Project Cobalt was a U.S. military chemical and weapons program, as well as John-Caleb Bradberton's personal initiative to acquire top secret governmental research, specifically the LEAP-X (Life Extension And Prolongation) program. The project began in March 2076 and was completed in October 2078.[1][2]
Background[]
Negotiations[]
The Beverageer Division employed by John-Caleb Bradberton at Nuka-World were among the top organic chemists in the world; while they expected to use their education to create and perfect flavors of sodas for the soft drink giant, the United States Armed Forces had a different idea.[3] The United States and China were in an arms race to create the most powerful chemical and biological weapons; there would be no second place in this race, so the American military had little choice but to negotiate with Bradberton. In order for him to turn his team and security forces over to the Army Research Laboratory's Weapons and Materials Division under the supervision of General Braxton, Bradberton demanded to be a participant in the military's LEAP-X program.[3][1]
After Braxton agreed to Bradberton's proposal, Bradberton immediately signed the team over to the military, leading to a separate chain of problems: pulling Nuka-World security personnel to watch over the team, as well as maintenance workers to make sure equipment was constantly functional, left the rest of the park critically understaffed and underfunded.[4][5]
Research and weaponization[]
As head of the Beverageers, Rex Meacham headed the research and development of Project Cobalt, and was all too happy to put his entire team on the project regardless of their wishes.[6][7] His team was successful in finding a custom isotope potentially fit for the military's needs after only seven months. The custom isotope, codenamed "Quantum," was based on strontium-90,[8] and could be used to weaponize nearly anything in the military's arsenal, and even enhanced a suit of X-01 power armor using the compound as a proof of concept.[9][10]
More specifically, the glowing blue compound could store incoming energy on armor[11] as well as amplify the default energy of munitions.[12] The team even went so far as to make a prototype Quantum derivative of the mini nuke launched from a specialized catapult.[13]
It was not until shortly after the Great War that Meacham finally completed a perfectly stable weaponization of Quantum. However, this was at the loss of all of his colleagues; due to delusions of grandeur, the stress of being locked in a bunker for an indeterminate amount of time, and what Meacham saw as "treason" for refusing to continue the project, the other Beverageers either committed suicide or were murdered by Meacham. In the end, the project was rendered completely irrelevant.[2][14]
Consumption[]
Meacham also suggested that the compound could be used in a new line of soft drinks; Nuka-Cola Quantum was the result, and would actually luminesce longer than the previously released Nuka-Cola Quartz and Victory.[9] However, the soft drink remained radioactive, but complaints from Beverageer Ruth Leavitt were disregarded and production of Nuka-Cola Quantum began.[15]
The Nuka-Cola bottling facility in Arlington, Virginia provided the Beverageers with live subjects to test the soft drink; the first few trials of the soft drinks were ultimately fatal, but isotope CE774 only resulted in some dizziness and other mild side effects, and a new flavor was born.[16] All Bradberton had to do was have taste-testers sign health damage waivers and send them a Nuka-Condolences fruit and cheese basket afterward to avoid any litigation, and then wait for the profits to roll in.[17]
Even before the completion of the development phase, however, the bottling plant at Nuka-World geared up in anticipation to begin mass production of Nuka-Cola Quantum. They even went as far as to both dye the river ride in the World of Refreshment a fluorescent blue[18] and even promote it as a safe beverage to the actors manning the ride. The Beverageers themselves even went so far as to tell the actors that if they were feeling a little low on energy, that they could drink the Quantum right out of the river, and that this new Nuka-Cola was so packed full of energy that it killed any bacteria it touched.[19]
Results[]
Several pieces of enhanced weapons and armor were created during Project Cobalt, displaying the various uses of Nuka-Cola's strontium-90 isotope:
- Nuka-nuke launcher
- Nuka-nukes
- Nuka Quantum grenade
- Weaponized Thirst Zapper
- Weaponized Nuka-Cola, Cherry, and Quantum ammo.
- Quantum X-01 power armor
Notes[]
In Fallout 3, a terminal entry indicates that Nuka-Cola Quantum had been in development for three years prior to its test release.[20] This contradicts terminal entries in the Fallout 4 add-on Nuka-World which state that Project Cobalt started in March 2076, with the drink itself being created in October 2076, with thus less than a year between its creation and test release.[21]
Appearances[]
Project Cobalt is mentioned only in the Fallout 4 add-on Nuka-World.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bradberton's office terminal entries; Bradberton's project terminal, 03-17-2076 JCB
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Project Cobalt complete
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 General Braxton's visit
- ↑ Bradberton's office terminal entries; Bradberton's terminal, Incoming Mail LBS448NWC
- ↑ Starport Nuka terminal entries; manager's terminal, Outbound Communication GH700243
- ↑ World of Refreshment terminal entries; Beverageer's terminal, Meacham RMNC-0987113
- ↑ Meacham recording AB27
- ↑ World of Refreshment terminal entries; Beverageer's terminal, Compound Q4N7-UM
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Bradberton's office terminal entries; Bradberton's project terminal, 10-20-2076 JCB
- ↑ World of Refreshment terminal entries; Beverageer's terminal, Compound Q4N7-UM - 0.245
- ↑ Action Point regeneration effect of Quantum X-01 power armor
- ↑ World of Refreshment terminal entries; Beverageer's terminal, Meacham RMNC-0987115
- ↑ Nuka-nuke launcher and Nuka-nukes
- ↑ Meacham recording AB42
- ↑ Bradberton's office terminal entries; Bradberton's terminal, Incoming Mail KL332NWC
- ↑ World of Refreshment terminal entries; Beverageer's terminal, Meacham RMNC-0987120
- ↑ Bradberton's office terminal entries; Bradberton's terminal, Outgoing Mail JCB800NWC
- ↑ Nuka-World loading screens: "Just before Nuka-Cola Quantum was released, the World of Refreshment's water was tinted a glowing blue color to simulate the look of the beverage for promotional purposes."
- ↑ World of Refreshment terminal entries; Bottling plant staff terminal, grand reopening
- ↑ Nuka-Cola plant terminal entries; research terminal, Company Announcement
- ↑ Bradberton's office terminal entries; Bradberton's project terminal, Project Cobalt