During the auction sequence of “The Past Never Dies” mission in 007 First Light, you need to use Bond’s Q-Watch to hack a rival bidder’s lie detector. This guide will provide you with tips and tricks on how hacking the polygraph works in the game, and thus disqualify your rivals from the auction in Aleph.
Training Polygraph & Starting Bid
Early in the game, you will undergo a lie detector test with Greenway, which gives you a taste of what’s to come in the auction mission of the game. At this training stage, no hacking is needed, but you do need to lie during all three questions for the “Spinning a Yarn” challenge. Later on, the auction hack will require the Q-Watch, which works in the following way:
- You and Greenway need to attend a secret black market auction hosted by Barkhad Ali to gather intel, which is related to 009 or Scorpius.
- Every bid must pass a polygraph test, where you place your hand on a device, and it reads your reactions: green for truth or red for disqualification.
- Note that cash bids don’t work here, as the polygraph ensures that all bids are “bound by blood” with no retractions.
Before the bidding starts, you need to set a baseline by answering a question truthfully. Here are the options you’ll see:
- This man hates me.
- Call me James.
- Thrilled to be here.
At this point, any choice will work, as they’re all true. Once the polygraph turns green, Greenway will let you know to “dial it down.” After that, the starting bid will go on screen:
- $8 million
- $3 million
- $1 million
In this case, any choice fails intentionally, and your cash won’t be accepted. Don’t worry, as this stage is scripted to move the auction forward.
Hacking Zhang Leung’s Polygraph
As soon as other bidders join the auction, including Zhang Leung of the Three Storms Clan, they’ll start making escalating offers. Watch the sequences and wait for Leung’s turn, then follow these steps:
- When Leung places his hand on the polygraph and offers his bid, quickly pull up your Q-Watch.
- Switch to the Q-Lens or hacking view if needed, and aim at the Leung’s polygraph machine.
- Execute hacking by pressing the prompt button on the screen.
- The result will flip from green to red, instantly disqualifying Leung from the auction.
Now it’s your turn again, and here are your options:
- Remove Scorpius from Aleph.
- Next-gen solar panel blueprints.
- Two long distance missile strikes.
Once again, any choice will work, as Ali calls it a wonderful offer. If another bidder, such as Miss Bachchan, counters with a stronger offer, quickly press the “Improvise” prompt when it appears, offering three decades worth of MI6 intel. If you’re fast enough, this will win you the auction despite Greenway’s reaction, since it puts MI6 at risk. However, Ali will agree to help you locate 009 on a boat that was a gift from Bawma.
