Vault 13

Vault 13 is one of a series of fallout shelters developed by Vault-Tec in southern California beneath Mt. Whitney. This vault is located west to Shady Sands and Vault 15, and east to Mariposa Military Base. It was the home of the Vault Dweller.

Construction and purpose
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 3200000 tons of soil at 200 feet. The total number of occupants (at maximum capacity) was 1000 and had one hundred living quarters. At maximum capacity, ten people would be assigned to a single living quarter, in a hot bunking system. For Vault 13, Vault-Tec chose the Pip-Boy 2000 as the personal information processor for Vault 13 dwellers over the Pip-Boy 3000. It was also equipped with a unique solar scorcher, a weapon with experimental photo-electric cells allowing sunlight as its energy source, possibly sent to test it in real condition if the vault was opened prematurely as Vault 13 especially count on its water purification system and its water chip to survive.

The purpose of Vault 13 in the vault experiments was at first to stay closed for 200 years, as a study of prolonged isolation. After the water chip event and the exile of the Vault Dweller on May 10th, 2162, the vault experiments for Vault 13 changed and the new purpose was to remain closed until the Enclave was required vault dweller subjects, a control group for FEV Curling-13 experiment.

The starting budget for Vault 13 was $400 billion, although it eventually reached $645 billion. It was equipped with a think machine supercomputer acting as a computer control system and powered primarily by geothermal energy, requiring 3.98mkw/day to operate properly. The secondary power source was the General Atomics Nuclear Power backup systems. Vault 13 stored complete construction equipment, hydro-agricultural farms, water purification from an underground river, defensive weaponry to equip 10 men, communication, social and entertainment files (for total duration). It was also supplied with an extra Garden of Eden Creation Kit (which, when added to the vault standard compliment of 2, makes 3 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.

Water problems and the Master
Sometime during 2241, the Chosen One, grandson of the Vault Dweller, finds a strange giant time stone portal named the Guardian of Forever in the wasteland. Passing through it, they travel back in time before 2161 and that found in Vault 13 in the command center. The elevator doesn't work, they were obliged to remain at this level. Being empty, the Chosen One began to recover the equipment of the Vault 13 command center, taking the solar scorcher on the floor in the armory and without paying any attention, breaking the only remaining water chip of the vault, comforts him for some reason. After that, they were re-propelled near the Guardian of Forever and in 2241, and they continued their venture to save Arroyo by finding a Garden of Eden Creation Kit.

After the breaking of the Vault 13 water chip and before December 5th, 2161, the Overseer Jacoren began to sent out Vault 13 dwellers into the wasteland to find a replacement chip. The first was a man named Ed but, probably not a fighter, he was killed by the giant rats that inhabit the cave outside of Vault 13. The second was another man named Talius. Supplied with a Winchester Widowmaker and some 12 gauge shotgun shells, Talius searched unsuccessfully for the water chip for some time before hearing of Necropolis's 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 F.E.V. vats, which led to a rare transformation into a ghoul-like mutant similar to Harold and was rescued under ambiguous circumstances by the Followers of the Apocalypse. He after joined them as a full-fledged member shortly afterwards and remained in the Los Angeles Public Library in the Boneyard, forgetting with his own choice his initial mission.

The third and last Vault 13 dweller selected by Jacoren was a man later know as the Vault Dweller. On December 5th, 2161 at 07:21, Jacoren gave the Vault Dweller the location of Vault 15 as a possible location of another water chip and sent him out like the other into the wastes to find a new water chip, with a 10mm pistol and some ammo, a task finally completed ​​by him on February 2162, the replacement chip was eventually found in Necropolis in Vault 12.

Jacoren was happy to see the Vault Dweller returning to Vault 13, alive and with the necessary water chip. After the report of the Vault Dweller on the wasteland and his venture in the Vault 13 library, Jacoren was distraught and scared at 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 thinking that someone generating new mutants at a startling rate. As long as someone is creating mutants at this rate, Vault 13 safety was at stake and knowing now the wasteland, he tasked the Vault Dweller with a new mission; find and destroy the danger of the mutants, suggesting to concentrate his search to the west. Once again, the Vault Dweller leaves the vault.

Vault Dweller's exile
Jacoren was right, and the Vault Dweller soon found and killed the instigator of all this, the Master, into the Cathedral in March 2162. On April 20th, 2162, he found the Master right-hand, the Lieutenant. He killed him and destroying the Mariposa Military Base containing the F.E.V. vats used to create the Master's Army. After the defeat of the Master and his Unity, the Vault Dweller returned to Vault 13 on May 10th, 2162. Calling to the Vault 13 communicator and announcing his victory, the vault door opens and Jacoren appeared, confronting the Vault Dweller front of the vault door and told him that he saved the vault, he was a hero, but he had to leave, thinking he would ruin the vault experiments by convincing people to leave the vault. It's not clear what happens to Jacoren after the exile of the Vault Dweller. He can try to stop those who want to leave and eventually be tried and sentenced to death for his crime, probably after the dwellers learned about his involvement in the Experiment. Martin Frobisher, the leader of Vault 13 in 2241 claims it happened like this but he didn't see Jacoren executed, and his information comes from the Vault 13 records passed down by his ancestors, Jacoren can also be killed by the hand of the Vault Dweller after his goodbye speech to him.

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 replaced its function, they contacted the Brotherhood of Steel who have had contact with the Vault Dweller, and purchased a central computer, a fully-automated mainframe to control and regulate Vault 13. For the Vault Dweller and his people who followed him, they traveled north and founded a small village called Arroyo. Over the ensuing generations, the people of Arroyo developed a tribal culture and revered Vault 13 as the "Holy Thirteen". Eventually, the grandchild of the Vault Dweller, known as the Chosen One, was sent to find Vault 13 and bring the G.E.C.K. to Arroyo, to save the dying village.

Intelligent deathclaws
In May 15th 2241, the Enclave sends a coded sequence to Vault 13, activating its central computer and declaring that is time to leave the vault. Martin Frobisher, the leader of Vault 13 gathers the vault dwellers together for the "Leaving The Vault" video, a tutorial movie of Vault-Tec about the rules to follow when vault dwellers left their vault. In May 16th 2241, Vault 13 is opened and greeted by two Enclave squads with vertibirds. The squads kill three of the vault dwellers who were "resisting capture" and storm the vault, kidnapping all the inhabitants. In May 17th 2241, the Enclave drop 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 are sent into the desert surrounding Vault 13 to check for any escapees or witnesses.

The intelligent deathclaws, lead by Gruthar, begin to make their home in Vault 13. Unlike 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. 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.

It is unknown what exactly became of Vault 13 afterwards, if the intelligent deathclaws and the humans of Vault 13 were allowed to live in the vault in peace, if they were effectively all exterminated by the Enclave and Frank Horrigan after the visit of the Chosen One and before the destruction of the Enclave Oil Rig, and if the vault was claimed by the NCR or some other group, or if Vault 13 was simply abandoned.

Command center (Fallout)
The command center who the Overseer Jacoren is located, as well as the vault library.

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".

Behind the scenes

 * A Vault 13 flask and the armored Vault 13 jumpsuit of the Vault Dweller appear in the pre-order items pack Classic Pack of Fallout: New Vegas.