Escape!

Escape! is a main quest in Fallout 3. It is also an achievement on the Xbox 360 and PC; and a bronze trophy on the PlayStation 3.

Pack your Bags

 * Goals:
 * Make your way to the Atrium


 * Optional
 * Save Ellen DeLoria

The quest begins with Amata frantically trying to wake the Lone Wanderer up. She informs them that their father has left Vault 101 and Jonas is dead. Every member of the vault security team has been ordered to attack the player character because the overseer thinks that they are aware of James's departure, and along with that, radroaches have also infested the vault. Amata offers a 10mm pistol (in perfect condition) to the player character; it can either be accepted or refused. If one refuses, Amata will keep the gun and use it against a security guard later. The player character may also tell off Amata, resulting in her simply remaining in the room. The player character may still leave, however.

Outside of the room, one will encounter Officer Kendall, who is being attacked by several radroaches. He will become hostile towards the player character as soon as the radroaches are dead.

Head left. Butch DeLoria should come running down the hallway begging the player character for help. His mom is being attacked by radroaches, and he's afraid of them. One can help him either by talking him into killing the radroaches himself; either through a speech check, by lending him a BB gun or baseball bat if the player character has either of the weapons on them or by killing them for him. One may also choose to simply walk away, convince him his mother is doomed and he should save himself through a speech check, or even kill him. One can still save his mother if they do the latter. No matter which solution is chosen, the player character almost always get his Tunnel Snake outfit which gives them +5 to Melee Weapons, either because he gives it to them out of gratitude or because he dies and they can loot it off his corpse. If Ellen is dead, it will result in Butch becoming upset. If one refuses to help, Butch will call for help. If Butch was killed, the player character can never hire him as a companion.

In the nearby diner is the body of Grandma Taylor. It appears that the radroaches killed her, but the player character will later learn that she died of a heart attack.

Near the clinic, Officer Gomez will run into the Lone Wanderer and tell them to leave the vault, allowing them to go free. One has a few options here involving the officer, two of which involve blaming him for Jonas' death. Andy can be found torching radroaches in this corridor. Stanley is hiding in the medical office behind a Very Easy lock, but one can either pick it, or wait until Andy kills the radroaches, at which point he'll come out on his own. The Bobblehead - Medicine is on the desk in the office, if the player character didn't pick it up when they were going to take the G.O.A.T. three years ago. There is only one other opportunity during the latter part of the game to retrieve this bobblehead.

Atrium atrocities
When entering the Atrium, one will see two fellow vault dwellers contemplating escape, referencing the player character's father in the process. Tom Holden will rashly run into the guarded corridor, shouting his name and asking to be let through. Mary Holden will comment on his rashness, before running to her death after his at the hands of security. However, if the guards are engaged before they rush in, they will instead flee. Saving them in this fashion has no effects later in the game. The door at the end of the corridor leads to the vault entrance, but is well beyond the player character's current Lockpick skill (very hard).

The route one will need to follow is through the security door just to the right of the entrance corridor. It has been jammed open with a locker. Proceed up the stairs, where one will encounter 2 radroaches upon it, and 3-5 radroaches in the connecting corridor. Now at the upper level of the atrium, the facing doorway will be open, the two doors on the wall to the left are inaccessible. Heading to the only open door, one will pass a windowed room with Allen Mack and Gloria Mack inside. Allen will begin shouting at the player character, blaming them and their father for the predicament that they are in. Security Chief Hannon is usually found wandering around here as well and will attack.

There will be a dead maintenance worker, Floyd Lewis, by a toolbox. Continuing through the only door besides the one entered through, follow the corridor.

Good/Bad Friend
When turning the corner, one will hear Amata and her father, the Alphonse Almodovar, talking. The conversation is, in fact, an interrogation about the Lone Wanderer's whereabouts. If they let Amata keep the 10mm pistol, she will free herself by shooting Mack. If the player character enters the room, Amata will flee and Mack will attempt to kill them.

The overseer can be spoken to in this room. Asking him for the overseer's office key and terminal password will result in his refusal. If he is threatened for the keys, he will attack or call for help, but if Amata is threatened, he will give in. One can also choose to say you'll escape without them. The keys may also be pickpocketed from him, or found in lockers near the door and computer. A key can be found in a dresser in the overseer's room, where Amata is found after she shoots Mack or escapes. The overseer can also be killed, but Allen Mack (Wally Mack's father) will be the new overseer by the time of Trouble on the Homefront.

If the Lone Wanderer gives him their weapons and ammunition, the overseer will turn hostile and attempt to attack, regardless of whether or not they had any at the time (e.g. they left them in a desk).

If the overseer is not hostile and further dialogue is attempted after the conversation, he will simply say he has "nothing else to say to you."

The player character can also choose to simply ignore the confrontation and sneak on by.

If one attacks Officer Mack and kills him, Amata will run to her room and thank them for saving her.

Pop the Cork

 * Goals:
 * Exit Vault 101 and enter the Capital Wasteland
 * Optional:
 * Change any of your character's attributes

The next room has Jonas' corpse. Search his corpse to find a Note from dad.

Amata will be waiting in the connecting room if she was rescued. If the gun was not accepted at the beginning of the quest, she will present it to the player character when spoken to.

If the player character does not pick up a key to the office, the red door to the overseer's office will have to be picked. The lockers in here have the overseer's terminal password. If not picked up, the terminal will have to be hacked.

Once logged onto the computer, one can select the "Open Overseer's Tunnel" option to proceed through the secret passage, or read through several files that will help immerse them in the Fallout world. A door is at the end of the tunnel: once through, one will find themself in a small room with a switch on the wall. Once activated, it will reveal a larger room. There's another switch here that will open the vault door. Once opened, Amata will come down, regardless of whether or not one has saved her, and say her goodbyes, be they good or bad.

Shortly after this, another door will open and more security officers will enter. Any ones that did not die earlier will also show up. The final objective is to run through the exit and reach the final door between the player character and the Capital Wasteland.

When the door is activated, the game will offer one last chance to change the player character's name, race, initial S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats, tagged skills, sex and initial appearance. The character's hairstyle may be changed later through various non-player characters, and their appearance may be changed through Horace Pinkerton.

Exiting the vault nets 200 XP for completing the quest, enough for the first level-up. Regardless of how much XP one gains during this quest, they will not level up until this point. For people who play on the Very Hard difficulty, it is not uncommon to have leveled up an additional time, considering the first few levels don't require much XP.

Transition quotes
Full transition audio:

Bugs

 * Attempting to interfere in the event with Tom and Mary can cause several strange effects. (See discussion page)
 * If The Overseer becomes hostile but is not killed before reaching the Vault door, Amata will still speak as if he were killed by the player.

Flucht! ¡Huye! Ucieczka! Escape! Побег!