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Now... let the intruder have the Sonic Emitter schematics. Klein wants it, all right, boy? Let the intruder dig it up wherever you buried it.Doctor Borous

X-8: High School Horror! is a main quest in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Old World Blues. After completing the quest, the player is awarded with the Spinal-Tapped achievement.

Quick walkthrough[]

Side Quest: X-8: High School Horror! 
Travel to the X-8 research center
Initiate the residential cyberdog guard test at the X-8 test terminal. 
Enter the X-8 residential test facility. 
Search Gabe's digging spots in the X-8 residential test facility for Audio Sample - Gabriel's Bark
Reward: Gabriel's Bark audio frequency, Spinal-Tapped achievement/trophy 
Leads to: X-8 Data Retrieval Test 

Detailed walkthrough[]

The Courier must make their way to the X-8 research center and use the terminal to the left of the locked door. Initially, there will only be the "Basic Institutional Data Test Retrieval" test available. The player character is required to collect three sets of data from the facility, as if they were a communist spy. Select the test when ready and make your way inside.

Upon entering, the facility appears to be an American high school, created by Doctor Borous. Borous will guide the player through the loudspeaker, giving directions on where to go. First head through the right door, being mindful of the turrets that guard the halls. Go through the classroom door across the hall, and look for the terminal on the wall near where you came in. You can use this to deactivate the turret or reconfigure its targeting parameters.

Opening the door in this room leads into the next classroom, where the player will find cyberdogs and a turret on guard. The terminal located on the teacher's desk will allow you to access the first data file. The next data file is in the Library, which is down the hall to the left. Make your way there and prepare to deal with the cyberdogs guarding the room. The terminal can be found in the far left corner of the room. If you use the sonic emitter to shut down the force field above the library, the turret above will fall and explode.

Head through the exit on the opposite side of the Library, and look on the wall for the door marked "Stairs". Head upstairs, being mindful of the turrets that guard the second floor. Accessing the terminal in the room will allow the player to shut off the turrets. Heading past the balcony and toward the gym, you will find the final terminal guarded by cyberdogs. Accessing this terminal will allow you to complete the test.

Upon accessing the data, however, two cyberdogs will appear at the exit to the facility down the hall. Leaving the facility completes the basic test and opens up the intermediate test, which is the same test with added enemies. Completing the intermediate test opens up the final test, which will utilize force fields which cover doorways and increased security. Also, the locations of the data terminals will have changed. The player will need to have fully upgraded the sonic emitter to complete the final test. Completing all tests will complete the mission.

Activate the terminal, and select "Residential Guard Test". Go through the door, and you will enter into a large yard with several burial sites and Gabe, a very large cyberdog, who will then proceed to attack if he detects you. Glitches have been reported, in which the outside won't load upon opening the upstairs exit.

The audio sample "Gabriel's Bark" can be found in one of the burial sites; exactly which site is randomly determined when you enter the room. Be warned, especially if you have chosen to spare Gabe's life: obtaining the audio sample will cause four robo-scorpions to spawn, attacking and quickly overwhelming Gabe without the player's intervention. If this route is chosen, the player will then have to flee from Gabe. Alternately, the player may exit the area before the robo-scorpions have a chance to kill Gabe.

If you decide to kill Gabe, a timer will start counting down (roughly 10 seconds). Just prior to the countdown reaching zero, he will detonate. The resulting explosion has a blast radius and damage that is roughly the equivalent of a mini nuke. You still can loot Gabe after the explosion if you are fast enough.

Dr. Borous will react differently depending on what choice the player makes here on whether or not to kill Gabe, though this has little effect other than changing a single dialogue option.

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
10 Travel to the X-8 Research Center.
20 Initiate the Institutional Data Retrieval test at the X-8 Test Terminal.
25 Retrieve the three student records from the desk terminals in the X-8 Institutional Facility.
30 Exit the X-8 Institutional Facility.
40 Initiate the Residential Cyberdog Guard Test at the X-8 Test Terminal.
50 Enter the X-8 Residential Test Facility.
60Quest finishedSearch Gabe's digging spots in the X-8 Residential Test Facility for the audio sample of Gabriel's Bark.

Notes[]

  • The terminal's position will be changed if player starts the test again. There are 5 possible locations for the 3 terminals you have to access.
  • The data you gathered from the terminals will always have the same 3 student reports, though the information will be at differing terminals than in previous tests.
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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