GECK

The Garden of Eden Creation Kit (G.E.C.K.) is a terraforming device created by Future-Tec, a division of Vault-Tec Corporation, to ease the process of harnessing the post-nuclear wasteland for vault dwellers.

Background
Created by Doctor Stanislaus Braun, the kit contains the basic amenities needed to establish a post-nuclear settlement. The kit has the appearance of a silver briefcase emblazoned with its name. The G.E.C.K. was intended to be standard equipment for all vaults. 

Characteristics
According to Vault-Tec advertisements, the kit contains all the seeds, fertilizer, and other equipment (including a cold fusion power generator and a basic replicator) necessary to start a new settlement in a post-nuclear world after emerging from a vault shelter. In practice, a G.E.C.K. contains a fertilizer system with a variety of food seeds, soil supplements, and chemicals that can fertilize arid wasteland into farmable land. The GECK is intended to be "disassembled" over the course of its use to help build communities. For example, the cold fusion power source is intended to be used for main city power production. Individuals can consult the How-To Books/Library of Congress/Encyclopedias in the G.E.C.K. holodisk library for more information and can utilize the included pen flashlight as a bonus.

The G.E.C.K.s were designed to be used relatively soon after the war, as the seeds and soil supplements they contained were perishable. However, if used by people with the necessary technical knowledge, the G.E.C.K. could be a powerful tool, especially if it was combined with the resources and infrastructure of a vault. Fallout Bible 6: "1b. What may be suitable for planting in the present may not be suitable in 20 yrs. This is esp true I would think in the FO universe with its rather unstable ecosystem. I mean if one really wanted to be certain that what one was panting would grow the best thing to do would be to collect the seeds, spores etc from already growing food sources - these have a guaranteed fertilization rate. After all those corn seeds that were put in the GECK 50 yrs ago now have not sufficiently mutated to endure the new Wasteland (even in a 'normal' ecosystem, the only strains of plant that survive are those that mutate).

''You're absolutely right. The GECK builders had no idea what the post-nuclear world would be like, and they had no real way to anticipate it, despite their 'thorough tests' (it's doubtful they gave it much thought, to be honest, considering how badly organized the Safehouse project alone was, not to mention the experimental nature of the Vaults) - still, it seems as if the seeds present in the GECK were viable for Vault 8.''

Evolutionarily speaking using old seeds would be like reintroducing a species that may have gone extinct or at the very least one that is not as cutting edge in its evolution.

''You bet. And that's dangerous on so many levels! Wheee!''

'''Also, as far as How-to books, schematics, sand crete etc.. this seems a bit user heavy. That is a GECK is going to be utterly useless to those who cannot read, or don't have the raw materials to construct a force field, sand crete polymers etc.'''

''The GECK designers assumed that the Vault Dwellers would know how to read and how to operate various technologies present in the Vault - they didn't plan for tribals or other contingencies. They also didn't plan on the FEV getting released, or the fact the Vault Dwellers might be attacked by giant mutated scorpions or rats, either. On one hand, you could say they weren't too bright, and on the other hand, you could say they weren't prepared for the future of the human race to become an extended Post-Atomic Horror movie. Silly rabbits!''

'''1a. Wouldn't this [the seeds and soil supplements] date itself rather quickly?''' ''Sure, but the government subcommittees sponsoring the research and the GECK contractors (Future-Tec) weren't really concerned about that. They were 'relatively certain' the seeds would be viable in a post-nuclear environment. They had done 'thorough tests,' and 'all conclusions point to this as being the best option.' The GECKs are a miracle... a miracle that they work."'' Other information provided by the G.E.C.K. includes basic force field schematics as well as info on how to make adobe-type buildings from the landscape, or create chemicals that can create "sand-crete" walls.

Each Vault was issued two standard G.E.C.K.s as part of the standard inventory package. Some vaults lacked the two issued G.E.C.K.s, such as Vault 8, of which the extra G.E.C.K. was swapped with Vault 13's surplus water chips.

Fallout 76
Vault 94 was issued one G.E.C.K. for the purpose of recolonizing the Earth one year after the Great War. However, Vault 94 was an experimental vault, being issued with no weapons, extra resources, and inhabited by a non-violent, faith-based commune. After the vault made contact with the town of Harpers Ferry, the town's mayor Miranda Vox sent a group consisting of Billy, Cole, Lucas, and Red to investigate the vault then report back. The group of four men were welcomed in with open arms, but growing suspicious of the vault's complacency, and expecting it all to be a trap, Cole ordered his men to kill all of the dwellers.

Once finding the G.E.C.K., however, the expedition was perplexed by it and thought it to be the cause of the strange disposition of the dwellers. In an attempt to destroy it, the men opened fire to end its control. The resulting explosion would create The Mire region in Appalachia. The G.E.C.K. continued to function after the explosion, releasing a massive amount of radiation into the surrounding region for years to come.

Locations

 * Vault 94 (Fallout 76) - within the sealed vault.