Marathon: How to Complete Introducing: NuCaloric – Fast Route

The Introducing: NuCaloric contract in Marathon trips people up for one reason: it has to be done in a single deployment, and the game never says so clearly. You loot the NuCal employee ID card from the infested building, then use the terminal inside to download the data — both in the same run. The contract registers on the terminal download, not on extraction.

The short version

• Deploy to Perimeter.
• Head to the Columns area, between Overflow and South Relay.
• Find the Tick-infested NuCal building marked with a large white 2.
• Approach from the east, take the exterior ladder to the roof, and force the hatch.
• Loot the employee ID card from the room to the right of the interior doorway.
• Use the terminal in the same building to download the data — in the same run.

Completion is tied to the terminal interaction. If the download finishes, the contract is done even if you die before extracting. Split the two steps across separate deployments and it does not count.

Where to go on Perimeter

Deploy to Perimeter and move to the Columns area, between Overflow and South Relay. The target is a NuCal building marked with a large white 2 painted on its side, surrounded by orange Tick contamination. That paint marker is your landmark — it tells you which structure holds the card and terminal.

Because the objective is concentrated in one building, the site stays busy. Other players can converge on the same spot even in solo matchmaking, so treat the approach as contested.

Fastest way in: the roof hatch

Approach from the east. Instead of fighting through the ground-level entry, take the exterior ladder up to the roof and force the hatch, then drop straight into the interior. This is the quickest and most reliable entry, and it keeps you off the obvious door angles.

• Approach from the east side.
• Find the exterior ladder and climb to the roof.
• Open or break the roof hatch.
• Drop directly into the interior.

This route is fast, not safe. Pause before climbing the ladder and listen for movement above you. If you hear metal footsteps overhead or below, assume someone else is timing the same entry.

Inside: clear, loot the card, hit the terminal

Step 1: Clear the Tick pressure

The building is Tick-infested. Do not sprint straight for the card and hope the room stays quiet — the nests keep generating pressure, force reloads, and bury the audio cues you need to hear other players. Kill the nearest nests first so the building stops escalating while you search.

Step 2: Loot the employee ID card

The card is in the room to the right of the interior doorway, resting on a shelf or counter. If you do not spot it immediately, scan the waist-high surfaces rather than the floor. The label may read employee ID, access card, or NuCal employee ID depending on the prompt — it is the same interactable, and it is the one tied to the terminal step.

Step 3: Download from the terminal

With the card in hand, use the terminal inside the building to download the employee data. This is the completion trigger. Once the download finishes, the contract step is done and extraction becomes optional — it still matters for keeping your gear and any loot, but it is no longer required to advance the objective.

That changes how you play the exit. If you came only for this contract and the terminal is used, leave immediately by the fastest route rather than turning the run into a full loot clear.

Common mistakes

• Splitting the objective across deployments. Looting the card in one run and using the terminal in another does not complete the contract — both must happen in the same run.
• Hunting for a front-door entry. The east-side ladder and roof hatch are the fastest, most reliable way in.
• Ignoring Tick nests. Spawn pressure turns a short interaction into an attrition fight and masks player audio.
• Leaving after the pickup but before the download. The terminal is the trigger, not the card.
• Over-searching the building. The path is narrow; extra room checks just expose you to players rotating in.

If the contract did not register, check your sequence before your location. Most failed attempts come from leaving before the terminal download or dying between the two steps — not from being in the wrong building.

Survival notes for contested runs

Because this is one of the early Marathon faction contracts, the building draws a crowd. Efficiency here is a survival tool, not just a speed tool — the contract pays for completion, not for winning an extended fight inside.

• Bring enough burst damage to kill Tick nests quickly.
• Pause before the east-side ladder and listen for roof movement.
• Inside, clear only what blocks the objective path.
• Do not hold the building after the download unless you genuinely need the loot.
• If a player arrives mid-clear, prioritize line of sight and completion over chasing.

Every second spent inside after the terminal interaction is voluntary risk. If you want to push deeper into NuCaloric progression afterward, see our best faction upgrades guide, and our survival tips for raids if contested sites keep ending your runs.

Practical takeaway

Go to Perimeter and head to the Columns area between Overflow and South Relay. Find the Tick-infested NuCal building marked with a large white 2, take the east-side ladder to the roof, drop through the hatch, clear the nearest nests, loot the employee ID card from the room to the right of the doorway, and use the terminal in that same building. The terminal download completes Introducing: NuCaloric — extraction is optional after that. Need to plan your exit? Check the DCON locations guide.