Below, Rusted Gods Keep Everyone Alive
The full-survival route that unlocks Incomplete and Rusted Gods.
Spoiler warning: this page names delayed death flags and the confrontation line that saves Sergei. It does not list every ending cinematic—that is Endings. Incomplete and Rusted Gods both require this survival route; they split only at the Obelisk Puzzle. Update to 1.24.0 first: earlier builds could freeze if you radioed Dimitri during his death window, and 1.23.1 already repaired his death flag and the electrical re-enable stall.
Why survival is two clocks, not one fight
Dutch and Dimitri can be marked to die long before they fall. Sergei dies in an 18-second confrontation if you fire or idle. Mikhail’s presence does not count as a surviving squad member for the Baptistery check. Who you send down the rusted hatch first does not change health or ending.
The mid-article video is a full retail playthrough (Baptistery-leaning coverage). Use it to hear call timing, then come back here for the survival table—not as a substitute for Puzzle Solutions.
Survival table
| Decision | Keep-alive answer | If you fail |
|---|---|---|
| Dimitri’s oxygen | 95%–100% | Dutch later doses from a bad calibration and dies after resting |
| First door | Hold, scan, then open | Mission continues; you just skip optional questions |
| First radio | Power on, frequency 5 | Mission continues; you miss the clean dripping read |
| Bifurcation | Right path after frequency 8 | Left path = Dimitri’s fatal leg injury at the last jump |
| Dutch at 35°C | All squad readings are within parameters. Except yours, Dutch. | Telling him the medical terminal is failing marks treatment to fail |
| Mikhail’s return | Request and accept L.10:18 | You cannot later stop Sergei |
| Electrical panel | 10 / 15 / 35 / 40 | Any other reconnect electrocutes Dimitri |
| Confrontation | STOP, SERGEI! Mikhail gave the correct confirmation code. | Fire or timeout kills Sergei |
Dimitri — oxygen, path, regulator
Dutch asks you to verify Dimitri’s blood oxygen. Inspect Dimitri on the medical station to the right of the intercom, then also inspect Mikhail. Report The values are between 95% and 100%. The 70%–90% report is wrong even if the mission continues. That opening number is how Dutch calibrates the terminal that later saves him.
At the bifurcation, check terminals, tune frequency 8, and take the right tunnel. Left-path Dimitri slips, injures his leg, and cannot make the final jump. Understood, Dimitri. At ease, soldier records his death. Patch 1.23.1 fixed a soft-lock when that death fired incorrectly; 1.24.0 fixed calling him during the dying window. See Squad Members and Patch 1.24.0.
The regulator is the other Dimitri kill. Reconnect only at Sergei 10%, Dutch 15%, Dimitri 35%, Mikhail 40%. Full clue chain: Puzzle Solutions.
Dutch — 35°C and the calibration debt
After Mikhail vanishes, Dutch reports a six-degree drop and asks you to check abnormal readings. Inspect everyone. Selecting Dutch glitches the terminal to DON’T MOVE. Stop until WELL DONE, LAMB, then read 35°C. Return with All squad readings are within parameters. Except yours, Dutch.
Never choose Dutch, the medical terminal is failing. Something seems to be interfering with its readings. That marks treatment to fail. The later Dutch, are you alright? prompt only appears on the doomed branch and cannot save him. If opening oxygen was wrong, even the good 35°C line cannot repair the calibration.
Sergei — eighteen seconds
Sergei asks permission to fire on Mikhail. If you requested and accepted L.10:18, choose STOP, SERGEI! Mikhail gave the correct confirmation code. Do not choose FIRE, COMMANDER! and do not let the timer expire on an all-survivor run. Both kill Sergei, not Mikhail. You then answer W- What… have you done?
- Dutch or Dimitri still alive after Sergei dies → Protocol 46
- Dutch and Dimitri already dead → Baptistery (Mikhail does not keep that route open)
What survival unlocks
Full squad at the obelisk:
- All four correct offerings → Rusted Gods and achievement Once Below, Now Above
- Any wrong offering confirmed → Incomplete
Any earlier death at the obelisk → Protocol 46, symbols ignored. Chart: Endings. Efficient four-ending plan: survive + correct, survive + wrong, then the two Sergei-death routes.
Patch and reporting notes
If someone dies “for no reason,” check whether you are on 1.24.0+, whether the regulator was 10/15/35/40, and whether Dutch’s opening calibration was 95–100. File remaining stalls with the Bug Report Guide. Comfort: Accessibility & Comfort. Session loop: Operator Checklist.
Related pages
Puzzle Solutions, Obelisk Puzzle, Endings, Decisions & Branching, Life Support & Squad, Full Game Walkthrough, Soft Locks Troubleshooting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for operators on active Steam shifts.
Does hatch order change who lives?
No. Sending Sergei, Dutch, Mikhail, or Dimitri down first only changes the flavor of the report from below.
Can I save Dutch after telling him the terminal is failing?
No. That line marks treatment to fail. The later “are you alright?” call cannot reverse it.
Which endings need a full squad?
Incomplete and Rusted Gods. Protocol 46 and Baptistery require specific deaths—see [Endings](/guides/endings/).
I took the left path. Can Incomplete still happen?
No. Left-path Dimitri dies at the final corridor, so the obelisk can only produce Protocol 46 if you stop Sergei.