Solve the Gecko powerplant problem Solve the Gecko powerplant problem is a side quest in " Fallout 2 " . Walkthrough . The nuclear reactor in Gecko is the source of much friction between that community and Vault City . The reactor is damaged , and is putting out a considerable spill of radioactive coolant into the groundwater in the region . People in Vault City are becoming ill due to this . Both communities want the pollution stopped , but for different reasons . Lynette , First Citizen of Vault City , wants the pollution stopped because it ' s sickening her citizens . Harold , in Gecko , wants the pollution stopped because he knows , if it continues , it ' s only a matter of time before Vault City launches a military strike and kills off the ghoul population of Gecko . Solutions . Genocide . You can blow up the reactor either by shutting off the coolant yourself , or conning one of the reactor ' s tenders to do it for you . The coolant report in Harold ' s desk is enough to get them to shut down the coolant system for you . The reactor melts down , and the problem is solved . The downside is now you are vilified in Gecko , and you ' ve essentially destroyed the lives of dozens of peaceful ghouls , and now Lynette will not let you back into Vault City . She believes that the destruction of the plant will cause mass contamination and has the guards throw you out . Repair . This approach takes a little more effort , but earns you both gratitude and more experience points than frying the reactor . After asking Harold what his job is , he tells you that the reactor has a broken part . The hydroelectric magnetosphere regulator failed , and that ' s why the plant is pumping out radioactive coolant . The part needs to be replaced , but there ' s only one source : Vault City . You may think that , with a solution in hand , Lynette would be happy to hand over the part and put the whole matter behind her . You would be wrong . Lynette will do absolutely nothing to help Gecko , even if it means helping her city in the process . Bringing up the idea can very easily get you banned from Vault City for good . Instead , talk to Senior Councilmember McClure , in the large conference room nearby . He ' ll see the wisdom in repairing the plant , and send word to Randal , the Chief Amenities Officer in , as expected , the Amenities Office , to have the part ready . Fetch the part from Randal and return to Gecko . Once inside the reactor control room , you have two options . You can make the run through the reactor pit room yourself , taking some damage and gaining some radiation , or you can reprogram the maintenance robot , an aging and cantankerous Mister Handy , to do the job . The problem with the robot is that its logic circuits have long since gone to that big computer in the sky . You need to map out its path , using machines as waypoints , before you can get it to install the replacement part . With the installation of a functioning Hydroelectric magnetosphere regulator , the plant runs clean again , and the radiation threat is over . ( Note that if you fight the Renewal before repairing the reactor the power - plant , your reputation in Gecko will lower to antipathy and the guards will attack you when you attempt to talk to them or proceed past the reception area of the plant . ) In order to fix or fry the plant with the use of the robot you must give the robot the hydroelectric magnetosphere regulator ( the option appears when you try to initiate the repair sequence ) and then put in the following commands , in the reactor terminal , for the robot to work . ( Incidentally , the order of commands is the same as the reverse order of the last 5 planets in the Solar System , before Pluto was declassified as a planet . ) It may sound very complicated , but if you place the commands in the correct order and hit Execute Commands you can just sit back and watch the robot do all the work — or if you choose to demolish the plant , RUN ! Also , you can just give the regulator to Festus and he can install it for you . He won ' t want to install it first and you need to persuade him to do it . You earn 4250 XP for this . Repairing the plant eases the tension between Gecko and Vault City , and unlocks another quest : to Optimize the powerplant . Whichever way you dealt with the problem , Gecko ' s reactor is no longer a threat . Rewards . If you blew up the reactor , you get 2500 experience points ( with a 550 - point bonus if you braved the reactor pit and closed the coolant valve yourself , or if you convinced Hank to do it for you ) . However , talking to ghouls in Gecko will cause them to attack you , and the entire community will despise you . However , if you repaired the reactor , you earn a handsome experience point reward . Doing the repair yourself earns you 4000 experience points , having Festus do the job earns you 4250 points , and using the robot to do the repair earns you 4500 experience points .