Vault-Tec Corporation

Vault-Tec Corporation, also simply known as Vault-Tec, was a pre-War defense corporation which won the federal government contracts to design and implement a network of bunkers known as Vaults. By the time of the Great War, it was the largest company in America,Miss Williams: "Vault-Tec is the largest company in America. There's a lot of money in selling the end of the world."(The Radio) valued at an estimated trillion dollars, with stakes in countless industries and businesses. Its wealth gave it immense sway against the United States government, rendered broke by the decade-long Sino-American War.Cooper Howard: "Sorry you couldn't make it to the party the other night, Charlie. Guess you had one of your meetings, huh? One of your Communist meetings? Come on, man. We watched people die together up north fighting against all that horseshit. "
Charles Whiteknife: "Yeah, and for what? "
Cooper Howard: "What do you mean, for what? For the American dream. We're actors. We make movies, Charlie. "
Charles Whiteknife: "Yeah, the American dream has me getting shot in the ass by you all day. "
Cooper Howard: "You got five acres in Tarzana. I think you're doing all right. "
Charles Whiteknife: "It don't matter, Coop. Vault-Tec's the fucking devil, man. "
Cooper Howard: "My wife works there. You really think Barb's the devil? "
Charles Whiteknife: "No, no, okay, I... I like Barb, okay? Do you know what "fiduciary responsibility" means? "
Cooper Howard: "Fiduciary responsibility? "
Charles Whiteknife: "Yeah. "
Cooper Howard: "No, I have no fucking idea. I play a cowboy for a living. "
Charles Whiteknife: "Okay. So, the U.S. government has outsourced the survival of the human race to Vault-Tec. Vault-Tec is a private corporation that has a fiduciary responsibility to make money for its investors. And how does it make money? By selling vaults. "
Cooper Howard: "That's called capitalism, Charlie. "
Charles Whiteknife: "But they can't sell vaults if these peace negotiations go through. So Vault-Tec has a fiduciary responsibility to make sure that it don't work out. "
Cooper Howard: "Yeah. How they gonna do that? "
Charles Whiteknife: "I don't know. You remember that movie we did with Johnny Morton... you were the sheriff and I was some generic Indian? "
Cooper Howard: "Come on, man, don't say that. Tallhand Mudlake could talk to horses. You played him with grace and with dignity. It was a great role for you. "
Charles Whiteknife: "Morton played a rancher who owned half of Missouri. And what happens when the cattle ranchers have more power than the sheriff? "
Cooper Howard: "The whole town burns down. "
Charles Whiteknife: "The whole town burns down. Right. Vault-Tec is a trillion dollar company that owns half of everything. And after ten years of war, the U.S. government is broker than a joke. The cattle ranchers are in charge, Coop. "
Cooper Howard: "Oh, come on. "
Charles Whiteknife: "Unless the people do something about it. "
Cooper Howard: "I guess everything's a conspiracy, right? Come on, man, you sound like you're in a cult. "
Charles Whiteknife: "And you're sitting here defending a system that's ready to set the world on fire, Cooper. Maybe you're the one in the cult. Look. You should come to a meeting. You should learn the truth about where your wife works. For her sake. "
(The Trap)
As a result, the company deemed the USA a failed nation and shifted priorities. Hundreds of billions of dollars earned on Project Safehouse were used to ensure the survival of the company, while turning the Vaults into a giant social experiment to gather data for the company and the Enclave.Norm MacLean: "Is this where my dad's from?"Bud Askins: "You'll never find out. Oh. He's gonna find out. These are Bud's Buds. My Buds. America outsourced the survival of this country to the private sector. But it would have been insane to keep a failed nation alive. So, we kept Vault-Tec alive instead. A well-trained staff of highly supervised junior executives from my own assistant training program. Because the future of humanity comes down to one word: Management."(The Beginning) The lack of confidence in the United States was so great that one of the corporation's leaders, Barb Howard, entertained the idea of Vault-Tec instigating the Great War themselves, to wipe the slate clean and usher in a new world free of war. While the company itself became defunct due to the nuclear war, with Vaults failing to safeguard their populations and failing,The Vault Dweller: ""{126}{}{My name is }" (player name) "{127}{}{. I come from up north.}"Killian Darkwater: "{129}{Kill03}{Not much up that way 'cept desert and Shady Sands. You from there?}"The Vault Dweller: "{130}{}{No. I come from a Vault, to the west.}"Killian Darkwater: "{136}{Kill05}{Oh yeah, sure you do. And when you were a baby, your crib was a safe.}"The Vault Dweller: "{137}{}{No, no. It's called a Vault. It protected us from the war. It's been full of people for 80 years!}"Killian Darkwater: '"{139}{Kill06}{Don't feel bad, ain't the worst story I've been told. So . . . what can I do for ya?}"(KILLIAN.MSG) Lance: "{116}{}{Hello, stranger. What brings you out in the wastes? Where are you from?}"The Vault Dweller: "{120}{}{I'm from a Vault. Lucky Vault 13!}"Lance: "{166}{}{Yeah, right. All the Vaults were destroyed, as far as I know. Tell me another one.}"(LANCE.MSG) despised by surface dwellers as retreats for the rich.Ma June: "And when exactly were you planning on saving America? The vaults were nothing more than a hole in the ground for rich folks to hide in while the rest of the world burned."
Lucy MacLean: "We vault dwellers recognize, uh, and are grateful for the privileged position we were born into, and..."
Ma June: "You know what folks up heresay about the vaults?"
Lucy MacLean: "What?"
Ma June: "Fuck the vaults."(The Target) Select members of Vault-Tec survived the war in Vault 31, in suspended animation, as part of Bud Askins' plans.Fallout Season 1 Episode 8: "The Beginning"
The company is sometimes referred to as Vault-TekThe Chosen One: "{323}{}{Did Vic ever have anything that was labeled ‘Vault-Tek’?}"Jenny: "{390}{}{Vault-tek? He might have had something like that. I’m not sure. I know he did have a lot of really old stuff.}"(Jenny's dialogue)DataPlex 2000 SmarTerminal: "{242}{}{Presidential Security Passkey recognized, Good day, Mr. President. Emergency Counter Insurgency Protocol initiated (**Malfunction**) Security link offline on this level. Please submit form FG-I-106-32-0635 to authorize repair services. Thanks for using another fine Vault-Tek product. Good day.}"(DataPlex 2000 SmarTerminal's information)Vault Power Nodes: "These generators are currently offline. Vault-tek apologizes for any problems that may be caused and promise that all systems will be made operational as soon as possible. We are awaiting the supply of parts, which should arrive within the next 2.274 years."(MIS 25 Speech.txt) and VaulTek,Master ending Fallout though it has consistently been spelled as Vault-Tec since Fallout 3. In holotape subtitles, it was also written as Vault-Tech although it is possible this was merely a typo.
==Background==
===Origins===
America's preeminent nuclear defense corporation existed as early as 2031, when it acquired and re-branded Morgantown's local college as Vault-Tec University, with some of their top executives and scientists either teaching or graduating from there.Fallout 76 loading screens: "In 2031, Vault-Tec re-branded Morgantown's local college as Vault-Tec University, and some of their top executives and scientists either taught or graduated from there. Go Fighting Wendigos! " This investment in cadre would pay off in the early 2050s: When the Euro-Middle Eastern War, the New Plague, and the collapse of the United Nations resulted in a nationwide scare, the government set Project SafehouseWoods Estate terminal entries: "Vault Tec - Project Safehouse<Br/>Mr. Wood,
To answer your questions:
1. Yes, there is room for both you and your son
2. Yes, your war efforts are greatly appreciated
3. Yes, you can arrange for your son to be delivered to a safe location in the event of war since you will likely be separated from him. If he is at either location you specified: his home, his school, we will be able to assist.
4. No, his nanny will not be able to join him
Regards,
Vault-Tec" in motion in 2054.Fallout Bible 0: "2054 	In light of the Euro-Middle-Eastern conflict and the plague scare, the United States sets Project Safehouse in motion. The project, financed by junk bonds, is designed to create shelters, called Vaults, for the populace in the event of a nuclear war or deadly plague. Construction begins late in 2054 and proceeds rapidly due to advances in construction technology. " This massive national defense endeavor was intended to create shelters that would protect the population in the event of nuclear wars, famines, pandemics, floodings or asteroid strikes.Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Vault-Tec proclaimed preparedness for any eventuality. Following the success of its demonstration Vault, built near their headquarters in Los Angeles at the time, the company won the bid for the construction of the shelters.Chris Taylor interview for Vault13.net:Saint Proverbius (SP): "Which Vault number was the Master's base?"Chris Taylor (CT): "The Master was in the Vault-Tec private Vault. This was the demonstration model built for the federal government, it was also very close to the Vault-Tec headquarters." The tremendous success of the company allowed it to build a new headquarters in Washington, D.C.Vault-Tec headquarters in Fallout 3.
The impoverished government financed the project with junk bonds and even then, only commissioned 122 of these shelters nationwide, allowing less than 0.1% of the population to save their life in the event of the holocaust.Fallout Bible 0, Vault system Vault 13's budget was $400 billion dollars, and by the end of its construction the total costs reached $645 billion, well over 150% of the initial figure.Vault Dweller's Survival Guide p.1—1-1—2: "Important Vault statisticsVault Number: 13Starting construction date :August 2063Ending construction date: March 2069Starting Budget: $400,000,000,000Final Budget, with interest: $645,000,000,000Total number of occupants: 1,000 (at capacity)Total duration: 10 years (at capacity)Number of living quarters: 100 (hot bunking required if at maximum capacity)Door thickness: 4 yards, steelEarth coverage: 3,200,000 tons of soil, at 200 feetComputer control system: Think machinePrimary power supply: Geo-thermalSecondary power supply: General Atomics Nuclear Power backup systemsPower requirements: 3.98mkw/dayStores: Complete construction equipment, hydro-agricultural farms, water purification from underground river, defensive weaponry to equip 10 men, communication, social and entertainment files (for total duration)" The staggering cost was further increased by the circumstances: As crucial elements of national defense, much of the project was classified and protected under the New Amended Espionage Act,Vault Dweller's Survival Guide inner cover: "NOTICE.––This document contains information affecting the national defense of the United States within the meaning of the New Amended Espionage Act, 50 U.S.C., 31 and 32. Its transmission or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by the law." and the corporation received broad privileges in enforcing security, up to and including authorization for its private security to use lethal force if Vaults are activated.Vault 76 terminal entries, VAULT 76 SECURITY INSTRUCTIONS Lack of oversight led to consistent mismanagement,The Vault Dweller: "{105}{}{Do you have a water chip?}"Paul: "{134}{}{A Water Chip? The ones from the old Vault-Tec shelters?}"The Vault Dweller: "{135}{}{Yes!.. Do you have one?}""{136}{}{No. Those things were junk, they were prone to failure. We don’t deal with purifying our own water here. We have water delivered by caravans from the Hub.}"(PAUL.MSG) Vault City central computer's information: "{238}{}{According to the archives, there is no GECK currently in stock at Vault City's Amenities Office. The people of Vault City seem to have used the only one they had to help establish the place when they came to the surface.}""{239}{}{Scroll through the remaining information.}""{240}{}{From what you can make out in the archives, two GECKs were part of every Vault's standard inventory package. Only one was shipped to Vault 8, however.}""{241}{}{Cross-reference the GECK shipment information.}""{244}{}{Due to a shipping error, it appears Vault 8 received a box of surplus water chips intended for another Vault. The other Vault most likely received Vault 8's second GECK.}"(VICENCOM.MSG) Vault 88 terminal entries; Security terminal, October 22, 2077 corruption,Vault 114 terminal entries, PRIVATE: Science Staff OnlyShows that Vault-Tec was deliberately misleading and lying to the public and prospective Vault dwellers about its Vaults and capabilities.Vault locations v34.129A deliberately misleading and boastful publication that is completely divorced from the reality of the Vaults (Vault 13 has consistent water supply problems due to junk technology, Vault 12 failed completely, and Vault 15 suffers from multiple cave-ins. and embezzlementVault 118 overseer's log defining Project Safehouse before the War, even before taking the atrocious Vault experiments into account. Yet for all these problems, Vault-Tec was able to create a number of cutting edge technologies and develop shelters that legitimately protected the inhabitants.Fallout Bible 6, Life with the GECK:"1b. What may be suitable for planting in the present may not be suitable in 20 yrs. This is esp true I would think in theFO universe with its rather unstable ecosystem. I mean if one really wanted to be certain that what one was panting would grow the best thing to do would be to collect the seeds, spores etc from already growing food sources - these have a guaranteed fertilization rate. After all those corn seeds that were put in the GECK 50 yrs ago now have not sufficiently mutated to endure the new Wasteland (even in a "normal" ecosystem, the only strains of plant that survive are those that mutate).""You're absolutely right. The GECK builders had no idea what the post-nuclear world would be like, and they had no real way to anticipate it, despite their "thorough tests" (it's doubtful they gave it much thought, to be honest, considering how badly organized the Safehouse project alone was, not to mention the experimental nature of the Vaults) - still, it seems as if the seeds present in the GECK were viable for Vault 8." 
Some of these miracles manifested as breakthroughs in construction technology, allowing for these gargantuan bunkers to be constructed at a rapid pace.Fallout Bible 0: "2054 In light of the Euro-Middle-Eastern conflict and the plague scare, the United States sets Project Safehouse in motion. The project, financed by junk bonds, is designed to create shelters, called Vaults, for the populace in the event of a nuclear war or deadly plague. Construction begins late in 2054 and proceeds rapidly due to advances in construction technology." Most were completed by 2063, although the construction of several Vaults was delayed, particularly Vault 13 (which only started construction in August 2063) and the network surrounding Washington, D.C.Fallout Bible 0: "2063 August The construction of most Vaults completed, except for Vault 13, whose construction finally gets off the ground... heralding a development cycle that seems plagued with problems. Drills begin in the other cities with completed Vaults, but the increasing frequency of the drills has a "cry wolf" effect, and the turnouts for drills trickle off as the years go on." Some Vault construction was delayed due to work stoppage.Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal, Vault 108 Despite these problems, Vault-Tec began advertising Vaults in newly annexed Canada, though these were in the early stages of completion.Rejected letter from Vault-Tec Furthermore, partnerships with other corporations followed, such as RobCo Industries, which provided personal information processors for Vault dwellers. Their joint venture was considered the most successful of its kind,Vault 101 PA System: "Did you know: the Vault-Tec/RobCo partnership is considered the most successful joint venture in the history of American industry?" licensed by Bud Askins, senior junior vice president and manager for “HR R&D” for Vault-Tec. Integration with admission systems ensured they were a permanent element of Vault infrastructure.Barb Howard: "Bud Askins... he licensed them from RobCo. We're integrating them with the Vault-Tec admission systems."([[The Trap) Over the course of the Sino-American War, Vault-Tec became the largest company in the United States, and to maintain their power and influence, took steps to ensure the resource wars would continue, such as by acquiring and burying cold fusion research led by Lee Moldaver.Cooper Howard: "How do you know my wife?"
Lee Moldaver: "My research company was acquired by her division. We were developing this kind of technology that's... difficult to monetize. Cold fusion. Infinite energy. That's what I was on the verge of achieving when Vault-Tec swept in and bought up every company I'd ever worked for."
Cooper Howard: "Every one of them? So, what are you, a millionaire communist?"
Lee Moldaver: "Hypocrisy is like violence in your movies. If you only let the bad guys use it, the bad guys win."
Cooper Howard: "Yeah? I, uh, I got a little showbiz secret for you. A good bad guy doesn't see themselves as the bad guy."
Lee Moldaver: "America has been locked in a resource war for over a decade. Vault-Tec bought the means to end that war, the same war you fought in, so they could put it on the shelf. All because it didn't fit into their business model."(The Radio)
===Going rogue===
By the late 2070s, Vault-Tec deemed the United States a failed nation, and had its own plans for Vaults in conjunction with the Enclave. Calculating that a global thermonuclear war would wipe out 90% of life on Earth,Barb Howard: "Every day I go into work and I think about how humanity can survive a nuclear event that will wipe out 90% of life on earth and I come home and you're talking to me about hiding out at a ranch up in Bakersfield."(The Trap) executives scrapped the idea of preserving the United States. Instead, they would become a social experiment on a grand scale, serving a variety of purposes. The most benign was using Vaults as test environments to create technologies that could be used to redefine society, such as converting "useless" exercise into a socially-useful activity, manipulating the moods of the dwellers or even creating crude forms of mind control.Valery Barstow: " "(Valery Barstow's dialogue) Quick iteration time was prioritized over human life, and Vault 88 was set aside to act as proving grounds scheduled to activate in early 2078. Devices would then be rolled out through the rest of the Vaults every fiscal quarter.Vault 88 terminal entries; Vault 88 overseer's desk, Prime Directive Ethical concerns were dismissed as counter-productive and close-minded.The Sole Survivor: "So these experiments can be run ethically?"Valery Barstow: "If you insist on hobbling the prototypes' potential, yes, you could abide by as many ethical standards you'd like. I suggest being more open-minded, but the choice will be ultimately yours."(Valery Barstow's dialogue) 
Ultimately, the plans were grander. The Enclave wanted to use data harvested from the experiment to create a multi-generational starship to resettle on another world, rather than try to restore a world devastated by nuclear war.Cain on Games, The True Purpose of Vaults in Fallout One Man, and a Crate of Puppets, panel 1: "The Vault Experiments were never designed to rescue the people that lived inside them. They were a vast social experiment designed to study pre-selected segments of the population." As part of the Societal Preservation Program directed by Stanislaus Braun,Reactor Maintenance and Repair Robot control terminal: "{360}{}{Active PoseidoNet Stations: Atomic Powerplant #5, Navarro Refinery, Control Station ENCLAVE, ENCLAVE Vault-Research Control…AccessDenied}"(GSTERM.MSG) only 17 of the Vaults were designed to work properly as control Vaults.Citadel terminal entries; Vault-Tec terminal, Vault 76 The 105 other Vaults featured a variety of scenarios, ranging from annoying to downright lethal, to gauge how humans acted in these scenarios and feed data to the Enclave:Fallout Bible 0, #More questions, questions:"The Vault experiments were an idea created by Tim Cain, and I don't really know the reason behind them, but I can offer some speculation.""First off, thematically, it's pretty creepy, and we all know that developers will pull all sorts of crazy shit to try and mess with players' heads. It's possible that Tim had just finished watching an X-Files episode and had conspiracy theories swimming around in his subconscious. As to your comment about the experiments being a bit over the top, well, yeah. We're guilty as charged." Some were not provided with enough food synthesizer for their population, others had only men in them, or were designed to open prematurely. Loss of life was meaningless in the face of data that could be acquired.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: "{220}{prs34}{Well, no. No... not quite. You see, we had planned ahead. We were ready. }"The Chosen One: "{221}{}{What do you mean?}"Dick Richardson: "{222}{prs35}{We had a number of sanctuaries that would enable the glorious American civilization to endure. These facilities - the Vaults - were part of the great plan.}"The Chosen One: "{223}{}{Those damn Vaults didn't work the way they were supposed to. A lot of people in them died.}"Dick Richardson: "{224}{prs36}{Actually, they worked almost exactly the way they were supposed to. You might call it a social experiment on a grand scale. }"The Chosen One: "{225}{}{An experiment?}"Dick Richardson: "{226}{prs36a}{The Vaults were set up to test humanity. Some had not enough food synthesizers, others had only men in them, yet others were designed to open after only 6 months. They each had a unique set of circumstances designed to test the occupants.}"The Chosen One: "{227}{}{What about Vault 13? What was it's purpose?}"Dick Richardson: "{228}{prs37}{Ahh. Vault 13 was a special case. It was supposed to remain closed until the subjects were needed. Vault 13 was, in scientific parlance, a control group.}"The Chosen One: "{229}{}{But they would all have died if my ancestor didn't get them a replacement water chip. That doesn't seem to fit in with your plan.}"Dick Richardson: "{230}{prs38}{An unfortunate, and unforeseen, accident. However, as it turns out, a rather fortuitous one.}"The Chosen One: "{231}{}{What do you mean?}"Dick Richardson: "{232}{prs39}{As it turns out we needed test subjects from untainted, pre-war, human stock - your ancestors in Vault 13 - and some freshly mutated stock - the villagers from Arroyo.}"The Chosen One: "{233}{}{Why?}"Dick Richardson: "{234}{prs39a}{For the Project. It's almost ready. Humanity's salvation is almost at hand and the United States of America will be the progenitor of that rebirth.}"The Chosen One: "{235}{}{Rebirth? What do you mean?}"(Qhprzrch.msg)
Vault-Tec executives focused around Barb Howard and Bud Askins had a separate plan, using the imminent nuclear war as an opportunity to wipe the slate clean and redefine mankind, with Vaults used to experimentally determine the perfect conditions for humanity, in what Howard termed a "spirit of competition". The idea was pitched to the largest, like-minded corporations in the US,Bud Askins: "All of our work, everything that we've accomplished is the result of this fruit-bearing collaboration between like-minded corporations that make America great. On behalf of everyone here at Vault-Tec, welcome."(The Beginning) including Big MT, REPCONN, RobCo, and West Tek, who were offered the opportunity to claim a stake in several Vaults and create their own social experiments, entirely off the books.Barb Howard: "If I could perhaps refocus the conversation. When I think about the future, I think about my daughter... Janey. How do I provide her with a better future? That's what we've invited you here to discuss. And how do we design our vault societies so our children have that better future? I suggest we hedge our bets. Bud here has an idea for three interconnected vaults. But we need more ideas. We need your ideas. Because it was the spirit of competition that made our companies great, and I propose we bring that same spirit of competition to our solution. We have over a hundred vaults spread across America. Enough for each of you to claim several, where you can play out your own ideas for how to create the perfect conditions for humanity. Whatever you want to do, no one needs to know. And may the best idea win. "(The Beginning) To ensure that the experiments would happen, Howard floated the idea of these megacorporations instigating the nuclear war deliberately, allowing an intentionally designed society to arise from the ashes, configured to eliminate friction, conflict, and ultimately war.Robert House: "It's a fun idea. There's a lot of earning potential with the end of the world. But we're talking about making a significant investment based on a hypothetical. How can you guarantee results? "Barb Howard: "By dropping the bomb ourselves. A nuclear event would be a tragedy... but also, an opportunity. Perhaps the greatest opportunity in history. Because when we are the only ones left, there will be no one to fight. A true monopoly. This is our chance to make war obsolete. Because in our current societal configuration, which took shape without intentional guidance, we have friction. We have conflict, and we have war. And war, well... War never changes. "(The Beginning) Regardless of her proposal, secret orders were issued to overseers: Vault 76's was instructed to seize control of the Appalachian Automated Launch System and wrest nuclear weapons from the military.Overseer's log - Vault 76
===Imminent nuclear war ===
Naturally, these plans were not publicized, and Vault-Tec was voted a company with the brightest future in the United States in January 2077,Fallout - A Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News news ticker: "Vault-Tec voted American company with brightest future"" despite rumors of peace negotiations briefly affecting sales.Bud Askins: "Our sales are fine. Sure, rumors of the peace negotiations have set us back a bit, but we're here to offer you an opportunity. We'd like to collaborate on some of our vaults."(The Beginning) Its stock value quickly soared following the Anchorage Reclamation, due to the anxiety surrounding a potential nuclear confrontation.Fallout - A Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News news ticker: "Vault-Tec stocks soar as US economy becomes fear-based"" Vault-Tec capitalized on this, offering single Vault spaces for sale.Fallout - A Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News news ticker: "Vault-Tec announces newly available single Vault spaces for sale"" Some Americans realized the gravity of the situation: As a private company to whom the government outsourced the entirety of contingency planning, it had a fiduciary responsibility to its investors to make money. Any peaceful solution to the Resource Wars and especially the Sino-American War would eliminate the specter of nuclear war and wipe out the need for Vaults, hurting the corporation's profits. This perverse incentive resulted in Vault-Tec having every reason to see the war continue or even see nuclear war erupt, especially since the government was broke and powerless in comparison with the company. 
Despite the ongoing popularity of the Vaults, drills in completed Vaults slowly created a cry wolf effect among the population. Turnouts for the drills fell over time, limiting the Vaults' future role in ensuring the survival of humanity irrespective of Vault-Tec's plans. Work stoppages, civil unrest, and other problems also affected the implementation of the experiment plans. When the Great War happened on October 23, 2077, several Vaults were yet to be completed, while the cry wolf effect resulted in just a fraction of people going into the Vaults.Fallout Bible 0: "2077 October 23 Great War: Bombs are launched; who struck first is unknown... and it is not even known if the bombs came from China or America. Air raid sirens sound, but very few people go into Vaults, thinking it is a false alarm. The Vaults are sealed." while the Enclave's grand plans were undone by circumstance and interference from within: The heart of the master plan, Whitespring, was cut off from the network and the plans crippled.MODUS: "This space was to be the beating heart of the Enclave's master plan. Today, it's storage. So much for the plans of great men."(MODUS' dialogue) Askins' plans succeeded to a degree, with Vault 31, 32, and 33 populating and sealing as scheduled. However, the actual loss of life fell short of the projected 90%, and survivors started resettling on the surface - including Vaults. In 2091, after receiving the all-clear signal, Vault 8 opened and Vault City was founded.Fallout Bible 0: "2091 Vault 8 opens, and they use their GECK to create fertile ground for their city. This eventually becomes Vault City." A year later, the demonstration Vault in the ruins of LA opened. The inhabitants founded Adytum in what became known as the Boneyard.Fallout Bible 0: "2092 LA Vault opens, the Boneyard is founded and attracts survivors."Fallout Bible 6, Life with the GECK:"1b. What may be suitable for planting in the present may not be suitable in 20 yrs. This is esp true I would think in theFO universe with its rather unstable ecosystem. I mean if one really wanted to be certain that what one was panting would grow the best thing to do would be to collect the seeds, spores etc from already growing food sources - these have a guaranteed fertilization rate. After all those corn seeds that were put in the GECK 50 yrs ago now have not sufficiently mutated to endure the new Wasteland (even in a "normal" ecosystem, the only strains of plant that survive are those that mutate).""You're absolutely right. The GECK builders had no idea what the post-nuclear world would be like, and they had no real way to anticipate it, despite their "thorough tests" (it's doubtful they gave it much thought, to be honest, considering how badly organized the Safehouse project alone was, not to mention the experimental nature of the Vaults) - still, it seems as if the seeds present in the GECK were viable for Vault 8."
As a result, the ambitious plans of executives to use the nuclear war to wipe the slate clean and redefine society never came to pass. Vaults failed over the next centuries, while facilities of the defunct megacorporation became little more than prime sources of salvage, leading to Vaults being considered little more than a tall tale, and merely holes for the rich to hide in as the world burned. As a result, Vault 31 and its executives remained sealed underground, while the surface prospered, with the New California Republic becoming the first post-War nation state. However, the shadow of Vault-Tec did not disappear: After Rose MacLean fled Vault 32, discovering the NCR's existence, she inadvertently set in motion a chain of events that would culminate in the destruction of Shady Sands by her ex-husband, Hank MacLean, sending the Republic into freefall.Lee Moldaver: "Rose was so clever. Like you. Lucy, your mother discovered that something was siphoning the vault's water away. From that one clue, she deduced that maybe... civilization had returned to the surface. When she told her husband, he said it was a ridiculous idea, and that she should tell no one."
Hank MacLean: "Lucy, let's go. Let's..."
Lee Moldaver: "And that's when she realized that her husband, the Overseer, was hiding things."
Hank MacLean: "Lucy, let's go. Let's get out of here."
Lee Moldaver: "So she ran away. Like you did, Lucy. And took her children. And she found this wonderful city that was everything the vaults had promised to be."
Hank MacLean: "She is lying!"
Lee Moldaver: "But then, her husband came after her. And when she decided not to return home, he took the children. And he burned that city to the ground."
Lucy MacLean: "Shady Sands."
Hank MacLean: "She's lying, Lucy."
Lee Moldaver: "That's how Vault-Tec deals with competition. Just like they did 200 years ago."(The Beginning)
==Corporate model==
The primary focus of Vault-Tec was the development of a line of nuclear war defense installations and the technology necessary for their construction. Although their most recognizable product remains the venerable Vault, the company has also developed cheaper alternatives, like the Series 1000 shelter, and contracted its technologies out to other entities requiring a reliable, proven pipeline for constructing subterranean bunkers.Appearance of non-Vault installations in the games, including the Securitron Vault. Apart from heavy construction and technologies necessary for sustaining a population underground, Vault-Tec has also developed nuclear reactors,Power plant operations medical devices, such as the organ extractor,Computer terminal: "{103}{}{Welcome to Vault-Tec's state-of-the-art organ extraction apparatus. To operate, please place donor in operating room, turn dial to appropriate species, and select organ to be extracted.}"(WSTERM4B.MSG) motion sensors based on Wattz Electronics' designs,The Chosen One: "{349}{}{What is it?}"Stark: "{350}{}{It's a Vault-Tec Motion sensor. We were going to strip it for parts, since it's too old for our Pip Boys, but it looks like it's compatible with your model.}"The Chosen One: "{351}{}{How does it work?}"Stark: "{352}{}{Keep it in your hand and it IDs hostiles in your immediate area when you use it. Or you can call up the Pip Boy automap as normal, then just click the "scanner" button and they're lit up like a neon sign.}"(VCSTARK.MSG) and even the SimTek 5000 virtual reality simulation suite for accustoming Vault dwellers with the outsideVault Dweller's Survival Guide p.2—1: "SIMTEK OPERATIONSThe Vault-Tec Research Group has determined that after a long period of security, many Vault-Dwellers will feel “uncomfortable” with the idea of returning to the outside world. The SimTek 5000 will provide a safe and reassuring return to life on the outside world. This chapter will give you a brief walk-through of the operation of the SimTek 5000." and the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System for facing any threats.Prepare for the Future, Channel 3: Tomorrow's Technology Today #37 Other proprietary inventions were designed to improve the quality of life for a Vault dweller, including SimuSun Lighting, Floorsuck Autocleaner Systems, Culinator 3000 Kitchen Systems, Entertainotron Rooms and Eye-On-You surveillance cameras.Museum of Technology Vault tour
Vault-Tec's technology at its best was generally reliable and of high quality, leading to widespread adoption. However, Vault-Tec outsourced many critical elements of Vault infrastructure, selecting the lowest bidders to maximize profits. The most notorious examples were water chips. Some of this outsourcing led to long-term partnerships: RobCo provided Pip-Boys, forming the most successful joint venture in history, General Atomics supplied nuclear reactors where Vault-Tec couldn't, while Radiation King provided TV sets and other appliances for the Vaults.Fallout - A Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News news ticker, 25:25"
For the majority unable or ineligible to purchase a space in the Vaults, Vault-Tec developed its "most humane" product: Plan D, banana flavored cyanide.Siggi Wilzig: "No, you see, I've just taken a cyanide pill."
Lucy MacLean: "What?"
Siggi Wilzig: "Vault-Tec Plan D. It was the most humane product that Vault-Tec ever made. It was quick, painless. T-Tasted like banana. I... I was surprised it wasn't more popular."(The Target)
=== Divisions===
A division of Vault-Tec, Future-Tec, was tasked with developing cutting edge technologies to allow Vault dwellers to brave the horrors of a post-nuclear world. Their crowning achievement was the G.E.C.K.Vault Dweller's Survival Guide pp. 5—34:GECK
===Marketing===
While Vault-Tec was a strategic defense contractor, the company carefully curated a public image as an all-American corporation guaranteeing the survival of the American way of life. The corporation's mascots, Vault Boy and Vault Girl, became recognizable nationwide, while Cooper Howard, a veteran of the first years of the Sino-American War and a movie superstar, was chosen as the company's spokesperson (after convincing from his wife). Appearing in promotional photoshoots and television advertisements promoting Vaults, he gradually became known as the "pitchman for the end of the world", eventually leading to ostracism in the Hollywood acting community.Sebastian Leslie: "I think our Hollywood actor friends don't want to be seen celebrating with the pitchman for the end of the world."
Cooper Howard: "Oh, you don't know the half of it. You hear I lost a movie over these ads? Yeah, showed up to set, the actors wouldn't come out of their trailers. Bonnie Lewis said it was on moral grounds."
Sebastian Leslie: "Bonnie Lewis? She's done more ads than a fucking billboard."
(The Trap)
The most ambitious effort was a large exposition at the Museum of Technology in the capital was designed to promote their shelters and explain their functionality, and the Among the Stars attraction at Nuka-World, highlighting the potential applications of patented Vault-Tec technologies in the colonization of space (which would also rationalize the mass investment in Vaults in the event nuclear war didn't happen).Vault-Tec: Among the Stars terminal entries The attraction doubled as a testing area for the so-called Project Consumer Guidance, using electromagnetic radiation, subliminal messaging, airborne toxins, and theta-band radiation to manipulate human behavior. Vault-Tec had limited success, achieving primarily severe headaches in employees (an improvement from depression and suicide in previous iterations), and minor medical complications among visitors.Project Consumer GuidanceProject lead terminal Other notable partnerships include Galaxy News Network, with a decade-long partnership deal signed around the time Vault 33 was unveiled in January 2077.Fallout - A Special LIVE Report from Galaxy News news ticker: "Galaxy News signs 10-year partnership deal with Vault-Tec""
The company also invested in conventional promotional tours and awarding of prizes like the Pressed Vault Suit Award for preparedness were also used to promote a positive image of the company.Vault locations v34.129 Vault 76 was intensely promoted as Vault-Tec's commitment to preserving the American way of life, unveiled on the United States' Tricentennial.Fallout 76 intro A massive merchandise line was created to promote Vaults, including baseball caps, lunchboxes, T-shirts, leather bomber jackets, golf tees, drink cozys, Vault-Tec bobbleheads (and the matching Bobblehead collector's stand), as well as Limited Edition snow globes showcasing landmarks around the nation.Vault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Vault-Tec employee terminal
Prospective dwellers could receive information on Vaults and potential postings via Vault-Tec's hotlines: 1-888-4-82858832 (1-888-4-VAULTTEC),Vault-Tec calendar in The House of Tomorrow 213-258-2858The number is connected in real-life and calling it results in an audio clip of a man screaming played over the phone to the caller. (213-25-VAULT),Fallout, season 1, episode 1: "The Trap" and KL-5743.Fallout intro
===Employee relations===
However, the reality for Vault-Tec employees was completely different. Employees received the Vault-Tec employee handbook, a monumental publication which outlined everything about the company and its procedures, down to bathroom breaks. The regulations were nothing less than draconian and oppressive: Vault-Tec's human resources and administration division considered 2.25 minutes (135 seconds) to be the reasonable length of a bathroom break. Exploitative and abusive labor practices seemed to be the norm.Vault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Vault-Tec employee terminal, Message 0101C Bathroom BreaksVault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Vault-Tec employee terminal, Message 0099D Vending Machines Employees could also be subjected to unethical medical experiments, eg. the aforementioned tests at Nuka-World and other locales, which could lead to severe medical issues including depression and suicides. These were buried as standard practice.
As a strategic defense contractor for the government, Vault-Tec's affairs and all related publications (including, for example, the Vault Dweller's Survival Guide) were protected by the New Amended Espionage Act and any whistle blowing attempts would likely hurt the whistle blower more than the corporation.
===Drills===
Vault-Tec was authorized to carry out drills for citizens selected for inclusion in the Vaults and operated its own alert system. Beta alert drills were carried out at regular intervals (sometimes as many as five a week) to test admission protocols and prepare the future Vault dwellers for an orderly admission into the Vault, in case of an Alpha Alert. Members of the experimentation staff were expected to participate in the drills each time.Vault 81 terminal entries; old overseers terminal, Admission Protocol Compliance and secrecy were accomplished simply by providing the scientists (frequently graduates or even students) with a hefty paycheck,Vault 81 terminal entries; old overseers terminal, Drills, Drills, Drills and What to do? added by the implied threat of force should they decide to blow the whistle.Vault 81 terminal entries; old overseers terminal, What to do?
==Products ==
===Vault and shelter equipment===
 
*The Vaults
*Series 1000 shelter
*Vault-Tec Shelters
*Equipment and supplies for the Vaults, including food synthesizers
*Vault-Tec reactor
*Uranium Nuclear Reactor
*Vault Star super reactor
*Soda fountain
*Phoropter
*Vault-Tec water pump
*Plan B - Budg-Tec Pop-Up ShelterFollow Your Nos. Fallout TV Series Extras. Season 1, Ep 0 Timestamp 2:14-2:17. Sign on the Above Ground Shelter reads "Budg-Tec Pop-Up Shelter Plan-B", and a large cardboard box with the Vault Tech stamp reading "Plan-C"
*Plan C - A Vault-Tec stamped Carboard Box
=== Computers ===
*ZAX AI units
*ARIC-4 AI
*Tranquility Lane simulation
*Vault-Tec "Shop-Tec" computerized trading system vending machineShop-Tec
===Consumables===
 
*Nutritional Alternative Paste Program (NAPP) food pasteFallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Collector's Edition p. 384: "[6.19] Suffolk County Charter SchoolThe student base of this school consisted mostly of lower-income and disadvantaged students. These children were lucky enough to be chosen for trials of a new food substitute paste developed by Vault-Tec in conjunction with the U.S. government. The paste was intended to provide all necessary nutrition and have a shelf life of over 100 years. Despite some minor side effects, the paste is both nutritious and delicious. Why not try some yourself? You’ll be in the pink!"(Fallout 4 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide Map)
*Plan D - Banana-flavored Cyanide
===Reclaiming the wasteland===
*Garden of Eden Creation Kit or G.E.C.K., developed by Future-Tec
*The Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System or "V.A.T.S."
*C.A.M.P.
*My stash box
*Scrapbox
*Vault-Tec supply packages
*Vault-Tec Population Management System
===Books and manuals===
*Survival handbooks, including the Vault Dweller's Survival Guide
*Vault-Tec Employee HandbookVault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Vault-Tec employee terminal; Message 0099D Vending MachinesVault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Vault-Tec employee terminal; Message 0101C Bathroom Breaks
*Vault Boy's Big Book of Laughs for Kids
*Vault-Tec Edition Bible
*You're SPECIAL!
===Entertainment===
*A Better Life Underground game board and its radio play
*Power Cycle 1000
*Pipfall
*Red Menace
*Vault playing cardsPlaying cards
*Vault-Tec Channel 9
===Merchandise===
*Vault-Tec baseball capVault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Company Store; Vault-Tec Baseball Cap
*Vault-Tec drink cozyVault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Company Store; Vault-Tec Drink Cozy
*Vault-Tec promotional lunchbox
*Vault-Tec leather bomber jacketVault-Tec bomber jacketVault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Company Store; Vault-Tec Leather Bomber Jacket
*Vault-Tec t-shirtsVault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Company Store; Vault-Tec T-Shirt
*Vault-Tec golf teesVault-Tec headquarters terminal entries; Company Store; Vault-Tec Vault-Tec Golf Tee
*Vault-Tec promotional Vault Boy bobbleheads (Executives-only)
*Vault-Tec bobblehead collector's stand
*Vault-Tec limited edition snow globes
*Vault-Tec alarm clock
==Locations==
*Vaults 1-122
*Vault-Tec Industries headquarters, located in Southern California.
*Vault-Tec headquarters, located in Vernon Square, Washington, D.C.
*Vault-Tec Regional HQ, located in Beacon Hill, Boston.
*Vault-Tec: Among the Stars, an attraction at the Nuka-World amusement park showcasing a potential extraterrestrial Vault using contemporary Vault-Tec equipment.
*Vault-Tec University, located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and also known as VTU, it served to train potential Vault staff and overseers for Vaults across the country.
*Vault-Tec Agricultural Research Center, located near Flatwoods, West Virginia.
*Vault-Tec Warehouse, located in Los (non-canon)
==Appearances==
Vault-Tec Vaults and technology appear in all of the Fallout games, tabletop titles, and the Fallout TV series.
==Notes==
==Behind the scenes==
*The Vault experiment was an idea created by Tim Cain during the initial stages of Fallout 2 development.
* The player character was intended to discover Vault-Tec's complicity in the grand social experiment by unearthing files hidden in the computers at Vault 8 and Vault 13, describing the purposes of the respective Vaults and their history.Fallout Bible 0, Vault systemFallout Bible 6, Life with the GECK:"1b. What may be suitable for planting in the present may not be suitable in 20 yrs. This is esp true I would think in the FO universe with its rather unstable ecosystem. I mean if one really wanted to be certain that what one was panting would grow the best thing to do would be to collect the seeds, spores etc from already growing food sources - these have a guaranteed fertilization rate. After all those corn seeds that were put in the GECK 50 yrs ago now have not sufficiently mutated to endure the new Wasteland (even in a "normal" ecosystem, the only strains of plant that survive are those that mutate).""You're absolutely right. The GECK builders had no idea what the post-nuclear world would be like, and they had no real way to anticipate it, despite their "thorough tests" (it's doubtful they gave it much thought, to be honest, considering how badly organized the Safehouse project alone was, not to mention the experimental nature of the Vaults) - still, it seems as if the seeds present in the GECK were viable for Vault 8."
*In Van Buren, the developers intended to showcase that even the Enclave didn't count on the Vaults to save anyone, and tried to make their own contingency plan by seizing Bloomfield Space Center and refit the Hermes-13 to take its elites off-planet.Bloomfield Space Center design document/1: "In November, 2076, the Enclave seized control of Bloomfield Space Center. They knew nuclear war was just around the corner, so they tried to refit the Hermes-13 and convert it into a vehicle that would take selected personnel (mainly themselves) off-planet, destination yet to be determined."
*In the abortive Fallout movie, the idea that Vault-Tec deliberately started the war was part of the movie's plot. The idea was resurrected for the 2024 television series, although whether Vault-Tec actually did so was kept ambiguous. Barb Howard floats the idea of deliberately triggering a nuclear event to redefine the world, while Bud Askins says "after we've wiped the surface clean" while speaking to Norm MacLean. The wording is unclear if Askins meant Vault-Tec or humanity in general, or whether they accomplished it through action (dropping the bomb) or inaction (not stopping the war).
*The Vault-Tec building seen in the Fallout 2 intro is a still from the film, Dick Tracy, resized and slightly modified.The Vault Fallout Facebook
*Outside of the Fallout series, the Vault-Tec logo also appeared in the 2016 reboot of Doom (published by Bethesda Softworks) on certain doors in the UAC facility on Mars. Vault-Tec is also mentioned in RAGE.Fallout in other media
*A location referred to as Vault-Tec headquarters is mentioned in the Fallout Bible 3 and rulebook to Fallout: The Roleplaying Game.Fallout: The Roleplaying Game Rulebook p.250: "After a demo vault was opened to the public in Los Angeles, near the Vault-Tec headquarters, public enthusiasm helped fund the junk bond drive that funded the rest of construction. It was a ray of hope in a profoundly dark time. Those too far from a full vault could buy a Series 1000 shelter, a one-level subterranean mini-vault priced more reasonably for a small corporation or medium-sized community."
*The "Vault-Tec Documentation Department" is mentioned in the Fallout manual and Fallout 4 manual.Fallout manual: "ISSUED BY VAULT-TEC DOCUMENTATION DEPARTMENT, JANUARY, 2077"Fallout 4 manual: "ISSUED BY VAULT-TEC DOCUMENTATION DEPARTMENT, APPARATUS DIVISION"
==Gallery==
===Fallout 2===
F2 VTFilms.png|Vault-Tec Films as seen in the intro cutscene of Fallout 2
Vault-Tec Industries.jpg|Vault-Tec headquarters in Los Angeles, California
===Fallout 3===
FO3 Museum of Tech interior 2.jpg|Museum of Technology
VT View.jpg|Vault-Tec headquarters
FO3 Vault Tec signage 101.png
FO3 Vault Tec Overseer poster.png
Vaultsignfutur.png
VaultTechNeverTooLate.png|
VaultTechTherewontreallybeanuclearwarright.png|
VaultTechVaultSecure.png|
VaultTechNeverTooLate2.png|
VaultTechSafety.png|Warning sign
===Fallout: New Vegas===
Vault-Tec banner.jpg|Promotional banner in the Vault 21 lobby
Vaulttecbanner.png|Banner
FNV Vault Tec banner nif.png|Banner
Fo3 VT Banner Clean.png|Cleaned-up recreation
===Fallout 4===
FO4 Vehicle new 1.png|Vault-Tec van in the year 2077
Vault-Tec Regional HQ.jpg|Vault-Tec Regional HQ
Vault-Tec Calendar.jpg|Vault-Tec calendar in The House of Tomorrow
BillboardSignPreparefortheFuture01 d.png|A poster advertising Vaults
Fo4 Vault 111 Sign Welcome vault-tec corp.jpg|Vault-Tec Corp. sign in Vault 111
===Fallout 76===
FO76 VT Vault Tech University sign 915 4.png|Vault-Tec University (VTU) in Morgantown in Appalachia
F76 VT AgCenter 3.png|The Vault-Tec Agricultural Research Center
FO76 Location 12621 30.png|Vault-Tec containers at the R&G Station
Ls vaulttec.jpg|Vault 76 exterior
FO76 Vault 79 slide 1.png|Beginning of the Vault 79 slideshow
FO76 V76 poster 3.png|Reclamation Day poster
FO76 V76 poster 2.png|Reclamation Day poster
F76 VTU Poster.png|VTU poster
===Magic: The Gathering===
Fallout magic Temple of Deceit.png|Magic: The Gathering card
Fallout magic Temple of Deceit Extended Art.png|Extended Art
==References==
Non-game
Non-canon
 
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