Entangled is Main Mission 17 during Starfield's main story questline. You get here after following the lead on Main Mission 16: Final Glimpses. Touchdown, and you'll realize that things at the Nishina Lab have started getting out of hand with distortions that have created two different timelines. It's your job to pick one of these timelines or be a hero and save both.
Starfield Entangled Walkthrough
Investigate the Distress Signal
Once you get to Freya III, a Satellite will send a distress signal, instructing you to land at the Nishina Research Station.
Enter Nishina Research Station
Walk up to the facility and interact with the intercom at the door.
You'll be instructed to enter alone and leave your companion outside for security reasons.
Speak to Ethan
The head of security, Ethan, will be there to welcome you. He'll do a quick checkup and let you inside.
Follow Ethan
You can start following Ethan to the Director's office, but something strange will happen during this. You'll be teleported to a ruined version of the same building.
Explore the Ruins
Fight through the poisonous scorpion-like creatures and reach the quest marker. You'll be transported back to the current lab. Walk a bit forward again, and you'll be sent back to the ruins.
Speak to Rafael
In the ruins, you'll meet Rafael, who will explain that there was an explosion in the research facility, leading to everyone except him dying. We're under the effect of the Artifact, which has split reality into two possibilities. Before you finish the dialogue, you'll be sent back.
Find the Director's Office
Keep going forward, and you'll have to deal with two more trips to the Ruined version of the facility before you reach the Director's office upstairs.
Speak to Director Patel
Meet Director Patel and explain the situation to her. She'll instruct her assistant Maria to help you out. If you have a Level 3 Security skill, open the door here and grab the Exterminator's Old Earth Assault Rifle.
Get to the Lab
If you try to follow Maria, you'll be sent into the ruins once more. Fight through more enemies and go through a series of back-and-forths between the two worlds.
Speak to Rafael
You'll meet Rafael again, and you can enlist his help getting out of here. He'll follow you briefly, but you'll teleport out of there shortly.
Speak to Ethan
You'll appear in Ethan's office, and he'll be surprised to see you. Have him open the door for you.
Get the Experiment A-7 Shotgun(Optional)
If you have the Persuasion skill, you can ask him for the extremely overpowered Experiment A-7 Shotgun. You can also loot a Magshot from the ruined version of his office.
Speak to Maria
Finally, you'll make it to Maria's office, and she'll run a few tests with you.
Assist Maria
Maria will calibrate the output of her Prove Control Unit until a distortion appears in the room.
Stand in the Distortion
Walk up and stand in the Distortion while Maria tinkers with her Probe Control Unit. Suddenly, you'll jump over to the ruined lab.
Find a Probe Control Unit
Pick the Probe Control Unit lying on the desk in front of you.
Recalibrate the Distortion
Now, you can see and interact with Distortion across the facility in both worlds to jump back and forth. Interact with the one in the room to go back to Maria.
Speak to Maria
Update Maria on the situation, who will send you back to Director Patel.
Speak to Director Patel
Director Patel will speak to you about sending you down to the Experiment room and ask you to save the facility and workers if you have to choose between the worlds. You don't need to worry about this decision right now.
Get Supplies(Optional)
You can head down to the floor below and get some supplies from Tatiana Barakova, the mean doctor lady. She'll give you two Medpacks and Trauma Packs. You can buy more from her as well before heading down.
Take the Elevator
Interact with the Distortion in front of the Elevator.
Interact with the Elevator in the ruined lab.
Get to the Lab
You'll need to make it to the Lab now. However, a lockdown is in place, and you'll have to override the lockdown protocols in several locations. Each location involves traversing between the worlds and fighting off Model A Robots and Cataxi.
Override the Lockdown in the Facilities Section
First off, we have the Facilities section. Take the Distortion into the ruined world to get inside the locked room. Watch out for all the Robots inside.
Warp back into the current world and head downstairs. Warp back to the ruins and make it to the Facilities Computer.
Override the Lockdown in the Accelerator Section
Next up is a very open area with lots of turrets and robots. Warping to the ruins also puts you face to face with many Cataxi. The Experiment A-7 really shines against the Cataxi.
Warp to the ruins and make your way to the Utility Closet Keycard.
Warp to the current world and interact with the Distortion inside the Utility Closet. This gives you access to the first computer. Unlock the Security Control Computer.
A couple more warps will get you to the first Accelerator mainframe computer that unlocks the control computer.
Lastly, you have to interact with the Accelerator security control computer.
Override the Lockdown in the Storage Section
The last section we need to open up is the Storage section.
Walk forward and head into the caves on the right in the Ruined facility.
Your goal is to reach the Distortion on the platform up above.
Move ahead to the room on the left and go through the Distortion once more until you loop around to the other side of the security door.
Interact with the Storage Computer and dispatch the robots to make it to the final room.
Make your way to Experiment Room
The room will light up with quest markers and enemies as soon as you enter. This is the most difficult combat section of the Unearthed quest. You need to disable all the Power Interlocks and collect the Artifact. Depending on the Artifact you choose, that version of the research centre becomes real.
Which Universe Should You Save in Entangled?
You can choose between saving Rafael or Director Patel, Maria and the team of workers and scientists - one life versus many. Saving Rafael nets you 17000 Credits, and you can recruit him as a companion from the Viewport in New Atlantis. His skills are Outpost Engineering Level 1, Starship Engineering Level 2, and Outpost Management Level 1. He will also give you some unique weapons and material rewards.
Saving the rest of the facility and letting Rafael die lets you collect the Legendary Experimental Nishina Spacesuit and 13300 Credits. The Credit amounts are fairly minimal and shouldn't factor into this decision at this point of the game.
However, there is a secret third method that you can employ to save both Rafael and Patel.
How to Save Both Universes in Entangled?
This method involves finding and using some precise instructions. It can be a bit of a hassle as you'll have to fight every enemy in both Universes and teleport between them several times. But the rewards are worth it, and you can feel good about saving everyone!
Find Rafael Aguerro's Corpse
In the current-day research centre to the right of where you enter, you can find Rafael Aguerro's corpse. Loot it and collect the Probe Calibration Protocol Slate. This Slate has instructions on how to resolve the crisis. You'll have to perform these actions in both Universes.
Make sure not to disable any Power Interlock before you begin. If you have, you can always find and enable it again.
Degauss the Power Interlocks
Head up into the command centre through the ruined version of the facility. Interact with the computer here and select the option to Degauss the Power Interlocks. It will tell you the numbers of the Power Interlocks that need to be Degaussed. To Degauss a Power Interlock, you must disable and enable it again. Repeat this for both Universes.
Calibrate the Frequencies
Next, you have to Calibrate the Freqeuncies for both Universes. This is also done at the control centre computer. For the ruined Universe, you need to set it to 24 GHz; for the current one, you must set it to 40 GHz.
Activate Primary Calibration
Now, walk up to the laser beams and interact with the Primary Calibration panel in both universes.
Wait for the Experiment
You'll be treated to a cutscene where both Universes start phasing into each other as you rapidly shift between them. You'll pass out, see the powers cutscene, and wake up on a bed like the first mission.
Speak to Everyone
Speak to Rafael, Director Patel, or both, depending on your choices. You can now collect your rewards.
Entangled Rewards
Here are the rewards you get for completing Main Mission 17: Entangled.
- EXP - 800
- Credits - 13300/17000 (Depends on Level)
- Experimental Nishina Helmet and Spacesuit from Patel OR
- Random Rare Weapons and Resources from Rafael
That concludes our guide for Starfield Main Mission 17: Entangled. We're in the endgame now, with one final quest before approaching the Unity. Join us in Starfield Mission 18: Revelations.