HELIOS One

 is a Poseidon Energy solar plant and a refractor mirror that can provide energy to the Strip and other places. It contains a massive super laser, Archimedes II.

Background

 * A pre-War installation, Helios was hailed as the Dawn of a Golden Age by Poseidon Energy.
 * The NCR took control of the Helios One from the Brotherhood of Steel by force. However, before the Brotherhood fled, they enacted security measures on the installation to ensure that the NCR would not have much to gain.

Storyline development
At the beginning of the events of Fallout: New Vegas the facility is controlled by the NCR, who have a technician named Fantastic working on getting the power plant functioning. Entering the room adjacent to Fantastic you will locate another scientist, Ignacio Rivas, who has the password to the eastern console. Fantastic has the one for the west.

Layout
Behind the main plant and around the tower are all the reflecting mirrors. Before you enter you need to connect to the mainframe from both the Eastern and Western reflector control terminals. Both are in the fenced cages within the reflector yard. The eastern terminal is guarded by mines and a rigged shotgun, the western terminal is guarded by attack dogs.

Inside the Solar Collection Tower building, past a small straight path there are three hostile turrets and at least one Protectron on the cat walk leading to other side and down to the lower level which should contain one Robobrain. Going straight ahead leads to an unlocked door, (closed) which is defended by two mines on each side of a rectangular stone desk. (mines are armed) There is a computer behind the desk which can shut off or turn turrets against robots. (If you have ED-E leaving the robot at the door is advised, it can die a lot so it is suggested that the player go solo.

Downstairs is a small room with an average safe and two pulse grenades. It is guarded by a Robobrain.

Despite almost always heading downstairs when inside the Solar Collection Tower, the player starts at the bottom and upon exit ends at the top. (The Courier takes an elevator up to the tower from the lower part of the bunker)

Notable Loot

 * D.C. Journal of Internal Medicine upstairs, lying on a bed in the same room with holotapes for the east and west terminal passwords.
 * Programmer's Digest on the upper level before big doors inside the Solar Collection Tower
 * Fixin' Things on the table in the second flight of stairs after the tunnel in Solar Collection Tower
 * Pulse grenade on the shelves behind the desk in main hall. Also on the first floor of Solar Collection Tower in the room with safe

Quotes

 * "Attention: ARCHIMEDES I Laser is now armed. Move all personnel to minimum safe distance before initiating test fire."
 * "Warning: Re-targeting sequence initiated for HELIOS I reflector banks. The ARCHIMEDES laser systems will automatically initiate test fire upon completion."
 * "ARCHIMEDES II orbital laser bombardment will commence in t-minus 5... 4... 3... 2... 1."
 * "This concludes our test of the ARCHIMEDES I and II laser systems. Thank you for observing Poseidon Energy safety protocol. Have a nice day."

Appearances
appears in Fallout: New Vegas.

Related Quests

 * That Lucky Old Sun
 * Sunshine Boogie
 * Classic Inspiration

Behind the scenes

 * Archimedes is rumored to have developed the plans for a 'death ray' super weapon. The weapon would harness the power of the sun through a series of mirrors and prisms, resulting in an intense beam of light that was intended to sink enemy ships.
 * Helios was the Greek Titan of the sun.
 * This location is based on The Solar Project located in the Mojave Desert.
 * The two passwords for the Eastern and the Western reflector control terminals are text encoded in hex and can be found in the notes. The decoded Eastern password is Too many secrets and the Western decoded password is My voice is my password. - both are notable passphrases in the 1992 movie Sneakers.

Gallery
Гелиос-1