Carter's PC is the first locked terminal players run into during Episode 2 of Directive 8020, sitting inside his room aboard the Cassiopeia. The puzzle gates a short cutscene that moves the story forward, and the solution is tied to two clues placed near each other in the Crew Quarters area.
Quick answer: Enter 2808 on Carter's PC. If that does not register on the first try, enter 0828 instead. Both are accepted because the password encodes August 28 (Luna's birthday) in either day-month or month-day order.
Carter's PC code values
The terminal accepts the date written either way around, so you do not need to guess the regional format. Both inputs trigger the same cutscene and progress the same objective.
| Input | Format | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2808 | Day-month | 28th of August |
| 0828 | Month-day | August 28 |
Where to find the Carter's PC password clues
The code is not written down in a journal or objective screen. Two environmental clues in and around Carter's room combine to give you the number, and both are reachable before you ever touch the keypad.
Step 1: Stand at Carter's desk and look at the front of his monitor. A post-it note stuck to the screen reads "Luna's" with a small arrow pointing toward the display. That is the prompt to go find something tied to a person named Luna.
Step 2: Leave Carter's room and walk into Crew Quarters. Turn right and approach the wall calendar. Inspect it with the interact button. The page shown is August, and the 28th square is labeled "Luna's Birthday" in bold text.
Step 3: Return to Carter's PC and key in the date. Use 2808 first, or 0828 if the terminal does not accept the day-month order on your build.
What the Carter's PC cutscene does
Entering the correct code immediately starts a scripted scene. Simms walks into Crew Quarters, and a fresh objective tells Eisele to follow her. The trail leads through Crew Quarters into the Lounge, where Simms is watching a monitor that plays back a saved conversation between her and Carter. Watching the log all the way through is what advances Episode 2 and feeds Eisele's growing suspicion about the crew.
You will know the puzzle worked when the keypad closes on its own and control shifts to the cutscene. After that point, the PC cannot be opened again, so there is no second pass to read additional files from the desktop.
Common reasons the code fails
- Entering the digits in only one order. If 2808 is rejected on your platform or patch, the same date in the opposite order (0828) is accepted.
- Leaving Crew Quarters before inspecting the calendar. The post-it note alone does not give the number, and the calendar must be examined up close to reveal the "Luna's Birthday" label on the 28th.
- Trying to revisit the terminal after the cutscene. Carter's PC is a one-time interaction, so any further attempt to open it will not produce a prompt.
The Carter's PC sequence is a short narrative gate rather than a branching choice, so the password itself does not affect later outcomes. The story consequences flow from watching the Simms log in the Lounge, which is the actual payoff for solving the terminal.