Vault 87

Vault 87 is a Vault-Tec Vault located in the Capital Wasteland It is located northwest of Little Lamplight and southwest of Broadcast tower KT8. It is the source of super mutants in the region.

Background
Construction on Vault 87 began in May 2066 and finished in December 2071. The primary computer system was Cyberbrain v2.3, while energy was provided by a General Atomics nuclear reactor, with a backup Versicorps fusion power generator. Non-standard equipment included four stasis chambers, a plasma containment field, six food processing stations and a Garden of Eden Creation Kit. Led by Dr. Wayne Merrick, the staff studied the effects of the Forced Evolutionary Virus on humans as part of the Evolutionary Experimentation Program.

Post-War
The overseer and security guards were aware of the nature of the experimentation, The dwellers of Vault 87 were turned into super mutants beginning in 2078, and these test subjects broke free, overwhelming the security forces. The super mutants kidnap humans and bring them to the vault to be mutated. They did so for nearly 200 years until their source of FEV started to run out. Super mutants search for a new source of FEV, calling it "green stuff."

Layout
Vault 87 can only be accessed through Little Lamplight by speaking with Mayor MacCready after The Waters of Life is completed. There are two possible routes, crossing Murder Pass or by speaking to Joseph in the schoolhouse, gaining access to a terminal. Joseph will only fix the terminal if Penny has been rescued from Paradise Falls, or if the Lone Wanderer has 50 Science or Speech skill, or the Child at Heart perk.

Exterior
The radiation near the entrance to Vault 87 is the highest in the game, peaking at nearly 4,000 rads per second in the center. The map marker will activate near this entrance. There is a dead scientist in a radiation suit near the door, as well as RadAway and Rad-X. Super mutants have built a barricade of broken girders and wrecked cars around the entrance and an Enclave eyebot patrols south of the entrance.

Interior
The vault is in disrepair. Medical recovery rooms have been turned into makeshift prison cells meant to store failed experiments. A friendly super mutant named Fawkes is trapped in a test chamber. Via intercom, Fawkes will offer their services in acquiring the G.E.C.K. in return for being freed from his cell. There are two methods to free Fawkes. First, in the room at the end of the right hallway, a fire can set off the fire alarm in a room inhabited by two super mutant variants, which will open all five isolation rooms. Hacking the Average-locked terminal located next to the fire alarm will make it so the player can unlock an individual chamber, of which Fawkes' cell is the fifth.

Inhabitants

 * Super mutants
 * Centaurs
 * Fawkes
 * Sid

Loot

 * A Garden of Eden Creation Kit can be found in the G.E.C.K chamber located deep into the Test Labs.
 * Fawkes' super sledge can be acquired several ways.
 * Kill Fawkes and loot his body.
 * Trade weapons with him on the way to the G.E.C.K..
 * Pick it up if Fawkes was disarmed in a fight.
 * After escaping Raven Rock recruit Fawkes and return to Vault 87. Passing the trigger near his cell adds super sledge to his inventory.
 * A copy of Nikola Tesla and You can be found in a wooden box at the feet of a mannequin in the southwesternmost dead-end tunnel of the reactor chamber, along with four bottles of whiskey (from the Murder Pass entrance, turn left and go downstairs, turn left again, then through the door at the end of the corridor).
 * A copy of Pugilism Illustrated is on a shelf in the storage room behind an Average locked door on the south side of the catwalk level of the living quarters. The room is on the top part of the catwalk in the south hallway.
 * A Nuka-Cola Quantum is located in the same room as the Pugilism Illustrated skill book on a different shelf.

Related quests

 * Finding the Garden of Eden

Appearances
Vault 87 appears only in Fallout 3, and is mentioned in Fallout 4.

Bugs

 * If the player character goes to the door in Little Lamplight that requires the broken terminal to be repaired, one may find it is already open and they can get into Vault 87 without problems.
 * Upon re-entering the Vault with Fawkes after completing the quest, if one selects the "Kill subject" option on the terminal outside of Fawkes' old cell, he will instantly die if he enters it, even if he is not in the room when the fire is released.
 * Exiting the test labs area, Charon might randomly "die". Highlighting him will say "Talk Charon", but pressing A will open up his inventory. This may also occur with Jericho.
 * Exiting the test labs area, Star Paladin Cross will "die". She drops dead on the floor at the other side of the doors. Her body will follow the player character at every door. If one asks her to wait for them before exiting, she will drop on the floor where the player character left her. In any case, highlighting her will say "Talk Star Paladin Cross", but pressing the dialogue button will open up her inventory. This can also happen to Dogmeat.
 * Sometimes after the player character retrieves the G.E.C.K., a super mutant will follow them into the room where the Enclave ambushes the player character. Once the player character falls to the floor, the Enclave and super mutants will not attack one another, and since the player character is hidden from the super mutants, they cannot be attacked nor escorted to Raven Rock, but will be stuck on the floor.
 * When returning to the Test Labs area in Vault 87; both Butch and RL-3 will not follow through the door and will "die". However, Fawkes and Dogmeat can traverse the Test Lab.