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This is the part where you tell me what the hell you're doing bothering an old man who obviously wants to be left alone.... get on with it already!
”— Horace Pinkerton, Fallout 3.Dr. Horace Pinkerton is a mysterious and elusive inhabitant of Rivet City's broken bow in Fallout 3. He is also a former council member of Rivet City who was replaced by Madison Li.
Background[]
Horace Pinkerton was born in 2217, descendant from the remnants of the Naval Research Institute that survived the Great War. In 2237, the twenty year old Horace was chosen to lead an expedition to find new lab space for the Institute. The expedition found a derelict carrier with an intact science bay and established the Rivet Station Science Outpost after clearing out the Mirelurks, using the intact bay as nucleus of their science efforts.[1] By April 2239, a burgeoning civilian settlement sprung up around the station on the carrier. As a result, on April 25th, Rivet City was formally established by Pinkerton, Annette Holmes and Brad Danvers, to better protect and organize this growing community.[2][3]
The settlement prospered and Pinkerton held his seat on the council as science officer until 2258, when Madison Li and her science team arrived at Rivet City after abandoning Project Purity, when the man in charge abandoned the project. Li took over Pinkerton's science teams, with the prospect of activating Project Purity as incentive. Furious, Pinkerton left the city into self-imposed exile in the broken-off bow.[4] What made him particularly angry was the fact that the shift in focus prevented work on more meaningful project, like defensive systems or even making the carrier seaworthy.[5]
Horace spends the remainder of his days isolated in his workshop in the bow, which also serves as his quarters. Most of the residents would be surprised to find he is still on the ship, let alone living there. Belle Bonny knows he lives here. Doctor Li and Seagrave Holmes remember him from the early days but assume he left Rivet City decades ago.[3]
His skills were still prized by a select few in the wastelands. As the only person capable of performing facial surgery without killing the patient (a testament as much to his skill as to his equipment) and with a natural understanding of electronics, he was contacted to perform facial modification and memory wiping on A3-21, a runaway android from the Institute. Pinkerton helped the Railroad out of curiosity, eager to take a look inside the machine.[6] Though personally he considers the Railroad misguided at best, he appreciates the fact that they continued to bring him interesting technology over the years.[7]
Interactions with the player character[]
Interactions overview[]
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This character is essential. Essential characters cannot be killed. | |
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This character is involved in quests. | |
Quests[]
- The Wasteland Survival Guide: Pinkerton will give information on the origins of Rivet City, to satisfy an optional part of The Wasteland Survival Guide for the history of the city.
- The Replicated Man: Pinkerton will give information about the android.
Other interactions[]
- During and after "The Replicated Man" quest, he will offer the player facial surgery free of charge.
Inventory[]
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Wasteland wanderer outfit |
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Assault rifle | |
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empty | |
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empty |
Notes[]
- His personal computer terminal is not difficult to locate — it is wall-mounted to the left of the X-ray displays. Just below and to the right of it is a D.C. Journal of Internal Medicine.
- In one of Doctor Pinkerton's journals in his terminal it says that he stole a memory chip from Vault 112 and used it to give Harkness memories of a "life". Perhaps this could be why Old Lady Dithers in Tranquility Lane knows she's in a simulation.
- Pinkerton's name is taken from an original Mark Twain short story The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg.
- When the Lone Wanderer chooses to get a facial reconstruction from Pinkerton, there seems to be no difference in people's reactions to the Lone Wanderer; everyone will still recognize you, despite the altered features.
- There is a Big Book of Science on the table where you find Pinkerton. Nearby should also be Dean's Electronics book.
- For the facial reconstruction he says there will be 35% chance of infection by his hands, although you never get an infection.
- Horace Pinkerton is not known for his ethics.[8]
Appearances[]
Horace Pinkerton appears only in Fallout 3.
Bugs[]
When the player chooses to get a facial reconstruction, there is a possibility that the Lasergrafter will not center on the character's face; it will only show the top half of it. When the player clicks "Done", the character view is shifted properly, but if the player selects "no" (to return to the facial editor), the view will shift back to only showing the top half of the face. Verified- Making your skin darker to look like an African American using a Facial Reconstruction, not saving the game, and loading the previous save will result in you having a dark skin color, but a much lightered colored face. Verified
References
- ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Setting the record straight is exactly my goal."
Horace Pinkerton: "For that, you have to go all the way back to when remnants of the Naval Research Institute cleared the Mirelurks off this wreck about 40 years ago. We were looking for new lab-space, and this bucket of bolts just happened to have a well-preserved science bay on it. Everything else just grew up around that lab once we got it up and running. The science team was led by one "H. Pinkerton.""
(Horace Pinkerton's dialogue) - ↑ Rivet City historical record: "As the Rivet Station Science Outpost has displayed significant stability in its location and reliable profitability for supply traders, a burgeoning civilian settlement has sprung up in the available space on our ship. To better protect and organize this growing community, we declare a three man council will act as a governing body to represent the interests of the residents of the newly dubbed "Rivet City.""
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.76: "Horace Pinkerton
Pinkerton, 60, is a crotchety old man who helped turn Rivet City from an old aircraft carrier into a livable community. He's grown tired of people and spends the remainder of his days isolated in his Broken Bow workshop, which also serves as his quarters. Most of the residents would be surprised to find he is still on the ship, let alone living there. Belle Bonny knows he lives here. Doctor Li and Seagrave Holmes remember him from the early days but assume he left Rivet City decades ago."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "So, you used to be in charge? How did you end up here?"
Horace Pinkerton: "That lasted until 'bout 18 years ago, when those ambitious backbiters like Li and her little team showed up. She came in with her big "Purity Project" pipe dream, and my whole staff started working with her, those traitors! She even took my seat on the council. By then, I was glad to leave it behind. But hell if I'm leaving the city I made great!"
(Horace Pinkerton's dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "What do you know about Project Purity?"
Horace Pinkerton: "Who cares? It's some hydroponics pipe dream that Li's been working on forever. Waste of time and effort, I say. Apparently, though, my teams cared more about it than they did about little things like defense systems or making this ship float again. Treacherous bastards, all of them."
(Horace Pinkerton's dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "So why'd you help the android? "
Horace Pinkerton: "Ha! Why do you think? I wanted to crack open that Commonwealth can opener to see what was inside. There's stuff in there I'd only heard about, and even then I didn't believe it. I can see why that Zimmer feller wanted him back so bad."
(Horace Pinkerton's dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "What do you know about this android Railroad?"
Horace Pinkerton: "Bunch of bleeding heart morons if you ask me. They're going to get themselves killed one of these days. And for what? Machine liberation? But, they have brought me some really interesting tech over the years, so I guess they're okay. And that android! He was the chance of a lifetime."
(Horace Pinkerton's dialogue) - ↑ The Lone Wanderer: "I found this holotape. What do you know about facial reconstruction?"
Church: "If you are lookin' to change your face, I'd try Pinkerton at Rivet City. That boy's got no sense of ethics. And you're a fool if you try it."
(Church's dialogue (Fallout 3))