Bryan Wilks is an eight-year-old survivor of Grayditch in Fallout 3. Talking to him automatically begins the quest Those!
Background[]
The only son of Fred Wilks, Bryan came to Grayditch with his dad in 2276. The town was a stopover in their travels further, but the bricked houses and a small community provided welcome respite[3] and delayed their plans to move on, away from the dangerous ruins of Washington, D.C.[4] During their stay, his father made supply runs for the entire settlement, becoming an important part of the small community while trying to raise an eight-year-old son on his own, as Bryan's mother passed away when he was younger.[5][Non-game 1]
Though young, Bryan was raised to survive in the wasteland and Fred trusted his son with a supply key for emergencies, trusting his judgement.[6] He instructed his son to stay away from dangerous parts of Grayditch, such as Marigold station[7] and the old Pulowski Preservation shelter near the old diner. Bryan learned how to stay safe and when these warnings did not apply.[8][9] Fred had a strict parenting style in general, it appears. If Bryan misbehaved, he expected his son to apologize three times for misbehavior before he forgave him,[10] and while he forbids swearing,[11] it did not apply to dad, especially when talking about the mutated ants around the city.[12] While strict, Bryan loved his father and had a strong bond with him,[13] and inherited the instinct to protect other families.[14][15] A part of the reason was likely the fact that the only family that Bryan has left is Vera Weatherly, his aunt (or cousin, as he says), living in Rivet City.[2]
Bryan's dad set an example by making supply runs for the town and hunting giant ants whenever they menaced the town. He partnered up with William Brandice, whose son, Will Brandice, was the only other child in the settlement.[16] The two were friends,[17] and Bryan loved having someone across the street to hang out with.[18] Will was a year older than Bryan and very nice, sharing his comic books freely. Together, they explored the entirety of Grayditch and learned all the best hiding spots.[19] Bryan was a bit more reserved about Will's parents. His friend's mom was quiet, but always took care of Bryan and his dad when he visited. Will's dad, though, was quiet and scary.[5] William always watched the Wilks with caution and mistrust, and even kept staring at them from the windows of the Brandice's home. Will was vaguely aware of his dad's origin as a former soldier, and told Bryan as much.[20]
It is worth noting that Bryan has yet to grasp the finer points of language or metaphor. He considered Doctor Weston Lesko a nice person, despite his evident lack of social skills and occasional argument with his father.[21] Fred Wilks was actually contracted by Lesko to build a shack to house his equipment, and move it in. Fred considered Lesko an egghead, but Bryan thought he was OK.[22] He did not realize that his curiosity was unwelcome and Lesko considered him a bother and an interruption.[23] Bryan considers him an okay person in general, as he is completely unaware of the nature of his experiments.[24][25]
During the attack, he hid underneath a demolished car, evading the mandibles of the creatures that killed off the rest of the settlement.[Non-game 1] He overheard Weston Lesko talk about the ant queen shortly before the attack,[26] but has been too busy dodging ants since then. He is exhausted due to dwindling food, water, and the sheer stress of trying to survive, not knowing what happened to his father. He is too tired to cry,[27] and desperate for assistance: all other adults passing through or near the town shrugged Bryan off and left.[28][29][30]
Interactions with the player character[]
Interactions overview[]
| Interactions | ||
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This character is essential. Essential characters cannot be killed. | |
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This character starts quests. | |
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This character is involved in quests. | |
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This character can be enslaved with the Mesmetron. | |
Quests[]
Those!: Bryan automatically approaches the player when they near Grayditch, asking for help finding his father and figuring out what happened to him. Afterwards, he takes shelter in a closed Pulowski Preservation shelter next to the diner near his home, waiting for the player to find his dad and then Doctor Lesko.
- During the initial meeting, the player can use Child at Heart or pass a Speech challenge to obtain a key to Bryan's father's emergency supplies (he will otherwise lie about them). The dumpster has a Very Hard lock on the dumpster, and can spawn a sidearm (.32 pistol, Chinese pistol, 10mm pistol, laser pistol, or scoped .44 Magnum), and several frag grenades and/or pulse grenades.
- Once the quest concludes, Bryan stays alone in Grayditch. The player can arrange for an adoption:
- Find Vera Weatherly in Rivet City and ask her to take him in. Bryan will be elated to live with his aunt and he will find friends in Rivet City, working at the Weatherly Hotel.
- Secure him a place in Little Lamplight by talking to Mayor MacCready. MacCready will explain that Bryan will have to pull his weight, but eventually agree to let him live there. Bryan will be glad to be safe, but sleeping in caves will cause him regular nightmares about ants.
- Sell him to Eulogy Jones and the slavers of Paradise Falls for 100 caps. The most despicable option, as Bryan is slated for a future of being broken-in and used as a future breeder. The player will have to put the slave collar on Bryan personally, and can lie to him about what Paradise Falls is all about. Bryan disappears from the game if this choice is taken.
- Finally, the player can simply leave him in Grayditch, at the cost of being lonely and miserable.
- Three Dog will comment on all four outcomes, noting that the player left Bryan to rot in the Pulowski shelter at Grayditch if they resolve the quest, but do not find a home for Bryan. Naturally, he will be mortified should Wilks wind up in Eulogy's "care."
Inventory[]
| Apparel | Weapon | Other items |
|---|---|---|
| Ragamuffin outfit |
Notes[]
- He may address a female Lone Wanderer as "sir" or "mister" in some of his dialogue.
- There is conflicting dialogue as to whether Vera Weatherly is Bryan's aunt[1] or cousin.[2]
Notable quotes[]
- "I wish I had met you a long time ago, then maybe my dad would still be alive."
- "Pappa called him an egghead, but his head was shaped regular, so I didn't get it."
- "My pappa had a gun, and he said it hurt those things, but he said they were the dumbest Fuckin' Ants he ever saw."
- "Now I know what a TV dinner feels like."
Appearances[]
Bryan Wilks appears only in Fallout 3.
Behind the scenes[]
While in the Pulowski Preservation shelter, Bryan will say "Now I know what a TV dinner feels like."[31] This is a reference to the movie Die Hard, where John McClane says the same thing while crawling through a narrow ventilation shaft.
Bugs[]
- If Vera Weatherly dies after Bryan moves in with her, Bryan may appear inside of the Enclave garrison outside of the Jefferson Memorial during Take it Back! Enclave soldiers will be friendly to Bryan while Brotherhood troops are hostile and will open fire on Bryan.[verified]
- If the player attacks Bryan while he is in Rivet City, everyone will become hostile towards him but not the player.[verified]
- It is possible to find Bryan being attacked by other NPCs. Examples of this include the Enclave soldier north of the ruined farmhouse, and random encounters outside the Super-Duper Mart.[verified]
- Bryan can be pickpocketed and reverse-pickpocketed. This can be used to arm him and change his clothing. The player can also steal and wear his ragamuffin outfit. Placing an explosive in his inventory merely adds it to his inventory rather than changing it to a live explosive.[verified]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Lone Wanderer: "Vera, your nephew Bryan lost his folks and needs a place to live."
Vera Weatherly: "Poor dear. I know what it's like to be alone. I'd love to take him in. Don't worry, I have the means to keep him fed and healthy but most importantly, safe."
(Vera Weatherly's dialogue) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Lone Wanderer: "Any idea where I can look for someone to take care of you?"
Bryan Wilks: "Well, pappa always told me about my cousin Vera. She lives on some big, giant ship somewhere or something. Pappa called the place 'Rivet City', but I dunno where it is."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "What happened here?"
Bryan Wilks: "It used to be kinda' nice. No one bothered us there, I guess because we were so close to D.C. There was seven of us living there in tall, old brick houses. I think I'm the last one left. Those things took everyone else."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Did you know the others in town very well?"
Bryan Wilks: "Naw. People don't like to stay long in Grayditch. The D.C. Ruins aren't a great place to make a home, you know? In fact, pappa was talking about moving on soon... we've been here for maybe a year."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Lone Wanderer: "How about Will's parents?"
Bryan Wilks: "Well, his mom was nice too. She was kind of quiet, but she always took care of me and my pappa when we came over. I think she was sad that my mom was gone. Will's dad was... well, I don't wanna be mean... but he was kinda scary."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Look, anything else you can do to help might save lives."
Bryan Wilks: "You know, maybe this will help and maybe it won't, but pappa hid a bunch of stuff behind the old diner in a dumpster. He trusted me with the key and said it was for emergencies, but I bet he wouldn't mind you having it."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "What can you tell me about Marigold Station?"
Bryan Wilks: "Whoa! That's a bad place. My dad said to never, ever go down there. It's in the southeast part of Grayditch, near the big buildings."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Is there anywhere you can hide while I search?"
Bryan Wilks: "Well, there is the personal shelter next to the old diner. Pappa always said to stay away from it... but, I guess it's supposed to be safe. I'll head over there and wait inside. Hurry back!"
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "This probably isn't the best place for you to stand..."
Bryan Wilks: "You think I didn't know that? I been hiding in this place for days! There's an old portashelter next to the diner near my house. Those stupid things will never get me in there. I'll head over there and wait inside. Hurry back!"
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "What's it going to take for you to forgive me?"
Bryan Wilks: "When I was bad, my pappa made me apologize three times. Then he decided if I was really or sorry or not. You wanna' talk to me about stuff, say you're sorry three times... and you better mean it!"
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Sorry, kid. Your old man is ant food."
Bryan Wilks: "You... you know what you are? You're a big asshole! That's right... an asshole! My pappa said never to say that word, but you deserve it! Now what am I going to do? My pappa's dead... poor pappa…"
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Can you tell me more about the things attacking Grayditch?"
Bryan Wilks: "Well, they're big ugly things that crawl around on six legs. They got huge teeth and skitter around grabbing everything in their path. My pappa would always say they were Fuckin' Ants. Well, that's what he used to call them anyway. I just call 'em Fire Ants."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "People die all the time out here. Get used to it."
Bryan Wilks: "Why does everyone who comes through here have to be so mean!? We have to get back at these things for killing my pappa! We just gotta!"
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Fine, I'll take care of everything."
Bryan Wilks: "You gotta stop it so this can't happen to anyone else's family ever again! I wish I had met you a long time ago, then maybe my dad would still be alive."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "I can't leave you here alone. Let me find you a place to live."
Bryan Wilks: "Really? You mean it!? Oh boy! Thank you so much! I'll wait in my old house for you to come back... I need to bury my pappa anyway. Just don't forget about me!"
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Before Lesko showed up, were there ever ants in Grayditch?"
Bryan Wilks: "Well, there used to be like big regular ants once in a while... but pappa could usually hunt 'em down with Mr. Brandice across the street. It only started getting bad here with these Fire Ants after the Doc got here, yeah."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Tell me about the Brandice Family."
Bryan Wilks: "Well, there was Will... he was sorta my friend. And then there was his dad and his mom."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Where did the Brandices live?"
Bryan Wilks: "Right across the street actually. It was pretty swell having someone to hang out with so close by."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "So, you and Will were good friends?"
Bryan Wilks: "Yeah, Will was super nice to me. He was like a year older than me I think. He even shared his comic books with me. We explored pretty much every bit of Grayditch we could find. I think that's why the ants don't bother me... I have good hiding spots."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Will's dad was scary? How so?"
Bryan Wilks: "He was like always watching me and my dad real careful, like he didn't trust us or something. He always kept staring at us from the windows of his house and typing stuff into his TV box. Will said his dad was like an old soldier or something, but he didn't like doing that stuff so he quit."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Did your pappa ever tell you what he thought of Lesko?"
Bryan Wilks: "Well, I remember once they were all yelling at each other and stuff. Kinda weird cause Doc Lesko is so nice and all. Later pappa said something like 'The Doc has got a brain on his shoulders when it comes to ants, but he's got a lot to learn about people.' It was weird, cause I never seen a brain sitting on Doc's shoulder... that would be gross!"
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Tell me about this 'Doc Lesko.'"
Bryan Wilks: "He was a strange man. He paid pappa some caps to help him build a shack and carry a bunch of junk into it. Pappa called him an egghead, but his head was shaped regular, so I didn't get it."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Who the hell is Bryan Wilks?"
Doctor Lesko: "He's a rather bothersome young lad. Always asking interminable questions and interrupting my calculations. After you're done down here, perhaps you can locate him on the surface and speak to him."
(Doctor Lesko's dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Do you trust Lesko?"
Bryan Wilks: "I dunno. I mean, he always talked real funny and didn't let me touch anything in his house. But I guess he was okay. I mean, he never did anything bad."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Do you have any idea what Doctor Lesko was doing in Grayditch?"
Bryan Wilks: "Naw. He was a nice man, but he never wanted to play with me very much and we barely talked. All I know is he was all gone when the ants started showing up. I think... they got him too."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Did you hear anyone mention anything about an Ant Queen?"
Bryan Wilks: "Well... yeah. I think I heard Doc Lesko mention something like a queen or something. Something about 'laying eggs' whatever that means. He said the queen would never be above ground. That he'd have to find her. Weird huh?"
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Bryan, I'm sorry, but your father is dead."
Bryan Wilks: "Yeah... I snuck back home a little while ago and found him laying there. I guess I already knew anyway, I just needed to see for myself. Besides, I'm too tired to cry anymore."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Hey, hey. Calm down. It's going to be okay. I promise."
Bryan Wilks: "You won't leave me like all the other grown-ups? You... you can help me?"
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Calm down, calm down. Just who the heck are you?"
Bryan Wilks: "My name's Bryan Wilks. I live in Grayditch. Well, that is, I did until those Fire Ants turned this place into a cemetery. They killed everyone in town... including my pappa. Now I'm all alone. I'm glad those stupid things are all dead though! You're pretty tough!"
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "I found him, actually... inside Marigold Metro."
Bryan Wilks: "Really?! Oh my gosh! Well if anyone can stop the Fire Ants, it's you two together. You're both really smart! If you can, make sure he comes back... maybe he'll stay here and I'll have someone to talk to when you're gone!"
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue) - ↑ Bryan Wilks: "Now I know what a TV dinner feels like."
(Bryan Wilks' dialogue)
Non-game
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.64: "Bryan Wilks
When the settlement was attacked by Giant Ants and all the inhabitants were wiped out, eight-year-old Bryan hid underneath a demolished car. Luckily, the huge insects overlooked him and moved on after carrying off their prey. Since the attack, Bryan's food and water supply has dwindled (his father used to make trips to stock up for the entire settlement), and he has left the safety of the small settlement in hopes of finding help."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census)
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