Each alter in The Alters Last Variable comes with their own story and some deep personal quests that reveal more about their past and who they really were. One such quest is with the Physicist, who has the "In Need of Assistance" quest. We've got the steps you need to follow below, including how to find him when he runs away, and what comes after.

How to Start the In Need of Assistance Quest

In Need of Assistance is a quest for the Physicist that you will receive at some point during the second cycle when he says he has something to share with you. The first few steps of the mission are quite easy. You get to analyze the Physicist's life in the QC, then you research an Identity Replication for Cathy and craft it in the Workshop.

Confronting The Physicist's Past

The main part of the mission begins after you upload the replicator to the Comms Room. You talk to Cathy, and then you tell her that your alter, the Physicist, will come to talk to her. However, when you wait a day and go back to the Physicist to see what information he has, he tells you that Cathy cannot even form a sentence properly.

When you return to Cathy, she admits that it is due to the presence of the Physicist that she can't talk. When he and Cathy used to be together, the Physicist tried to imply he was the brains and that all the achievements they worked towards together were only because of him. This bullying behavior causes Cathy to be unable to talk and lose her self-esteem.

After talking to Cathy, you confront the Physicist and tell him about what kind of bully he was. Regardless of your dialogue choices, the Physicist will react outrageously, and after some time, he will leave the base.

Where to Find the Physicist After He Runs Away

To find the Physicist, you should head towards Rocky Valley. You will find it just before a climbable cliff, next to a bunch of hostile anomalies. The location is shown on the map above!

Just make sure you take enough Suit Batteries with you, as the path to reach the Physicist is full of anomalies, and you need to wipe them to prevent any radiation damage.

The bad news is that after you bring the Physicist back to the base, he won't be able to work for some time. Your base must have an Infirmary module to heal the Physicist and drive away his radiation effects. It will take one day to get him back to work partially and two days to fully heal him.

After he heals, you need to talk to him again. He will admit to his mistakes and will try to approach Cathy once again. This time around, he apologizes to Cathy and gets to finish his research, wrapping up the quest.

The Alters Tag Page Cover Art
The Alters
10/10
Released
June 13, 2025

WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL

Developer(s)
11 Bit Studios
PC Release Date
June 13, 2025
Genre(s)
Survival, Strategy, Management
OpenCritic Rating
Mighty