Aphelion Pulse Machines: How to Disable All Three in Chapter 11

The pulse machines are the final obstacle in Aphelion, blocking Ariane from restoring Persephone during the eleventh chapter. Three of them surround a central source point, each protected by terrain hazards, ice barriers, and the nemesis creature that hunts you between segments. Disabling all three triggers the closing cutscene.

Before you start

You'll need the EM scanner, which Ariane already carries by this point in the campaign. Two interactions matter throughout the area: tuning the scanner's frequency on ice formations to create paths, and pinging red rocks to pull the nemesis creature away from your route. Stealth is mandatory in most segments. The creature kills in one hit if it spots you.

The hub for all three routes is the central source. After each machine goes down, you return here to start the next path.

First pulse machine: Right path from the source

Step 1: From the source, walk forward and turn right at the first corner. Continue straight until the path slopes downward.

Step 2: At the edge of the slope, jump across the gap and grab the ledge on the opposite side to pull yourself up.

Step 3: Activate the EM scanner and tune it on the ice formation ahead until the interact prompt appears. Triggering it forms a bridge across the chasm.

Step 4: Crouch and sneak across the bridge. The nemesis patrols this stretch, so keep moving slowly and avoid line of sight.

Step 5: Continue forward to the dome and interact with it. The shield drops and the first machine powers down.

Second pulse machine: Downward path with water crossings

This route is the longest of the three because the nemesis patrols every water crossing. You'll cycle through the same pattern repeatedly: ping a red rock, sprint across shallow water, reach dry ground, repeat.

Step 1: Return to the source and follow the path that curves downward. At the bottom, turn right.

Step 2: Use the EM scanner to locate the first red rock and interact with it. The nemesis will move toward the sound. Cross the water to your right immediately.

Step 3: On the far side, scan again and tune the frequency on the next ice formation to open the path. Walk through.

Step 4: Trigger the next red rock to pull the creature away, then cross the next stretch of water straight ahead.

Step 5: Turn around after landing and ping the red rock again. Use the distraction window to cross the second shallow section to the land beyond.

Step 6: Turn left, locate the final red rock on this route, and trigger it. Sprint across the last water crossing and slip past the creature toward the uphill section on the right. Speed matters here, the distraction window is short.

Step 7: Walk up to the second dome and interact to disable it.

Third pulse machine: Rear path with ice particle gauntlet

The final machine combines stealth, climbing, and a timed sprint through deadly ice particles. Checkpoints are forgiving here, so expect a few attempts on the jumping sections.

Step 1: Return to the source and turn around. Use the EM scanner to find the ice formation behind you and tune its frequency to open the path.

Step 2: Drop down to the lower ledge. Walk forward, turn right, and crouch past the nemesis as you climb the ramp.

Step 3: Follow the uphill path to a wall lined with climbable ledges. Pull yourself up and drop down onto the upper level on the far side.

Step 4: Cross the bridge to reach the gauntlet section. Stop using stealth here. Hold sprint and steer with your movement input to weave around the falling ice particles while jumping the gaps.

Step 5: At the end of the jumps, grab the next series of ledges. Climb down to the lower section, where small platforms break up a wider water area.

Step 6: Sprint across the platforms, dodging ice particles as you go. Don't stop on any single platform, the particles track your position.

Step 7: Climb the ledge on the far side and crouch past the last nemesis patrol to reach the final dome. Interact with it to disable the third machine.

How you know it worked

Disabling the third dome immediately transitions into the ending cutscene. There's no return trip and no additional objective. If the cutscene doesn't trigger after the interaction, you missed an earlier dome, the prompt only completes the chapter when all three machines are down.

Route summary

Once the ending sequence plays out, the chapter resolves and the credits follow. The pulse machines are the last interactive objective in Aphelion, so there's nothing further to clean up before the conclusion.