[Why don't you just give in? There's nothing wrong with looking at the human body.] Perhaps... perhaps there is value in what you say. I... I did so enjoy breathing once. Long ago.
”
Doctor Dala is a pre-War scientist living in Big MT in 2281.
Doctor Dala was the first head chief researcher of mineralogy who became a think tank to continue her work at the Big MT, such as studying Saturnite. When the Courier meets her, she's the head researcher on humanology and lobotomites, and has 211 doctorates from mineralogy and humanology to medicine and holotape eidetics.
Dala has an arguably unhealthy fascination with the human body. It would seem she has pent-up sexual frustrations (though she would never admit such as accusation to her Think Tank peers) and she can only find release in examining living tissue or observing various physiological actions. Other members of the Think Tank refer to Dala's collection of formography — explained as obsession with the human body — as if it were a hoard of fetish material.[1]
Old World Blues: If Klein can't be convinced otherwise, Dala, along with 2 other members of the Think Tank, are needed to convince Klein to give up trying to escape the Big MT.
Picking Your Brains: After completing Welcome to the Big Empty, the player needs to talk to Dala and the rest of the think tanks to complete this quest.
Welcome to the Big Empty: The player has to talk to Dala as with the rest of the Think tank to complete the quest.
Coming Out of Her Shell: Dala would like to monitor your "biorhythms" and observe you as an organism.
He Came... And Went: Dala can start this quest by picking the right speech choices in conversation.
Effects of player action[]
As long as the player completes "Coming Out of Her Shell" before confronting the Think Tank at the end of Old World Blues, she will side with the Courier if the option to have Klein consult with his colleagues is taken.
Other interactions[]
Speech options can infer that she shows more emotion than the other doctors, especially if the Courier has the Lady Killer or Cherchez La Femme perk.
After completing Coming Out of Her Shell, you can return to Dala once a day for a "breather" (literally letting her watch you breathe) for some energy weapons ammunition in return.
If the Courier has an actual teddy bear in their inventory, new dialogue will be available where it may be offered to her. However, she will decline and explain that lobotomites are her teddy bears.
Inventory[]
Apparel
-
Weapon
-
Carried items
-
Drops on death
empty
Notable quotes[]
"[Why don't you just give in? There's nothing wrong with looking at the human body.] Perhaps... perhaps there is value in what you say. I... I did so enjoy breathing once. Long ago."
"Why, my little bear of teddiness, I am Doctor Dala."
"I love to hear you breathe."
"Wooooo."
"Previous test subjects who have come here have had many questions for us. We answered them with Science, Fire, and Termination."
"8's sonic-soundwave-emitter-projecto-gun, able to broadcast sound at lethal frequencies. It also gives a great biogel massage."
"I believe we need a new frequency embedded into the gun. It was designed to broadcast many sounds once charged. We just don't know the frequency."
Notes[]
Dala appears to have an obsession with teddy bears: she both admits to this and evidence can be seen in Higgs Village, in House #104.
Apart from Doctor 8 she is the only one carrying a distinctive item.
When Doctor Mobius comments on the things the scientists have forgotten, masturbation is probably aimed at Dala, due to her fascination with the human body and tendency to make noises of ecstasy.
You have the option of telling her "The Quick Scribe jumped over the Lazy Paladin" which is clearly a reference to what Christine says in Dead Money. This is itself a reference to the sentence most word processors use to display an example of a font because it uses every letter of the English alphabet: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Dala is a shortened form of mandala, which means 'circle' in Sanskrit, another looping and infinite figure which follows the naming convention of the other members of the think tank.
Bugs[]
PCPlayStation 3Xbox 360 It is possible that you won't be able to initiate another "Breathing Session" with Dala after you have already done so once before.
↑The Courier: "Who are you? What do you do here?" Dala: "Why, my little bear of teddyness, I am Doctor Dala, first head chief researcher of mineralogy and medicinal sciences. I have 211 doctorates in both applied sciences and techniques to apply those sciences. I also possess a degree in Curiosity and Advanced Curiosity. That is merely schooling, however. When possible, I prefer field work and observation to holotape eidetics. It has proven useful, especially now. I have become the expert on humanology and Lobotomite behavior here at Big MT. My research doesn't descend into formography, it is only Science." (Dala's dialogue)