Control Resonant: A New Directive Side Quest Walkthrough

In Control Resonant, A New Directive is an optional side mission that sends Dylan Faden after a mysterious radio voice in Central. The caller is Fra Mauro, a paranatural being masquerading as Fred, a cafeteria employee; its goal is to claim the Federal Bureau of Control’s Director position. Its presence pacifies nearby people, making a fight impossible. To contain it, create a decoy Director’s Office in a containment unit and draw Fra inside.

Quick answer: Start by questioning Fred and Langston, then sketch the actual Director’s Office. Set up a containment unit to resemble that office, paint Fra’s portrait, and have Zoe clear the trance. Radio Fra once he’s inside, then close the blast door.

Requirements and how A New Directive starts

The quest triggers automatically while you explore the Unknown zone. Traveling to either the northwest island or the southwest island produces a radio call that begins the mission. To reach that point you need to have progressed Sever the Hedron Links and Pope’s Research.

The Field Office in Central is the hub for the entire sequence. A New Directive has no combat: you talk, collect items, construct the setup, and draw Fra in, then contain the entity with one button press.

Investigate the mystery caller

After the first radio call, travel to the opposite island in the Unknown zone. A second call comes through automatically and points you toward the Field Office in Central.

At the Field Office, go to the eastern edge of the search area and climb the outside stairs into the building marked CAFETERIA. Inside, find the mug-holding person in a blue hazmat suit and speak to them. This is Fred, who responds with scrambled word salad and calls Dylan “Shepard” and Jesse “Roosa.”

Cross the courtyard toward the east-side Field Panopticon console and talk to Frederick Langston. He identifies the entity as Fra Mauro and cautions that its ability to pacify people puts anyone close by in danger.

Return to the cafeteria and ask Fred what he wants. Choose “You call Jesse ‘Roosa’” and then “You’re looking for Jesse?” His phrase “belly lead of the brightest table” reveals that he wants the Director’s position.

Return to Langston with the details of Fra’s request. You agree on a trap: prepare a containment unit to look like a false Director’s Office, then draw the entity inside.

Build the fake Director’s Office

Fast travel to Oldest House: Central Executive, then take the Thomas Street corridor into Jesse Faden’s real Director’s Office. Inspect the main desk to create the Director’s Office Reference Sketch.

Return to the Field Office and check the street immediately south of Langston. Find the cargo container bearing the label FBC FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR’S OFFICE; its furniture sits outside on the sidewalk.

Carry the marked items inside and arrange them to match the sketch:

Two plastic chairs in front of the desk
Sofa chair behind the desk
Fan and light on top of the desk
Two traffic cones behind the desk

Go to the cafeteria and speak with Fred about bringing him to the office. Continue through the conversation until you see “Is it a Portrait,” then choose it. Fred will not go until an official Director’s portrait hangs in his office.

In the main Field Office lobby near the Park stairs, take Director Faden’s Portrait off the wall beside the staircase. Use it as your canvas.

Take the painting to Fred in the cafeteria and interact with him. He paints Fra Mauro’s hazmat mask across Jesse’s face, producing Director Fra’s Portrait.

Return to the container outside and use the back-wall interaction point to hang the portrait in the outlined rectangle.

Hanging the portrait triggers Fra’s psychic influence: Dylan begins to succumb and bows to the entity rather than giving it instructions. This scripted moment cannot be prevented.

Spring the trap and seal Fra Mauro

Talk to Fra in the cafeteria once more, then go outside and speak to Langston, who has also fallen under the charm. He directs you to tell Zoe at the Watchtower how wonderful Fred is so the word will spread.

Fast travel to Central’s Watchtower, then talk with Zoe de Vera. She lifts Dylan’s mental haze so you can carry out the real plan.

Interact with the radio console to the left of Zoe and choose the “Your office is ready” option to convince Fra Mauro to come inside.

Fast travel to the Field Office again and hurry to the container, where Fra is admiring the office. Press the panel outside, beside the door, to drop the blast door and seal him in.

Completion and rewards

When the blast door shuts, A New Directive’s quest log changes to Quest Completed, showing that Fra Mauro has been contained. The cafeteria grows silent, and the radio interference ceases.

Reward	Detail
Untapped Whetstone	Crafting and upgrade material
+250 Source	Added toward Central zone progress

Now that Fra Mauro is contained, you can continue with Central’s main story chain or take on its other side stories.