How to complete Alternating Currents in Starfield

Starfield's Louisa and Zoe back to back
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Tapping the Grid is a relatively low-stakes quest as far as Starfield goes, and it leads you right into the Alternating Currents quest. You’ll be faced with a minor decision along the way that will either impress MAST, or the Trade Authority depending on who you choose to help.

Otherwise, it doesn’t appear to be a hugely game-changing decision. As far as rewards and repercussions go there’s no difference, either. This guide contains spoilers, so hit eject if you’re trying to avoid ruining the sidequests for yourself.

Tapping the Grid junction box locations

Head to The Wells and after speaking to Louisa and offering to help her, she will begin guiding you remotely from the monitoring station to various electrical junction boxes. You’ll need to head over to the first junction box by following the waypoint marker a short way down the hall.

The next junction box is a bit of a longer trek. Just head up the stairs to the right of the Trade Authority, and hang a left through the first red door. The second junction box is through another red door, and behind a white door at the top of the stairs.

For the next one, just follow the marker back down the stairs and to your left across the courtyard. The fourth junction box is over near the Trade Authority, up the stairs to the left of the front door this time. This one’s a bit of a pain as there’s an order to figure out. Just make sure all the lights are off at the top—they start off, but just mess it up once to reset if you hit the wrong starting switch.

Hit switches two, four, three, then four again. It's not clear if this is randomised like a lot of other things in Starfield, however, but once all lights are green the door will open.

Back over by the monitoring station, Louisa will thank you and the mission will end. You’ll get 75 XP, and 2,500 credits for helping Louisa out. Talk to her again to start the next part of the mission, Alternating Currents.

Alternating Currents

Before you start on this part of the quest, make sure you’ve acquired some digipicks. Check out our lockpicking guide to find out where to get those.

Tell Louisa you have her back, and she’ll walk you over to the Trade Authority where she’s spotted the power drain. After a short chat with Zoe Kaminski, you’re sent off to find yet another junction box while the two hash out some details.

(Image credit: Bethesda)

You’ll need to do a little parkour for this next junction box, which is just above the red door at the top of the stairs to the right of the Trade Authority (left as you come out). You should be able to get up on the generator-looking things, and then onto a wall greeble beside the box, which you gotta climb into. If you haven't equipped a boost pack, then do it now.

After the next breaker, which is much easier to find, you’ll end up doing some snooping around a residential block. Digipick the door, and read what's on the locked computer.

Then haul ass back over to the Trade Authority and speak to either Louisa or Zoe, depending on whose side you’re taking.

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Should I help Louisa or Zoe?

Whether you choose to help Zoe or Louisa, the reward is the same: 2500 credits and 75 XP. Though, of course, you’ll be in better standing with the Trade Authority if you get in Kaminski’s good books, but that depends on whether you want to be seen as a space capitalist or not.

Starfield guideStarfield traitsStarfield companionsStarfield romance optionsStarfield console commandsStarfield mods

Starfield guide: Our hub of advice
Starfield traits: The full list, with our top picks
Starfield companions: All your recruitable crew
Starfield romance options: Space dating
Starfield console commands: Every cheat you need
Starfield mods: Space is your sandbox

Katie Wickens
Hardware Writer

Screw sports, Katie would rather watch Intel, AMD and Nvidia go at it. Having been obsessed with computers and graphics for three long decades, she took Game Art and Design up to Masters level at uni, and has been rambling about games, tech and science—rather sarcastically—for four years since. She can be found admiring technological advancements, scrambling for scintillating Raspberry Pi projects, preaching cybersecurity awareness, sighing over semiconductors, and gawping at the latest GPU upgrades. Right now she's waiting patiently for her chance to upload her consciousness into the cloud.

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