After engaging in dialogue with the C-Consciousness Representative during the "Visions of Truth" main mission in *Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl*, players will receive a call from Dr. Shcherba. He'll request Skif's assistance, initiating the side mission "In The Name of Science." In this quest, players must locate electronic collars from various mutants scattered across different regions.
"In The Name of Science" is an extensive side mission that involves multiple decision points, each impacting the mission's outcome. Let's delve into the complete guide for this side mission and explore every crucial choice you'll encounter.
How to Find All the Electronic Collars for Dr. Shcherba
The initial phase of the "In The Name of Science" quest involves collecting five electronic collars from designated spots marked on the map in *Stalker 2*. If fewer than five locations appear, you may have already picked up some collars during other missions or while exploring The Zone. Here's a detailed list of the locations and the mutants you'll encounter:
| Region | Collar Location | Mutant |
|---|---|---|
| Garbage | The Brood | Snork |
| Wild Island | Boathouse | Psy Bayun |
| Zaton | Hydrodynamics Lab | Controller |
| Malachite | Brain Scorcher | Kill or Buy Collar from Yevhen Mamay |
| Red Forest | Containers | Pseudogiant |
After securing all the collars, return them to Shcherba at the Roofed Warehouse in the Chemical Plant region. Note that "In The Name of Science" might encounter bugs if you've previously collected and sold the collars to a merchant. If you're unable to collect a collar, you can press the tilde (~) key and enter the console command "XEndQuestNodeBySID E08_SQ01_S2_SetJournal_WaitForSherbaCall_Finish_Pin_0" to advance the quest.
Should You Disable or Recalibrate the Jamming Device?
Once you deliver all the collars to Shcherba, he'll inspect them and discover a signal jamming their functionality. Shcherba will then assign Skif the task of tracing this signal to its source and neutralizing the jamming device to enable the collars' operation.
Head to the Storage on the Hill, west of the Roofed Warehouse, to locate the source of the jamming signal. Inside, Skif will confront poltergeists, zombified soldiers, and rodent mutants before reaching the device. At this juncture, players face a pivotal choice: destroy the jammer to disable the signal and activate the collars, or recalibrate the jammer to deactivate the collars permanently. Here's a brief overview of each option:
| Destroy/Disable the Jammer (Recommended) |
|---|
| Progress the mission further and receive coupons from Shcherba. This choice leads to encounters with multiple bloodsuckers and another decision point. |
| Recalibrate the Jammer |
| Receive coupons from Dvupalov as a reward, and the quest will conclude. |
Should You Kill or Let Shcherba Go During the "In The Name of Science" Quest?
Opting to disable/destroy the jamming device leads to Shcherba contacting Skif to confirm the collars are now functional. Shcherba will send coupons and promise to reach out when he needs Skif's help again. The mission objective then shifts to "Wait for your reward from Shcherba."
Players can either engage in other missions or rest on a bed to advance time until Shcherba calls again. If Shcherba doesn't call, use the console command "XStartQuestNodeBySID E08_SQ01_S3_Technical_SherbaInvitedToLab" to progress the mission.
Upon Shcherba's next call, Skif will return to the lab and receive two bottles of Magic Vodka from Dr. Dvupalov for unspecified reasons. Entering the lower floor of the warehouse, Skif encounters Shcherba with three Bloodsuckers.
Shcherba directs Skif to a room to collect his reward, which turns out to be a trap. Skif is subjected to PSI-Radiation, intended to awaken Faust-like abilities. Consuming the Magic Vodka negates the PSI-radiation effects.
Escaping the room, Skif must eliminate three Bloodsuckers en route to the main office, where an armed Shcherba holds Dvupalov at gunpoint. After a brief exchange, players face the choice to either kill Shcherba or spare him. Both options yield the same rewards, but sparing Shcherba is advisable to maintain positive relations with scientists and Dvupalov.
Following the confrontation, Dvupalov rewards Skif with a Gauss Gun, and players unlock the "On a Leash" trophy in *Stalker 2*.
