How to complete Survival Directive in Marathon
Completing the Survival Directive contract comes immediately after you finish Introducing: NuCaloric and unlock the foodie faction in Marathon. This is the first contract that you actually do for them and it'll give you a decent chunk of faction rep so you can start unlocking some of their best upgrades—I recommend the ones that give you free daily Patch Kits and Shield Rechargers.
Before that, though, you'll have to head to Perimeter and interact with two terminals, one in Station and another in Overflow. In case you're struggling to find either, here's how to complete Survival Directive in Marathon.
You also might want to reverse the order of these based on where you spawn, since you can complete either objective first. If you arrive in the north, you can head to Station, but if you're in the south, make your way to Overflow.
Download the geological survey in Station
If you are going to Station first, when coming from the south, you're looking for the southeasternmost big black building with DRN STN written on it in big letters, usually close to an exfil point.
There are walkways connecting to the upper floor of this building, which is where the terminal you need is located. Head inside, interact to download the geological survey and you're all done for this stage.
Download the botany report in Overflow
The office you're looking for with the botany report terminal is in the southernmost building with OVRFLW marked above the entrance, on the upper floor. You'll want to pass the big yellow structures with K3 written on them (when coming from the east), then keep going under the overhanging section of the building towards the west side of the compound, skirting the main Overflow structure, between it and the cliffs.
You'll pass an upper-floor window on your right and a yellow marker will appear inside. Hop on the crates to get up there and interact with it to download the botany report. You can also go through the building to get this instead, but staying outside might make it slightly easier in terms of avoiding players and patrolling UESC. With that downloaded, you've completed the Survival Directive contract.
Marathon best weapons tier list: Our top picks
Marathon roadmap: What's coming
Marathon Lockbox Keys: How to get 'em
Marathon upgrades: Which to pick
Marathon DCON: Where to find one
Introducing Traxus: Find the terminal