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The Molecular Level quest inFallout 4is a crucial mission in the main story, as it requires you to side with one of three factions. As the Lone Survivor seeks their son, Shaun, there is a point in the game where they require assistance to build a contraption essential to infiltrating the Institute.
Unlike most other factions, the Institute is impossible to find without the assistance of a genius super mutant named Virgil and the technical know-how of a specific character in each faction. The Molecular Level is a dynamic quest that will forever alter the story upon its completion. So let’s dive in!
The Memory Den
The Molecular Level quest begins immediately following the Hunter/Hunted mission, where your objective was to retrieve a Courser Chip. Once you rip that chip from the dead courser, this quest starts.
The first step in this mission is tobring the Courser Chip to Dr. Amariat The Memory Den in Goodneighbor. The Memory Den was the location of the Dangerous Minds mission where you explored Kellogg’s memories, which were stored in his brain matter. Once you arrive at The Memory Den, find Dr. Amari.
Selecting the “Virgil’s Help” dialogue option explains thatyou found Virgil in the Glowing Seaand that he directed you to obtain a Courser Chip. Doctor Amari admits that she doesn’t know how to analyze a Courser Chip, butshe knows a group that does: the Railroad.
If you have completed the"Road to Freedom" questand have already found the Railroad, then the next step is easy.Just go to the Railroad HQ and talk to Desdemona.
If you have not, then to move forward with The Molecular Level questyou must complete the Road to Freedom and find the Railroad. But don’t worry, you will complete them both in tandem, soyou don’t have to stop one mission to start the other.
The Railroad
If you found the Railroad before attempting the quest, you will have been invited to join the Railroad. However, when you first find the Railroad as part of The Molecular Level quest, the circumstances are slightly different.You will be a “Tourist”, rather than an Agent.
When you firstmeet the Railroad’s leader, Desdemona, after cracking the code in Old North Church’s catacombs, you will have a unique dialogue option related to analyzing the Courser Chip. Selecting this option prompts Desdemona to ask why you want to get into the Institute and to doubt whether you killed an Institute Courser.
Of course, Desdemona is hesitant to trust you until Agent Deacon vouches for your encounter with the Courser. At this point,she will invite you into the Railroad headquarters.
Once inside the Railroad headquarters,Desdemona will lead you to Tinker Tom, their resident techie. She explains to him that you have a Courser Chip to analyze and then engages you in dialogue.
Desdemona tells you that Tinker Tom will help you decrypt the Courser Chip, and in return, the Railroad gets to keep the chip. You can either agree or disagree, indicate your weariness of the proposal, or ask her why they want the chip.
Desdemona explains that theInstitute’s technology far surpasses theirs, and possessing the chip can only help the Railroad’s cause. She then demands that you hand over the chip.
Giving the chip to the Railroad is the quickest option to move the mission along, so hand it over!
Once Tinker Tom has the Courser Chip, he plugs it into a machine for analysis. After a lot of one-way conversations between him and his computer,Tinker Tom finally cracks the code and loads the information onto a holotape for you.
Desdemona says that she would love to work with you more in the future. However, she also warns you thatif you find anything out about the Institute while using the information obtained from the Courser Chip, then you should share it with the Railroad first.
Failure to do so, she says, will jeopardize your relationship with the Railroad.
Return To Virgil
Once you receive theCourser Chip Data holotape, your next step is toreturn to Virgil in the Glowing Sea.
You will need his help tomake sense of the data collectedon the holotape, which looks like gibberish.
When you link in with Virgil, he will ask how you decoded the Course Chip information, so take whichever approach you wish to respond.
Virgil explains that while you were gone,hecreated Signal Interceptor schematics for you to use. The schematics allow you to build a device that will hijack the signal the Institute uses to transport Coursers.
The Signal Interceptor will allow you to travel as the Coursers do and teleport you into the Institute. Virgil also explains that the classical music station available on your Pipboy is the carrier signal for the teleportation relay.
Once you confirm that you think it will work and that you can build the device, he sends you on your way. He also says thatyou promised to retrieve a serum from Virgil’s laboratory and return it to him.
Building The Signal Interceptor
At this stage in the quest,you must build a Signal Interceptor that will allow you to get inside the Institute and find your son.
However, the game will make you choose a faction to assist you because you are unable to build the device on your own.Your options are to talk to the Minutemen, the Brotherhood of Steel, or the Railroad.
Based on your desired playthrough, and the factions with which you’re affiliated, choose the group that best aligns with your intentions.
For example, the Brotherhood of Steel is out to destroy the Institute and all the synths, whereas the Railroad is out to save the synths but is hostile towards the Institute and the Brotherhood of Steel.
Choosing one over another may alter future gameplay, especially if you’re currently on good terms with every faction.
Once you choose a faction from which to seek assistance,the components of the Signal Interceptor will become craftable via a workbench. Below we will go over how this plays out with each faction.
The Minutemen
To seek assistance from the Minutemen,find Preston Garvey. When he asks what you need, you’ll have dialogue options regarding Virgil’s schematics, the Signal Generator, and asking for help.
No matter which response you choose, Preston will ask what the device does. Regardless of how you answer,he will tell you to talk to Sturges.
When you talk to Sturges,give him Virgil’s schematics. He will look at them for a minute and realize it’s for teleportation. He says he can build it, but that he will need some time to get everything together.
In the meantime,you are tasked with building aStabilized Reflector Platform. Ask Sturges for a list of items needed to build the platform, and then start scavenging.You will need ten Aluminum, three Circuitry, and five Steelto build the Stabilized Reflector Platform.
Once the Reflector Platform is built, return to Sturges. He will tell you that three more components need to be constructed to make the device work:a Beam Emitter, a Relay Dish, and a Console.He also hands you a new list with items needed to construct those components.
You’ll need to scavenge forMilitary Circuit Boards, Biometric Scanners, and Sensor Modulesif you don’t have any in your workshops. Additionally,your map will now have three markersidentifying locations that have what you need.
Going to these locations is optional.If you’ve been in the game for more than a few levels, then it’s likely these components are already stashed away in a workshop. If you don’t have them, then head out to the places marked on your map.
Once you have all the equipment, head back to where you built the Stabilized Reflector Platform. Now that you have those key pieces, you can build the other three items required for the mission.
Once these three items are built around the Stabilized Reflector Platform,connect at least 27 units of power to operate the entire ensemble.
Build separate generators just for this operation, rather than sucking power from your settlement systems.
As soon as you connect the three systems to a power source, they light up and begin working.The next step is to link back in with Sturges, who is likely typing away at the Control Console.
When you approach Sturges, he will tell you that everything looks good and ask if you’re ready to see if the contraption works. If you’re ready, he directs you to get on the platform.
As the process begins, Sturges will explain thatthe Minutemen want to use this opportunity to find out as much as they can about the Institute. He gives you a holotape that you will upload onto their network, so the Minutemen can retrieve data.
It is at this point that the Signal Interceptor starts coming apart, so Sturges rushes to complete the teleportation.
The Molecular Level quest is completed once you safely land inside the Institute.
The Brotherhood Of Steel
To seek help from the Brotherhood of Steel (BOS), you’ll need totravel back to the Prydwen. Once there,find Elder Maxonon the command deck. When you engage him in dialogue, you explain that you have a set of plans to get inside the Institute.
If you have just become a member of the Brotherhood of Steel and haven’t done any missions, or familiarized yourself with the ship, thenThe Molecular Level quest will be on holduntil you’ve done so.
After completing their first mission at Fort Strong, Elder Maxon will express his frustration that they’ve been unable to locate the Institute headquarters. It is at this moment that you will move forward with the Molecular Level mission.Tell him about the Signal Interceptor based on Virgil’s schematics to proceed.
Maxon will direct you to the Airport settlementjust below the Prydwento get started on building the Signal Interceptor. Report to Proctor Ingram at the Airport, who is the BOS’s resident techie.
Proctor Ingram will hand you a list of supplies needed to build the Stabilized Reflector Platform. The list includes the same items as before:ten Aluminum, three Circuitry, and five Steel. From this point forward, the playthrough is identical to the Minutemen route.
After building the Stabilized Reflector Platform,Ingram will give you a second list of components for the three remaining pieces. If you don’t have them in your workshop, follow the pin drops on the map to locate the items needed. Then,build the components in the Airport settlement.
Now, hook up enough power to get the system running.By the time you have all the components built, Elder Maxon will grace you with his presence. As soon as the system is powered up, report to Maxon to move the mission forward.
Once Elder Maxon finishes his pep talk, report to Proctor Ingram. She will ask if you’re ready to go.When you’re ready, hop on the platform and ride the lightning to the Institute.
Ingram will also hand youa holotape that you will use to hack into the Institute’s system and collect data.
The Molecular Level quest ends when you’ve arrived at the Institute.
It’s safe to assume that seeking help from the Railroad to build the Signal Interceptor will be similar to the Minutemen and Brotherhood of Steel routes.There are a few differences though.
To seek assistance from the Railroad,return to the Old North Church and talk to Desdemona. She will elaborate on the mission of the Railroad and ask if you support their cause. Answer as you see fit, but they may not help you if you rub them the wrong way.
Desdemona directs you to Deacon, who will also try to get you to join the Railroad.Deacon offers a job that you’ll need to take to get assistance with the building of the Signal Interceptor. Desdemona will tell you the same thing:run the op with Deacon, and then she’ll hear you out.
After accepting the mission,meet Deacon on the old highway outside of Lexington. This is the “Tradecraft” quest and must be completed before the Railroad will assist you. It is also the mission you would do if you joined the Railroad outside The Molecular Level quest.
Once the “Tradecraft” quest is complete, meet Deacon back at the Old North Church. When you arrive, Deacon will have just finished explaining what happened during the mission.
Desdemona will ask for a commitment at this point -will you join the Railroad, or not?you’re able to turn the offer down, butthe Railroad won’t help you unless you’re an agent. As soon as you accept, the “Tradecraft” mission ends.
Follow Desdemona into the Railroad headquarters, where she introduces you to the rest of the team and then asks what you need help with.At this point, you can ask for assistance building the Signal Interceptor.
Once she clarifies what the device does, Desdemona will again direct you to Tinker Tom for technical assistance.
When you speak to Tinker Tom, he will ask for Virgil’s plans, so he can decipher them.Tinker Tom deciphers the plans and says he can build the machines if you have the materials. Here’s where things differ slightly from the other factions.
Since the Railroad headquarters is small, Tinker Tom tells you totalk to PAM, the only robot in the headquarters.
Tom also says youcan build the Stabilized Reflector Platform somewhere else if you want,like a settlement you already own.
After choosing a place to build the Stabilizing Platform, report back to Tinker Tom. Like the other two factions,Tom will give you a list of items needed to build the remaining components. He will also highlight places that have the items you need.
Again, check your workbench first, as you may already have them on hand.The primary items are a Military-Grade Circuit Board, a Sensor Module, and a Biometric Scanner.
If you’re lacking anything, follow the pin drops on the map to find those items.
Once you gather all the items needed to construct the remaining components, return to the building site andconstruct the Molecular Beam Emitter, the Control Console, and the Relay Dish. Then,apply at least 27 units of electricity, and you are in business!
As soon as all the items are completed and powered up, your next step is to talk to Desdemona. She will be present wherever you choose to build the Signal Interceptor.Before you’re launched into the Institute, Desdemona divulges a secret to you regarding a person with the code name Patriot.
Desdemona then asks you to make contact with Patriot while you’re inside the Institute. you’re able to accept or decline, based on your preferences. She also asks if you’re comfortable acting as a double agent for them while inside the Institute.
The difference between the Railroad and the other factions is thatthe holotape that you receive from the Railroad will be used to communicate with Patriotand facilitate a meeting with them on the inside.
Once Desdemona is done talking, your body is disassembled at the molecular level and hurtled through space and time.
The Molecular Level quest ends upon your arrival at the Institute.
