 * Propulsion Cannon, for removing crate barriers at both the main hallway and Laboratory entrance, and to remove the Bleeders from the player's arms. A Repulsion Cannon is also a viable tool for removing crates and barriers.
 * Fire Extinguisher, for various fires (some can be found on site)
 * Laser Cutter, for entering various rooms including the PRAWN Suit Bay and Aurora Black Box Terminal.
 * A Seaglide for quick navigation through the submerged sections.
 * A survival knife / thermoblade to kill the bleeders.

There are two routes to the inside of the ship. The first is on the right side of the shore area of the torn up front section and constitutes an entryway behind a Floodlight blocked off by various crates. Behind the crates are a Fire Extinguisher and a fire to put out, after which the Player will find themselves in the Laboratory. The second requires going up a ramp in the torn up front section of the Aurora, the Player can enter a corridor that leads inside the ship. On the way up, the user can find several Vac-packs with crafted items inside of them. The door leading to the T-section is partially blocked off by fire. Fortunately, there are a few Fire Extinguishers lying around, which can come in handy. When the Player enters, there will be a sign to the left that says Airlock.

To the right of the T-section, there is a door which is blocked off by fire. The left corridor leads to the "Cargo Bay 3". The right door leads to "Administration". These rooms are indicated by signs on the Aurora itself.

Administration Office
The administration office has a Data Terminal with a downloadable log titled "Alterra Launches the Aurora". The office also contains shelves, a Desk, and a Prawn Suit poster which can be taken. It also contains an Abandoned PDA with a Data Download under the headline "Essential Life Things", which will give the player the code "1454".

Cargo Bay 3
Down the left corridor, there is rubble blocking the entrance to Cargo Bay 3. These can be gotten around dropping down from above or by using the Propulsion Cannon or Repulsion Cannon to move these out of the way. Alternatively, the player can jump and sprint from the slope to the first large cargo container, and then from there to the top of the pile. Note that in doing so, there is a fire that cannot be put out; it must simply be avoided. There is then a locked door with a keypad that can be interacted with. Entering the code from the previously mentioned Data Download into the keypad will open the door. The Cargo Bay is a large area full of cargo containers, Vac-packs, forklifts, and a few other miscellaneous things.

There is a cargo elevator in the cargo bay, which is stuck halfway.

Following the ramp down reveals an underwater section which leads to a T-corridor. To the left, there will be a Sealed Door. To the right, there is a room called the "Seamoth Bay".

Seamoth Bay
The door to this room is locked, but there is a damaged panel which the Repair Tool can repair. When this panel is repaired, the door is unlocked, and the player can enter. The Seamoth Bay contains two pieces of a damaged Seamoth, which can be scanned. It also has a Seamoth Depth Module MK1 Upgrade Module.

Locker Room
Cutting through the Sealed Door will lead the player into a locker room. Some of the lockers are open and have loot inside, like batteries, first-aid kits, and water. There is an Abandoned PDA with a Data Download titled "Sweet Offer". It will give the player the code "1869".

Prawn Suit Bay
Leaving the locker room, there will be a sign labeled "PRAWN Bay". This is the location where the PRAWN Suit Fragments will be found. The door to this room is locked, and like before, has a panel that needs to be repaired. Once the door is unlocked the player can proceed into the room. This room has multiple PRAWN Suits hanging from the ceiling, presumably waiting to be deployed. To the right is a pile of rubble with broken PRAWN Suit Fragments and other miscellaneous things piled on top of each other. The fragments may require nearby fires to be put out in order to be scanned. Among the rubble is a Storage Module. Next to that is a ramp blocked off by fire and rubble. Once those are cleared, there is a door that leads to the "Living Quarters".

In the water is a large system of pipes and wires. In the system of wires is a hole you can swim through and you will find two doors. At this point, the password is currently unknown to you. Following the wall in the South-East leads to the Laboratory.

Laboratory
Coming from the Aurora entrance: Remove the crates blocking the doorway, then follow the hallway until there is a fire. On the right lies a fire extinguisher which is useful for putting out the aforementioned fire. Continue until a submerged room is reached.

Coming through the Prawn Suit Bay: Go underwater at the far right corner from the entrance to the Bay to find a tunnel leading to the lab. A room prior to the actual laboratory contains a data download panel with a Data Download titled "Aurora Black Box Data". It provides the "Energy Pulse Origin" signal. There also is a Vac-pack containing a Battery in front of a locked door that requires the Laser Cutter. Behind it is the actual laboratory.

A nearby Abandoned PDA has a Data Download titled "Lab Access" containing the code, 6483, for the two nearby doors. These grant access to the storage room, where three large Lab Containers can be found, one small Lab Container, a test tube-type Lab Equipment, and a microscope-type Lab Equipment. The two Vac-packs contain Disinfected Water and there's a Data Terminal that states it de-corrupted the player's PDA and unlocks the Repulsion Cannon.

Living Quarters
The Living Quarters are various rooms that provided living conditions for the various crew and passengers on the ship. If the player goes right, there is a room filled with Filtered Water and Nutrient Blocks. If the player goes left, there is a galley. There are bar tables and chairs lying on the ground, along with a few handy Vac-packs. There is a vending machine to the left, as well as a "Keep Calm" Poster, which can be taken.

At the front end of the corridor, there are sleeping quarters for the people on board. There are beds, a "Natural Selection 2" poster, and a few lockers. To the left, there is another corridor, with 2 locked doors. One of the doors is unlocked by the code "1869", which is found in the Abandoned PDA named "Sweet Offer". In this room, a Cap and an Arcade Gorge Toy can be found. There is a locked door at the end of the hallway which can be unlocked with the code "2679", which is received later in the game on the radio. Inside the room, there is Aurora Miniature, an Aurora Poster, and a Data Terminal that contains a Data Download titled "Alterra HQ - Last Recorded Transmissions", and unlocks the Neptune Escape Rocket.

Backtrack to the T-corridor from earlier, and this time, go straight. This will lead to the Drive Room.

Drive Room
Inside the Drive Room are four large generators. They are connected by catwalks, though some are underwater and heavily damaged. The generators are covered in breaches, and the Player's objective is to repair them using the Repair Tool, however, it should be noted that the flooded part of the drive core, where most repairs need to be done, is full of Bleeders. Repairing the breaches removes the radiation entirely after three in-game days.

When entering the generator room, the PDA warns the player that radiation is at its maximum tolerable level.

The Cyclops Engine Efficiency Module for the Cyclops can also be found in the Drive Room, sticking out from the upgrade console at the center of the room. Bleeders can also be found in the water around the generators.

Mentioned Areas
The Aurora had a virtual cinema/theater, an antigravity gym, VR suites, and several canteens/cafés. It is possible that these areas were destroyed either when the Aurora crashed or during the drive core detonation.

Resources

 * Prawn Suit Fragments
 * Cyclops Engine Efficiency Module
 * Seamoth Depth Module MK1
 * Metal Salvage
 * Storage Module
 * Flashlight
 * Vac-packs:
 * Battery
 * Disinfected Water
 * First Aid Kit
 * Nutrient Block
 * Power Cell

Fauna

 * Bleeder
 * Cave Crawler
 * Reaper Leviathan
 * Skyray

Data Bank Entries
Aurora Ship Status= Drive Core Shielding Breach=

Gallery
Screenshots=