Vault

The Vaults are a series of massive underground fallout shelters developed by Vault-Tec in the mid-21st century.

Overview
The vaults initially appeared as a haven for the endangered U.S. population. However, there were not nearly enough Vaults to achieve the task. The true reason for these 'shelters' was that in fact they were a series of sociological experiments planned by pre-war government. Each Vault was set up with different conditions and observed to see how the dwellers within coped with varying conditions and the pressures of isolation.

The story intended for the player to first enocunter information about the vault as they read the Vault 8 records in Fallout 2. They could discover a classified file (opened with a successful Science skill roll) explaining the purpose of Vault 8 was to be a "control Vault," designed to hold 1000 people and open at a designated time. This file was intended to foreshadow the discovery of the true and sinister purpose of the Vaults.

The player was also intended to apply his Science skill to the central computer in Vault 13 to obtain a history of Vault 13, the Overseer's involvement in the Vault Dweller's expulsion, and even worse, the true purposes of the Vaults. The Overseer was conscious of the true purpose of the Vaults as social experiments on a grand scale, and consequently drove out the Vault Dweller because of fear he would ruin the experiment... or uncover it. Of course, the Overseer himself caused problems not long after this, according to Martin Frobisher, the leader of Vault 13 in Fallout 2:


 * There used to be an overseer, many years ago, but he did a bad thing and many of our people left the Vault. Only to die in the Wastes, I'm sure. He was tried and sentenced to death for his crime. We haven't used the title since.

Martin did not see the Overseer executed, however... his information comes from the Vault 13 records passed down by his ancestors.

The Vaults were never intended to save the population of the United States. With a population of almost 400 million by 2077, the U.S. would need nearly 400,000 Vaults the size of Vault 13, and Vault-Tec was commissioned to build only 122 such Vaults. The real reason for these Vaults was to study pre-selected segments of the population to see how they react to the stresses of isolationism and how successfully they re-colonize after the Vault opens.

Known Vaults
According to Chris Taylor :
 * the total number of vaults is a government secret and has been lost; there were "public" vaults, which numbered around 100 and an undisclosed number of "private" vaults,
 * information, if Vault-Tec was an international corporation and were there vaults made by them in other parts of the world, or were they strictly U.S. based, cannot be released due to Vault-Tec and US Government regulations.

According to Fallout Bible:
 * LA Vault - The Vault-Tec demonstration Vault. It was not part of the experiment, and was the Master's Vault under the Cathedral in Fallout.
 * Vault 8 - A control Vault, intended to open and re-colonize the surface after 10 years. Vault City is the result. Unfortunately. Because of seals present by Vault door and on Day Passes, that were similar to one present on the Poseidon oil rig entry level, some connection with Poseidon Oil could be supossed (also: similar Vault suits with no numbers as well as Vault-Research Control station connected to PoseidoNet on the oil rig).
 * Vault 12 - In order to study the effects of radiation on the selected population, the Vault Door was designed not to close. This is the Necropolis Vault... and the ghouls were the result.
 * Vault 13 - Intended to stay closed for 200 years as a study of prolonged isolation, the broken water chip forced the Overseer to improvise and use the Vault Dweller as a pawn. Later study of the Vault 13 records by the Enclave led them to their current plan to end the war.
 * Vault 15 - Intended to stay closed for 50 years and include people of radically diverse ideologies. Gathered from what you hear from Aradesh in Fallout 1, he has quite a bit of multicultural flavoring to his speech.
 * Vault 27 - This Vault would be overcrowded deliberately. 2000 people would be assigned to enter, double the total sustainable amount. The location of this Vault is unknown.
 * Vault 29 - No one in this Vault was over the age of 15 when they entered. Parents were redirected to other Vaults on purpose. Harold is believed to have come from this Vault. Constructed by Greenway Hydroponics. There was no Overseer, but ZAX AI was present (notice: Vault 31 in early designs, according to Twin Mothers design document initially parents were present also).
 * Vault 34 - The armory was overstocked with weapons and ammo and not provided with a lock.
 * Vault 36 - The food extruders were designed to produce only a thin, watery gruel.
 * Vault 42 - No light bulbs of more than 40 watts were provided.[[Image:Vault 69.jpg|thumb|Vault 69 concept art]]
 * Vault 53 - Most of the equipment was designed to break down every few months. While repairable, the breakdowns were intended to stress the inhabitants unduly.
 * Vault 55 - All entertainment tapes were removed.
 * Vault 56 - All entertainment tapes were removed except those of one particularly bad comic actor. Sociologists predicted failure before Vault 55.
 * Vault 68 - Of the one thousand people who entered, there was only one woman.
 * Vault 69 - Of the one thousand people who entered, there was only one man.
 * Vault 70 - All jumpsuit extruders fail after 6 months. This Vault was located in Salt Lake City, Utah and most of the inhabitants were Mormons.
 * Vault 101 - 101 was meant to remain permanently closed, but this was compromised in Fallout 3 (location: somewhere near DC area).
 * Vault 106 - Psychoactive drugs were released into the air filtration system 10 days after the Door was sealed.
 * unknown number Vault at Junktown cliff, present at van Buren tech demo - after the Anchorage Reclamation and just after some air raid, but before sealing it, its Trident class energy generator and repair bot were damaged, shutting down life support system (including ventilation), Overseer was absent and Underseer was in charge there; it is not certain, where Junktown present at van Buren demo was placed, however the PC was led there by Middlewest Commonwealth soldier; Junktown Vault was small and consisted of Overseer room, power generator room, computer room, storage room, one 12 beds bedroom (contrary to 8 seen in-game and 100 declared one bed living quarters at regular Vaults), bathroom and living room; a lift was way to Vault door; this was Vault was called also relocation center by Corp. Armstrong.
 * at least one unfinished Vault - north from Vaults 13 and 15, just fenced construction place in a small cave (fake Vault 13); some Vault-like door was transported on PMV Valdez also, however according to Fallout Bible some other facilities used Vault doors (eg. Eagle Rock's AGRICOLA lab).

Positions

 * Overseer
 * Underseer - Overseer's deputy (present at van Buren tech demo)
 * Security Officer - armory supervision, in charge with his security team
 * Medical Officer - physician
 * Supply Officer

Facilities
ODYSSEUS - extremaly advanced AI was designed to coordinate and operate all of the Vaults before Project Safehouse was privatized. According to Chris Taylor Vaults were bigger than they appear in the game, which confirms Vault-Tec advertisement showing a multilevel Vault.

Power supply
Required specifications for energy levels. Power saver mode possible.
 * Vault 8/Vault City - some inefficient power generator (power demand: Vault facilities, street lights, buildings internal lights, heavy laser turrets, other 100 Citizens needs, Outskirts clinic - it seems other Outskirts denizens didn't have access to electric power),
 * Vault 13 - primary power supply - geothermal, General Atomics Nuclear Power backup systems as secondary power supply (power requirements: 3.98mkW a day),
 * Vault 15 - Wattz power generator probably, which should be repaired (however it could be built-in by raiders),
 * Junktown Vault - T6 Fusion Generator, a sixth generation TRIDENT class fusion generator from Poseidon Energy, relatively large and inefficient.

Water Purification Systems

 * were able to deliver over 15,000 gallons of pure, refreshing drinking water a day,
 * were rated to work without significant loss of output for over 250,000 hours (10,417 days, c.a. 28-29 years),
 * were using Water Purification Chips (typically packaged in groups of five to a box),
 * Vault 13 was able to survive 150 days without Water Purification System (water rationing was necessary).

IT systems

 * central computer or computer control system - think machine (according to Vault Dweller's Survival Guide),
 * life support computers (air purification, air condition),
 * teaching computers,
 * Brotherhood of Steel supercomputer built-in at Vault 13 insted of Overseer (after year 2181),
 * ZAX AI at Vault 29 insted of Overseer.

Environmental Systems

 * Ventilation.
 * Required specifications for temperature and humidity within Vault.

Security Systems
Mentioned by Vault 8 central computer.

Stores
Complete construction equipment, hydro-agricultural farms, water purification from underground river, defensive weaponry to equip 10 men, communication, social and entertainment files (for total duration of 10 years at 1000 capacity).

Portable equipemnt

 * GECK
 * defensive weaponry to equip 10 men (according to Vault Dwellers Guide: Combat Armors, pistols, Vault-Tec Knives and clubs probably, Vault 13 Armory was equipped with one double barelled 12 gauge shotgun also, but there were no armors; smg and granades were assault weapons, .223 rifle and spear - hunting weapons, sledgehammer was a tool, Leather Armors and Leather Jackets - sport equipment)

Equipment listed at Vault Dwellers Guide:
 * weapons:
 * Pistol - 10mm 6520 Colt
 * Rifle - .223 Rangemaster
 * SMG - 10mm H&K MP9
 * fragmentation grenade
 * Vault-Tec Knife
 * Sledgehammer
 * razor-tipped Spear
 * Club - a police baton
 * Brass Knuckles
 * ammunition:
 * .223 FMJ
 * 10mm JHP
 * 10mm AP
 * armor:
 * Combat Armor
 * Leather Armor
 * Leather Jacket
 * chems:
 * Radaway
 * Rad-X
 * Stimpak
 * Super Stimpak
 * miscellaneous:
 * Backpack
 * Doctor's Bag
 * First Aid Kit
 * Dynamite
 * Flare
 * Lockpicks
 * Geiger Counter
 * Motion Sensor
 * THT Tapes - a holotapes

Appearances in games
Fallout: The other Vaults present in this article were mentioned in Chris Avellone's Fallout Bible only.
 * Vault 12, Vault 13, Vault 15 and the LA Vault appeared in Fallout 1 (year 2161).
 * Vault 8, Vault 13 and Vault 15 appeared in Fallout 2 (year 2241), as well as Vault Sexteen porn movie produced by New Reno Golden Globes.
 * unknown number and exact location malfunctioning Junktown Vault appeared in van Buren tech demo (year 2077),
 * Vault 69 advertisement appeared in the van Buren concept art.
 * Vault 29 and Vault 70 were to appear in van Buren, the cancelled Fallout 3 project by Black Isle (year 2253).
 * Vault 101 is going to appear in Fallout 3 alongside at least one other unnamed Vault (year 2277).

Spin-offs:
 * Vault 0 appeared in Fallout Tactics, but the idea did not really fit the Vault experiment.
 * A secret Vault-Tec Vault dedicated to FEV research appeared in Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, but is considered non-canon.

Behind the scenes
The vault experiment was an idea created by Tim Cain during the initial stages of Fallout 2 development.