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For the Miss Nanny robot companion from Fallout 4, see Curie. |
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Mother Curie III, or Curie the Third,[1] is a member of the Church of the Children of Atom and the founder and leader of the Apostles of the Eternal Light in the Fallout 3 add-on Broken Steel.
Background[]
Mother Curie is from Megaton.[2] Ever since her childhood, she believed she was destined for something special, but she always convinced herself otherwise. That ended when she fell asleep while listening to one of Confessor Cromwell's sermons one day. In her sleep, she dreamt of meeting a "Prophet of Atom" enveloped in glowing radiation who called her to the purpose of spreading Atom's message; the strength of her newfound belief is such that only the said Prophet of Atom could ever convince her she was wrong.[3]
Apostles of the Eternal Light[]
In her vision, Atom called upon his flock to seek not Division, but instead "Enlightenment;" she believes that salvation in Eternal Light can only be attained through Atom's supreme and total Enlightenment[4][5] -- in other words, salvation is only possible by taking in radiation and becoming a ghoul, though few are able to surpass the level of Enlightenment and reach Eternal Light (taking in so much radiation that they achieve a visible glow).[6][7] They see this transformation as a "rebirth" for the suffering so that they no longer fall to starvation, illness, or age, needing only "Atom's Glow" (radiation) to be happy.[8][9]
Curie would eventually convince some of Cromwell's other followers, such as Brother Gerard, to reject his ways and follow her teachings (seeing the notion of Division as misguided and the atomic bomb in Megaton as a "Great Symbol of Atom.")[9] They went on to found a new order of the cult in Springvale, the Apostles of the Eternal Light. They constructed their monastery in a ruined home, adding exterior walls in front and installing a tabernacle. From the podium, radiation devices can be activated on the pulpit to irradiate new prospects, between which a bathtub rests. The actual order resides in the basement, while Brother Gerard remains outside as a gatekeeper.
Holy Water[]
It was in Springvale, sometime after the formation of the Water Distribution Network, that Curie was approached by four members of the Brotherhood of Steel who were making a water delivery to Megaton. When Curie told them where she was from, they gave her the barrels of Aqua Pura they were carrying and told her to share it with her people.[10] However, in her religious stupor, Mother Curie took their instructions as another divine message from Atom; she interpreted the Brotherhood members as "armored angels" of Atom who gave her the water to be "blessed" with radiation in order to spread the cult's Enlightenment to everyone.[2][11] Curie quickly set to work overseeing irradiation of the holy water, which has kept her inside the monastery ever since, while Gerard remains outside offering holy water to passersby. In their eyes, this is a noble humanitarian mission, bringing salvation and "warmth" to the suffering people of the wasteland;[12][13][14] however, they do not even tell recipients that it is irradiated.[15][16]
Curie is so focused on her work that she is totally unprepared for any "casual" visitors.[12][17] Firmly believing that she is helping the needy, she is oblivious to the harm her actions could cause, such as the deaths of beggars already sickened by radiation, or the growing unrest in Megaton due to the loss of their intended water shipment, which could quickly spiral into violence. She is used to religious persecution and refuses to answer violence with violence,[18] although the rest of her flock may not be so kind.[19] Although she is a zealous believer in her faith, she will tolerate those who don't practice it.[20] The fact that her own son has (at some point) become a glowing one has only strengthened her beliefs, as she views him as having achieved the final steps of the journey to Eternal Light such that his mind has now transcended the mortal realm (not realizing the radiation has simply erased most of his higher functions, with only instinct keeping him from attacking his mother).[Non-game 1]
Curie III can be convinced that people cannot be forced into accepting "salvation," in that deceiving wastelanders with irradiated water to spread the word of their cult is wrong and a mockery of her faith.[21][22] Alternatively, as she states, she is convinced that only a divine revelation from the Prophet of Atom could convince her to change her ways -- a fact which could be exploited by someone willing to irradiate themselves to the extent of being visibly glowing, and able to survive it.[23][24][25]
Interactions with the player character[]
Interactions overview[]
| Interactions | ||
|---|---|---|
  |
This character is involved in quests. | |
Quests[]
- Holy Water: The Lone Wanderer has the choice of persuading Curie to stop distributing the holy water to others, or stopping her by killing her and her followers.
Effects of player's actions[]
- Mother Curie III appears as a hostile feral ghoul reaver if Megaton is blown up after starting Holy Water. According to Brother Gerard, who will also be transformed into a ghoul, this occurs because he and Mother Curie are preaching in Megaton when the bomb goes off.[Non-game 2][26]
- Although armed with a weapon, Mother Curie III is a peaceful character and does not become hostile if one kills Brother Gerard in order to enter the monastery, or by way of antagonizing speech options. If threatened, she states that she expected some form of religious persecution and that she refuses to respond to violence with violence. If the Lone Wanderer initiates combat against the Apostles, Curie will simply cower and flee, although the rest of her followers will attack.
Inventory[]
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items | On death |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wastelander outfit | Low tier weapon |
Notes[]
- She doesn't like profanity in the monastery.[20]
- Should the player have completed the quest Project Impurity by infecting the water supply with modified FEV Curie III would've irradiated the water effectively neutralizing the virus.[14]
Notable quotes[]
- "Why... you ARE the Prophet of Atom! I didn't recognize you until now... Your eyes are aglow, your very skin radiates with Atom's Heat! I didn't realize... My Lord, now that you have revealed yourself to me, I do... I see the errors of my ways. Forgive me, for I knew not what I was doing... we will spread your word without the use of the holy water... we will return the Aqua Pura to Megaton. It shall be a test: the worthy will seek us out, and finding us they will find the Message of Atom, drinking the Waters of Light in their souls. Yes! I leave you now, Lord. I can not bear to look upon your shining face any longer."
- "Why, to offer Enlightenment to all those who suffer, of course. No more, no less. Atom came to me with a vision: the starving, the ill, the weak, all being made whole and well by receiving the sacrament of Atom's Glow. And so, with our holy water, we can make this vision a reality. When exposed to Atom's supreme Glow, the ill are reborn in his glowing visage. Those reborn never hunger, never suffer, and never age. All our Enlightened brethren need is to know Atom's Glow, and they are happy."
- "Thank you for choosing wisdom over violence."
- "Children of the Light, hear my words and feel Atom's warmth! For too long, our world has been barren, and our people have become empty. Their hearts have become dry and cold, and thirst consumes the weak and the strong alike. But we can save them! For Atom's bounty has granted us the gifts of mercy and compassion! Oh, my brethren, let us share with them the Waters of Light! Let them be fulfilled by Atom! Let them know his glow and be truly Enlightened! And let them live forever, and walk with us in the grace of Atom's Glow, and never be empty again!"[27]
- "Be at peace, dear."
- "Strive for the Eternal Light."
- "May Atom be with you, always."
- "May you know Eternal Light."[28]
- "Give it time, child. Soon Atom will enlighten your eyes and you will come to realize the truth for yourself."[29]
- "You may not agree with us, but you need not mock our beliefs. The Prophet of Atom would be so aglow as to outshine the sun. You are not he/she."[25]
Appearances[]
Mother Curie III appears only in the Broken Steel add-on for Fallout 3.
Behind the scenes[]
Mother Curie III's name is a reference to Dr. Marie Curie, the discoverer of radiation and two radioactive elements, who eventually died of radiation poisoning.
Gallery[]
References[]
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Non-game
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.97: "Son of Atom
When a human transcends mortality and straddles the ether, they can be seen to be both living in the 'real' and 'spiritual' realm. Mother Curie III firmly believes her own son to have taken the final steps on this journey. In fact, much of her son's higher functions have disappeared, and only instinct is preventing this confused Glowing One from attacking."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census) - ↑ Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.86: "Mother Curie III
Overseeing the operation is Mother Curie, who believes firmly that she is doing Atom's will and helping the world grow, and they find that consecrated Aqua Pura is actually much more potent than any other 'dirty water.' She has prepared a rich and varied history to read to her 'flock.' Should you find her in her second state; she has received her greatest wish, as she bathed in the light of infinite candles, and reached a higher realm of consciousness. In fact, this worked so well, her mortal corpse has become a frothing, savage Ghoul with no knowledge of your previous interactions."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census)
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