Unity

The Unity (also called Master's army     ) was the military and political organization created by the Master to advance his agenda. The Master desired to forcefully evolve humans into a single, perfect race removing the inequalities that are the cause of strife among humans. To this end, he used the Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV) on humans to uplift them. The Master's race would colloquially be known as the super mutants by most people of the former American Southwest.

With the discovery of the Los Angeles vault, and the establishment of the Children of the Cathedral, the Master created the means of conversion and recruitment of people into his project. Under the disguise of apostles of peace, establishing hospitals and churches in the cities of the wasteland, the Children and the Mutants, led by the nightkin elite warriors, prepared for a war that would change the face of the Earth and bring upon the Master's dream. It was cut short by the Vault Dweller in the final months of preparation.

History
The Unity began with the ill-fated expedition to Mariposa Military Base, undertaken by Harold, Richard Grey, and a group of other adventurers in 2102. On June 23, the party was routed by mutants inhabiting the base. Grey was knocked into one of the Vats. His wounded state combined with extreme long-term exposure to the FEV precipitated his evolution into the Master. After he regained consciousness and dragged himself from the Vats, he continued to mutate after the weeks-long immersion. The mutation eventually stabilized enough for him to notice his greatly increased mental capacity, capable of resolving the most complex of philosophical questions. He began experimenting on animals infesting the military base by exposing them to the Virus. When he dipped a rat and a dog into the Virus at the same time, the resulting fusion inspired him to begin formulating a philosophy of unification, laying the groundwork for the Unity. However, experiments were frustrated by a lack of subjects or understanding of the virus.

In December 2102, following a series of directed mutations by injecting doses of the virus into various areas of his mutated body, Grey gained the ability to neurolink with computers, allowing him to access the base's databanks. Aided by the data, he began experiments on humans who strayed into the facilities, without much luck. Finally, in January 2103, he finally isolated radiation exposure as the crucial factor affecting transformation success. The first successful super mutant was assimilated by Grey as a fellow mind, creating the Master hive mind. The Unity began in earnest. as the Master began to gather test subjects from local human communities. The process was slow, hampered by their scarcity, but over the next thirty years he built up a small force of super mutants until the Great Winter of 2130 convinced the Master that it is no longer feasible.

In 2131, the Master decided to focus on acquiring subjects from caravans that crossed the wasteland in ever increasing numbers. The human settlements were blissfully unaware of the raids, blaming them on monsters, allowing the army to grow tremendously. By 2137, there were enough super mutants to sustain mass production. While the success rate was between 15-20%, with a half going on to join the Master's army, it grew rapidly into a potent military force. The resulting army was named Unity by the Master, becoming the foundation of his vision for humanity and the world. For the next fifteen years, the Unity would expand over the former American Southwest, striking for the shadows. In 2152, the Master enlisted the aid of Morpheus and his doomsday cultists, creating the Children of the Cathedral to act as the Unity's public face and maintain secrecy.

Just three years later, in 2155, the Unity experienced a breakthrough in its operations. After apprehending a caravan of Vault dwellers from the Los Angeles vault, the Master transferred his command there and ordered Morpheus' cultists to renovate the building above the Vault, establishing the Cathedral and its Children. The Vault provided a wealth of information to the Master and the Unity, most importantly the locations of other Vaults. Super mutants began searching their suspected locations, gathering prime subjects for super mutant conversion. Not all operations were successful: The detachment sent to investigate Bakersfield and Vault 12 wound up engaging the ghouls living among the ruins, with fighting only ceasing when Set brokered a ceasefire, explaining that the ghouls were what remained of Vault 12's dwellers. A garrison was left behind to ensure Set's cooperation and apprehend the occasional human passing through.

The steady expansion of Unity operations and preparation for the attack on the former American Southwest, spearheaded by the Children of the Cathedral seemed impossible to prevent. However, the Master did not account for the Vault Dweller's interference. The Unity was destroyed before it could be created, by the Vault Dweller: The Dweller was spurred into action by the Vault 13 overseer, and on March 3, 2162, they infiltrated the Cathedral and destroyed it with a nuclear weapon, killing the Master. The Unity retaliated by attacking Necropolis, trying to locate the Vault dweller, but it was too late. On April 20, less than two months after the death of the Master, the Dweller delivered the killing blow to the Unity by destroying the Mariposa Military Base. Although the Vault Dweller disappeared into the wasteland, the Brotherhood of Steel picked up where they left off, driving the super mutants away with minimal loss of life, on both sides of the conflict, and establishing itself as a major power in the wasteland, but wisely remaining out of the power structure.

Surviving super mutants split into several different groups, each pursuing a different goal: Many groups migrated away from New California, north and east, looking for new places to settle. Some settled in the Mojave, first at Black Mountain and later in the settlement of Jacobstown. A large group journeyed into the Rockies, eventually reaching as far as Illinois, becoming Gammorin's Army.

Some settled down to coexist with humans to attempt to integrate into society or find a new life for themselves, with one of the most notable attempts being Broken Hills, founded by Marcus and Jacob in 2185, as a place where regular and mutated humans could live side by side. Eventually, together with ghouls, the mutant population would become large enough to become a distinct population group in the New California Republic, which would pass laws prohibiting discrimination based on a mutation in 2205.

Not all super mutants would adapt to the new situation. Some took to the desert, refusing to lay down their weapons and surrender. The die-hard remnants of the Master's armies would continue to plague northern New California and the Mojave, contributing to lingering prejudice against mutants. Even as late as 2281, some mutants would fall prey to the prejudices of man, such as Mean Sonofabitch, tortured and maimed by a group of bigots. Some politicians even seek to capitalize on the anti-mutant sentiment for the benefit of their political career.

Society
The Unity was an egalitarian society. The Virus elevated all super mutants to a common level of physical aptitude, eliminating many of the differences that lay at the heart of the inter-human conflict. Many super mutants actually preferred the transformation, as the Unity was free of pettiness, hatred, and jealousy that plagued regular mankind. The only problems were one with intelligence, as some candidates for transformation did not have the mental fortitude necessary to withstand the strain. While they were a minority among the mutants (most retained their pre-dipping intellect), their impact was severe enough to interfere with the Unity's goals.Fallout Bible 5: "5. In F1 the Lieutenant said that the FEV raises intelligence. There are, however, very many dumb mutants. What can you say about it? And what do you think of my theory, which i've been using in my Fallout PnP campaign? Sorry, Pawel, for two things: I wasn't able to personally respond to your email because I kept getting bounced, and two, I wasn't able to comment on your FEV theory (as a reminder, I can't read fan-created material, so just send questions, comments, or facts if you can). As for the FEV enhancing intelligence, the original Pre-War FEV at West Tek did, and more consistently than the Fallout-era virus. The current Fallout-era FEV does enhance intelligence - in some people. Just not many. The Lieutenant was one of the lucky ones who didn't become a knuckle-dragging, butt-scratching moron after being dipped (and it may not have raised his intelligence, he may have been that smart before his dipping, but no records of his past exist to verify this). ''The FEV that was released out in the wasteland was mutated by radiation, so its effects changed. As for the FEV at Mariposa, the Lieutenant says the super mutants are smarter than humans ("We are highly intelligent and immune to disease"), which is only half-right, and he also says that the virus can also interfere with a person's memory, causing them to forget things. Obviously, the Lieutenant keeps forgetting that most of his super mutant forces can barely form complete sentences.'' ''Basically, the FEV in the vats only has a small chance of raising a being's intelligence (or even keeping it intact). The Master was one of the lucky ones. More often than not, it causes brain damage. It's also possible that the crude dipping procedure in Mariposa also caused imperfect mutations as well, reducing the chance of heightened intelligence.'' ''But to answer your question: the FEV at West Tek before the war caused increased intelligence in its subjects, but the FEV at Mariposa after the war rarely enhanced the intelligence of humans who were dipped. The reason for this is unknown.'' Chris Taylor says:
 * Chris Taylor: Actually, a dip in FEV has a chance of modifying Intelligence, but it doesn't always increase it. Some people do gain increased intelligence, a larger majority lose intelligence and most people remain the same. It also depends if people have enough radiation damage to be turned into ghouls or super mutants."

Most mutants didn't hate humans, instead believing theirs to be the better way. Humanity's reluctance to overcome its inherent problems meant that most had to be forced to change and adapt, as they would run when they heard the call, rather than embracing it. If humans embraced the call, the Master's plan would never be required in the first place, after all. There were differing beliefs, of course: Some super mutants viewed themselves as equals to normal humans, owing to their common ancestry. They viewed the mutation as merely a rebirth - and supported the Unity, believing it to be the best chance for peace, despite misgivings.

However, human converts drawn from the Children of the Cathedral made for poor conversation partners, due to their religious fervor (genuine or staged). FEV was commonly referred to as the Blood of God, the restraints used to prepare humans for dipping were holy, while the Vats were the womb where the armies of god were created. Despite that, honesty and trust prevailed between the mutants and even their human charges, even when it came to critical matters. Joint meditation sessions between super mutants and normal human faithful from the Cathedral were common as well, even if they reinforced the religious side of the Unity.

There was one critical flaw in the Unity's perfect society: Even if the Master did succeed, the Unity would fail, as the FEV rendered the super mutants sterile and the Unity would bring about the final end of humanity. While it did not damage primary sexual characteristics, allowing super mutants to have intercourse, it did interfere with gametes, correcting the DNA within. As a result, conception was impossible.

Political doctrine
The Unity was originally coined by the Master in 2102, referring to his ability to assimilate living creatures into himself. In fact, he was apparently planning to assimilate the "wonderful variety of life" into a single, unified biomass in these stages. However, this idea was abandoned entirely by 2137, when the Unity came into existence as a military force focusing on advancing the Master's philosophy and vision for mankind.

Said vision eventually evolved to focus on figurative unification. The Unity would eliminate differences between humans and the resulting strife and war by uplifting: Exposure to the Forced Evolutionary Virus. The resulting super mutants would not only be unified but capable of thriving in the wasteland as one race and one people, united behind a single goal. Neither ghouls nor normal humans were seen as competitive, the former being victims of the nuclear death brought upon mankind by the latter. To become a super mutant was to reach the next step in human evolution - and save the world in the process.

All worthy humans would be converted by FEV, becoming the perfect human specimens in the process. Faster, stronger, more intelligent, and immune to disease or radiation, prepared for living in the ash-covered world. Sacrificing choice in the matter was deemed an acceptable trade-off for the ability to live without fear. All the worthy individuals would undergo the conversion - regardless of their opinion on the matter. Those who did not qualify would be permitted to live out their lives under Unity control and protection but deprived of the ability to perpetuate their species.

Military
The Unity was a highly militarized society and there was no clear distinction between soldiers or civilians, leading to it being commonly called the Master's army. The super mutants were uniformly strong, resilient, and immune to the hazards of the wasteland, and received training in the use of weapons and tactics. The Children of the Cathedral were the closest to a typical civilian, but even they were expected to participate in the conquest of New California as irregulars and support units for the Master's soldiers.

However, even among the egalitarian mutants, there were certain divisions. Regular super mutants (later referred to as first-gen after the excavation of Mariposa by the Enclave and the subsequent appearance of a new generation of mutants) possessed green skin and formed the bulk of the Master's forces. Above them were the nightkin, perfect results of FEV transformation considered elite even by the Unity's standards, provided with the best armor and weapons the Unity could offer, as well as Stealth Boys, and used as the Master's assassins and liaisons with Morpheus.

To bolster his fighting forces, the Master tried to create guardians through gene splicing but was stopped by the Vault Dweller before he could complete his plans. Many of his early creations have outlived him and continued to roam the wasteland. These abominations included centaurs and floaters, which are often found together as though they feel some sort of kinship for one another.

Technology
The Unity was one of the most technologically advanced organizations in the wasteland. Its soldiers were commonly equipped with high-end heavy weapons and energy rifles while relying on their thick hide for protection. Armor was typically limited to joint or shoulder protection. All members of the Unity had access to quality medical care and reliable sources of food and water, an incredibly rare feat in the wasteland.

Research into exotic branches of science was conducted. The Master's scientists conducted experiments in psionic warfare, attempting to replicate the Master's psionic potential by injecting FEV directly into the various areas of the brain, with mixed results. Four partial successes were recorded, creating incredibly powerful psychics who were nonetheless terminally insane. All four were kept sequestered and nullified in the laboratories of the Los Angeles vault.

The Unity was one of the only powers in the wasteland to possess a nuclear weapon. The salvaged device was kept in a secure location beneath the Cathedral, while the nuclear arming key was entrusted to the Lieutenant at Mariposa Military Base. It was intended for use as a weapon of last resort, should the Unity encounter a foe it is unable of overcoming. However, even this was considered doubtful, as the Master did not want to unleash the dreaded nuclear flame once again.

Appearances
The Unity appears only in Fallout and is mentioned in Fallout 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout Tactics and Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel.