Fort Independence

Fort Independence is a former United States Army scientific military base and since 2276, the headquarters of the Brotherhood Outcasts in the Capital Wasteland. It is located west of Fairfax Ruins and north of Andale.

Background
Fort Independence was a scientific base before the War. It fell into ruin after the Great War, particularly when the local Raider tribes moved into Fairfax.

When the Outcasts split from Owyn Lyons's chapter in 2276, they have removed the Raider presence from around the Fort and adapted the old installation to their needs. Having restored much of its internal facilities, it is used as a hub for all Outcast activity in the area. All of the technology they gather is stored within the fort, as are their research findings.

The Fort comes under constant attacks by Raiders, possibly as a result of an internal intelligence leak, or so Protector Casdin suspects.

Outside
The Fort is located next to an overpass, with a fenced-in area in front of the entrance. The overpass itself is fortified with sandbags and manned by Defender Rockfowl. The road under is secured by Defender Morgan and an Outcast turret. After the player speaks with Defender Morgan about a job, Protector Casdin will open the perimeter fence's gate and encourage the Lone Wanderer to bring scavenged technology to them in exchange for supplies.

Topside
Once the player is cleared for entry (or kills his way in), the Fort Independence is divided into two areas inside. The topside contains the administrative section, mess hall and sleeping quarters with little in the way of loot.

Lower level
The underground contains the science labs, including a workshop, biomedical laboratory and the armory. The Outcasts typically use the exterior entrance, with the security door connecting the interior of the Fort with the underground lying in disuse.

Notable loot
Down the stairs in the room left of the exit door is the entrance to the basement. Inside the desk within the first room is the password to the locked (hard) wall terminal which opens the door; continue down until you reach the Western Laboratory (the room full of research terminals). Activating them adds notes on various weapons, namely the missile launcher, minigun, Enclave power armor, plasma rifle, pulse grenade, and laser rifle. In this room there is a locked (hard) door, a key to this is available in the barracks room nearby within an locked (easy) footlocker. Through these door is the unique Miss Launcher and various other loot.
 * The Miss Launcher in the basement, along with a minigun, laser rifle, plasma rifle, 6 boxes of ammunition which include quite a number of alien power cells, as well as 2 mini nukes.
 * There is a Nuka-Cola Quantum and a Stealth Boy in the central room on the main floor, next to some bunk beds.
 * A Nuka-Cola Quantum can also sometimes be found in the Nuka-Cola vending machine near the entrance to the lower levels.
 * Alien power cells can be obtained from the locked storage room, next to the room with the research terminals.
 * A rare Rake is found in the lower level of the fort. After descending the first staircase you encounter, there will be a room halfway down. It is located to the right of some piping, leaning against a bookshelf.
 * Two unusually large empty syringes and one forceps are located in the medical room of the lower level.

Appearances
Fort Independence appears only in Fallout 3.

Behind the scenes

 * The name Fort Independence was also the name of a real fort in California, used during conflicts such as the Owens valley Indian war.

Bugs

 * In the lower level of Fort Independence, the turret in the main chamber will be stuck in the ceiling. It will not attack you and cannot be destroyed easily (The turret can only be destroyed by the Mysterious Stranger in V.A.T.S, a flamer or deactivating it by hacking the locked (average) terminal in front of it). This can result in a follower staying and continually attacking the turret with no effect. This can be fixed by leaving the fort.
 * After hacking the turret controls under the bridge to remove its targeting system and then disable it, sometimes the turret under the bridge will at first look stretched into the ground and allow you to walk through it, and then if reactivated will appear high above the bridge and be hard to see, even if aiming through a sniper scope.
 * Defenders Morgan and Rockfowl will respawn right next to their corpses after you've killed them. This glitch applies to several of the unnamed Outcasts.
 * When initially discovering the Fort, the Brotherhood Outcasts outside may shoot at the player if the player attempts to attack the approaching raiders with melee/unarmed weapons.
 * Sometimes upon discovery of the Fort, the Brotherhood Outcasts may be hostile for no apparent reason.