Vault 13

Vault 13 is a Vault-Tec Vault located in southern New California. Its precise location is west of Shady Sands and Vault 15, and to the east of Mariposa Military Base. It was the home of the Vault Dweller.

Background
Construction of Vault 13 started in August 2063 and was completed in March 2069, which was the last Vault on the West Coast to be completed, covering 3,200,000 tons of soil at 200 feet. The starting budget for Vault 13 was $400 billion, although it eventually totaled to $645 billion. It was planned to operate for a duration of 10 years.

The Vault supported up to 1,000 occupants in its 100 designated living quarters. At maximum capacity, ten people would be assigned to a single living quarter, practicing a hot bunking system.

Vault-Tec assigned the dwellers the Pip-Boy 2000 and also equipped the Vault with a Solar Scorcher, an experimental photo-electric weapon harnessing sunlight as an energy source. In addition, Vault 13 housed heavy-machinery for construction projects, sustainable hydro-agricultural farms and a water purification system sourced from an subterranean river. Dwellers enjoyed equipment for social gatherings and enough entertainment material to last the projected duration. Communication equipment kept Vault security effective despite their limited armory. Vault 13 was also supplied with an extra Garden of Eden Creation Kit (which, when added to the Vault standard complement of two, makes three kits in total), instead of the extra water chips that made their way to Vault 8. Due to its late completion, the "cry wolf" effect that hurt the other Vaults is not as pronounced in Vault 13.

Vault 13 was a control group for the Societal Preservation Program, intended to be sealed until the subjects were needed by the Enclave, according to Dick Richardson. According to the Fallout Bible, however, the purpose of Vault 13 was to remain closed for 200 years, as a study of prolonged isolation.

2161
Sometime prior to December 5, 2161, Vault 13's water purification chip began to malfunction. The Overseer began to send out Vault 13 dwellers into the wasteland to find a replacement chip.

Amongst those sent out to search for a replacement chip was Talius. Supplied with a Winchester Widowmaker and some 12 gauge shotgun shells, he searched unsuccessfully for the water chip for some time before hearing of Necropolis' water pump. With the help of the Necropolis ghoul leader Set, he was able to kill some of the super mutants before being knocked unconscious by nightkin, and promptly taken to the Mariposa Military Base. He was dipped in the FEV vats, which led to a rare transformation into a ghoul-like mutant similar to Harold, and was later rescued under ambiguous circumstances by the Followers of the Apocalypse. He joined them as a full-fledged member shortly afterward and remained in the Boneyard Library in the Boneyard, abandoning his initial mission.

The last known Vault 13 dweller selected by the Overseer was a person later known as the Vault Dweller. On December 5, 2161 at 07:21, the Overseer gave the Vault Dweller a 10mm pistol, some ammunition, and the location of Vault 15 and sent them out into the wastes to find a new water chip, a task finally completed ​in February 2162. The replacement chip was eventually found in Necropolis in Vault 12.

The Overseer was pleased to see the Vault Dweller return alive and with the vital water chip, but was concerned or frightened by the Vault Dweller's report, particularly the description of the super mutants encountered in Necropolis. After doing some calculations, he came to the conclusion that the super mutant population was far greater than could be expected by natural growth or mutations and that someone must be producing new mutants at a startling rate. This posed a new threat to Vault 13. Due to the Vault Dweller's proven ability and knowledge of the outside world, the Overseer tasked the Vault Dweller with a new mission: find and destroy the danger of the mutants. He suggested that the Vault Dweller begin their search to the west. Once again, the Vault Dweller left the Vault.

2162
The Overseer was right, and the Vault Dweller soon found and killed the source of the mutant army, the Master, and destroyed his base, the Cathedral in March 2162. On April 20, 2162, the Vault Dweller found and killed the Master's second in command, the Lieutenant, then destroyed the Mariposa Military Base containing the FEV vats used to create the Unity. After the defeat of the Master and the Unity, the Vault Dweller returned to Vault 13 on May 10, 2162. After the Vault Dweller had called to the Vault 13 communicator and announced their victory, the Vault door opened and the Overseer appeared. the Overseer said that even though the Vault Dweller was a hero for saving the Vault, they were no longer allowed to stay there (thinking they would ruin the Vault experiments by convincing people to leave the Vault).

It is not clear what happens to the Overseer after the Vault Dweller's exile. According to Vault 13 records, the Overseer was allegedly convicted for a great crime and was put to death. The Overseer can also be killed by the hand of the Vault Dweller after his goodbye speech.

After this event, many people chose to follow the Vault Dweller into the wasteland. Those people who had not left Vault 13 were wary to appoint a new overseer. To replace the overseer, they commissioned the Brotherhood of Steel to build a mainframe computer, a fully-automated mainframe to control and regulate Vault 13. As for the Vault Dweller and followers, they trekked north and founded a small village called Arroyo. Over the ensuing generations, the people of Arroyo developed a tribal culture. Eventually, the grandchild of the Vault Dweller, known as the Chosen One, was sent to find the Vault of the Holy Thirteen and bring the G.E.C.K. to Arroyo, to save their dying village.

2241
On May 15, 2241, the Enclave sent a coded sequence to Vault 13, activating its central computer and declaring that it was time to leave the Vault. Martin Frobisher, the leader of Vault 13, gathered the Vault dwellers for the "Leaving The Vault" video, a tutorial movie from Vault-Tec about the rules to follow when Vault dwellers left their Vault. On May 16, 2241, Vault 13 was opened and greeted by two Enclave squads with Vertibirds. The squads killed three of the Vault dwellers who were "resisting capture" and stormed the Vault, kidnapping all the inhabitants. On May 17, 2241, the Enclave dropped an intelligent deathclaw unit into Vault 13 from a safe distance to kill anyone investigating Vault 13 and cloak the Enclave's presence. Other intelligent deathclaws were sent into the desert surrounding Vault 13 to check for any escapees or witnesses.

The intelligent deathclaws, led by Gruthar, began to make their home in Vault 13. Despite their objectives given by the Enclave, the intelligent deathclaws allowed many humans to live in relative comfort and safety with them in the confines of the Vault, displaying a strong pack mentality. After the visit of the Chosen One and before the destruction of the Oil Rig, the intelligent deathclaws were wiped out by the Enclave and Frank Horrigan, leaving the Vault empty. When the Enclave Oil Rig was destroyed in Fall of 2242 by the Chosen One, the survivors from Arroyo and Vault 13 re-founded Arroyo with the G.E.C.K.

Layout
Fallout: Cavern entrance The link between Vault 13 and outer world. Remains of Ed are a good warning. There are 20 rats in the cave.
 * -|Fallout 1=

Entrance The link between Vault 13 and the outside. Here Vault Dwellers can find medical treatment.

Living quarters The Vault Dwellers sleep here (around 19:00 to 8:00). Also, some are using the rooms for private meetings, like the rebel faction.

Command center The command center where the Overseer is located, as well as the Vault library. It is where the Overseer maintains the Vault. Nearby is the library, armory, and water supplies room. However, the water guard gives the supplies because there is a thief who steals water. One can "spend some time researching important information" using the Science skill on the westernmost computer.

Fallout 2: Cavern entrance The link between Vault 13 and outer world. Nothing is here.
 * -|Fallout 2=

Entrance Intelligent deathclaws have moved in, however, they allow humans (who they found in the wasteland) to live among them. They are first brought to Joseph, the herbalist for medical treatment.

Living quarters The Living Quarters serve now more as a prison for those who disturb the law in Vault 13. Also, a shrine to Vault 13's champion is being built here and it is being tended by Gordon.

Command center The Command Center is now a place where the deathclaw matriarch lays her eggs. The main computer is broken and a computer voice module is needed to repair it.

Fallout

 * Find the Water Chip
 * Find the Water Thief
 * Calm rebel faction
 * Destroy the Mutant leader
 * Destroy the source of the Mutants

Fallout 2

 * Retrieve the GECK for Arroyo
 * Fix the Vault 13 computer
 * The navigation computer needs the NavComp part to work

Trivia

 * The number thirteen is often associated with bad luck or misfortune.
 * During the video cinematic for the Master's ending, a VaulTek logo appears on the control terminal for the Vault door.
 * Although Martin Frobisher refers to it as the Vault of the Holy 13, the elder of Arroyo describes it as the Vault of the Holy Thirteen.

Appearances
Vault 13 appears in Fallout and Fallout 2.
 * A rusted Vault 13 flask can be found and given to the Vault Dweller in Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, mentioning after Vault 13 - "the old vault colors haven't even faded that much."
 * Vault 13 is mentioned by a missionary in Fallout: New Vegas during G.I. Blues and in the challenge Vault 13's Revenge (added in the Gun Runners' Arsenal add-on).
 * A Vault 13 flask and the armored Vault 13 jumpsuit of the Vault Dweller appear in the Classic Pack for Fallout: New Vegas.