Nuka-Cola Quantum (Fallout 3)

Nuka-Cola Quantum is a reformulated Nuka-Cola based on a probabilistic recipe which may or may not include certain radioactive ingredients depending on when it is drunk. It also has the added ability of raising the PC's action points.

My Glowing Bottles Don't Glow!
Unfortunately for the owners of the PC version running ether on lower-end computers, or users who have turned down effects due to FO3 crashing, the endearing blue glow of Nuka-Cola Quantum is not clear unless HDR is on. One way to tell if the Nuka-Cola is a Quantum when HDR is off is by looking at the label on the bottle; the regular Nuka-Cola bottle's label is red, and its emblem is styled to look like that of a Coca-Cola bottle. The Quantum's label, on the other hand, is brown, although it takes close observation to tell the difference (see the comparison picture in the infobox). The alternative method is to simply move the crosshairs over the bottle and see if the "Take" option reads "Take Nuka-Cola Quantum".

A mod is available on Fallout3Nexus.com which changes the default Quantum texture to be highly visible even without HDR enabled.

Bottle locations
There are a total of approximately 92 bottles located in preset locations in the game. See the following table for a full list of locations. Bottles found in vending machines are random and do not belong in this list.

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.

Also, when accessing one of the 152 Nuka-Cola Vending Machines scattered indoors and outdoors throughout the Wasteland there is approximately a 10% random chance of finding a Nuka Cola Quantum. The contents of a Nuka-Cola Vending Machine load the first time you enter a cell and never reset. Therefore, to maximize this chance you should save before entering a new cell and travel to the vending machine. If it doesn't contain a quantum, load and try again. Remember, outdoor cells encompass several map markers, frequently.

With this in mind, it should be possible to get approximately 120 extra Nuka-Cola Quantum bottles with extreme dedication. The reason extreme dedication is a prerequisite is that some locations have two vending machines, meaning a 1 percent chance of getting 2 Nuka-Cola Quantums (and an 18 percent chance of getting one). Furthermore, some vending machines are hard to find or are located deep inside an environment, so getting to them to determine the contents takes a lot of time. And to top it off, some locations like the Chryslus Building have 3 or more vending machines in certain cells. You're welcome to try to get 3 or more Quantums, but given the astronomically low probability (0.1 percent for 3 machines, 0.01 for 4 machines), this seems an exercise in futility. Ultimately, ~120 bottles (from vending machines) is a fair estimate of your net haul if you get approximately two bottles at every location with 2 or more Nuka-Cola Vending Machines, and 1 bottle at locations with only 1 Nuka-Cola Vending Machine. This number should be obtainable even if you make a few careless mistakes (such as blundering into an outdoor cell early in your playthrough and then later realize it contained a Nuka-Cola Vending Machine).

With the Quantum Chemist perk added by the Broken Steel add-on, every 10 normal (not ice cold) Nuka Colas that you have in your inventory automatically become one bottle of Quantum. Since Nuka Cola respawns in several shops with this perk the Quantum count is raised from approximately 211 (about 120 from vending machines with EXTREME dedication plus the 91 places that have them placed) to an infinite amount. This perk is extremely useful if you have already used too many Nuka Cola Quantums to complete "The Nuka-Cola Challenge" quest.

List
A full list of the approximately 91 preset Nuka-Cola Quantums in preset locations in base Fallout 3 follows. Add-ons may have added additional Quantums.

Appearances

 * Nuka-Cola Quantum has only appeared in Fallout 3, as they were a test product shipped locally from the Factory.

Trivia

 * The concept of adding radioactive materials to a soft drink actually happened in the real world.
 * Nuka-Cola Quantum's proposed slogan "Take the leap... enjoy a Quantum!" is a pun dealing with the scientific term "quantum leap", which refers to the phenomenon where an electron near-instantaneously jumps between two different energy levels.
 * It is unknown how Quantum would have compared to other spin offs such as Cherry Nuka Cola, because Quantum was released to the public only hours before the bombs fell. The shipment to Old Olney did not even arrive in time due to an accident beforehand. The Super-Duper-Mart and Paradise Falls shipments are still intact however.The shipment on its way to Old Olney is in a Nuka-Cola truck west (follow the road) from Chaste Acres Dairy Farms.
 * According to a few characters, drinking Nuka-Cola Quantum makes one's urine glow for up to a week. The isotope used to make it glow is apparently Strontium, which "gives it that extra kick." To others, notably Ronald Laren, it is said to feel like "Drinking a regular Nuka Cola, then downing a handful of sugar and subsequently punching yourself in the head".
 * Information on the research terminals at the Nuka-Cola Plant identify isotopes with codes of UR993, CE770, CE772 and CE774 as being tried unsuccessfully in earlier trials. The codes suggest that the isotopes are either of Uranium (U) or Cerium (Ce), but the numbers are FAR too high to be the atomic masses (but perhaps not in the 2077 Fallout universe). One of the isotopes killed every single person who had tested it, while another caused few, although some, serious effects for a soda. All that the Nuka-Cola Company sent to the families of the deceased was fruit baskets, possibly referencing the carelessness of corporate America to the average citizen.
 * Three Dog describes Nuka Cola Quantum as a drink that "Tastes like RadScorpion shit and turns your piss blue".

Related Pages

 * The Nuka-Cola Challenge
 * Nuka Grenade
 * Custom-built weapon components
 * Fallout 3 drugs and edibles

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