If players made the choice to help Solomon Reed during the Firestarter mission in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, then they are ready to face Somewhat Damaged, a mission that determines the fate of So Mi, Songbird. Stakes have never been higher, and the clock is ticking to save both V and Songbird in Cyberpunk 2077.
Cyberpunk 2077: Firestarter Walkthrough (Help Songbird or Help Reed)
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty's Firestarter mission presents a choice to players that weave consequences depending on if they help Songbird or Reed.
Tasked with investigating the wreckage of the MaxTac transport truck, battling a stalking robot, and deciding the fate of Songbird, this Cyberpunk 2077 mission is heavy on the heart. Solomon Reed’s mission to save So Mi is tested here, and V has a difficult decision to make in regard to his promise.
Investigate the Area
Somewhat Damaged follows directly after the previous mission, and players are tasked with investigating the area in the wake of Songbird’s destruction through Pacifica in the MaxTac truck. Players will walk through a large hole in a wall, and find the MaxTac transport truck inside and in flames. Investigating the inside of the truck, players won’t find Songbird, but they will find traces of her, where they will then be tasked with following the Blackwall traces to find Songbird.
Follow the Traces
After following the Traces from past the truck, players are going to find a jammed door. Players can open this door with 20 Strength, or turn around from the locked gate and look down to find a grate. Players can open this great regardless of their Attributes, to which they will descend into the cold waters, and swim through the area. Once players exit this wet area, they will see Johnny in the distance, staring down at the abyss, a large drop that players are going to have to make.
Jump Down the Shaft
After a brief chat with Johnny about what has happened to Songbird, and if the woman down there is still in fact Songbird, they will have to jump down the large drop, descending into the waters below. The water will break the fall, so no damage will be taken. Players can then swim to shore and walk up the steps. Through the corridor to the left is a hole in the wall, and players will drop into the secret Militech facility: Cynosure.
Connect to the Terminal
This top-secret military facility is described by Johnny as the “Cyberspace equivalent of a nuke”, so it’s no surprise that Songbird has made her way here. Inside this room, players need to connect to the terminal, but halfway through, Songbird will take control of the tech and show herself on all the screens. She crashes all technology, and V needs to turn 180 degrees from the terminal to open the door with 3 Strength, the minimum Attribute requirement.
Take the Elevator Down
Through the door and in the large room, players need to take the elevator and press -01: Restricted Area. This will take them on a long descent, in which they have the optional objective of talking to Johnny and questioning what they are doing this for. Themselves, Reed, or Songbird?
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As the elevator gets lower, Songbird takes control of the Relic, deactivates Johnny, and keeps the signal lost with Reed, meaning V is all alone. Players can find the way forward after the elevator by following the traces of Songbird, which are just down the ramp from where the elevator ends. Take a right at the end of the doorway, and crawl through the vents.
Locate Alpha and Bravo Dataterminals
Once players jump down from the vents, they will see a conversation between Hansen and Songbird, a fragmented memory stranded in the Relic. Beside Songbird, is a Data Map that players can pick up, and press Right on the D-Pad to access at any time. After the conversation has ended, players can follow the Blackwall traces to see Songbird by a big open door. Walking towards it, the door will close, and a lockdown protocol will engage.
Players will be tasked with deactivating the Alpha and Bravo Dataterminals. These can be found from the door where players were initially thrown back from Songbird. To reach Alpha, players need to take the first right they see into the Server Room. Jack In and complete the data breach minigame. Failing does not matter, as the minigame will reset. After completing it, the hatch behind and below them will open, and players will want to drop and hang right to go up the ladder and find the Bravo dataterminal.
After accessing dataterminal Bravo, players are kicked out by Songbird and almost killed. To disable it, they are going to need to scan it and crawl underneath the dataterminal to detach the cables. Once this has been achieved, players can crawl back out, only to have a grate fall on them. Quickly remove the grate and witness the robot’s violent attack. Songbird will hack the robot, throwing V into a separate room. Once players have control, players should run to the left, left again, and a third left to jump down into the vents. Follow the path to the right and then the left up the ladder. The hatch will close once they are up, and they will begin a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Find Dataterminal Victor and Sierra
If players are caught by the robot that prowls the halls, then they need to hide. If they are spotted, it’s game over, and V will be killed. There is no way to fight the robot, so players must avoid it by hiding and running. The video below will detail a safe path to reach the Victor and Sierra dataterminals in the Somewhat Damaged mission, as well as the way to escape the robot without getting caught:
How to Avoid the Robot
- Listen to Songbird. She will warn V on when they need to hide.
- Don’t run or fire weapons, as the sound will draw the robot close.
- Stay patient, and hide in safe areas waiting for the robot to pass.
- Listen for the robot and watch the screen. The screen will flicker if it is near.
- The game will often Quicksave itself once the robot has left the area.
To reach the dataterminal Sierra, players want to walk into the checkered tile room, and then go through the left exit door, and head right. Taking the next right will lead players to the Engineering sector, where they will take the immediate right through another set of doors. In here, there is the Sierra dataterminal. Players need to complete the Daemon Code Sequence. It’s common for the robot to enter this room before or after this event, so stay hidden until it leaves.
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To reach dataterminal Victor, players need to head out of the Engineering sector by going left. As soon as players exit, they want to turn right and then right again. To their left in the long corridor, will be the Security Room. Heading inside both sets of doors, players want to jump into the small room on the left to hide from the robot who will investigate. Once the robot has left, players should hop back through the window and proceed into the Security Room, where they will be tasked with completing another Daemon Code Sequence. After this, head right from the dataterminal and behind the boxes, as the robot will investigate the room.
Escape to Sector 3
Now that the dataterminals have been disabled, players will need to head back to the gate on the left and enter the command on the computer terminal. The computer needs time to fulfill the request, so players should hide back in the Security Room and wait for the door to unlock. Once it does, players need to run through Sector 3.
The easiest way to run is to use double jumps and dashes, running around or over the obstacles in the path. Players want to head down the lengthy hallway and take the door on the left, where they need to access the computer screen to open the door, and then the computer screen in the room to close the door behind them and keep the robot out. Proceeding through will show yet another of So Mi’s memories, as players get ever closer to the core.
Initiate Core Shutdown
From inside the Core, Songbird will talk to V. Players will be tasked with starting the shutdown procedures on the Core. To do so, access the terminal. However, the Datafort Command, Neural Network Control, and Thermic Control will fail, and players will need to shut these down manually. They can start by heading back up the stairs from opposite the terminal, and proceed left to the Labs.
Neural Network Shutdown
To find the Neural Network room, players should head down the hall to the left. Players will need to access the terminal, only for it to disable. Players then need to use their scanner to look at the cables connected to the computer on the floor. Go up to the three cables from around the room and disconnect them. After unplugging the cables from the Neural Network System, the robot will enter the room. The only way to hide from it is to loop it around the panels in the center of the room until it leaves.
Datafort Central Command Shutdown
Down the corridor and through the Observation Room, players need to head into the Datafort Central Command room found on the left. Once through the hallways, players will use their scanner to find Firewall Systems on each corner of the walls. Players can use Quickhacks or shoot them. Either way, each of these Firewall Systems must be destroyed. There are 6 in total and 4 in this room. To find them all, scan the computer terminal, and it will show a bold blue line directing players to all active Firewalls. The damage to the Firewalls will call forth the robot, so hide behind the terminal until it leaves. The last 2 Firewalls are found outside the Datafort Central Command room with the terminal to the left and right corners.
Thermic Control Shutdown
After leaving the Datafort Central Command room, players need to head through the corridor into the Lab and find the Thermic Control room. From the control terminal, players need to use their personal link, only to be kicked out and damaged. However, use the scanner to follow cables to some industrial shutters, which conceal a broken window. Open the shutters and go through the window to override the panel harboring the Thermic Control.
Return to the Core Control Room
With all three systems shut down, it’s time to head to the Core Control Room. However, the robot is none too happy about V’s success. The robot will lock V in the Lab and will begin hunting in this small room. Players need to hide and avoid the robot. After enough time has passed without detection, the robot will leave the room, allowing V to return through the Neural Network Control room and back into the Core Control to use the computer and initiate a shutdown.
Talk to So Mi
With the shutdown activated, the robot will once again emerge to fight V. This time, there’s no escaping, and within its clutches, V is transported into a memory of So Mi’s apartment in Brooklyn. Players can talk to Songbird and go over her life with her lover, Lucas, as well as her fragmented relationship with him, her friends, and her first meeting with Solomon Reed. Each memory causes more fragments, and the Brooklyn apartment slowly becomes further consumed by the Blackwall, since she has given up. Players can leave by giving Songbird a hug.
Enter the Core
The Cerberus robot will be shut down by Songbird, who has regained control of her mind. For extra loot, players can take the Behavioral System Component from the robot’s salvage. Reed will also be back on the phone, and V can now proceed into the Core. Once inside, Songbird can be found on the floor, and players will then be presented with an ending-defining choice on whether to save Songbird or kill her.
Kill Or Spare So Mi
Players have reached a defining chapter in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. The choice is in their hands whether to kill So Mi or not. Players are given the choice to kill or spare Songbird, and either action results in the ending players receive for deciding to help Reed in the Firestarter quest. It’s advised to create a save file here, as there is no going back, but here are the consequences for both outcomes in Somewhat Damaged, and what happens if players kill So Mi, or do not kill So Mi:
Outcome 1: Spare So Mi
Refusing Songbird’s request sees V believe that life is still worth living, and that So Mi, and themselves, can be cured. V refuses to listen to So Mi’s plea to kill her, and instead, she faints. Solomon Reed will enter the Core, and a time-skip will occur in which he and V drive out of Night City to meet with President Myers and other FIA agents.
Myers rewards V with:
- 30,000 Eurodollars
- Presidential Medal
- A promise to help cure V and So Mi
This is perhaps the best outcome, as So Mi has been brought in alive, even if it’s not what she wanted. V has refused to allow So Mi to commit suicide and saved her life. Yet, does that mean she will remain a lab rat for the president? The consequences can lay heavy, and they will never truly know, but the promise of being saved is too high to ignore. After talking to Myers and Reed, the credits will roll, and after the credits, players will wake up in their apartment in Watson.
Outcome 2: Kill So Mi
If players kill So Mi in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Reed will walk into the Core and collapse to his knees in grief. There will be a time-skip where V and Reed drive out to meet other FIA agents outside of Night City, and Reed expresses how unhappy he is, and says that V didn’t do anything to try and convince Songbird that life was worth living.
President Myers will give V a measly 5,000 Eurodollars, no Presidential Medal, and no promise to help cure them of the Relic, due to the fact that they failed to complete the mission request of bringing So Mi in alive. Nevertheless, V did what they felt was right, and honored So Mi’s request to die. Reed will also tell V to go back to Night City, and the credits will roll. After, V will wake up in his Watson apartment.
Should You Kill or Spare Songbird?
Given the choice, it’s probably best to not kill So Mi at the end of the Somewhat Damaged quest. Not only did Reed promise to save Songbird, but V needed her alive if they were to get help from the NUSA. Having the President is a powerful ally, and one V cannot afford to lose. Not for honor, a medal, or Eurodollars, but for the hope of living. It’s also a good idea because hopefully Songbird can be saved with the Neural Matrix, and cured of the Blackwall’s corruption, and then so can V sparing So Mi means she has a chance at life again, just like V did after being shot in the head, but can happy endings really happen in Cyberpunk 2077?
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is out now for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.