Cambridge Polymer Labs

Cambridge Polymer Labs or Cambridge Polymer Labs, LLC is a location in the Commonwealth in Fallout 4.

Background
The pre-War company contracted with the United States military and specialized in robotics. Employment benefits included "competitive salary, health coverage, accidental death coverage, and two weeks paid vacation."

It was founded by Jon Elwood, Ericka Elwood-Woolum, and Wilfred Bergman in 2074 to research experimental smart materials that could be used to enhance the functionality of existing suits of power armor. This endeavor was made possible by a grant from Defense Experimental Research Project Initiative, managed by Col. George Kemp. Research conducted in the labs resulted in several components used in the Liberty Prime project that led to the successful defense of Anchorage.

Great War
During the Great War, the laboratory building was not bombed. Elwood issued an e-mail to the team, stating that if the project was successful, the military would extract them. He had not spoken to his military contacts, as all external connections were destroyed by the electromagnetic pulse.

The team continued their attempts to produce a working prototype, but a combination of various factors, including Elwood's injuries and the deteriorating mental state of Wilfred Bergman resulted in the project's abandonment. On January 16, 2078 at 4:17 AM, Bergman triggered the automated defenses, causing the deaths of lab personnel.

Initiatives

 * Liberty Prime components
 * Nucleostrictive/Piezonucleic Lining Project
 * Nucleostrictive Plating Project

Main lobby
When first entering the polymer labs, directly to the left is the orientation room, where Molly briefs visitors on a job acquired in the quest Cambridge Polymer Labs. Before entering the orientation room, the restrooms are located to the right, and to the right lies a passage that leads to the clean room and allows access to the rest of the facility. Behind the desk is a storage area, and a door to the right leads upstairs to additional storage areas and offices. In the center of the second floor is the director's office, including a terminal providing exposition on what happened directly before and during the Great War.

Research area
The piezonucleic power armor is created by combining "U-238" with "Sample 611 Gold" and "Sample 3111 Lithium hydride." On the first floor and second floor of the research labs, several numbered chemical sample containers can be found. A glowing one is located behind a quarantine door, which must be overridden before it can be accessed for the sample of U-238 stored inside. Immediately upon proceeding past the decontamination room is the primary lab where the "polymer coating applicator" is discovered, which is used to combine the various polymers and isotopes found throughout the other labs.

From room C1, a passageway provides access to the ventilation pipes leading to the other side of the research area and to the locked room C3 where the radioactive containment password is stored. At the end of the ventilation system, skeletal remains are discovered.

Loot

 * Massachusetts Surgical Journal issue #15 - In the director's office (Master locked door) on the second floor, next to a computer terminal, in which the key to the room can be obtained from Molly.
 * Vault-Tec lunchbox - When entering the building, head straight back to the wall and on the right, it can be found on the counter.
 * Piezonucleic power armor - Reward for completing the experiment.
 * Hazmat suit - In the southwestern-most room, left of room C4.
 * Fusion core - In the west corner of the director's office, second floor within a display case.
 * Research Samples.
 * Unidentified sample 49 - Second floor, room C1 on the east catwalk, on the desk with the skeleton.
 * Unidentified sample 611 - Second floor, near west catwalk, on the desk next to the active computer terminal.
 * Unidentified sample 11317 - In the first room of the research area on the polymer coating applicator machine.
 * Unknown sample 3111 - In the same room as the hazmat suit (just south of room C4).
 * Unidentified sample 413 - In the first-floor room (room C4) directly across from the room with the polymer coating applicator.
 * Unidentified sample 65 - In the northwestern-most first-floor room, accessible through the room with unidentified sample 413.
 * U-238 can be found in the isotope containment chamber, which can be unlocked via the terminal in C5 (which can be accessed via room C4). The isotope containment chamber is the room immediately to the left of room C2, or rather it's the room immediately to the right of the staircase if facing the said staircase. Across the radioactive waste there is a shelf that contains a single test tube in a rack which is the U-238 sample.
 * Suicide note - Next to a skeleton on the second floor in the research area.
 * Radioactive containment password - A holotape on the counter in room C3, which gives access to the isotope containment terminal in the room below it, C5.

Related quests

 * Cambridge Polymer Labs: The Sole Survivor gets trapped and has to find a way to escape the laboratory in one piece.
 * Underground Undercover: After the Sole Survivor gets into the Institute, the Railroad wants them to make contact with an anonymous person inside, nicknamed Patriot, who has been helping synths escape.
 * Pest Control: Dr. Binet of the Institute's Robotics division asks the Sole Survivor to eliminate some feral ghouls that are causing problems for a synth scavenger team.

Appearances
Cambridge Polymer Labs appear in Fallout 4.

Bugs
Sometimes after dropping a research sample using console commands, there is a chance that it will de-spawn and be replaced with a floating object labeled "NONE."