Elliott Tercorien

Private Elliott Tercorien, serial number 3477809, is a pre-War U.S. Army soldier found abducted and held in a stasis chamber in Mothership Zeta's engineering core. He is a major character .
==Background==
Tercorien was a fully educated medical doctor before the Great War, who chose this career path as he believed he was better with blood and guts, rather than wires an gizmos.The Lone Wanderer: "I need some help in the Robot Assembly area. You in?"Elliott Tercorien: "Never was really good with those tin cans. I deal with blood and guts better than wires and gizmos. That's why I became a doctor."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) He had a cushy job a civilian hospital in Washington, before giving up his job and enlisting in the U.S. Army.The Lone Wanderer: "Can you tell me more about where you're from?"Elliott Tercorien: "Me? Well, I was a medic with the 108th Infantry Battalion stationed at Anchorage, Alaska. I was with a squad of five other medics... our job was to patch everyone up after the Commies gunned them down. It was pretty bloody... nothing at all like I expected when I gave up my hospital job to enlist in the Army."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) He received training in the nascent field of cryoscience, which showed promise as a potential tool for medical practitioners. 
He joined around 2076 and sent to Anchorage, Alaska. Granted the rank of a buck private and serial number 3477809,The Lone Wanderer: "It's okay, we're not going to hurt you... We're friends."Elliott Tercorien: " Aliens! I was taken by aliens! You! You must be the aliens trying to get into my mind... well that's not gonna work! Private Elliott Tercorien, U.S. Army Medic, Serial Number 3477809. That's all I'm telling you."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) he was attached to the 108th Infantry Battalion. Together with five other medics, he was responsible for patching up soldiers wounded in combat with the People's Liberation Army. The brutality of fighting produced an almost overwhelming stream of wounded,Sally: "Did you have to help a lot of people who were hurt when you were in the war?"Elliott Tercorien: "Yeah... all the time. I was a doctor, so it was my job to try and make everyone feel better."Sally: "How come people still die then after they get hurt even when a doctor is around?"Elliott Tercorien: ""Sally: "So if I get hurt, will I die?"Elliott Tercorien: ""Sally: "So you promise to fix me if I get hurt?"Elliott Tercorien: ""(Sally's and Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) and though technically a private, Elliott was responsible for his entire team and their work.The Lone Wanderer: "I'm afraid not. All I've found are these people."Elliott Tercorien: "Oh my god, I'm responsible for them and now they're lost... or dead. Please, if you mean what you say... that we're all in this together... then you've got to help me find out what happened to them!"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)
Elliot was abducted by the aliens together with the rest of his medical team before the Battle of Anchorage led to the liberation of Alaska. It happened in the night, after a day spent in the trenches saving wounded American soldiers and avoiding shrapnel from constant shelling by Chinese artillery from the Chugach Mountains. The last thing Elliot remembers was stepping outside the bunker housing their aid station, after stowing the gear for the night,The Lone Wanderer: "You're a prisoner like the rest of us."Elliott Tercorien: " Aliens! I was taken by aliens! You! You must be the aliens trying to get into my mind... well that's not gonna work! Private Elliott Tercorien, U.S. Army Medic, Serial Number 3477809. That's all I'm telling you."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) and a bright blue light disappearing his entire unit into the bowels of the alien mothership.The Lone Wanderer: "Tell me how you were captured by these aliens."Elliott Tercorien: "Well, it was getting dark... we had spent the day out in the trenches keeping as many of the guys alive as we could. Chinese had been pounding on us all day with artillery from these huge guns they had up on the mountains. It was really a mess. Anyway, we pitched our tents and stowed our gear to try and catch some shuteye. I woke up suddenly to Private Dawkins screaming... he was bathed in some kind of blue light coming from the sky. All of us just froze as he just... well... vanished. We didn't know what happened. Did the Chinese come up with some new weapon? Moments later, all of us were in the blue light too... the rest you know."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)
===Personality===
Tercorien was kept in stasis for two centuries. As a result, he is a rare combination of incredible competence on account of a formal and practical medical education, and incredible naivete due to never experiencing the wasteland.Elliott Tercorien: "So they don't know who started it or who won?"Somah: "I dunno... all I heard was that one side or the other started dropping bombs and it just all went to shit."Elliott Tercorien: "Then I don't really have anything to go back to, do I? I mean, my family's gone, my friends are gone... everything I knew is gone."Somah: "You don't get it 'cause you've never been down there! It's all gone, Tercorien. Doesn't matter who won or who started it."Elliott Tercorien: ""Somah: "Yeah, yeah I guess so. Sorry. I keep forgetting this is different for you. I grew up in the ruins and you didn't."(Somah's and Tercorien's dialogue) His greatest weakness is his grasp on the situation. While he is surprised by his ability to cope with the abduction and 200 years passing, he is prone to chasing runaway thoughts, overthinking his situation and the implications of alien technology.Elliot Tercorien: "Just between you and me, I'm surprised at how well I'm coping. I mean, I think I'm coping. Unless I've just lost my mind already..."(Tercorien's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "I can promise you I am not an alien. In fact, I was abducted like you."Elliott Tercorien: "I dunno, I dunno... maybe you assumed human form. I heard they could do that... or you are human but they took over your mind! We have no idea how limitless their powers are!"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) In fact, he is on the verge of breakdown the first time the Wanderer meets him, believing that the aliens' technological prowess means he could be talking with a disguised alien or a mind-controlled human.The Lone Wanderer: "You're a doctor and you can't tell from looking at me that I'm no alien?"Elliott Tercorien: "Hey, you could be one of those little green guys in human form... or maybe you ARE human and they just took over your mind. We have no idea how limitless their powers are!"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "Do I look like an alien?"Elliott Tercorien: "Ha! That doesn't mean anything! You could be one of those little green guys in human form... or maybe you ARE human and they just took over your mind. We have no idea how limitless their powers are!"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) However, he eventually decides to gamble and trusts the Wanderer. He needs someone to rely on and who will help them adjust to the new, horrifying reality.The Lone Wanderer: "Don't worry, we ARE in this together, and I will help you."Elliott Tercorien: "Thank you. Thanks so much. Sorry about all this... I just can't believe this is happening."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) 
One of his primary reasons is finding out what happened to his squad. It is a huge factor in his drive to uncover the mysteries of the mothership an assist the Wanderer.The Lone Wanderer: "I promise you, all I want to do is get off this ship and get back home."Elliott Tercorien: "You do? Then you're telling me the truth. Those... aliens took you too. Look, I just want to get out of here and get back to things the way they were. Back with my guys... Wait a minute! My men... my unit! Have you seen them?"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "I swear, if you don't calm down, I'll stuff you back in the freezer!"Elliott Tercorien: "No, no! Don't do it... don't do it. It's just that this whole situation is... unbelievable. I think I need a few minutes to take a breather..."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "Nope."Elliott Tercorien: "What if they're lost... or frozen like I was... or even dead? I'm responsible for them! Please, if you mean what you say... that we're all in this together... then you've got to help me find out what happened to them!"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "My guess is the aliens had them for a snack... or worse."Elliott Tercorien: "No... no. I'm responsible for those men. They were my team. Please, if you mean what you say... that we're all in this together... then you've got to help me find out what happened to them!"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "If I were with the aliens, the last thing I would have done is release you."Elliott Tercorien: "I... I suppose so. Look, all I want to do is get back home and back to the rest of my squad. Wait a minute! My men... my unit! Have you seen them?"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "Fine... I'll just put you back in stasis!"Elliott Tercorien: "No! Please don't. It's horrible in there! To think I was just sitting there, frozen like that... I thought I was dead! Just help me get the hell out of this place. I want to get back home... back to my squad. Wait a minute! My men... my unit! Have you seen them?"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)
His loyalty to his men is one of his defining characteristics, and seeing them come to harm (such as alien experiments or vivisections) is one of the only things to make him abandon his usual distaste for violence,Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) instead killing the aliens with grim satisfaction,Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) and confirming kills with additional rounds.Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) He does it for them both as squad mates and friends, and refuses to leave any man behind for aliens to torture.Elliott Tercorien: "I don't know what to do. These guys are the last of my squad... they're my friends. If I revive them maybe they could help us. I'm not sure they'll last very long, but if we leave them... you saw what the aliens did to the others..."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)
His strong esprit de corps causes Elliott to blame himself, despite his powerlessness,Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) but quickly becomes determination to see the fight through to the end.Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) Despite his distaste for violence, Elliott is a soldier and believes in dying standing on one's feet, rather than suffering in agony.The Lone Wanderer: "We should just put them out of their misery."Elliott Tercorien: "Yeah, I was considering that too. We can't let the aliens experiment on them any more. It just isn't right. But maybe we should give them a chance to fight with us. It's better to die that way than to live through years of agony."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) This is especially true of his fellow soldiers, who Elliott believes should have the chance to die like soldiers, with dignity, after two hundred years of imprisonment.The Lone Wanderer: "We should just leave them here. It's too late for them."Elliott Tercorien: "Well, we have to do something! We can't just leave them in there like some sort of a lab rat to get poked and prodded and cut open! We have to either let them fight and die like soldiers or at the very least put them out of their misery!"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) He does not see the lasts fight as essential, as it's enough to just ensure his brothers in arms do not continue to suffer at alien hands.Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)Elliott Tercorien: "Rest in peace men. You deserve it."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) If they are revived, Tercorien confidently assumes leadership, despite being technically a subordinate of Sgt. Daniels.Elliott Tercorien: " "(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)
===Skills===
Elliott is highly skilled with technology and medicine, but not so much with people or martial skill. Though his military training allows him to defend himself if need be, he dislikes violence. He'll do all he can to avoid being put in such a situation,Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.71: "Elliott TercorienDr. Tercorien was in the U.S. military, serving just prior to the war of 2077. He doesn't recall the exact events that led up to his abduction and has no memory of the time between then and now because he was kept in cryogenic stasis the entire time. Elliott is good with technology and medicine. He's not so good with people, or bravery, or sobriety. While he's capable of defending himself due to military training, he goes to great lengths to avoid getting in situations where defending himself might be necessary. Assuming you befriend him, he can use his medical skills to change the formula of Alien Biogel, making it into the much more potent Adapted Biogel. If he survives an expedition into the ship's Cryo Lab, he can also construct Cryo Grenades and Mines. After quest completion, Tercorien begins to stockpile weapons, giving them to you when you return and speak to him."(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census) as he spent enough time patching up the mess that guns make. He's no killer.The Lone Wanderer: "I may need an extra gun in the Hangar Bay. Can you lend a hand?"Elliot Tercorien: "Gun? No thanks. I've spent enough time patching up the mess that guns make. I'm no killer."(Elliot Tercorien's dialogue) He would much rather negotiate and work his way around problems, including taking (alien) hostages and trying to communicate with them, though he has no idea where to start finding a language to communicate in.Elliot Tercorien: ""Somah: ""Elliot Tercorien: ""Paulson: ""(Elliot Tercorien's, Somah's, and Paulson's dialogue) 
He will assist and fight alongside the Wanderer if he believes his skills might be used to do some good, such as revive people from stasis.The Lone Wanderer: "I need to get through the Cryo Labs. Think you can help me?"Elliott Tercorien: "Hmmm. Sounds like I may be of some use in there. If there are other people in stasis, I could help revive them or something. Just watch my back."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) The caveat is that his medical skills rely on having the right equipment, which is absent after his abduction. However, he is excellent at improvisation and once set free quickly figures out how to adapt alien biogel to the human physiologyThe Lone Wanderer: "Do you think you'll be able to assist us medically if we need it?"Elliott Tercorien: "I'd really like to, but when I woke up on this ship for the first time all of my medical gear was gone. I saw that the aliens on this ship have some sort of viscous stuff they slather onto wounds; some kind of biological gel. Get me some of that, and I might be able to mess around with it, make some sort of Adapted Biogel we can use on ourselves."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) (side effects notwithstanding).The Lone Wanderer: "Could you make me some Adapted Biogel?"Elliott Tercorien: "Sure, here you go. They should work pretty well... but watch out for side effects."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) and subvert other alien technologies for human use, such as alien cryonic compounds,Elliott Tercorien: "Wait just a second... Hmmm. Let me take some of this cryogenic compound back to the engine core. I might be able to make some use of it."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) which he can repurpose into grenades and mines. He simply applies his training in cryoscience and knowledge of compounds they used, which weren't that different from Zetan compounds.The Lone Wanderer: "Do you think you can make use of that stuff you picked up in the Cryo Labs?"Elliott Tercorien: "Yeah, I think so. Before I was shipped out to Anchorage, I was trained in cryoscience. We were hoping to apply that to medicine. The compounds we used weren't that different from this cryogenic liquid. I'm pretty sure I can make us some improvised weapons from it. I'm thinking something along the lines of cryo grenades and cryo mines... I don't know yet. Check back with me in about an hour and I'll see what I can do."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "You think anything in here can prove useful?"Elliott Tercorien: "I'm not sure. Some of this stuff looks way more advanced than anything I've ever seen. Let's keep an eye out for any kind of materials or equipment I might be able to adapt for humans."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) He can also use alien medical technologies directly: As mentioned before, he can revive other abductees kept in stasis without them becoming feral due to memory loss,Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) though his ability is limited. He doesn't have a good grasp of alien tech for obvious reasons and doesn't recognize many of the compounds they use to experiment on abductees,Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) or the readouts. He uses what little he knows and just improvises, combining it with his medical knowledge and general aptitude.The Lone Wanderer: "How long can they last if you revive them?"Elliott Tercorien: "I don't know for certain. I can get them on their feet and moving for maybe a few minutes at best. There's no way for me to tell what the aliens have already subjected them to. I can't understand these readouts. Their pain could be horrible. This technology is out of my league so I'm just going to have to improvise. It's the best I can do."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)
His ability to manipulate alien technologies is due to a keen analytical mind, accurately breaking down alien tech using logic and deductive reasoning.The Lone Wanderer: "Why are we stuck inside the laboratory?"Elliott Tercorien: "I think when we opened the door to the operating room we set off some kind of containment alarm. The room seals itself up and it looks like it's being flooded with some sort of decontamination gases. Pretty high-tech stuff. Unless I miss my guess, it will cycle itself and unlock the doors in a little bit. We'll just have to wait it out."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "How long until the laboratory unseals itself?"Elliott Tercorien: "Not sure. We'll just have to wait for the system to cycle."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) He is fascinated by the Zetans and spends his idle time trying to crack the mystery of why they bother with Earth. He has multiple theories, including conquest of Earth after visiting it for thousands of years and waiting for the right moment to strike,The Lone Wanderer: "What do you think the aliens want with us?"Elliott Tercorien: "Maybe they're going to take over the whole planet. Like, maybe they've been coming here for hundreds... no, thousands of years, waiting to hit us when we're not expecting it. And then they wipe us out, and strip the planet of all its resources. I bet that's it."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) a terrible miscommunication based on the aliens interpreting radio waves from Earth as a declaration of war,The Lone Wanderer: "What do you think the aliens want with us?"Elliott Tercorien: "What if this is just some horrible misunderstanding? Like, what if some radio waves got beamed into space and made it all the way to their planet. Only they didn't hear the nightly news or whatever, to them it sounded like a declaration of war. So they decided to attack us first. Seriously, this whole thing could totally be our fault! Do you realize that?"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) and even that they were the ones to seed life on Earth and simply decided that how humanity turned out wasn't to their liking.The Lone Wanderer: "What do you think the aliens want with us?"Elliott Tercorien: "Hmm... maybe, just maybe, they're responsible for life on earth. Like, they seeded the planet a really long time ago. And they've been coming back every once in a while to check on the progress... and now they've decided they don't like how it turned out. Can you imagine? They made us and now they're pissed at us!"(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) He tends to give himself anxiety whenever a theory sounds too plausible to him, such as when he considered the possibility of abductees being used as guinea pigs to create body snatchers who would replace humans and take over the planet.The Lone Wanderer: "What do you think the aliens want with us?"Elliott Tercorien: "Isn't it obvious? They're probably using us as guinea pigs, examining our anatomy. Once they've figured out how to make exact copies of us, they'll send those copies back down to earth to take our places. When they've copied enough of us, they'll turn on us and take over the world. Come on, how can you not see that coming? Maybe they're going to take over the whole planet."(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue) The fact that aliens do have a cargo hold full of cryopods does little to ease his fears.Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)Elliott Tercorien: ""(Elliott Tercorien's dialogue)
==Relationships==
* Sgt. Daniels (active)
* Cpl. Rheems (K.I.A.)
* Cpl. Spurlock (K.I.A.)
* Pvt. Mears (K.I.A.)
* Pvt. Dawkins (M.I.A.)
* Pvt. Beckett (active)
==Interactions with the player character==
===Interactions overview===
===Quests===
* Among the Stars: The Lone Wanderer has the option of bringing Elliott Tercorien with them as a companion to the cryo lab to help out. While traveling through the laboratory, the player will come upon an experimentation lab with Sgt. Daniels and Pvt. Beckett being experimented upon. Tercorien will suffer a breakdown, attacking aliens with abandon and wiping them out, before asking the Wanderer to help them decide whether to put them out of their misery, gently euthanizing them both by cutting their oxygen supply, or revive them, so that Daniels and Beckett can help in the fight through the laboratory, at least until their bodies shut down - in other words, give them a soldiers' death.
** The dialogue option to ask him to accompany the Wanderer into the laboratory is only available once. If disbanded at any point, he will refuse to join again, saying that the player already did some good there. If this happens before Tercorien finds the cryo equipment needed to fabricate cryo mines and grenades, they will become unobtainable. As such, he should never be told to leave until the equipment is found. He will not leave the party until told to, however, and the player can travel to and from the cryo lab with no penalties.
** Elliott uses up ammunition in his inventory, unlike other Zeta allies and non-player characters, but quite like a permanent companion. Once he runs out of ammunition for his assault rifle, he will either resort to fisticuffs or grab an alien weapon. The sole exception is the takeover sequence, where he is scripted to spawn ammo as necessary.
** Elliott and Somah are the only DLC companions to pick up and use weapons from the environment, including weapons dropped by enemies. Other companions stick with their default weapon. However, Elliott does not have any tagged combat skills, and therefore has terrible aim with any weapon he uses, including his default assault rifle.
* This Galaxy Ain't Big Enough...: If Elliott survived his section in Among the Stars, he will help in the last battle by keeping aliens off the Lone Wanderer while they fight the other mothership. He mans the teleport jammer, which prevents alien reinforcements from entering the bridge. After the battle concludes, he'll mention that someone hit a button that fired a teleport beacon down to the surface, unlocking the captain's quarters and providing the means for returning to the surface and the Capital Wasteland.
===Other interactions===
* If the Lone Wanderer has any alien biogel, Elliott has the ability to modify the regular biogel into adapted biogel. The adapted biogel has a much higher healing capability, but retains the side effecs.
* While in the cryo lab, Tercorien will collect cryo tech and gain the ability to make cryo grenades and cryo mines. The first batch consists of 3 of each and can be taken after 1 hour. The player character can then receive another 2 cryo grenades and 2 cryo mines every 3 hours. All conversation options which allow the player character to request cryo mines and cryo grenades are only available while Elliott is in the engineering core section of Mothership Zeta.
** It is still possible to get cryo mines and grenades after the space walk, by going through the teleporter after the compression sequence and asking him to make some while in the engineering core.
* In the engineering core, he may ask Somah what has happened since he was abducted. When she explains the Great War and its ramifications, he responds with a remark of fear and horror; she responds to him by saying, "Sorry, you'll just have to learn to deal with it like the rest of us."
* After the This Galaxy Ain't Big Enough... quest is completed, the Lone Wanderer can return to the mothership at any time and ask for weapons. If Elliott has some stockpiled, he will provide what he has in his cache. He gives either alien atomizers, alien disintegrators or shock batons, and it is common that he will give multiple weapons at once. After receiving these weapons, the player character will have to wait or return in another few hours for him to salvage more.
==Inventory==
==Notable quotes==
==Appearances==
Private Elliott Tercorien appears only .
==Behind the scenes==
* If asked what the aliens want with Earth, Elliott will make up four different explanations for alien encounters, referencing four sci-fi movies and TV series:
**Independence Day for the resource consuming theory, 
** Star Trek: The Next Generation for his idea that the aliens seeded life on Earth, 
** Invasion of the Body Snatchers for his idea of them wanting to replace people on earth with clones,
**Mars Attacks! for inadvertently broadcasting radio signals amounting to a declaration of war on them.
* He shares his first name and initials with the main character from the 1982 movie E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, a boy named Elliott Taylor who befriends a space alien.
==Bugs==
* Elliott may suddenly stop making cryo grenades and mines. The dialogue option will still be present, but choosing it will result in Elliott saying "not yet, still working on them" even though time has passed.
** The bug's cause hasn't been identified, and only a small number of potential fixes are known: Loading a save that was made before the bug occurred should fix the bug. Uninstalling and reinstalling the add-on may fix the bug, but may also cause numerous other bugs.
*** Sometimes, waiting in one-hour increments may cause Tercorien to start creating more cryo weapons. Waiting for a short time and letting Tercorien walk around a bit may also prompt him to build more cryo weapons.
* Elliott might disappear altogether after finishing This Galaxy Ain't Big Enough.
* Aggroing Elliot and leaving for Earth may cause him to spawn at the teleport beacon, unaware that he's back on Earth.
* Elliot's hands may enlarge when equipping alien weapons.
* Elliot's forehead may lose its texture, although it is only cosmetic.
==Gallery==
Elliott Tercorien stasis.jpg|Elliott in the stasis chamber
Fo3MZ Elliot Tercorien.png|Elliott crouching in combat
Fallout 3 MZ Bug.png|Texture bug / glitch with head.
==References==
Non-game
 
Category:Mothership Zeta human characters
Category:United States Army characters
Category:Fallout 3 doctors
Category:Fallout 3 companions
ru:Эллиот Теркориен
de:Elliott Tercorien
es:Elliott Tercorien
uk:Елліот Теркоріен