To side with Alva or Svoboda in The Outer Worlds 2 is a tough choice, as both seem quite guilty. During the “Beginning at the Endpoint” quest in Zyranium Manufactory VII on Gold Ridge, which is a sub-quest for “On the Trail of the Traitor,” you have to gather evidence and point to the culprit behind the recent attack on Auntie’s Choice, but who did it?
Here’s what happens when you side with Alva or Svoboda in The Outer Worlds 2, what evidence to consider, and what reward to expect.
Should you side with Alva or Svoboda in The Outer Worlds 2?
After speaking with Abbot Newell at Matriarch’s Mercy in Golden Ridge, you will start a new main quest: “On the Trail of the Traitor.” One of the quest objectives is to explore the N-Ray Range, and the other is to investigate Zyranium Manufactory VII. If you pursue the latter (you may visit both locations eventually), you’ll be informed that a Zyranium bomb dropped on Auntie’s Choice territory was launched from this facility. The question is: Who did it?
Upon entering Zyranium Manufactory VII, Proctor Svoboda will inform you that she’s identified the responsible party: Initiate Alva, who’s currently locked herself in the control room. She’ll ask you to stop Initiate Alva from doing further damage, killing her if needed.
However, when you speak with Initiate Alva, she’ll accuse Proctor Svoboda of launching the Zyranium bomb instead. You now have two options: Side with Alva or Svoboda, and defeat the other.
Speaking with Alva will start the “Beginning at the Endpoint” quest. You can search the following locations for evidence: the dead bodies, the Records Repository, Central Processing, and Refinement Logistics. While it’s not quite conclusive, here’s an overview of the evidence you may discover before making a final decision in “Beginning at the Endpoint.”
- Evidence in favor of Proctor Svoboda: According to the records, Initiate Alva launched the attack, and she seized control of the launch controls afterward, killing two people in the process. Svoboda doesn’t have the expertise needed to have launched the attack.
- Evidence in favor of Initiate Alva: Initiate Alva could’ve destroyed the facility already, yet she hasn’t. The records seem to have been tampered with, and Alva doesn’t have the clearance needed to launch the attack.
The culprit’s identity shall be confirmed after you’ve completed “Beginning at the Endpoint.” If you’d like to know with certainty who it is, scroll down to the end of this guide.
Beware that there’s a point of no return after which you cannot change sides anymore. The point of no return is during your third conversation with Alva, after investigating Central Processing and Refinement Logistics. Here’s how to pick a side:
- How to side with Alva: If you pick “I say we force the Proctor to reveal who she’s working with” or “So do I. And I haven’t seen enough proof […],” Initiate Alva will come out and kill Proctor Svoboda — you can’t stop her from doing this.
- How to side with Svoboda: If you pick “Enough lies!”, Alva will attack you and you’ll have to kill her. Beware that this is a pretty tough fight.
Ready to make your choice? Here’s what happens when you side with Alva or Svoboda:
- Side with Alva: Alva kills Svoboda and you’ll get the option to accept Alva as a companion, though she’ll be known by her real name, Marisol. Further investigation will uncover a secret room, the Toxic Effluvium Repository, which is accessible through Svoboda’s private terminal. This, along with a conversation later in the game, will confirm that Alva is innocent.
- Side with Svoboda: You don’t gain a companion. Svoboda will direct you to “the culprit’s” secret room, the Toxic Effluvium Repository. As revealed later in the game, Svoboda is the culprit.
So, if you’d like to gain a companion as a quest reward rather than just experience, it’s best to side with Alva. And if you’d like to see justice served, it’s best to side with Alva, too, and allow her to defeat Svoboda, the one who launched the Zyranium attack in The Outer Worlds 2.