In Fallout 4, tales of the Institute and the body-snatching Synths have plagued the Commonwealth, instilling paranoia and mistrust among the population. Yet, among the chaos, a quiet little settlement reminiscent of Pre-War America seems to be minding its own business, but not all is what it seems in Covenant, and the Fallout 4 quest Human Error begins.
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Covenant may seem like a happy place to live, but the discovery of a missing caravan and the disappearance of Old Man Stockton’s daughter has led to rumors spreading across the Commonwealth. Within this quest, players will be tasked with challenging their own morality, for safety, justice, or caps.
Venture To Covenant, Found South East Of Sanctuary
To start this mission, players might overhear a rumor from Old Man Stockton or Diamond City guards, but it’s easier to just head directly to the location itself. Above, players can find the direct location of Covenant from the in-game map’s Pip-Boy, where players will want to head over to the entrance that proudly boasts “Welcome to Covenant”. Outside, they will be greeted by Swanson, who tells the Sole Survivor that in order to be welcomed into Covenant, they must first take the SAFE test.
Take The SAFE Test
Once players agree to take the SAFE test, they will be required to sit at the table where Swanson walks, and then they will be asked a series of hypothetical questions. Players can answer these questions however they would like, whether their responses are cruel, compassionate, or neutral, it does not matter, as there is no way for players to fail the test. It’s impossible to mess up here, so just answer freely, and once the test is complete, Swanson will unlock the gate, allowing players free roam of Covenant.
Talk To Honest Dan
Once the gates have opened, they are going to find Honest Dan by the center of the village questioning a settler. If Dan is not here, then feel free to look around the houses, as he is notable thanks to his rough outfit and long hair. Talk to Dan, and agree to help him investigate Old Man Stockton’s missing caravan, which will once again turn the Sole Survivor into a sleuth looking for clues in the latest mystery to strike the Commonwealth.
Investigate Covenant
There’s an optional objective to investigate the caravan, which is found northeast along the road of Covenant’s entrance. However, there isn’t much to discover here, other than a can of Deezer’s lemonade. With Perceiton 6 or higher, players can also investigate a blood trail, which will lead to the direction of Covenant. However, despite questioning the population of Covenant, none will comply or reveal anything interesting.
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Inside Covenant, players can find a few things that raise suspicions, like an abandoned bed roll, a note that talks about the rules of Covenant and how not to talk about Synths, and self-help books. Yet, none of this leads to concrete evidence of the fate of the caravan’s survivors, or Covenant’s involvement. Players can even talk to the inhabitants, but they are not cooperative, and they will receive no information other than the fact that their polite behavior seems forced.
Break Into The Covenant House
In order to proceed with the quest, players are going to need to hack into the Covenant Office’s terminal, but since it requires Master hacking abilities, it’s best to find the easy way through, which is to break into the Covenant House, the first house on the left when entering Covenant. This house is locked with advanced lockpicking required, or, players can pickpocket the key from Jacob Orden, which is easily done when he is sleeping after 9 PM.
It's always a good idea to save before attempting to pickpocket Jacob Orden, or even when opening the locked house, as this house is restricted, and if players are detected inside, the entire population of Covenant will turn hostile. Either way, try to remain hidden through sneaking, and within the house’s double bed, there will be a bedside table that has Jacob’s Password, allowing players to access the terminal inside the Covenant Office. Simply sneak out of the building and head to the office.
Hack Jacob’s Terminal
Inside the house furthest to the entrance of Covenant, players will find a locked terminal. It’s important that players close the door behind them once in this building, and then enter sneaking mode so that they remain hidden, as accessing this terminal is a criminal act that will turn the town hostile. Once players are inside the terminal thanks to their Master hacking abilities or their discovery of Jacob’s Password, they are going to want to select Fishermen report (Draft), which discloses the location of a secret compound harboring the stolen survivor of Stockton’s caravan.
Inform Honest Dan (Or Don’t)
Now that players know where the compound is, they can go and investigate it, with or without Honest Dan. There isn’t much point in not bringing Honest Dan, as the reward is the same at the end of the quest regardless of whether they would have brought an extra gun for the incoming fight ahead.
Regardless of whether players bring Dan or not, when attempting to leave Covenant, they might be stopped by Jacob Orden, who will try and persuade, and even bribe the Sole Survivor to drop the case and walk away. The bribe isn’t worth it, but there is a speech check that can have Jacob warn the compound of investigators that will make it easier to enter peacefully, again, there isn’t much point, as violence is the answer to most of this quest.
Head Inside The Compound
To find the compound, players should have it marked on their map if they have reached this far, but the exact location is simply West of the entrance of Covenant. Players will want to swim through the river, being cautious of the growing radiation on their person as they do so. They are going to reach a fishing spot, where they will want to head into the middle sewer pipe, which has an accessible door inside. Be warned, there are quite a few hostiles inside, so make sure weapons are at the ready in case the negotiations are short.
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Inside the compound, players will immediately be questioned by Manny, two other compound guards, and a turret. No matter the answers given, Manny will open fire, and the entire compound will be hostile, meaning players must kill Manny, take his compound key, and navigate through the warfare in order to reach the end of the compound and save Old Man Stockton’s daughter. Alternatively, Manny will escort players directly to their destination inside the compound if they succeed in the speech check to resolve this without violence.
Meet Dr. Chambers
Whether through peace or violence, players will holster their guns to speak to Dr. Chambers, a doctor who is using Covenant to try and identify Synths thanks to the SAFE test that players did earlier with Swanson. Chambers explains her motivations as well as her desires to find a flaw in their psychology that will reveal what they are, but her methods involve torture and many mistakes along the path, with some victims not even being Synths.
Chambers’ latest victim is Old Man Stockton’s daughter, Amelia, who she believes wholeheartedly is a Synth. Thus, players reach the climax of the quest, where they must choose an option to decide the fate of Amelia, Dr. Chambers, and Honest Dan (if they brought him along this far), as players are tasked with freeing Amelia or letting Dr. Chambers continue her tests. Either way, someone isn’t making it out of this room alive.
Human Error Outcomes
Accept Her Offer
Dr. Chambers will pay the Sole Survivor the same amount Honest Dan would if she is allowed to continue her tests on Amelia. In doing so, Honest Dan becomes hostile, but the compound will become friendly. Players can also return to Covenant, where the settlers there will remain friendly, and even allow players to use the workshop. It’s also worth noting that Dr. Chambers was right, as when she kills Amelia, players can loot Synth Components from her body, showing that she was indeed a Synth.
Reject The Offer
Honest Dan will remain allied with the player, but the Sole Survivor is forced to kill Dr. Chambers and the rest of the compound. Returning to Covenant will also have the entire population be hostile, but once they are all dead, players can use the workshop to claim it as a settlement of their own. With the player’s help, Honest Dan frees Amelia and sends the player on their way with 300 caps. However, players can try and use a speech check to get more money from him. (If players came here without Honest Dan then they can turn in the quest at Old Man Stockton found in Bunker Hill, but they will still be rewarded with 300 caps.)
Fallout 4
- Released
- November 10, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
