Worst Contact is a companion quest.
Synopsis[]
Ellie thinks there's something amiss with Jessie, her acquaintance who's been holed up in the Groundbreaker's sick bay for a suspiciously long time.
Walkthrough[]
When the Stranger enters the Groundbreaker Medical Bay for the first time, they will encounter Ellie Fenhill arguing with Doctor Mfuru. Speaking to Ellie reveal that she is concerned about Jessie Doyle and wants to find out what has caused Jessie to hole up in the medical bay despite having no apparent medical conditions. Offering to check in on Jessie will start the quest.
Jessie is located in a restricted area at the back of the medical bay. The restricted area can be entered undisturbed by using the Holographic Shroud. There is a Mardet ID cartridge on a cart next to the restricted area which will allow entry to the area.
Jessie is in the quarantine area, locked in a room at the very end of the corridor. Speak with Jessie via the intercom and choose any of the dialogue options to get her to open the door. Jessie will explain that she is being stalked by a corporate hitman, Udom Bedford, as she owes money to Board representative. The Stranger can offer to speak to Udom for her and try to clear her debt.
Udom Bedford is located at the Halcyon Holdings Embassy on the Groundbreaker Promenade. He can be asked about Jessie's debt and will reveal that not only does Jessie owe the Board a significant sum, the only collateral she has are her organs. The Stranger can pursue one of two choices to resolve the situation:
- Pay off the debt: This option costs 2016 bits for "emotional anguish".
- Indenture Jessie: This option requires Persuade 20 and will indenture Jessie to the Board.
Regardless of the option chosen, return to Jessie and talk to her about the outcome. She will reward the Stranger with 1,000 bits and say that all debts between her and Ellie are squared away. Speak to Ellie to complete the quest. Ellie will ask to come aboard the Stranger's ship, as a way of working off the new debt which she now owes to them.
Bug: If the player travels to Byzantium before enacting the quest, Kendrick Silva will take Udom Bedford's place. Once the player talks to Kendrick, they can then proceed to tell Jessie that she won't have to worry about her debt, but the dialogue option to do so isn't there. Exhausting all of her dialogue will not advance the quest, soft-locking it as a result. Killing Kendrick along with the board's agents or creating a negative reputation to then return to Ellie seems to be the only fix.
Quest stages[]
| Quest Stage | Journal Entry | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Talk to Jessie | Ellie hasn't been able to get through to Jessie, but you could try. | ? |
| Convince Udom Bedford to Clear Jessie's Debts | Jessie's hiding from the Board's agents. You might be able to help her by speaking with the Board's representative on Groundbreaker, Udom Bedford. | ? |
| Talk to Ellie | Ellie will be pleased to know that you've addressed Jessie's debts with the Board - and her debts with Jessie. | ? |