Sam Blackwell's bunker

Sam Blackwell's bunker is an unmarked location within the abandoned waste dump in the Mire region of Appalachia in 2102.

Background
This bunker was the home of Senator Sam Blackwell, one of the main backers and minds of the Free States movement. Concealed deep within the Mire, underneath a fake abandoned waste dump and behind layers upon layers of defenses, it served as a refuge for the senator after the Enclave threatened his daughter's life. The secrecy surrounding the bunker was only broken when Blackwell consented to an interview with Charleston Herald's intrepid reporter Quinn Carter. This seemed to be an acceptable risk until Agent Jefferson Grey tracked the senator down on orders from Thomas Eckhart, after the bereaved Blackwell decided to connect with the Free States at Harpers Ferry to deal with his daughter's death.

Outer cave
The bunker is hidden behind the abandoned waste dump. After entering, the player character is deposited inside what seems to be an illegal dump, complete with radioactive waste barrels and security fences. However, there is a conspicuous absence of radiation here. Beyond the doors ripped off their hinges is a small cave network, with a transportation system mounted to the roof of the cave and deathclaws on the prowl. The senator set up lures to provide himself with a supply of meat to survive after he killed the operative in Harper's Ferry and swore off all contact with the outside. The bunker can only be accessed with the bypass holotape. The holotape is found in the deathclaw refuse pile down the right-hand corridor (looking at the bunker entrance). Agent Jefferson Grey's corpse is found in an alcove on the left-hand side. A rather generous blood trail leads to the hitman's final resting place. After recovering the holotape, the player character has to approach the bunker lock inside the elevator and play the holotape in their inventory. They need to be right next to the panel for it to open the bunker.

Furthermore, there is no need to backtrack to the exit to the fake waste dump. There is a hidden elevator down a narrow corridor, right of the bunker entrance. The elevator leads directly to the surface and out into the Mire.

Senator's bunker
The bunker itself will still resist the player character, denying access to the senator's inner sanctum at first. The bunker is divided into two floors, accessible from the entry chamber through the doors. The lower floor contains the main living areas, including a small workshop area, generator room, Sam's bedroom, laundry annex, and bathroom, all connected to the main living room and kitchen. In the back is a security checkpoint leading to the inner sanctum, protected by laser barriers. The upper floor contains Judith Blackwell's bedroom and a security station. The area is peppered with notes and reminders from Judy to her father or from Sam to himself.

In order to access the sanctum, the player character needs to reset the power in the bunker, which will reset the power system. Judith discovered this while allegedly trying to run three hot plates at once. To do so, the player character needs to find the security system manual reset note in the station, then flip the breaker near the laundry machines, open the valve above the fusion generator and finally flip the circuit above the vents, accessible by jumping over the barrier on the upper level.

Doing this will reset the power and wipe the handprint identification. The player character can simply use it and gain access to the wrecked inner sanctum, turned up by Grey in search of Blackwell's congressional keycard. He failed where the player character can succeed, using the combination 021584 (Judy's date of death) to unlock the painting near the cabinets to acquire the keycard. Doing so allows the player character to enter the Whitespring bunker.

Notable loot

 * Holotapes and notes
 * Going outside? - Note, pinned to the wall just after entering the bunker from the elevator.
 * Low on food? - Note, pinned to the wall outside of the storage room.
 * Judy - Note, on a nightstand next to a bed inside Sam Blackwell's bedroom, near the Locked out? and Head Fuzzy? notes.
 * Head Fuzzy? - Note, pinned to the wall inside Sam Blackwell's bedroom, near the Judy and Locked out? notes.
 * Locked out? - Note, pinned to the wall inside Sam Blackwell's bedroom, near the Judy and Head Fuzzy? notes.
 * Security system manual reset - Note, inside a desk in the security room above the security gate to Sam Blackwell's private office and archival room, only during Bunker Buster.
 * Department of Ag projects - Note, inside the private office and archive room, next to the lower wall safe, on a shelf.
 * Committee meeting notes - Note, inside the private office and archive room, on the first righthand table.
 * We're coming for you - Holotape, inside the private office and archive room, on Sam Blackwell's desk.
 * Back off Sam - Note, inside the private office and archive room, on an overturned filing cabinet.
 * Record of divorce: The Blackwells - Note, inside the private office and archive room in a file cabinet, only during Bunker Buster.
 * Intelligence memo - 8/16/77 - Note, inside the private office and archive room in a file cabinet, only during Bunker Buster.
 * Senate orientation letter - Note, inside the private office and archive room in a file cabinet, only during Bunker Buster.
 * Welcome to the Whitespring - Holotape, located inside the private office and archive room behind the painting, only during Bunker Buster.
 * Entry - Judy's gone - Note, added to the player character's inventory after reading the respective entry on Sam's terminal, only during Bunker Buster.


 * Other loot
 * Congressional access card - Key, found only during Bunker Buster behind the painting, grants access to the Whitespring Congressional Bunker and the Enclave questline.

Appearances
Sam Blackwell's bunker appears only in Fallout 76.