You can start this quest in one of two ways - talk to Hiram for the first time during the quests Radio Free Monarch and/or Signal Point in Space, or travel to Scylla. After you do either of these, Felix will start pestering you to talk to him, and when you do, he’ll mention that an old friend and mentor who indoctrinated Felix in the art of disobeying authority contacted him recently. The catch? This outlaw friend of Felix’s vanished without a trace, with no explanation, and his current message is light on details, save that it’s urgent.

What could go wrong?

View Full-size

1

2

3

(1 of 3) After talking to the Information Broker on Monarch or traveling to Scylla, Felix will tell you about an old acquaintance that contacted him.

When you’re ready to start this quest, travel to Harlow’s Base on Scylla and make sure Felix is in your party. Leave the ship, ride an elevator down and chat with an outlaw named Voelker - this isn’t necessary, but you do get the opportunity to impress him with an [Intimidate 20] check if you talk to him immediately. If you go past him without talking you’ll lose the option to do so later. Otherwise it doesn’t really matter what you say to him, if indeed you talk to him at all.

Enter the the outlaw base behind Voelker and head through a doorway to the southwest, then head northwest to find Clyde Harlow working at a table. Talk him and Felix will give Clyde a somewhat frosty reception, deservedly so, as it turns out, considering Clyde wants Felix to “prove his loyalty” by murdering a traitor named Trask and bringing back his ring. To entice Felix Harlow spews vague platitudes about working on “something big” and “changing Halcyon”, “revolution”, “building a new world”, and so on. You know, the drivel that Felix typically likes.

In any event, to find this Trask you’ll need to talk to his wife, Rosana, who can be found on the Groundbreaker… a task Harlow’s gang can’t manage because she “knows his crew by name and face”. Odd, then, that he gives you Harlow’s Emblem to help you get information from her. Oh well. Return to the Unreliable and travel to Groundbreaker.

You’ll find Rosana in the “Lost Hope” bar, standing along the northern wall. She’s not terribly inclined to divulge any information about her husband, but you can convince her of the error of her ways by showing off Harlow’s Emblem (why does this work?!), passing an [Intimidate 15] check, or if you have a good enough reputation around Groundbreaker (presumably by helping Junlei during the quest Happiness is a Warm Spaceship) you can pick the option “I’m on the level. You can ask Junlei about me.”. However you manage it, she’ll tell you that Trask is hiding out in Emerald Vale.

View Full-size

1

2

3

4

(1 of 4) Trask will implicate Harlow of being a Board operative.

Return to the Unreliable again and set out for Emerald Vale, landing, of course, at the Edgewater Landing Pad. From there you’ll want to head to the Abandoned Industrial Zone, which is to the north of Edgewater. From there you’ll want to head northwest towards the mountains that surround Emerald Vale, ultimately fighting off a pack of primals guarding a cave. Pass under an arch near the cave and follow the linear path beyond to find Trask and his crew hiding out in what used to be a canid den.

Trask has much to say about Harlow, if you let him, and will accuse Harlow of being a Board lackey himself. More that spurious accusations, Trask will claim to have proof… documents inconveniently stashed back at Harlow’s base. You ultimately have two options for dealing with Trask: kill him and take his ring, or ask him to merely give you the ring as proof of your deed. Either way, make sure you get Trask’s Ring, then return to the Unreliable yet again and fly back to Harlow’s Base on Scylla one final time.

View Full-size

1

2

3

4

(1 of 4) Grab evidence of Harlow’s profligacy

Enter Harlow’s base when you arrive, work your way west around some crates near the front door, and down a grungy-looking tunnel. You go down the tunnel, search a vent along the southeastern wall to find some Stashed Papers, which confirm Trask’s claim that Harlow has worked for the Board. Damning evidence of Harlow’s perfidy, or just… well, a political reality of life in Halcyon?

Whatever the case, talk to Harlow, where a variety of outcomes are possible based on what you say. First, and most obviously, you can just attack Harlow outright, or you can attempt to suppress any serious discussion of Trask’s claims about Harlow by saying “Never mind that, Felix. Trask was just telling a tale to save his own life.” after showing Harlow Trask’s Ring (you’ll need to pass a [Lie 20] check if you didn’t kill Trask to get his ring).

Alternatively, you can question Harlow about Trask’s claims (either before or after you hand over Trask’s Ring), which he’ll deny and feign righteous indignation. If at any point after calling Harlow out you say any of the following, you’ll start a fight:

• “Trask gave me his word, and I’m inclined to believe him.”
• “You’re an asshole, Harlow. That’s good enough for me.”
• “Your friend’s been taking us for idiots, Felix. Want to teach him a lesson?”
• “I’m done arguing with you. Trask was right. You deserve to die.”
• “Come on, Harlow. Why would Trask rat you out to your own employers?”
• “Don’t listen to his excuses. He’s nothing but a coward.”

This won’t just turn Harlow hostile, but the rest of his outlaws as well. Fortunately they’re relatively weak (their levels tend to be in the mid-teens) and spread out, so you probably won’t have to fight more than a few at a time.

Lots of ways to start fights, but assuming you avoid doing so, Harlow will ask Felix to join him. Pass a [Determination 20] check or leave the choice up to Felix (nicely or rudely) to keep Felix around. Alternatively, if you say “*I’m not going to stand between you and a childhood friend. Go on, Felix.”* or “I never liked you, Felix. Get lost.” Felix will leave your party forever.

If Felix ends up joining Harlow, you should get 1,219 Bit and… well, precious little else. If Felix stays part of your crew (whether you kill Harlow or not), return to the Unreliable and talk to him to understand his motivations for sticking with you and earn 2,368 Bits in the process. Either way, Felix will earn the Self Governed perk, which causes him to deal 50% more post-armor damage to corporate enemies. A rather specific perk, there, but it could be helpful, depending on your choices during the last few story missions of the game… He’ll also get Harlow’s Emblem, a strictly decorative item for his room.