San Francisco

"Many Contrasts"

San Francisco is a city in Northern California. After the Great War, its population consists mostly of the Shi, who are the descendants of the crew of a Chinese submarine that crashed there, and of the members of a religious cult known as the Hubologists.

Background
Even pre-War, San Francisco was considered a "weird" city. It was also evidently hit hard during the Great War, as much of the city is a husky and stained ruin. However, humanity has clung to life in and around the bay area.

The PMV Valdez can be found there, an ancient oil tanker left sitting stationary at the docks for centuries. Tanker vagrants have since come to call it their home. Secretly however, the tanker itself has a dark past.

Some say the mutated creatures within it, namely wanamingos, floaters and centaurs were placed there by the Enclave in order to prevent any potential interloper from the tanker from being used to get to their oil rig headquarters.

This is supported by the fact that essential components needed to make use of the ship have been relocated to Camp Navarro and Vault 13. However, it later becomes apparent that these steps were not enough, as the Chosen One later collects the Valdez' required components, and makes use of it in order to reach the Enclave's oil rig.

Factions
For the most part, the city's population is made up of the Shi, descendants of a group of stranded Chinese submariners that beached nearby, likely in the bay itself. Over the years, the remnants of the submarine were salvaged to better serve the Shi. For example, the computer once installed in the submarine is now the Shi Emperor.

The Hubologists, a cult focused on the pre-War "teachings" of Dick Hubbell also call the city home and have secured a pre-War USS Quetzel, which they intend to repair and use to leave Earth, by launching it using the now-ruined Golden Gate Bridge as a launch platform. The shuttle itself was found at San Francisco International Airport and was likely involved in a scrapped plan to transport Enclave personnel off-planet to escape the War.

Location
San Francisco can be found six squares east and twenty-four squares south of Arroyo.

Chinatown


(Also called Shi-town) is a location in San Francisco. Once a suburb of the great city, it has been adopted by the descendants of the Shi-huang-ti crew, who have lived in the red brick houses ever since. In 2241, it's the heart of the city and a focal point for Shi internal struggles.

Notable establishments in the district include Red 888 Guns weapons shop, Lao Chou's Flying Dragon 8 general store, Dr Fung's clinic and the gyms of Dragon and Lo Pan as well as passages to the Golden Gate, Shi-town Docks and the Steel Palace. Off the radar is a pre-War military station, currently controlled by the Brotherhood of Steel, manned by a single soldier – Matthew.

Steel Palace


The Steel Palace is the main base of the Shi, Chinese inhabitants of San Francisco. It is a small, reinforced structure allegedly constructed out of metal salvaged from the Shi-huang-ti submarine they arrived in during the nuclear firestorm of 2077. Inside, protected by heavily armed guards (H&K G11s and M72 Gauss rifles are common), lies the Emperor mainframe (also a relic from the submarine) that records and analyzes the factions history, advising Ken Lee. In addition, biological, chemical and physical research labs are present in the complex, giving the Shi a substantial edge in the technological race in the wasteland.

Shi Town Docks


The docks support a population of slags as well as Shi children. It is not a terribly healthy place to live, judging by the rust-brown color of the water surrounding the ancient and corroding PMV Valdez.

Golden Gate


The Golden Gate is the place that the Hubologists call home. The location is divided into two smaller sections: the cracked bridge where their space shuttle is located, and a bunker that serves as their headquarters; the latter being the most notable locale of the two. In the bunker, the player can find the most important people of the Hubologist sect, the AHS-7 and AHS-9, as well as Vikki Goldman and Juan Cruz, two porn stars from New Reno who are in support of the Hubologist cause.

Groups
San Francisco is populated mostly by the Shi and governed by the Emperor. The Emperor and his aides live in a steel palace on the east side of San Francisco. The palace contains vast and advanced scientific labs of various fields and the scientists working there are some of the best in the wasteland. Their main opposition are the Hubologists who have scientists of their own, yet have proven to be significantly behind the technological innovation of the Shi.

The Shi have managed to keep many of their old traditions and customs alive, which is more than many American groups can say. They also run an extensive weapons trade, offering many technologies usually only available to the Brotherhood of Steel. Where they manage to get these items is unknown.

There is also a population of vagrants, artists, disenchanted people from various cities, and ex-military personnel that have taken over an old oil tanker still floating in the harbor. They will usually trade expertise for goods, although they prefer to be left alone.

The third major group, which does not trade, is a religious community called the Hubologists. They are obsessed with an old space shuttle they found parked at the airport and are attempting to make it fly again, so they can join their gods in the heavens above.

The Brotherhood of Steel has a large outpost in San Francisco, although it is outwardly indiscernible from other Brotherhood outposts. Its distinguishing feature is an extensive basement stocked with Brotherhood technology and armaments. The Brotherhood maintains a low profile in San Francisco, though whether it is intentional or a byproduct of waning influence is not known.

Relationships with other settlements
During 2241, the New California Republic had no influence in San Francisco, and the Shi are quite happy to keep it that way. The Hubologists don’t concern themselves with such things. Little information exists on what has happened to San Francisco since the events of Fallout 2.

There are few foreigners in San Francisco and newcomers are easily noticed. Due to its location in between the military base, Navarro, and a desolate expanse of wasteland, it is logical to assume that few (but well-armed) caravans traverse these paths. Remnants of the Master's army, Enclave patrols, press gangs, Hubologists, and mutated animals plague the surrounding area making it inaccessible to weak or crudely armed travelers.

Appearances
San Francisco appears only in Fallout 2. Its aquarium is mentioned in the Fallout 3 add-on Broken Steel. The city's Golden Gate Bridge appears in the Atomic Command game in Fallout 4, and through Kellogg's memories, as the Golden Gate is seen out of the window. It is also mentioned in Fallout 76 as part of the Patriotism Training at Camp McClintock, as well as in its add-on Wild Appalachia. The city was also going to be mentioned in Van Buren.

Behind the scenes
Originally, Fallout: New Vegas was going to feature a line of dialogue stating that San Francisco had been destroyed since the events of Fallout 2. Bethesda asked for Obsidian to remove this line, however, so that the city could be used as a potential future location for the series.

Bugs
Pressing 5 at the San Francisco map will bring the Chosen One to a location with a "UNUSED ART" room - shuttle interior. Attempting to examine certain things will allow the player character only to see a shuttle wall. There is no way to exit out of this area other than using an earlier save.