Fallout 3 Part #20 - Hurtling Towards the Endgame, Part 1

Part 20: Hurtling Towards the Endgame, Part 1

Captain Bravo posted:

Oh lizard wizard, will you ever stop being probated?

Welp, that's how I learn my etiquette! This last play session was a bit long, so I'm splitting it up. On the plus side, you can expect the next update pretty darn soon!

Hurtling Towards the Endgame, Part 1

Okay, time to crack into this Vault.

I'm getting the distinct impression something bad happened here.

Something MESSY.

The roaches seem happy enough with the spare meat.

Somehow I doubt they picked these guys clean themselves, though.

This is all quite unsettling, but I can't let it stop me from exploring. Let's try the downstairs first.

Ooh, just what I've been looking for.

I'd really like to sit down and make this thing one of these days.
Oh yeah, Vance gave us a schematic for a fire sword at the end of Blood Ties. How'd that slip under the radar?

Gotta be careful.

Anything could be lurking down here.

ANYTHING!

Right, that was thoroughly stupid. Let's check out the upper levels.

This computer flickers with knowledge!

It's just some dude's journal. Poor guy had a nervous breakdown after his son died.

Sheesh, weird bad things even happened to the computers.

Oh well, must press on.

Wait. Is that...?

Yyyyyup. Super Mutant.

That's better.

Now it's dark. Wonderful.

OF FUCKING COURSE THERE'S MORE SUPER MUTANTS.

I'll get back to you when there's something else to report.

Yeah, so it turns out there were a lot of Super Mutants here. See that, though?

There's some kind of foul experimentation going on here.

Let's see what we can dig up.

Evolution project? Yeah, this isn't good.

...muscles? One gender?

And...thick skin? Oh god. Ohhhhh god.

I...I think this is the birthplace of the Super Mutants.

Well. Putting that aside, it's time to...

Hm? May as well.

HOLY FUCKING GOD YOU'RE HUGE. I mean hi.

It can't be! Either you are quite real, or I am going quite mad. Could you...actually be a pure human?

Oh. A friendly Super Mutant. How 'bout that.

Yes, I was born in the F.E.V. Chambers, but a Super Mutant I certainly am not. I prefer the term Meta Human. Suits me better, don't you think? Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself. The name's Fawkes.

You speak amazingly well for a Meta Human, Fawkes.

Yes, I suppose so. When my captors placed me here, they were too stupid to realize this room contained a working terminal. I've spent all my life teaching myself to read and speak based on the information stored on the Vault's mainframe. Ironic, isn't it? Surrounded by the world's history and yet my world consists of this tiny room.

About that - why are you in that cell, anyway?

Because I'm a curiosity; an anomaly. They don't know why I'm different than they are, and I think it fascinates them. All the locked rooms in the medical wing contain failed experiments that they created.

Hmm. If you've been here as long as I imagine, maybe you can help me.

Perhaps. I assume you're here to find the GECK.

You know about the GECK?!

I know what it is, I know where it is, and best of all, I know how you can get your hands on it.

And why would you help me get my hands on it?

Because you can help me. Let me out of this place. I can't take it anymore. I can't even recall how long I've been here. Take me with you, and I'll retrieve the GECK for you.

Oh, I can do the actual getting myself. I just don't know where it is.

The chamber in which the GECK resides is absolutely flooded with radiation. It's unlikely you'd survive very long. Myself, on the other hand, have surprisingly inherited a useful trait from my fellow Meta Humans. I am highly resistant to radiation. Let me out of here, and I will place the GECK safely in your hands.

Oh. Then I most certainly will free you, I think. There doesn't seem to be a conventional lock on your door, though...

At the end of the hallway to your right is a maintenance room. Inside, you'll fiind the fire control console for the medical area. Trip the alarm on it, and I'll be able to get out. A word of warning, though. Tripping the console activates a failsafe and will open ALL of the recovery rooms in the medical area. So, what do you think? Can you do it?

Not only can I, but I think I will, too!

I'm glad to see you are a sensible person. Now, get me out of this place. I can't stand it anymore! Just be careful. Some of these "failed experiments" are quite nasty.

Hmm.

Well, no reason I can't have fun with these other doors along the way.

And I can deal with the "failures" one at a time this way, too.

This must be the terminal Fawkes mentioned.

Beep boop.

Finally...freedom! True freedom! I cannot thank you enough for this gift. You have no idea how long I've pictured this moment in my mind...and it feels far better than I'd imagined. Now, for my part of the bargain. Follow me.

Hold on, pal. You're on the Lizard Wizard team now, and that means you get guns.

Fawkes is intelligent, badass, but has NO VOLUME CONTROL, so he'll kind of burst into almost-shouting during his dialog, which is awesome. Overall, he's just plain amazing. He's also got a hearty 75 in all the weapon skills, which I guess we can chalk up to his studying. I capitalize on this by giving him some of my weapons. THIS TURNS OUT TO BE A BAD IDEA.

Right, then. NOW we can go.

He sure can crack a skull, I tell you what.

We should seriously have no problem reaching the GECK. ...oh, we're there already!

I'll get the case and bring it right back. Keep your eyes open.

I'll be right here, then.

Even Dogbrows doesn't wanna go in there. Damn.

As promised, here's the GECK. I hope it's worth it. Well, I'm afraid this is where you and I part company. I'll find my way out of this place, don't worry. Maybe we'll meet again somewhere in the Wastelend.

Right. See you soon, with any luck. And hey, you take good care of those guns, eh?