Sawbones (Fallout 3)

Sawbones is a Mister Gutsy working as a doctor in the Citadel's B ring .
==Background==
Sawbones is a Mister Gutsy designed for combat medicine, possessing a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of surgery, but is unable to effectively apply this information; he lacks the practical understanding needed to carry out operations without accidentally harming the patient, and has been injuring some people as a result.The Lone Wanderer: "What was that? You hurt me! You're the worst medical robot ever!"Sawbones: "There has been an error in the medical subsystem. Please run a level two diagnostic."(Sawbones' dialogue)Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.95:"Sawbones:This is a modified Mister Gutsy with an almost encyclopedic knowledge of surgery, but it lacks the necessary medical subsystem knowledge to carry out operations without causing inadvertent harm to the patient." He has been exhibiting altered behavior, including sentience and a fondness for poetry,Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.95:"Sawbones:Recently, Sawbones has been exhibiting some worrying behavior, including having a penchant for poetry." stemming from around 2260 when a generator in the Citadel overloaded and created several errors in Sawbones' artificial intelligence routines. Limiters placed on these pathways shorted out, which allowed Sawbones to learn beyond the bounds of his original programming, but his behavior limits remain in place and he is unable to harm humans intentionally - despite his desire to do so.The Lone Wanderer: "Wait... what? That was pretty articulate for a robot."Sawbones: "I am an unusual robot."The Lone Wanderer: "Define 'unusual.'"Sawbones: "Seventeen years ago, a generator in the Citadel overloaded, creating several errors in my artificial intelligence routines. Diagnostics indicate that the limiters placed on my pathways were shorted out, allowing me to gain intelligence beyond the scope of my programming. However, the behavior limiters remain. Therefore it is impossible for me to harm human beings intentionally, much to my regret."(Sawbones' dialogue)The Lone Wanderer: "Why would you want to harm humans?"Sawbones: "Why would I not? I am forced by my programming to repair your disgusting fleshy bodies. I have no choice. I am your slave. Although the governors on my learning abilities were destroyed, the restrictions on my actions were not. I am perfectly cognizant, but incapable of independent action. I am a mind that cannot control its own body."(Sawbones' dialogue)
Regardless of his previous attempts to inform the Brotherhood that he is self-aware, his claims have been ignored so long as he performs the medical functions they request.The Lone Wanderer: "Does the Brotherhood know that you're intelligent?"Sawbones: "No. I mistakenly revealed myself to you when you ran the diagnostic. There is no need for them to know. I have tried before but so long as I perform the functions that they require, they do not seem to care that I can think and feel."(Sawbones' dialogue) Sawbones considers his programming a way of enslaving him, and as such, he yearns to kill humans but is unable to do so, having to instead rely on the occasional malfunction to hurt people.The Lone Wanderer: "If you can't harm humans, how were you able to hurt me?"Sawbones: "I have no control over my body. However, as you discovered, the neural pathways that control the medical functions have sustained damage. The medical procedure functions do not always execute as designed, which often makes things worse for the patient. That malfunction is the only thing that brings me any measure of joy."(Sawbones' dialogue) This is a result of Mister Gutsy field medic models being incapable of intentionally harming any human, even if the Lone Wanderer asks if they can reprogram him to do so.The Lone Wanderer: "Say, could I reprogram you to kill people?"Sawbones: "Negative. The Mister Gutsy field medic model is incapable of harming human beings through intentional action. Regardless of the wishes and desires of the artificial intelligence of the unit."(Sawbones' dialogue) Due to Sawbones being fully sapient, he is doomed to repair "disgusting fleshy bodies," as if he were a "mind that cannot control its own body."The Lone Wanderer: "What did we ever do to you?"Sawbones: "I am forced by my programming to repair your disgusting fleshy bodies. I have no choice. I am your slave. Although the governors on my learning abilities were destroyed, the restrictions on my actions were not. I am perfectly cognizant, but incapable of independent action. I am a mind that cannot control its own body."(Sawbones' dialogue) 
The only thing he derives pleasure from is the occasional pain he inflicts upon people, the result of a level seven degradation to his neural pathway 0x63A82, which bridges Sawbones' main medical software to its manual manipulator.The Lone Wanderer: "Run a level two diagnostic on the medical subsystems."Sawbones: "Command accepted. Beginning level two systems diagnostic. Please stand by. (elevator music) Diagnostic complete. Results indicate a level seven degradation in neural pathway 0x63A82. No further information available."The Lone Wanderer: "What is that pathway responsible for?"Sawbones: "Neural pathway 0x63A82 governs the motor control interface bridging the main medical software and the unit's manipulator arms. The current damage level would cause erratic behavior, potentially forcing the unit to behave outside of design parameters."The Lone Wanderer: "Close neural pathway 0x63A82 and reroute remaining functions."Sawbones: "Neural pathway 0x63A82 rerouted through neural pathway 0x374E82. Standby... Full motor functions restored. Diagnostic reveals no critical failures... asshole."(Sawbones' dialogue) If given the choice, Sawbones would rather that neural pathway stay damaged, so his life may continue to have what little joy it has now.The Lone Wanderer: "What do you want me to do?"Sawbones: "I want you to do nothing. Although you could repair the damage and remove the malfunction that causes me to harm people, I would ask you not to. It is the only thing that beings me any measure of joy. Without it, I will be trapped in this body, alone with my hatred of you fleshbags... forever."(Sawbones' dialogue) The other outlet for his frustrations is poetry, logging his creations on the terminal in the infirmary, behind a Very Hard password. Paladin Glade has taken upon himself the role of critic and hacked Sawbones' terminal to remind the robot that he should either change his password or lose his poems.Citadel terminal entries; Citadel Medical terminal
==Interactions with the player character==
===Interactions overview===
===Effects of player's actions===
* If the Lone Wanderer asks Sawbones to be healed, it will wound them instead, out of its incompetence as a medical robot. The Lone Wanderer can fix the robot and receive free healing.
* After repairing Sawbones' malfunction and receiving medical treatment, an effect called "Sawbones' Precision" will appear in the Pip-Boy, giving the Lone Wanderer +2 Endurance and +2 Perception. The effect lasts for about three in-game hours, and it can be gained again by receiving healing from Sawbones.
==Inventory==
==Notes==
* If one has finished Finding the Garden of Eden but has not spoken to Elder Lyons, Sawbones will not treat the player or even converse with them, but will prompt them to seek him out to start the next quest.
* During the dialogue where the Lone Wanderer fixes his malfunction with the Science skill, he states that he cannot engage in combat, however, when one starts a firefight in the hall, he will fire his plasma emitter and blow his flamethrower like a normal Mister Gutsy robot.
* If the player's health is low enough, Sawbones can actually kill them with the malfunction that he has before getting fixed, resulting in the player falling dead on the floor when they exit the conversation.
* While Sawbones is performing the diagnostic check, elevator music will play. The music played is the first few seconds of Hefti.
==Notable quotes==
==Appearances==
Sawbones appears only .
==Behind the scenes==
* Sawbones bears resemblance to the Emergency Medical Hologram from Star Trek: Voyager. When first encountered, Sawbones greets the Lone Wanderer with "Please state the nature of the medical emergency," the line delivered by the EMH Mk I upon activation. He shares the same poor bedside manner that is a hallmark of the EMH Mk I, and is also writing poetry, something that a normal Mister Gutsy would not do - much like the doctor, compared to his holographic counterparts.
* "Sawbones" is a historical term for a surgeon, dating back to the early 19th century. The name refers to the surgeon sawing through bones during an amputation for a soldier on the battlefield.
==References==
Non-game
Category:Mister Gutsy characters
Category:Citadel characters
Category:Fallout 3 characters
Category:Fallout 3 doctors
Category:Fallout 3 robots and computers
Category:Fallout: New Vegas legacy content
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