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Then allow me to explain our situation. This bunker is currently locked down, allowing no entry or exit, with you being one of the few exceptions.Elder McNamara

The Hidden Valley bunker is a location in the Mojave Wasteland. There are four similar-looking bunkers located close to each other in Hidden Valley, southeast of Sloan in the Mojave Wasteland. One particular bunker is the entrance to the home of the Brotherhood of Steel. It is directly west of the fast travel location (center of area) with a small broken tree stump directly on top of the dome.

Background

This section is transcluded from Hidden Valley. To change it, please edit the transcluded page.
DERVISH Hidden valley

DERVISH camouflage system in Hidden Valley.

Once one of the most pristine natural basins in the McCullough Range, Hidden Valley was a destination for hikers wishing to experience the untamed wilds of Nevada. However, with hostilities escalating across the globe and the Sino-American War continuing with no end in sight, it fell prey to the military-industrial complex. The United States Air Force declared it a testing range, surrounding the area with a chain-link fence, forbidding photography, and then completely forgot about it. The secrecy of project likely so buried in bureaucratic red-tape that no one who could've used it knew about it. To the casual observer, it was just a stretch of federal land, cordoned off, abandoned, and covered in graffiti protesting the futility of the Sino-American War.[Non-game 1] The perception changed little after the Great War, with wastelanders seeing it as little more than a stretch of particularly desolate wasteland, home to derelict bunkers, mute intercoms, and bark scorpion.[1]

Of course, this was all a ruse. The USAF selected the remote Hidden Valley to establish an independent, self-sustaining underground bunker, using the same technology used at Raven Rock. The facility was intended for use by high ranking personnel and other VIPs as a shelter and command center in crisis situations. The bunker was built several hundred feet (over 100 meters) below ground, beneath multiple layers of reinforced materials in order to ensure that nothing short of a direct hit by a bunker-busting megaton nuclear weapon could threaten the installation. Such capacity was believed to be well outside the United States' closest competitors, but the bunker was provided with additional protection in the form of the DERVISH camouflage system. This complex network of industrial vents and fans generated an artificial sandstorm using the loose soil within Hidden Valley, which was supplemented by a combination of aluminum and silicates to create what was essentially a giant cloud of chaff, interfering with remote guidance systems. Together with the Black Mountain radar array and its electronic countermeasures, targeting the Hidden Valley bunker network was effectively impossible, assuming its existence was known in the first place.[2]

The bunker itself was furnished with every facility necessary to its continued operation in the event of a catastrophic event, including a variety of living quarters ranging from bunk rooms to individual chambers, a fully stocked clinic capable of carrying out complex surgeries, vast store houses, shooting ranges, workshops, research labs, a virtual reality training system, everything needed for prolonged isolation. In order to ensure longevity, the bunker was fitted with a CANDLE fusion power system. Powering all the bunker's systems, it was a mature and tested technology. Although newer designs offered a higher power output, the CANDLE offered reliability and longevity, capable of powering the bunker for an estimated 752 years (until ca. ~2700).[2]

The fact that Hidden Valley survived the Great War is a testament to its countermeasures and Robert House's defense of the Mojave. Over the next two centuries, the bunkers were abandoned and fell into disrepair, with large parts of the installation caving in due to lack of structural maintenance, salvaging, or design. It was not until the 2260s and the arrival of Elder Elijah at the head of the newly founded Mojave Chapter that it gained a new lease on life, set up as an auxiliary location and fallback point for the chapter, second to Helios One.[3] It was "promoted" to a chapter bunker following the disastrous Operation Sunburst in 2276 when the chapter was routed from its stronghold at Helios and forced to flee into the McCullough Range. The new Elder, Nolan McNamara, instituted a lockdown: All Brotherhood members who made it into the bunker were confined inside, while those outside the bunker were prohibited from returning to prevent the NCR from tracking the chapter down. Only a select few were permitted to leave to procure essential supplies or to patrol the Hidden Valley at nighttime, under cover provided by the DERVISH.[Non-game 2]

Though the Brotherhood prepares its members for extended seclusion through its ascetic training, the situation is slowly deteriorating. Five years after the loss of Helios, many of the knights and paladins promoted to fill in the gaps in manpower have no real combat experience, relying on virtual reality simulations and firing range exercises, the chapter is incommunicado to the rest of the Brotherhood, and internal tensions are simmering beneath the surface as Head Paladin Hardin is looking for a way to oust the current Elder and implement his policy.[4] Unbeknownst to all but the elder and knight Lorenzo, the bunker itself is slowly failing. The DERVISH system was not designed for constant use and the accumulation of enhanced dust in the ventilation system is taking its toll on the bunker's life support systems. Simply put, if the systems are not fixed, the bunkers would become uninhabitable in short order. The Elder attempted to send scouting parties out to retrieve the parts, but a lack of intel (caused by the skewed priorities in the Elijah era) and local hostiles resulted in the loss of all patrols.[5]

Finally, the single biggest threat to Hidden Valley and the Mojave Chapter are the powers that vie for control of the Mojave. Mr. House and Caesar want the Brotherhood removed from the picture, seeing them as a threat to their control of the region, while the Republic is willing to sign a truce in exchange for military aid (if the Courier plays their cards right).[5][6] Hiding is not an option, as even if the life support systems were restored to full functionality, all factions are aware that the Brotherhood is still lurking somewhere in the McCullough Range. After all, it only took House two years to figure it out, after losing a single Securitron per annum in the vicinity of Hidden Valley.[7]

Layout

Exterior

File:1111BoS Bunker.jpg

The Mojave Brotherhood of Steel bunker known as Hidden Valley bunker.

The bunker is marked by a small broken tree stump directly on top of the dome. There is a hollowed-out rock marked with a heart and "no bomb" graffiti located to the west of the entrance to the bunker (This is also the fast-travel point). The cement wall around the bunker's door includes these graffiti, as well as graffiti that reads, "BAN THE BOMB," "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE!!!," and several others.

Approved, unaccompanied access to the bunker cannot be gained unless at least one of the holotapes is recovered from either the two dead Brotherhood of Steel Paladins at the REPCONN Headquarters, the Paladins in Moe's crater near Black Mountain, or the two dead Brotherhood soldiers in a ditch on the artillery-battered area outside Nellis Air Force Base.

If at least one of the holotapes is in the inventory, the option to speak its pass phrase into the intercom will be available. Alternately, access can be gained by picking the lock (very hard) (Lockpick 100), by having Veronica Santangelo as a companion, through the quest Wild Card: Side Bets, or by advancing far enough into any storyline to be asked to investigate the Brotherhood.

Interior

The facility is divided into an entrance area and two main levels. The Brotherhood of Steel Paladins will respawn after a couple of days. If the player character plans to take over, it is advised to do so in one trip.

Entrance

After entering the bunker there is a large entry room with a locked door on the opposite side, similar to all the other bunkers in Hidden Valley. On the other side of the locked door (Lockpick 75) is an empty room with open doorways to the left and right, which is guarded by at least two stationary Paladins on the opposite wall. They do not appear if Veronica is present. The doorway to the left leads to a small office with a desk and a computer terminal, while the doorway to the right leads a staircase going down to the main section of L1.

Hidden Valley bunker, first floor

The first floor contains the personnel quarters, a shooting range, armory, medical bay, and an instruction room where Initiates are trained.

After turning right down the set of stairs into the bunker, turn left, then right, until reaching two sets of Knight dorm rooms located one above the other with a set of descending stairs for the lower room. Each bed has a footlocker with a combination of a mid-condition laser pistol, energy cells, and/or microfusion cells.

Hidden Valley bunker, second floor

The second floor contains the command room with living quarters for the Elder and Head Paladin Hardin. Located next to it is an archive/computer room for the scribes, a workshop for the Knights to repair and manufacture equipment, and a room containing virtual reality chambers which seem to have been placed around the bunker's main reactor.

The second floor has the Brotherhood of Steel logo on the wall, and two paths that go off to the east and to the west.

The west area has the command room with Elder McNamara and another adjoining hallway. Head Paladin Hardin is further down the hall, and can be found in either one of the two rooms beyond the first room.

The east area contains the archive computer terminals, the machine shop and the VR pod room. The VR pod room has both Head Scribe Taggart and Apprentice Watkins. It also houses the self-destruct authorization terminal and the self-destruct terminal (very hard). Alternatively, terminals on the same floor of the bunker will give a password. If the terminal is successfully hacked, or the password is obtained, they can initiate a self-destruct sequence that will immediately vilify them with the Brotherhood of Steel and cause all Brotherhood of Steel members to become hostile. The sequence can be aborted by reactivating the terminal and choosing to abort, however this has no effect on their hostility.

Inhabitants

Notable loot

  • Knight Torres, at the shooting range, has the key for the door that is on the sub level of the shop-counter. However, sometimes the key is not needed as the door is already unlocked. With the key, the shop can be entered from the door below, allowing the theft of four near perfect sets of T-45d power armor and three T-45d power armor helmets.
  • In the white plastic bin by the desk in Schuler's office (bunker L1, west of the central hub corridor junction), a copy of Nikola Tesla and You can be found.
  • Greased Lightning can be bought from the bunker's weapons dealer after McNamara/Hardin gives the player character full access.
  • Brotherhood Elder's robe, worn by Elder McNamara or Edgar Hardin if he is made elder.

Related quests

This section is transcluded from Hidden Valley. To change it, please edit the transcluded page.


Notes

  • With Veronica as a companion upon entry, she will go up to the intercom, and the following conversation will ensue:
Veronica: "Hi, I'd like a large atomic shake and a double brahmin burger. And easy on the agave sauce this time."
Ramos: "Veronica, we gave you a password. It's for your own protection."
Veronica: "Let me in, Ramos. I know where you live."
Ramos: "(sigh) For pete's sake, fine. Welcome home, Veronica."
  • Most of the Brotherhood on level 1 can be killed with no Karma or reputation loss by hacking the terminal (hard) near the entrance (as long as the deed is not seen) and turning the turrets against the Brotherhood.
  • The key can be pickpocketed from the Knight Torres by going into third person, or by squatting down slightly to the left of the window and inching right just enough to be hidden and able to reach her as well. The key will open the door under her, allowing entry to the armory. She will not say anything when the player character is in her shop, however she may turn around to look at them.
  • If Torres cannot be pickpocketed, a Brotherhood Paladin will occasionally walk into the armory and automatically unlock the door.
  • In the virtual reality pod room, the pods are from Vault 112 in Fallout 3. The screens in the pods show Tranquility Lane. This may be a small detail missed by the developers, or possibly a clue that the Brotherhood of Steel is unable to change the programming.
  • If the bunker is destroyed, the vents on the surface will emit smoke indefinitely, implying there is a constantly burning fire in the bunker.
  • Four Brotherhood of Steel Paladins will regularly go out on patrol between 1am-3am, guarding the area near the bunker until just before dawn.
  • On the right of McNamara, is a map of the Mojave, similar to the map found in the Citadel from Fallout 3, with several locations marked by symbols: REPCONN HQ, Helios One, the Fort, Camp McCarran, the Lucky 38, and Nellis Air Force Base. All seem to be the centers of power for the major factions.
  • The layout and general appearance of the corridors and rooms of Hidden Valley look almost identical to Raven Rock. This is most likely due to the fact that they are both pre-War US military installations.
  • In the medical room near the shooting range, there is a gene-projector identical to the one used in Fallout 3, it even has "Sex," "Race," "Face," and "Body" buttons.
  • It is possible to steal two full sets of T-45d power armor without having to pickpocket Knight Torres for the key. To the far left of the barrier that separates the player character and Torres, there is a crevice that is close enough to a shelf containing four sets of power armor. By going to the crevice and walking close enough, the two sets of armor will be takeable. However, since it must be done while crouching, it will not be possible to tell if anyone sees it.

Appearances

The Hidden Valley bunker appears only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Bugs

  • PCPC When the bunker is first entered and Paladin Ramos is spoken to, he will order the player character to follow him to Elder McNamara, but the player character will be unable to move. Wearing non-faction clothing and/or staying outside of Ramos' office seems to fix this.
  • PCPC The Paladin sitting at the shooting range may go missing. His reference ID is: 0010A6FF To bring him back, use the console command prid 0010A6FF followed by moveto player. Upon returning, he will be wearing his helmet.[verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 About three or more Brotherhood Paladins may spawn in the same shooting range stall and become stuck there trying to shoot at the target dummy. This may cause one of the Paladins to drop their Gauss rifle on the floor next to them. Though the weapon is labeled "steal," it will not have an effect on Karma or status with the Brotherhood, nor will any of the nearby Paladins seem to notice the weapon being taken.[verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 By closing and re-opening the locker where the player character's belongings are placed in, the locker will be refilled with various ammunition, allowing the collection of an unlimited amount of energy weapon ammunition (by constantly zoning in and out) and converting the ammunition into other types of energy ammunition, or even max charge the ammunition at the workbench on level 2.[verified]
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 The merchant may begin to lag when asked to see her wares. The merchant will repeat her lines several times before the item menu appears.[verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Inhabitants may react to the firing exercises on the shooting range as real combat, and be unresponsive to attempts at communication.[verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Veronica may repeat any sentence said on the intercom repeatedly, thus making her unable to converse with. This can be fixed by reloading a save.[verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Occasionally, when visiting the Hidden Valley bunker with Veronica as a companion, the bunker will appear to have been destroyed, and the inner entrances blocked with rubble, even if the self destruct has not been activated. However, if the bunker is visited with Arcade Gannon and ED-E in tow, Brotherhood Paladins will spawn and attack upon exiting fast travel. If the player character wears the Brotherhood power armor and enters the bunker, the entrances will be open and they will be free to move around the bunker and interact. Although, characters may become hostile towards Arcade and ED-E, but will not become hostile, provided they are still wearing a Brotherhood faction outfit and do not engage in combat. They will then be able to operate the self-destruct terminal and destroy the Hidden Valley bunker, as evident by the plumes of black smoke coming from the exhaust vents noticeable upon exiting the bunker.[verified]
  • PCPC If, after entering the room where the player character is approached and told to give up their weapons, they quickly run up on the side and engage the door, their companions will zone in next to them. This makes it easier to take on all of the guards. It is also possible to go through the conversation, and after giving up all of the equipment and weapons, but before fading completely to black, phase into conversation with the Elder in sneak-mode and open the door. This may interrupt the sequence and phase the player character behind the door with their companions, sometimes with all of their equipment.[verified]
  • Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Rarely, after completing the Brotherhood quest Tend to Your Business and speaking to the Elder (and thus receiving Power Armor Training), the door exiting L1 to the Hidden Valley bunker will be locked and require a key. Though the key is obtained after earlier quests, it will no longer be there. Go to the Paladins at the bottom of the stairs, and pickpocket a key from them. This will not have an effect on Karma, and they do not seem to notice anyone reaching under their armor and taking a key right in front of them.[verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Unarmed attacks on characters in the VR room, such as Head Scribe Taggart, may cause them to fall through the floor. [verified]

Gallery

References

  1. Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; Terminal, Project Goals: Hidden Valley
  2. 2.0 2.1 Hidden Valley bunker terminal entries; Terminal, Systems Overview
  3. The Courier: "Do you have any other family in the Brotherhood?"
    Veronica Santangelo: "Just my parents, but they haven't been around for a long time. Dad was a Paladin, Mom was a Scribe. They died in the same battle trying to hold off the NCR from... something. I don't remember what it was. Guess it seemed important at the time."
    The Courier: "Who was this Father Elijah to you?"
    Veronica Santangelo: "I would say he was my tutor, but that doesn't cover it. After my parents passed, he looked after me. The whole Brotherhood brought me up, really, but he made sure of it. I never had a grandfather - not that I knew, anyway - but Elijah was in some ways what I'd imagine a grandfather to be."
    (Veronica Santangelo's dialogue) Note: Veronica was born in 2254 and states she was brought up by the Brotherhood, indicating they passed in her early childhood, which pins the earliest known instance of NCR-Brotherhood hostility in the 2250s/2260s range.
  4. The Courier: "One of the few times an Elder was dismissed was due to it."
    Edgar Hardin: "I could be wrong, but I think that's a dead end. McNamara's always followed orders, and we've been incommunicado since fleeing HELIOS."
    (Edgar Hardin's dialogue)
  5. 5.0 5.1 Still in the Dark
  6. Eyesight to the Blind
  7. The Courier: "Where do you want me to start?"
    Robert House: "Since 2278, I've lost five roaming Securitrons near Hidden Valley. I didn't receive any clear video of the incidents, but telemetry from the units destroyed indicates they were attacked with energy weapons. It's obvious that the Brotherhood has a base in Hidden Valley or thereabouts. Finding it won't be easy, but getting inside will be the real trick."
    (Robert House's dialogue)
Hidden Valley bunker


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