The “Answers Come at a Price” mission in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Heart of Chernobyl is a pivotal quest that offers two distinct paths based on your choices in the previous mission, “Behind Seven Seals.” Whether you choose the Northern Checkpoint or the Pontoon Bridge Checkpoint, your journey will take you through dangerous locations, intense combat, and challenging puzzles.
As you navigate the zone’s treacherous terrain, you’ll uncover valuable information about Nestor and confront formidable enemies. This will ultimately lead to a dramatic conclusion and the start of the next main mission, “The Price Goes Up.”
Answers Come at a Price Mission
The “Answers Come at a Price” mission starts immediately after finishing “Behind Seven Seals. ” The “Answers Come at a Price” mission has different objectives for each player, depending on whether you exited the “Behind Seven Seals” mission through the Pontoon Bridge Checkpoint or the Northern Checkpoint.
Pontoon Bridge Checkpoint
Click on the images to enlarge
Follow the marker on your map to the military base. At the main entrance, a Lieutenant will stop you. Tell him that Colonel Korshunov is expecting you. The Lieutenant will inform you that the Colonel isn’t at the base but at an Outpost northeast.
From the Military Base, head to the Outpost located northeast. After being briefly stopped and questioned by another Lieutenant, talk to Colonel Korshunov, who is standing atop a shack. You’ll reach a point where you have to make a choice: either join the assault on the bandit camp or interrogate a captured bandit.
Join the Assault Team
Go to the Depot, where a group of soldiers prepares for an ambush. Talk to the Captain in charge to start the assault. Help the Wardens eliminate the bandits inside the Depot. During the shootout, Chornozem should be killed.
Interrogate a Bandit
Click on the images to enlarge
Instead of joining the assault, interrogate the captive bandit named Vetos. During the interrogation, choose the option “What are you getting at?” to strike a deal with him. Vetos will offer a shortcut to the Depot through a cave in exchange for Hosha’s vodka.
Do not hit him, as it will lead to a trap. With the information about the cave shortcut, sneak into the Depot and talk to Chornozem. Convince him to go to the balcony, where a sniper will eliminate him. After Chornozem is killed, eliminate the remaining bandits before proceeding to the next step.
After eliminating all the bandits, search Chornozem’s body and take the PDA. Picking up the PDA will end this mission and trigger the next main mission, “The Price Goes Up.”
Northern Checkpoint
As you enter Garbage, remember that Richter sent you to the Detention Center to meet his men who might help you find Nestor. The Detention Center is a short walk east of the Northern Checkpoint.
Watch out for a pack of rabid dogs as you enter the complex. Before heading through the northern doors, jump onto something to avoid and eliminate them. Climb two flights of stairs to finally meet Richter’s man, Star.
Star explains that you can find the information you need at the X-18 lab in the northwest. He asks you to help him rescue his men in the “The Road to Salvation” Side Mission, which you can complete along the way. He offers a silenced PTM pistol for stealthy infiltration and provides the code (2605) to enter the X-18 Laboratory.
Going to the Laboratory
Click on the images to enlarge
If you choose to enter the laboratory stealthily, head to the back of the facility. You’ll find a small hole leading inside. Instead of going through the second hole in the building to the right, use the pipes connected to the building.
Climb on the pipes and cross the building. Turn right on the pipe and enter the hole. Take the stairs down to the right corner of the room. Go forward and turn right. Among multiple exits, choose the one inside the wall on the front wall.
Go through the hole and take the stairs down on your left. This will lead you to the laboratory door. Beyond the door is the factory lab, guarded by a camouflaged Bloodsucker. The tight space makes it difficult to fight, so use hit-and-run tactics. Damage the creature and retreat upstairs to recover. Before rushing through the door, wait for the Electro Anomaly to pass.
Then, go through the door to your left and find another of Star’s men. Near his body, in a caged room, you’ll find the documents you need. First, use a bolt to neutralize the thermal anomaly, then quickly grab the “Product 81 Specifications” to complete the “Road to Salvation” side quest. Finally, go to the room where the Bloodsucker is and find the tape recorder to get the information on Nestor.
Meeting the Stranger
After listening to the recording, an unknown voice will contact you. You’ll receive a code 2603. Head up the stairs until you find a locked metal gate with a keypad. Enter the code to open it. Go through the hallway with rusted pipes until you reach a white door.
A cutscene will play with the stranger. Next, go to the room with the industrial electric motor and rusted pipes. Here, you’ll find the entrance to the sewers. After the stranger finishes talking, the mission will end. Take the tunnel to the right to escape the sewers. This will trigger the next main mission, “The Price Goes Up”.
Read Next: Just Like the Good Old Days Mission Walkthrough | How to Get Messy Stash and Artifact in Pol Depot | How to Get Bulwark, Diamond, and Ruby Exosuit
