T w e n t y S i d e d
The player’s found Dr. Li and discovered that James stopped by for a brief visit. By now they should realize he was trying to give the wasteland a supply of free, pure water, and they’ve seen repeated confirmations of his reason why: if water is allowed to remain a resource possessed by individual parties, it inevitably becomes a tool of control. James was chastised by his experiences trying to work with individual communities and will never forget the pain and bloodshed he inadvertently caused.
But there’s a lot that hasn’t come into focus about James: his present motivations and feelings, for example, which are ultimately what are responsible for the player’s predicament. Finding him will bring closure to this act both practically and emotionally. As Dr. Li explains, the only problem is:
He said he needed to review our old power generators! Of course I told him the site had been infested with super mutants since we left, that there weren’t any ghosts in that building worth dying for, but he never listens.
I told him not to come back. I don’t need to sit up here in my chair waiting to see if he’ll live or die. I’m sorry to say it, but I buried his bones a long time ago.
A move in the dark
The player is told that James probably used one of the old access tunnels to the facility. They’re “well hidden,” and Dr. Li knows no-one has used them in decades. It’s recommended the player take the same route to avoid having to fight or sneak through the dangerous main entrance.
Unfortunately, as the player comes within a few blocks of the secret tunnel, there’s a loud nuke-style earth-shaking explosion. The player reaches the quest marker to find a caved-in building.
This creates an element of mystery, to say nothing of paranoia. James makes his way through a secret tunnel and a few days later, it’s blown to pieces? Was James caught? Who would have the knowledge and intent and munitions to perform that kind of detonation? The player discovers that they have an enemy they haven’t seen, who hasn’t seen them, but who has already acted against their family’s interests.
Continue reading ⟩⟩ “Overhaulout Part 6: Purity of Purpose”
