The Alters: Jan Scientist Choices and Dialogue Guide

In The Alters, you will need to clone yourself over and over with slightly different memories to replace the crew that was lost in the crash. One of the two alters you need to have in your crew is Jan Scientist, an alter that can do some research to get you through the game.

To keep the Scientist happy, you will want to know which choices are best for him and what you can say or do to keep him working at full steam. There are a lot of dialogue options between you and the Scientist in The Alters, so you will probably want to know which ones to choose.

The Alters Common Ground: Best Dialogue Choices for Jan Technician

Choosing the right things to say to Jan Technician in the Common Ground task of The Alters will make living with him much more manageable.

Posts

By Diego Perez

All Interactions with the Scientist in Act 1 of The Alters

You first interact with this alter will be when he wakes in The Womb in The Alters. Once he wakes up, he'll instantly understand his situation and will begin asking about how much Rapidium you have found.

The-Alters-Jan-Scientist-All-Dialogue-Options-01

Waking The Scientist Up In The Womb

Question	Best Answer	Result
How much Rapidum is there? Did we get a breakthrough?	A lot.	Less rebellion Less frustration
Besides... I can see no other explanation for a sheep inside a space base. Correct me if I'm wrong.	You're right. It's impressive.	Motivation Less insecurity
That actually sounds plausible. So... What do you need from me now?	Get to work immediately.	Motivation Anxiety

Question

Best Answer

Result

How much Rapidum is there? Did we get a breakthrough?

A lot.

Less rebellion

Less frustration

Besides... I can see no other explanation for a sheep inside a space base. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You're right. It's impressive.

Motivation

Less insecurity

That actually sounds plausible. So... What do you need from me now?

Get to work immediately.

Motivation

Anxiety

How Are You Settling In?

Question	Best Answer	Result
[Start the conversation]	How are you settling in?	Less gloom Less anxiety
This place is not run optimally.	Can you help me run it better?	Motivation Less insecurity
Prioritize resources. Do not waste time on idle conversations with the crew. Hide the booze. Don't be cheap on the coffee. That slow enough for you?	Idle conversations like this one?	Frustration Burden Less joy Motivation
It would make things so much easier. If it existed.	What was your research about?	Joy
Taking our solutions to the front line was my dream come true. The data we could bring back.	You had big plans for it.	Burden Less rebellion
Well, now it's all gone.	Just focus on your work here and now.	Motivation Anxiety

I Found Something Peculiar on the Planet

Question	Best Answer	Result
Creating a so-called proximity plane.	I'd better stay clear of it.	Motivation Anxiety

Question

Best Answer

Result

Creating a so-called proximity plane.

I'd better stay clear of it.

Motivation

Anxiety

Have You Finished Your Research (on the Lava Bridge)?

The-Alters-Jan-Scientist-All-Dialogue-Options-02

Question	Best Answer	Result
However, there is a certain technology that came to my mind... Superconductive bridge anchors. They could allow us to quickly span a light, but durable construction across our obstacle.	Sounds difficult.	Motivation Anxiety
Blueprints for the anchors should be standard equipage for every mission since project VERSYNT went live. But - not this one. They should fire the logistician... If there ever was one.	Stop moaning. Just tell me what to do.	Insecurity Less rebellion
You're in touch with mining operations, right?	Yes.	No change

I'm Stuck with the Anchor Blueprints

Question	Best Answer	Result
[Start the conversation.]	I'm stuck with the answer blueprints.	Motivation Anxiety

I Have News About Your Blueprints

Question	Best Answer	Result
[Start the conversation.]	I have news about your blueprints.	Frustration
Did you precisely ask for bridge anchor blueprints?	This is all they could give us. Amateurs.	Motivation Frustration
No. Give me the real thing; I'm not touching this parody of a prototype.	I	Motivation Anxiety

What Happened in the Research Lab?

Question	Best Answer	Result
[Start the conversation.]	What happened in the research lab?	Frustration
My whole research... Is gone... Because of a preposterous hardware malfunction.	Tell me what to do to undo the damage.	Less rebellion Less frustration

I Made a Curious Discovery

Question	Best Answer	Result
Question is... Are they the cause or the reason of so much Rapidium here?	I'd like to study them more.	Less rebellion Motivation

Did You Manage To Recreate the Blueprints?

Question	Best Answer	Result
I did manage to recreate them.	I'm proud of you.	Motivation Less insecurity
I did manage to recreate them.	I knew you would.	Motivation Less insecurity
You'll need a specific type of superconductive polymer to build them.	More work! Great!	Joy Less gloom

The Luminator

The-Alters-Jan-Scientist-All-Dialogue-Options-03

Question	Best Answer	Result
Tell me, when you encounter these distortions, what is your priority?	To investigate them.	Less rebellion Less frustration
But it has another, more pragmatic application: it can help eliminate the distortions.	You mean destroy them?	Motivation Less insecurity

How Am I Doing?

Question	Best Answer	Result
[Start the conversation.]	How am I doing?	Less gloom Less anxiety
What else is there?	[None of the options give a positive result.]
So... Why did you stop pushing?	[All options yield the same result.]	Motivation Less insecurity
So did I. But it motivated me. I stayed to have a go at that scholarship next year. And - I succeeded.	I wish I had done the same.	Motivation x2 Less insecurity Rebellion
Imagine what I could achieve in your role, in here.	I can be just as efficient.	No change.
[Later on, he will want to speak on success again.]	You wanted to speak with me?	Less frustration Less gloom
I wanted to suggest we push harder.	[All options yield the same result.]	No change.
People can work til they drop, you know. It's been done before, in emergency situations.	Will we really be more productive?	Motivation Less insecurity
No. But even doing it at small intervals can drastically speed up the completion of crucial tasks.	Okay, I'll try it out.	Less rebellion Less frustration
After completing this conversation, you will need to complete the quest Productivity Boost by turning on crunch hours for two days. In the menu, look at the Assignments tab. On the bottom right will be a button to turn crunch time on and off.
[After crunch time is complete, speak to Jan Scientist again.]	We completed the crunch...	Less gloom Less anxiety
Congratulations. And? What are your thoughts?	It was worth it.	Less rebellion Less frustration
You have now learned the Scientist's lesson of Pragmatism in The Alters.

You Wanted to Talk (After Completing the Magnetic Storm Research)?

Question	Best Answer	Result
[Start the conversation.]	You wanted to talk.	Joy
You do know how dangerous it is to be outside the base during a magnetic storm, right?	[All options yield the same result.]	Motivation Less insecurity
Isn't it fascinating, Jan? Those resources are in tune with the magnetic field somehow. It's like a mysterious, unheard-of ecosystem.	We shouldn't risk our lives for the sake of efficiency.	Less frustration Less anxiety

Trying to Calm the Scientist Down

There are two conversations you can have with him when the Scientist is upset. One is asking him what he does when he is upset, and the other is about avoiding people who annoy him. Here are the best dialogue choices in The Alters for each, respectively.

If the Scientist says, "I don't know, Jan. I try to avoid people who irritate me," you should respond with "Work is your refuge."
In response to him saying that there is a grove near his lab where he takes walks, you can respond with "I didn't take you for a romantic."

Technician Against the Scientist Choices

During Act 1, you will see the Scientist and the Technician go toe-to-toe twice, once over a day off and once over a higher quality of food. Unfortunately for the Scientist, he will gain more overall happiness over the course of the game if you go with better food and the day off. All the alters do appreciate the better food much more over the course of the game, including the Scientist, and the day off doesn't seem to matter much in the long term either way.

Choice	Result
Better food	Motivation for Technician Frustration for Scientist
No changes	Gloom for Technician Motivation for Scientist
Don't get involved	Frustration for Technician Frustration for Scientist

Choice

Result

Better food

Motivation for Technician

Frustration for Scientist

No changes

Gloom for Technician

Motivation for Scientist

Don't get involved

Frustration for Technician

Frustration for Scientist

The-Alters-Jan-Scientist-All-Dialogue-Options-And-Choices-Day-Off

Choice	Result
Give the alters the next day off.	Less gloom and less insecurity for Technician Rebellion and less joy for Scientist
No day off.	Frustration and less joy for Technician Less rebellion and less frustration for Scientist
Don't get involved	No change.

Conversations With the Scientist That May Happen in Act 1

Not all conversations are guaranteed. There are two confirmed that can occur with the Scientist, along with some alter-specific conversations, but there may be more in the course of Act 1.

What Happened At The Greenhouse?

Question	Best Answer	Result
Because of a giant turnip that damaged the irrigation system.	That's exciting! Can we grow giant veggies now?	Motivation Frustration

After Eating Spoiled Food in a Broken Kitchen

Question	Best Answer	Result
[Start the conversation.]	What happened in the kitchen?	Less frustration Less anxiety
Mild food poisoning. That's all. The fridge may be malfunctioning.	You're resilient. You'll be back at work soon.	Motivation Less insecurity

Rating block community and brand ratings Image

Display card tags widget

Survival

Strategy

Management

Display card system widget

Systems

Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget

OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 94%

Display card main info widget

Released: June 13, 2025
ESRB: Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol, Violence
Developer(s): 11 Bit Studios
Publisher(s): 11 Bit Studios