The Community center terminal entries are a series of entries found on terminals at the Atlantic City community center in the Fallout 76 update America's Playground.
Frieda's Research Terminal[]
Frieda's Research Terminal |
Header | Welcome to ROBCO Industries (TM) Termlink |
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| Welcome text | Welcome LANE, FRIEDA! | |
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Research Data[]
[Chloroplasts?!][]
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| FRIEDA'S RESEARCH TERMINAL |
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Decided to take a skin sample off of one of the corpses and take a look at it under a microscope. There's quite a few left over here in the Community Center from when they used to run a kids' science club before the bombs.
The cells are dead, sure, but they're animal cells, not plant cells. There's no cell wall and I can see the presence of lysosomes. But here's what gets me: there's chloroplasts! Now, I'm not exactly a biologist, but even I know that's not normal. Would explain why the Overgrown are green, though.
All this effort, and all I've figured out is why they're green. Nice.
[Regenerative Properties][]
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| FRIEDA'S RESEARCH TERMINAL |
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The Overgrown have always seemed very hardy to me. A little too hardy. I decided to damage each "type" (in containment of course) and see what happens. Do they heal naturally like we do? If so, is their rate of healing faster or slower than ours? These are all important questions to have about our adversaries.
I'm not really sure what moniker to give each "type" so I just made up a few names. I call 'em Tentacles, Roadrunner, and Hulk. They don't seem wise enough to be offended anyhow.
Roadrunner: No regeneration observed alone. They seem to be totally brainless and just attack relentlessly. Doesn't even seem to register bodily harm.
Hulk: Has more intelligence than the other two. Can use weapons and doors, but still unable to communicate in any way. Shows some signs of self-preservation, but still rather stupid.
Tentacles: Basically just a floating sack of ugly. Has a follower personality and goes wherever Hulk and Roadrunner do. What IS amazing about Tentacles, is that while it rarely will heal itself, Hulk and Roadrunner show signs of tissue regeneration when in close proximity to it. It tends to prefer to follow Hulk, but will go to Roadrunner as a second option if it can't find Hulk.
It seems like the creatures have a mutual symbiotic relationship: Tentacles can't protect itself, so it relies on Hulk and Roadrunner. But Roadrunner and Hulk can't heal themselves, so that's where Tentacles comes in.
I wonder if they can communicate with each other somehow.
Personal Theories[]
Mutation Theory[]
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| FRIEDA'S RESEARCH TERMINAL |
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Now, technically any theory about the Overgrown could be considered "Mutation Theory" given that we only started seeing them after the bombs, but this is a more simplified, over-arching idea. Mutation Theory, in my mind, is that the Overgrown are simply a mutated species of plant (or several different species, considering they vary pretty significantly in appearance) that coincidentally became mostly bipedal (apart from the floating ones). They just HAPPENED to resemble humans, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have any ties or biological similarities to humans beyond their appearances.
While this is the most "sane" theory, it doesn't explain why some of them can do "human-like" things, like use weapons or open doors. Surely that would require some sort of superior intelligence! It also doesn't explain why their cells are animal cells, and not plant cells. They seem like some sort of corrupted hybrid of the two, which is NOT normal in the slightest.
But radiation does crazy things, doesn't it?
Zombie Theory[]
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| FRIEDA'S RESEARCH TERMINAL |
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This is probably the craziest theory of all the ones I've had about the Overgrown. Zombie Theory is basically the idea that the Overgrown are the reanimated corpses of dead humans. As for how they become plant-like, I have no idea. But it's impossible to deny the uncanny resemblance they have to humans in both intelligence and appearance. I can't quite explain the floating ones as they clearly don't look much like us and are about as smart as a rock, but the fast ones and the big ones? Definite resemblance.
It doesn't help that when we hear about people going missing near areas where we KNOW there are Overgrown, there's suddenly an influx of even MORE Overgrown. And those people are never seen again. Could a person possibly turn into an Overgrown? How does this even work? Do they have to be dead for it to happen? Or could it even happen while alive?
This is a bit doubtful. If "Zombie Theory" is true, only dead humans should be able to turn into Overgrown. For as many people that we've lost to the Overgrown, there's been quite a few hardy individuals who have faced off against them in close quarters and won. These people should've surely "turned" after surviving the battle, but are right as rain to this day.
Parasite Theory[]
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| FRIEDA'S RESEARCH TERMINAL |
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I must say, I give the most credence to this theory as it lines up with my studies. My "Parasite Theory" is that there is some sort of bacteria that enters a living organism, like a human, and takes over the body, corrupting it into an Overgrown. Actually, I retract the word "living" from that earlier statement. We've never seen a single instance of a living person turn into an Overgrown or show any signs of illness after exposure to them (assuming they weren't killed), so this parasitic infection would only be able to latch onto the recently deceased.
This would explain why the cells of the Overgrown's bodies are a strange hybrid between plant and animal, but never entirely one or the other. The lack of a cell wall and their overall structure tells me these were probably originally animals that were infected by a plant bacterium.
Additionally, this would ALSO tell us why Overgrown tend to vary pretty wildly in appearance and intelligence. Perhaps humans are only one of the possible "victims" of this parasite, but other organisms could fall victim to it as well.
At the end of the day, while this may sound a bit crazy, these are all just theories. All I can do is observe and rationalize, but it doesn't change the fact that we have NO idea what these things are.
Abandoned Terminal[]
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Terminal |
Header | Welcome to ROBCO Industries (TM) Termlink |
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| Welcome text | Welcome DAY, CARLY! | |
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Intra-Mail[]
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Harrison, Jim: Lots of complaints...[]
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| PROPERTY OF THE ATLANTIC CITY MAYORAL OFFICE |
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FROM: Harrison, Jim
TO: Day, Carly
SUBJECT: Lots of complaints...
Carly,
To say the people are getting restless would be an understatement. All aspects of their lives that they once took for granted are slowly slipping away. You NEED to do something, just, anything! Strong arm the Family, get those clowns on the Boardwalk to help out somehow, literally anything! I'm getting letter after letter of "concerned citizens" that are starting to turn into threats. Just got one from a farmer on the outskirts trying to contact you. Said the Family tried to steal his crops and kill him and his wife. If the Family's getting that desperate, you know the situation's dire.
People are starving, Carly. You can sit here in your "tower" all day playing it safe and letting the others run things while Atlantic City burns, but you and I both know what happens when people starve.
Heads roll. Government heads.
Please, for the love of God, do your job.
Jim
White, Allison: Re: Notice to All Employees[]
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| PROPERTY OF THE ATLANTIC CITY MAYORAL OFFICE |
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FROM: White, Allison
TO: Day, Carly
SUBJECT: Re: Notice to All Employees
Hey, Carly. Here's a notice for you: my resignation.
Go fuck yourself.
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
To all current employees of the Atlantic City Mayoral Office:
This past year has been unprecedented, and humanity as a whole has faced challenges unlike anything it has ever encountered before. The only silver lining we've faced in all of this strife is the companionship that comes with us taking it all on together.
Unfortunately, due to staffing shortages caused by obvious reasons, we were unable to collect enough taxes this year in order to meet our targets. As you can imagine, budget cuts will need to be made in order to accommodate this unforeseen issue. We have decided to withhold the compensational rations of all employees until further notice.
You will still receive your basic ration package as a resident of Atlantic City. If there are any questions or concerns with this policy, please direct them to my secretary, Jim Harrison.
Thank you once again for a year of dedicated work to keeping this city running.
Sincerely,
Mayor Carly Day
Harrison, Jim: URGENT[]
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| PROPERTY OF THE ATLANTIC CITY MAYORAL OFFICE |
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FROM: Harrison, Jim
TO: Day, Carly
SUBJECT: URGENT
Carly,
There must be something you can spare. A few cans? You must have some bottled water, surely! I haven't had a single morsel to eat in 6 days now...everything I make goes straight to my daughter. Please, I'm begging you. If I-if something happens to me, there'll be no one left to take care of her. I know I've already got my rations for this month, but it's just not enough. It never is.
We'll take any food or water you can spare.
-Jim
Personal Logs[]
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[August 6th, 2076][]
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| PROPERTY OF THE ATLANTIC CITY MAYORAL OFFICE |
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Trying to pick up some better productivity habits by starting a daily journal. Never been able to stick to one before, but maybe this time will be different.
Polls are showing it'll be another landslide election this year. But it always is. This city basically runs itself. Or, rather, the staff I've hired run it themselves. Now it's just a matter of riding out the next four years until I hit a nice, cushy retirement.
Then I'll have plenty of time for journaling.
[August 8th, 2076][]
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| PROPERTY OF THE ATLANTIC CITY MAYORAL OFFICE |
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Missed a day. Need to get better about that.
There's been a lot of hullabaloo on the news lately about China. I can't help but feel a little uneasy. I'm sure it's just the media's fearmongering cutting through, and that all of this bravado is just political posturing. It happens all the time.
But there's just been this feeling in my gut that it's more than that. I don't know. It's probably nothing. I need to stop overthinking it. Getting my thoughts down here helped a bit, come to think of it.
[October 25th, 2077][]
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| PROPERTY OF THE ATLANTIC CITY MAYORAL OFFICE |
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How fortuitous this forgotten journal would be...
So this is it. Nuclear armageddon. The end of days. The apocalypse. Things look grim, but my biggest concern isn't even the radiation. It's the fact that I, along with many in Atlantic City, are alive and kicking. They still expect me to be their mayor, to lead them and care for them. How the HELL am I supposed to do that?! I'm sorry, is there some sort of guidebook on how to lead a city during the apocalypse?
I've still got some of my staff here. And we have enough food, for now. Just need to make sure I reserve a chunk of it for myself...
[February 14th, 2078][]
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| PROPERTY OF THE ATLANTIC CITY MAYORAL OFFICE |
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Today would be Valentine's Day had the world not been incinerated. Never thought I'd find myself saying that line, but here we are.
Rations are starting to thin out, and people are becoming worried. The Family assures me that they'll take care of it. We're not getting any more income from them, and I don't have the manpower to enforce any form of taxation. My staff are dropping like flies with both resignation letters and obituaries being the culprits.
I've got enough to keep me going for now. We'll just have to wait it out...
[May 18th, 2078][]
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| PROPERTY OF THE ATLANTIC CITY MAYORAL OFFICE |
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There's no more food. The rations are almost all gone. For most, that is. I still have my personal supply.
Money is worthless these days. Paper money. Some of the locals have started exchanging bottle caps, saying they picked up the habit from traders passing through. But the real trade is for food, medicine, water... things we hardly have enough of.
I'm cutting the pay of whatever staff I've got left. There just isn't enough to go around. In the meantime, I've asked the Family to send some of their people to the farms on the city outskirts and see if they can strongarm any extra crops out of them. But I'm not too hopeful they'll be able to find anything that isn't irradiated.