Catherine (Fallout 3)

Catherine was a scientist and the wife of James, working together on Project Purity, an attempt to produce purified water in mass quantities, overcoming the critical shortage of this essential good in the Capital Wasteland. Despite intense efforts, the Project was cut short when Catherine died after giving birth to the Lone Wanderer in 2258. Although appearing only briefly, Catherine's memory is the driving force behind James' second attempt to restart Project Purity that sets in motion the storyline .
==Background==
Little is known about Catherine's background or origins. She was a dedicated scientist,Madison Li: "Yes... Your mother was, well she was a good woman. A very dedicated scientist. Your father loved her very much." familiar with the Bible and Christianity, with her favorite passage being Revelation 21:6: "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely."Baby Steps, James: "Come on over here. I want to show you something. See that? It was your mother's favorite passage. It's from the Bible. Revelation 21:6. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." She always loved that." This passage inspired her life's work on Project Purity: Together with James, they attempted to bring the waters of life to the Capital Wasteland and restore it.Project Purity journals, personal journal: Entry 1 Catherine was originally one of several scientists working on the project, eventually falling in love with James and marrying him.Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.86: "Mom (Catherine; deceased)Your mother died during childbirth, and was one of the scientists attempting to perfect Project Purity, falling in love with James, the leader of the scientists. Aside from her voice (available on Holotape: Better Days), you know little about your mother, except that she suffered cardiac arrest during your birth, and her favorite Bible passage is Revelation 21:6."(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census) She brought with herself not just knowledge, but also beauty within and without, and a spectacular passion for life and love.Lone Wanderer: "Can we talk about, you know... mom?"James: "Your mother, she... she was beautiful. But... beyond the beauty you've seen. There's just so much those old photos can never show. And she was passionate. About life, about love. But most of all, most of all she was passionate about you. When she became pregnant, it was the happiest I had ever seen her. Ahhhh.... she had great things in mind for you.... And so! Time for you to stop stalling and get to class! Please, honey/son, please take these achievement tests seriously. The last thing I need is you mother's ghost haunting me because her only child became a garbage burner."(Future Imperfect) Their shared vision was a wasteland with unlimited access to clean, free water, safe to drink and water crops with: An opportunity to eliminate radiation sickness and mutation, to assure survival for everyone.Lone Wanderer: "Why is this so important?"James: "You remember the Bible passage, about the waters of life? It's more than just a poster on a wall. Your mother and I, we lived by that ideal. Water, clean and free, for everyone in the Wasteland! Think about that for a moment. No more radiation sickness, no more mutated crops, no more struggling just to stay alive. Finally... hope. Isn't it worth taking a risk to give that hope to people?"
Their passion and vision inspired others, including Madison Li of the Rivet City science crew, who joined Project Purity to help figure out the issue of water purification. While they were focused on work, James and Catherine left space for flirt and romance for themselves. James seemed fond of interrupting his wife at work, and during one such interruption, the Lone Wanderer was conceived.Better Days: "...that batch of tests was inconclusive, but Madison and I are convinced it's a problem with the secondary filtration system. " The eventual onset of pregnancy symptoms coincided with a return to work at the Jefferson Memorial, after sentry guns broke down. After weeks of delays, James finally secured the support of Owyn Lyons, in the form of protection and technical support to hold the mutants at bay. The team returned to work, but Catherine's state slowed work down, briefly leading to disagreements.Project Purity journals, personal journal: Entry 1
However, when news of her pregnancy broke, it had the opposite effect: It had reinvigorated the team, lifting everyone's spirits and bringing a renewed push towards making the purifier work. While their methods were inefficient, James believed they were on the right track. Catherine agreed and spent her every waking hour in the lab, trying to resolve the power issues.Project Purity journals, personal journal: Entry 3 She was the happiest James had ever seen her while expecting, planning great things for their future child. However, as months passed and the team prepared to scale back their efforts after the child was born, problems started to manifest. Catherine and James' team could not provide concrete results they hoped for, which strained relationship with the Elder: Intensifying mutant attacks and resulting casualties - two dead and three injured in the span of a single week in 2258 - rendered further support uncertain.Project Purity journals, personal journal: Entry 3
The Project's fate was sealed on July 13, 2258, when the child was born. James delivered the baby personally, with Madison Li assisting. While there were no complications during delivery, Catherine went into cardiac arrest moments after giving birth, her heart unable to withstand the strain.Baby Steps The science team was not equipped to deal with such an event, literally: The infirmary was fitted with scavenged and frequently derelict equipment, which greatly affected Catherine's chances of survival, despite their best efforts.Madison Li: "Complications from childbirth. None of us were expecting it; we weren't as prepared as we could have been. You have to understand, we were struggling with scavenged, derelict equipment. We did everything we could."Lone Wanderer: "How did mom really die?"James: "I understand that you have reason to question a good many things I've told you over the years. But your mother... I've never lied to you about what happened. Not once. She died giving birth to you. It was a difficult time... She was so eager to meet you, to make a place for you in the world. If nothing else, please believe that she loved you very much."
The project imploded shortly afterwards: Without Catherine, James could not properly care for an infant at the Memorial's facilities,Project Purity journals, personal journal: Entry 7 and to make things worse, work hit a dead-end and mutant attacks intensified to the point the Memorial came under attack several times a day. Reluctantly, James abandoned Project Purity and made for Vault 101.Project Purity journals, personal journal: Entry 8 The rest of the team, many of whom devoted their entire lives to Project Purity, saw it as betrayal and abandonment, forcing them to walk away from the project.Madison Li: "Your father just shows up here as if nothing happened... He walked out on us. I know he had his reasons, I know it was to protect you, but still. Project Purity was our life. It was the only thing that mattered, and then he just gave up. He abandoned us, and we were forced to move on."
Memories of Catherine, especially her good natured ways and scientific acumen persisted despite James' flight. Li especially respected her work as a scientist, despite disagreements.Madison Li: "Yes, I did. I'm sorry that you never had time with her. She was... She was a good woman. We didn't always agree, but I respected her work as a scientist. Your father... He loved her very much." It was this respect that eventually led to her reluctantly rejoining the project nearly twenty years later, when James hit upon a breakthrough while sealed inside Vault 101 and abandoned its confines to see Project Purity through to the end, in Catherine's name.Project Purity journals, personal journal: Entry 3 It was the only thing of value left in his life (as he assumed his child was safely sealed within Vault 101).Lone Wanderer: "What was my father like back then?"Madison Li: "James? He was very driven. Determined to change the world. Well, we all were back then, I suppose. He was focused on two things, really. Making Project Purity work, and your mother. When she died, I think... I think he gave up. I know he wanted to keep you safe, but I think part of what he did was run away. But it seems that he never really was able to get over the idea. I'm frankly shocked that he waited all this time, and wants to try again."
==Interactions with the player character==
===Interactions overview===
===Quests===
* Baby Steps: Catherine dies in the prologue of the game. She appears during a cutscene that shows the Lone Wanderer's birth, but only her legs and her voice can be perceived. A holotape recording of James flirting with her called "Better Days" can be located in the Jefferson Memorial's lower levels. Her favorite quote from the Bible is Revelation 21:6, and reflects one of the core themes of the game.
* In Point Lookout, while intoxicated on the Mother Punga, the Lone Wanderer will find one of the many giant bobbleheads on a medical examination table with a skeleton marked "Mom," balloons, and a party hat. The bobblehead will say "Blech. If my kid looked like that, I'd abandon it too." The skeleton is Catherine, reflecting the lack of maternal presence in the Lone Wanderer's life. Furthermore, the last bobblehead in the vision says, "Dead mother, life in a post-nuclear Wasteland and not a friend in it. Yeah, you aren't exactly blessed."
==Inventory==
==Notable quotes==
==Appearances==
Catherine appears physically , and an image of her appears in Fallout: New Vegas.
==Behind the scenes==
* Using console commands ( and ) during the game's opening allows one to see that Catherine's character model is an older African-American woman with a "No Nonsense" hairstyle, and that James is a Caucasian man with a "Smooth Wave" hairstyle, regardless of what race or tone is used for the player character. With the console command without going into third person view first, one can get a good look at Catherine up close just as the first cutscene ends.
** However, the storyline of Fallout 3 does not specify her ethnicity nor her last name, and Catherine is never actually directly seen in the game. A photograph of her and James was created for the game, but never placed anywhere. It was subsequently recycled in Fallout: New Vegas and placed in Vault 21 in Sarah's bedroom. It does not seem to have any additional implications.
* In early exclusive media previews of Fallout 3, Catherine had temporary voice acting performed by lead designer Emil Pagliarulo. According to a Fallout 3 preview from Edge Magazine published in May 2008, "[Pete] Hines emphasized that all the voice-acting, apart from Liam Neeson's turn as your father, was temporary – a point well illustrated by the distinctly gruff tones of your mother."Voices and Butch on Next GenPREVIEW: Fallout 3
==Gallery==
Catherine.png|G.E.C.K. render
Catherine in labor.png|Catherine (not seen during normal gameplay)
Catherine closeup.jpg|A closer look at Catherine (not meant to be seen during normal gameplay).
Catherine in labor ward 01.jpg|Catherine in labor ward (not seen during normal gameplay)
Catherine in labor ward 02.jpg|Catherine, Madison Li and James (not seen during normal gameplay)
Catherine in labor ward.jpg|Catherine clad in a birth skirt
Vault 21 James and Catherine pic.jpg|Picture of James and Catherine in Vault 21, next to Sarah's bed
Fo3 Mom And Dad Photo.png|Photograph of the Lone Wanderer's parents in the Jefferson Memorial (cut content, not seen during normal gameplay) and in Vault 21 in Fallout: New Vegas.
==References==
Non-game
Category:Fallout 3 human characters
Category:Project Purity
Category:Fallout 3 scientists
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