Nuka-Cola Plant (Fallout 3)

The  is a large, three-story factory building located at the South edge and slightly East on the map. It can be easily found by following the road leading from the Citadel a few miles West past the Arlington Library and Flooded Metro. It is the optional location in The Nuka-Cola Challenge quest and a starting location for unmarked quest Just for the Taste of It.

It is sparsely populated with NukaLurks and Nuka-Cola Company Protectrons (see the Unique Monsters section below) and some Radroaches.

Research and Development
The first section of the factory contains Research and Development department. The terminals here contain some info on development of the Nuka-Cola Quantum and difficulties (or rather casualties) that occurred in the process. There is a R&D Safe here, that can be unlocked only with a key that is in possession of Milo, Robotic Foreman. The safe contains some Bottle caps, Pre-War Money and the Nuka-Cola Clear Recipe (needed to complete the Just for the Taste of It quest.)

Storage and Mixing Vats
The Storage and Mixing Vats section of the factory is partially flooded with purple-glowing liquid resembling Nuka-Cola Quantum. The liquid is slightly radioactive (as any other body of water in the Wasteland). Several NukaLurks may be encountered here. In the room with two NukaLurks and the suspended Protectron can be found a note "Welcome to the Nuka-Cola Family!" on the desk beside a working Automated Maintenance Terminal. The note is addressed to a new worker Larry and contains his employee ID number that will be useful in the conversation with Milo, Robotic Foreman later. The terminal can be used to activate the Protectron which will then attack the NukaLurks.

Offices
In the Offices section of the facility can be found several bottles of Nuka-Cola along with some other stuff. It is also the location where the Just for the Taste of It unmarked quest starts. It begins with a note that can be found on the body of a fallen human, Winger Mercier. A Stealth Boy and an Assault Rifle can be found beside the corpse.

Locked Room
There is a locked room here that contains four skeletal corpses and a note entitled "Help!" The note is a short diary of a factory worker locked by the Milo, Robotic Foreman in the closet as a punishment for prolonging a break time. After few days another worker had joined the prisoner in his misery apparently for bathroom misbehavior. Body count shows that more were to punish later. This is an example of how strict and serious were the company policies.

Factory Floor
In the bottom level of the Factory Floor a friendly Mister Handy named Milo, Robotic Foreman can be found. He is in possession of R&D Safe Key and the Shipping Computer password. The the key and the password and can be obtained either by introducing oneself as a new worker Larry and giving Milo his ID number (see "Welcome to the Nuka-Cola Family!" note above), persuading Milo with high enough Speech skill, resetting him with the Robotics Expert perk or simply by killing him (password is recorded on the Holodisk).

NOTE: If Milo is confronted before finding Winger Mercier's corpse, he cannot be asked for the R&D Safe Key.

The Shipping Computer can be used to mark the locations of the initial Nuka-Cola Quantum delivery sites on your Pip-Boy 3000 Map (this is the optional part of The Nuka-Cola Challenge quest).

The Packing Computer (Hack: Very Easy) is located on the Factory Floor level two rooms before the entrance to the offices. It can be used to manufacture 3 Nuka-Cola Quantums before the bottling line jams permanently.

Notable Loot

 * Chinese Army: Special Ops Training Manual - In the main entrance, after walking in the door look up and you will see a hole in the roof where a filing cabinet is lying face down. The book is inside the cabinet.
 * Lying, Congressional Style - In the Office section, North east east part of the map, middle floor on top of a safe.
 * Big Book of Science - Also in the Office section, on the middle floor, western edge of the map, on a table.
 * Stealth Boy and Assault Rifle - Beside the Winger Mercier's corpse in the Office section.
 * Tumblers Today - Factory Floor section, north section near entrance to the Office section. Past Milo the shipping foreman, through a door you'll find a safe and the book is under the safe.
 * Dean's Electronics - Factory Floor level, in the cafeteria opposite the research department.
 * Help Me Note - Found on one of a number of skeletons in a closet telling about the draconian punishments enforced by the foreman.

Getting Trapped
The exit door at the end of the factory tour needs lockpicking skill 100 - Very Hard. The door can be opened with a switch (which is a little difficult to see) located on the left side of the door. The switch is only on the factory side of the door, not on the entrance side.

Unique Monsters
The Storage and Mixing Vats section of the plant is infested with a mutation of Mirelurk known as NukaLurk. The NukaLurks are blue-tinted, probably as a result of living in the radioactive remnants of Nuka-Cola Quantum. In some cases the NukaLurks appear not to contain NukaLurk Meat when killed.

The Protectrons within the Factory also have unique dialogue compared to most other Protectrons. They mention that they are operating under the authority of the Nuka-Cola Corporation as they fire upon a target, with the words "Nuka-Cola!" being enthusiastically spoken by another dubbed-in voice.

Related quests

 * The Nuka-Cola Challenge (optional location)
 * Just for the Taste of It

Bugs

 * Seems that door between Offices and Factory Floor sections may not let the companion through. The companion may be found when going back to previous section.

Marketing Terminal
Nuka Cola's tag line mentioned on the above terminal ("Take a leap... enjoy a Quantum") is referring to a physics term called a "quantum leap". In vernacular terms a quantum leap refers to an abrupt change. This may also be a reference to the 1989 science fiction television show also named "Quantum Leap", which was about a physicist on an unwilling adventure through time.

Appearances
The Nuka-Cola Plant appears only in Fallout 3.