Before I Give You the Key | Main Story

This section contains a walkthrough for Before I Give You the Key, one of the penultimate story quests found in Prey. The mission begins after your return from the Power Plant (Reboot) where you've managed to reboot the station's reactor. Your new mission is to scan a number of coral nodes found outside the station and bring the results back to Alex Yu's office.

• Watch the recording
• Equipping the Coral Detector
• Scanning the Coral Node
• Sending the scanned data through Alex's computer

Watch the recording

Choose the new recording from the list

The mission begins shortly after your return to Yu's office in Arboretum after completing the main phase of Reboot. As could have been expected, Alex is not here, but he'll use the interlink to remind you of a recording left on his computer. You'll receive the password needed to unlock the computer (you can use your Hacking). Once you've gained access to the station, move to Files and play the new recording.

Equipping the Coral Detector

The mentioned Coral Detector 64Si can be picked up from the desk (there are also a few neuromods nearby). Take it and visit Scope Chipsets to install the device in one of the available slots (screenshot)

Scanning the Coral Node

You now have to find an airlock leading to Talos I Exterior. One of these can be found in the same zone you're currently in (Arboretum). To find an entrance, make your way to level one and access one of the gravity shafts located in the corridor which leads to the Archive.

Once you've accessed the exterior, fly to the location marked on your interface. Watch out for cystoids and weavers along the way, as the encounters in outer space can end up costing a lot of resources. The coral nodes are well-hidden and one of them may require you to fly through a small hole shown on the screenshot.

One of the obstructed coral nodes

The final nodes see you travel through cramped, narrow locations - take that under advisement when attacking or avoiding typhoons. You need to locate at least two additional coral nodes. Once you've found a node, activate the scope to perform the scan.

Sending the scanned data through Alex's computer

Send the data to Alex

Once you've scanned the required number of nodes, double back using the same route and find an airlock to return to the station. Make your way to Alex's office in Arboretum and use his computer. Proceed to the final tab (Utilities) and begin the upload. Unfortunately, Dahl will stop the transfer. The mission itself will be completed, unlocking a new objective in The Keys to The Kingdom (see "Repealing a military operator attack" in its walkthrough).