Directive 8020 Episode 1: What Happens If You Save or Lose Simms in Disaster?

TL;DR

• The Disaster scene happens during the Episode 1 spacewalk after Carter and Simms repair the hull.
• An explosion sends Simms flying into space. A QTE decides if she lives or dies.
• Saving Simms lets you meet her mimic later and unlocks extra scenes in Episode 2.
• Losing Simms skips those scenes but changes what Eisele sees in the surveillance footage.
• Neither outcome saves Simms permanently. She is scripted to die before the end of the story.
• For a first playthrough, try to pass the QTE and save her. You get more story content.

One of the most tense moments in Directive 8020’s opening episode is the Disaster scene. You are out on the hull of the Cassiopeia, the repairs are almost done, and then everything goes wrong. Simms gets blasted off the ship by an explosion and her life hangs in the void. What you do next matters, but maybe not in the way you expect.

This guide breaks down both outcomes in full so you know exactly what is coming before you decide. If you have not yet read our guide on the Oracle choices in Episode 1, check out our Directive 8020 Oracle consult and reboot guide first since those decisions happen before Disaster and shape the episode leading up to it.

When Does the Disaster Scene Happen in Directive 8020?

The Disaster scene takes place in Episode 1, called Little Star. After Carter and Simms head outside the ship for a spacewalk to fix the hull damage caused by the meteorite strike, an explosion occurs. Simms is sent flying away from the ship into open space.

As she drifts back toward the ship, you get a brief window to act. A QTE prompt appears on screen. If you hit it in time, Carter grabs Simms and pulls her back to safety. If you miss it or ignore it, she floats away and dies.

That single button press changes more than you might think.

What Happens If You Save Simms in Disaster?

If you complete the QTE successfully, Carter grabs hold of Simms and gets her back onto the ship. She survives the spacewalk and you both head inside together. But things quickly get unsettling.

Once back inside, Carter loses radio contact with Simms. Her voice just cuts out. He goes to find her and discovers a figure standing in a dimly lit hallway. It looks like Simms. At this point you get another choice. You can either:

• Empathize with her by asking if she is okay.
• Joke with her, referencing the chess game they had not finished.

It does not matter which you pick. Carter will figure out the truth either way. It is not Simms. It is a mimic. The alien creature has already copied her. This is your first real look at the shapeshifting threat at the heart of Directive 8020.

Footage in Episode 2

Saving Simms also changes what Eisele sees when she reviews the ship’s surveillance footage in Episode 2. Because Simms made it back alive, Eisele will watch footage of Simms carrying out hull repairs. This gives players more context about what happened to the real Simms and when the mimic actually took her place. It is one of the more interesting pieces of the puzzle if you are paying attention to the timeline of the alien’s movements.

Simms’ Body in Episode 4

If you saved Simms in Episode 1, there is a follow-on moment later in Episode 4. Young discovers Simms’ decomposing body while exploring the ship’s vents. This confirms what you suspected. The Simms you have been seeing was never the real Simms. The alien had already replaced her before Carter even found her in that hallway.

What Happens If You Lose Simms in Disaster?

If you miss the QTE or do not respond in time, Simms floats away into space and dies. This is the first character death available in Directive 8020. It counts as Death No. 1 in the episode.

Carter returns to the ship alone. The scenes that follow change in a few meaningful ways:

No Mimic Encounter

Because Simms never made it back, there is no mimic posing as her on the ship. Carter does not get to meet the fake Simms in the hallway, and the extra choice between empathy and joking disappears entirely. You skip that scene.

Different Footage in Episode 2

In Episode 2, when Eisele reviews the surveillance logs, what she sees is different. Instead of watching Simms making repairs, she sees Carter wandering the ship alone. The branch is called Alone instead of Repairs. The footage still contains enough oddities to raise Eisele’s suspicions, but you get a less complete picture of the events of Episode 1.

No Body Discovery in Episode 4

Because Simms never made it back inside the ship, there is no body to find in the vents. Young’s discovery scene in Episode 4 does not happen. You miss that confirmation of what the alien did and when it happened.

Does Saving Simms Actually Save Her?

This is the important thing to understand. Saving Simms in the Disaster QTE does not keep her alive long-term.

Simms and Carter are both Sleep Technicians, and the story is written so that neither survives to the final act. While repairing the hull during Episode 1, Simms discovers the alien Growth in the ventilation shafts. She is killed off-screen and her body is copied by the creature. Whether you save her during the spacewalk or not, her fate is already sealed by the story’s structure.

The real Simms is gone before Carter even finds the mimic in the hallway. Saving her during Disaster just changes how much of that story plays out on screen, and how much extra context you get in the episodes that follow.

Should You Save or Let Simms Die?

For a first playthrough, save Simms. Pass the QTE. You get more scenes, more story context, and the mimic encounter which is genuinely one of the creepiest moments in Episode 1. The footage Eisele sees in Episode 2 is also more revealing and rewarding to watch.

For a completionist or second run, let Simms die. This unlocks the alternate branch in the Story Tree and lets you see the Alone footage scene in Episode 2 that you otherwise miss. You will want to see both outcomes eventually if you are going for 100 percent completion.

Tips for Passing the Disaster QTE

The QTE appears without much warning. Here is how to be ready for it:

• Pay close attention when the explosion happens. The prompt appears quickly.
• The button mash or press depends on your platform. On PC, watch for the key prompt on screen and hit it fast.
• If you miss it, you can use the Turning Points system after completing the game to rewind back to this moment and try again without replaying the whole episode.
• Do not get distracted by the cutscene. The QTE interrupts it suddenly, which catches many players off guard the first time.

How the Turning Point System Helps

Directive 8020 uses a Turning Point system that lets you rewind key decisions after completing the game. The Disaster scene is one of these Turning Points. Once you finish your first playthrough with at least one character alive, you can go back to this exact moment and try the other outcome without starting over.

This makes it easy to see both versions of the Simms scene and fill in both branches of the Story Tree at your own pace.

Few Notes to End

The Disaster scene in Episode 1 is a great example of how Directive 8020 handles its choices. The decision itself is a fast-reaction QTE rather than a deliberate narrative pick, which makes it feel raw and urgent. But the consequences ripple forward in real ways. More story, a different Evidence scene, and a body that confirms the alien’s timeline.

Save Simms your first time through. Let her die when you are ready to see the other side. Neither outcome spares her in the end, but one gives you a much fuller picture of what is happening aboard the Cassiopeia.