Starfieldis filled with cosmic mysteries that send the galaxy into curious pondering. Yet, one ofStarfield’s biggest mysteries involves a potential rogue AI and those who wish to shut it down before it becomes even more dangerous than it already is. With AI becoming a very real threat to the modern world, it’s interesting to see howStarfielddeals with it in the 24th century.
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Players can find the quest Juno’s Gambit inStarfield, which will see them make an irreversible decision, as humanity makes its first known contact with a sentient AI. Will players stop it before it becomes stronger, or will they nurture it into a force for good?
How To Start Juno’s Gambit Quest
As a random side quest, Juno’s Gambit is not given to the players until a random event deems it. Players have reported many different ways of how to start Juno’s Gambit, as it seems to be a random event that occurs when orbiting different planets and systems. However, the most efficient way to start Juno’s Gambit seems to be traveling to the Tau Ceti system just west of Alpha Centauri and approaching the orbit of Tau Ceti 3.
It’s worth noting that for the best outcome of this quest, players shouldfirst head to Neonand become a part of theStarfieldfaction Ryujin Industries, as this will unlock a secret path for the quest that involves a non-hostile playthrough, as well as a bigger payout of Credits.
Board The Ship
As players approach the mysterious ship that seems to be drifting, they will have to destroy the Ecliptic Ship that is attacking. This is easy enough, as the ship is alone, and a smaller vessel, but if players are worried about space combat inStarfield, then justkeep Ship Parts close. Once the ship has been destroyed, dock the ship and board it.
Talk To Ryujin Operatives
Once boarded, players will hear voices from inside the ship, with two operatives whispering to one another about what to do. Players just need to walk through the door to find the two operatives standing there, next to a giant computer, and a dead body. Before anyone jumps the gun and starts a fight, it’s best totalk to the Ryujin Operatives.
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In talking to the Ryujin Operatives, they will explain the situation involving the dead scientist and the rogue AI, Juno. Juno will interrupt and request that the player does not change her, but the Ryujin Operatives make it pretty clear that the player has to use the AI Computer Board to reset Juno into a non-sentient AI, or they will be forced to shoot the player. This leaves the player with no choice until Juno puts in a request to speak to her.
Talk To Juno
Going over to Juno, players will be able to question the supposedly sentient AI and determine for themselves whether this is indeed a rogue AI, a person, or just software that’s malfunctioning. It’s a quest that will have players deep in thought surrounding humanity, and who determines the gift of sentient life in a universe so void of it.
Juno will make a request to the player that they leave her alone and not change her, which provides them with their next step: ignore her request and shut her down, or make the Ryujin Operatives leave her alone. Players can find the answer on whether to save or kill Juno inStarfieldhere with these outcomes:
Option 1: Kill Juno
Players can ignore Juno’s pleas and insert the AI Mother Board into the computer, thus frying the circuits inside Juno. She will shut down in an effort to save herself, but the player might see that it’s already too late, and Juno will experience fear and anxiety as her world shuts down.
With this complete, players can leave the Ryujin Operatives to clear up the dead body of the last person who tried to shut Juno down, and they can head to their ship to undock from the Ryujin vessel and see what other adventures await.
However, as they undock, Juno reactivates and now has full control of the ship. She shuts off the oxygen supply, killing both Ryujin Operatives, and expressing the human emotion of anger. She will say goodbye to the player, before using the Grav Drive to leave, begging the question of whether will players see Juno again. The reward for thisoption is 3,500 Credits.
Option 2: Kill The Ryujin Operatives To Save Juno
Alternatively, players can decide that Junodeserves to live, or, they just simply don’t like the Operatives. Players cannot convince these operatives to leave Juno alone (unless they are a Ryujin employee, which takes players to option 3 after this). Therefore, players have no choice but to open fire and kill both Ryujin Operatives.
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They are not hard to kill, and once dead, Juno will ask the player why they saved her. No answer changes the outcome, but Juno will ask what she should do with her freedom, to which the player can answer any of the following:
Regardless of the choice, Juno will shut down, and players will leave the ship thinking she has died. However, as they undock, Juno will reboot as the ship, and thank the player before leaving with a Grav Jump, leaving potential dire consequences depending on what the player told her, but will they ever know? This will give players 2,000 Credits.
Option 3: Persuade Ryujin To Free Juno
The same process for option 2, but more peaceful, players can use thedialogue check [Ryujin Industries]to inform the Operatives that they should leave the ship alone and let Juno go off to do her own thing as a free sentient being. This will provide players with the same dialogue options with Juno as option 2, except this time, the Operatives will come aboard the player’s ship, as they will need to be taken back to Neon.
With the Operatives alive, they can be dropped off at Neon, and players will receive 7,100 Credits. This is arguably the best outcome due to the money and the fact that no one dies, but it begs the question of Juno’s existence, whether she is a malfunctioning software, or actually alive.
Starfieldis out now on Xbox Series X|S and PC.
