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Attention students. This is the pre-recorded voice of your pre-recorded principal. Doctor Principal BOROUS!

The X-8 Data Retrieval Test is a side quest in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Old World Blues.

Quick walkthrough[]

Add-on Main Quest: X-8 Data Retrieval Test 
Start and complete the data retrieval test. 
Read the terminal above Gabe's lair. 
Switch the cyberdogs with the unusual specimens
Replay the data retrieval tests. 
Go to the test terminal to get the data results. 
Reward: DNAgent perk, variable XP 

Detailed walkthrough[]

  • Start and complete the data retrieval test by accessing the records from the three terminals in the simulated high school.
  • Go to the terminal on the table and read its contents.
  • Start and finish the advanced test, receiving the ability to disable force fields with the sonic emitter.
  • Now, go to the terminal that is found when the Courier follows a series of hallways that diverge from the way to the exit, this will eventually lead to an observation booth above Gabe's lair.
  • Read the contents of that terminal.
  • Travel to X-13 research facility to find the X-8 kennel key. It is in a suitcase in the corner of a stockroom off the first room; the doorway is blocked by a force field, so requires the sonic emitter to get in. This room will contain a few hostile night stalkers, unless the Animal Friend perk has been taken prior to entering, in which case they will be neutral.
  • Return to X-8 research center, open the kennel door and switch the cyberdogs with the unusual specimens.
  • Go through both the advanced and basic test again. Night stalkers will have replaced the cyberdogs.
  • Go to the final terminal marked on the map to see the data results, and finish the quest.

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
10 Gather the three student records.
20 Exit the testing area.
25 Activate Institutional Data Retrieval Test (Advanced) at the X-8 Test terminal.
28 Enter the testing area.
30 Download the Field Disruptor EM Pulse Wave for the sonic emitter.
40 Retrieve the three student records from the desk terminals in the X-8 Institutional Facility.
50 Exit the testing area.
52 Find more information about the X-8 Test.
55 Find the key to the X-8 kennels (sonic emitter EM Pulse Wave Upgrade Required).
60 Release the unusual specimen into the testing area.
70 Activate Institutional Data Retrieval Test (Basic) at the X-8 Test terminal.
75 Enter the testing area.
80 Retrieve the three student records from the desk terminals in the X-8 Institutional Facility.
90 Exit the testing area.
100 Activate Institutional Data Retrieval Test (Advanced) at the X-8 Test terminal.
105 Enter the testing area.
110 Retrieve the three student records from the desk terminals in the X-8 Institutional Facility.
120 Exit the testing area.
140 Retrieve the three student records from the desk terminals in the X-8 Institutional Facility.
150 Exit the testing area.
160Quest finishedRetrieve test data from the X-8 Test terminal.

Notes[]

  • Choosing both "unusual specimen" and "release cyberdogs" will change the status of hostile night stalker into military cyberdog inside the Test Chamber.
  • The only schematics for the FIDO variant of the K9000 cyberdog gun are found next to the terminal inside the kennel.
  • The reward for completing this quest is the DNAgent perk.

Bugs[]

  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Even after completing every single task, it can still be made an active quest. [verified]
  • PCPC After initiating the "Institutional Data Retrieval Test (Basic)" and choosing the "Unusual Specimen" option from the Kennel terminal, initiating the "release cyberdogs" option may cause the quest to be completed, but will show the "Institutional Data Retrieval Test" & "Unusual Specimen" options as uncompleted on your quest task list, basically showing on your completed tasks list that you never actually fulfilled the requirements to complete the test. The bug appears to come from the map-marker, as it doesn't move from Kennel terminal to the X-8 Test terminal after "Unusual Specimen" is chosen confusing the player by the map-marker. Initiating only the "Unusual Specimen" option on the X-8 Test terminal and starting the Basic Test and Advanced Test at the same time will finish the quest. [verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 After releasing the "Unusual Specimens" and starting the "Institutional Data Retrieval Test (Basic)/(Advanced)" the terminals to retrieve the student records will not appear, causing the player to be trapped and the rendering the quest impossible to complete. Re-enabling the terminals via the console will allow the quest to be completed. To do this use the following series of commands; "prid xx00e0e2","enable","unlock" repeat this for xx00e0e3, and xx00e0e4 the xx should be replaced by the position of OldWorldBlues.esm from your load order. [verified]
    • This bug doesn't cause you to fail the quest, but it can go to an infinite loop of finished/unfinished quest pop-ups.
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Nightstalkers cannot path properly to the player while standing atop the second floor forcefield 'ceiling' of the library. This trivializes the 4-pack of nightstalkers near the exit, spawned upon obtaining the last student record. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 After releasing the unusual specimens on the kennel terminal, the player, when enabling the retrievement basic, will not be able to access the terminals to get the files causing them to be trapped. [verified]
  • PCPC Attempting to access either the basic or advanced "Institutional Data Retrieval Test" after selecting the cyberdog test can cause the game to freeze. [verified]
    • This is due to the door to Gabe's cave beinging initially disabled. After one enables it, the terminal's script will attempt to disable the cave door and enable the door to the school area. However, as the script attempts to do both at the same time, both doors occupy the same space at once and the game is incapable of handling it.
    • An easy workaround is to select the currently visible door with the console and use disable, before selecting the data retrieval test with the terminal.
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Because the Sonic Emitter can be dropped or stored in a container (as the game does not consider it a quest item), it is possible for the player character to not have the Sonic Emitter in their inventory when initiating the Advanced test, where the weapon is required in order to disable the force fields and progress. This effectively traps the player if they enter the test room without the weapon.[verified]

Gallery[]

Main quests
Act 1Ain't That a Kick in the Head · Back in the Saddle · By a Campfire on the Trail · They Went That-a-Way · Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
Act 2Wild Card (Wild Card: Ace in the Hole, Change in Management, You and What Army?, Side Bets, Finishing Touches) · The House Always Wins (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII) · Render Unto Caesar · Et Tumor, Brute? · Things That Go Boom · Kings' Gambit · For the Republic, Part 2 · You'll Know It When It Happens/Arizona Killer
Act 3No Gods, No Masters · All or Nothing · Veni, Vidi, Vici · Eureka!
Side quests
New California RepublicAnywhere I Wander · Back in Your Own Backyard · Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues · Boulder City Showdown · Can You Find it in Your Heart? · Climb Ev'ry Mountain · Don't Tread on the Bear! · Emergency Radio · Eye for an Eye · Flags of Our Foul-Ups · Hard Luck Blues · I Don't Hurt Anymore · I Put a Spell on You · Keep Your Eyes on the Prize · Medical Mystery · No, Not Much · Pressing Matters · Restoring Hope · Return to Sender · That Lucky Old Sun · The White Wash · There Stands the Grass · Three-Card Bounty · We Will All Go Together · You Can Depend on Me
Caesar's LegionBeware the Wrath of Caesar! · Caesar's Favor · Caesar's Foe · Caesar's Hire · Cold, Cold Heart · I Hear You Knocking · The Finger of Suspicion · We Are Legion
The StripBeyond the Beef · Bye Bye Love · Classic Inspiration · How Little We Know · Pheeble Will · Talent Pool · The House Has Gone Bust! · The Moon Comes Over the Tower
Freeside & Outer VegasBirds of a Feather · Bleed Me Dry · Debt Collector · G.I. Blues · High Times · Someone to Watch Over Me · The Coyotes · Wang Dang Atomic Tango
BoomersAnt Misbehavin' · Sunshine Boogie · Volare! · Young Hearts
Great KhansAba Daba Honeymoon · Cry Me a River · Don't Make a Beggar of Me · Oh My Papa
Powder GangBooted · I Fought the Law · Run Goodsprings Run · Why Can't We Be Friends?
Brotherhood of SteelEyesight to the Blind · Still in the Dark · Tend to Your Business
OtherCome Fly With Me · Crazy, Crazy, Crazy · Ghost Town Gunfight · Guess Who I Saw Today · Left My Heart · My Kind of Town · The Legend of the Star and A Valuable Lesson · Unfriendly Persuasion · Wheel of Fortune
Companion questsED-E My Love · For Auld Lang Syne · Heartache by the Number · I Could Make You Care · I Forgot to Remember to Forget · Nothin' But a Hound Dog · One for My Baby
Unmarked questsA Bit of Slap and Tickle · A Final Plan for Esteban · Access Powers · All Fired Up! · An Ear to the Ground · Andy and Charlie · Arachnophobia · Arizona Scavenger · Barton the Fink · Bear Necessities · Big Winner (Atomic Wrangler, The Gomorrah, The Tops, Ultra-Luxe, Vikki & Vance) · Bounty Killer (I, II) · Brotherhood Bond (I, II) · Caching in at the Cove · Cajoling a Cudgel · Claws Mended · Claws Out · Dealing with Contreras · Defacing the Humble Stone · Democracy Inaction · Don't Poke at the Bear! · Eddie's Emissary · Exhumin' Nature · Fight Night · Flogging a Dead Corpse · Friend of the Followers · Gland for Some Home Cooking · Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger · Hat's Entertainment · Help for Halford · Hidden Valley computer virus · Highway to the Danger Zone (I, II) · Honorary Rocketeer · I Love Bananas · Iron and Stealing · Keith's Caravan Charade · Laurifer Gladiator · Lenk's Bad Debts · Lily and Leo · Long-Term Care · Malleable Mini Boomer Minds · Maud's Muggers · Meeting an Equal · Missing a Few Missiles · Most Wanted · Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans · Old School Ghoul · A Pair of Dead Desperados (I, II) · Papers, Please · Pistol Packing · Playing on the Old Joana · Powder to the People · Power to the People · Razzle Dazzle! · Reach for the Sky, Mister! · Rest and Resupply · Ringo's Caravan Rules · Rotface's Loose Lips · Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy · The Screams of Brahmin · Silus Treatment · Short-Term Treatment · Smooth-Talking Criminal · The Star Showdown · Strategic Nuclear Moose · Straus Calls · Strip Search · Suits You, Sarah · Tags of Our Fallen · A Team of Moronic Mercenaries · Thought for the Day · Tourist Traipse · Trudy's Radio Repair · A Trusted Aide · Useless Baubles or Fancy Trinkets? · We Must Stop Beating Like This · We Must Stop Meeting Like This · Wind-Brahmin Wrangler · You Gotta Break Out a Few Eggs · You Make Me Feel Like a Woman
Add-on quests
Dead MoneySierra Madre Grand Opening! · Find Collars (8: "Dog", 12: Christine, 14: Dean Domino) · Fires in the Sky · Strike Up the Band · Mixed Signals · Trigger the Gala Event · Put the Beast Down · Last Luxuries · Curtain Call at the Tampico · Heist of the Centuries · Big Winner, Sierra Madre
Honest HeartsA Family Affair · Arrival at Zion · Bighorners of the Eastern Virgin · Chaos in Zion · Civilized Man's Burden · Crush the White Legs · Deliverer of Sorrows  · Departing Paradise · Flight from Zion · Gathering Storms · Gone Fishin' · Happy Trails Expedition · Prisoners of War · Retake the Bridge · River Monsters · Rite of Passage · Roadside Attraction · Sanctity of the Dead · The Advance Scouts  · The Treacherous Road · The Grand Staircase · Tourist Trap
Old World BluesAll My Friends Have Off Switches · A Brain's Best Friend · Coming Out of Her Shell · Field Research · He Came... And Went · Influencing People · Midnight Science Fiction Feature! · Old World Blues · On the Same Wavelength · Picking Your Brains · Project X-13 · Sonic Emitter Upgrade · Welcome to the Big Empty · What's in a Name? · When Visitors Attack! · X-2: Strange Transmissions! · X-8 Data Retrieval Test · X-8: High School Horror! · X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator!
Lonesome RoadThe Reunion · The Silo · The Job · The Launch · The Tunnelers · The Divide · The Courier · The End · The Apocalypse
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