Marathon - Equitable Distribution [1/4] Contract Guide

Equitable Distribution is one of the first contracts in Marathon that you'll do for Vulcan of Traxus' faction, and it's a cracking introduction to the kind of timed, high-pressure objectives the game loves to throw at you. Part one tasks you with grabbing a Self-Erasing Data Drive from the second floor of the Hauler building on Perimeter, then delivering it to a DCON terminal before the drive's self-erasing protocol kicks in. Two objectives, one run, and a ticking clock, once you've picked up the goods.

Here's how to nail it.

Approach Hauler From the North

Skip the main approaches and come at Hauler from the north side. It's a cleaner line to the objective, keeps you away from the busier entry points where other Runners and USEC robots tend to congregate, and cuts your travel time significantly. Once you're at the north face of the building, look for the ladder and climb it up, go straight and enter trough the side door.

AltChar

The northern approach to Hauler has less traffic and faster access to the second floor. Use the ladder and enter the building trough the door on the side

Getting Up to the Second Floor

Once you're inside, head left into the blue-lit room. There's a container in there worth looting if you fancy it. You'll spot a large "2" painted on the wall - your floor marker - with a ladder right beside it. Climb up.

AltChar

The ladder next to the floor 2 marker inside Hauler - your route to the data drive

Finding the Data Drive

At the top of the ladder, you'll come out into a hallway. Turn right immediately and follow the corridor all the way to the far end. There's a door on your left at the very end of the passage - head through it. The Self-Erasing Data Drive is in that room.

The moment you pick it up, the clock starts. You've got five minutes.

AltChar

Inside the second floor corridor - the data drive is through the door at the far end

Getting the Drive to a DCON in Time

Five minutes sounds like plenty, but Marathon is a multiplayer game. Enemy Runners and Watchers can chew through that time faster than you'd like, especially if you get pinned down in a firefight. Make straight for a DCON and don't stop to loot anything.

The DCON at North Relay is your best bet. It's the most accessible one on the map - the others are located beyond The Wall, which adds unnecessary travel time and exposure. The DCON is marked on your map with a small box icon, and it sits at the top of the building at North Relay. Get there, interact, and the job's done.

AltChar

DCON can be found on the top of this building. There's a ladder on the left side that you can use to climb to the roof.

If you play as an Assassin and have that stealth available, now is an excellent time to use it. Slipping past enemies rather than trading shots is always the smarter play when you're on a timer.