This Main Job will begin shortly after Lightning Breaks ends. In fact, the transition between the two jobs isn’t well advertised, and one job shifts to the other without much notice. Once Panam shoots down the AV she’ll drive off after it, during which she’ll overhear a complication on the radio.

Securing the Crash Site¶

As Panam drives you’ll get another shooting segment with the turret. Down three more security drones, then when you reach the AV crash site, take control over a drone and use it to scan the site, seeking out various objectives (some optional, some not). Keep in mind that you can scan and tag enemies with the drone - there are five operatives and one security drone.

After you disconnect from the drone, exit the vehicles and Panam will run ahead and take up position. She’ll only engage when you’ve actually started fighting, and since your foes are robots, you shouldn’t count on stealth takedowns. You can, however, use stealth to reach the AV’s turrets, which will be only too happy to send homing rockets at you if you draw their attention.

From where Panam takes up position you’ll want to circle around wide to the right, using rock formations as cover. Getting past the robots and drones can prove to be a hassle, but silenced weapons and quickhacks like Short Circuit and Reboot Optics can both help with that. Sneak up to the crashed AV and deactivate the turrets, then dispose of the remaining security robots as you see fit.

When the crash site is clear, join Panam by the AV’s hatch and open it, where you’ll find yourself in a standoff. Say what you will and either Panam will drop the corpo pilot, or if you trust your aim, you can always just take the shot any time you please. Afterwards, chat with Panam and when you get the chance, tell her “I’ll help you settle the score with Kang Tao” to make her happy. Probably not essential if you want to romance her, but it will get her to mention how you helped with Nash and Mitch earlier, and she’ll say she “owes you a favor”. Probably a good sign.

Hunting Down Hellman¶

Follow Panam a short distance and scan for some oil fuel and tire tracks on the ground, which will create a simulation of two ghostly vans. Get on a nearby motorcycle (or not) and follow the vans through the desert to reach an airstrip, where you’ll have to gun down several Kang Tao soldiers and two turrets. The turrets you can disable with quickhacks or by just going up to them and yanking them from their moorings (requires [Body 7]). However you go about it, once you’ve dispatched the opposition search the van, then get back on your bikes and chase the remaining simulation.

Eventually you’ll find yourself at a gas station, which is where the rest of the Kang Tao soldiers ended up. Far more than could feasibly fit in a van, at that. Looking at the gas station from the road, there are some guards up front (joined by a security drone), two on the roof, and to the right you’ll find two more guards near/on a tower. Another security drone patrols the rear of the gas station. Suffice to say, it’s not going to be easy to sneak inside.

Your best option - should you have a way to deal with a drone silently (a silenced weapon or Short Circuit) - is to sneak around to the back of the gas station, and going down the left side of the building is easier than the right. Either way, you need to be wary of land mines, some of which are buried underground and hard to locate without Ping. Either stay on concrete as much as possible, or give the dirt along the edges of the gas station a respectfully wide berth. Once in the back, take down the drone, then note there’s a locked door [Technical Ability 6] that’ll take you to the back of the gas station.

If you can’t or otherwise don’t want to go through this door, climb a ladder to the roof instead. You can find a hatch near the ladder [Technical Ability 5] which you can drop through to reach some back rooms. If you can’t get in this way, take out the two Kang Tao guards on the roof while also be wary of another guard on the tower to the right, who might spot you as you explore the roof if you’re not careful. Once the roof is cleared, find another, already-opened hatch leading through the roof to the gas station’s interior. Either way be wary, as several more foes patrol down below.

You can also enter via some doors along the right side of the building, or by getting through the guards at the front. The front doors are blocked, but the obstructions can be moved by pass a [Body 6] check. Once you’re inside, clear out the gas station’s interior by whatever means available to you, then go through some double doors to reach the garage.

Snuff a few more guards in the garage, then head upstairs and into the rooms overlooking the garage, where you’ll finally find Hellman. No negotiation here, give him a good pistol whipping, call Takemura, pick up Hellman and take him outside, then deposit him near a bike. Chat with Panam a bit, and when Saul shows up you’ll get a timed dialogue choice. Respond with “It really wasn’t Panam’s fault.” to defend her, then finish up the conversation to find yourself the new owner of Scorpion’s aptly-named Apollo “Scorpion” bike.

After a time skip you’ll be back at the Sunset Motel. Interrogate Hellman and you’ll get precious information regarding the biochip, although the prognosis isn’t very helpful. Near the end of your chat, Takemura will show up and you’ll get some data. Leave the motel room to end the quest, although once outside you’ll have another Tapeworm chat with Johnny.

A lot of jobs will start up after Life During Wartime ends:

Most of these quests will be started via call or text shortly after Life During Wartime. [Cyberpsycho Sighting: The Wasteland] will appear in the Badlands as a generic “Undiscovered” marker, and Riders on the Storm - Panam’s Side Job questline - will begin after some time passes. You’ll get a text from Panam, after which you can just skip time until you get a call, the latter of which will start the quest.

It should also be noted that three of these quests are merely the first in new Side Job questlines - Riders on the Storm, [I Fought the Law] and [Sinnerman] all have several followup quests each, and some of them can lead to romances and alternate endings. Suffice to say, it’s well worth your time to take on some of these new Side Jobs.

Regardless of how many (if any) of these new quests you undertake, the next Main Job Down on the Street can be started any time you’re ready.