Deciphering the Data is a Shani quest in ARC Raiders that plays out in the Acerra Spaceport. The objective sounds simple — “use the Magnetic Decryptor” — but it refers to two different machines on opposite sides of the map. Knowing exactly where they sit inside Fuel Control and the Arrival Building keeps this from turning into a blind indoor search while other raiders and ARC units roam around outside.
Quest overview and basic requirements
Deciphering the Data arrives with the Cold Snap update and focuses on old Magnetic Decryptors left over from the Exodus era. You move through two objectives in order:
- Use a Magnetic Decryptor inside the Fuel Control building in the northeast of Spaceport.
- Then reach the Arrival Building on the western side of the map and use another Magnetic Decryptor on its upper floor.
You do not have to extract to get credit for using either device. Once both machines have been activated in a raid, the quest progresses and can be turned in when you’re back in Speranza.
Fuel Control is a low‑value area with mostly mechanical and electrical junk, while the Arrival Building is a high‑value hotspot full of ARC enemies like Pops, Fireballs, and Turrets. Plan your route and loadout around that difficulty spike.
Where to find Fuel Control in Spaceport
Fuel Control sits on the northeastern edge of Acerra Spaceport, beside the Rocket Assembly zone. It is the only major structure in that corner, so once you move into the northeast quadrant of the map, you are effectively looking for a single, standalone building.
Inside, the main room is dark and packed with standard computer terminals. The Magnetic Decryptor you need is not one of those regular consoles. It is an electrical mechanism positioned along the southeast side of the room, at the far end of the interior.
Use the Magnetic Decryptor in the Fuel Control building
Step 1: Move to the northeastern section of Spaceport until you reach the Fuel Control building next to Rocket Assembly. Approach from any side; there is no key requirement or special entrance for this quest.
Step 2: Enter the building and push into the main interior space. Use a flashlight if needed — the room is deliberately under‑lit and cluttered with ordinary terminals and machinery.
Step 3: Hug the southeast wall and walk to the very end of the room. Look for a distinct electrical device or panel rather than a normal desk terminal. When you are close enough, an interaction prompt to decrypt the data will appear.
Step 4: Interact with the panel to run the Magnetic Decryptor. The mechanism shorts out with visible sparks, and the quest updates from using the device in Fuel Control to a new objective: reaching the Arrival Building in Spaceport.
Once this interaction completes, there is nothing else to do in Fuel Control for this quest. From here, your focus shifts completely to crossing the map.
Reach the Arrival Building in Spaceport
The Arrival Building sits on the western side of the Spaceport map. Some descriptions place it on the northwestern edge, others simply on the western side; in practice, you are heading to the large, named Arrival Building that anchors the western half of the area.
This building is a high‑value loot zone, which means two things at once: better rewards in containers and a lot more risk. ARC patrols inside typically include Pops, Fireballs, and static Turrets, and other raiders often push this location for loot even if they are not on the quest.
Step 1: Leave Fuel Control and chart a route across open ground toward the western Arrival Building. Expect sniper angles and third‑party encounters while you run between cover points.
Step 2: Enter the Arrival Building through any main ground‑level entrance. As soon as you cross the threshold, the quest text updates to a more precise instruction to use the Magnetic Decryptor on the top floor.
Use the Magnetic Decryptor on the top floor of the Arrival Building
Inside the Arrival Building, the Magnetic Decryptor you need is not on the ground floor. It is located on an upper level among a cluster of electrical devices. Depending on how you enter the building, you may reach it from different directions, but the logic remains the same: get upstairs, then move along one side of the building to a bank of machines.
Step 1: From the main interior hall, find a staircase and climb to the next level. The quest points you toward the top floor, not a mezzanine balcony, so keep going until you cannot ascend further using standard stairs.
Step 2: Once you reach the upper floor, move toward the side of the building indicated by your objective marker. Some descriptions frame this cluster of devices against a north‑by‑northwest wall; others describe it as lying on the southern side when entering from specific doors. Instead of relying on compass directions, use the marker and look for a tightly packed line of electrical devices.
Step 3: Walk up to the exact machine flagged by the quest. It looks different from the first Fuel Control decryptor, but it serves the same purpose. When the prompt appears, activate it to decrypt the remaining data.
Step 4: Wait for the interaction to complete. At this point, Deciphering the Data is finished. The task list clears, and you no longer need to stay in Spaceport for this quest.
Extraction, hand‑in, and practical safety notes
Once both Magnetic Decryptors have been used, your objective inside Acerra Spaceport is over. You can stay and loot, push other objectives, or move to extract. Active elevators remain the usual way out of Spaceport, but they are common ambush points, especially at night when visibility is low, and raiders expect late‑run evac traffic.
Even though this quest doesn’t require extraction to register the interactions with the decryptors, you still need to survive the raid if you care about the gear you brought. Many players run Deciphering the Data with a free kit to reduce the sting of being wiped while distracted inside Fuel Control or the Arrival Building.
When you are back in Speranza, turn the quest in with Shani to claim the reward and unlock whatever follow‑up tasks sit behind it in your progression. From there, Spaceport remains valuable for separate questlines and loot runs, but Deciphering the Data itself will not send you back to those decryptors again.
