This is continued from the Lower Level Labs section of Fever Dreams.
In the next area, the player will find a large warehouse with a mock-version of part of downtown Boston, with a large park in the center. The buildings are mostly fake cutouts, and it’s clearly some sort of experiment area.
As the player approaches the park area through the only path forward, an animation and grunting will play indicating they are suffering some sort of adverse effect from the FEV exposure. The player will fall to the ground, and the screen will flash to white.
When the load screen ends, the player will open their eyes in an actual park and an animation will play of them standing up. Everything looks beautiful and pre-war.
The player will not have access to their inventory during this scene. They can still look around/move and explore a very small area. They will eventually get close enough to the gazebo to trigger their spouse beckoning them over.
The player can then engage in a conversation in what appears to be a pre-war park; the spouse speaks as if everything is normal. At some point during the conversation, the player’s spouse will head to a pile of firework crates and another conversation will ensue. A third and final conversation will occur on a park bench, where the player will experience several FEV attacks and eventually the screen will flash to white once more.
After the player recovers, the music begins skipping or garbling and then is interrupted by a recorded announcement that the experiment is beginning and some brief introduction to get the player started. An animation will play of the player standing up.
If the player attempts to leave by activating the door leading further into the facility, they will be given an objective to complete several training scenarios.
Throughout the town are several cardboard cutouts of people (and a single Protectron) that are set up clearly for specific roles. Near each of these characters will be a red activator button on a stand; clicking it will trigger a narrator to talk about the situation. The player will then receive a miscellaneous objective for that scenario.
The player must then complete 3 of the 5 scenarios.
Completing a scenario will reward the player with Challenge Tokens and experience points.
Below is a description of each of the 5 scenarios.
The postman will say he can't possibly deliver all his letters in time and ask for help.
The player would then be handed 4 letters and be given the optional objective of delivering the letters. There are 4 mailboxes with objective markers.
Two of the mailboxes have the name of the recipient on the side of them. The other two are blank.
To solve which goes to which, the player will have to read the letters to get context about the homes the mailboxes are near (or read the next pop-out section with the solution!).
The letter named “Letter from a Friend” goes to the mailbox with lots of flowers near it, whereas the letter addressed to the player’s name goes to the house with the same door as found on the player’s home in Sanctuary and the radio playing near it.
Placing the letters in the mailbox containers will update the objective. After delivering the 4th letter, the player can press the button again next to the postman.
If all of the letters match, they complete the scenario. Otherwise, they will trigger a fail state.
Shooting the postman will also trigger a fail state.
The child will plead with the player asking them to help get their cat down.
The player is then given the miscellaneous objective to rescue the cat. In a tree above the child will be a cat cutout.
In front of the tree is another activator button. Activating this causes a pop-up to show the player options based on what they have in their inventory.
If the player has none of the aid items that can provide an option to offer the cat, a notice in the corner will tell the player they need to bring something to offer the cat and a voice line from the child will tell the player the cat will only come down for food.
Several options will cause the girl cutout to mock the player for their poor choice.
Offering the cat Sugar Bombs, Dandy Boy Apples, or Fancy Lad Snack Cakes will succeed, adding the cat cutout to the player’s inventory. The objective will update to tell the player to return the cat.
They can then activate the button next to the little girl cutout to complete the task. The cat will be removed from the player’s inventory and placed on the ground next to the girl.
Shooting the cat or girl cutout will trigger a fail state.
In front of the bank is a security guard. Activating his button tells the player that they can't go into the bank, robbers have taken over and are holding everyone hostage. The player is then given a key and a miscellaneous objective to take out the robbers.
If the player activates the door (the door is barred from the inside), the security guard yells at them that they are going to get everyone killed going in that entrance.
The player can gain access to the building by going to the side of the building to a fire escape. On their way up, they will find a red door which unlocks with the key.
As long as the player is stealthed, they will be able to take out the robbers by shooting their cutouts. If they are not stealthed, the robbers will call out and the player will have just a few seconds to "kill" them before they “shoot the hostages” - triggering a fail state.
If the player successfully shoots all of the robbers while stealthed, a success sound will play, and the objective will update to return to the security guard.
Activating the button next to the guard will complete the task.
Shooting the security guard or hostages will trigger a fail state.
Inside the bar, the bartender will tell the player they are late and the customers are getting rowdy - he needs help calming them down and getting them drinks.
The player receives an objective to calm the bar patrons, with markers on several tables.
Activating a table with alcohol in the player's inventory will give the option to give or sell the drinks to the patrons. Behind the bar are several beers the player can grab.
If the player serves drinks to all of the tables, the objective will update to return to the bartender.
If the player gave away any of the drinks, they will trigger a fail state. If they sold them all, they will complete the task.
Optionally, the player can install a fuse into the fusebox behind the jukebox. Doing so will trigger several Feral Ghouls to attack, and music will now play from the jukebox.
If the player both sold the drinks, and fixed the jukebox, they will receive additional Challenge Tokens.
Shooting the patrons or the bartender will trigger a fail state.
A Protectron named “Old Lady” waits near one of the buttons.
After activating the button and hearing the explanation from the narrator and the Protectron, the Protectron will begin walking forward. The player will receive the objective to stand in the crosswalk.
If the player fails to do so, or moves out of the path before the Protectron crosses, a car on a rail will burst forward quickly and smash into the protectron, destroying it. This will trigger one of the fail states for this task.
Otherwise, the Protectron will cross the street safely and another announcement will play asking the player to choose an activity for the “Old Lady”. The miscellaneous objective will update to this as well; this will point to three more buttons inside the fake park. Spotlights will shine on each button.
Activating any of these buttons will trigger the narrator to explain the activity and another misc objective will appear explaining the player should push again to confirm their choice. Confirming the choice will turn off all the spot lights and trigger the Protectron to move towards the button.
1 - Ducks in and around the pond. Feeding ducks is the correct option. When the Protectron reaches that point, it will thank the player.
2 - Pond itself. Activating this will have the Protectron walk into the water and get electrocuted and die.
3 - A grill near the pond. The Protectron will stand near the grill and a burst of flame will shoot up, setting it on fire and it will die.
Shooting the Protectron will trigger a fail state for this task.
Once three scenarios are complete, a congratulatory message will play over the intercom. If the player has not failed any tasks, a follow-up announcement will suggest the player can complete the remainder if they wish for additional rewards.
Completing all 5 scenarios will trigger another announcement and the player will receive additional Challenge Tokens.
Alternatively, if the player forces a fail state on at least 3 scenarios (such as by shooting all of the scenario cutouts), an announcement will play over the intercom stating that they have failed and robots will be sent to contain the player. They will then receive an objective to kill the hostile robots. Completing this objective will trigger another announcement telling the player they are a great soldier and they should proceed to weapons training.
After the tasks are complete, or the containment robots are defeated after failing them, the door to the next area will open allowing the player access to Weapons Training.