Vault 13 Vault 13 is one of a series of fallout shelters developed by Vault - Tec in southern California beneath . It is located west of Shady Sands and Vault 15 , and east of Mariposa Military Base . It was the home of the Vault Dweller . Background . 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 3 , 200 , 000 tons of soil at 200 feet . The total number of occupants ( at maximum capacity ) was 1 , 000 and it 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 . According to Chris Avellone , the purpose of Vault 13 in the vault experiment s was at first to stay closed for 200 years , as a study of prolonged isolation . According to Dick Richardson , however , " " It was supposed to remain closed until the subjects were needed " " and as , " " a control group . " " 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 . 98 gigawatts per 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 ten 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 complement of two , makes three 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 prior to December 5 , 2161 , Vault 13 ' s water purification chip began to malfunction . The Overseer , Jacoren began to send out Vault 13 dwellers into the wasteland to find a replacement chip . Amongst those sent out to search for a replacement chip was 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 ' 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 FEV vats , which led to a rare transformation into a ghoul - like mutant similar to Harold , and was later rescued under ambiguous circumstances by the Followers of the Apocalypse . He joined them as a full - fledged member shortly afterwards and remained in the Boneyard Library in the Boneyard , abandoning his initial mission . The last known Vault 13 dweller selected by Jacoren was a man later known as the Vault Dweller . On December 5 , 2161 at 07 : 21 , Jacoren gave the Vault Dweller a 10mm pistol , some ammunition , and the location of Vault 15 and sent him out into the wastes to find a new water chip , a task finally completed by him in February 2162 . The replacement chip was eventually found in Necropolis in Vault 12 . Jacoren was happy to see the Vault Dweller return alive and with the vital water chip , but was concerned or frightened by the Vault Dweller ' s report , particularly 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 that someone must be producing new mutants at a startling rate . This posed a new threat to Vault 13 . Due to the Vault Dweller ' s proven ability and knowledge of the outside world , Jacoren tasked the Vault Dweller with a new mission : find and destroy the danger of the mutants . He suggested that the Vault Dweller begin their search to the west . Once again , the Vault Dweller left the vault . At some point in time Talius , was sent out of the vault to search for a replacement chip and it is possible that Ed , who lies dead outside of the vault was also sent out from the vault to search for the water chip . Vault Dweller ' s exile . Jacoren was right , and the Vault Dweller soon found and killed the source of the Mutant army , the Master , and destroyed his base , the Cathedral in March 2162 . On April 20 , 2162 , he found the Master ' s second in command , the Lieutenant . He killed him and destroyed the Mariposa Military Base containing the FEV vats used to create the Master ' s Army . After the defeat of the Master and the Unity , the Vault Dweller returned to Vault 13 on May 10 , 2162 . Calling to the Vault 13 communicator and announcing his victory , the vault door opened and Jacoren appeared , confronted the Vault Dweller , and told him that he saved the vault , and 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 . Eventually he was tried and sentenced to death for committing a great crime ( that can be assumed to be the act of exiling the Vault Dweller ) . Martin Frobisher , the leader of Vault 13 in 2241 claims this , but he didn ' t see Jacoren executed personally , 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 ( if one has the Bloody Mess perk ) . 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 replace the Overseer , they built a mainframe computer , a fully - automated mainframe to control and regulate Vault 13 . As for the Vault Dweller and the people who followed him , they trekked 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 his dying village . Intelligent deathclaws . On May 15 , 2241 , the Enclave sends a coded sequence to Vault 13 , activating its central computer and declaring that it is time to leave the vault . Martin Frobisher , the leader of Vault 13 , gathers the vault dwellers for the " Leaving The Vault " video , a tutorial movie of Vault - Tec about the rules to follow when vault dwellers left their vault . On May 16 , 2241 , Vault 13 is opened and greeted by two Enclave squads with vertibird s . The squads kill three of the vault dwellers who were " resisting capture " and storm the vault , kidnapping all the inhabitants . On May 17 , 2241 , the Enclave drops 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 , led 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 . After the visit of the Chosen One and before the destruction of the Oil Rig , the intelligent deathclaws were wiped out by the Enclave and Frank Horrigan , leaving the vault empty . However this may not be the case since there is a bugged ' good ' ending where Gruthar and his pack survive and continue to peacefully expand out into the wastes . 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 vault was claimed by the NCR or some other group , or if Vault 13 was simply abandoned altogether or if it still remains inhabited . Layout . Cavern entrance ( " Fallout " ) . The link between Vault 13 and outer world . Remains of Ed are a good warning . There are 20 rats in the cave . Cavern entrance ( " Fallout 2 " ) . The link between Vault 13 and outer world . Nothing is here . Entrance ( " Fallout " ) . The link between the Vault 13 and the outside . Here Vault Dwellers can find medical treatment . Entrance ( " Fallout 2 " ) . Intelligent deathclaw s have moved in . However , they allow humans ( whom they found in the wasteland ) to live here . They are being first brought to Joseph , the herbalist for medical treatment . Living quarters ( " Fallout " ) . The Vault Dwellers sleep here ( around 19 : 00 to 8 : 00 ) . Also , some are using the rooms for private meetings , like the rebel faction . Living quarters ( " Fallout 2 " ) . The Living Quarters serve now more as a prison for those who disturb the law in Vault 13 . Also , a shrine to Vault 13 ' s champion is being built here and it is being tended by Gordon . Command center ( " Fallout " ) . The command center where the Overseer , Jacoren , is located , as well as the vault library . It is where the Overseer maintains the vault . Nearby is the library , armory and water supplies room . However , the water guard gives the supplies because there is a thief who steals water . You can ' spend some time researching important information ' using the Science skill on the westernmost computer . Command center ( " Fallout 2 " ) . The Command Center is now a place where the deathclaw matriarch lays her eggs . The main computer is broken and a computer voice module is needed to repair it . Appearances . Vault 13 appears in " Fallout " and " Fallout 2 " . A rusted Vault 13 flask can be found and given to the Vault Dweller in " " , mentioning after Vault 13 - " the old vault colors haven ' t even faded that much " . Vault 13 is mentioned by a missionary in " " during G . I . Blues and in the challenge Vault 13 ' s Revenge added in the add - on " Gun Runners ' Arsenal " . A Vault 13 flask and the armored Vault 13 jumpsuit of the Vault Dweller appear in the pre - order items pack " Classic Pack " of " " .