You hit Mars in Astra Malorum and everything feels fine… right up until the step stops making sense and you start second-guessing every shot. If you're trying to keep a clean run (or you're warming up in a CoD BO7 Bot Lobby before jumping back in), this is the part where staying calm matters more than having the "perfect" loadout.
Step 1: Trigger the Mars sequence properly
Once you land on Mars, head to the center area and grab Dr. Thurston's Brain. Carry it up to the altar in the upper section and place it. Don't walk off straight away. Interact again until you get the audio cue, because that's what actually arms the next part. Miss that and you'll be shooting at nothing for ages.
Step 2: Hit the pylons in the right order
Go to the east window and line up the four distant pylons. The order is picky. Shoot the far right first, then the far left, then the close right, then the close left. You're looking for that blue glow and the Ascendant Eye bird popping in. If one shot doesn't "take," don't panic. Reset your aim and tap again, not a whole mag.
Step 3: Freeze the bird and wait for low gravity
Turn around and face west. Above the altar there's an orb you need to shoot to lock the bird in place. Keep tagging it to maintain the freeze. It's not glamorous. You're basically babysitting that orb until the low-gravity cycle kicks in. When gravity drops, jump up, grab the Ascendant Eye, and immediately move it to the southern altar.
Step 4: Light up the five pillars with the Wonder Weapon
You'll need the LGM-1 Wonder Weapon here. There are five pillars: one to the south, two on the west side near the brain altar, and two facing north. Each has a small golden antenna on top. Shoot each antenna with the Wonder Weapon until the top turns blue. If one looks "missing," it can be a visual glitch—swap positions, try another angle, or continue and come back.
Step 5: Read the piano device and match the missing symbol
Head back to the Observatory Core and find the piano. Interact with the device beside it and watch the five-symbol sequence. One slot will be blank, like a wave/noise placeholder. Your job is to figure out which pillar symbol didn't appear, then treat that as the "blank" when you input the order back on Mars. Enter the symbols on the pillars in the exact sequence shown, fast and clean.
Step 6: Confirm the blue faces and prep for the fight
If you nailed it, the pillar faces turn blue and the whole room feels like it exhales. Go speak to Dr. Thurston's Brain again because that's the last confirmation before things get loud. Do a quick ammo check, make sure your team's together, and don't be shocked if your practice runs suddenly feel worth it—especially if you've been dialing in consistency through a CoD BO7 Bot Lobby for sale and you're now ready to take the step without the stress.