You might've seen some references to the above in the discussions here - it's something that Sol can learn how to do in their prologue (i.e. character creation), which prevents the food crisis in Year 4.

In order to get to it, though, Sol need to fulfil three pre-requisites:

1. They must have Congruence's master access codes.
2. They must understand how the Stratos works.
3. They must understand how the wormhole works.

If Sol's missing any of these three, they won't be able to recalibrate the shields - either they won't be able to get access to Congruence to do it at all, or they won't know how to explain what they need to happen.

Plus, once Sol can do this, you can get two of the trickier endings.

Yes, this sucks, but you have to let him die in the second Glow attack. If this is your first playthrough, you won't have the option of saving him - it just happens.

"But where's that?" I hear you cry. Low stress - Sol can't go there at first. Here's how it gets unlocked:

1. Get Reasoning up to 5. How?
   • Take the Absorbent Brain Perk during the prologue
     
   • Befriend Tang during the prologue
     
   • Take the Learning Tablet as Sol's favourite birthday gift during the prologue (not available the first time)
2. The option to Register for Engineering Classes will turn up as either a random event when Sol spend a month to study, or it'll be available immediately. Either way, the option stays available until Sol takes it.
   
3. Get Engineering up to 50. How?
   • Study Engineering
     
   • Work in Construction (only if you have it unlocked by talking to Rex later in the game)
     
   • Some events when Sol's Exploring the Ridge will boost Engineering.
4. When Sol goes in to study something, they can get a random event that involves an out-of-control robot. If Sol's got enough 50 Engineering, they can shut the robot down safely, opening up the lab. Don't worry if they don't - the event can happen any time, but it'll still be there to choose once Sol's got their Engineering up.

If Sol keeps working in the Robotics Lab, one of the events that can trigger involves random things malfunctioning in the colony, which ends up with Sol having to dig into Congruence's programming. One of the options that'll come up is something along the lines of "Get to the real cause of the problem." (I think this also has an Empathy 31 requirement too - don't remember right now).

Once Sol does that, they find out that things are malfunctioning because Congruence is grieving Hal's death. This makes Sol realise that Congruence is a person, unlocking the ability to have her as a friend during the prologue - you should see one of the purple information bars below the dialogue box telling you.

Next time you start a game, one of the childhood friend options that should come up for Sol during the prologue is Congruence. If you choose Congruence, she gives Sol her master access code.

Try to get Biology and Engineering up to 100 - that's where I had Sol's when they got to the next part.

This is an event that turns up around 17 or 18, where Governor Lum announces that he's taking new people into different positions. When the options come up, Sol should nominate themselves for Second Engineer.

Note that this means that Sol can't work with Marz to depose him because then the opportunity doesn't come up. Also, Sol will be vying for the nomination against Tangent, so make sure their mental attributes are maxed out.

Should Sol be successful, you get the Second Engineer card and Sol gains access to all of the Stratospheric's technical schematics.

If you've done all that, then the next time you start a game, Sol should get the option to have their dad read the engineering manuals to them as a bedtime story. If they don't read the manuals, then they won't know how to reprogram the shields at all, even with the master access codes.

The good news about this step? You only need to get an ending.

Bad news? It's the Transcendence ending. Which is a little involved. But if you don't get it, Sol never has the understanding of how the wormhole works - and, more specifically, how the wormhole affects the shields.

I won't go into too many specifics, partly because my memory's a little hazy on exact details, but here's how I managed to get it:

• Take Eagle Eyes or Calm Temperament as Sol's augment.
  
• Befriend Dys

• Sneak out every so often or Go Exploring/Surveying - this will increase Sol's friendship with Dys, and also help to raise Perception up to 100. The second one's not critical, but being able to bypass events while exploring is a great time-saver. Plus, this is how you get the Mysterious Stranger cards.
  
• Raise either Reasoning or Toughness as much as you can - you're aiming for a minimum of 50 eventually, as there are some future checks that have those as requirements.
  
• Keep up Sol's friendship with Dys.
  
• If you haven't done so already, Sneak Out during Late Wet so you can save Tammy's dad.

• Keep up Sol's friendship with Dys.
  
• When it's unlocked, Explore The Ridge. You'll need to do it multiple times, as multiple critical events happen here:
  • Sol meet and can befriend Sym
    
  • If you didn't find it already in the Valley of Vertigo, you can trigger the event where Sol briefly interacts with part of the Array.
    
  • Sol finds the Collector city.
    
  • Sol and Dys explore the Collector city (which is the event where the Reasoning/Toughness checks kick in)
• On successful completion of that event, Sol can Sneak Out During Glow.

I've been informed by a few people that you only need to do up to here to get the last bit of information you need to recalibrate the shields. However, you're nearly there anyway, so you may as well get the ending while you're here.

This is a small map, and the place Sol needs to get to is pretty much a straight line. While you can go there directly if Sol's got 100 Perception, you don't want to - Sol needs to have several events along the way (at least 4) that hint at the presence of a Faceless before they arrive at the plateau. If you've done enough of them, the plateau should have a Faceless standing there; if it's not there, go back and do some more. Sol will find Sym along the path as well, who can tell them about the Faceless if you've done enough events on the way.

At this point, Sol needs to wait.

A long time.

This is where have Calm Temperament or the upgraded hopeye pet will help - the waiting involves Sol taking at least 20 Stress, so having either of those will diminish or even eliminate the damage, since if Sol hits 100 Stress while waiting they'll lose patience and go home.

If Sol waits long enough, the Faceless that's been hinted at will appear. There'll be some dialogue, and you eventually get the option to either Embrace or Resist Infinity. Choose to Embrace it and the game ends with the Transcendence ending. Choose to Resist it and the game continues as normal, but you can always come back for the ending.

Either way, Sol always has the knowledge of how the wormhole works, so you don't need to do anything special during the prologue.

1. Get Sol's dad to read the engineering manuals to them.
   
2. Make Congruence Sol's childhood friend.
   
3. When the ship reaches the wormhole, you'll have an option to go calibrate the shields.
   
4. Take it, then Sol can ask Congruence to fix the shields using her master access code.

At this point, Sol can make three choices - full shields, half shields, and no shields.

The game proceeds as normal.

The Stratos touches down unharmed, with a lot more of its cargo and geoponics equipment (and dirt) intact. This means that you won't get the famine happen during the fourth year, which prevents Flulu from dying.

However, the game's script doesn't take this into account. People will still complain about food shortages, the tables will look bare, the noticeboard still advises of a food shortage, and they still have the meeting about running out of food. The famine won't actually happen, but it's going to feel a bit disorienting hearing everyone worry about food when you know that the food levels are fine.

If Sol turns the shields off, then you get the Stratos Destroyed ending. Not only does everyone die in the explosion, but the wormhole is destroyed. Obviously, you get a game over.

If you start a new game, you're treated to a short story sequence about Sol's life on Earth before the cult compound is overrun, which gets you the Life On Earth ending.

If you start a new game after that, you get the same sequence, but there's an option to complain about having to go through it again - at which point Old Sol turns up, has a brief chat with everyone, and repairs the timeline.

If you start a new game after that, you're returned to Sol's regularly scheduled programming.

Also, you know how all of Sol's friends gradually turn up on the start screen as you get them at 100% friendship? This sequence of events is how you get Sol there too.