When you first approach the Botanical Lab on your way to speak with Adelaide, you’ll run into a Fallout-adjacent character named Grace. Talk to her for a bit, and she’ll tell you about how Zoe’s disappeared.
After accepting the quest, you need to investigate Zoe’s house in the Botanical Lab area. Of course, you’ll get a waypoint marker for this, so follow that and go inside Zoe’s house. Once there, read the two notes on the tables to the left and right of the door. Doing so will update your quest marker.
Your destination is the Abandoned Industrial Zone. It’s well east of the Botanical Lab and northeast of Edgewater. This area doesn’t have a fast travel node, so you’ll need to hoof it there on foot. Follow the road leading out of the Botanical Lab and hang a left at the crossroads.
Be wary of the gang of Marauders about halfway between the Botanical Lab and the Abandoned Industrial Zone. Take them out, then quickly ready for another fight with the Marauders within the zone itself.
Zoe will be standing out in the open in the middle of the zone. She’s impossible to miss.
Things get sticky, though, because Zoe doesn’t want to go back to the Botanical Lab. Since the Edgewater deserters didn’t live up to her ideal of banditry, she’s fine making a life amongst the Marauders. You can persuade her to leave if you have a Persuasion Skill of 30, though it’s unlikely you do at this point in the game.
Luckily, there’s another way to convince Zoe to return to the fold, so fast travel back to the Botanical Lab.
Once there, go talk to Grace. She is by the fire with several other NPCs, including Thomas Kemp from “The Frightened Engineer” side quest. While Grace isn’t happy with Zoe’s decision to stay with the Marauders, she tells you to speak with Stefano, who might have a way to convince Zoe to come back.
Talk to Stefan at the Botanical Lab
The good news is that Stefano is standing right next to Grace. Turn right, and there he is. Both Stefano and Zoe have an affinity for a serial called the Masked Marketeer. You must convince Stefano to lend you a copy of the Masked Marketeer, which in turn, will convince Zoe to come back to the Botanical Lab.
Choose these dialog options to get the item as fast as possible:
Ask Stefano to tell you more about Zoe Ask about the surprise he has for Zoe (first option) Ask him to lend you a copy of the Masked Marketeer Tell him why you’re interested when he says “No”
After exhausting these choices, you can choose to lie to or persuade Stefano, forcing him to fork over the serial. Thankfully, both options only require a skill check of 5 to pass.
Get the Masked Marketeer and return to Zoe in the Abandoned Industrial Zone. Follow the dialog options, and she’ll eventually relent and return to the Botanical Lab. Follow her there and speak with Grace to complete the quest. Here’s what you’ll get for your troubles:
5,250 XP Bolter Pistol Deserters reputation increase
That’s all you need to know about completing the “Finding Zoe” sidequest in The Outer Worlds. While it’s one of the least rewarding early side missions in the game, it’s still worth the rewards you get.
For more tips, tricks, and walkthroughs for The Outer Worlds, be sure to head over to our growing guides page for the game.
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