The Outer Worlds: Should You Free or Kill Cassandra O'Malley?

In The Outer Worlds, when you reach the Doom That Came To Roseway quest, you'll encounter Cassandra O'Malley, who has managed to get herself trapped in a cell. But should you help her escape or eliminate her? Let's weigh the pros and cons of each option.

Cassandra's Backstory and Intentions

Upon finding Cassandra, you'll learn that she led the raid on the secret lab and isn't particularly sorry about the chaos she caused. However, she doesn't pose an immediate threat to you, making killing her not a pressing concern. Here's where the dilemma begins: Cassandra possesses Anton's Research, which you need to decide whether to return to Anton Crane or sell to Gladys on the Groundbreaker.

Convincing Cassandra to Stand Down

With a high enough Persuade skill, you can convince Cassandra to cease hostilities with the guards. This approach can lead to a peaceful resolution, and you'll need to:

• Return to the entrance of the covert lab.
• Convince the guards to stop fighting the raiders.

When successful, the security guards will agree to leave and provide you with a key to unlock all the doors in the lab, ultimately allowing you to free Cassandra.

Helping Cassandra O'Malley

If you choose to free Cassandra, you can:

• Receive some Bits from her.
• Gain access to the Journey Into Smoke mission from Lillian.
• Lillian will meet you outside the secret lab exit after you leave.

However, freeing Cassandra won't add her to your crew, as she's not a recruitable character. If you need to eliminate her to advance, be prepared to miss out on the Journey Into Smoke quest.

Killing Cassandra O'Malley

Killing Cassandra will:

• Give you experience points.
• Allow you to obtain Anton's Research.
• Grant you 3750 Bits and the Dentastic achievement if you return the research to Anton.

While killing Cassandra might be a seemingly efficient choice, if you're looking to maximize experience points and participate in as many missions as possible, freeing her might be the better option.

Comparing the Outcomes

The experience points gained from killing Cassandra are similar to those received from eliminating other enemies. In terms of optimizing rewards, freeing her might be the more beneficial choice. Ultimately, the decision to free or kill Cassandra O'Malley depends on your character's playstyle and priorities in The Outer Worlds.