The Nellis array is a location within Nellis Air Force Base in the Mojave Wasteland in Fallout: New Vegas.
Background[]
As part of its attempt to be self-sufficient and not rely on the power grid of nearby Las Vegas, the top brass at Nellis AFB built a solar panel array to collect and store the thermal energy of sunlight to power the base's generators. Following the Great War after which the base was heavily irradiated, the solar array was left abandoned.
Around five decades before 2281, when a splinter group of armed residents from Vault 34 occupied and settled Nellis, becoming known as the Boomers, they discovered the array's potential to keep Nellis self-sufficient, which appealed to the Boomers and they got it working again.
Around 2281, however, a combination of some panels being rendered inoperable due to wear and tear, and an infestation of giant ants within the building itself forced the array to be shut down until both issues could be resolved.
Layout[]
Exterior[]
On top of the building is the eponymous solar array, composed of a total of sixteen panels, at least four or five of which are initially broken; if Sunshine Boogie is completed for the Boomers, the broken panels will be fixed.
There is a computer terminal by the gate. Until the generators are powered back on, it displays the error message "ERROR #P38C4K" "Generator power source unavailable"
. It checks array efficiency when the array is operational again (120% at best).
Interior[]
The inside of the facility is simple, consisting of a small room with a doorway straight ahead of the entrance and another door to the left. The forward door leads to an enclosed gangway that goes over the main generator room below. To the left is another room with a door to the right. The door leads to an exposed gangway with stairs that lead down to the lower level.
The area below the building is sectioned into two areas. The stairs lead into the smaller of the two sections with electric transformers and generators. The larger room contains more electrical equipment, an exit, shelving with ammunition boxes, artillery shells, and giant ant nectar. The exit leads to another exit to the outside by way of a tunnel. There are several generators in the lower level of the array building, which are off by default.
The high and low levels of the interior are occupied by a great number of giant ants, which are can either be killed manually or their nest on the lower level can be used along with a sonic emitter to drive off/kill them all immediately.
Notable loot[]
- Two mini nukes - On and around shelves on the north end of the room near the door to the tunnel.
- Thump-Thump - Found along with some ammunition next to a skeleton in the southeastern corner of the bottom floor, to the left of the ant mound where Loyal's sonic emitter is placed.
- Marksman carbine - On a dead Boomer.
Notes[]
- The parts to repair the solar array that are scavenged from HELIOS One comes from solar reflectors (mirrors) whereas the Nellis array consists of solar panels (photovoltaic cells); their technological models are distinctly different while accomplishing the same goal of harvesting solar energy.
- After Volare! is completed, the interior of the array cannot be accessed without a key, which is non-existent; if the unique Thump-Thump is not acquired before completing that quest, it will be unobtainable.
Appearances[]
The Nellis array appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.
Behind the scenes[]
- The message on the exterior terminal,
"ERROR #P38C4K" "Generator power source unavailable"
is a play on the PEBCAK error code. - The Nellis array is located in roughly the same geographical area as the Nellis Solar Power Plant, constructed in 2007 at the real-world Nellis Air Force Base.
Gallery[]
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