Stealing Independence

Quest giver: Abraham Washington
Where: Rivet City

In the Capitol Preservation Society, Abraham Washington tasks you with finding the an important document if you're cordial enough. He's got all sorts of majestic relics but is only missing the greatest document of all, of which the principles of freedom our country was built on, the Declaration of Independence. Washington believes the document is nestled deep in the bowels of the National Archives, so that's where you will be headed. While you're at it, he'd reward you handsomely for any other artifacts of historical significance you bring him.

The National Archives is located near the Washington Monument in the Mall-you know what that means: Super Mutant-busting time. There are two ways into the Archive; you can approach it either from the front or rear, although the path from the main entrance is noticeably truncated. Either way you choose, you won't be side-stepping any rendezvous with Super Mutants. Inside the building, depending upon where you entered from, you have exploring to do before you reach a room half-filled with Mines and bump into someone who later introduces herself as Sydney...if she survives.

If you were anything like us, you haven't exactly kept a low profile scrounging around these parts, and you're likely to have a mob of Super Mutants fast-approaching to your location right about now. As you're partaking in this dance of death with the uglies, your primary focus is also to keep Sydney alive-she will be of immense help in a bit! Once the immediate threat of stampeding muties has been nullified, you realize Sydney is also after the Declaration. Agree to team up with her, and she tells you the Declaration is secured in the Archival Strongroom.

We strongly recommend taking her with you; she's more than just auxiliary fire. With her help, you gain access to the rotunda cargo lift, a quicker path to where you want to go. If she's died-worse yet by your filthy, blood-stained hands-or you've rebuffed her help, you are going to have to take a little more time to breach the same area you would've been in had you been more amicable.

A number of robotic nuisances attempt to thwart your efforts in advancing deeper in search of the Strongroom. Pulse Grenades work wonders against these metallic monsters. If you want additional experience and items, you can ignore the utility gate (which requires decent Science skill to rattle open) and head west toward the narrow corridor. Otherwise, the shorter route involves you going through the utility gate either by overcoming it with adequate Lockpick or Science skills. It's not a significant shortcut, but if you're keen on avoiding as many combat encounters as you can it can certainly help.

Further exploration can net you both the Bill of Rights and Magna Carta, both of which could fetch a handful of Caps. Stay true to your destination to the north with either your choice of sneaking or gunning down all robotic threats, and when you finally reach the strongroom you are greeted by a robot with a...wig. This is Button Gwinett, second governor of Georgia. Put your weapon away, for as long as you are courteous no harm will come to you. The only problem is Button's AI has not withstood the test of time and has been rewired, and so he believes you now stand before him as a Redcoat spy.

Depending on how you respond to him, things could get ugly. There are two civil options for you: pass a Speech check in which you convince Button you are Thomas Jefferson. The other option involves reconstructing a fake Declaration of Independence, but for that to work you need to bring Button ink from the Arlington Public Library-quite the lengthy process. By your good grace, you can order Button to continue the good fight or self-destruct-an entertaining sight, to be sure-with karmic consequences. Lastly, throw civility out the window and you are left with the only option to splatter its oily guts all over the floor and lay claim to its possessions, among them the Strongroom Security Terminal Password.

Whatever the outcome, be sure to grab the Declaration of Independence from one of the safes in the room behind Button's desk. Rummage around, and you will also find Button's Wig, which is pretty spiffy. When you've cleaned the place out, return to Rivet City to present the recovered document to the eager Washington. As payment, you are awarded 400 Caps (without Sydney) and the Railway Rifle Schematic. He will gladly take any other documents off your hands, too.