Alternating Currents Walkthrough - Starfield Guide - IGN (2024)

Alternating Currents is the follow-up quest to a Starfield side quest you can complete after meeting technician Louisa Reyez and helping her investigate some junction boxes in Tapping the Grid. Much like the previous quest, you'll start by talking to Louisa in The Well of New Atlantis.

If you were to follow her at the end of Tapping the Grid, Louisa would march directly over to the Trade Authority, which is the root of the supposed electrical problem that's happening here in The Well. She considers the local administrator, Zoe Kaminski, "intimidating" and asks that you join her.

Louisa confronts her with evidence, and Zoe quickly retreats into another room to do some research and/or confer with a superior.

She returns with snark and denies the accusations, adding that somebody has indeed been routing power through the Trade Authority...but it's not them. Zoe immediately offers to pay for your services to follow through on the junction box trail. Louisa is suspicious but agrees it's best to trace the power to another junction box either way.

They both want you on their side, but who will you choose?

Junction Box 1 Location

Towards the back end of Jake's (remember the third junction box in Tapping the Grid?), there's a staircase to the "Upper Level."

Continue following that path until you hear Louisa. If you continue on the left side of the path, you'll find a Weapon Workbench. When you're ready, continue on towards your target and jump over the gap in the walkway to reach the junction box.

You're on the right track, but this isn't the end of the line.

Louisa wants you to continue for 45A, but Zoe argues saying it is actually 47B. It's up to you to decide who you trust.

In any case, don't bother dropping down in the walkway gap, because you might take damage. Hop and then walk you way back out.

If you tag the quest in your Missions menu, you'll see both options in your environment.

Junction Box 45A Location

To reach 45A, take the staircase next to Kay's House up a few flights. When you reach some cafeteria seating, move to the right and curl around the corner to find the box.

You'll get confirmation that the problem is actually on the surface level.

Junction Box 47B Location

If you decide to go with 47B, then make your way to the back of Jake's diner. In the alley that leads to the Med Bay, there's a staircase to the Upper Level. Follow that winding staircase up until you hear Zoe's voice.

No matter which option you choose, both concur that the source of the issue is above The Well on the surface.

Final Junction Box

To continue, just take any elevator up to the surface level. Regardless of whether you picked 45A or 47B, Zoe speaks to you on your comms when you hit the surface and proposes that you bring whatever information you find to the Trade Authority first, offering compensation.

Whichever you prefer, start by making your way over to Athena Tower. Just outside the front door, you'll find the panel off to the side that goes dead. Louisa and Zoe agree that means the source of the problem is up in Athena Tower.

Take the elevator up, and you'll have to pick a Novice lock to break into somebody's office. Resume their last computer session. Under the third option, "Recent Messages," you'll find some damning evidence in a note sent from Dodgson to Newman that confirms tampering with the wiring and a confession that the company has drawn a ton of power from the grid to hack GalBank's systems and steal money.

Select the second option to "Download Files."

That gives you the evidence. Do you bring it to Louisa or to Zoe?

In any case, take the Athena Tower elevator back down to the surface level, then take your favorite New Atlantis elevator down to The Well. Louisa and Zoe will be back in the Trade Authority foyer.

Whichever person you hand the info over to, the rewards are the same (we got 2000 Credits and 75 XP, but your reward will vary based on your stats/perks), so it's really a matter of whether you want to be the shady opportunity who helps the capitalist corporations, or do you help the working woman do her job and fix a little part of the world she lives in?

Who should you give the evidence to in the mission Alternating Currents, Louisa or Zoe?

If you choose Zoe, Louisa will be disappointed with you (but only via a one-sentence comment), while Zoe will be elated that she can sell or utilize the evidence for her personal gain -- while concending that she'll pass on "just enough" of the information to Louisa for her investigation. Vice versa, Luisa will be happy that you have helped her and the citizens of New Atlantis. promises to pass everything along to the authorities, and lets Zoe know that she will continue to keep an eye on the Trade Authority. The actual choice is part of the player's personal story, rather than something that affects the game in any lasting capacity.