The Demolished Woman – The Outer Worlds

The Demolished Woman is a third main storyline quest for alliance with the Board (as opposed to Phineas). This will require you to earn Sophia Akande’s trust by taking out a Board’s cartographer, Rachel Lockwood. While there are many ways to go about the quest, the end result is the same and will allow you to further the Board questline. The completion of this quest will allow you to pick up Long Distance and progress the Halcyon questline.

Part One – Bureau of Exploration

1. Once you start the quest from Sophia Akande, you can leave the building and follow the road northwest (unless you want to scavenge hunt for locked containers throughout the city first). If you go straight out of the building, through the Estates District, until you hit the Sanada Gallery, the Bureau of Exploration will be on your right, across from the vending machines. (You can always use your quest marker.)

2. Inside, speak to the person at the front desk, Sherman Bradshaw (he’ll be acting a little awkward). If you pass a Perception or Intelligence check, he’ll admit that he’s the other person tasked with killing Lockwood. Apparently Rachel hasn’t shown up for a long while, but Sherman is willing to cooperate with you despite you being a competitor. With this check passed, or with Persuasion 40 he’ll give you Lockwood’s Office Key, making your entry easier.

3. Head north and take the elevator up. Explore the floor to find the door with “Cartography” above it. Either use Lockwood’s Office Key or use Lockpicking 60 to enter Lockwood’s Office. If you don’t have the key and your lockpicking is too low, then you can skip to the next step and come back after dealing with Lockwood.

4. Search Lockwood’s desk to find Lockwood’s Documents (as per Sophia’s request). Now use her terminal and search through her messages. Read one addressed to W. Billingsly, which will explain that she’s staying down in the Maintenance Tunnels, suspecting an attack.

5. Leave Lockwood’s office and take the elevator back down. Speak to Bradshaw about what you find if you wish (he will meet you in the tunnels if you do), or pick up Alonzo Vallejos’s sightseeing tour sidequest. Otherwise leave the Bureau of Exploration.

Part Two – Rachel Lockwood

1. As you exit, visually locate the vending machines – see the “Olympus River” sign above a tunnel? Head inside and take the elevator down to the Maintenance Tunnels. It’s not a bad idea to chat with Giles Molina by the elevator, since he will give you a sidequest you can complete along with your exploration of the tunnels (you don’t have to humor his discussion of the inspirations behind each of his lab rats’ names and their backstories).

2. Once you get off the elevator, head through the western doorway and run south along the tunnels, just don’t take the stairs (unless you want to continue exploring). Eventually, you’ll come across Rachel Lockwood hiding in the corner.

3. How you proceed next will depend on whether or not Bradshaw is with you. If he is, you can have him kill Lockwood, or do it yourself, which will prompt him to offer to split the reward. You can also kill both Lockwood and Bradshaw to keep the full reward. Alternatively, you can listen to Lockwood and accept her bribe, which requires a high Persuade check for Bradshaw (55) (if you kill Bradshaw, with Intimidate 20 you can take Rachel’s full bribe offer). If Bradshaw isn’t around, you can still kill Lockwood and earn your full reward, of course.

4. Whatever you decide to do, deal with Lockwood (and acquire her key, if you haven’t already). Leave the tunnels the way you came.

5. If you didn’t enter Lockwood’s office earlier, then head back to the Bureau of Exploration and enter her office to get Lockwood’s Papers.
6. Once you’ve dealt with Lockwood and have her papers, head south and return to the main HHC building. Speak to Percival Platt, who will connect you to Sophia Akande again.

7. Explain what happened to finish up The Demolished Woman. Your reward will depend on whether or not you split the kill with Bradshaw and if Lockwood was killed or saved. Either of the choices you have made will allow you to take the next quest, Long Distance.