Van Buren special encounters Special encounters can be found all across Four States Commonwealth in 2253 . General information . Unlike the " Fallout " and " Fallout 2 " special encounters , " Van Buren " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s special encounters have no pop culture references and instead , tend to be references to themes used in the game itself . They are usually non - combat based and also used to explain the games plot . An instance of this being used can be found in the S . O . R . - 1000 Gamma in which a damaged robot can give a holodisk explaining certain things about the B . O . M . B . - 001 and its function . Accessing . Most the encounters are only found around a specific area like the Bloomfield Space Center . The game also keeps track of previous locations , and will not spawn the encounter again if already found . Encounter can only be found close to the Bloomfield Space Center . Random special encounters . B . O . M . B . - 001 EPB ( Escape Pod Beta ) . This encounter will drop the Prisoner into a small desert field with an escape pod from the B . O . M . B . - 001 . It looks as if the escape pod had a rough landing based on the impact slide and crater . There is a lot of debris from the pod lying around , but the pod is still pretty much intact , and the markings B . O . M . B . - 001 - EPB is still clearly written on its side . A bit more investigation will reveal robot treads around the area , but there is no robot to be found . All onboard electronics are not functioning , but there are a few medical supplies . Encounter can only be found close to Denver . Glowing Ghouls . Poor souls who wandered until they reached Denver , pretty weak . Encounter can only be found close to New Canaan . Lost Enclave Patrol . Six Enclave rs humorously lost in northern Utah . One wears a suit of Enclave combat armor similar to Arcade Gannon ' s . The others wear bits and pieces of leather armor or metal armor . They are carrying mixed and matched weapons and a lot of broken tech . The leader ( in combat armor ) will approach the Prisoner and ask him if he knows the way to the MacArthur Army Base . If the Prisoner is at all hostile or " weird " to the Enclavers , they will become defensive and will fight back . If the Prisoner is helpful , the Enclaver will give them some junk , specifically broken down weapon parts ) and head out . Encounter can only be found close to Burham Springs . New Canaanites . A group of New Canaanite merchant - missionaries . There are only four of them : one man , one woman , and two children . They are walking with two brahmin . They are friendly folks , and are willing to trade with people who don ' t have a horrible reputation . The Prisoner can trade with them , escort them to their destination ( randomly chosen between Hoover Dam , Fort Abandon and the Ciphers ) for Karma . Bullying them into turning over all of their goods , or outright murdering them entails a big Karma loss . Encounter can only be found close to Burham Springs . NCR / Powder Ganger Standoff . Somewhere in the wilderness of Utah , members of the 5th Engineering Company spotted power gang members prowling for caravans . They followed the group to this ramshackle gang hideout , where a shootout began . By the time the Prisoner arrives , they are having a standoff . Dead brahmin , rangers , dogs , gangers and overturned carts are everywhere . The powder gangers are up against a cliff wall and the NCR soldiers are trying , in vain , to flank them . Since this is a gang hideout , there are traps everywhere and snipers are just waiting to pop brave NCR heroes . The Prisoner can talk to the powder gang , sneak around and disarm the majority of the traps , fix damaged NCR 9mm submachineguns ( the guy carrying them was blown up by a mine ) , or storm in and kill the gangers . If the Prisoner wants to support the gangers , he can rally the powder gangers to attack the soldiers , sneak up to the NCR munitions wagon and blow it up ( causing huge damage to the soldiers , ) volunteer to heal up the gangers , or just attack the soldiers outright . Encounter can only be found close to The Bloomsfield Space Center . S . O . R . - 1000 Gamma . This is the former occupant from the Escape Pod Beta encounter . This robot is S . O . R . - 1000 Gamma from the B . O . M . B . - 001 . When the Prisoner arrives in this run down rocky area , the S . O . R . - 1000 Gamma ( its designation , ) is treading along erratically , making beeps and whirr sounds . Every once in a while , it will blurt out , " No one is left , need new program parameters . " If the Prisoner approaches the little robot , it will wig out and attack , saying , " Intruder alert ! Sterilize intruders ! " Killing S . O . R . and searching him will garner a holodisk giving a bit of information about the B . O . M . B . - 001 and its function . Scripted encounters . Swarm of mantis . Requirements : the Prisoner kills off the giant mutant bats living in the Blackfoot caves . 5 - 12 hungry mantis es .