West Tek research facility The West Tek research facility , colloquially known as The Glow or Great Glow after the Great War , was founded in 2002 as the primary research installation for West Tek . Location . The Glow can be found eight squares east and twenty - four squares south of Vault 13 . Background . Initially divided into two sections , " " Advanced Weapons " " and " " Biomedical Sciences Research " " , by 2069 it was the single biggest private contractor of the American government , with its biggest project being the T - 51b power armor for use by infantry soldiers on the frontlines . Its second - largest was the Pan - Immunity Virion Project ( PVP ) , later known as the Forced Evolutionary Virus ( FEV ) . In 2076 , the research facility was secured by a military contingent for fear of international espionage , shortly afterwards , the PVP research was moved to the Mariposa Military Base where experimentation on human subjects would continue . Several other projects were also being pursued , including energy weapons and upgrading existing armor . The Glow . < section begin = " GLOWPV13Summary " / > The West Tek research facility was destroyed in the nuclear holocaust of 2077 . During the Great War the surface of the installation took a direct hit from a nuclear warhead which left a gaping hole exposing the subterranean installation , shattering the FEV containment tanks and releasing the irradiated virus into the atmosphere . < section end = " GLOWPV13Summary " / > Mutated by radiation , the airborne FEV strain did not have the same mutagenic abilities as its counterpart at Mariposa , but still complicated things for the Master later on . Due to its high radiation , the facility came to be known as the Glow , surrounded by legends among the people of New California . In 2134 , a faction within the Brotherhood of Steel led by Sergeant Dennis Allen gained strength , and they urged the Elders to let them explore the ruins of the West Tek Research Facility , now called the Glow , for artifacts . The Elders refused , so Allen and his group split away from the Brotherhood of Steel , taking some technology and weapons with them . Other members of the team included Soto , Jensen , and Camarillo . Unfortunately for them , they were killed by security robots and radiation . The Brotherhood of Steel used to send unwanted applicants to the Glow on a " " fool ' s quest " " , referring to it by the moniker the " " Ancient Order " " , just to laugh about it later when they ended up dead because of the high amount of radiation in the area . They were quite surprised when one known as the Vault Dweller actually made it back , bringing with them a holodisk that recorded the fate of Allen ' s expedition , and earning them a place in the Brotherhood . It is important to note that the Glow , true to its name , is one of the most highly irradiated locations in the " Fallout " universe . A few moments ' exposure is enough to give a lethal dose of rads . Use of Rad - X to boost Radiation Resistance to 100 % is widely considered absolutely necessary to survive a trip to the Glow . Dayglow . Some time after 2162 , some ghoul survivors from Necropolis settled north and west of the Glow , and founded the town of Dayglow , whose inhabitants formed partnerships with scavenging companies from New Adytum and the Hub and have built quite a profitable corporation from their salvage efforts . Layout . Exterior . Little remains on the surface of the Glow - just a gaping crater where once the heart of the American research effort laid . Three charred corpses lie around the crater . The location is extremely irradiated - radiation levels shoot up when one is able to see the giant crater , and it only gets worse afterwards . A rope can be attached to the steel beam in order to enter the facility . Level 1 . This was where the offices and other administrative sections of the facility were , before the destruction of the building . The atomic bombing obliterated much of the level and scorched what survived . The body of Sergeant Dennis Allen lays in the conference room , encased in a defunct suit of T - 51b power armor . On his person was a holodisk which the Vault Dweller used to become an initiate of the Brotherhood of Steel . Level 2 . The second level of the facility has been affected by the nuclear blast also , yet more survived , most notably , the security bots of the facility . The exact purpose is unknown ( ZAX does not provide a description ) , but it was likely a section devoted to blueprints and design , as a lot of computers and tables are present . On a burnt corpse in the northeast corner a red pass key can be found , granting access to other levels . Level 3 . This level connects two different lifts providing transportation between the levels of the facility . Apart from that , it housed the facility ' s weapons research and development laboratories , indicated by the twin robot security checkpoints , secure labs and a stash of lockers with weapons and ammunition , likely held for research purposes . Level 4 ( Biology - Physics Research Labs ) . Every base needs a brain , and this level houses the mind of The Glow - ZAX . This supercomputer oversaw all research and development that took place in the base , in addition to performing the routine checks etc . Ever since the nuclear holocaust , he idled , biding his time , frustrated at his inability to perform even the most basic of routines . In addition , the most advanced research labs in the country were located here , most notably physics and biology laboratories , allowing for breakthroughs to happen in science . The body of Charles Ringhold lies in one of the laser labs , carrying a blue pass key . Level 5 ( Secure Testing Labs ) . The core of the facility , by far the most secure and least accessible , are the testing labs . Sealed , protected by three robot checkpoints , these laboratories witnessed the development of FEV and advanced weaponry , including the Winchester P94 plasma rifle . Here , surviving records of the FEV development can also be gleaned . Level 6 ( Barracks and Operations Center ) . The deepest level housed the living quarters of the essential research personnel , along with the primary power generator for the base and the operations center . After the Great War , the power generator ' s fuses got stuck in the locked position , powering down the entire base . The body of one of Dennis Allen ' s comrades lies , horribly burned , in one of the rooms . Notes . Major Minor Appearances . The West Tek research facility appeared only in " Fallout " . It is also mentioned in " Fallout 3 " in database entries found on the Maxson Archive terminal in the Citadel , in the " Fallout 3 " add - on " " , and in The Armageddon Rag , Vol . 3 .