Good day.
I have been unable to progress in the expedition Aegis questline, due to the professor's kidnapping questline beginning later than probably anticipated.
I have only utilized the cot twice during the expedition. I went to the Horticultural center and completed my report for the professor, and went to Nexus technologies as well and completed that report. I then went back to Core City, did some quests and exploring outside of Expedition, and then returned to the Black Sea. From my list of coordinates, I went to the Lemurian Health Center, and then to the Security Headquarters. After finishing both areas, I noticed that the Professor did not want any reports on these locations- which I knew to be incorrect. I laid my character down to sleep in the cot, and when I woke up, I went to speak to the professor in his tent.
Upon speaking to the Professor, the dialogue which should occur after his rescue triggers. Briggs says he is upset at me that I did not speak to him first before rescuing the professor- and then gives me the Aegis Patroller Key. The Professor then accepts my reports on L2/K12 locations. Ladelman and Marcus then inform me that despite the fact the Professor's kidnapping quest is listed as 'complete' on my quest markers, I am told to speak to Chief Briggs about the professor's kidnapping. This causes both Chief Briggs and the Professor to disappear from the map, permanently.
I have attempted to go back in time on my saves to before entering the Health Center and getting the chip implant, before going to K12 and going through the security headquarters, and this did not assist. I went back to a previous save where I had not entered either locations, and placed my character to sleep- which triggers the same bug no matter how far back I go in the expedition. I've gone as far back as a full 24 hours of gameplay time and tried to trigger the Professor's Kidnapping, and the same two bugs always apply. I am either:
A) Going to sleep, waking up, and still seeing the professor in his tent- speaking to him triggers the completion of the kidnapping quest, but bugs out Ladelman/Marcus/Briggs/Professor.
B) Going to sleep, waking up, and walking out of the area/back into the area to try and trigger NPC's to go to the locations required to begin the quest. This results in the disappearance of the Professor, but Briggs does not appear in the Keep, or his tent- and there are no signs of a Pirate break-in.
EDIT: I am utilizing the experimental branch of Underrail via STEAM.
