Control Resonant: A New Directive Walkthrough for the Mystery Caller

A New Directive is a combat-free side quest in Control Resonant built entirely around a garbled mystery caller who keeps reaching out to Dylan. Instead of fighting, you shuttle between the Unknown region and the Field Office at Central, humor the caller’s request to become the Director, and eventually lock him inside a fake office. The quest is long and location-heavy, so knowing the exact stops saves a lot of backtracking.

Quick answer: Start the quest during Pope’s Research in the Unknown, follow the caller (Fred/Fra) to the Field Office Cafeteria, furnish the Containment Unit and hang his portrait, then trap him with the red switch to earn the Untapped Whetstone.

When A New Directive unlocks in Control Resonant

The quest triggers on its own, but only after you are deep into Pope’s Research in the Unknown region. That side story is the one that has you set up Probe Relays across the distorted zone, and the caller first cuts in while you are working through it.

The first contact happens when you drop into the western segment of the Unknown. Answer the call and pick any dialogue prompt. The man on the other end only speaks gibberish, so nothing he says will make sense, but the exchange adds A New Directive to your log.

Track the caller to the Field Office

While advancing Pope’s Research and deploying additional Probe Relays, you receive a second call in the northwestern section of the Unknown. Hear it out, then talk to Zoe; she identifies the Field Office as the caller’s location.

Fast travel to the Field Office area at Central and head to the Cafeteria. Inside you will find a man calmly making coffee. The interact button can be finicky here, so keep pressing it until the prompt registers.

Talk to the man, named Fred, and choose any responses. Both prompts below move the conversation along the same way:

Are you, uh, okay?
I’ll… get right on that.

Entering the Field Panopticon — Dylan enters the Field Panopticon area near Langston's post. Shown at 04:21 in Trophygamers’s video. Image: Remedy Entertainment

Leave the Cafeteria and find Langston near the Field Panopticon section. Ask him about Fred and pick any option to continue.

Dialogue: Setting up the Panopticon — Langston explains the situation while you pick dialogue prompts. Shown at 01:46 in Trophygamers’s video. Image: Remedy Entertainment

Learn what Fra wants and set the plan

Return to the Cafeteria and speak with Fra again. This is the same man as Fred, and the game now refers to him by both names. Work through the conversation to finish the objective.

Go back to Langston and interact with him. He explains that Fra wants to run the Oldest House as the Director. The plan becomes clear: build a fake office at the Field Office and lure him inside.

Once you reach the Oldest House in the Downtown region, start at the fast-travel mirror and head for the Thomas Street Exit. Enter the room on your right—the actual Director’s office. Choose Sketch Reference, then wait until Dylan finishes his drawing.

Furnish the Containment Unit

Head back to the Field Office and find the Containment Unit beside Langston’s position. You need to arrange the chairs and props to match the Director’s office layout. Place each object in these exact spots.

Object	Placement
Two white chairs	In front of the main table
Cushioned chair	Behind the table
Two VLC cones	One in each back corner
Fan	Left side of the table
Lamp	Right side of the table

Testing cell B-02 and reporting mismatch — Containment cells line the Field Office area where the fake office is built. Shown at 06:18 in Trophygamers’s video. Image: Remedy Entertainment

With the room dressed, speak with Zoe on the radio, then return to Fra at the Cafeteria and try to convince him to move. He refuses, because there is still one thing missing.

Paint and hang Fra’s Director portrait

Enter the Field Office building and go to the left section, where Jesse’s portrait hangs on the wall. Pick it up to use as the canvas.

Reporting correct Cell ID to Langston — The Containment Unit sits among the Field Office's numbered cells. Shown at 07:40 in Trophygamers’s video. Image: Remedy Entertainment

Take the portrait back to Fra at the Cafeteria and interact with him. Wait for Dylan to repaint the canvas with Fra’s likeness as the Director.

Carry the finished painting to the furnished Containment Unit and hang it on the back wall. Return to Fra and speak with him again. He is still not convinced to move.

Get Fra into the office and seal it

Go back to Langston one more time. He tells you to bring Zoe into the plan to push things forward.

Head to Zoe’s office at the Watchtower, near the Central checkpoint, and talk her up on how great Fred is. Your next task is to reach Fred by radio.

In Zoe’s office, activate the radio device and contact Fred. Let him know that his office is prepared, and he agrees to move in at last.

Activating the Security Terminal — A Field Office control panel like the one that operates the containment doors. Shown at 05:53 in Trophygamers’s video. Image: Remedy Entertainment

Go back to the Containment Unit and activate the red switch outside the office. Fra Mauro is sealed inside, bringing the quest to an end.

Opening cell D-04 — The containment door that seals Fra inside the fake Director's office. Shown at 07:58 in Trophygamers’s video. Image: Remedy Entertainment

Once the door shuts on Fra, A New Directive completes and you receive the Untapped Whetstone, which lets you create a new Artifact at the Gap. If the quest does not close, make sure the switch registered and that the painting is hanging on the Containment Unit’s back wall before you flip it.