The Brain Benders of Auntie’s Choice! is a side quest in The Outer Worlds 2. Minister Milverstreet wants to win over the people of Westport, but how you do it is completely up to you. You can take the diplomatic route and convince the townsfolk to join Fairfield peacefully, or you can sabotage their key systems to force them out. Either way, your choices will shape how this story unfolds and earn you some valuable rewards in the process.
How to Start The Brain Benders of Auntie’s Choice! Quest
Once you finish A Refreshing Bit of News, Minister Milverstreet will have another task for you this time involving the Protectorate civilians in Westport. Accept his request, and you’ll start the quest The Brain Benders of Auntie’s Choice. Milverstreet’s goal here is to sway the people of Westport to his side, and you’ll get to decide whether to do that through kindness or by taking a harsher approach.
Meeting with Vigilant Hogarth
To get started, head to Westport. Once you arrive, look for Vigilant Hogarth. Talk to him and ask what it would take to convince the people of Westport to side with Fairfield. During your chat, you’ll get the option to lend a hand to the settlement in exchange for information about the Vox Relay. If you agree, you’ll kick off a new side quest called The Saga of Malfunctioning Mechanicals.
At this point, you’ll have two ways to handle the situation with Hogarth and the people of Westport. You can either sabotage the town’s infrastructure or take a more diplomatic route by convincing key citizens to defect to Fairfield.
If you decide to go the sabotage route, your job will be to destroy three major systems that keep Westport running the generator, the water purifier, and the loudspeaker system. But if you’d rather persuade people instead of wrecking things, you’ll need to talk to three important residents: Charlton Weintraut, Interim Chief Mechanist Pinckney, and Curativist Rowe. Winning them over will help shift the settlement’s loyalty to Fairfield.
Secure Westport Defections
If you decide to win the people of Westport over peacefully, your goal is to convince enough key figures to join Fairfield that might just be enough to make Vigilant Hogarth agree to move his people.
Charlton is one of the most respected members of the community, but he’s clearly hiding something. If you explore his house in the abandoned part of Westport, you’ll uncover a little secret turns out, he’s actually a big fan of Auntie’s Choice products. Once you confront him with what you found, you can use that to persuade him to support the move, though he’ll only officially agree once Hogarth gives the green light.
Then there’s Interim Chief Mechanist Pinckney. He’s another important figure, but he’s miserable in his job and clearly wants out. If you promise him better opportunities in Fairfield, you can convince him to defect as well.
Finally, Curativist Rowe is completely swamped taking care of sick residents and struggling to manage with barely any supplies. Help ease her burden and show her that things could be better under Fairfield, and she’ll also agree to move again, once Hogarth allows it.
Sabotage Westport Infrastructure
Once you’re done talking to Hogarth, turn to your right and you’ll notice a table nearby with a Westport Broadcast Facility Keycard lying on top. Grab it before you leave the building.
Step outside and look toward the west side of the settlement you’ll spot a structure with a spinning radio dish on top. That’s the broadcast facility. Head over there and use the keycard to get inside. In the back room, you’ll find a terminal. Interact with it and select the option to permanently overwrite the Protectorate broadcasts this will effectively sabotage Westport’s communication system.
After that, it’s time to take out the power. Leave the building and make your way to the southeast part of Westport to find the generator station. Move around to the northeast side of the structure to spot a series of ledges and platforms you’ll need to parkour your way up to the roof, then drop down onto a ledge through a damaged section of the wall. Inside, interact with the Main Power Generator and choose the option to use the Galvanic Subverter.
This will destroy the generator and cut off the settlement’s electricity. Before leaving, don’t forget to pick up the Westport Generator Station Keycard from a nearby box you’ll need it to open the doors and get back outside.
For the final step, you’ll need to sabotage Westport’s water supply. The easiest way to get there is by fast traveling to Westport so you appear just outside the settlement. From there, face north and head into the abandoned outer area. This section is crawling with Crabbles, so clear them out first. Once the coast is clear, continue toward the large dock area beyond the northern wall.
Sneak past the patrolling drones and dragoons until you reach the Westport Potable Water Supply. Interact with it and choose the option to add Skin Powder to the purifier. This contaminates the water system, completing the final act of sabotage.
Rewards
Once you’ve either sabotaged Westport’s infrastructure or persuaded the town’s key figures to defect, head back to Hogarth and talk to him again. Go through all of his dialogue options until you finally convince him to let his people and himself move to Fairfield.
With that settled, make your way back to Minister Milverstreet to share the good news. Once you report Westport’s relocation, the quest will wrap up and you’ll receive your rewards: the Limited Production Gentleperson’s Oxonian, 942 Bit Cartridges, 1,080 XP, and a boost to your Auntie’s Choice reputation.
