How to acquire the Specimen ID NES009 quest in Destiny 2

Specimen ID NES009 quest as drop (Image via Bungie)

The third reset in Destiny 2 Echoes Act III brought in the final specimen mission. Specimen missions have formed quite the long questline, where Guardians and Failsafe went into the depths of Nessus to bring back anomalies that helped in the latter's research. With time, the Guardians could use this specimen as decorations in the HELM as well, and get multiple rewards while completing each step.

However, this article focuses more on the process of acquiring the quest itself, rather than finishing it. Act III's primary focus has been the Encore Exotic mission, and all the NES missions from the act were hidden behind a secret puzzle. The new NES009 of Week 3 is no different.

To explain a few things as prerequisites, the NES009 quest is hidden behind the second secret puzzle in the Encore Coda mission. To access these secret puzzles, interact with the first Conflux in the purple room, and shoot the Vex cubes accordingly. Here is a guide on the secret chest locations in the Encore mission.

Disclaimer: This article details how to get the NES009 quest. It doesn't include the steps for completing the quest itself.

How to get the Specimen ID NES009 mission in Destiny 2

The Specimen ID NES009 quest drops from a secret puzzle accessible via the laboratory room before the boss arena. Instead of interacting with the Exo corpse, access the Vex Conflux to open the portal. Head inside, and then go towards the right portal to arrive in a new location.

The right portal leading to a new location (Image via Bungie)

The new room with a barrier in Destiny 2 Encore Coda (Image via Bungie)

The primary task here is to use an Arc charge to shoot rays on multiple mirrors, and then direct those rays inside the barrier in the middle to destroy Vex Cubes. The main barrier is a square, and there are four Connection terminals in the area, one on each side of the barrier.

Start the encounter by defeating the two Hydras in the two corners of the room. Doing so will summon a pool on the corners. Standing on these pools will spawn circular structures meant to help you aim toward an active mirror on one side of the barrier. A mirror spawns on the side of a barrier that has a Connection terminal active.

A Connection module will spawn as soon as the second Hydra dies in the room.

Mirror on one side of the barrier in Destiny 2 Encore Coda (Image via Bungie)

However, before heading to the pool, look for a unique Minotaur for the Arc charge. Deposit the Connection module in one of the four sides of the barrier. This will spawn the mirrors on that side. Next, pick up the Arc charge to shoot on the mirrors.

Arc charge on the floor (Image via Bungie)

To shoot, stand on the corner pools, and look for the corner that has the front side of a mirror visible.

Shoot the mirror and direct the ray until you destroy a Vex cube present inside. Repeat this process for all Vex cubes, and eventually, the barrier will come down. If a Vex cube gets destroyed, your screen will flash with a white glow, confirming that you are on the right path.

Purple lizards in the barrier room in Destiny 2 (Image via Bungie)

Head to the middle to loot the chest, and interact with the purple lizards to get the NES009 quest. Complete the Exotic mission and then the seasonal "A Rising Chorus Act III" to permanently get the mission from Failsafe.

Readers can refer to our Destiny 2 Encore Concerto secret chest location guide, and Encore Coda secret chest guide for additional loot.

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Edited by Sijo Samuel Paul