Are you eager to know if you should choose Maxwell’s cure or Lena’s cure in The Alters? This is one of the most pivotal decisions that you need to make in the campaign, and there are major repercussions that last until the end of your playthrough. We’ve got all the details to help you prepare for all eventualities. Oh, and just to be clear, this article does contain spoilers.

Should you side with Maxwell or Lena in The Alters – Act 2 Maxwell’s cure or Lena’s cure guide

The decision to side with Maxwell or Lena happens just a few days after starting the game’s second act. Basically, you’ll learn that Molly the clone sheep has died. Jan Scientist can then perform an autopsy, which causes the group to become anxious due to the findings. What follows next is one of the most hectic sequences in the game, since there are portions when you’re racing against the clock, all while ensuring that your allies remain on your side.

Before you side with Maxwell or Lena in The Alters, you should first learn about what happened to Molly. By chatting with Jan Scientist, you’ll find out that rapidium–i.e. the same substance used to clone other Jans–may have caused Molly’s death. Subsequently, this would mean that they, too, might perish unexpectedly.

Here’s what you need to do next:

• You need to construct the MRI Upgrade for the Infirmary, which requires 100x metals and 100x minerals.
• You have to get an MRI scan after work hours–i.e. past 2100 in-game.
• If you keep delaying the MRI Upgrade’s construction or your MRI scan, your alter clones will get even more anxious. You may need to speak with some of them each day to alleviate their fears.
• After Jan Main gets his MRI scan, the rest of the group will follow, so just give them a day to complete the process.

Next up, you have to speak with the Scientist and, eventually, Lucas via the Communication Room. This leads to two major branching points given the solutions presented by Maxwell and Lena.

Maxwell’s cure

Maxwell wants you to create a clone that’s also a blank slate, also known as the Tabula Rasa, so you can harvest tissue samples. Here are the steps:

• Research the QC Hacking tech via the Research Lab.
• Spend 20x rapidium in the Quantum Computer to alterate the Tabula Rasa. You should see this option in the far-left part of the Quantum Computer’s panel.
• Wait for around seven hours to elapse in-game until the Tabula Rasa is awakened.

Lena’s cure

After talking to Maxwell, you can opt to call Lena as well. She proposes another method:

• Instead of experimenting on a living being, albeit a clone, Lena wants you to create Neural Implants instead.
• Neural Implants can be crafted via the Workshop, and each one costs 10x metals, 30x minerals, and 20x rapidium.
• Every alter clone in your base must have their own neural implant, too, so make sure you have enough resources.

Soon, you’ll have to make a choice between Maxwell’s cure or Lena’s cure in The Alters. This part will lead to a main quest called “A Thread of Hope: The Clock Is Ticking.” You’ll have roughly three days in-game to finish the above tasks–i.e. crafting multiple Neural Implants if you want to side with Lena.

Once enough time has elapsed, the group will have a meeting in the base. Join them and pick either of these two responses:

• Side with Maxwell: “Let’s use the Tabula Rasa and prepare Maxwell’s treatment.”
• Side with Lena: “Let’s go for the corporate solution and apply the Neural Implants.”

The major ramifications happen as soon as you make your choice between Maxwell or Lena in The Alters. Initially, the alter clones who don’t like your decision will remain angry for the rest of the chapter. This is denoted by a yellow lock box icon, which means they won’t work as efficiently as before. They’ll then leave your group at the end of the act.

Maxwell’s proposal

Maxwell’s proposal, while unethical, also promotes independence for your clones:

• This outcome also triggers if you did not speak with Lena or if you weren’t able to craft enough Neural Implants within three days.
• The Tabula Rasa will automatically die since you need to harvest tissue samples from him.
• Alter clones will be permanently cured of their potentially fatal affliction.
• The following alters will leave at the end of Act 2: Technician, Refiner, Doctor, and Botanist.

Lena’s proposal

Lena’s treatment, meanwhile, prevents you from killing one of your own variants, but the implants allow the corporation to track everyone:

• The Tabula Rasa will survive and become an NPC in your base. It’s basically a secret unlockable clone.
• Any new character you create will also need a Neural Implant. The required materials are added on top of the default rapidium cost when you alterate via the Quantum Computer.
• The following alters will leave at the end of Act 2: Technician, Miner, and Shrink.

The Scientist and the Technician

It’s worth mentioning that Jan Scientist will stay in your group regardless of your decision, since he’ll continue to play a crucial role in the story. As for Jan Technician, he’ll leave the team for a while, but he might return if you play your cards right with Lena’s plans come Act 3.

Speaking of Act 3, your choice at this stage also impacts the person you’d deal with as you approach the game’s conclusion. You could gain further help from Maxwell, Lena, Lucas, or someone totally unexpected.

That does it for our guide on whether you should side with Maxwell or Lena in The Alters. Since we’ve already discussed who leaves and who stays, you might want to know which among these characters are the best clones for your playthrough.

Can you help Jan Dolski and his clones stay alive throughout their ordeal? Well, if you need more tips, you can head over to our The Alters guides hub.