Cambridge

Cambridge is a district of the Commonwealth in 2287.

Pre-War
Before the Great War, Cambridge was a city sprawling with college structures and old homes built before the 21st century. Home to the Commonwealth Institute of Technology, Cambridge was highly bent on academics and research, with buildings such as the Campus law offices, Greenetech Genetics, and Cambridge Polymer Labs. Serviced by College Square station, the district was connected to the rest of Boston through bridges over the Charles River.

The staff at the Cambridge Polymer Labs were working on power armor technology for the military when the bombs dropped. As the world descended into chaos, the director, Jon Elwood, was informed that the military could spare the resources to escort only essential personnel to safety. He kept the staff in the facility, passing the gunfire and explosions outside as a military drill in order to keep them calm to complete the project.

The lack of information and confinement in the lab prevented the staff from working. Eventually, Jon died from radiation exposure, and the staff met a similar fate, locked up in the lab to turn into feral ghouls.

During the war, a number of C.I.T. personnel survived by taking refuge in the underground level of the campus. In 2110, survivors and their descendants founded the Institute, an organization dedicated to furthering pre-War science. Following the invention of a teleportation device known as the molecular relay in the 2180s, the Institute was able to expand deeper underground and enhance the production of advanced robots known as synths.

Post-War
At some point after the bombs fell, the Railroad set up a safe house known as Ticonderoga in Cambridge and began carrying out operations in the area. Soon after, in 2287, the Brotherhood of Steel's Recon Squad Gladius moved into the Cambridge Police Station, fortifying it.

Though all three factions were bitter enemies, they all unknowingly had a presence within blocks of each other. Adding to the danger in the area was the presence of both Gunners and raiders in the district.

Layout
Cambridge is composed of several pre-War and post-War constructions, like the:

Appearances
Cambridge appears in Fallout 4, and is mentioned in Fallout 76.