Directive 8020: What Is The Anomaly Log Number in Radio Silence (Episode 5)?

TL;DR

• The Anomaly Log Number in Directive 8020 Episode 5 is 3196.
• The clue is a note reading CAIF stuck to the back of the left cockpit seat.
• You convert each letter to its position in the alphabet: C=3, A=1, I=9, F=6.
• The locked terminal is in Bridge Ops, at the top of the stairs where you start Radio Silence as Cernan.
• You must go through the corridor next to the terminal and into the cockpit to find the clue.
• Unlocking the terminal rewards you with the Satellite Log secret collectible.

What Is the Anomaly Log Number Puzzle in Directive 8020?

Directive 8020 is packed with locked terminals, hidden datapads, and puzzles that reward curious players with extra lore and secret collectibles. One of the trickiest of these appears in Episode 5: Mr. Williams, during the Radio Silence section.

You take control of Cernan at the start of this section, tasked with finding the rest of the crew aboard the Cassiopeia. Almost immediately, if you turn around and go up the stairs behind you, you will find a locked terminal on the wall. When you interact with it, the screen asks for a four-digit Anomaly Log number.

The game gives you no obvious hint. There is no number on a nearby wall, no code in your inventory, and nothing in the immediate area that looks like it contains four digits. This is the point where most players either spend a long time searching through every datapad they have collected, or simply give up and move on. Neither approach is necessary. The clue is nearby — it just requires a short detour and a small mental step to decode.

This puzzle is a good example of how Directive 8020’s code puzzles get progressively harder as the episodes go on. For more puzzles and codes like this, check out our Directive 8020 All Secrets Guide for a full breakdown of every hidden collectible in the game.

Where to Find the Anomaly Log Clue

The clue for the Anomaly Log Number is not in any menu or past recording. You need to walk to a specific spot to find it. Here is exactly what to do:

1. When you first take control of Cernan in Radio Silence, turn around and go up the stairs behind your starting position. You will see the locked terminal at the top.
2. Do not spend time trying to guess the code here. Instead, leave the terminal and head through the corridor or hallway next to it.
3. Follow the corridor all the way to the ship’s cockpit.
4. Once inside the cockpit, go to the left side of the room. There is a seat on the left, and attached to the back of that seat is a small piece of paper or sticky note.
5. Crouch down to read it properly — the note is partially out of sight and very easy to miss if you are walking upright. There is also a datapad secret to collect on the right side of the cockpit while you are in here, so grab that too.
6. The note reads: CAIF.

At first glance, this does not look like a code at all — the terminal requires numbers, not letters. But CAIF is a cipher, and decoding it is simpler than it sounds.

The Anomaly Log Number Answer – 3196

The answer is 3196.

To get there from CAIF, you convert each letter to its numerical position in the English alphabet. Every letter has a number: A is 1, B is 2, C is 3, and so on. Work through CAIF one letter at a time:

• C = 3rd letter of the alphabet → 3
• A = 1st letter of the alphabet → 1
• I = 9th letter of the alphabet → 9
• F = 6th letter of the alphabet → 6

Put them together and you get 3196. Head back to the terminal in Bridge Ops, interact with it, and enter 3196 on the keypad. The lock opens straight away.

This is the same kind of letter-to-number cipher used in other code puzzles across the game. If you are working through all the codes in Directive 8020, our Carter’s PC Key Code guide explains how that separate puzzle works in a similar way.

What Do You Get for Entering the Anomaly Log Number?

Once you enter 3196 and unlock the terminal, you gain access to a document called the Satellite Log. It is filed under Corinth Industries and details an unidentified satellite discovered in orbit around Tau Ceti F.

The log classifies the object as a meteorite fragment, noting traces of Silica and Kamacite. On the surface it sounds routine, but when you consider the broader story of Directive 8020 — the alien Growth, the cover-ups by Corinth, and the repeated cycles of the Cassiopeia crew — the log reads as something far more deliberate. It is a small but meaningful piece of the game’s larger conspiracy, and one that completionists and lore hunters will not want to miss.

The Satellite Log counts as one of the game’s 50 regular secret collectibles. If you are going for 100% completion, this is one you could very easily overlook entirely since the terminal is right at the start of the section and the clue is hidden further into the level.

Quick Recap – Step by Step

• Start of Radio Silence → turn around and go upstairs to find the locked terminal in Bridge Ops.
• Leave the terminal → walk through the nearby corridor toward the cockpit.
• Inside the cockpit → crouch near the left seat to find the sticky note reading CAIF.
• Decode CAIF using alphabet positions → C=3, A=1, I=9, F=6 → code is 3196.
• Return to the Bridge Ops terminal → enter 3196 → collect the Satellite Log.

Tips for Not Missing It

• Crouch in the cockpit. The sticky note is on the back of the left seat and sits low. If you are standing upright, you will almost certainly walk past it without seeing the interaction prompt.
• Grab the cockpit datapad too. There is a separate secret collectible — a datapad — on the right side of the cockpit. Collect both in one visit so you do not have to backtrack twice.
• Do not rush the terminal. The locked terminal is right at the top of the stairs where Cernan starts, and it is tempting to think the code must be in your existing notes or recordings. It is not. Always go to the cockpit first.
• Use Turning Points if you missed it. If you already moved past Radio Silence, jump back using Turning Points and return to Bridge Ops. The collectible and the clue are still there.

Want to make sure you have not missed any other collectibles in this episode? Our All Simms’ Recordings guide and All Curator Secrets guide will help you clean up everything tied to Episode 5 in one pass.

Where Does the Anomaly Log Number Puzzle Fit in the Story?

The Radio Silence section in Episode 5 places you in a quieter, more exploratory part of the game. After the chaos of the earlier episodes, Cernan is alone, searching the Cassiopeia for the rest of the crew. The ship feels emptier and more unsettling than before.

The Satellite Log you unlock is an optional breadcrumb. It is not needed to complete the episode or progress the story. But it adds to the picture of Corinth Industries as an organisation that has known far more about what waits at Tau Ceti F than it has ever admitted. The classification of the satellite object as a meteorite fragment — rather than something else entirely — is exactly the kind of quiet detail Supermassive hides in its optional collectibles to reward players who take the time to look.

If you are trying to get the most out of the story, exploring these moments carefully is worth the effort. For a full picture of how long that kind of deep dive takes, check our How Long to Beat Directive 8020 guide.

Get Directive 8020

Directive 8020 is available now on PlayStation Store, Xbox, and Steam. For PC players, our best PC settings guide will help you get the smoothest experience while exploring every corner of the Cassiopeia.

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