Ciphers The Ciphers of the West are a tribe of scientifically - gifted people in the western United States . They live concealed in the hills in NCR territory , but outside the Republic ' s control , which dismisses them as tribals . They spend their days memorizing pre - War schematics no contemporary wastelander can understand , save for the most gifted ones ( like Elijah ) . Background . Origins . In the weeks following the Great War , a group of scientists and soldiers left the atomic laboratory at Los Alamos , New Mexico , and wandered north with a band of other survivors , looking for a place of relative safety . They assumed that they were the only " civilized " people left , since everyone else they encountered attacked them , trying to take their food , water , and clothes . When they discovered one of the ancient pueblos at Mesa Verde , they decided to set up camp there . The group carried only a limited amount of technology with them . The soldiers had pistols and rifles , and the scientists carried one barely working computer , enough parts to build several water makers and a crude wind turbine to power them , several lead - lined boxes containing enriched uranium , and a small supply of medicine . The rest of the band had a variety of miscellaneous gear which most contributed for group use . A decade later , the computer began to fail . Fearing that the technology of the Old World would be forever lost , the scientists began painting and carving electronic schematics into the walls of the pit . At the same time , they insisted that mathematics be emphasized when educating the village children so that their descendants would understand how to use the schematics . Culture . Because they were steeped in mathematics from a very early age , the villagers tend to use a lot of mathematic terms to express themselves . This occasionally confusing , cryptic way of speaking caused them to be dubbed " Ciphers " by educated wasteland dwellers who thought they might be speaking in some type of code . The Ciphers merely shrugged and accepted the name . As the years passed , the Ciphers forgot their disciplined , scientific roots and became more concerned with everyday survival rather than meaningless scientific theories . When it comes to electronic devices and weapons , the Ciphers know more about how it works than why it works : " The symbols say put this and this together , and then this happens . Why ? Who knows ? As long as the numbers are right , who cares ? " The emphasis on mathematics in their culture has led to Ciphers to assign an almost mystical significance to specific numbers . It is the closest thing to a religion they have . Each Cipher is believed to have a personal number , determined by the Nemonik at their birth . Ciphers will take their personal number into consideration when doing almost anything , from heading out to hunt on the sixth day of the month to choosing whom to marry . It ' s all very confusing to outsiders . The village at Mesa Verde was tiny to begin with , having barely enough room to house all the scientists , soldiers and other survivors . Nearly a century later , the descendants of the original settlers had outgrown the space and resources available . Many families chose to adopt a nomadic lifestyle to avoid the perpetual thirst and hunger . Only those families with very young children or those Ciphers too old and feeble to travel remain full - time in the village . Both Cipher men and women are capable fighters , and even the children are taught how to fight as soon as they are able as a matter of practicality . A typical Cipher nomad band consists of two to three families traveling together . They usually have at least one type of electronic device like a cattle prod or an ultrasonic generator to ward off wild animals . Appearances . The Ciphers were going to appear in " Van Buren " , the canceled " Fallout 3 " by Black Isle Studios . They are mentioned by Father Elijah in " Dead Money " .