Research Lab

The Research lab is a location on board Mothership Zeta.

Background
The vaguely-named Research Lab is an area of Mothership Zeta accessible via the Cargo Hold. It is unnecessary to visit the Research Lab to gain access to the Bridge and further the main questline. However, the area becomes inaccessible after leaving the Engineering Core and all chance of retrieving Captive Recordings towards the Alien Archivist goal will be permanently lost if not explored before taking the teleporter to the Bridge. You should enter the Research Lab via the door in the SW of the Cargo Hold (Note: the door leading to the Research Lab next to where you first enter the Cargo Hold will be initially locked. It can be unlocked by pressing the button on the other side of the door - this requires accessing the Research Lab through the southwest door in the Cargo Hold.)

At first glance, the Research Lab appears to be where the aliens analyze Earth's vehicular technology. Displays of cars, motorcycles, and a named command module from a USSA spacecraft (possibly associated with Colonel Hartigan) appear to confirm this speculation.

Deeper in the labs however, one discovers a warehouse-scale collection of Giddyup Buttercups and related memorabilia in various states of storage. It appears that the aliens are unhealthily fascinated with the pre-war toy and may be trying to turn them into weapons; one room houses a lone Giddyup Buttercup surrounded by dead test subjects with observation rooms on either side, if you shoot at the lone Giddyup its eyes glow blue. A workbench can be found with a disassembled Buttercup and some grenades.

Notable loot
In the first section (vehicular study) you will find:
 * Alien Captive Recorded Log 13 (across from the warehouse door)

In the second section (Buttercup warehouse):
 * Alien Captive Recorded Log 21 (across from the Healing Arch)

In the larger Buttercup warehouse, South West corner:
 * Buttercup toy (across from a work table, second level—requires jumping to get)

Behind the scenes
The USSA spacecraft found in this area resembles the Mercury capsules built by NASA for the first American spaceflights and it even follows the same naming conventions as the real-world spaceships. It can be presumed that the ship and Colonel Hartigan were abducted during one of the flights and the incident covered up by the government.

Appearances
Research lab only appears in the Fallout 3 add-on Mothership Zeta.