My progress so far:
I discovered a settlement on planet Erheg II in Rakino X system. I defended the settlement from Sentinel invasion and became Overseer there. On the way to the 2nd Atlas Station in Gagasera system, I received a distress call from my settlement. So I teleported back and took out another wave of Sentinels. Shortly after that, Tethys from the Space Anomaly station contacted me and told me to check if there is anything left of the Sentinels. I found a damaged Sentinel drone. (log #22)
I visited the Space Anomaly station with the damaged Sentinel drone I previously obtained. Tethys on the station repaired the drone with a few components offered by other Travelers. I got back to my settlement and summoned the drone. It gave me a coordinate for a Sentinel Pillar. After taking out guardian Sentinels and control nodes, I could access the Archive Terminal and download blueprints for Minotaur mech and Sentinel Hardframe right arm. It's time to build a mech. (log #23)
I built a Minotaur mech and began upgrading with Sentinel tech. I already had blueprint for right arm upgrade, and found one for left arm on planet Icianu IV in Rozawanu V system, thanks to my Sentinel drone companion's guidance. Blueprint for legs was obtained by citizen expedition from my settlement. After installing those updrades, the drone gave itself a name, Laylaps. Laylaps gave me coordinates of a Sentinel Walker, for me to get a "brain" out of it. I went to planet Aputon Sigma and took out the Walker to get Pristine Brain. Tethys from Space Anomaly station rewired the brain and gave me blueprint for body upgrade which requires activated Sentinel brain to build. After exposing the brain to Atlas communication replay, it was activated. I went back to my base and completed the upgrade, making my mech autonomous or "alive". Now Laylaps wants to sever its connection with Sentinel Hive completely, which means I need to attack another Sentinel Pillar. (log #24)
I went back to planet Aputon Sigma, to take out another Sentinel Pillar and disconnect my drone companion, Laylaps, from Sentinel Network completely.
I wasn't so worried this time because I had a mech armed with Minotaur Cannon. I landed my spaceship near the pillar, summoned my mech, hopped in, and marched toward the pillar.
As expected, it was far more manageable to take out the guarding Sentinels. A blizzard was blowing through in the middle of fight, but inside the mech's cockpit harsh weather was not a problem at all.
After taking out the guardians and destroying 3 control nodes, I accessed the pillar terminal and disconnected Laylaps from Sentinel Network.
Now that this little quest about Laylaps was finished, I had two paths to consider. The first one was to resume visiting cartographers as Null wanted me to do, and the second one was to find and visit more Atlas Stations to see what it's all about(log #21).
I decided to check a few more Atlas Stations. I warped to Isport-Pen system and then to Gagasera system, where another Atlas Station was located.
This was my second Atlas Station to visit. The external and internal structure was identical to the first one, but Atlas looked different. The first one was a dark sphere with crimson glow, but this one was completely black, with white lining, just like a total solar eclipse.
Anyway, I accessed the Atlas Interface in front of it. It gave me a blueprint of "Englobed Shade". This item required "Captured Nanode" and pure ferrite to build. Captured Nanode was the first blueprint I received at the previous Atlas Station. So it seems it's multi-phased evolution from Captured Nandode to something I don't know yet.
I got out of the station and landed on planet Ouis Minor nearby, to get some ferrite.
After constructing Englobed Shade, I started for the third Atlas Station.
I warped to Hukoye system, Mensky-Valeno system, and finally to Greidon-Toto system where the third Atlas Station was located.
Atlas of the third Atlas Station looked like a weird eyeball with a white pupil. This time I was given a blueprint of an item named "Noospheric Orb". The next phase from Englobed Shade.
I left the Atlas Station, and returned to my second base on planet Boeot XVIII in Konaka system, via teleport terminal at the space station in Greidon-Toto system.
I constructed Noospheric Orb using cobalts stored in my base and Englobed Shade. I could go on visiting more Atlas Stations, but it looked like a repetitive process. So I decided to stop for now and visit cartographers to see what's waiting for me on that path.