Dick Richardson

President Dick Richardson is the leader of the Enclave sheltered on the Enclave Oil Rig in 2242. He serves as the main antagonist of Fallout 2.
==Background==
President Richardson is a thin, nervous man in a frayed suit, who has a habit of staring off into space, who does not look at all like the head of the "free world," the president of the United States (or rather, the Enclave).Dick Richardson's character description: "{100}{}{You see a man in a suit. He's staring into space. Like he's lookin' at you but he ain't lookin' at you.}""{101}{}{You see the head of the free world, the President of the United States.}""{102}{}{You see a thin, nervous, older man who looks as tired and frayed as the suit he's wearing.}" Continuing the Enclave's genocidal policy adopted in the 2140s, Richardson aimed to establish his legacy as the president who retook the mainland United States from "mutants," by wiping out all non-Enclave humans worldwide and colonizing the ruins.State of the Nation
His political career began in the Enclave Congress sometime before 2215. In August of that year, his father, president of the Enclave at the time, began to use his own influence to advance his son's political career.Fallout Bible 0: "2215 August 1: Congressman Richardson rises to power within the Enclave, aided by pressure from his father, President Richardson." Five years later, with his father's aid and political influence, he was elected to the presidency, entering office on March 5th, 2220. Richardson would remain president for five consecutive terms.Fallout Bible 0: "2220 March 5: Congressman Richardson is elected president for the first term of five, through aid and political pressure by his father (President Richardson)."Dick Richardson: "{174}{prs19}{I am the elected representative of the people. The United States does still exist. God bless us, every one. We've just had to adapt in order to survive after the war.}"The Chosen One: "{175}{}{I don't understand. What do you mean?}"Dick Richardson: "{176}{prs20a}{You really don't know, do you? Let me tell you about mankind's salvation. A little history first...}"Dick Richardson: "{177}{prs20b}{A little history….}"Dick Richardson: "{197}{prs24}{There was a great war long before we were born. Our gallant soldiers fought from the Yukon to the Yangtze.}"The Chosen One: "{198}{}{Yeah, I knew about that part. Go on.}"Dick Richardson: "{216}{prs32}{We were winning, too. And then those damn Reds launched everything they had. We barely got our birds up.}"The Chosen One: "{217}{}{Doesn't seem as though it helped us much.}"Dick Richardson: "{218}{prs33}{Well, no it didn't. But at least it knocked the damn Red menace back into the stone age.}"The Chosen One: "{219}{}{And us with it.}"(Dick Richardson's dialogue) His rule would be characterized by a culture of secrecy, surveillance, and fear.The Chosen One: "{152}{}{Well, it’s like that all over.}"Enclave communications officer: "{195}{powr20}{Yeah, you can say that again. And everything’s always tighter out here at ENCLAVE and the fuckin' President's watching us like a hawk.}"(Enclave communications officer's dialogue) Any complaints from Enclave members (whether heard directly or reported to Richardson) were considered signs of disloyalty and grounds for permanent assignment to mainland operations.Enclave communications officer: "{137}{powr6_a}{Chosen One, huh? Well, uh, pardon me for not blowing sunshine up your ass, but I’m a little too busy for this bullshit.}"The Chosen One: "{140}{}{Uh, I meant I was the one *chosen* to fix the comm-unit. Seems like nothing works anymore.}"Enclave communications officer: "{146}{powr8_a}{Huh, ain’t it the truth. Just don’t let anyone who’s got the President’s ear hear that. You’ll be making cattle-runs to New Reno ‘til the end of time, pal.}"The Chosen One: "{147}{}{The President?}"Enclave communications officer: "{153}{powr10_a}{Yeah, you know how unhappy he gets when people complain. He takes it personal, like it’s a loyalty thing. Maybe that just goes with being the President of the United States. Or what’s left of ‘em.}"(Enclave communications officer's dialogue)
He continued the Enclave's plans for achieving dominance in the wasteland and re-establishing their version of the United States. Some mandates were merely a continuation of his father's research mandates, such as the development of a functioning advanced power armor based on pre-War designs. The completion of the power armor project in October 2220 was accompanied by an executive order to classify all of the accidents and deaths involved for the sake of morale.Fallout Bible 0: "2220 October: Enclave scientists develop a reliable version of the Mark II Power Armor. The prototype results (and accidents... and explosions... and deaths) are classified by order of the President Richardson for the sake of morale." In 2236, the Enclave found the ruins of the Mariposa Military Base and began excavating them, using kidnapped wastelanders as slave labor.Fallout Bible 0: "2236 July 20: Enclave scouts discover the remains of the Mariposa Military Base and find it partially destroyed." Two years later, the Enclave finally recovered a pure sample of the FEV. A subsequent miner revolt caused Enclave casualties, but they finally had a tool for genocide.Military base holodisk 5Dick Richardson: "{242}{prs42}{Yes, the F.E.V. virus. It was originally developed to turn soldiers into super-warriors but it failed. The warriors were tough and strong, but far too stupid. However, our brilliant Chemical Corps altered it.}"The Chosen One: "{243}{}{Altered the virus? Why?}"Dick Richardson: "{244}{prs43}{To turn it into a staggeringly effective killer. Any humanoid that isn't inoculated against its effects before its release, will die. That is the Project.}"The Chosen One: "{245}{}{That's insane.}"Dick Richardson: "{246}{prs43a}{No, no. That's humanity's last, best, hope. That's what we've been working towards all these years.}"(Dick Richardson's dialogue)
The Chemical Corps under Lt. Col. Dr. Charles Curling immediately began developing the FEV into a viable toxin. In just four years, the Project, as the endeavor was called, neared completion and FEV Curling-13 was almost ready for release. The Enclave's goal to reclaim the continental United States for pure humans like themselves, by wiping out the mutated sub-humans that dominated it, was within reach.The Chosen One: "{276}{}{We'll see. In the meantime, I'm taking you out of the picture, personally.}"Dick Richardson: "{277}{prs56}{You might find that tougher than you think. If you do, I'll go to my reward knowing that I died a patriot and a servant of humanity.}"(Dick Richardson's dialogue)The Chosen One: "{202}{}{You mean that wasn't what you'd hoped for?}"Dick Richardson: "{203}{prs28}{It's tiny mocking minds like yours that prove the superiority of real humans over mutants.}"(Dick Richardson's dialogue) Richardson fully supported the Project out of belief that the Enclave was the last bastion of pure humanity, considering the very notion that anyone outside the Enclave could be considered human as absurd. If near-humans had to be sacrificed for real humanity to survive, it was a sacrifice that, as the president, he was willing to make.The Chosen One: "{261}{}{Did it ever occur to you that what you're doing is wrong?}"Dick Richardson: "{262}{prs49}{Never. Part of the president's job is to make the tough decisions. A lot of near-humans will sacrifice their lives for the return of humanity. Humans will prevail.}"The Chosen One: "{264}{}{Just because everyone out there doesn't have an exact copy of your DNA that doesn't give you a license to exterminate them.}"Dick Richardson: "{267}{prs51}{Oh, I don't relish this decision. If there was another way- but there isn't. No price is too high for the survival of the human race. If you were human, you'd feel the same way.}"(Dick Richardson's dialogue)
Richardson was killed by the Chosen One in 2242, just hours before the Project was completed.Fallout Bible 0: "Fall 2242: Fallout 2 Ends: The Chosen One enters the Enclave using the damaged tanker and destroys the Poseidon oil platform, killing the President of the United States and ending the Enclave's plans for world domination." The nuclear detonation that destroyed the oil rig erased nearly all traces of President Richardson from history, apart from what remained in isolated Enclave databanksFallout 2 ending: "The destruction of the Enclave erased all trace of President Richardson from history. Now the title of 'President' is used as a bogeyman to frighten children." or John Henry Eden's amalgamated personality.John Henry Eden: "(...) from Washington to Richardson."(John Henry Eden's dialogue)
==Interactions with the player character==
===Interactions overview===
===Quests===
Stop the Enclave: Dick Richardson holds the presidential access key, which can be used to activate the counter-insurgency protocols. It can only be obtained by killing him using one of the following options:
* Using conventional means (alerts the Enclave).
* Using eight super stimpaks on him and then waiting for the after-effects to kill him (does not alert the Enclave).
* Planting an active explosive on him and leaving for another section, he will either die or be weakened (does not alert anyone).
* Successfully killing him while sneaking on the first shot/burst (the Enclave will sometimes be alerted, sometimes not).
===Other interactions===
Dick Richardson can be spoken to at great length to reveal numerous pieces of information with topics including the Forced Evolutionary Virus, the Project, Vice President Daniel Bird's condition, China and the Great War, the purpose of Vaults, mutation and the fate of the Chosen One's kidnapped villagers.Qhprzrch.msg:For FEV, see lines 110, 201, 242, 256, 258, & 287.For the Project, see lines 124, 145, 146, 234, 237, 244, 252, & 298.For Daniel Bird, see lines 199, 201, & 206.For China and Great War, see lines 216 & 218.For Vaults, see lines 222-224, 226, 228, & 232.For mutation, see lines 208, 228, 232, & 280.For villagers, see lines 232, 258, 265, & 280.
==Inventory==
==Appearances==
Dick Richardson appears only as a talking head. He is mentioned in Fallout 3Grayditch terminal entries; W. Brandice's terminal, 10-30-2276The Lone Wanderer: "What do you know about the Enclave?"Elder Lyons: "More than anyone else, I dare say. Certainly enough to know they're the greatest threat the Capital Wasteland has ever faced. The Brotherhood of Steel has encountered the Enclave before, you see. Over thirty years ago, back in California. Then, they were led by a President Richardson. Now we've got this Eden to contend with. It matters not now, as before, they seek to control and destroy, all in the guise of restoring order. Your father, I fear, was just the beginning."(Elder Lyons' dialogue) and Fallout: New Vegas.Arcade Gannon: "Moreno took the fall of the Enclave hard. He never questioned his orders, never questioned the legitimacy of what the Enclave was doing. To him, it was all one unbroken chain, from Washington to Richardson. When we left Navarro, I remember looking up at Moreno. He said, 'Kiss America goodbye, boys.' When we left the Enclave behind, the love in him burned itself out. Now there's just a bitter old man left."(Arcade Gannon's dialogue)
==Gallery==
FO02 NPC Richardson N.png| "That's a shame. A conversation with a genuine mutant like you? It'd certainly paint me a picture of what life's like in that radioactive hell on the mainland."
FO02 NPC Richardson G.png| "Hello, there. I'm President Richardson and I'm damn proud to meet you. Uh, Vault 13, I see. You've been doing your country an invaluable service."
FO02 NPC Richardson B.png| "The only way for true humans, and democracy, to be safe is to cleanse the mutants from the globe. We humans will take back that which is rightfully ours."
FO02 NPC Richardson B.png| "Never. Part of the president's job is to make the tough decisions. A lot of near-humans will sacrifice their lives for the return of humanity. Humans will prevail."
==References==
Non-game
Category:Fallout 2 human characters
Category:Fallout 2 talking heads
Category:Fallout 2 Enclave characters
Category:Fallout 3 Enclave characters
Category:Fallout: New Vegas Enclave characters
Category:Enclave Oil Rig characters
Category:Antagonists
Category:Enclave presidents
Category:Presidents of the U.S.A.
Category:Post-War politicians
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ru:Дик Ричардсон
uk:Дік Річардсон
zh:迪克·理查德森