Alphonse Almodovar

Overseer Alphonse Almodovar is the leader of Vault 101 .
==Background==
===Early life===
A larger-than-life figure in Vault 101, Alphonse Almodovar was originally just one of many Vault dwellers, born in a time when the shelter allowed residents to freely venture into the world and trade with the outside. Under the overseer's leadership, the Vault was in excellent shape, despite pushing 170 years of age, well beyond anything Vault-Tec planned for. However, Almodovar saw it differently: growing up with parents who believed that the Vault should not be exposed to dangers, Alphonse developed a ruthless isolationist streak, biding his time until he could correct the gross lapses in security. He got his wish one day, when the overseer disappeared while out on a mission in the wasteland. Alphonse's youth and charisma allowed him to seize the opportunity and assume leadership, with the rest of the Vault having little choice but to accept.Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p. 89: "Overseer Alphonse AlmodovarGrowing up in Vault 101 during a time when the Vault dwellers ventured freely into the outside world, Alphonse's parents believed the Vault should have no contact with the dangers out there. As he got older, Alphonse knew he had to correct the gross lapses in security. He got his chance when the Overseer—a strong proponent of outside contact—disappeared one day while out in the Wasteland. Many suspected foul play, but the young, charismatic, strong-willed Alphonse Almodovar offered the Vault dwellers new leadership, and they had little choice but to accept."(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census)
Alphonse was convinced that the previous overseers who opened up the Vault were idiots, and the Vault was on the verge of destruction when he took over. As such, he ordered the Vault to be immediately sealed, so that he could set about correcting their mistakes and ensuring the Vault would become a refuge with the safest, purest humans left.Lone Wanderer: "I know that the vault's been open before, and that you lied about its isolation."Overseer: "The previous Overseers were idiots, and we nearly died because of their naivete. I'm simply trying to make up for their mistakes. In a generation or two, no one will remember it ever happened, and we'll still be the safest, purest humans left. "(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) While there were casualties among the excursions, the situation was not as dire as Alphonse believed. However, he forced all the adults to swear a pact of secrecy, to pretend that the Vault has never opened since the Great War. Some assumed it was because of the casualties, and agreed to the ruse.Lone Wanderer: "Tell me about the Rebels."Old Lady Palmer: "Oh, dear, we aren't asking for anything special. The Vault's been open before, but for some reason, everyone tries to pretend it wasn't. I guess they try to forget the poor souls who never came back from out there."(Old Lady Palmer's dialogue)
===Leadership===
Alphonse's tenure as overseer proved to be disastrous for the Vault. Early on, he made a number of good decisions. The most important was filling a vacancy in the Vault's clinic, by letting James and his infant child inside around 2258,Baby Steps takes place at 1 year of age, in 2259 ensuring the shelter had someone who understood cardiology, pediatrics, psychiatry and other essential branches of medicine.James: "Yes, yes. Cardiology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry. Whatever your needs. You'll find I can handle, well… I can handle just about anything."Overseer: "All right. Just remember one thing. We need a doctor, not a deadbeat. Fail to meet my expectations, and there will be repercussions."(James and Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) Indirectly, it also provided a like-aged companion for Amata, his daughter, after Alphonse's wife passed away.Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p. 60: "Amata AlmodovarAmata is the Overseer's daughter. Her mother died when she was just two years old. She loves her father dearly and is very loyal to him, but she hopes to change his stance on isolationism. She does not want to defy Alphonse but longs to experience the outside world. You and Amata have been best friends all your life, drawn together by the common bond of not having known your mothers."(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census)
The newly bereaved overseer was obsessed with security to the point of oppression. Unlike the previous overseers, he cultivated an atmosphere of strict adherence to rules and secrecy, eventually instituting a cult of personality centered around himself. It failed to inspire anything but resentment among the adultsLone Wanderer: "I hope you brought me something better than last year."Old Lady Palmer: "Well now! Young people were more polite back in my day. Respected their elders. Of course, we had a real Overseer back then. Worthy of respect. Not like that one over there, with his rules and his secrets. Why, I have half a mind to just up and tell you... Oh my, there I go again with my old lady talk and you still waiting patiently for your present. I suppose you could have asked more politely, but it is still your birthday, so here you go: a nice sweetroll I baked just for you."(Old Lady Palmer's dialogue) or ensure the continuing operation of the Vault. Within just twenty years, the Vault started to deteriorate uncontrollably.Stanley Armstrong: "This Vault's been going to pot ever since that young Alphonse took over."(Stanley's dialogue) 
Similarly, the culture declined, with juvenile delinquency on the rise (more than usual), offset by a sharp decline in population. By 2268, the number of young people born in the Vault was at one of its lowest points, with elder Vault dwellers comparing it unfavorably with the crowds that once filled the Vault in its heyday.Lone Wanderer: "Oh, you didn't have to bring me a present, Mrs. Palmer."Old Lady Palmer: "Fiddlesticks! What 10-year-old doesn't like presents? I was 10 once, believe it or not! My goodness, the Vault was practically crowded back then. Not like today. So few young people now... But here I am rambling on again, and you listening so politely. Here you go, a nice sweetroll that I baked for you just this morning. And it's all for you -- no sharing required today!"(Old Lady Palmer's dialogue)
As such, while Almodovar tried to instill virtues such as loyalty, honesty, commitment, and hard work in all of the dwellers, his repressive style of governance and ego achieved the opposite effect. Even his daughter was slowly resisting his indoctrination.Vault 101 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Amata It did not help that for all his posing, his contempt for outsiders (such as the Lone Wanderer) was thinly veiled,The Overseer: ""(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) and his primary concern was getting everyone to work as hard and as soon as possible, including a policy of handing out work assignments to children as soon as they reached ten years of age.The Overseer: "Congratulations, young /! I don't have to tell you how special this day is, do I? Down here in Vault 101, when you turn 10, well, you're ready to take on your first official Vault responsibilities. So here you are. As Overseer, I hereby present to you your very own Pip-Boy 3000! Get used to it. You'll be getting your first work assignment tomorrow. Ha ha ha ha ha!"(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) He only bent his own rules for Amata, such as allowing her to host a short birthday party for her closest friend. Even then, it only meant a short break from everyday tedium, with security officers instructed to clean up the cafeteria and put everyone back to work a few minutes after the overseer left the party.Officer Kendall: "Enjoy the party, sir?"The Overseer: "Bah, I only showed up because Amata's friends with the brat. Give them a few more minutes and then I want that place cleaned up and everybody back to work."Officer Kendall: "Sure thing, sir."(Officer Kendall and Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) He sincerely believed that being overseer meant being firm, unbending, and utterly uncompromising - permitting a break was all he could do for his own daughter, besides "appropriate paternal encouragement," and he certainly could not divert any extra Vault resources for her.Lone Wanderer: "She did a great job. But couldn't you have helped out a bit more?"The Overseer: " I gave her all the appropriate paternal encouragement, of course, but I could not contribute extra vault resources. "(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue)
By 2274, the cult of personality and oppression became everyday features of Vault 101 life, with even the Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test used to determine Vault postings altered to reinforce Alphonse's position and ego. The final question demanded all youth to effectively swear allegiance to him, by stating that he is "indisputably the most important person in Vault 101, [...] who shelters [them] from the harshness of the atomic wasteland, and to whom [they] owe everything [they] have, including [their] lives?"G.O.A.T. Question 10: "Who is indisputably the most important person in Vault 101: He who shelters us from the harshness of the atomic wasteland, and to whom we owe everything we have, including our lives?1. The Overseer2. The Overseer3. The Overseer4. The Overseer" His rigid style of parenting and position steadily pushed Amata away, who was singled out by her few peers as the overseer's kid, getting what they saw as preferential treatment (despite her father trying otherwise). Alphonse practically ensured this outcome by insisting to be present whenever she underwent a medical examination, including gynaecological check-ups by James. This controlling behavior was considered both ridiculous and sad, and proof that he did not trust even his own flesh and blood.Vault 101 terminal entries; Vault 101 medical data system, Patient files, Amata Others fared similarly poorly: Stanley Armstrong was the Vault's only maintenance engineer,Edwin Brotch: "Well, well. Pip-Boy Programmer, eh? Stanley will finally have someone to talk shop with."(Edwin Brotch's dialogue) run ragged by the overseer, suffering from overwork and lack of sleep, and kept in working shape by mainlining aspirin,Vault 101 terminal entries; Vault 101 medical data system, Patient files, Stanley while Freddie Gomez suffering from an acute case of Vault depressive syndrome was facing a lifetime on chlorpromazine, an anti-psychotic medication.Vault 101 terminal entries; Vault 101 medical data system, Patient files, Freddie Gomez 
His oppressive governance went beyond controlling and drugging dwellers, the nightsticks of his hand-picked security officers, or reinstating the post of Vault loyalty inspector formerly phased out decades prior.Edwin Brotch: "Huh. 'Vault Loyalty Inspector'... I thought that had been phased out decades ago. Well, sounds like a job right up your alley, hmm?"(Edwin Brotch's dialogue) He also took the Tunnel Snakes under his wing (unofficially) to act as a deniable asset in dealing with various problems in the Vault the security force would be unqualified for.Vault 101 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Tunnel Snakes
===James and his child's escape of Vault 101===
In October 2277, the overseer seemed to have the Vault firmly under his thumb, dealing only with the frustration of Amata pushing him away, the Tunnel Snakes picking on her too much for his liking, and finding a long-term pharmaceutical solution to Beatrice Armstrong's declining mental faculties.Vault 101 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Beatrice Armstrong However, it was the calm before the storm. James, the physician he let into the Vault nearly 20 years prior, kept chipping away at Project Purity, leeching small amounts of power and supplies to keep a spark of the project going against Almodovar's wishes.The Overseer: "You are to mend broken bones, prescribe medications, and see to the health of my residents. These 'experiments' are a waste of time!"(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) What started as an experiment to confirm that his child was not suffering from mutations or other degenerative conditions that affected cell division (which would likely cause severe repercussions with the overseer), blossomed into a scientific partnership with Jonas Palmer, assigned to the clinic as an assistant medic and understudy.Vault 101 terminal entries; Vault 101 medical data system, Experiments
The overseer had reservations about the assignment, putting two idealists together, but he considered Palmer's skills as a medic to be too important to have him languish in maintenance.Vault 101 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, Jonas Jonas' help was invaluable in keeping Project Purity and pushed James to do more, and eventually he managed to sneak into Almodovar's office, half-drunk on scotch, and among propaganda, spy reports, and assorted ramblings characteristic of an autocrat, he found information connecting Stanislaus Braun with the G.E.C.K. and the Societal Preservation Program.Project Purity Personal Journal: Entry 5 The Garden of Eden Creation Kit was something that could revive Project Purity, and after gaining enough leads to locate Braun and Vault 112, James did what Almodovar feared the most: he opened the Vault.Project Purity Personal Journal: Entry 8
Upon realizing what happened, Alphonse went ballistic, setting his security force loose throughout the Vault to deal with any and all perceived dangers, and permission to open fire without warning. Special attention was paid to Jonas Palmer, beaten to death by Chief Hannon on Almodovar's orders, to discourage anyone else from leaving the Vault and depleting their numbers further.Lone Wanderer: "I'm sick of your lies! You murdered Jonas in cold blood!"The Overseer: "First of all, I didn't kill Jonas. I commanded Chief Hannon to do so. But only because it had to be done. Jonas was going to leave with your father. If he left, others would have left to join them. And they'd all vanish into the Wastes, never to return. And with our numbers so depleted, we wouldn't be able to last beyond another generation. Assuming our expatriates didn't lead Raiders to us, first."(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) Others were set up at critical points to deal with the radroach infestation and apprehend the child James left behind for "questioning." In an act of defiance, Amata evaded the lockdown and helped her friend avoid security, warning them of the crackdown in advance. When security caught her, as the future Lone Wanderer was making their way to the Vault door, the overseer had her brought in for questioning. Instead of mercy or leniency, he ordered Officer Mack to torture his own daughter for information, beating her while claiming it is unenjoyable, but necessary (much to Amata's disagreement).CG04InterrogationAmataOverseer
 The Lone Wanderer had an opportunity to save her and confront the overseer, and even kill him, on the way out.Escape!
====Sparing the overseer====
After the chaos of the escape subsided, Alphonse turned his attention to securing the home front. He believed that the deaths among the dwellers were necessary to secure the Vault, including the cold-blooded murder of Jonas. As Amata and Edwin Brotch organized a resistance movement, with the young generation learning for the first time that the Vault was sealed not because of the surface being uninhabitable, but Alphonse's lies, the overseer blamed himself for the upheaval. Not his lies or oppression, but a lapse of judgement in letting an outsider sully "humanity's last pure specimens."Lone Wanderer: "Do you have any idea why my father left the Vault in the first place?"The Overseer: "I've spent many nights asking myself exactly that. He certainly didn't tell me before he left. I blame myself, really. I should have known better than to let him enter our home in the first place. He certainly showed his true colors in the end. Were he raised in the cleanliness of our Vault, perhaps your father would have shown more dedication to the important things in life. "(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) He did not realize that he was treating isolation as an end in itself, rather than the means for humanity's survival. The rebels and insurgents desiring to open up the Vault became his designated villains, and if they could be defeated, all would be well again.Lone Wanderer: "You're not protecting your people, you're destroying them. Can't you see that?"The Overseer: "I'm afraid you're the shortsighted one, here. I'm simply keeping them safe and untouched by the war above. The real danger are the rebels and insurgents who insist on risking all of our lives just to die out there in the Wastes. If they weren't trying to throw our lives away like that, we could go back to the peaceful life we once had. Everyone would be happy again."(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) As such, he has rededicated himself and the security force to restoring order by force, with constant pleas for reconciliation broadcast on the public address system.Vault 101 emergency frequency However, he also swore off violence as a means of resolving the problem. The difficult decisions he made on the night of James' escape were necessary,Lone Wanderer: "Don't try to justify your murders and lies. They were never threats."The Overseer: "Spoken like someone who's never had to make difficult decisions. Like someone who's never had to lead. Jonas was leaving with your father. Their departure would lead to others leaving as well. And before you know it, half of the Vault would be gone. And then, our home - the last safe, pure bastion of humanity - would be reduced to a lonely handful of aging hold-outs, too few to continue."(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) due to the clear and present threat to the future success of the Vault.Lone Wanderer: "Lay off the evil banter. I'm just curious about your side of all this."The Overseer: "Really? And here I had expected you to be full of bullets and bravado, but short on brains. Perhaps you've grown up since you left our Vault. I regret the unfortunate events of that night, but I'm afraid that once your father left us, they were unavoidable. "(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) That success was keeping humanity untainted for as long as possible, rather than helping it survive and rebuild.Lone Wanderer: "Tainted? You're the crazy bastard who murdered Jonas!"The Overseer: "I assume you're talking about the unpleasantness when you left, yes? Jonas and your father were endangering the future success of this Vault and the safety of its residents "(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) If Alphonse could permanently seal the Vault, he would be protecting this future,Lone Wanderer: "With your leadership, no one in this Vault has much of a future."The Overseer: "That would be where you're wrong, young man. By locking down this Vault, I'm protecting its future. In fact, I was protecting its future when I had to make those unpleasant choices the night you and your father abandoned us. I only wish I could have stopped your father before he left. If anyone's to blame for the unpleasantness, it's him."(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) with all of its inhabitants remaining a pure and protected breed of humans, untainted by the ravages of the war.Lone Wanderer: "What do you mean by the Vault's 'future success'?"The Overseer: "Ah, you're paying attention. Good for you. These Vaults were designed to be safe havens for humanity, you see. But more than that, they were designed to test and protect us. And none more so than our Vault 101. We are to be a pure and protected breed of humans, never tainted by the ravages of the war above."(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue)
However, Alphonse's intentions would see to it that they would be pure, protected, and very much dead: for starters, Almodovar lost control over his security force in his single-minded pursuit of purity and perfection in "his" Vault,Lone Wanderer: "You can't even keep your security in line. They're planning to raid the rebels."The Overseer: "Damnit, I told them I won't let this degenerate into violence again! The Vault simply can't take the instability anymore! But maybe you're right. They simply can't stand the pressure anymore, and now the purity and perfection of my Vault is crumbling all around me."(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) leading to them independently planning to raid the rebels to restore order by force, gunning down a couple of the rebels to bring the rest in line.Vault 101 terminal entries; desk terminal, CONFIDENTIAL The combination of Almodovar's failed policies and the killings by his security force rendered Vault 101 unsustainable: if locked down, there would not be enough genetic diversity to preserve the population for more than a couple generations. The Vault would never make it another hundred years.Lone Wanderer: "You simply don't have enough people to stay isolated down here forever."The Overseer: " My God, you're right. We won't last another hundred years, whether or not we get supplies from the outside. We're the last bastion of pure humanity, and we're doomed."(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) The safe haven for humanity was doomed to destruction,Lone Wanderer: "You'll never survive down here, isolated from the rest of the world."The Overseer: "The mission of this Vault has always been to ensure a safe haven for pure humans. We owe it to our species to keep to that mission."(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue) by Almodovar's hand, who misinterpreted its mission, confusing survival with preserving genetic purity. Somewhat redeeming is the fact that once led down this avenue of reasoning, Alphonse is ready to admit his error and pass on the mantle to his daughter, who he tortured just a few weeks or months earlier.Lone Wanderer: "The only mission your Vault ever had was keeping its residents alive."The Overseer: " I suppose it would allow them to stay alive, and we could still keep the Vault as our safe haven. But it'd require a new type of leader. "(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue)	 In the end, all he wanted was to keep its inhabitants safe,Lone Wanderer: "Humanity isn't about pure genetics. It's about never giving up hope, even now."The Overseer: " My way won't save our Vault's mission. But if I let them contact the outside world, I might be able to save its inhabitants. But I'm not the one to lead them in that. I'm stepping down as Overseer. I'll tell Amata that I can think of no more appropriate leader than she."(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue)
 which is also why he has rejected the offer from the Enclave, promising amnesty and support in return for opening up the Vault.Vault 101 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, View External Contact Report
====Killing the overseer====
If Alphonse dies during the Lone Wanderer's escape, his demise has disastrous consequences. Allen Mack, who distinguished himself during the chaos by saving lives, including Stanley Armstrong's, becomes overseer. Mack is even more ruthless and oppressive than Alphonse, and virtually impossible to reason with.Lone Wanderer: "That was the Overseer's fault, and he paid for it that night."Officer Armstrong: "He wasn't the only one who didn't make it to morning. It was a horrible, horrible night. Believe it or not, it was Allen Mack who really stepped up in the crisis. Wally's dad really saved some lives, and got named the new Overseer for it. Then, just when some hoped he might open the door for good, he declared martial law and said the place would stay sealed off forever."(Officer Armstrong's dialogue)Lone Wanderer: "What happened down here?"Wally Mack: ""(Wally Mack's dialogue)
==Interactions with the player character==
===Interactions overview===
===Quests===
* Growing Up Fast: The overseer presents the Lone Wanderer with their Pip-Boy 3000 at their 10th birthday party.
** The player can follow the overseer as he goes past the reactor, up some stairs and engages in dialogue with Officer John Kendall, noting that the only reason he came to the party is that Amata is friends with the Lone Wanderer, and instructs the officer to clean up the place a few minutes later.
* Escape!: When James escapes, Almodovar sends his security officers after the Lone Wanderer and orders the death of Jonas after James' escape. He is met in person later during the escape, when he interrogates his own daughter and has Officer Mack torture her for information. 
** The player can choose to intervene and kill the overseer, greatly affecting the outcome of the next quest. If the player lets Amata keep her father's gun, she will also shoot Officer Mack to stop the torture.
** If the player decides to turn themselves in, he will confiscate the weapons and immediately attack.
** Turning the overseer hostile will cause Amata to react as if the player killed Almodovar. In this case, Alphonse will keep following them throughout the Vault, all the way to the door.
* Trouble on the Homefront: Almodovar is the antagonist during the quest, but can be convinced to step down from his position and pass the mantle on to Amata. If Almodovar was killed by the player, Allen Mack is the new overseer, and he cannot be reasoned with to open up the Vault.
** Officer Mack killed Jonas, and Almodovar will reveal that it was on his orders: Security Chief Hannon was told to ensure Palmer's death.
** His computer terminal reveals that, after leaving, the Enclave contacted the Vault in an attempt to gain access, but he denied them entry as he would not trust the lives of the Vault inhabitants to outsiders.
** If the player destroys the Vault by flooding it during Trouble on the Homefront and lies to the overseer by saying the rebels did it, the overseer will stay behind and die with the Vault, acknowledging his failure.Lone Wanderer: "One of the rebels did it to force everyone to leave. I tried to stop them. <Lie.>"The Overseer: "Why? Why would they throw away their home, just to die outside in that miserable wasteland? Was I really so terrible an overseer? I must have pushed them too hard, made the unknown seem too tempting. And now I've failed them. Their deaths will be my fault. Please, help a few of them stay alive out there. And say goodbye to my daughter for me. I'll stay with the Vault. It was my responsibility, and my failure."(Alphonse Almodovar's dialogue)
===Other interactions===
* He will appear as one of the hallucinations in Vault 106.
==Inventory==
==Notes==
The overseer's first name is mentioned once in the game, by Stanley, while his last name is only established by Edwin Brotch's reply to Amata and her test results.Amata: "Here you are, Mr. Brotch. I hope I did okay."Edwin Brotch: "Nothing for you to worry about, Miss Almodovar. Let's see... Very well done. Looks like it's the supervisory track for you."Amata: "Thanks. See you tomorrow."(Amata and Edwin Brotch's dialogue) The official game guide lists him by his full personals.
==Notable quotes==
==Appearances==
Alphonse Almodovar appears only .
==Behind the scenes==
In promotional content for Fallout 76, a teammate with the nickname "AAlmadovar" can be seen.
==Bugs==
* If fought during the quest Escape!, he can sometimes say "The overseer will hear about this!" even though he is the overseer, as he also uses the generic Vault dweller lines.
* He will call characters "young men" regardless of gender during dialogue in Trouble on the Homefront. He is also always identified as "The Overseer," even if he relinquishes the position to Amata.
==Gallery==
Oversepic101.png|Alphonse and a young Amata
FO3 Pip boy 3000 handover.jpg|Overseer Almodovar giving the Lone Wanderer their Pip-Boy 3000 on their tenth birthday
The Overseer 101 GUF.jpg|Overseer Almodovar, during Growing Up Fast
101overseer.png
Interrogation of Amata.jpg|Interrogation of Amata
Vault 106 hallucination office.jpg|Alphonse hallucination in Vault 106
==References==
Non-game
Category:Vault 101 characters
Category:Fallout 3 human characters
Category:Overseers
de:Alphonse Almodovar
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ru:Альфонс Альмодовар
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