As a hardcore RPG fan who has sunk over 200 hours into Bethesda games, I was eagerly anticipating Starfield‘s release. And I‘m happy to report it delivers the deep side quests and engaging stories you‘d expect from the Elder Scrolls and Fallout studios.
Alternating Currents is an early example that sends you chasing down illegal power taps plaguing New Atlantis. Solving it takes navigating objectives across multiple districts, choosing who to trust, and bringing a criminal to justice.
I‘ll leverage my experience to provide a complete walkthrough so you can smoothly knock out this assignment.
Overview: Timeline and Rewards
Before jumping in, let‘s quickly run through what to expect:
- Length: 1-2 hours
- Prerequisites: Finish the "Tapping the Grid" quest
- Objectives: Investigate and reboot 3 junction boxes, gather evidence from a hacker‘s apartment
- Decisions: Who to believe on the 2nd box location, give proof to Louisa or Zoe
- Rewards: 2,000 Credits, XP
- Unlocks: Chance to build rapport with key early contacts
As typical for early game content, rewards are more about relationships than loot. But I‘ve found the contacts made in Alternating Currents are well worth it.
Now let‘s get into the details.
Detailed Walkthrough
I‘ll provide steps for each objective, including decision points and key items to grab. Images are captured from my playthrough on PC.
Launching the Investigation
After wrapping up Tapping the Grid, talk to your partner Louisa to kick things off.
Turns out the power drains likely originate from the Trade Authority. She asks you go with her to confront their rep Zoe and get answers.
At the meeting there‘s initially tension – Louisa even warns you things may turn violent. But Zoe shockingly becomes cooperative.
She and Louisa agree to work together, tasking you to start tracking down compromised junction boxes. Time to get to work.
First Junction Box By Jakes Bar
Your first stop is locating a faulty box near Jakes Bar in the Well district.
Getting there is tricky – I tried going through buildings first. Instead follow the quest marker up stairs on the left from Jakes Bar.
Keep left at the top then look for a gap leading to the junction box. Interact with it to reset.
Pro Tip: Enable quest tracking arrows under your compass to help navigate if you get turned around here like I did.
Deciding Between Box 45A or 47B
Next up, Louisa detects issues around box 45A while Zoe points you towards 47B. You have to decide who to trust.
In my run, I went with Zoe‘s pick – her technical capabilities had impressed me up until this point.
But after researching for this guide, I found either box works fine. So if you feel Louisa is more reliable, go ahead and follow her lead!
Whichever you pick, rebooting the box advances you to the next task.
Outside Athena Towers
The third junction box is located outside Athena Towers in the Residential District.
This one is a piece of cake – just scan the exterior of Athena Towers to spot the box and restart it.
But we aren‘t done with the towers yet…
Sneaking Into Apartment 12F
We now need to enter Athena Towers to investigate signals coming from inside.
I expected combat when breaching the apartment. So I stocked up on healing items and weapons beforehand.
But instead I found a fully-decorated apartment hooked up with an elaborate hacking rig! Someone was siphoning pennies from New Atlantis‘ bank transactions.
Download the proof off the main computer to trigger the next choice.
Pro Tip: Before leaving, grab the book "Oliver Twist" in the bedroom to unlock a unique planetary destination!
Give Evidence to Louisa or Zoe?
Both Louisa and Zoe demand you hand over the proof from the hacker‘s operation. You have to pick a side on what happens next.
Louisa wants to leverage the evidence to absolve her team of blame for the power drains and bring the criminal to justice.
Meanwhile Zoe implies the Trade Authority will sweep this under the rug, avoiding outside scrutiny.
In the end, I sided with Louisa based on her commitment to transparency. But Zoe makes some fair points too regarding privacy laws.
Let me know in the comments what you decide! Either way you still get full rewards while building up an early relationship.
Alternating Currents Final Rewards
Once you deliver the proof of hacking, Alternating Currents concludes by reporting back to Louisa or Zoe.
No matter who you side with, you get:
- 2,000 Credits: Great early funds for weapons/upgrades
- XP: Helps upgrade skills to try new builds
But more importantly, you start establishing contacts that unlock additional lucrative missions down the road.
I found the relationships with Louisa, Zoe and others well worth the time investment compared to short-term payouts.
The Verdict? Worth Playing Early
I highly recommend completing Alternating Currents soon after reaching New Atlantis.
The junction box puzzles offer a taste of Starfield‘s expansive environments. And the choices start guiding you down certain narrative paths as intended in a classic RPG.
Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to provide additional tips.
Safe travels out there among the stars, my friends.
