Hot on the Trail Mission Walkthrough

Upon gaining access to Noontide Base, you cannot use vendors yet but can use the stash. Exit the checkpoint (an auto-save point you restart from on death) via the long tunnel. If you completed A Heavy Burden, take the cargo to Prof. Lodochka in the southeast. Ask him about Strider; he will direct you to Dubny.

Find Dubny in the main building to the northwest. Exit Prof. Lodochka’s lab, follow the tracks to the outer wall, then turn back towards the tunnel. A white door leads into the base. Go downstairs to your left, follow the hallway north to the end, take the stairs up, proceed through the hallway, and go through the door at the end. Follow the next hallway until you see guards.

To the east, a wooden plank acts as a bridge into a tunnel. Follow this tunnel to find Dubny arguing with Faust. Dubny will initially be reluctant to reveal Strider's location but will ask about anomalies without an emission. Confirm you have seen them. You can ask Dubny questions before he directs you to Strider's location.

Return the way you came. The wooden plank where the guards were will have fallen. Drop down, avoid the anomaly, and climb the ladder. Back in the main hub, go to the door near the bed and stash. Follow the path to a guard who will let you pass, as Dubny has instructed him.

This area is filled with anomalies. Equip your bolt for traversal. If you need healing supplies, speak to the Doctor, Foma, who will pay for Anti-Radiation Drugs. Follow the linear path southeast until you reach a red brick wall with poisonous anomalies.

Navigate around the poisonous anomalies heading east, waiting for poisonous clouds to dissipate. Reach the pallets of metal drums, walk around them, and navigate past more poisonous anomalies. Continue east around the corner, then head south until you reach a carriage to your right.

Go through the carriage to find Strider. He will ask about the scanner. Interact with the scanner to shut it down, after which Strider will agree to talk. After explanations, you can choose to show him the Unusual PDA. He will then tell you about a database for tracking Monolithian PDAs and instruct you to speak to Prof. Lodochka for more information. Exit the area by going back through the carriage and exiting the door to the south.

Make your way back to Prof. Lodochka to the south. Upon entering his lab, you will overhear him on the radio. Talk to him. If you want a side mission, ask if he needs help to accept A Sign of Hope, which rewards a new anomaly detector. To continue the story, tell him you need to trace a Monolithian PDA.

Prof. Lodochka explains you need an Inductor. Its location depends on whether you completed the Shift Change side mission.

If you completed Shift Change: Exit the lab and run northeast towards the objective marker. You will hit a wall; follow it left to find a gap. Go between the green containers to the right, then right again at a small gap. Finally, go right one more time to find crates. Behind the crates is a backpack containing the Inductor.

If you have NOT completed Shift Change: The Inductor is located at the Waste Processing Plant. Follow the objective marker. You will need to navigate through the plant, dealing with anomalies and potential enemies, to find the Inductor in a backpack.