Aliens

**Aliens** are extraterrestrial creatures from unknown planets.

## Background

It is not known from what system and what planet they come from. Orbiting and observing the Earth with two motherships (*Zeta* and an unnamed one) at least since the 1600s in the Solar System, humans had no real awareness and no evidence of their existence. Before the 1960s, they were only believed by "crackpot" groups such as Quaere Verum, that believed in the existence of aliens and that they were being covered up by a government conspiracy.

But after the mysterious disappearance, or rather abduction, of the USSA space capsule Clarabella 7 and the pilot astronaut Colonel Hartigan during the 1960s Space Race, the existence of aliens became nationally recognized. It is said that alien technology was the basis of many of the Enclave's more exotic and impressive weaponry and robotics. Even toy manufacturers such as Wilson Automatoys weren't immune to these accusations and the United States government, which was said to keep its alien specimens and technology mostly in Area 51 (like a flying saucer that was after re-captured by aliens but crashed in California probably during the flight sometime after the Great War, instantly killing the two aliens pilots).

The Brotherhood of Steel around 2161 and the Shi around 2241 encountered the bodies of aliens or their spaceships. By extension, the Capital Wasteland Brotherhood of Steel have a moderate amount of alien power cells kept in the Citadel's armory and the Brotherhood Outcasts also have some alien power cells at Fort Independence. Also before 2277, an alien body was discovered in Fort Bannister, probably by the Enclave, carrying what may have been recovered (like an alien blaster and some alien power cells) in the armory of the mobile base crawler at Adams Air Force Base.

Some of the advanced human technologies were created by using the alien technology like the AI project number 59234, created in the 2050s who manages the entire Sierra Army Depot Skynet and (allegedly) the device blocking telepathic and psychic commands, the psychic nullifier.

## Species

### Bone aliens

Gameplay article: none (mentioned in Fallout)
These aliens appear only in the *Fallout* special encounter alien ship and are distinguished by their small skeletons in proportion to their overly large skulls. The Vault Dweller can come upon this unique occurrence in the wasteland of Southern California.

### Zeta aliens

Gameplay articles: Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4
Zetan aliens are the only extraterrestrials that could be considered a faction.

Aliens are relatively small, green yellowish-skinned humanoid beings with no primary sex characteristics. Their bodies are elongated with a small chest, are lean and lack any muscular definition. They also display no body hair of any kind. Their legs are shorter and jointed differently than a normal human and their limbs are also proportionally different than a normal humanoid; their humerus and femurs are the same lengths as their forearms and tibias.

Their heads are unusually large in proportion to their bodies and no noticeable outer ears or noses, instead only having small orifices for ears and nostrils. They have very wide mouths, no teeth, a light green tongue and large opaque black eyes with no discernible iris or pupil. Their hands have only three long suctioned-cupped fingers and no thumbs, however their fingers are so long they can wrap around objects and use any objects like any other humanoid species. They seem to breathe a similar atmosphere that humans do and process nutrients through the body with green blood. They subsist on a diet of unknown worm and squid food.

### Zeta alien squid food

Gameplay article: Mothership Zeta
This extraterrestrial calamari is a type of food to the Zetan aliens. Probably native to their home-world.

### Zeta alien worm food

Gameplay article: Mothership Zeta
This extraterrestrial worm is a type of food to the Zetan aliens. Probably native to their home-world.

## Notes

* The creatures known as wanamingos are referred to as aliens but are actually the result of genetic engineering by humans and have nothing to do with them.

### Encounters

* In *Fallout*, the Vault Dweller can encounter a device based on alien technology and a flying saucer with two alien skeletons.
* In *Fallout 2*, the Chosen One can encounter two technologies based on alien technology, bio med gel and Skynet.
* In *Fallout 3*, the Lone Wanderer can encounter a downed recon craft named *Theta* and a dead alien, and can be abducted by a mothership named *Zeta*.

* In *Fallout: New Vegas*, the Courier can encounter a unnamed recon craft with two aliens and an alien captain around.

### Crashed ships

Five alien ships are known to have crashed in the United States:

* A flying saucer in California (*Fallout*).
* A recon craft named *Theta* in Capital Wasteland (*Fallout 3*).
* Another recon craft that crashed and exploded on contact with the ground near the Lone Wanderer in the Capital Wasteland (*Fallout 3*).
* At the Citadel, there is information on a terminal (in the A-Ring) about another ship of unknown type named Palandine that crashed in a heavily wooded area which the government was not able to reach.

* A recon craft with three aliens near Horowitz farmstead in the Mojave Wasteland (*Fallout: New Vegas*).

## Appearances

In *Fallout* and *Fallout 2*, they only appear in the form of skeletons. The crashed recon craft *Theta* appears in *Fallout 3* with the first dead alien, and the aliens are the primary antagonists of the *Fallout 3* add-on *Mothership Zeta*. They also make an appearance in *Fallout: New Vegas* if the player has the Wild Wasteland trait. If the player has the associated trait then they are spotted in the up most northern part of the map near Brooks Tumbleweed Ranch. In Fallout 4 you can find a crashed UFO, with a trail of green blood leading to the Alien and it's Blaster.

## Behind the scenes

* The aliens resemble Grey aliens, beings commonly described in alien abduction accounts and commonly depicted in 1950's science fiction that have come to represent the "stereotypical" alien.

## Gallery

* Flying saucer
* Zetan symbol
* Recon craft
* Mothership

### Zetan aiens

* Alien
* Alien with spacesuit
* Alien with spacesuit and helmet
* Alien with spacesuit and transparent helmet
* Alien captain with captain uniform
* Alien worker
* Zetan from Fallout 4

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.45: *"**Aliens***
*Once thought to be covered up by a government conspiracy and believed only by "crackpot" groups such as the Quaere Verum, evidence of extraterrestrial life can be traced back throughout human history, but became nationally recognized after the mysterious disappearance of the Clarabella 7 space pod during the 1960s Space Race. It is said that Alien technology was the basis of many of the Enclave's more exotic and impressive weaponry and robotics, and even toy manufacturers such as Wilson Automatoys weren't immune to these accusations. Recently, after the discovery of an Alien body in Fort Bannister, the shocking truth was revealed. The Aliens are not only real and alive, but they’re back. And they're pissed."*
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide faction profiles)
2. ↑ Scribe: *"{111}{}{I've seen an alien space ship before.}"*
(GENSCRIB.MSG)
3. ↑ The Chosen One: *"{176}{}{Xeno program.}"*
Shi Emperor: *"{182}{}{"The subject on which we had hoped to establish a series of meaningful experiments has disappeared, presumed either destroyed or stolen by the Hubologists. Further inquiries have proven fruitless. Until such time as further specimens are obtained, this database will remain inoperative." - Dr. Sheng}"*
(Fsempter.msg)
4. ↑ Seen if you choose to destroy the Citadel during Who Dares Wins in *Broken Steel* add-on of *Fallout 3*
5. ↑ Fallout Official Survival Guide p.128: *"**Psychic Nullifier:** A strange device, possibly the product of an alien technology. It blocks telepathic or psychic commands."*
**Note:** The game itself does not state anything of the sort.
6. ↑ Report on U.F.O. codenamed "Palandine"