Stealing Independence

Fallout 3 Guide - Miscellaneous Quests

Stealing Independence

|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯|
|HOW TO UNLOCK: Speak with Lincoln Washington in Rivet City at the Capitol     |
|               Preservation Center, nearby the Science Lab, Mid Deck.         |
|                                                                              |
|ITEMS: [] Archives Prize Voucher, [] Special Mentats, [] Frag Mines,          |
|       [] Sydney's 10mm "Ultra" SMG, [] Safe, [] Archives Prize Voucher x6,   |
|       [] Ammo Box x2, [] Safe, [] First Aid Box, [] Darts x 20, [] Ammo      |
|          Box x2, [] Frag Grenade x3, [] Pulse Grenade, [] Shotgun Shells x2, |
|       [] First Aid Box, [] Ammo Box x2, [] Mentats, [] Grenade Box x2,       |
|       [] First Aid Box, [] Mine Box x2, [] RadAway, [] Sheet Music Book,     |
|       [] Ammo Box, [] Grenade Box, [] Mine Box, [] Stimpak, [] Ammo Box x3,  |
|       [] First Aid Box, [] Laser Rifle, [] Mini Nuke, [] Stealth Boy,        |
|       [] Duck and Cover!, [] Metal Armor, [] Metal Helmet, [] Mine Box,      |
|       [] Microfusion Cell x2, [] Stimpak, [] First Aid Box, [] Ammo Box,     |
|       [] Mine Box, [] Ammo Box x5, [] Grenade Box, [] Mine Box, [] First Aid |
|          Box, [] Lying, Congressional Style, [] Bill of Rights, [] Ammo      |
|          Box x3, [] Grenade Box, [] Mine Box, [] Magna Carta, [] Stronghold  |
|          Security Terminal Password, [] Button's Wig, [] Safe x2,            |
|       [] Declaration of Independence.                                        |
|                                                                              |
|QUEST REWARD: [] Schematic: Railway Rifle.                                    |
| (300 EXP)    [] 400 Caps (if you come alone).                                |
|                                                                              |
|ENEMIES: o Super Mutant    o Super Mutant Brute    o Super Mutant Master      |
|         o Centaur                                                            |
|                                                                              |
 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Talk to Lincoln Washington at the Capitol Preservation Center on board of Rivet City.  He'll tell you that the Declaration of Independence is missing in his collection, and he'd like you to fetch it from the National Archives.  Head over to The Mall by fast traveling somewhere nearby.  You can go inside by front or by the back door.

National Archives Front Door:
Head through the hall and find two terminals on the back of the wall.  One terminal holds 8 questions and claims that you can win fabulous prizes.  Let's try it, shall we?  If you always were a lamer at history, check for the answers below.  Otherwise, try the questions yourself: You can back out of the terminal at any given time to try again.
Answer #1: Second Continental Congress.
Answer #2: Thirteen.
Answer #3: John Hancock.
Answer #4: 56.
Answer #5: Ratification.
Answer #6: King George III.
Answer #7: Happiness.
Answer #8: Thomas Jefferson.

Claim the [ARCHIVES PRIZE VOUCHER] and collect your prize, one out of three special mentats (a weird prize for a Museum if you ask me - drugs?). 
Glamorously Grape  = 5 CHR.
Brilliantly Berry  = 5 INT.
Observantly Orange = 5 PER.

These Mentats are unique, so use them extremely sparingly - or not at all.

Head into the Rotunda to the north and lay several mines at the entrance, then move in and beware of tons of mines yourself.  Move over to Sydney, the woman who looks like a ranger, then prepare for two waves of Super Mutants.  The first wave will mostly be taken care of my any mines, but the second wave has a mutant with a Missile Launcher.  Kill this one ASAP and make sure Sydney survives the fight.  Talk to her when it's over.

After teaming up with Sydney, head over to her terminal nearby her initial position and use the ‘Unlock Rotunda Cargo Lift' option.  This reveals a secret elevator leading to the Archival Secure Wing East.  Disarm all [FRAG MINES] in the Rotunda, then choose from a number of paths.

Note: If Sydney is killed before you had the chance to use her terminal, you'll have to make your way through the eastern door from the main hall, follow the path downstairs to an ‘easy' locked door (beware of a cow-head-trap when going downstairs) and go from there.

Note: It's not necessary to keep Sydney alive at all costs.  If she dies, be sure to keep her unique [SYDNEY'S 10MM “ULTRA” SMG] safe.  We wouldn't want it to get lost, right?

Note: If you want to do a small Freeform Quest with Sydney (with as reward the aforementioned machine gun), you'll need to keep her alive.

Note: Also head through the east door from the main hall and head upstairs and locate the wall [SAFE] in this office room.  This always holds [ARCHIVES PRIZE VOUCHER x6], which you can exchange for special Mentats at the terminal in the main hall.  Tip: If you have a near-perfect/allround built it may be wise to grab as much as you can from the Glamorously Grape Mentats, since these increase your low-as-hell CHR.  The Brilliantly Berry flavour can also be useful if you want temporary max stats.

Note: You can also explore the western area and look for useful items (but also Super Mutants).  Feel free to glance at the ‘Entering from the back' section and use it backwards to find all the items.

Entering from the back:
You'll come across several Super Mutants and a Centaur along this route.  Beware of Frag Mines on your right (west).  Head left (east) and look for two [AMMO BOXES] between two bookcases.  Also check this area for an ‘Average' [SAFE], and look for a [FIRST AID BOX] on the ground near the destroyed cabinets.

The rest of the eastern path leads to several rooms with nothing but junk.  It also leads to a locked door which is an optional path soon.  Either way, from the back entrance it's better to explore the western area.  Don't bother with the southern door - it only has a trap behind it. The classrooms to the very west contain [DARTS x20] on a desk in the first room, and two [AMMO BOXES], [FRAG GRENADE x3] and a [PULSE GRENADE] in the second room, marked with an ‘A'.

Head upstairs at the end of the hall and check the bookcase on your left to find [2x SHOTGUN SHELLS] and a Combat Shotgun.  Clear the area from mutants and check both restrooms for a [FIRST AID BOX] in each.  Explore the southern room and look for two [AMMO BOXES] and [MENTATS] in the NW corner, but also loot any filled cabinets for caps or ammo.  The elevator to the Archival Storage is locked, so head back to the previous room adjacent to the restrooms and go up the stairs by moving through the SE hall. 

Waste a few more mutants and make your way in the room upstairs.  You'll be able to find a [GRENADE BOX x2] and a [FIRST AID BOX] on a desk, two [MINE BOXES] of which one is averagely locked, and a [RADAWAY] in one of the corners.  Make your way east to the main hall of the building - where you would end up going through the front door.

Going by the Locked Door:
If you use the secret elevator you can skip these paragraphs.  The locked door leads to the Archives Sub-Basement.  Head downstairs and search this messy storage room for a [SHEET MUSIC BOOK] on the lowest shelf of a case against the western wall, and a [GRENADE BOX], [AMMO BOX] and [MINE BOX], plus a [STIMPAK] on top of a bookcase.

The area on your south is engulfed with gas, so it's best to roll a grenade inside and keep your distance to keep from getting fried.  There are several other mutants roaming the room, so do your duty and get rid of them.  Search the southern room to find three well packed [AMMO BOXES] and a [FIRST AID BOX].  Now head downstairs (or carefully jump down) and proceed through the northern hallway, once again filled with highly flammable gas.

Tread with caution, grab the [LASER RIFLE] from the skeleton - should you need it, he/she won't miss it - and head upstairs.  The gate on your left is locked and is ‘Very Hard' to unlock, meaning 100 Lockpick Skill.  If you have this by now you can trespass to find a [MINI NUKE], [STEALTH BOY], [DUCK AND COVER!], [METAL ARMOR] and [METAL HELMET].  If you don't, remember this location for later.  Head for the Archival Secure Wing East.

Archival Secure Wing East:
The elevator from the Rotunda leads here, which grants you a significant short-cut over the other route.  You can still collect the items there if you're interested.  If you're not, or if you came from there, proceed north and deal with a Mister Gutsy robot.
You once again have two options: If your Science Skill is high enough you can open the Utility Gate and skip the western walkway.  If you can't open it, make your way through the western hall instead.  You are granted a secondary shortcut by means of an averagely locked door and a walkway filled with gas that leads to the same room the utility gate led to.  However, you may want to explore some more, so leave it alone for now.  Find a [MINE BOX], [MICROFUSION CELL x2], [STIMPAK] and Laser Rifle near the skeleton in the first room to your left.  Check the Cash Registers for loads of Pre-war money altogether.

The second room to your left contains a [FIRST AID BOX] and [AMMO BOX].  Go around the corner and find a [MINE BOX] in one of the metal cases.  Don't forget to ransack all Cash Registers.  Dispose of the Sentry Bot and continue east.  Dispose of any Mister Gutsy or Protectron standing in your way and head down when you reach the large room (this is where the Utility Gate led to as well).  Go through the door and enter another walkway.

You'll find an average locked door on the west, two of them upon closer inspection, and they lead to a storage with loads of supplies.  Destroy the two Mark IV Turrets in the storage room itself and grab all of the following:
[AMMO BOX x5], [GRENADE BOX], [MINE BOX], [FIRST AID BOX], [LYING, CONGRESSIONAL STYLE] and the [ARCHIVES SECURITY SAFE - with the BILL OF RIGHTS].

Back at the hallway, the ‘Hard' locked door to your right only represents a shortcut.  Funny thing by the way: The storage being locked by two average doors and a regular hallway door being ‘Hard'.  Don't mind me, I like nitpicking. :)

Continue north but be warned:  This area has three Sentry Bots and a Mister Gutsy patrolling the rooms.  Use Pulse Grenades and Mines, because these are tough foes your messing with.  The western stairs lead down to a dead-end room with a dead Mercenary and a Sentry Bot.

The eastern storage room, accessed by going through the northern hallway first, looks similar to the previous: One averagely locked door and two more Mark IV Turrets guard the goods.  Find [AMMO BOXES x3], [GRENADE BOX], [MINE BOX] and the [MAGNA CARTA] from the safe.  Now make your way through the northernmost door of the area that leads to the Archival Strongroom.

Archival Strongroom:
You're promptly greeted by a protectron who thinks he's Button Gwinnet.  He holds the [STRONGHOLD SECURITY TERMINAL PASSWORD], and you need it.  How to resolve this?

1. Use Speech Challenge to ensure Gwinnet that you are one of the good guys, in fact you're either Thomas Jefferson or his agent!
2. Fetch the Ink Container for Gwinnet, if you haven't gotten it already from the Arlington Public Library.  Check out ‘Librarians are not boring', the 9th part of the Wasteland Survival Guide quest for details on where to find this.
3. Kill him and grab it off him.

Search the room and the various cabinets.  Also grab the unique [BUTTON'S WIG] from the ground.  It has some uses, but foremostly adorable.  Ahem.

With the password in hand, use the terminal and unlock all Strongroom and East Wing doors.  Search the storage room for two [SAFES] and the [DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE] in the main safe.  Head through the western maintenance area for a shortcut, make your way east to the main hall, and set foot for Rivet City.

Locate Abraham Washington and claim your reward: [RAILWAY GUN SCHEMATICS].  If you arrive without Sydney, you also get to claim 400 Caps.