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Lyons! I know you're in there! I know you can hear me! You open this goddamn door right now!— Madison at the Citadel's door

Doctor Madison Li (Institute username Li.M)[1] is a scientist residing in the science lab of Rivet City in the Capital Wasteland, serving as a major character in the main questline in Fallout 3.

She makes a reappearance residing in the Institute as the head of the Advanced Systems division in the Commonwealth, serving as a supporting character in the Institute and Brotherhood of Steel questlines in Fallout 4.

Background[]

Early life[]

Madison Li was a young, idealistic scientist when she met James and Catherine and upon learning of their plan, fully devoted herself to the eventual success of Project Purity like the rest of the scientists who joined them, working tirelessly to see it through.[2][3][4][Non-game 1] Her admiration for James later developed into romantic feelings over the course of their work, but she kept them hidden out of respect for James' marriage to Catherine. Though it strained her personal relationship with them, her professional relationship never changed.[5]

The progress of the project faced numerous complications, not the least of which were the frequent super mutant attacks, but the martial support of Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel allowed them to continue in relative safety, though Madison personally did not trust the organization's motives for lending their aid. Even with the Brotherhood's help, however, the researchers' efforts soon took a downturn, with super mutant attacks intensifying and work to adapt the water purification technology for large-scale deployment hitting snags. Catherine's pregnancy, which had previously inspired the team to work harder, became the breaking point. When Catherine went into labor, Madison personally was able to deliver her child safely, but Catherine suffered cardiac arrest and died shortly after the birth. Afterwards, James chose to abandon Project Purity in favor of his child's safety. Madison's grief for Catherine's death turned into a feeling of betrayal by James, whom she still loved, and things quickly splintered apart amongst the remaining members, not least because Madison's dislike for the Brotherhood. Eventually, the Brotherhood also left, taking their protective support with them and the team soon fully dissolved, leaving Project Purity unfinished, and went their separate ways.[Non-game 1][3][6][7][8]

Rivet City[]

After leaving Project Purity around 2259, Madison headed to Rivet City, having heard about the thriving scientific community set up there by Horace Pinkerton. Despite leaving the project behind unfulfilled, she had not given up on its mission, and continued her research into water purification, though on a smaller scale. It soon became clear though, that Pinkerton did not share her vision, seeing it as a waste of time, and after numerous arguments and disagreements, he left Rivet City to take up residence in the bow of the aircraft carrier, with the city at large believing he had disappeared.[9] With his departure, Madison took his place on the Rivet City Council and became the settlement's lead scientist,[10] organizing the remaining scientists and directing them to work on projects involving hydroponics, water purification, and portable fusion power.[11] Through their work, Rivet City was able to grow healthy, radiation-free produce like fresh apples and pears. Madison remained in her position for the next 18 years, over which time she grew "older, wiser, and much more cynical."[Non-game 1]

It was in her position serving the prosperity of Rivet City that Madison had her first exposure to the Institute when, in 2277, Dr. Zimmer, the then-director of the Synth Retention Bureau came to the city requesting help from Madison's team to track down an escaped android, though his refusal to elaborate any further, coupled with a condescending attitude towards their work earned him no favors. Madison herself refused to acknowledge his requests, seeing him as a distraction.[12]

Return to Project Purity[]

Later in 2277, Madison's life took a drastic turn once more. She received an unexpected visit from James, who had escaped from Vault 101 and traveled to Rivet City hoping to enlist Madison's support in reviving Project Purity. However, it caused old emotions to resurface, and Madison angrily refused to help him, claiming that she had moved on and too much time had passed.[3][13][14] Secretly, she later regretted her choice and hoped to see James again. She saw a chance when soon after their confrontation and James' departure to find Vault 112 and Stanislaus Braun, she met the grown-up Lone Wanderer and eventually agreed to help them find James, pointing them in the direction of their old laboratory at the Jefferson Memorial.

Following James' rescue from the Tranquility Lane simulation by the Lone Wanderer, father and child returned to Rivet City, where Madison was very happy to see James again (even though she wouldn't admit it)[15] and she agreed to help him restart their work on Project Purity, substituting her team from Rivet City as additional manpower.

Shortly into the revived work on the project, the facility under the Memorial was invaded by the Enclave under Colonel Augustus Autumn. He demanded for the scientists to hand over control of Project Purity in order to cement the Enclave's dominance in the Capital Wasteland. James, still caring for Madison, pretended to comply with Autumn's demand, though not before making sure that she would be out of harm's way.[16] In the ensuing events, Madison's assistant Janice Kaplinski was killed while James flooded the control chamber with deadly amounts of radiation, sacrificing his life to avert the Enclave's takeover (though Autumn ultimately survived), though not before he was able to say goodbye to his child.[17] Madison, despite her shock, managed to take charge and escaped with the Lone Wanderer and the surviving scientists. They fled to the Citadel, taking refuge with the Brotherhood of Steel. Despite their past enmity, her continued distrust,[18] and her displeasure in using her skills and knowledge to work on weapons of mass destruction, Madison helped the Brotherhood prepare for war against the Enclave, applying her knowledge of portable fusion power to assist Scribe Rothchild in restoring the military robot, Liberty Prime.[19][20]

Madison accompanied the Brotherhood, coming in behind Liberty Prime and the Lone Wanderer as they broke through the Enclave blockade around the Jefferson Memorial during the Battle of Project Purity. After the Enclave's defeat, she arrived to monitor the status of the purifier, finding it to be badly damaged. She informed the Lone Wanderer and Sarah Lyons via intercom that the purifier would need to be manually activated from the heavily irradiated control room or else the entire facility would explode.[21]

Heading north[]

Some time after helping the Brotherhood to restart operations at Project Purity but before the Lone Wanderer awoke from the coma they were in as a result of activating the purifier and being hit with radiation, Madison ended up leaving the Capital Wasteland. She still distrusted the Brotherhood, and she further disagreed with their military occupation of the Capital Wasteland and exclusive control of the purifier as well as their attempts to control and weaponize her research.[20][22] Though Elder Lyons permitted her departure, Madison realized that other voices in the Brotherhood saw her as a security risk due to her status as an outsider with access to Brotherhood secrets, and she feared they would attempt to silence her.[23] Her destination was the Commonwealth to the north, where she hoped to take refuge with the Institute, believing that their rumored technological advancement would keep her safe from the Brotherhood's exploitation and retribution.[24][25]

The Institute[]

Madison's expedition was successful in reaching the Commonwealth where she later made contact with the Institute. When Father extended an offer for her to join them, she was only too happy to accept, wanting nothing more than peace from the Brotherhood and room to pursue her research. The Institute's scientific resources and intellectual community were above anything Madison had ever seen before, and she quickly dedicated herself to expanding her research and scientific expertise under the Institute's wing.[26] Though she has faced distrust for being an outsider,[27] Madison persevered, rising through the ranks and becoming privy to some of the Institute's most sensitive projects. Sometime before 2287, she was selected to become the head of the Advanced Systems division.

Madison came to genuine believe that the Institute wants the best for all humanity.[26] Her cynicism over her past with the Brotherhood meant she was initially willing to overlook the organization's selfishness, isolation, and lack of transparency,[28] as well as Father's irrational behavior; she was privately disgusted by the director's pet project to create a child synth but offered her assistance with it anyway.[29][30] She also began suspecting that Father was keeping secrets from her, but doesn't see that as enough of an issue to turn her back on the group she had devoted the rest of her life to.[28][31] Eventually, though, one incident managed to rattle her and shake her allegiance to the Institute: Madison was friends with Doctor Brian Virgil, the lead researcher of the Institute's FEV lab, when he became disillusioned with his research, orchestrated the complete shutdown of the lab and later abandoned and fled the Institute. The event was covered up as an accident, Virgil was declared dead, and the lab was sealed off despite Madison's insistence on a thorough investigation. This time, she couldn't ignore the lack of transparency and refused to believe her friend had died, instead hoping he was still alive, though the suspicious circumstances did not afford her any solid proof to back it up.[32][33]

Despite her misgivings over the Institute's policies and Virgil's disappearance, Madison continued working towards the organization's advancement. Though she generally avoids socializing,[34] she has good relationships with many colleagues and even has a protégé, Rosalind Orman, whom she considers the best physicist (and overall one of the greatest talents) in the entire Institute. Her opinion of Evan Watson, another of her subordinates, is more neutral.[35][36]

Interactions with the player character[]

Fallout 3[]

Interactions overview[]

Interactions
Perk nociception regulator color
This character is essential. Essential characters cannot be killed.
25 Strictly Business
This character is a temporary companion.
Icon quest starter
This character starts quests.
FO76 ui icon quest
This character is involved in quests.
Icon severed ear color
This character drops an ear upon death (Contract Killer).

Quests[]

  • Scientific Pursuits: Madison points the Lone Wanderer in the direction of the Jefferson Memorial to further the search for James.
  • The Waters of Life: Shaken by the death of James at the Jefferson Memorial, Madison enlists the Lone Wanderer to escort the remaining scientists to the Citadel and the Brotherhood of Steel.

Effects of player's actions[]

  • If the Lone Wanderer has killed Three Dog before completing Galaxy News Radio, the player character will need to talk to Madison to resume the main questline.

Other interactions[]

  • If the Lone Wanderer passes a Speech check before going to Project Purity, Madison rewards them with five stimpaks.
  • After escaping to the Citadel, Madison will be unavailable for conversation as she asks the Lone Wanderer to leave her alone. Entering Vault 87 and starting Finding the Garden of Eden will make her available for conversation again.

Fallout 4[]

Interactions overview[]

Interactions
FO76 ui icon quest
This character is involved in quests.

Quests[]

Institute[]
  • Institutionalized: Father sends the Sole Survivor to speak to the Division Heads, including Madison. She upgrades their Pip-Boy to allow them to use the Institute's Molecular Relay to enter and leave, which completes the quest.
  • Mankind - Redefined: Madison is present at the Directorate meeting when Father reveals he is dying and names the Sole Survivor as his successor.
  • Powering Up: Madison is present at the Directorate meeting when the decision is made to destroy the Brotherhood of Steel.
  • Airship Down: Madison will inform the Sole Survivor about the mission to destroy the Prydwen and direct them to Rosalind Orman for further details.
Brotherhood[]
  • From Within: Elder Maxson knows Madison is working for the Institute and wants her to work alongside the Brotherhood once again. One can pass a successive series of persuasion checks or give her Virgil's log in order to convince her to leave the Institute.
    • If Madison is convinced to leave, Evan Watson will take her place in any further Institute quests that she would have appeared in (see the list above for reference).
  • Liberty Reprimed: The Sole Survivor will assist Madison and Proctor Ingram in their mission to reconstruct Liberty Prime by gathering the materials necessary for the robot's reactivation.

Effects of player's actions[]

  • After destroying the Institute during The Nuclear Option with the Brotherhood, talking to Madison will cause her to angrily confront the Sole Survivor, condemning them and the Brotherhood for betraying her again and refusing to speak with them further.
  • Madison can be informed about Virgil's fate dependent on the outcomes of A Loose End and Virgil's Cure. If he was cured, she will express gratitude for letting her know. If killed, she will ask what happened, and will condemn the Sole Survivor unless told that he committed suicide.

Other interactions[]

  • After completing Mankind - Redefined, Madison will have ambient dialogue commenting sternly on Father's decision to appoint the Sole Survivor his successor.
  • After completing Powering Up, Madison will have ambient dialogue regarding the Institute reactor and her (preliminary) approval of the Sole Survivor as director.
  • After completing Nuclear Family, Madison will have ambient dialogue expressing sympathy for Father's death and her expectations for a stable change of leadership.

Inventory[]

Fallout 3
Apparel Weapon Other items
Doctor Li's outfit Knife Doctor Li's key
misc items
Fallout 4
Apparel Weapon Other items
Blue Institute division head coat
Science scribe's armor (if From Within is completed)
Institute laser pistol
Fallout Shelter

Notes[]

Fallout 3[]

  • Madison has a unique hairstyle that is unused by any other NPC, in the same vein as Cherry. Unlike Cherry, however, her hairstyle, "The Sophisticate," is one that can be selected for a female Lone Wanderer during character creation.
  • The door to her quarters is always locked and must be picked to gain entry.
  • Unlike most beds in the personal quarters of Rivet City residents, Madison's bed is classified as unowned. This sometimes results in NPCs appearing at her door fruitlessly attempting to gain access to the open bed, or spawning in her room during their assigned sleeping hours (trapping them inside).

Fallout 4[]

  • It is possible to kill Madison. However, killing her will turn the Brotherhood hostile towards the player character even if they sided with the Brotherhood at the end.
  • Madison will not become hostile when Institute personnel are attacked, as long as she is not attacked herself.
  • Madison Li is one of the few characters that previously appeared in Fallout 3 to make a reappearance in Fallout 4, along with Arthur Maxson and Robert MacCready.

Notable quotes[]

Fallout 3[]

Fallout 4[]

Appearances[]

Madison Li appears in Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Fallout Shelter, Fallout Shelter Online, and Fallout: Wasteland Warfare. Li is also mentioned in the Fallout 3 add-on Broken Steel.

Behind the scenes[]

  • Madison Li is voiced by Jennifer Massey in the English versions of Fallout 3 and Fallout 4.
    • In the Japanese versions of both games, her voice is dubbed by Yuko Kaida, who also voiced Veronica Santangelo in the Japanese version of Fallout: New Vegas.
    • In the Spanish version of Fallout 3, her voice is dubbed by Yolanda Mateos, who also voiced Christine Royce in the Spanish version of Dead Money. Mateos did not reprise the role for Fallout 4, in which the Spanish dub for Madison is uncredited.

Bugs[]

PCPC Playstation 4Playstation 4 If the player convinces her to join the Brotherhood but then destroys both the Institute and the Brotherhood, along with the Prydwen and the airport, she can be found standing in the Prydwen's burnt-out carcass, wearing her BoS attire and acting like she never left the Institute and the Sole Survivor was made its director.[verified]

Gallery[]

Fallout 3[]

Fallout 4[]

Fallout Shelter series[]

Fallout: Wasteland Warfare[]

Magic: The Gathering[]

References[]

  1. Institute Advanced Systems terminal entries; terminal, Research Proposals
  2. The Lone Wanderer: "What was my father like back then?"
    Doctor Li: "James? He was very driven. Determined to change the world. Well, we all were back then, I suppose. 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. He was focused on two things, really. Making Project Purity work, and your mother. 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."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Lone Wanderer: "Where's my father? Tell me now!"
    Doctor Li: "Calm down, calm down! What are you doing here? James said you were still in the Vault. Look, this is all terribly irrational. 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. I've already told him that it's over. There's no going back. Project Purity was a failure, and he needs to move on."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  4. Project Purity journal: entry 1
  5. The Lone Wanderer: "So you knew my mother?"
    Doctor 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."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  6. The Lone Wanderer: "You know my father? Have you seen him?"
    Doctor Li: "Well yes, of course I do. Don't you know who I am? I suppose James never told you. Typical. I am Doctor Madison Li. I worked with your father many years ago. Your mother as well, in fact. You'll have to forgive me. This has all been very stressful, what with your father suddenly showing up here after being gone for so long. You have to understand that I... We put all of that behind us. Project Purity, our work, all of it. We've moved on, even if your father hasn't."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  7. The Lone Wanderer: "What was my father like back then?"
    Doctor Li: "You happened. It wasn't just you; we had more problems than we could handle already, but your birth is what finally pushed it over the edge. Your father decided that you were more important than everything we'd been working for, and he left. He left all of us. Once he was gone, the Brotherhood decided we weren't worth their time anymore. Without their protection, we had to abandon the purifier."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  8. Project Purity journal: entry 8
  9. The Lone Wanderer: "You ever hear of someone named Pinkerton?"
    Doctor Li: "That idiot? He left so long ago, most folk don't even remember him. He claimed to have found a secret stash of technology somewhere in the ship. Then he just disappeared."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  10. The Lone Wanderer: "So, you used to be in charge? How did you end up here?"
    Horace Pinkerton: "That lasted until 'bout 18 years ago, when those ambitious backbiters like Li and her little team showed up. She came in with her big "Purity Project" pipe dream, and my whole staff started working with her, those traitors! She even took my seat on the council. By then, I was glad to leave it behind. But hell if I'm leaving the city I made great!"
    (Horace Pinkerton's dialogue)
  11. The Lone Wanderer: "What is this lab? What are you doing here?"
    Doctor Li: "This is the Rivet City Science lab. It's taken many long years to put together, but we've done well for ourselves. Our work on portable fusion power and hydroponics are coming along quite nicely, if not quite according to schedule."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  12. The Lone Wanderer: "What do you know about Zimmer?"
    Doctor Li: "Sigh. That man doesn't have you looking for his pet android, does he? I've already told him to lay off it. He's distracting my entire team."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  13. The Lone Wanderer: "I'm looking for my father. I know he was here."
    Doctor Li: "Well, yes... He was, but he left. He made some rather ridiculous requests of me, and I told him I couldn't help him. He said he'd work alone if he had to, and went back to the lab. You haven't seen him?"
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  14. The Lone Wanderer: "His notes said something about Vault 112. Do you know where it is?"
    Doctor Li: "No, I don't. I'm sorry. Is this something to do with Dr. Braun? He kept talking about it while he was here. I told him it was a lost cause. The whole project is a lost cause. I wish he could see that. It's been too long. It's too late to go back."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  15. The Lone Wanderer: "You seem very happy. Is there anything I should know?"
    Doctor Li: "No, of course not. I am simply glad that our work can continue. James is essential to the project. That's all. Really."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  16. Doctor Li: "James, this is wrong. You can't do this."
    Dad: "Madison, please. Now's not the time. I'll get the information the Colonel needs, but I need you to..."
    Doctor Li: "I won't help you do this James. Not after everything it took to get here."
    Dad: "I need you to monitor the output levels on pumps three and four. Please step over to the panel and keep an eye on them, will you?"
    Doctor Li: "What? What are you talking about? That doesn't even make any sense..."
    Dad: "Madison, please. It's very important that you do this right now. Just step over to the panel while I access the computer in the control booth."
    Doctor Li: "James, I..."
    Dad: "Please. Just monitor the pumps."
    Note: This is a conversation between James and Dr. Li inside Project Purity during The Waters of Life.
    (Madison Li's and James' dialogue in Fallout 3)
  17. The Lone Wanderer: "What the hell just happened?"
    Doctor Li: "James... Your father caused an overload. He sacrificed himself to keep the Enclave from getting the purifier, and to buy us time to escape. There'll be more of them coming. We need to get out of here before they find us, or else your father died in vain."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  18. Doctor Li: "I... I need to rest. Lie down, or something. This is just too much. Rothchild should help you. But don't forget that he's Brotherhood. I've never trusted them. Be careful what you tell them."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  19. The Lone Wanderer: "What are you doing now?"
    Doctor Li: "I'm assisting Rothchild with some of his research. I've worked with portable generators more extensively than he has. I don't really care for the idea that this is supporting some gigantic military robot, but given the state of things, I recognize the need for it."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 3)
  20. 20.0 20.1 The Sole Survivor: "Why did you leave the Brotherhood in the first place?"
    Dr. Li: "I was tired of being stepped on and used by the Brotherhood. First there was the water purification project, designed to freely benefit the entire Capital Wasteland. Even though the Brotherhood allowed it to be activated, they wanted to control it. Then there were other, more classified projects. Always using my work as weapons of war. I simply had enough."
    Note: This dialogue option appears during From Within when talking to Dr. Li after bringing her evidence of Virgil's fate.
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 4)
  21. Sentinel Lyons: "Doctor Li? It's Sarah Lyons. I'm in the control room; we're both here. What's going on?"
    Doctor Li: "I've been monitoring the equipment remotely, and we have a serious problem. The facility has been damaged during the fighting. Some of it looks accidental; some of it may have been sabotage. There's pressure building up in the holding tanks. It needs to be released now, or else the whole facility could explode. To release the pressure, you're going to have to turn the purifier on. Do you understand me? It has to be turned on NOW. If I'm reading this right, I'm afraid there are lethal levels of radiation inside the chamber. I'm sorry. I wish there were some other way, but there's just no time. It has to be done now, or the damage will be catastrophic."
    Note: This is a conversation between Sentinel Lyons and Doctor Li (over an intercom) inside Project Purity during Take it Back!.
    (Sarah Lyons' and Madison Li's dialogue in Falllout 3)
  22. The Lone Wanderer: "Where's Doctor Li?"
    Scribe Bigsley: "Tch. She apparently decided to pursue "more interesting projects" up north in the Commonwealth. The real reason is that she couldn't handle us Scribes "improving" upon her work. She's the kind of woman who needs to be in charge of EVERYTHING. Good luck to her out there in the Wasteland; it's a long walk to the Commonwealth. Can't say she'll be missed."
    (Scribe Bigsley's dialogue)
  23. The Sole Survivor: "Why would we want you dead?"
    Dr. Li: "I did some pretty sensitive work for the Brotherhood of Steel. Even though Lyons let me go, there were a few others in the ranks that thought I knew too much. That's why I came to the Institute. It was only place that I thought I'd be out of the Brotherhood's reach and still be able to do my research."
    Note: This is part of a dialogue choice when meeting Madison during From Within.
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 4)
  24. The Lone Wanderer: "Where's Doctor Li?"
    Daniel Agincourt: "You haven't heard? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. She basically folded. After the purifier was started, she decided she'd had enough, and headed up north. Said she was looking for the Commonwealth. Like she'd ever make it on her own."
    (Daniel Agincourt's dialogue)
  25. The Lone Wanderer: "Where's Doctor Li?"
    Alex Dargon: "Oh. Well, she... After what happened to you when the purifier started, I think she just kind of had enough. It was really hard on her, you know? First losing your dad, and then the Enclave, and then the Brotherhood taking over here. It was really just too much for her. So I guess she packed up a few things and headed off north, towards the Commonwealth. Rumor has it there's a scientific community up there. I sure hope she finds what she's looking for."
    (Alex Dargon's dialogue)
  26. 26.0 26.1 Dr. Li: "They... lied to me. They lied to me, and I didn't even realize how far it went. All those years of loyalty... for nothing."
    The Sole Survivor: "Now you know that Father is a liar. He doesn't deserve to have you here."
    Dr. Li: "And I'll never forgive him for it. I came to the Institute to get away from the Brotherhood... from the whole world. I just wanted to do my research in peace. Father took me in and gave me access to cutting edge technology that I only dreamed existed. I became jaded. I thought that the Institute cared. That they wanted to better mankind. Maybe in their own twisted way, they still do. But now I realize if you can't trust the people you're working for, then it's all pointless. If they lied about Doctor Virgil, who knows what else they've been lying about... or what their plans are for my work."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 4)
  27. Institute Advanced Systems terminal entries; terminal, Personal Notes
  28. 28.0 28.1 The Sole Survivor: "Father trusts me, and so should you."
    Dr. Li: "He trusts you because you're family. I'm not. I can't just take your word for it... I need more than that."
    The Sole Survivor: "The Brotherhood has always been straight with you."
    Dr. Li: "I am getting a bit tired of all the secrets here. Sometimes I feel like Father isn't being straight with me... like there are things I'm not supposed to know about. I don't like that. But still, how can I turn my back on all of this?"
    The Sole Survivor: "Your work could be instrumental in freeing the Commonwealth."
    Dr. Li: "*Sigh* You really know how to push my buttons, don't you. You know, I never understood why the Institute was so damn selfish. All those innocent people up there... dying. And here I am surrounded by technology that could make their lives better. Yet we hide down here and insulate ourselves from everything and everyone. It's not right... it's not right. I'll make my way back to the Brotherhood, but I'm going to have to do it on my own. I can't take any chances being seen with you. Tell whoever sent you that they've just regained the services of Doctor Madison Li."
    Note: These are the successful responses in a series of persuasion checks which occur when meeting Madison Li during From Within.
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 4)
  29. Advanced system notes
  30. Institute Advanced Systems terminal entries; terminal, Personal Notes
  31. The Sole Survivor: "Are you happy here?"
    Dr. Li: "[SUCCESS] You'd think being surrounded by cutting edge laboratory equipment and some of the greatest minds the world's ever known would be enough. Only problem is the lack of transparency. I don't think we get the full story on everything that occurs down here. What does that have to do with why we're talking?"
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 4)
  32. The Sole Survivor: "I give up. What would it take to convince you?"
    Dr. Li: "All right, I'll play your game. I had a colleague down here... a Doctor Virgil. Several months ago, there was an accident in his lab, and he was killed. I wanted to help with the investigation, but Father had the laboratory sealed saying that it was contaminated. The incident never sat right with me. The more I asked about it, the more I felt like Father was deflecting my questions. If you bring me solid information on what killed him, I'll take it as a favor from the Brotherhood, and consider your offer. Do we have a deal?"
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 4)
  33. The Sole Survivor: "I know this may come as a shock, but Doctor Virgil is still alive. I met him myself."
    Dr. Li: "Oh, please. Do you really think a cheap tactic like that is going to work on someone like me? Stop trying to avoid the legwork by lying. Either you get me the evidence or we have nothing else to talk about. Deal?"
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 4)
  34. The Sole Survivor: "Is everything okay, Doctor Li? You seem pretty tense."
    Dr. Li: "Yes, things are... it's fine. I'm sorry. I don't socialize much. I prefer to focus on my work. I hope you appreciate the responsibility that will come with being the director of the Institute. Now, what do you need?"
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 4)
  35. Rosalind: "I've been thinking about unified field theory and I had a few insights that I wanted to discuss."
    Dr. Li: "I have to admit, you're the fastest learner I've ever known. At the rate you're going, it'll be you that's teaching all of us."
    Rosalind: "Oh, I plan to do a lot more than that. I intend to be running the Institute before I'm forty."
    Dr. Li: "I'm sure you will. Maybe you can change the motto to "Womankind - redefined.""
    Rosalind: "I like it!"
    Note: This is one randomized set of lines in the AdvSys5 dialogue scene.
    (Rosalind Orman's and Madison Li's dialogue)
  36. The Sole Survivor: "Tell me about the people in your division."
    Dr. Li: "I'm not sure what there is to say. Doctor Watson is the Specialist Projects Lead Scientist. He's... how to put it... very organized and precise. Doctor Orman is the youngest scientists in the Institute, and she's something of a prodigy when it comes to physics."
    (Madison Li's dialogue in Fallout 4)

Non-game

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.69-70: "Doctor Madison Li
    Doctor Madison Li, 48, was a young, idealistic scientist who fully bought into the notion of Project Purity. She worked tirelessly with your father, and hid her growing romantic feelings while respecting his marriage to another scientist. When your mother was killed, Doctor Li was filled with remorse, but when the player's father decided to abandon Project Purity to keep his child safe, her sadness was replaced with a powerful sense of betrayal. Eighteen years later, she is older, wiser, and much more cynical."
Institute flag
Fo4 Institute Seal
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