Walk along the shoreline south of the Shamrock Taphouse. If you stare out into the murky, irradiated waters of the Commonwealth’s eastern coast, you might see it. A periscope. Just sitting there. For most players, this is the first hint that Here There Be Monsters Fallout 4 isn’t just another radiant quest or a boring fetch mission. It’s a haunting, weird, and surprisingly emotional encounter with a ghost from the Great War.
Honestly, the ocean in Fallout 4 is terrifying. It’s empty. It’s radioactive. Usually, it’s just a place where you die because you forgot you weren’t wearing Power Armor with the Lead Lined mod. But this quest changes the vibes completely. You meet Captain Zao. He’s a ghoul. He’s also the commander of the Yangtze, a Chinese nuclear submarine that has been sitting in the harbor for two centuries.
He's been there since the bombs fell. Imagine that.
The Loneliness of the Yangtze
The quest starts when you talk to a kid named Donny Kowalski. He’s standing on a pier, swearing he saw a sea monster. Most people probably ignore him. Don’t do that. If you swim out to that periscope, you’ll discover the Yangtze-31. Entering the sub is a trip. It’s dark, cramped, and smells like two hundred years of failure and damp metal.
Zao isn't some mustache-twirling villain. He’s just a tired old man. He’s lived on that boat alone, surrounded by the feral ghoul remains of his former crew, for two hundred years. Think about the mental toll. Two. Hundred. Years. He launched the nukes that helped destroy the world, and now he just wants to go home to a country that probably doesn’t even exist anymore. This is one of the few times Fallout 4 actually makes you feel for the "enemy."
The quest basically boils down to a repair job. Zao needs you to get some Dampening Coils and a Nuclear Warhead (yep, a live one) from the Saugus Ironworks and the wreckage of a nearby plane. It’s a standard gameplay loop, but the context makes it feel heavy. You’re literally helping a man who nuked Boston fix his ship so he can leave.
Why Saugus Ironworks is a Nightmare
To get those coils, you have to go through the Forged. These guys are jerks. They’re a raider cult obsessed with fire and molten metal. It’s one of the hardest early-game locations because of the verticality and the constant flamethrower spam.
If you’re doing this at a low level, bring Med-X. You’ll need it. The boss, Slag, isn't just a bullet sponge; he’s a test of your ability to handle energy damage. Once you grab the coils from the back room, you’ve got to head to the glowing sea—or at least the fringes of it—to find the warhead.
The Moral Weight of Helping Zao
Here is where Here There Be Monsters Fallout 4 gets really interesting from a role-playing perspective. Do you help him?
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You can be a jerk. You can demand more money. You can even try to kill him, though that feels pretty hollow. But if you talk to him, you realize he’s consumed by guilt. He calls the Commonwealth a "dead world." He isn't wrong.
There’s a specific dialogue choice where you can ask him if he’s sorry. His response is haunting. He knows he did his duty, but he also knows he killed millions. It’s a level of nuance we don't always get in Bethesda games. Most factions are "Join us or die." Zao is just a guy who wants to bury his crew in their home soil.
The Reward is More Than Just Caps
Sure, you get some caps. But the real prize is the Homing Beacons.
Zao gives you these little grenades. When you throw them, the Yangtze (assuming it's still in the harbor) fires a tactical nuke at the target. It’s basically a portable Fat Man with a much larger blast radius and a cool cinematic feel.
- Pros: It looks awesome.
- Cons: You only get three.
- Pro Tip: Save them for the Mirelurk Queen at the Castle or a particularly nasty Behemoth. Don't waste them on a stray Bloatfly.
Wait, there’s a catch. If you wait too long to finish the game’s main story, or if you move too far into the end-game, Zao might already be gone. The sub actually leaves. You can see it sailing away into the distance if you finish the quest and stick around. It’s one of the few times your actions actually result in a physical change to the world map that isn't just a pile of rubble.
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Addressing the "Cut Content" Rumors
For years, the Fallout community has speculated that Here There Be Monsters Fallout 4 was supposed to be much bigger. There’s a lot of underwater landscape in the game that goes completely unused. Creepy skeletons, hidden chests, and strange rock formations sit at the bottom of the ocean.
Some fans believe there was meant to be an entire underwater vault or a more involved naval combat system. While we can’t confirm Bethesda’s internal design docs, the Yangtze feels like a remnant of a much larger maritime expansion. It’s a bit of a bummer. Imagine a Fallout game where you have to manage a rickety boat to travel between islands.
Even as a standalone quest, it’s arguably the best piece of atmospheric storytelling in the base game. It doesn't rely on the Brotherhood of Steel's bravado or the Institute's cold logic. It’s just two people in a dying submarine talking about the end of the world.
Dealing with the Crew
When you finally get the sub running, you have to help Zao "clear out" the rest of the ship. This means killing his old friends who have turned feral.
It’s a mercy killing. Zao can't bring himself to do it. Every time you pull the trigger on a feral ghoul in a Chinese Navy uniform, you’re reminded that these were people with families and lives. Bethesda used environmental storytelling well here. Look at the terminals. Look at the way the bunks are arranged. It’s a tomb that happens to still have a working engine.
How to Maximize Your Experience
If you’re planning to tackle this quest today, there are a few things to keep in mind to make it less of a headache.
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First, get the Aquaboy or Aquagirl perk. This is non-negotiable. It stops you from taking radiation damage while swimming and lets you breathe underwater. Without it, getting to the Yangtze is a radioactive nightmare that will eat through your RadAway supply in minutes.
Second, pay attention to the loot. The Yangtze has some unique items, including Zao’s sword (if you decide to take it or trade for it). It’s a decent melee weapon, but honestly, the sentimental value is higher than the DPS.
Third, don't rush the dialogue. This is one of the few quests where the writing actually shines. Listen to Zao’s voice acting. The actor did a phenomenal job portraying a man who is essentially a living relic.
The Aftermath
Once the Yangtze sails away, the harbor feels emptier. That’s the point. Fallout is a game about loss. Most quests end with you building a settlement or becoming a leader. This quest ends with a departure.
You’re left standing on the shore, holding a few homing beacons, watching the last living link to the Great War disappear into the fog. It’s beautiful in a depressing way.
If you haven’t done it yet, head to the shoreline. Find Donny. Look for the periscope. It’s a reminder that even in a world of Super Mutants and Synths, the most interesting stories are often the ones hidden beneath the surface.
Actionable Next Steps for Players:
- Locate Donny Kowalski: He’s near the Shamrock Taphouse on the docks.
- Unlock Aquaboy/Aquagirl: Do this before swimming out to avoid unnecessary Rads.
- Stock up on Fire Resistance: Saugus Ironworks is the hardest part of this quest; bring power armor or asbestos-lined gear.
- Listen to the holotapes: There are several logs inside the Yangtze that flesh out the crew's final days—don't skip them if you want the full story.
- Save the Beacons: Use the tactical strikes for the "Take Independence" quest or the final battle at the Institute/Prydwen for maximum impact.