Passage to Anywhere

Guide to obtaining the Stellar Bay Navigation Key in The Outer Worlds 2. Includes steps for Phineas's Lab, finding the Shrink Ray, and Hibernation Helmet.

You have a ship and now it can fly. At this point, however, the places you can get to are rather few. Most destinations require a Navigation Key and your primary goal at this point is to obtain the Navigation Key for Stellar Bay on the interdicted moon, Monarch.

Phineas's Lab

There is an errand to run before proceeding with the story. Navigate to Phineas's Oribtal Lab. There's not much to find in the docking area apart from a level 40 locked container with some moderately good loot. Go through the door to the laboratory proper. There are two terminals that you can use, both of which require Hacking 30 to access fully. There are also a bunch of broken robots that you can loot for ammo and parts. Be sure to pick up decorations for your crew quarters: a couple of Raptidon posters from the wall, a Pteroray poster from a surgical trolley and, on the other side of the lab, a pocket watch on a desk.

Phineas has sealed himself inside his control room. You can talk to him if you like but he doesn't have much to say for himself. On a table just outside is a unique weapon, the Shrink Ray (4000XP).

This is a Science Weapon. Science Weapons have strange properties and the damage that you do with them is increased by investment in the Science skill. There are also player and companion Perks that you can take that increase Science Weapon damage further (by a total of 120% if you take all three).

The Shrink Ray applies a short lived shrinking effect to the target that weakens it and reduces its offensive capabilities. Apart from that, it also does minor Plasma damage.

Look on another table for the unique Hibernation Helmet. This is one of the few pieces of headgear that boosts an entire skill category rather than just a single skill.

Return to the Unreliable and this time select Groundbreaker as your destination.