Empathetic Prototypes is a Lance quest added in the Frozen Trail update that sends you to the Trench Towers at the northern edge of the Spaceport map. It leans on grappling hook movement rather than fighting, and it becomes available after you finish Someone Else’s Shoes. The task is simple to describe and tricky to execute: free a sealed cargo crate from a crane arm, pull the item out of it, and carry that item to extraction.
Quick answer: Travel to the North Trench Tower in Spaceport, release the magnetic lock on the suspended cargo crate so it drops into the trench, grab the Project Pathos Empathy Core, and extract to hand it to Lance.
What to bring before loading into Spaceport
Two pieces of gear decide whether this run is quick or painful. Pack both before you deploy.
- A Grappling Hook is an Uncommon gadget you can deploy quickly. Attach it to a surface to cross gaps or scale walls. You get one from the quest, but weekly stock is limited, so take a spare.
- A safe-pocket augment is useful here. The Empathy Core is credited only after extraction, so securing it in that pocket preserves your progress if you’re downed before you can leave.
- Healing items. Landing on the crate may cause fall damage; a bad impact could finish your run before you get to the Core.
Keep the Grappling Hook protected in your safe pocket; take it out only after arriving at the tower, so an earlier death won’t cost you the tool required throughout this quest.
Reach the Trench Towers in Spaceport
The target is down in The Trench, the divide separating North Trench Tower from South Trench Tower on Spaceport’s northern side. Located in the Calabretta North region, Spaceport has a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5 and becomes accessible after 12 rounds. Both towers have matching layouts, so pick either one and use the same route.
Once the magnetic lock is disabled, you can release it in one of two ways. Carry a Spaceport Trench Tower key if you want to use the interior terminal, or carry the Grappling Hook if you want to climb out and disable the lock by hand. The manual route works without the key, so it is the reliable default.
Drop the cargo crate with the Grappling Hook
Dropping onto the crate while dangling can cause fall damage. Have a heal ready; a hard impact may end the run before you make it to the Core.
Use the terminal instead (if you have the key)
If you are carrying a Spaceport Trench Tower key, you can skip the climb-out. Use the key to open either the South or North Trench Tower, then go inside. A small terminal sits on the interior floor. Interact with it to remotely deactivate the magnetic lock on the crate outside, which drops the crate into the trench the same way the manual override does.
Search the crate and deliver the Empathy Core to Lance
Once the crate is on the ground, grapple onto a nearby wall and descend to the trench floor. Find the fallen crate directly beneath the tower you climbed and interact with it. The Project Pathos Empathy Core is added directly to your inventory.
Put the Core in your safe pocket, then carry it to the closest extraction. You must exit the map for the quest to count. Once back in Speranza, give the Core to Lance. That completes the quest, and Shani unlocks the next Lance quest, When Everything Falls.
Empathetic Prototypes rewards
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| Canto I | 1 |
 Vita Shot | 2 |
| Experience | 5,000 XP |
The Canto is a fully automatic, larger-caliber SMG with an 18-round magazine at level I. It can be amplified and runs four mod slots, with the magazine growing to 24 rounds by level IV.
The Vita Shot is a Rare medical item; each one restores a substantial amount of health, and you can stack up to three. The two you earn here give you a helpful reserve for your upcoming runs.
