Fort Independence

Fort Independence is the headquarters of the Brotherhood Outcasts in the Capital Wasteland, located west of Fairfax Ruins and north of Andale.

Layout
The Outcasts have adapted the old fort to their needs and restored much of its internal facilities. All of the technology they gather is stored within the fort, as are their research findings.

By default the Outcasts inside are hostile to any trespassers. The fort is guarded on the outside by Defender Morgan, Defender Rockfowl, and an automated defense turret. After the player character speaks with Defender Morgan about a job, Protector Casdin will open the perimeter fence's gate and encourage the Lone Wanderer to bring scavenged technology to them in exchange for supplies.

In the eastern section (the offices) on the main floor there is a computer named "Field reports" with 2 audio logs that can be downloaded (Fort Independence Field Report no.1 and 2). The first audio log speaks about "the increased raider activity in Fairfax Ruins" and the second about "3 entrances into underground utility tunnels and a small weapons cache situated in the southeast section of the tunnels". The voice in the first recording seems to be unique (another one is that of Defender Sibley).

Notable loot
Once inside Fort Independence there is nearly no notable loot until you reach the lower levels. Down the stairs in the room left of the exit door is the entrance to the basement. Inside the desk within the first room is the password to the locked (hard) wall terminal which opens the door; continue down until you reach a room full of research terminals. Activating them adds notes on various weapons, namely the missile launcher, minigun, Enclave power armor, plasma rifle, pulse grenade, and laser rifle. In this room there is a locked (hard) door, a key to this is available in the bunk-bed-filled room nearby within an locked (easy) footlocker. Through these door is the unique Miss Launcher and various other loot.


 * The Miss Launcher in the basement, along with a minigun, laser rifle, plasma rifle, 6 boxes of ammunition which include quite a number of alien power cells, as well as 2 mini nukes.
 * There is a Nuka-Cola Quantum and a Stealth Boy in the central room on the main floor, next to some bunk beds.
 * A Nuka-Cola Quantum can also sometimes be found in the Nuka-Cola machine near the entrance to the lower levels.
 * Alien power cells can be obtained from the locked storage room, next to the room with the research terminals.
 * A rare Rake is found in the lower level of the fort. After descending the first staircase you encounter, there will be a room halfway down. It is located to the right of some piping, leaning against a bookshelf.
 * Two unusually large Empty syringes and one Forceps are located in the medical room of the lower level.

Appearances
Fort Independence appears only in Fallout 3.

Behind the scenes

 * The name Fort Independence was also the name of a real fort in California, used during conflicts such as the Owens valley Indian war.

Bugs

 * In the lower level of Fort Independence, the turret in the main chamber will be stuck in the ceiling. It will not attack you and cannot be destroyed easily (The turret can only be destroyed by the Mysterious Stranger in V.A.T.S, a flamer or deactivating it by hacking the locked (average) terminal in front of it). This can result in a follower staying and continually attacking the turret with no effect. This can be fixed by leaving the fort.
 * After hacking the turret controls under the bridge to remove its targeting system and then disable it, sometimes the turret under the bridge will at first look stretched into the ground and allow you to walk through it, and then if reactivated will appear high above the bridge and be hard to see, even if aiming through a sniper scope.
 * Defenders Morgan and Rockfowl will respawn right next to their corpses after you've killed them. This glitch applies to several of the unnamed Outcasts.
 * The three Outcast Soldiers outside of the Fort, will have Brotherhood of Steel power armor instead of the Outcast power armor. It will not affect dialog in any way.It has appered more offen during the day and at random that I have found.

Fuerte Independence Форт Индепенденс