The Chemist's Research
Inga Birkenfeld's research in Beholder: Conductor is a critical storyline that forces players to confront the ethical boundaries of scientific progress under a totalitarian regime. Her work involves the development of a potent chemical agent, initially presented as a beneficial advancement for the state, but with increasingly disturbing implications as the research unfolds. The player's involvement is crucial to the progression and outcome of this research.
The research questline typically involves several stages:
- Initial Requests: Inga will ask for common household items or easily obtainable chemicals to begin her preliminary experiments. These early tasks seem innocuous.
- Advanced Materials: As her research progresses, she will require more specialized and often illegal materials. This might involve:
- "Blue Powder": A key ingredient that you might need to acquire from shady sources or by completing other quests.
- Specialized Glassware: Items like beakers or retorts that are not readily available.
- Experimentation and Observation: You might be asked to observe the results of her experiments, which can involve testing on animals (if you acquire them) or, more disturbingly, on human subjects.
- Ethical Dilemmas: The core of this questline lies in the moral choices presented. You can:
- Fully support Inga: Provide all requested materials, ignore the ethical concerns, and help her complete her research. This path often leads to the development of the "Gas Ending."
- Sabotage her research: Deliberately fail to provide materials, report her to the Ministry for illegal activities, or actively interfere with her experiments. This can lead to her arrest or the cessation of her work.
- Seek alternatives: Look for ways to mitigate the harm, such as finding a cure or reporting her to a different faction if available.
The success or failure of Inga's research, and your role in it, directly influences the availability of the chemical agent and its potential use in the game's various endings, particularly the "Gas Ending." The moral weight of these decisions is significant, as the chemical agent has devastating potential.