Alternating Currents is the second quest of a two-part quest chain in Starfield that presents you with an interesting choice.

It’s probably one of the earliest side quests you’ll come across in Starfield. It’s located in New Atlantis -the first major city that you come across on the planet Jemison

As with most quests in the game, you can start this quest chain by talking to an NPC you stumble upon while exploring.

Below we go over how to complete both the “Tapping The Grid” and “Alternating Currents” quests, where each junction box is located, and which person to choose at the end.

How to Complete Alternating Currents in Starfield

As “Alternating Currents” is part of a two-part quest chain, you must first start and complete the “Tapping The Grid” quest in The Wells on New Atlantis.

After this, you need to locate multiple junction boxes located in The Wells and the Residential area of New Atlantis as part of “Alternating Currents”. You then need to decide whether to give the evidence to Louisa or Zoe.

You need to speak with Louisa Reyez in The Wells to start both quests.

Follow the guides below for a more detailed run-through of how to complete both “Tapping The Grid” and “Alternating Currents” in Starfield:

Tapping The Grid Quest Guide

Follow these steps to complete “Tapping The Grid”:

1. Head to The Wells area in New Atlantis on planet Jemison
   • You can find the elevator to reach the wells just outside the Jemison Mercantile shop in New Atlantis

2. Talk to Louisa Reyez in The Wells and agree to help locate the junction boxes
   • You can find her standing next to the large water feature near the Med Bay
   • She will tell you about a power drain in the area and ask you to locate various junction boxes to help solve the problem

3. Activate the first junction box
   • Follow your quest marker to find it
   • It’s very close to where you found Louisa – it’s just down the hall, right by the Med Bay

4. Locate the second junction box
   • Go up the stairs just to the right of the Trade Authority entrance and turn left through the first red door
   • You’ll see a security door that needs a switch to open it – flick the switch and head through the door

5. Activate the second junction box
   • The junction box is behind a yellow door at the top of the stairs

6. Activate the third junction box
   • It’s located close to the second, just to the left across the courtyard after going down the stairs – it should be highlighted by your blue quest marker

7. Locate the fourth junction box
   • You’ll find it up some stairs above the Trade Authority

8. Solve the junction box puzzle
   • You’ll see four additional power boxes that need to be activated in a certain order so that all four green lights above it are turned on
   • Each time a box is activated, it will turn two lights on and two lights off at the same time
   • Activate the boxes in the following order (going from left to right in the image below) – Two, Four, Three, and finally, Four again

9. Activate the fourth junction box
   • When all green lights are turned on, the door to the right hiding the last junction box will open

10. Head to the monitoring station and report back to Louisa
    • You’ll receive 2,000 credits and 75 XP for completing the quest

Talking to Louisa again will activate the “Alternating Currents” quest:

Alternating Currents Quest Guide

Follow these steps to complete “Alternating Currents”:

1. Talk to Louisa
   • She asks you to confront the Trade Authority with her

2. Follow Louisa to the Trade Authority

3. Watch Louisa confront Zoe about the power drain issue
   • After their conversation, Zoe will leave to check about the power drain
   • When Zoe returns she expresses her eagerness to help resolve the matter

4. Locate the first junction box
   • It’s located on the upper levels of The Wells – it’s a little tricky to find as you’ll need to climb various flights of stairs
   • Activate your scanner to streamline this process – it will place waypoint arrows for you to follow on the ground
   • Follow the trail on your scanner

5. Activate the first junction box
   • The trail will lead to a walkway with a gap – hop the gap and activate the junction box

6. Activate the second junction box
   • You’ll have a choice to activate either junction box 45A or 47B
   • Head to junction box 45A and activate it to help Louisa – this is the correct one

7. Activate the third junction box in the Residential Area in New Atlantis
   • You’ll find it right beside the “Athena Tower” residential building

8. Head into Athena Tower to locate the power drain’s source
   • Take the elevator up to the apartment

9. Unlock the apartment door using a Digipick
   • It’s a Novice lock so you should be able to hack it, regardless of your security level

10. Log on to the Unauthorized Computer

11. Download the evidence

12. Head back to the Trade Authority in The Wells and decide to give the evidence to either Louisa or Zoe

The quest will end after you hand in the evidence!

Who Should You Give the Evidence to – Louisa or Zoe?

It doesn’t make a difference if you give the evidence to Louisa or Zoe, it is up to you. The decision doesn’t have any tangible effects on gameplay or the story in any way.

Whoever you choose, the rewards are the same:

• 2,000 credits
• 75 XP

It’s really more of a moral decision. Giving the evidence to Louisa seems to be the more humane option.

All in all, it’s a pretty interesting quest that highlights the heightened tensions between the morally corrupt trade authority and the struggling citizens within The Wells.