Vault



The Vault series of survival shelters are installations designed by Vault-Tec Corporation to protect a portion of the United States population in case of nuclear war.

Background
Vault-Tec planned to build more than 100 Vaults across the country as well as in newly annexed Canada. The company sponsored an exhibit at the Museum of Technology in the capital, designed to promote their shelters and explain their functionality. Promotional tours and awarding of prizes like the Pressed Vault Suit Award were also used to promote a positive image of the company.

Construction
Designed to last generations, a typical Vault is built deep underground in a geologically stable area (typical choices include mountain ranges and remote areas away from population centers), but such shelters have also been built below the foundations of modern cities in order to survive the effects of a nuclear blast. Vault-Tec's method was patented as the Triple-S Technology (Safety, Survivability and Sanitation), to provide a maximum of comfort to the inhabitants without compromising their safety. Vaults were typically built using reinforced concrete and solid metal sheeting to ensure the durability and longevity of the shelter construction. The primary protection came in the sheer amount of earth covering: Vault 13 was shielded by 3 200 000 tons of soil, at 200 feet (60m) of thickness, while Vault 88 was sheltered by granite deposits common to Quincy.

The precise method of constructing Vaults evolved greatly as Vault-Tec accumulated experience in constructing these vast underground shelters. The first shelters were built using contemporary technologies, combining prefabricated elements with poured concrete and modular machines and electronics. The demonstration Vault built in Los Angeles set the standard for this first generation of Vaults built in California, which used the same kind of technology used for military and industrial construction, such as nuclear reactors, military bunkers, or corporate research facilities. Vault-Tec quickly started implementing its own, purpose-built technologies. Vaults started becoming more and more modular, using entire prefabricated sections built to spec on the factory floor and assembled on site. Many second-generation shelters exhibited a combination of both old and new technologies, with the only fully next-generation Vaults built on the East Coast, in Boston and Appalachia. These were built entirely using prefabricated sections complete with all the necessary infrastructure, fixtures, and fittings, greatly reducing construction times.

By 2077, Vault-Tec could rapidly construct Vaults, especially in areas where natural or artificial features such as stable cave networks or underground tunnels permitted it. For example, the stability of Quincy's granite quarries and the ground allowed extensive excavation operations, creating a network of natural and artificial caves. After reinforcement, these caves were connected to a temporary railroad that rapidly delivered all the necessary prefabricates, construction equipment, and other necessities.

Systems
All of that power was necessary to power the facilities necessary to sustain the people living within. Apart from air filtration systems required to keep the air breathable, Vaults also included hydro-agricultural farms and food synthesizers to provide sustenance, water purification systems (able to take even sewer waste and convert it into up to 15,000 gallons of drinkable water each day with no loss of output for 250,000 hours of operation), and other necessary amenities, like a Vault-wide intranet allowing instant access to any entertainment, social, and educational files from any terminal in the Vault. Vaults were also equipped with incinerators for disposal of the dead and likely other waste products. Security was provided by hydraulic duty doors an extensive network of Eye-On-You surveillance cameras. The entire Vault was typically managed by a single, centralized computer system, the most advanced of which is the ZAX series of supercomputers, currently known to have only been used in Vault 51. Brands were Brainpower and Think Machine.

All of the systems were reported to function without failure for nearly 900 years, though the uneven quality of components would prove this claim untrue. For example, the water chips were manufactured by a low-bid contractor, resulting in poor quality and a high failure rate. Such was the case with Vault 13 in 2161, exacerbated by the fact that the process was too complicated for a workaround system. For the resettlement of the surface, the shelters were provided with complete construction equipment and preselected installations received one or two G.E.C.K.s, intended to help the inhabitants create a viable civilization in the post-nuclear world after the "all clear" signal is sent.

Vault dwellers
The total number of inhabitants could be as high as 500 in installations like Vault 13 and Vault 76 and as low as 100. As the government only commissioned 122 Vaults as part of Project Safehouse, only a fraction of the 400 million U.S. citizens would actually be accepted into the Vaults. The duration of stay varied. Some shelters were only intended to stay sealed for ten years (Vault 13, though this directive was overridden), while others were designed for 38 years and more, like Vault 108.

The Enclave eventually abandoned their goal of settling on another planet and decided to resettle the one they already had. Vault monitoring and research continued as the Vault Behavioral Project. In order to monitor the populations being experimented upon, the Enclave's oil rig possessed a great deal of equipment that allowed them to observe and control the vaults. For example, the Enclave sent the all clear signal to Vault 8 shortly after the war, prompting them to leave the shelter and build their city. These monitoring tools also let the Enclave see that the population of Vault 13 was largely intact, although this wouldn't become important until much later.

As a closed system, the Vaults were designed to recycle and reuse Pip-Boys. Every inhabitant would be registered with a unique 11 digit Vault identification number called VID, and provided with clothing, bedding, and other accommodations necessary for their life within the vault.

The only exception was food and water, as these could only be procured with the proper ration coupons (at least in some Vaults). Luxury, non-essential goods were available for purchase in exchange for work credits, a form of currency earned through performing work for the Vault. The aforementioned ration coupons would sometimes also be used as a form of currency. Nourishment would be provided by a combination of food grown in hydroponic farms, like in Vault 13, or food synthesizers, capable of creating a variety of foodstuffs. Water would be provided by purifying liquid drawn from the local water table.

It is important to note that Vault dwellers would be unable to use their own clothing in the long term. While dwellers could arrange to have their belongings sent to their quarters in advance, there was a strict policy disallowing bringing baggage along in case of an emergency entrance. The uniform Vault jumpsuit would replace regular clothes. Manufactured inside the Vault, it was designed for utility and comfort. Enterprising dwellers could, however, customize theirs to add a bit of individuality to the generally conformist design. Planning and conformity also extended to other areas. For example, trash disposal would only be permitted in designated receptacles on pre-set trash burning days. These receptacles would also be used for the disposal of corpses, as there was no space for proper burial in the confined environment of the Vault. Preteen dwellers would also potentially be assigned work duties, with Vault 101 tasks starting to be given the day after their tenth birthday.

In exchange for these sacrifices in lifestyle, dwellers would receive private quarters provided with the latest in home appliances, including Floorsuck Autocleaner Systems to minimize sweeping, Culinator 3000 Kitchen Systems for cooking, and access to complete libraries of social and entertainment files together with the public Entertainotron room. A standardized education would be received by all Vault dwellers, including schooling in arithmetic, chemistry, biology, history, and other sciences. Tertiary education would also be provided and Vault-trained specialists would be highly sought after the apocalypse and count on a stable career in their chosen field, like Doc Mitchell from Vault 21, who opened a practice in Goodsprings after the Vault was opened.

Their health would be assured by well-educated doctors with access to the latest in medical technologies. Auto-Docs capable of performing a broad variety of procedures and manufacturing medical drugs were the standard issue of the Emergency Medical Labs (which were equipped well enough to rival clinics). Some Vaults were also equipped with facilities for cloning replacement tissue and organs. To avoid the development of medical problems, shelters were lit using a Simu-Sun lighting system simulating natural sunlight. It was estimated that living in a properly maintained Vault would result in an average lifespan of 92.3 years. Of course, prolonged isolation, even in generations born after entry, took its toll. Vault depressive syndrome was a common problem, manifesting as intense depression that could be debilitating. The usual recourse was to prescribe and treat it with anti-anxiety medication. Furthermore, those who exited successful Vaults seem to have a heightened chance of suffering from xenophobia (fear of strangers) and/or agoraphobia (fear of open places).

Security inside the Vault was provided by its dedicated security force, usually hand-picked by the overseer. A typical Vault was provided with enough firearms and armor to arm ten men. Surface monitors and communications systems were designed to facilitate connecting with other Vaults, though this functionality was either never implemented or failed soon afterward.

Doors
External

A vault was designed to provide protection from nuclear fallout, constructed with blast doors. The doors had a projected 2% failure rate in case of a direct hit by an atomic bomb. Different variants included the Seal-N-Safe model No. 343 that measured four feet in thickness, constructed with steel, and contained twelve cogs, used in the demonstration vault. Specific access codes are necessary to operate some doors, while other panels require connection to a Pip-Boy to access the door controls. The Vault City doors are built with power couplings.

Other variants have nine cogs instead of twelve, opening to a retractable catwalk leading into the vault. The external door reads the vault's number, along with a warning that tampering may lead to loss of life, and an additional warning to stand 10 meters back during the initial purge bell. The door is labeled as pressurized, and not to approach until all clear. To the left of the number, a Societal Preservation Program label is found.

The Vault 94 door controls were linked to the vault's external radiation sensors, causing it to automatically close once radiation outside reached levels consistent with a nuclear event. The Vault-Tec Security Manual outlined complete operating instructions, but specific procedures unique to Vault 94 superseded general paragraphs. The Vault 94 Community Council was charged with answering inquires regarding access except in cases of emergency, in which case the vault door controls were overridden by the vault's Emergency Management System.

Interior

The interior doors are labeled with warnings stating they utilize hydraulic locks, the pressure scale varying between 3300 and 9900 lbs of pressure. The doors vary in function and color, some swinging open and others sliding. Select vaults utilized hidden doors, some are utilized in Enclave facilities such as the Whitespring bunker and a large vault door is on display in the lobby of Morgantown's Vault-Tec University.

The doors have a power box that glows green when unlocked and red when locked. A caution zone is marked by yellow lines on the floor. Others are painted with a vertical band with a stop sign and the words "No Access - Authorized Personnel Only." There are downward pointing arrows above and below the text. Maintenance room doors swing open as opposed to sliding. On one side of the door, there are two circular indicators that display OPEN and STAND BACK when opening.

Living quarters
Living quarters were typically located deeper into the Vault and their design varied by the installation. A standard level had 20,000 square feet of usable area. The standard approach was to provide discrete apartments to Vault couples, provided with a private sanitary compartment, terminal, and a bed, on top of any additional amenities they may require.

Different philosophies were implemented depending on the designer and the intended purpose. Some did away with apartments in favor of separate dormitories for genders, where multiple dwellers would occupy the same room, or for apartment blocks composed of a bedroom and living space, with common lavatories accessible in the corridors. Other facilities typically located in living quarters include diners, classrooms, and even cigar lounges.

Emergency medical lab
Typically found on the entrance level, the EML is one of the most important places in the shelter. Despite its name, a typical EML is a fully-featured medical clinic allowing dwellers to undergo medical procedures in a safe and sterile environment. A medic is expected to be present on site 24 hours a day, to respond to any emergencies immediately. The EML typically varies in size between vaults. Some installations abandon the moniker entirely and simply refer to it as the clinic.

Command center
The command center is the nexus of Vault activity, where all the computers necessary to maintain the Vault's various functions. Centered around the overseer's office, it typically incorporates the security station, armory, computer core, meeting room, and library, although many variations of the layout have been developed.

The oldest Vault designs usually dedicated an entire floor of the Vault for these purposes, owing to the multiple functions it was supposed to fulfill. One wing of the level would incorporate the overseer's office, a vaulted chamber with a command post equipped with a pair of CZ-53 5mm miniguns designed to defend the overseer, connected to the main processing computers (including the water purification controls) and the security post with the Vault's main armory. The workplace of the overseer would typically be located in an area overlooking the atrium - the center of activity within the Vault, where dwellers would spend their leisure time, socialize, and even engage in sports such as soccer, baseball, and other games.

Appearances
Vaults appear in all Fallout games to date.