The City and the Stars is one of the most crucial main story quests in The Outer Worlds, sending players to the pristine streets of Byzantium. During this mission, players must secure Dimethyl Sulfoxide, a vital chemical needed to revive the frozen colonists aboard the Hope. How you handle the infiltrating process and the moral dilemmas along the way will significantly shape the future of the Halcyon colony.
Infiltrating Byzantium and Meeting Contact Points
To begin the operation, players must travel to Byzantium and make contact with Phineas Welles' insider, Minister Clarke's guard. Navigating through the wealthy district requires either stealth, high dialogue skills, or disguised access to bypass security checkpoints. Securing proper credentials early will keep your reputation intact with the Board while allowing open exploration.
Depending on your current standing with the Board, getting close to Minister Clarke can prove tricky. You can either persuade the guards at his estate or sneak through side entrances to deliver Welles' message. Establishing communication with Clarke reveals deeper corporate conspiracies and grants access to the restricted research facility.
Retrieving the Dimethyl Sulfoxide
Once inside the Ministry of Accuracy and Morals, your main objective is to retrieve the canisters of Dimethyl Sulfoxide. The lab is guarded by heavily armed personnel and automated security systems that react to unauthorized visitors. Utilizing a Holographic Shroud with a UDL cartridge allows you to blend in seamlessly without firing a single shot.
Inside the deep research zone, players discover the grim reality of how the chemical is being used by corporate scientists. You will be forced to choose how much of the substance to extract for Welles' plan. Taking the full amount maximizes the revival chance for the Hope colonists but directly impacts the ongoing experimental subjects in the lab.
Key Decisions and Faction Consequences
The pivotal choice in this quest revolves around whether you remain loyal to Phineas Welles or betray him to Chairman Rockwell and the Board. Deciding to transfer the full chemical payload directly helps Phineas advance his resistance movement against corporate control. Alternatively, reporting your findings to Board officials aligns your path with the corporate elite, leading toward a completely different end-game trajectory.
Your actions during this mission also permanently influence your reputation across Byzantium and with major factions. Successfully completing the quest without raising alarms allows you to maintain double-agent status for a bit longer. Ultimately, your decisions in Byzantium set the stage for the dramatic final confrontation that decides the fate of Halcyon.
