# I'm Sorry, My Companion, But No Fawkes, a radiation-immune super mutant companion in Fallout 3, refuses to enter the deadly irradiated chamber in the game's final quest, instead telling the player he will not rob them of their destiny. Gamers flagged the exchange as lazy writing for over a decade before the screenshot took off as an image caption template in October 2019. By 2021, Twitter users were captioning the dialogue with any situation where someone shirks a favor they could easily grant. ## Origin Fallout 3 shipped on October 28, 2008 as Bethesda's post-apocalyptic RPG set in the irradiated ruins of Washington, D.C[1]. In the original ending quest "Take It Back!", the player must activate a water purifier inside a chamber flooded with lethal radiation. If Fawkes, a super mutant immune to radiation, is in the party, players can ask him to flip the switch in their place, but he refuses, claiming he will not rob them of their destiny[6]. The 2009 Broken Steel DLC walked back the refusal and let Fawkes enter the chamber, acknowledging the original design as a sore spot for players[6]. - **Platform:** Fallout 3 (source); Instagram and Twitter (viral spread) - **Creator:** Unknown - **Date:** 2008 ## Overview Posts in this format usually pair the Fallout 3 dialogue screenshot with a caption describing a petty or unreasonable refusal, where someone declines a favor they could easily grant[3]. The humor comes from mapping the game's absurd plot armor onto everyday situations, since Fawkes is immune to radiation yet still sends the player character to their death[1]. Common captions include work scenarios where a coworker refuses to cover a shift[3], romantic partners dodging chores, and friends ducking out of small favors. Since 2022, the screenshot has also been used as a ratio or gatekeeping reply on Twitter, with the dialogue standing in for a flat refusal to engage with another user's post[5]. ## How to Use Pair the Fallout 3 screenshot of Fawkes's refusal with a caption describing a scenario where someone turns down a favor they could easily do. Typical setups cast the viewer as the player and the refusing party as Fawkes, with the joke landing on how low-stakes the request is compared to walking into lethal radiation. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is I'm Sorry, My Companion, But No? An image caption meme using a screenshot from Fallout 3 where the super mutant companion Fawkes refuses to enter a lethal radiation chamber for the player, used online to mock any unreasonable refusal of a favor[6]. ### Where did I'm Sorry, My Companion, But No come from? The line is from Bethesda's 2008 RPG Fallout 3 and its final quest "Take It Back!"[1]. The earliest known image caption using the dialogue was posted by Instagram user salad.snake on October 3, 2019[3]. ### What does I'm Sorry, My Companion, But No mean? It stands for a petty or selfish refusal, specifically one where the person refusing could easily help but chooses not to, mirroring Fawkes sending the player into radiation despite being immune himself[2]. ### How do you use I'm Sorry, My Companion, But No? Pair the Fallout 3 dialogue screenshot with a caption about a situation where someone refuses a favor they could easily grant, like a coworker declining a shift swap[3], or use it as a ratio reply on Twitter[5]. ### Is I'm Sorry, My Companion, But No still popular? Usage saw renewed virality on Twitter in September 2022 as a ratio reply, with @MallowyGoodness's post drawing over 48,000 likes[7]. Activity has been quieter in the KYM record since. ## References 1. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_3]() 2. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/comments/1lje3r/im_going_to_die_because_of_you_dick/]() 3. [https://www.instagram.com/p/B3LXzhABDVh3bkb4HeZdBYshtth7NwVMn1RWSI0/]() 4. [https://twitter.com/zuza_real/status/1363495929391759362]() 5. [https://twitter.com/jaketropolis/status/1571930383423344640]() 6. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/im-sorry-my-companion-but-no]() 7. [https://twitter.com/MallowyGoodness/status/1572325890243051521]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/im-sorry-my-companion-but-no Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library