Boomers

The Boomers are an isolationist tribe occupying the Nellis Air Force Base in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281.

Background
The Boomers are a tribe formed out of a group of vault dwellers who originally inhabited Vault 34. The overstocked, unprotected armory led to the emergence of a particularly gun-centric culture among the dwellers. The Boomers were a group particularly obsessed with weapons and the right to keep and bear them freely. When the population of the Vault ballooned in the early 23rd century, the Vault's overseer attempted to salvage the situation by introducing population control measures and sealing the armory. The efforts backfired, as rioting began, quickly turning into full-out rebellion. The future Boomers attacked the armory, taking most of the heavy weapons and equipment, then fought their way out of the vault. The reactor was damaged in the attack, dooming the vault.

The Boomers emerged from the Vault around 2231. Their superior weapons and tactics allowed them to easily defeat the disorganized, poorly equipped raiders on the surface, but the ratio of losses (43.6 hostiles killed per 1 dead Boomer) were unacceptable.

The Boomers located Nellis Air Force Base. This pre-War military installation was hit by several nuclear weapons that avoided Robert House's missile defense network, rendering it uninhabitable due to high radiation levels. Wastelanders and animals learned to avoid it by habit, leaving it in relatively good condition. However, that did not deter the Boomers. Equipped with Geiger counters, they assessed Nellis and learned that much of the radioactivity had decayed to safe levels. The Boomers moved in and restored the base to working order.

Although Nellis was well fortified, the Boomers identified several security issues. In keeping with their social customs, they decided to patch them with extreme firepower. A large expedition was formed, which retrieved howitzers and the appropriate ammunition stockpiles from Area 2. The expedition lasted weeks, but was ultimately successful and marked the last time that Boomers set foot outside Nellis. Anyone coming within a mile of the base is fired upon and destroyed with extreme prejudice.

The Boomers lived and prospered in Nellis. However, indefinite isolation was not their goal. When Loyal, one of the tribe's Elders, found a file on the crashed B-29 bomber in Lake Mead, the Boomers' efforts became focused. Recovering and repairing the bomber became their destiny. To that end, the Boomers reactivated the virtual reality simulators used for pilot training before the war, using them to develop and refine their flying skills to "fly the open skies in armored safety, raining high-explosive ordnance upon ignorant savages", as the Keeper of the Story puts it.

Of course, their life is not always smooth sailing. A few days before the Courier arrived at the gates of Nellis, a hive of giant ants occupied the Nellis generator and ammunition bunker. The insects feasted upon the gunpowder reserves, which caused them to become explosive. Raquel, Master-at-Arms of the homeland, led a strike group into the bunker. The aggressive, explosive ants proved more than they could handle, leading to the loss of two Boomers and injuries to three more. The Courier came just in time to decide the fate of the tribe, just as Mother Pearl predicted.

The Boomers have a penchant for paranoia and hostility towards outsiders. This, combined with their affinity for explosives, led to New Vegas locals calling them "Boomers." The tribe did not mind the name as long as it meant people kept their distance. While the Boomers' xenophobia has kept away trouble, major factions in the Mojave have also attempted to gain their favor. However, no matter who approaches them (Mr. House, the Three Families, NCR, or Caesar's Legion), the Boomers have the same response: artillery.

The Boomers grow their own crops in thriving farms that they have learned to develop over the decades they have been in the base. Solar panels at the Nellis array provide power for the tribe, and they also have a clean water supply that they draw from Lake Mead. At some point, the NCR attempted to shut off the Boomers' water supply. The Boomers' response was to shell sections of the NCR's water pipeline in eastern New Vegas, which led to the NCR quickly retracting their decision and restoring the water flow. In the months that followed, no one else has tried to approach or antagonize the Boomers, a status quo that they greatly prefer.

Society
The Boomers represent an interesting merger combination of tribal customs and beliefs with technological prowess and scientific refinement. Their philosophy stems from the basic belief that personal armament is the foundation of social trust and responsibility. Over the years of confinement in the vault and subsequent self-imposed isolation at Nellis, it has evolved and took the belief to its natural conclusion: personal armament also includes high explosives and their delivery systems, up to and including high explosive bombs dropped from a strategic bomber. Some of the younger generation take it a step further and define the point of being a Boomer is the freedom to make explosions of any kind, the bigger, the better. This has also led to the emergence of a quasi-religion centered around recovering the bomber.

As part of their emphasis on personal liberty, the Boomers exhibit little social stratification. Positions of power are held by Elders, who are appointed either due to age and wisdom (Mother Pearl is the oldest Boomer in 2281, who remembers the foundation of Nellis) or personal skill (Argyll is a talented doctor, while Loyal is the tribe's most capable mechanic). The Elders aren't vested with unlimited power, but have authority in areas relevant to their skill. For example, the Master-at-Arms is responsible for the security of the Nellis homeland, from the coordination of its defenses to the training and fitness of its population.

In general, this type of meritocracy and emphasis on serving the common good is present throughout the tribe. Children are trained from birth to defend themselves and serve the tribe. Training in combat and farming begins from a very early age and once the Boomers come of age, they serve in whatever capacity they are best suited. As a result, every Boomer is a highly trained combatant and a competent survivalist.

Having left Vault 34 and found the Nellis Air Force Base, the Boomers had to find new clothes that reflected their independence. They found old military jackets in the base and used them over their vault jumpsuits. Each jacket sports several military medals for decoration, and embroidered on the back is the number "34," as to never forget where they came from.

They are a self-sufficient society, producing food, weaponry, and power all inside their base. As a result, they need no relations with the outside world. They believe that self-armament is the key to a peaceful society, meaning that each Boomer carries a weapon and will not hesitate to use it when the time calls for it. The Boomers are attached to their history, whether past or present. A large fresco in their museum tells of their great epic:



The left part represents the Boomers emerging from the vault, exterminating the "savages" they encountered with frag mines and grenades. The middle section, which represents the current state of the Boomers, show their discovery of the air force base. There, they prospered, multiplied, and kept the "savages" from distance with the artillery they have. The bubble above the small pods next to the artillery is them flying flight simulators to train to fly the bomber. The right-most section represents the Boomers' future where they hope to unleash "high-explosive ordnance upon ignorant savages" with the bomber they hope to restore.

Structure
Their structure is very basic; there is a leader, a doctor, a teacher, guards, mechanical technicians, and a keeper of the story to keep their history. Only the leader can give orders to the others and has absolute power over everything.

Military
The Boomers have an extremely small but efficient military, consisting of basic guards, mortar teams, the master-at-arms, and the elder. A combination of guards armed with man-portable explosive launchers and howitzer teams will bomb the area south of Nellis when somebody enters targeting range, with the exception of intruders who make it close enough to the fence, in which case they will either detain the intruder or kill them. The commanding officer, called the Master of Arms, coordinates the guards in both defensive and offensive (mainly diversionary) operations, and the elder of the Boomers has the ability to issue new orders and alter or override existing orders with all forms of military and security procedures without contest.

Should the Courier help recover the crashed B-29 from Lake Mead, the Boomers add the bomber to their arsenal, making them one of the few factions in the wasteland with functional air power. The Boomers also have a number of operational Mister Gutsies at their disposal. These robots serve as border guards and can be found patrolling the perimeter of the base.

Outside relations
As part of their self-imposed isolation, the Boomers have little outside relations. They respond to anyone coming within their security perimeter with extreme firepower, regardless of who they are. Individual Boomers are forbidden from leaving Nellis, leading to a situation where anyone wishing to contact the outside world cannot, and anyone from the outside world wishing to contact the Boomers cannot either.

It is just how Boomers like it, though that is not to say that they do not maintain certain relations with the outside. Once, the New California Republic shut off the base's water supply. The Boomers' response was to shell sections of the NCR's water pipeline in eastern New Vegas. The NCR promptly restored the flow.Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.43: "Boomers At the beginning of the war, Nellis Air Force Base scrambled an enormous number of fighters and bombers to respond to the missile launch. None of those planes ever returned. Additionally, despite the best efforts of a man named Mr. House, some of the missiles that struck the greater Las Vegas area impacted Nellis. As a result, Nellis was not an attractive site for scavengers for over a hundred years after the war. ''Fifty years ago, a group of Vault 34's dissidents struck out on their own and started using Nellis as a base. Over a long period of time, they eventually decided to call Nellis their home. They learned a great deal of information from the records at Nellis and used that information to open the weapons storehouses at (currently unknown locations called) Area 2 and the Hawthorne Army Depot. The result of their efforts was an enormous stockpile of heavy ordnance, artillery, and small nuclear weapons.'' ''Due to the tribes paranoia, hostility, and excessive reverence for explosives, the New Vegas locals started calling them "Boomers." The Boomers didn't mind the name as long as it meant people kept their distance. No matter who approaches them (Mr. House, the Vegas families, NCR, or Caesar), the Boomers have the same response: artillery. While the Boomers' attitude has kept away trouble, all of the major players around New Vegas want to get on the tribe's good side. People simply have no idea how to accomplish that. As far as all intelligence indicates, the Boomers have a clean water supply from Lake Mead, power from solar panels inside the base, and thriving farms that they've learned to develop "the hard way" over the decades they've been in the base. Once, the NCR attempted to shut off the Boomers' water supply. The Boomers' response was to shell sections of the NCR's water pipeline in eastern New Vegas. The NCR promptly restored the flow.'' In the months that followed that experiment, no one has tried to approach the Boomers, which is just how they like it." (Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles)

They are hostile towards anyone who tries to approach their base and refuse to trade with anyone. However, due to the powerful weapons they control, the main factions surrounding the area have expressed their interest in them. The NCR hopes to establish diplomatic and trade relations with the Boomers, while Caesar's Legion seeks to conquer and assimilate them. Mr. House wants their weapons aimed at his enemies.

Technology
Despite their tribal customs, the Boomers are one of the most well equipped societies in the wastelands. Nellis is an almost completely self-sufficient community, drawing water from Lake Mead to grow crops and provide for its inhabitants. In order to prevent malnutrition, the standard diet of grains and vegetables is supplemented with soy and legumes for protein. Power is supplied by the base's solar power station and diesel generators located in the bunker. Fuel for the generators is provided by a biodiesel refinery located inside the base that uses surplus crops, like maize, to make biodiesel.

The Boomers have an impressive industrial capacity and are capable of manufacturing a high volume of ammunition, primarily of the full metal jacket variety. For repair and manufacture, they use advanced tools such as welding torches and plasma cutters. This allowed them to amass a sizable stockpile of ammunition. For example, they have enough missiles to last five years without replenishing their stock. The same isn't always true for their reserves of spare parts, particularly for the more delicate and rare technologies like solar arrays.

Their military technology is equally impressive. Apart from the salvaged howitzers, the Boomers have plenty of military grade weapons, including missile launchers, grenade launchers, and even Fat Man class tactical nuclear launchers. They also possess a fleet of military robots supplementing their combat power and allowing them to project their power outside the base, should the situation call for it.

What's more, access to the base's communications also provides them the ability to monitor radio communications. As mentioned above, the Boomers also have access to virtual reality flight simulators, used for flight training of various military aircraft. However, these are only allowed for Boomer use.

Coming from one of the most heavily-armed Vaults in existence, Boomers are extremely well-equipped. They each have a Pip-Boy 3000 and are well versed in the use of explosives. They have missile launchers, grenade launchers, Fat Man launchers as well as many old military howitzers that they use to repel anyone trying to make their way to the base. Many Mister Gutsy robots have been reprogrammed by the Boomers to protect them. These robots can also break down and transport large objects quickly and efficiently, as stated by Loyal regarding the extraction of the bomber they are aiming to acquire.

Within the hangar are flight simulators that can teach any Boomer to fly; these pods are highly similar to the ones found in the Hidden Valley bunker. They have no working planes, but this does not keep them from flying, at least virtually. These simulators need access codes to function. The Courier can be told about them, from Loyal by passing a Speech check; no matter what the Courier's reputation is with the Boomers, they cannot be opened. The base produces its energy through solar panels, cultivates its own crops inside, and draws an unlimited supply of water from Lake Mead thanks to their close proximity.

During the Courier's time with the Boomers, Raquel, the master-at-arms, will state that the Boomers' ordnance is getting low, down to a five-year supply. Similarly, Jack will request more scrap metal for future use. These requests demonstrate a mastery over logistics and stockpiling, which many factions in the Mojave simply lack.

Appearances
The Boomers appear only in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * The Boomers were created by John Gonzalez.