One of the best things about Fallout 4‘s Creation Club content is the inclusion of new companions. Among them is a large set of Power Armor that doesn’t need a pilot. It just wanders around with you, killing anyone that needs to be killed. To unlock the beast, you need to complete the Malevolent Malfunction Quest.
In this quest, you learn of a Brotherhood of Steel betrayer, eliminate him, and steal his AI-controlled Power Armor. Here is a complete guide to doing all of that and unlocking your new buddy.
Follow The Distress Signal
To begin the quest, you need to find the Distress Signal Beacon on your Radio and follow it. This, in itself, can be a challenge, as the signal doesn’t always appear when it’s supposed to. One place you can typically find it is at the Drumlin Diner, which is just Southeast of Concord.
When you’ve found the signal, tune into it on your radio. You will now hear a constant beep; the faster it beeps, the closer you are to the place you need to be. The spot you must reach is just Southeast of the Drumlin Diner, West of Lexington.
Fight The Rogue Sentinel Power Armor
Once you reach the source of the distress signal, you will be greeted by a couple of Rogue Sentinel Power Armors, who are hostile. So, you must kill the two of them.
When you’ve done that, loot the Sentinel System Log from one of their bodies. Then go into your Misc items on your Pip-Boy and hit ‘play’ on the Sentinel System Log. Read the two logs to learn that someone named Dawson reprogrammed the Power Armors to attack their allies before heading to the Schoelt Propane Station. So, this is where you need to go.
You can find the bodies of Dawson’s former allies, Vasquez and Maria, in the area where you fought the Rogue Sentinel Power Armors. Each of them is holding a Holo Tape that you can read, but it isn’t essential to the quest.
Meet Dawson At The Propane Station
The Propane Station is Southwest of where the distress signal took you. It’s near the Federal Ration Stockpile and ArcJet Systems.
Don’t expect a nice greeting when you get there, as Dawson shoots you on sight. So, fight and kill him. Then, loot his body to take his footlocker key.
With the key, head inside what’s left of the building to find his footlocker on the counter. Open it up, and take his Holotape.
Activate The Sentinel Power Armor And Get Your New Companion
Read Dawson’s holotape to discover that he was working with the Institute. More importantly, you learn that the passcode to his Sentinel is ‘Capital Tripwire Echo.’
If you read the Sentinel Program Mission Report tape that’s also in the footlocker, you get another task that isn’t part of this quest, which you may want to do later.
Head outside to find the Sentinel near the truck and large propane tank.
Go up to it and hit the button prompt to ‘hack’ it, then select ‘activate.’ This turns him into your Power Armor companion that can now follow you around and provide you with assistance in battle. Doing this serves as the end of the quest.
