The Nuka-Cola Challenge

 is a Fallout 3 side quest connected with the Nuka-Cola soft drink. It is also an Xbox 360, PS3 and PC achievement.

To start this quest, find Sierra Petrovita at Girdershade, which is located west of Jocko's Pop & Gas Stop and SW of Smith Casey's Garage.

Upon finding Sierra Petrovita, she offers you to take the "Nuka-Cola tour," which consists of viewing the large number of Nuka-Cola collectibles she owns. If you agree to take the tour, she will show the player around her home, discuss various Nuka-Cola facts and talk about some of the items in the room. After the tour, she gives the player an Ice Cold Nuka-Cola.

She then asks the player to collect Nuka-Cola Quantums and says she will pay 40 caps for each bottle. Once she has been given 30 bottles, enough to fill her Nuka-Cola Vending Machine, she provides a Schematics - Nuka Grenade.

After exiting her house, Ronald Laren will ask the player to instead give him the Nuka-Cola Quantums, as he hopes that giving them to Sierra will improve his chances of "plowing her bean field." He offers to pay the same price for the Quantums, though a successful Speech check will cause him to double the payment. You also have the option if you have the Black Widow perk to offer a threesome in exchange for him finding the bottles, causing him to eagerly run off to his death. His body can be found inside the main entrance of the Nuka-Cola Plant.

Note
Optional Quest Receive shipping manifest: This Optional Quest will appear when going in the Nuka-Cola Plant. You can get the code from Milo the Robot Foreman by either winning a speech challenge, killing him, or obtaining an employee badge. The code is used in the computer terminal in the room where Milo is found. After using the code, select the option to retrieve the shipping manifest.

Bottle locations
There are a total of ~93 in the game, not counting those possible from vending machines or random encounters (see Notes). The chance of finding a Quantum in one of the 152 vending machines is random and quite small (10%), so they are not listed here. Their contents are determined when the cell loads (i.e. entering the zone/building for the first time), and unlike other containers, do not reset their contents. To change their contents, one must load from a previous save.

In addition, there is a random encounter on the map in which a traveling salesman will offer to sell a Quantum for 100 Caps (50 if a Speech Check or Barter Check is passed). This can happen a theoretically unlimited number of times, but he will only sell a Quantum once per encounter. It is also possible to cheat using the Console "~" and type in player.additem 000284F9 [Amount of Quantums].

Large Stashses

 * East of Old Olney. At at gas station in an over turned Nuka-cola truck. There are quite a few here.
 * Paradise Falls supply is under the stairs in Eulogy's Pad, next to a bed. They must be stolen, but no karma will be lost for doing so.
 * Super Duper Mart's supply is in the market. There are 3 in the back supply room with the Protectron.
 * The Nuka-Cola Plant itself will generate 3 bottles on the conveyor if the shipping manifest is triggered. In addition, a truck outside has 1 bottle in it.

Additional Bottles

 * Abandoned Tent northeast of Mason Dixon Salvage, south of Satcom Array NN-03d.
 * North of Agatha's House, on the way to Minefield: under a power trestle with a skeleton there are a BB Gun and two cans of BB's on a chair. It is immediately south of a fenced power junction with a few empty bottles. After you've picked up the bottle standing next to the skeleton you can turn towards the power relay and look up to see a bunch of bottles standing on the top of an steel beam. Amongst them is a Quantum that you have to shoot down.
 * Alexandria Arms: There's one in a locked room on the second floor, near a terminal & a counter with two ammo boxes and a book.
 * Anchorage Memorial: Enter the service entrance at the south east side of the memorial, take a left and then go to the end of the hall where there is a utility door, the Nuka-cola Quantum is in that room. The room also holds a key to a stash of supplies in the memorial located in a freezer at the bottom of the memorial. The door can only be opened with a 35 or higher repair skill and a piece of the door which can be found locked inside a safe in the floor of the medical room in the memorial (or it can be opened with a 95 Repair skill without the piece from the safe). The medical room can be accessed by entering the memorial through the topside entrance, going straight down to the first open area, then you should see the green glowing sign with the word 'Clinic' written on it. This is all part of an unmarked quest to get the stash of supplies left in the facility for a guy named Ted, whose corpse is lying on the ground directly in front of the clinic. Looting his corpse will yield a note with instructions on how to get to the stash.
 * Andale/Fort Independence (Fairfax Ruins), halfway between. The truck is next to a highway support column.
 * AntAgonizer's Lair: One next to the AntAgonizer's throne, Don't use the main entrance here, just use the sewer system ontop of the hill to get straight to the throne room.
 * Arlington Library, in the Media Archives: in a room with two computer terminals, one of which controls a safe. The bottle is hidden behind a small round table in the corner and can be quite difficult to see.
 * Chaste Acres Dairy Farm : Head directly south and slightly west of the farm, it's not far till you will see a destroyed truck covered in radioactive sewage, inside a bathtub are several Nuka Colas as well as a Quantum.
 * Cliffside Cavern: In the second cavern on a table to your right.
 * Deathclaw Sanctuary, near the Endurance Bobblehead.
 * Dukov's Place: on a shelf behind the bed. Needs to be stolen.
 * Dunwich Building, south of Girdershade: in a small room further down the hall to the right.
 * Everglow National Campground: Take the road to the East and when you get to the intersection, take a right and immediately to your left is a wrecked semi & trailer with toxic barrels. The Quantum is on the ground by the barrels.
 * Evergreen Mills: In the bazaar behind the first bar on the right inside a box with Empty Soda Bottles
 * Flooded Metro entrance, in the raider encampment. It's in a crate of bottles on a counter.
 * Fordham Flash Memorial Field, go northwest toward the lake and you will see small wooden dock with a locker at the end of it. To the left you will see the bottle on the top of the pile (wooden pole in the water).
 * Foggy Bottom Station: Walking from the DCTA Tunnel 014-B Potomac entrance, take the first left into the small area between the tracks where it can be found along with a few raiders. It is located behind the gate next to the table and machinery.
 * Fort Bannister, halfway to Charnel House: One in a scavenger's half-destroyed house, one square west of the fort, next to two mattresses in a wooden box.
 * Fort Bannister's Commanding Officer's Quarters: on the ground in the scientifically themed area.
 * Fort Constantine CO Quarters: in the room on the right (the kitchen area). There is also the Big Guns Bobblehead in the basement here.
 * Fort Independence There's a Quantum sitting on a table in a room with a number of sleeping Outcast soldiers.
 * Franklin Metro Utility
 * Georgetown North area (see the Local Map) in a Pulowski Preservation Shelter to the left of the Grocer (which is to the left of the Radiation King).
 * Ghoul outpost: In the back room in front of the cell with the Super Mutant.
 * Greener Pastures Disposal, in the office, same location as the Agility Vault Boy Bobblehead
 * Hamilton's Hideaway: in a crate on a desk towards the back of the cave, there will be two raiders near the bottle listening to Galaxy News Radio.
 * Hubris Comics: Near the Foreman's room next to the terminal controlling the turrets
 * Jacko's Pop & Gas Stop, NW of Tenpenny Towers
 * Jalbert Brothers Waste Disposal, on counter in room with no terminal or safe.
 * L.O.B. Enterprises in Falls Church: As soon as you enter the L.O.B. Enterprises building, take a right and then take the hallway left. Keep going West-Northwest, and you will eventually come to a room with a set of stairs going down. Across the stairs (don't actually go down the stairs, just look across), you will see a Nuka-Cola Quantum on a shelf.(This building also contains lots of Turpentine, Tin Cans, and Abraxo Cleaner for making Nuka Grenades.)
 * La Maison Beauregard, Georgetown: One bottle on the second floor. The bottle is near the radio.
 * Lincoln Memorial Maintenance room.
 * Lucky's: There is one in a wrecked display case, it needs to be stolen.
 * MDPL-13 Power Station: on the workbench as soon as you enter. There is also a schematic for the Railway Rifle.
 * MDPL-16 Power Station
 * Mirelurk Nesting Hole at the hatching site protected by a Mirelurk King at the end. In a cave next to the girders.
 * Murder Pass between Lamplight Caverns and Vault 87: you will find a Nuka-Cola Quantum on a metal shelf.
 * Museum of History Lower Halls: One in a box under a table, next to two Nuka-Cola machines.
 * Museum of Technology: One is located in the Planetarium maintenance room
 * National Guard Depot bunker: underneath the table with the Experimental MIRV.
 * Nuka-Cola Plant: One is located in one of the trucks behind the plant. 3 more are at the production line.  You have to start the machinery by activating it at a computer located at the room next to that room.
 * Oasis Caves: In the room after the room with Harold's heart, there is a Mirelurk King, a Mirelurk Hunter, and a Mirelurk. The Quantum is down where the Mirelurk King is.
 * Old Olney Sewers: in a room with some bedding. The room is located directly south west of the lower Old Olney exit on the Local Map. When you enter the sewers, the door leading to this room is to the left. Heading to the right will only lead to a large number of Deathclaws.
 * Old Olney Sewers: Just south east of here where you will see a tower with a begger asking for water, just a little to the south you will see a truck, inside their are 4 Nuka Cola Quantums along with 2 nuka cola machines and tons of nuka cola's and empty bottles.
 * Paradise Falls :In Eulogy Jones' pad. Head towards the stairwell but go into the space next to the stairs and you will see a several crates with Nuka Cola Quantum. There are 5 bottles in all. Be careful when taking them, because, if whitnessed, Clover, Crimson, Eulogy, and slavers may become hostile.
 * Red Racer Factory: very top floor CEO offices, The Surgeon's room. Inside the small room that is lit up in red.
 * Regulator HQ: in the back room in an open locker.
 * Republic of Dave, Dave's room: Needs to be stolen.
 * Rockbreaker's Last Gas, in the fenced area, on top of a Nuka-Cola machine.
 * Roosevelt Academy Library, on the eastern-most side of Roosevelt Academy: As soon as you walk in, there's a Nuka-Cola Quantum to the left on a desk. This requires a lock pick skill of 100 in order to gain entry.there is also a underground maintence route you can use to gain access to the roosevelt library you can accses this route in either rossevelt academy or althletics hall.
 * Satcom Array NN-03d: An abandoned tent just south of the SatCom array contains a bottle of Nuka-Cola Quantum and a copy of Nikola Tesla and You. Also, in a rusty corrugated steel shack southwest of the array. On top of this shack there is another bootle.
 * Seward Sq. Northwest : go into Capital Building East Entrance, go left, there is a bottle by the coffee maker in the first room.
 * Smith Casey's Garage: north of Jacko's Pop & Gas Stop
 * Springvale Elementary: On top of the giant cage just inside The Main Entrace(from Vault 101 head north east and the MAIN entrance is along the road facing west). As soon as you enter there is a massive square cage infront of you, the Bottle is on the far top edge, you can shoot it down, or walk around till you're upstairs and jump across. You can also go to the side of the cage the bottle is on and jump up and quickly tap A when the message appears momentarily to grab the bottle.
 * Statesman Hotel Restaurant: on the 3rd floor (the level with the door to the roof) in the large bar area. It is located in a crate under the bar.
 * Super Duper Mart, north of: along the river, you'll find a destroyed bridge. Go across the bridge until it ends and jump into the water. Swim just a bit further to the next section and look around, you should spot many Nuka-Cola bottles floating around the surface, and among them, a Nuka-Cola Quantum.
 * Takoma Industrial, far north of Rivet City and east of Chevy Chase, on the eastern-most edge of the map: Enter the door on the north side of the Factory (where the radioactive pond and the water tower are), and go up the stairs to the left. You will notice some wood planks on the other side of the railing. Jump over the railing onto the wooden planks, and then onto the small ledge down below. There is a Nuka-Cola Quantum on the other side of the generator.
 * Tenleytown/Friendship Station There is one sitting on top of a bench upstairs in the big room with the bonfire that's upstairs too.
 * Tenpenny Tower: In Roy Phillips room during the quest "Tenpenny Tower" in between a couple metal boxes on the floor.
 * VAPL-58 Power Station: Inside power station on table. In a makeshift shed by the billboard southeast of the power station.
 * Vault 87: Not to be confused with the bottle found in Murder Pass, another is located in one of the Vault's storage rooms, before you encounter Fawkes.
 * Vault 92: in the living quarters past the male room. You can see the bottle behind the window.
 * Vault 108: entrance floor in a small storage room adjacent to the malfunctioning generator. Behind several yellow metal crates is an metal ladder, the bottle is on top of the ladder.
 * Vault-Tec Headquarters: On the second floor in the Vault-Tec Corporate Offices on a shelf on the Northern section of the map.
 * Vernon East/Takoma Park: past 4 mines and a booby trap.
 * Yao Guai Tunnels.

Rewards
Sierra pays you for the Nuka-Cola Quantums (40 caps each). Once you give her enough to fill her Nuka-Cola Vending Machine, she gives you the Schematics - Nuka Grenade, and you get +300 karma. In the future, she will also make you a Mississippi Quantum Pie if you bring her the ingredients.

Giving the bottles to Ronald Laren results in a loss of karma (150?) and double the caps (80 caps each) if you succeed in the Speech check, otherwise you get 40. Once the quest is complete (if you gave him 30), he goes to Sierra's house straight away and starts making moves — only to have Sierra completely misunderstand his advances.

For maximum money, it is possible to give 29 bottles to Ronald, and 30 to Sierra. However, a total of 59 bottles is a difficult achievement and will make it very hard to make any Nuka Grenades or Mississippi Quantum Pies, as Nuka-Cola Quantums are semi-rare.

Theft
If you are of the kleptomaniac type, you can steal all of Sierra's Nuka-Cola. There are about 70 bottles in total, you will lose about 350 Karma doing so. She doesn't seem too depressed if her prize collection suddenly disappears (provided she doesn't catch you). If she does catch you, she tends to flee. If followers are brought along, they will kill her, so be forewarned.

As there is no key to the Pristine Nuka-Cola Machine, the only way to open it is to use the "unlock" console command on the Pristine Nuka-Cola Machine in the computer version of the game. If this is done, the 30 Quantums may be stolen back, although the "player.additem" console command is a much more efficient means of cheating.

Trivia

 * The name of this quest is a reference to "The Pepsi Challenge," a taste-test marketing promotion run by PepsiCo since 1975.


 * Despite the difficulty of the quest, all Three Dog will say about it on the radio once you've finished the quest is "It seems the Vault Dweller's done collecting soda....talk about your slow news days".


 * If Sierra is killed, and Ronald is spoken to, a Speech check can be passed in which the player blames the Nuka-Cola Corporation for her death. He'll assume it because the Nuka-Cola machine he got had a label saying; "Warning if you tamper with this unit you'll have to answer to the Nuka-Cola Corporation". This dialog is likely a reference to a scene from the film Dr. Strangelove involving tampering with a Coca-Cola machine.

Bugs

 * If the player starts the quest and immediately gives Sierra all 30 bottles, she may only give the player 40 caps in total, rather than 1200 caps as she should. The Nuka-Grenade Schematics may also not be given. Despite this, it will still count as completion of the quest. Leaving and getting a bottle before doing this, or even dropping a bottle and picking it back up can remedy this quirk.


 * Similarily, Ronald may not pay for the Quantums if they are given to him.


 * If this quest is completed before the unmarked quest Just for the Taste of It, Goalie Ledoux will not appear, making it impossible to complete.


 * Sometimes, Sierra Petrovita will run around her home in "fleeing" mode for a random period of time. In some cases, she won't come out, making it impossible to talk to her. Reloading a save will not always fix this. It appears to happen randomly, but known causes include the player killing an NPC that she likes (Ronald) or having a hostile NPC follow the player into her house.


 * Random enemies may spawn in Sierra's house. Among the guests include Sentry Bots, Deathclaws, Giant Radscorpions, and even Enclave troops. If this happens, if they are not killed quickly, Sierra will be, failing the quest.


 * The quest never updates after you get the manifest from the Nuka-Cola Plant Factory Floor.


 * If Ronald is sent to the Nuka-Cola Plant with the Black Widow perk, and the player immediately fast-travels there and kills all the security Protectrons on the first floor, he won't die. He'll appear inside the plant later, alive and well, standing near the front door.