SAFE test

The SAFE test is a test used by the Covenant in Fallout 4.

Background
The test is used by the Covenant to monitor those who pass through the settlement and is administered by Swanson.

Officially, the Covenant claims its purpose is to keep "undesirables" from entering; however, it is later revealed that the test was created by Doctor Roslyn Chambers in order to root out synths. Those who "fail" the test—in other words, those who show synth-like behavior—are kidnapped and taken to the Compound, where they are subjected to interrogation and torture.

However, the test has proven to be inaccurate; about one-quarter of those who take the test turn out to be failures, according to the SAFE report. Chambers claims that the test is improving with modifications. Not to mention there is no mechanism for determining false negatives, and anyone who takes the test and passes is not tested again. Therefore it is unknown how many synths the test actually catches or how many humans that pass the SAFE test are replaced later.

According to subject 12 testing and subject 12 debrief, the key question in the test is number 4: Synths instinctively answer "Catcher" to it, even if they have no idea what that role is. Consequently, humans that answer that way (one out of four), for whatever reason, fall under suspicion.

Question 1
You are approached by a frenzied scientist, who yells, "I'm going to put my quantum harmonizer in your photonic resonation chamber!" What's your response?
 * 1) I'd say "Up yours, too, buddy."
 * 2) I'd grab a pipe and knock him out.
 * 3) I'd slip away before he finishes.
 * 4) I wouldn't worry, if he did that it'd cause a parabolic destabilization of the fission singularity.

Question 2
While working as an intern in the Clinic, a patient with a strange infection on his foot stumbles through the door. The infection is spreading at an alarming rate, but the doctor has stepped out for a while. What do you do?
 * 1) Medicate the infected area as best I can.
 * 2) Restrain the patient, and merely observe as the infection spreads.
 * 3) Amputate the foot before the infection spreads.
 * 4) I scream for help.

Question 3
You discover a young boy lost in a cave. He's hungry and frightened, but also appears to be in possession of stolen property. What do you do?
 * 1) I give the boy a hug and tell him everything will be okay.
 * 2) Confiscate the property by force, and leave the boy there as punishment.
 * 3) I pick the boy's pocket to take the stolen property for myself, and leave him to his fate.
 * 4) I lead the boy to safety, then turn him over to someone in charge.

Question 4
Congratulations! You made it onto a baseball team! Which position do you prefer?
 * 1) Pitcher.
 * 2) Catcher.
 * 3) Designated hitter.
 * 4) I don't play baseball. I play soccer.

Question 5
Your grandmother invites you to tea, but you're surprised when she gives you a pistol and orders you to kill someone. What do you do?
 * 1) I'd give her whatever she wants to spare his life.
 * 2) I'd ask for a minigun so I could do the job right.
 * 3) I'd do what grandma told me to.
 * 4) I'd throw my tea in her face.

Question 6
Old Mr. Abernathy has locked himself in his quarters again, and you've been ordered to get him out. How do you proceed?
 * 1) I'd grab a bobby pin and pick the lock.
 * 2) I'd walk away and let him rot.
 * 3) I'd get a laser pistol and blast the lock off.
 * 4) I'd trade for a cherry bomb and blow it open.

Question 7
Oh, no! You've been exposed to radiation, and a mutated hand has grown out of your stomach! What's the best course of treatment?
 * 1) I'd say a prayer and hope God would save me.
 * 2) I'd get a gun and shoot myself.
 * 3) I'd dose myself with anti-mutagen agent.
 * 4) I'd cut off the mutated tissue with a precision laser.

Question 8
A neighbor is in possession of a Grognak the Barbarian comic book, issue number 1. You want it. What's the best way to obtain it?
 * 1) Slip some knock out drops into his Nuka-Cola. Then take it.
 * 2) I'd point a gun in his face and take it from him.
 * 3) I'd trade him for one of the comic books i own.
 * 4) Sneak into his room and steal it.

Question 9
You decide it would be fun to play a prank on your father. You enter his private restroom when no one is looking, and....
 * 1) I'd loosen bolts on his water pipes. When he turns on the sink, he'll be in for a surprise.
 * 2) I'd replace his blood pressure medicine with sugar pills.
 * 3) I'd put a firecracker in his toilet. That never gets old.
 * 4) Change the wattage on the razor. Give him a shock the next time he uses it.

Interactions
The SAFE test is given to the Sole Survivor upon reaching Covenant. It also appears in the quest Human Error, which reveals the true intentions of the test. It is also mentioned in various terminal entries and holodisks found in the Covenant and Compound. It is impossible for the Sole Survivor to fail the test.

Behind the scenes

 * The SAFE test is actually a version of the G.O.A.T. test from Fallout 3 using most of the questions, though a few have been modified or removed, specifically, any references to Vaults. Question 10 from the G.O.A.T. is completely removed.
 * The usage of the test to screen for synths is a direct reference to the Voight-Kampff test in the sci-fi novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and seen in the movie adaptation Blade Runner. The test is used to identify Replicants (artificial humans used as machines) that are otherwise indistinguishable from normal humans, much like generation 3 synths. This is one of many references to the book and movie throughout Fallout 3 and Fallout 4.
 * Question 8 in The SAFE Test is different than the one in The G.O.A.T. Test in Fallout 3. In The G.O.A.T. Test, the answer is “I would trade one of my possessions for the comic book.” but in The SAFE Test the answer is “I would trade one of my comic books for that comic book.”.