Big Trouble in Big Town Big Trouble in Big Town is a side quest in " Fallout 3 " . It is also an achievement on the Xbox 360 and PC ; and a bronze trophy on the PlayStation 3 . Detailed walkthrough . Big Town residents have been harassed by super mutant s , who capture residents and have recently taken them to Germantown Police HQ , including Red , the town doctor . The quest can be started by speaking with any of the town ' s residents , speaking with Sticky in Little Lamplight , or if the player talks to Red in Germantown Police HQ . Rescue . Germantown Police HQ has two possible entrances : the first is using the higher door on the north side . If the player has 100 Lockpick , the lower door on the west side may also be entered and puts them very close to Red ' s location . If the former is chosen , some hallways of super mutants and the occasional trap need to be traversed . Red is located in a jail cell on the ground floor . The cell door can either be picked , opened with a terminal ( accessible with a holotape located upstairs ) or opened with the Germantown jailors key , found on the toughest super mutant in the station . Beware , as with " Broken Steel " installed , the toughest super mutant in the station is an overlord armed with a tri - beam laser rifle or a Gatling laser . When spoken to , Red thanks the player for rescuing her , granting good Karma and tells the player about her friend Shorty , in the kitchen downstairs . As an optional objective , the player may go through the basement in order to rescue him . He will be found in the kitchen , in conversation with a super mutant who wishes to eat him . If the conversation goes on long enough ( usually only 10 – 20 seconds ) , the mutant will start shooting Shorty . Saving him will provide the player with more good Karma . Note that the type of mutant that Shorty is talking to varies depending on the player ' s level , and can be anything from a regular super mutant to an overlord if " Broken Steel " is installed ; however , it will still be labeled " super mutant " in - game . If Red Dies . If Red dies at any point during the quest , it will not " immediately " fail . The objectives will update to tell the player to go to Big Town to explain her death . When the player speaks with any of the residents and tells them about their friend ' s demise , they will give the player 200 caps , stating that the town won ' t be needing it anymore . The quest will fail at this point . The Attack . Once Red ( and Shorty , if the player chose to help him ) have been rescued , return to Big Town and speak to Red to be thanked . You can refuse a reward for good Karma , or request one to receive 300 bottle caps . 200 more can be obtained through a speech check with accompanying bad Karma . The caps can be returned afterward to gain the Karma back . While the quest is technically over at this point , Red will immediately warn the player that super mutants plan to attack the town yet again . Lacking substantial combative skills , Red asks for the player ' s help in the town ' s defense ( choose the " I can help you defend yourselves " chat option ) . Depending on the player ' s skill levels , the townspeople may be taught one of a variety of countermeasures in the town ' s scrapyard , or in the case of mine - laying , by the bridge entrance . Alternatively , the player may not teach them anything , and either leave them to their fate , or help fight the mutants anyway . Although the residents are weak , weapons , ammunition and armor can be reverse pick - pocketed into their inventories to give them a better chance ( especially if the Small Guns option wasn ' t chosen ) . Forcing a loading screen , such as by entering or leaving a building with an interior cell , or fast traveling from and to Big Town is required to get them to equip their new items . The super mutants , arriving in pairs , are usually armed with anything from nail boards to miniguns , depending on the player ' s level . Shortly after preparations are made , a number of super mutants ( this varies depending on the player ' s actions as explained below ) will attack . If sneak was not chosen , the super mutants must be defeated to complete it . However , if sneak was chosen , two super mutants will enter trying to find the townspeople , and if uninterrupted , eventually leave . They then follow the road north between Hallowed Moors Cemetery and Meresti trainyard back to the Germantown Police HQ . Healing Timebomb . Upon arriving in Big Town , Timebomb can be found wounded inside Red ' s clinic . He can be healed with a Medicine skill of at least 40 . If the player heals him , then speaks to him after successfully repelling the super mutant attack on Big Town , he will give the player the Lucky 8 - ball . OR