Rivet City Research Center

**The Rivet City Research Center** is a branch of the Commonwealth Institute in the Capital D.C. They are largely responsible for the development of D.C., and brought rise to several settlements in the region. The Institute's Rivet City Lab is responsible for the return of democracy, and the provision of clean water to the people of the Capital wasteland.

They have contributed to developments and research in hydroponics, water purification, biomedical engineering, and formed the Rivet City Council which helped give rise to Rivet City as one of the most powerful settlements in pre-war D.C. The Rivet City Research Center was taken over by the Brotherhood when they won the war with the Enclave.

## History

### Projects & Experiments

#### Hydroponics & Restoration Experiments

* Dr. Madison Li, an expert biologist, founded the Agriculture Department and the Hydroponics branch in Rivet City, where she and her colleauges established a comprehensive research center to collect data on artificial stimulation for vegetative growth.

#### Coagulation, Filtration, Aeration Experiments

* Dr. James Mason recruited Dr. Alex Dargon and Daniel Acourt to assist in CFA water purification experiments, and discussed plans to construct a water purification system. Daniel Acourt, an engineer, designed blueprints to begin building the plant in the Jefferson Memorial. These experiments were the predecessor to Project Purity.

#### Operation Occupy City Council

* Dr. Paul Zimmer, head of the Synthetics & Biomedical Engineering Department of the Commonwealth Institute is stationed at the Rivet City Research Center to oversee an Enclave operation to influence the outcome of Project Purity regardless of the results of their war with the Brotherhood.
* Dr. Madison Li begins to dispute Dr. Gregory Pinkerton, and eventually takes his place on the Rivet City Council, expanding Enclave influence in Rivet City government. Her grip on political power in Rivet City gives her a great deal of leeway to act as she wishes.
* Chief Adam 'A3-21' Harkness, a synthetic android that had been elected to the position of Chief of Security and Secretary of Defense on the Rivet City Council. Dr. Zimmer came to Rivet City in search of him, and attempted to return him to the Commonwealth, however he ended up remaining on the City Council vulnerable to the influence of outsiders.
* In the aftermath of the D.C. Wars, the Brotherhood of Steel controlled Project Purity and had seized Andrews Air Force Base, however the Enclave managed to maintain it's influence and control over the Project by affiliating Rivet City's security force with the delivery of the purified water supply.

#### Project Purity

* A twenty year endeavour by a coalition of Commonwealth Institute scientists, lead by Dr. James Mason, to construct a water purification system on the Jefferson Memorial site, cleanse the D.C. tidal basin on the Potomac River, and provide safe water to the people of the Capital.
* Although initially an Enclave project, the Rivet City Research Center claimed jurisdiction over the project and enlisted the support of the Brotherhood of Steel. However, this lead to a war which caused the Brotherhood to take control of the Project Purity site when the majority of the Rivet City team disbanded.
* The free access to water across D.C. was revolutionary in the pre-war world, and it improved the health of the Capital's people. The improvements wrought by safe drinking water created a great deal of development in the region, and was eventually instrumental in the Brotherhood's attempts to destroy mutations in the D.C. population.

## Personnel

* **Dr. Madison Li:** Dr. Li is head of the Agriculture Division of the Institute's Department of Biology.
	+ **Dr. Anna Holt:** An Enclave scientist and Project Manager for the Hydroponics branch of the Agriculture Division.
	+ **Dr. Alex Dargon:** Chief Scientist and Experimental Director for Project Purity.
	+ **Daniel Acourt:** Chief Engineer and Project Manager for Project Purity.
	+ **Janice Kaplinski:** Chief Botanist of the Hydroponics branch of the Agriculture Division, and assistant to Dr. Li.
* **Dr. James Mason:** Dr. Mason was the mastermind of Project Purity and managed the water purification experiments during the hydroponics project lead by Dr. Madison Li. He was killed during the Enclave's war with the Brotherhood.
	+ **Knight John Mason:** Knight Mason is a trained field medic, Brotherhood of Steel Knight and part of the Project Purity personnel, the son of the project's head Dr. James Mason.