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My husband... he's a Ranger, and he... he got murdered by a pack of Fiends. Goddamn savages laid his body out to rot.Christina Morales

A Final Plan for Esteban[Non-game 1] is an unmarked quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Quick walkthrough[]

Unmarked Quest: A Final Plan for Esteban 
Reach the concourse at Camp McCarran and speak with Private Christina Morales;
agree to help return her husband Esteban's body to the NCR
Reach the site of Ranger Morales' corpse near the REPCONN headquarters
Carry the body to the pair of NCR troopers at the checkpoint slightly northwest. 
Return to Pvt. Morales. 
Reward: Karma gain
Discounted services from Dr. Kemp
Reward: 50 caps
Discounted services from Dr. Kemp 

Detailed walkthrough[]

The quest is started by traveling to Camp McCarran outside the southern wall around the Strip and going through the terminal building to reach the concourse. If one entered from the terminal building, they would see Private Christina Morales seated on benches immediately to the left. Speaking with her for the first time, Christina mistakes them for a messenger from Colonel Hsu that he had changed his mind. When asked why, she explains that she has been petitioning Army leadership to help retrieve the body of her fallen husband, Ranger Esteban Morales from the Fiends who killed him, but nothing has come of it until now; she mentions that Jackson, a friend and fellow Ranger of Esteban's, tried but lost his life as well. One can then offer to help retrieve her late husband's body, for which Christina is thankful but warns them about the traps set up by the Fiends around the ambush site close to the REPCONN headquarters and suggests they confer with the troopers at a checkpoint set up north of the site to learn more.

The site of Ranger Morales' body then becomes a map marker located just northeast of the REPCONN headquarters, to the southeast of Camp McCarran. If one approaches from the northwest, they may be stopped by an NCR trooper at the checkpoint, where he can be told about their mission for Pvt. Morales. He will agree to let them pass and offers information on the layout of the Fiends' overwatch on the dead Ranger: the Fiends posted several snipers on the surrounding buildings, and most points of access are littered with bear traps and mines intended to catch approaching troopers and leave them vulnerable to gunfire from above.

Once one is able to deal with the Fiends and locate Ranger Morales' body, use the "carry object" function to lift the body and bring it back to the checkpoint, then agreeing to let the troopers take over the handling from there. Return to Christina in the concourse to complete the quest, earning a small amount of caps or declining a reward and garnering Karma gain. If one's reputation with the NCR is positive, the next time speaking with Dr. Kemp in the concourse, he will commend them for their actions and offer a discount on his medical services.

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
1 Private Morales has asked me to find and retrieve the corpse of her dead husband. His body is apparently being used as a lure to draw in NCR troops and slaughter them. Better keep a look out for traps and snipers...
2 The body is just east of REPCONN HQ and I should carry it to the troopers camped out on the north side of the railroad tracks.
3Quest finishedI managed to get Ranger Morales' corpse away from the Fiends. I should return to Pvt. Morales and let her know her husband's body is safe.

Notes[]

  • Though both Christina and one of the troopers at the barricade mention the death of Ranger Jackson, there is no reward for returning his body to the troopers; Jackson's body is near the rigged shotgun trap between two nearby buildings (sometimes the body may not spawn).
  • During the body retrieval, the trooper at the checkpoint will have unique dialogue if one brought the body back and either took significant damage[1] or no damage at all.[2]
  • Before completing the quest, troopers at Camp McCarran can be heard complaining about the NCR not retrieving the body and how it affects Pvt. Morales.
    • After completing the quest, Mr. New Vegas can be heard over Radio New Vegas making a report about the heroic deed and Christina Morales' gratitude.
  • Knocking a Fiend sniper off the roof onto the landmines placed around Ranger Morales' body does not appear to set them off.

Bugs[]

  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 PCPC Sometimes, the Fiends will respawn even after retrieving Morales' corpse, and will attack the player upon fast traveling to REPCONN HQ. This may be caused by delivering the body to the troopers but then putting off reporting this development to Private Morales.[verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 A non-player character may accidentally detonate the mines around the corpse, blowing Private Morales to pieces and not allowing the quest's completion. [verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 Colonel Hsu doesn't always thank you for bringing the body back, after speaking to Pvt. Morales again. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Mines fail to appear around the corpse, while the tripwire shotgun and bear traps are still in place. [verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes Pvt. Christina Morales disappears from the McCarran Concourse Hall after you have started it. If you go to the body, there are no NCR Troopers around to take it to. [verified]
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes, if you mess about or leave the body at any point (or enter internal locations which require the game to go to a loading screen), it will disappear leaving no other option but to return to an earlier save point and return to the body's location to complete the quest. [verified]
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Ranger Morales is in pieces before you get even close to the body. There are no mines by it. This means that you cannot complete the quest. He may also be stuck inside the pavement, in which case you cannot shoot him. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Esteban can be seen blinking even though he is dead. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes, you won't receive the mission after talking to Pvt. Christina Morales, but you will be able to complete it regardless, just not get any reward for it. [verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 The NCR trooper at the barricade may comment on how the player sacrificed so much for a stranger and ask if they need a medic, even if the player took no damage and has full health with no broken limbs. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes, You will hear NCR troopers say "We still haven't got Morales' body back from the fiends. Sure doesn't inspire confidence in the guys you're serving with." even though you have already taken his corpse back and spoke to private Morales and gotten your reward. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 The body of Morales' friend Ranger Jackson may not spawn between two of the buildings north of Morales' body, by a rigged shotgun & tripwire. [verified]

References[]

  1. NCR trooper: "Oh my God, are you okay? You've gotta get to a medic. Doc Kemp can patch you up back at base. How could you just sacrifice your body like that? You never even met him. If the NCR doesn't have a medal for this, they should make one up."
    (NCRCorpseGuard1.txt)
  2. NCR trooper: "I don't believe it. Who the hell are you, [man/lady]? How did you just walk right up and pull him out of there?"
    (NCRCorpseGuard1.txt)

Non-game

  1. Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition pp.312–313: "Free Quest: A Final Plan for Esteban"
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