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As the Courier ran through the X-8 facility multiple times, the computers analyzed the test subject's movements. Rather than performing a superficial observation, they realized the subject barely knew what Communism was - or even what a high school was.Old World Blues ending slide

The X-8 research center, or the X-8 Bio-Mechanical Testing Facility,[1] is a location in Big MT in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Old World Blues.

Background[]

A research facility used for experimenting with biomechanical research, the X-8 research center's most recent project involved creating and testing cyberdogs. Dr. Borous became heavily involved in this project, even using his own pet dog Gabe as a test subject; Gabe was eventually turned into a cyberdog and sealed within an area of the facility. A sizable testing area was created within the research center, in the form of a pretend high school (ostensibly based on Borous' old high school American High) which the researchers claimed was for use in infiltration testing, but was actually to test the cyberdogs' ability to detect said infiltrators.[2] The K9000 cyberdog gun was also developed within X-8.

At some point, the facility received a shipment of night stalkers in place of standard dogs. When released, the creatures massacred the facility's shipping department, leaving Skippy as its only survivor and causing the area to be locked down.[3]

Layout[]

Situated far to the east of the Think Tank, upon entry, there are two doorways and a pair of windows into inaccessible operation rooms. The door to the left will lead to the X-8 splicing facility terminal, where combinations of different entities can be spliced together (some require requisite holotapes to be found first).

Going to the right leads to a research area and the doors to different areas: the testing facility, the testing facility observation wing, and the kennels. The testing facility itself is a multi-story mockup of an American high school (loosely based on American High). Using the computer next to the big doors into the testing facility allows access to the residential testing area, where Gabe resides. The kennels contain several big cages where cyberdogs and a shipment of night stalkers were kept.

Notable loot[]

OWB X-8 institutional test facility map

Institutional test facility map

OWB X-8 testing facility map

Testing facility map

Related quests[]

Notes[]

  • The terminals in the high school may change their location from test to test.
  • Several challenges are associated with the X-8 splicing facility terminal, and each rewards 100 XP:
    • Automaton - Splicing together a robot and a night stalker (unusual specimen) will result in a hostile Robobrain that attacks a spot near the doorway with laser fire until it self-destructs eight seconds later.
    • Mad Scientist - When splicing a lobotomite and a dog, they will end up as a failed experiment and die.
    • Evil Genius - When splicing together a lobotomite and a robot, creating a non-hostile Robobrain, the Robobrain will self-destruct after a short time of talking.
  • Roxie, a temporary cyberdog companion, can be obtained by acquiring the "dog and robot" splicing experiment holotape. She can be used for the tests, but will not sneak, and will immediately run towards any hostile in the area. She cannot leave the X-8 facility but will remain inside at the entrance waiting for the player character if they exit the facility. If she is killed for any reason, one can return to the splicing area and rebuild her.
  • After three tests at the terminal, 24 in-game hours must pass in order for the system to "restock" test subjects.
  • The key needed to access the kennels is not in X-8, but rather is located in the X-13 research facility center.
  • On a wall in the high school area, "Why me, Mobius" is spelled out on the wall in large, physical letters.
  • One of the jars with a lump of a brain inside from the Fallout 3 add-on Point Lookout is on the desk near the entrance to the facility.
  • There are two beds in the institutional testing facility. They can be found by going forward through the double doors in between the bookcases, and then turning left. The beds are located in the northwest corner of the room.
  • Being modeled after American High, the test facility has a locker hallway, a small office room, two classrooms, a library and a janitor room. However, it lacks a cafeteria, a fact Borous references.
    • Opening the library door from either within the library itself or outside will yield different messages.

Appearances[]

The X-8 research center appears only in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Old World Blues.

Behind the scenes[]

  • A terminal on level two mentions Project Burke and Project Hare. This is a reference to the Burke and Hare murders of the 19th century in which William Burke and William Hare, a pair of serial killers, sold the bodies of their murdered victims as cadavers for anatomy classes. Project: Burke and Hare are both regarding the procurement of bodies for scientific experimentation.
  • The created Robobrain's short speech is a reference to the whale from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
  • In the high school area, there is a Wild Wasteland encounter where the phrase "Wolverines" is written on the wall. This is a reference to the movie Red Dawn, as the Wolverines is a resistance group composed of highschoolers, taken from the name of their football team, after their school (and America) is invaded by the Russians at the beginning of the movie.
  • In the cyberdog training area, there is another Wild Wasteland encounter, where a few cyberdogs will be seen through a window playing poker, with the words "SIT. STAY. KILL." written on the wall above. It refers collectively to a series of sixteen oil paintings by C. M. Coolidge, commissioned in 1903 by Brown & Bigelow to advertise cigars, known in pop culture as just "dogs playing poker" paintings. In between the closest dog on the right and the left is an Ace of Clubs, just like in the painting.

Bugs[]

  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Splicing a dog and a robot may create a goo pile under Roxie. The goo pile cannot be searched unless Roxie is killed. Trying to search the goo pile while Roxie is alive will trigger her to speak with the player character.[verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 Splicing a lobotomite and a dog may result in a bug, creating a lobotomite with no torso and eyes standing over the dead dog and some scattered remains.[verified]

Gallery[]

References[]

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