Maxson bunker

The Maxson bunker was a pre-War fallout shelter built by a senator for his family and himself. The war caught him unaware, and the bunker was never actually used for its intended purpose. All but forgotten, the bunker location was passed down as a family secret from one generation to the next. Eventually, a family member passed the secret on to Roger Maxson, who claimed it for the Brotherhood of Steel.

Background
In the year 2067, Senator Todd Peterson decided to build a secret bunker to house himself and his family should war break out. Senator Peterson was a wealthy man in his own right but lacked the funds necessary for such a project. Through secret dealings with Poseidon Energy and a covert branch of the government known as the Enclave, the final funding for the project was attained. A construction site was chosen and work began.

Ten years after the construction was completed, the war did indeed break out. Senator Peterson was in Washington, D.C. at the time, and, much to his chagrin, was taken completely by surprise. The senator made a desperate attempt to gather his family and reach the bunker, but his small plane never arrived. The bunker might have remained lost were it not for a surviving member of the senator's family, Ben Schilling.

The bunker was intended to be used as a staging area for exploration teams scouting the east. However, once the war broke out with the New California Republic, the bunker became a forward base of operations against Hoover Dam, an NCR outpost. The war effort has gone poorly for both sides, with the Brotherhood of Steel having superior technology, yet the NCR having superior numbers of troops. As a result, the war has been at a stalemate for years, with morale on both sides having plummeted, and with the Brotherhood of Steel most severely affected.

The Brotherhood of Steel has always believed itself to be an elite organization comprised of the best that mankind has to offer in terms of soldiers and technology. The fact that a large group of under-trained and under-equipped troops could hold their own against such superior forces was an eye-opener for the Brotherhood of Steel. The war, in their eyes, has now become a senseless waste of lives and resources, and many of the Brotherhood of Steel troops have deserted and fled into the wastelands to find new lives; leaving the bunker occupied by a select few diehards.

In the wake of these troubles, a covert group of former Brotherhood of Steel operatives has come into existence, calling themselves the Circle of Steel. This group raids caravans and villages, confiscating any advanced technology they may have. This is done in the name of saving mankind from itself.

In the year 2077, Captain Roger Maxson left the Mariposa Military Base and traveled to the secret Lost Hills bunker for the purpose of establishing a new military order. He brought with him a loyal group of followers, consisting of both military personnel and scientists. Among these was Corporal Ben Shilling. It was at this time that Maxson established the Brotherhood of Steel. As the Brotherhood grew, they began to look into the possibility of expanding their operations. It was then that Ben Schilling revealed the location of Senator Peterson's bunker, and the location was filed away for future use.

In the year 2231, Jeremy Maxson was leading a thriving Brotherhood of Steel. Jeremy decided that it was time to expand the Brotherhood of Steel operations into the east, and he sent an expeditionary force composed of five paladins to confirm the location of Peterson's bunker. The expedition leader, Andrea Brixley, discovered the bunker, disabled its security, and opened it for habitation. For over a decade, she and her fellow paladins explored the east and forged relationships with many of the local tribes that inhabited the area.

In the year 2242, Jeremy Maxson renamed the bunker after his famous ancestor, Roger Maxson, and later sent a full complement of troops for occupation there. Andrea Brixley was promoted to elder, given the rank of general, and was placed in charge of the bunker. The remainder of her exploratory team was given the title of Elder as well. It was not long afterward that the war with the New California Republic was announced, and the bunker was re-suited for war.

For years, the war waged on and was considered a victory for the Brotherhood of Steel. However, no matter how many troops fell to the Brotherhood's superior technology, the NCR always seemed to have more replacements available. The Brotherhood, however, was not so fortunate. Being an elitist group, replacements were short in arriving. It soon became obvious that the Brotherhood was doomed to lose the war to the NCR's greater numbers. Morale at the bunker began to falter as the war seemed more and more hopeless. Eventually, the inevitable happened, and many lower-ranking members of the Brotherhood began to desert their posts.

In an effort to end the war once and for all, the Brotherhood began to use newly discovered subversive technology known as Stealth Boys. These devices could create a field of energy that would bend light around the user, thus making him virtually invisible to sight. This allowed Brotherhood operatives to penetrate deep into NCR territory for the gathering of intelligence. However, it was soon discovered that the devices had severe side effects: paranoia, delusions, and eventual schizophrenia were the major ones. The Brotherhood disallowed the use of Stealth Boys, and once again fell behind in their war effort.

Now the Brotherhood of Steel is facing yet another problem: the side effects of the Stealth Boys were not discovered until the team using them had already begun to feel their effect. When the team was disbanded, paranoia over the reason began to set in, and the team plotted against their own leaders. They stole the remaining Stealth Boys, fled the bunker as deserters, and formed a covert group known as the Circle of Steel. The goal of the CoS is to recover lost technology and rebuild the glory of the Brotherhood at any cost.

Entrance
This area consists of a cliff wall with a camouflaged hanger set into it. Nearby is a cave entrance that leads to the bunker proper.

Level 1
This level of the bunker is composed of the barracks, the gym, the armory, the motor pool, and the medical center. It is lightly populated with guards as well as some key personnel.

Level 2
This level contains the living quarters for senior personnel, the kitchen, the dining area, a meeting area, the computer room, the water purification plant, and the brig.

Level 3
This level was to be the private quarters of Senator Peterson and his family. It contains a computerized library, an office, a bedroom, and a power plant.

Circle of Steel hideout
This is a random map composed of a small rural town/farm. It is here that the Circle of Steel will be confronted.

Appearances
The Maxson bunker was to appear in Van Buren, Black Isle Studios' canceled Fallout 3 project.

Behind the scenes
The Maxson bunker was designed by John Deiley.