Fallout 76: The Motherlode Side Quest Walkthrough (2024)

Hornwright Industrial Headquarters is a large building in Fallout 76 that you will come across when exploring the Forest, which will give you the Motherlode side quest when you approach it. You can then start the quest by accessing the archived messages on the terminal in the Headquarters.

At one point in the game, you will need to get a Senior Exec ID card to progress. And to do that, you will need to take the Senior Executive Exam to obtain it. The answers to this exam could get a little tricky. Follow this guide closely to complete this quest without breaking a sweat.

Updated July 27, 2024, by Andrew Scariati: If the Fallout 76 boom brought you back to Appalachia to search Hornwright Industrial HQ and finish the Motherlode, you've come to the right place. We've added further step-by-step details to fill in the gaps and included alternatives if you want to spice things up. Here's everything you need to know about The Motherlode in Fallout 76.

Explore Hornwright Industrial HQ

Follow the quest marker to the entrance of this building; expect several Scorched, ghouls and super mutants in it.

From here you have two options for how you can enter:

1. Via the roof access
2. Through the front door to the lobby

The second path is better, as you will need to head into the lobby area to progress The Motherlode in Fallout 76.

Once you are inside the lobby of the building, you will see an office that belongs to Yvette Wiesmen.

Access her terminal to read the archived message dated 9/29/77. Be sure to avoid the toxic water on the ground once you're done.

This will end your miscellaneous quest and officially start the Motherlode Fallout 76 side quest.

Search Penny’s Office For Info About The Motherlode

You will be asked to go up to the fifth floor to search Penny’s office.

Once you make your way into Penny's office, you will need to access her terminal and read the message dated 9/30/77.

Find ID To Access The Upper Floors

From here, you must acquire an ID card which will give you access to the elevators.

Head one floor down to the Human Resources Department.

You will find a bunch of terminals there that control the hiring system for the firm.

You will need to get hired as an executive by taking the Hornwright Industrial exam and obtaining an ID Card.

See Also

Out of the Blue

Once you are in the HR department, look for another room inside that department.

You will find some cabinets containing the ID card printer.

However, you will not be able to print anything just yet. To do that, you will need to become a Corporate-level Executive.

There are several ways to become a Corporate-level Executive, which include searching the building for the completed executive resume or looking for the answers to take the exam.

However, you need not search for the exam answers. You can easily ace the test by using the answers that we have included in the next section.

Senior Executive Exam Answers

Access the HR files at the second-floor terminal and select Penny's Resume to add it to your inventory to use in the test room.

Once you are ready, head to the terminal to begin the exam. There are five questions in total.

• Question One: Choice one - Blame the incident on agitators in the local unions.
• Question Two: Choice two - Blackmail them to provide more information. (Choice three also works)
• Question Three: Choice one - Dig up dirt on the politician to lower their price.
• Question Four: Choice two - Offer them lucrative jobs to get them to reveal their identities.
• Question Five: Choice one - Turn over the details to Hornwright's top-notch corporate intelligence team.

With that complete, you can now print the ID card using the printer.

Explore The Upper Floor For The Motherlode

Head to the bottom-most floor and find an elevator. Use your ID card here to access the exclusive executive floor.

Once you are on the executive floor, head to the room on the left to find the External Connections System.

It will prompt you to find the Repair Beacon.

Repair Beacon

You can begin the search for the Repair Beacon by moving up to the nearby steps and interacting with a red terminal.

Since this terminal is not marked by the quest marker, you might struggle a little bit to find it. The giveaway will be the body of the dead scientist next to it.

Once you find it, select the Power Struggle option, and you will receive the code of the beacon, 36984.

You can use this code on the keypad opposite the area of the terminal to get the security dispenser.

Call Up The Motherlode

Once you have the security dispenser in your hands, exit the room, and head to the far end of the floor, to the other laser grid wall.

You will find an elevator behind the laser grid.

Board the elevator, and it will take you to the room where you can place the security dispenser into the Beacon Launcher.

The launcher is not marked by the quest marker, but you will be able to find it in a puddle of toxic water.

Upon inserting it inside, you will cause a huge machine to pop out of the ground. It will be the Motherlode itself.

Once the Motherlode departs again, make your way up the stairs to its Docking Station Dispenser.

The mission will end, and you can collect your rewards afterward.

What Rewards Do You Get From The Motherlode?