While helping Louisa investigate the brownouts in The Well area of New Atlantis in Starfield, you will eventually find out that the power drain is being done through the Trade Authority building. This starts off the Alternating Currents quest where you and Louisa join forces with Zoe, a Trade Authority rep to investigate further. Once you unlock the evidence about the source of the brownouts, it is up to you to decide whether you will give the evidence to Zoe or Louisa in Starfield.
How to start Alternating Currents quest
The Alternating Current quest in Starfield starts automatically once you complete Tapping the Grid and solve the junction box puzzle for Louisa. Now that you both know that the source of the power drain is the Trade Authority building, you will go there. There you will confront Zoe Kaminski, the person in charge of the building. After the conversation ends, the Alternating Currents quest starts and they will both direct you to find a new junction box.
Once the evidence has been gathered, Zoe will call you to give her the evidence instead of Louisa. As a trade, she offers to pay you handsomely which is where you choice begins. To side with Louisa or Zoe?
Should you hand over the evidence to Zoe or Louisa in Starfield?
Getting straight to the point, there doesn’t seem to be any major future repercussions or changes in rewards depending on who you choose. You get the same share of XP although Zoe gives some extra credits on top of the 2500 credits for the quest.
The choice depends on which character’s morals and personality you like more but I would recommend siding with Louisa in Starfield Alternating Currents quest.
Just from the first exchange of dialogue once you reach the Trade Authority, Zoe greatly contrasts Louisa’s humble and honest demeanor, coming off as quite haughty and arrogant with a considerably condescending tone, typical of the standard corporate official archetype. What’s more, however, is that she and Louisa have a history. Louisa has tried to prove Zoe’s corruption a few times before to no success.
Zoe quickly excuses herself and spins a new narrative on how Louisa is not wrong that the power drain originates from their building, but that the one responsible has no affiliation with the company. She then extends a hand of help to uncover the true culprit.
As a corporate lackey, Zoe seems to know how to manipulate people. So if you are someone who doesn’t like that behavior, you can choose to side with Louisa and give her the evidence.
Louisa respects you and has been more helpful in guiding you both here and in the previous quest, expressing her thanks multiple times. When you turn in the evidence to her, she claims to have known that Zoe offered you some deal in secret. She’s glad you still stuck by her despite that. All in all, it just feels wrong to turn your back on someone as principled as Louisa.
