Alternating Currents is the second mission you get from Louisa Reyez in Starfield, and it continues the mystery of the brown-outs in the Well.

Just like Louisa's first mission, you have to locate junction boxes to assist in her investigation in Starfield, but the presence of the Trade Authority's Zoe mixes things up a bit, and you have to make a choice to side with Louisa or Zoe at the mission's conclusion.

To help you complete this side mission we've got an Alternating Currents walkthrough below, which includes where to find all of the junction boxes and what we know of the consequences of the Louisa or Zoe choice.

How to get Alternating Currents questAlternating Currents first junction box locationHow to power down the second junction boxLouisa or Zoe choice consequencesTo see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settings Our latest look at Starfield gameplay footage.Watch on YouTube

If you'd like more help in your galactic adventures, visit our Starfield guides, tips and tricks page.

How to get Alternating Currents quest in Starfield

To get the Alternating Currents quest in Starfield you have to complete Tapping the Grid first. This is the first mission in Louisa Reyez's quest chain, and Louisa is usually located opposite the Medical building in the Well, New Atlantis' underground area accessed by an elevator in the Spaceport.

Image credit: Eurogamer/Bethesda Softworks

Louisa might wander about the Well area at times, so if you have the 'Investigate the brown-outs' activity, select it to track Louisa's precise location.

Once you've completed Tapping the Grid, you can then talk to Louisa again to start Alternating Currents.

Starfield Alternating Currents junction box location

To get started with Alternating Currents, walk with Louisa to the Trade Authority in the Well to speak with Zoe Kaminski, the Well's Trade Authority representative. The three of you team up to investigate even more junction boxes, but the first one is in a very weird position.

The first Alternating Currents junction box is located to the right of the Jake's building, up the stairs from the football nets.

To actually get to the junction box we jumped on the metal structure underneath it, then boosted over to the white structure on the wall to climb the railing and access the junction box.

We jumped on the metal structure on the left here, then to the white structure on the wall opposite it. | Image credit: Eurogamer/Bethesda Softworks

For the proper - but longer - path, you can take the stairs just up from the Medical building, located behind where Louisa usually stands. The stairs are marked with an 'Upper Level' sign. Follow the stairs all the way to the top, where you'll find a spacesuit workbench. Go through the door beside the workbench to get access to the railing that leads to the first junction box.

You can use this stairway to get to the first junction box's location without jumping. | Image credit: Eurogamer/Bethesda Softworks

Once you use this first junction box, Louisa and Zoe then give you a choice between two different boxes to investigate. You can pick any junction box in the Well next, as the outcome is the same. You will, however, get slightly different dialogue from Louisa and Zoe depending on whose advice you take.

How to power down the Alternating Currents junction box in Starfield

Next, leave the Well and head to Athena Tower in the Residential area of New Atlantis. This is the tower with the red sign, down the left path from the NAT tram station.

Head to the junction box outside Athena Tower and power it down, then take the elevator up to the top of Athena Tower and pick the Novice lock to get in. Anybody can lockpick Novice locks, so don't worry about wasting a Skill point on the Security option. We've got a Digipicks page if you need help getting more.

Image credit: Eurogamer/Bethesda Softworks

If the surface junction box outside of Athena Tower is telling you that you require a computer to power down the junction box and reloading a save doesn't get this prompt to go away, then you might be able to head into Athena Tower and take the elevator up to the apartment to circumvent this step - but we haven't been able to confirm if this works or not, as we didn't encounter this bug ourselves.

Inside Athena Tower's apartment, to find the evidence you need, go to the computer by the whiteboard and check out all of its files. You might want to pick up a copy of Oliver Twist in the bedroom before you go though, as it helps give you the London landmark activity on Earth.

Image credit: Eurogamer/Bethesda Softworks

Once you've found the evidence, it's time to return to Louisa and Zoe at the Trade Authority in the Well and make your final decision...

Starfield Alternating Currents Louisa or Zoe choice consequences

The immediate consequences of choosing to give the data to Louisa or Zoe doesn't matter, as you get the exact same rewards, regardless of who you side with. However, even though we've not come across another mission in this chain, there is a possibility that siding with Louisa Reyez could lock you out of future Zoe Kaminski interactions and quests, and vice versa for Louisa if you side with Zoe.

So as the rewards are the exact same, it's best to pick whoever you would like to be on friendly terms with in the future - just in case.

Image credit: Eurogamer/Bethesda Softworks

The rewards for completing Alternate Currents in Starfield are:

2,000 Credits75 XP

We've also got a Mantis walkthrough for those who want some very useful loot early in the game, and pages explaining Persuasion, Contraband, and Ship Storage.

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