Astra Malorum Easter Egg Guide (Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies)

This is a comprehensive guide to the Main Quest (Easter Egg) for the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies map, Astra Malorum.

This map is set on an abandoned observatory drifting in Saturn's rings. The Main Quest involves uncovering the fate of Dr. Thurston, battling the security drone O.S.C.A.R., and defeating the cosmic entity Caltheris.

Phase 1: Setup & Wonder Weapon (LGM-1)

You cannot complete the main quest without the LGM-1 Wonder Weapon. It is highly recommended to obtain this early.

1. Power & Pack-a-Punch (PaP)

• Open the path to the Observatory Dome.

• Locate two Harmonic Components (usually found in the Luminarium or near the Electro-Volt Projector).

• Install them into the Harmonic Oculus (the large telescope structure) to restore power and unlock PaP.

2. Crafting the LGM-1

You need to kill the roaming mini-boss, O.S.C.A.R. (the floating robot), using three specific traps. To use the traps, you first need three parts. Note: You need a Pack-a-Punched weapon to harvest these parts.

• Part 1: Car Battery: In Spawn, shoot the hood of the car ("Ol' Tessie") with a PaP weapon.

• Part 2: Aberrant Wiring: Look for a flickering lamppost (random location). Shoot the light with a PaP weapon.

• Part 3: Damaged Drone: Shoot one of O.S.C.A.R.’s small UFO drones with a PaP weapon until it drops this part.

• Part 4: Absolute Zero Fragments: Equip the Cryo Freeze ammo mod. Shoot the purple crystals around the map. Collect 3 fragments.

3. Overloading O.S.C.A.R.

Lure O.S.C.A.R. into the following traps and activate them to damage/kill him. He will drop a piece of the weapon each time. He respawns the next round.

1. Luminarium (Laser Trap): Install the Car Battery, Wiring, and Drone. Lure Oscar in and activate the Electro-Volt Projector.

2. Observatory Dome (Sun Trap): Interact with the Harmonic Oculus viewfinder. Aim it at the Sun. Lure Oscar into the beam.

3. Museum Infinitum (Rocket Trap): Insert the Absolute Zero Fragments into the rocket display. Lure Oscar behind the rocket and activate the test fire.

Build the LGM-1 at the workbench in the Arsenal.

Phase 2: The Main Quest

Step 1: Thurston's Code

• Wait for O.S.C.A.R. to respawn. Follow him closely (stealthily) until he triggers a dialogue playback with Dr. Thurston.

• Listen carefully for the names of three planets mentioned in the dialogue.

• Go to the Machina Astralis (Library). Check the display or the globe to find the numerical values associated with those three planets.

• Input these numbers into the keypad near the spiral staircase.

• Reward: This activates a lift. Go up and retrieve the Cryo Chamber Key from the corpse.

Step 2: The Brain Transplant

• Go to the Museum Infinitum. Smash the glass display case in the southwest corner to get the Rock Saw.

• Go to the Cryo Chamber in Machina Astralis. Use the Key to open it, then use the Saw to extract Thurston’s Brain.

• Take the brain to the Luminarium. Locate the canister with purple fluid (near the "Stars Lied to Us" graffiti).

• Swap the brains and activate the Perfusion Machine.

• Lockdown: Survive a 1-minute lockdown while protecting the machine. Once complete, pick up the canister.

Step 3: The Book Puzzle (Archive of Orbis)

• Place the canister into the contraption on the table in Machina Astralis.

• Head to the Archive of Orbis. Look for a reading list on a desk (Thurston's Reading List).

• There are three busts (statue heads) in the room, each corresponding to a bookshelf wall.

• Count how many books from the Reading List are present on each specific wall.

• Interact with the bust for that wall that many times (e.g., if Wall A has 2 books from the list, click Bust A twice).

• Audio cue: A hatch opens in the ceiling. Climb up to grab the Planet Neptune model.

Step 4: Aligning the Planets

• Find three papers around the map with compass directions (N, S, E, W) and planet names.

  • Locations: Table near Stamin-Up (Archive), Desk in Machina Astralis, Table in Luminarium.

• Go to the Machina Astralis. Shoot the planets on the massive hanging model to rotate them until they match the directions found on your papers.

• Return to the brain canister machine and interact to start another Lockdown sequence.

Step 5: The Ascendant Eye (Mars)

• Go to the Observatory Dome and use the Oculus. Aim at Mars. Note the symbols that appear.

• You will be teleported to the surface of Mars.

• The Pillars: Locate the pillars with symbols matching the ones you saw in the Oculus.

• Shoot the top of the correct pillars with the LGM-1 in the order they appeared.

• Interact with the symbols quickly before the timer expires.

• Low Gravity Puzzle: Shoot the floating obelisk to keep the "Ascendant Eye" (the bird-like object) suppressed until gravity lowers. Jump up and grab the Eye.

Step 6: The Final Ritual

• Place the Ascendant Eye into the ancient structure in the southeast corner of the Mars arena.

• Return to the Observatory. A small screen on the organ piano will now show symbols.

• Shoot the pillars in the map (now glowing blue if done right) to channel beams into the central gravity machine.

Phase 3: Boss Fight - Caltheris

Preparation:

• Perks: Juggernog, Stamin-Up, Speed Cola are essential.

• Weapons: LGM-1 (fully PaP) and a high-mobility LMG or Assault Rifle (PaP Tier 3).

• Equipment: Monkey Bombs or decoys are vital for the "stone" phase.

The Fight:

1. Phase 1 (The Celestial Form): Caltheris floats above. Do not shoot her directly yet. Kill zombies to charge the two laser cannons on the ground. Activate both lasers simultaneously to strip her shield. Damage her critical spots (glowing red) when she falls.

2. Phase 2 (The Gas): The arena fills with toxic gas, forcing you onto the smaller central platform. Caltheris will sweep the platform with lasers. Run back and forth to dodge.

3. Phase 3 (The Stone Golem): Caltheris manifests as a Stone Golem on the ground.

   • She has an armor field. You must break her armor.

   • Warning: She throws purple electrified rocks. Do not step in the pools they create; they drain health rapidly.

   • Focus fire on her head once armor is broken.

Ending: Once defeated, Caltheris disintegrates. The cutscene plays, revealing the fate of the crew and hinting at the next map in the Shadowsmith saga.

Notable Side Easter Eggs

• Free Perks: Shoot the "steaming mechanisms" hidden high on walls in the Observatory Dome to spawn a random free perk.

• Music Easter Egg: Find and interact with three hidden meteorites that emit a low hum (Spawn, Mars, Archive) to play the secret song "Eclipse of the Soul".

• Uberclaus: If you attempt to Exfil while the Oscar drone is alive, a special boss variant "Uberclaus" may spawn (weak to Napalm Burst).

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