Alternating Currents Starfield – Louisa or Zoe Choice

Alternating Currents Mission Overview

Mission type: Miscellaneous Mission in New Atlantis
Quest giver: Louisa Reyez, at the Trade Authority in The Well
Location: The Well, the Commercial District and Athena Tower, New Atlantis on Jemison
Starts from: Automatically, the moment you finish Tapping the Grid
Objectives: Back Louisa up against the Trade Authority, shut down four junction boxes, then find the evidence in Athena Tower
Rewards: credits and XP, identical for both endings
Prerequisites: Tapping the Grid must be completed first
Quest chain: Ends the power drain storyline, no combat

Keep Alternating Currents as your active mission. The scanner trail points to each junction box. One stretch of walkway is broken and you have to jump the gap, so do not assume you took a wrong turn.

Louisa is sometimes written as Louisa Reyes. In game she is Louisa Reyez of MAST. Zoe Kaminski runs the Trade Authority shop in the Well and stays there as a vendor after the quest ends.

You choose who gets the evidence at the end. Both endings pay the same, so it comes down to who you want on side. Full breakdown in step 11.

1 – Talk to Louisa Reyez

Mission Text:
“Louisa Reyez is still working on the power drain in the Well. She wants backup before talking to the Trade Authority.”

Louisa has moved out of her office and down to the Trade Authority shop. Talk to her and tell her you have her back. You can still refuse here if you would rather not get involved, which ends the quest.

2 – Follow Louisa Reyez

Mission Text:
“I’ve agreed to help Louisa Reyez confront the Trade Authority in the Well in New Atlantis. I need to make sure she stays safe.”

Follow Louisa into the Trade Authority lobby. Zoe Kaminski disappears into her private office and stares at a shelf for a while, which looks like a bug but is not. Talk to Louisa while you wait. She wants to keep this peaceful, and there is no fight here.

3 – Wait for Louisa Reyez and Zoe Kaminski

Mission Text:
“I’ve agreed to help Louisa Reyez confront the Trade Authority in the Well in New Atlantis. I need to make sure she stays safe.”

Let Louisa handle it. Wait for Kaminski to come back out to the lobby and listen to the whole conversation. Despite the Trade Authority’s reputation, Kaminski is not behind the power drain and agrees to help track it down.

4 – Locate the Junction Box Above Jake’s Bar

Mission Text:
“Louisa Reyez is now working with Zoe Kaminski of the Trade Authority in New Atlantis to track down the origins of a power drain. I need to help them by shutting down certain power junction boxes.”

Head back to Jake’s bar. Behind it is a staircase signed “Upper Level”.

Climb all the way to the top, where you can look down over the whole of the Well. Do not stop at the first landing.

Follow the platform around to the far side. A section of floor is missing, so jump the gap to reach the junction box and activate it.

Next you pick a box, 45A or 47B. 45A is Louisa’s and 47B is Zoe’s. You get different radio chatter depending on which you take, but the quest and the rewards are identical either way. 47B is much closer, so take that one if you just want to move on. Both are covered below.

5 – Locate Junction Box 45A (Louisa’s Box)

Mission Text:
“Louisa Reyez is now working with Zoe Kaminski of the Trade Authority in New Atlantis to track down the origins of a power drain. I need to help them by shutting down certain power junction boxes.”

Junction Box 45A is at Apex Electronics, just outside the Trade Authority. Climb onto the Apex Electronics roof and open the silver door. The junction box is behind it.

6 – Junction Box 47B Across the Broken Walkway (Zoe’s Box)

Mission Text:
“Louisa Reyez is now working with Zoe Kaminski of the Trade Authority in New Atlantis to track down the origins of a power drain. I need to help them by shutting down certain power junction boxes.”

Junction Box 47B is the quicker of the two. From the previous box, jump back over the gap in the floor. You walked straight past it on the way out.

7 – Locate the Last Junction Box Behind CJ’s

Mission Text:
“Louisa Reyez is now working with Zoe Kaminski of the Trade Authority in New Atlantis to track down the origins of a power drain. I need to help them by shutting down certain power junction boxes.”

The last box is back up on the surface. The marker points at the freight elevator behind Med Bay, which takes you up to the NAT station below the MAST.

From there, head into the Commercial District. The junction box is tucked behind CJ’s shop.

8 – Locate the Power Drain’s Source in Athena Tower

Mission Text:
“I’ve traced the source of the power drain in the Well to the Athena Tower building in New Atlantis. I need to investigate further.”

The drain traces back to Athena Tower in the Residential District. Go inside and take the elevator up to the marked floor.

9 – Access the Apartment and Pick the Novice Lock

Mission Text:
“I’ve traced the source of the power drain in the Well to the Athena Tower building in New Atlantis. I need to investigate further.”

The apartment door is locked with a Novice lock. Pick it and go in. Nobody is home and nothing turns hostile, so you can take your time.

10 – Find the Evidence on the Computer

Mission Text:
“I’ve traced the source of the power drain in the Well to the Athena Tower building in New Atlantis. I need to investigate further.”

Interact with the computer on the desk and select “Download Files”. The files show that someone has been drawing enormous amounts of power to hack GalBank’s system, which is what was causing the brown-outs down in the Well.

With the files in hand you can now Deliver Evidence to Louisa Reyez or Deliver Evidence to Zoe Kaminski.

11 – Louisa or Zoe, Who Should Get the Evidence?

Mission Text:
“I’ve found proof that someone is drawing huge amounts of power to hack into GalBank’s system in New Atlantis. I need to decide who should get the data: either Louisa Reyez of MAST or Zoe Kaminski of the Trade Authority.”

Short answer: it does not matter mechanically. Both endings pay the same credits and XP, and the quest closes out the same way. Pick on personality, not payoff.

If you deliver the evidence to Louisa Reyez (MAST): she thanks you, says the authorities will get the data, and that her bosses will be pleased with her. She was the one who asked for your help in the first place, so this is the straightforward choice.

If you deliver the evidence to Zoe Kaminski (Trade Authority): she tells you MAST will only see what it needs to see, and that the Trade Authority will “never forget what you’ve done.” Louisa tells you she is disappointed in you.

What actually changes: nothing beyond that dialogue. No faction reputation shift, no companion reaction, no effect on later quests. Zoe stays where she is either way and remains a useful Trade Authority vendor if you want somewhere to offload contraband.

My pick: Louisa. Zoe approached you behind her back after Louisa did the legwork, and there is no reward for taking the bribe.