In Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Dr. Shcherba's request for assistance initiates the side quest, "In the Name of Science," tasking players with retrieving electronic collars from various mutants. This comprehensive guide details the quest's progression, choices, and consequences.
Collecting the Electronic Collars:
This mission involves locating five electronic collars scattered throughout the game world. The locations are pre-determined and marked on your in-game map. If some locations aren't showing, it's likely you've already collected them during previous missions or exploration. The table below summarizes the collar locations:
| Region | Collar Location | Mutant Type |
|---|---|---|
| Garbage | The Brood | Snork |
| Wild Island | Boathouse | Psy Bayun |
| Zaton | Hydrodynamics Lab | Controller |
| Malachite | Brain Scorcher | Brain Scorcher |
| Red Forest | Containers | Pseudogiant |
After gathering all five collars, return to Shcherba at the Roofed Warehouse in the Chemical Plant. If the quest becomes bugged due to prior collar acquisition and sale, use the console command "XEndQuestNodeBySID E08_SQ01_S2_SetJournal_WaitForSherbaCall_Finish_Pin_0" to advance.
Jammer Decision: Disable or Recalibrate?
Upon delivering the collars, Shcherba reveals a signal jamming their functionality. He directs Skif to investigate and either disable or recalibrate the jamming device located in the Storage on the Hill.
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Disable/Destroy the Jammer (Recommended): This option progresses the quest, rewarding Skif with coupons and leading to an encounter with bloodsuckers and a subsequent crucial choice.
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Recalibrate the Jammer: This concludes the quest with a coupon reward from Dvupalov.
Final Confrontation: Kill or Spare Shcherba?
Disabling the jammer leads to a call from Shcherba, who sends Skif coupons and promises further contact. After a time delay (or using the console command "XStartQuestNodeBySID E08_SQ01_S3_Technical_SherbaInvitedToLab"), Shcherba summons Skif back to his lab. Dvupalov provides two bottles of Magic Vodka. A confrontation ensues, involving bloodsuckers and a final choice: kill or spare Shcherba.
Both choices yield similar rewards, but sparing Shcherba maintains positive relationships with the scientists and Dvupalov. The reward for completing this part of the quest is a Gauss Gun and the "On a Leash" trophy.
