The NCR Historical NewsSunday, February 07, 2155 Article 5-26

History of The WastelandBy Jacob Smith

War, war never changesIf you were able to describe the world welive in to someone from way back in the21st century, they would have called itpost-apocalyptic. While not an entirelyaccurate description, it gets the ideaacross. All of the great monuments,convenience stores (hell, convenienceitself), and the entertainment technology ofthe 21st century are all gone. The buildingshave been morphed into burned out husks,the open land glows with radiation. Anytrip outside (and sometimes inside) thefortified walls of any of the larger remainingcities is always met with violence. TheWasteland is overrun with criminals,Radscorpions, and worse.

However, this way of life is not post-apocalyptic. You see that would implysome sort of world ending event followedby a Judgment Day/Reckoning and finallya Heaven for the good and a Hell for thewicked. What we received instead was aworld changing set of events followed bygenerations of people just trying to get by.Hell is dished out in any sized portion youcould dream of. We live in a time that ismerely Apocalyptic.

This is an attempt to set the record straightabout how we ended up this way and whatwe can do about it now. Hopefully this willprove to be a useful reference for thosewanting to catch a peek of the things thatare waiting for them outside.

Solets start at the beginning; The GreatWar.

The idea of conquest in the name of richesis nothing new. Even a quick glance backthrough history will reveal a very basicpattern. Winner takes all, to the victor gothe spoils, you snooze, you lose; this is thefirst lesson of history. The Roman empire,the British empire, the Third Reich, evensmall scale land grabs such as Iraqsinvasion of Kuwait were all fueled by thedesire to control resources.

The second lesson is a little harder to pickup on, but its there. Sometimes being thevictor, maintaining victory or even the fightitself is simply self-destructive. You end upspending or destroying the very riches youwere trying to gain.

By the mid-21st century the riches that Manhad usually waged war over had grownfrom the simple list of gold, ports, slaves,and arable land. This list now included oil,coal, lumber, and technology. And when

these things started getting scarce, peoplebegan to become very afraid.

Like many impending crises, the dwindlingof the Earths natural resources wentlargely unnoticed by the generalpopulation. That is until a televiseddocumentary about the tapped out oil fieldsin Texas put the issue front and center ineveryones living room. It did not take longfor the rising panic to cause world leadersto take overt actions (despite attempting todeal with the problems in quiet, ignorableways for years).

The United States began laying downeconomic sanctions against Mexico usingthe cover story that the government ofMexico was unstable and was therefore athreat to the U.S.s national security. Thereal reason for stirring up trouble was, ofcourse, to create a politically viable reasonto send in American troops to secure theoil refineries and other North Americanbusiness concerns. Despite this ratheropen case of appropriation, the ResourceWars kicked off in earnest in the MiddleEast and Europe.

The European Union had begun militaryactions against the Middle East inresponse to rising fuel costs. Fullyprepared to fight to the death for their oiland land, the nations of the Middle Eastlaunched counter attacks. Before long, theentire Earth was engaged in a warseemingly without resolution.

The U.S. began sending an ever-increasing amount of troops to Alaska tosecure the oil reserves. Tempers flaredbetween Canada and the U.S. over thisissue. Meanwhile, the conflict betweenEurope and the Middle East devolved intoa limited nuclear exchange. Thesedevelopments lead to the creation of theVaults.

It did not take long for the oil fields in theMiddle East to dry up (effectively endingthe war while exhausting both sides). Withthe worlds greatest deposit of oil gone,countries prepared to fight over the scraps.China, in particular, had its eye on theAlaska oil reserves.

In 2066, China finally invades Alaska. Theresult is not only a major increase inmilitary hardware (Power Armor wasinvented to combat Chinese tanks), butalso the U.S.s annexation of Canada.Even as Alaska fell to communist China,The United States managed to tap the lastknown deposit of petroleum. This depositis miles beneath the surface of the PacificOcean.

The Chinese-American war continued toescalate while the rest of the worldcrumbled. Food supplies were runningout, riots were occurring daily, and therewere still no viable solutions on thetable.

The U.S. sent Power Armored troopsinto mainland China, which turns into afiasco. Fortunately, for the U.S., theAmerican army is able to reclaimAlaska. This victory is short lived.

While entrenched in a protracted warwith another nation, the domesticsituation in the United States becameuntenable. The entire nation seemedpoised for violent revolt. The war withChina might have been something of avictory, but any sort of idea of winningwas long gone.

And thats when it happened. Someonepushed the button and changed theworld. Everything we knew becameunraveled in a matter of less than twohours.

On October 23rd, modern civilizationdied in a sea of mushroom clouds andheat. That day was forever engrained inour minds.

In the past, U.S. historys most powerfulevents were so immersed in the culture,such as July 4th , that they werecelebrated. The dates they occurred onbecame a sort of short hand for whatthey signified and formed a calendar ofnational identity. Not only did theyrepresent the events, but also theimplied context, feelings, and aftermathleft in their wake.

This phenomenon was not unique to theU.S. either. Specific dates had specialmeaning for various countries aroundthe globe. Each culture had its owndefined, but separated, collection ofevents and histories.

October 23rd, 2077 cut across allnational borders. On that day the skyburned, the earth blackened. On thatday, all people of all nations were unitedin a terrifying and deadly maelstrom.

Theres an old saying. History iswritten by the winners. If thats thecase, then history stopped beingrecorded on October 23rd 2077. As thebombs fell and the Vault doors closed,all winners and history began to beerased. Those left behind to tell thestory of what happened were merelysurvivors and history became a folklegend degrading with each generationretelling the story.

Vault City Rogue PressTuesday September 5th, 2240 Limited Edition

A Peoples History

Imprisoned safely behind alarge vault door

By Sarah Grey

In 2054, the American governmentfunded an initiative dubbed ProjectSafehouse. The aim of this project wasto build strategically located shelters toprotect the populace in case of nuclearor biological attack. The beginning ofthe European-Middle Eastern conflictdrove the need for this program.

Each of these 122 shelters wasdesigned to house 1000 people. Thepeople inside would be safely sealedwithin the Vaults protective walls for aminimum of 10 years. Or, at least, thatswhat the populace was told. The realpurpose of the Vaults was far lessaltruistic, a shocking and terrifying anglewell explore later.

The Vaults themselves were largeunderground structures constructed towithstand any sort of attack. The waterand air filtration systems weresupposedly impervious to high intensityblasts and were also very efficient atremoving toxins and radiation. Therewere vast supplies of food, governmentprovided entertainment tapes, andsurvival guides. Arguably, though, themost important resource in the Vaultwas the G.E.C.K.

The G.E.C.K., or Garden of EdenCreation Kit, was a self-containeddevised designed to jumpstartterraformation in the post-nuclear warworld. The kits contained a small coldfusion reactor, soils, seeds, fertilizer,and basic force field tech. Each Vaultwas supposed to have two of theseunits and they were to be deployed assoon as the Vault doors opened. The460 Holodisks that came with the kitwere loaded with numerous how-toguides for construction as well as the fullcontents of The Library of Congress.

Vault City was essentially grownfrom one of these kits and remains asingular success in the kits use. Whilenot every citizen may agree with all ofour governments actions (and arethusly jailed), we can all agree that the

city serves as a symbol of hope for theentire Wasteland. All hail Vault City!

Not all Vaults were as lucky as ownancestral Vault 8 though. Some Vaults,such as Vault 13, did not receive theirG.E.C.K. (or maybe they were stolen).Also, since not all 122 Vaults have beenfound, we can assume that their kits didnot work, or that their Vaults did notsurvive the war.

This goes back to the chilling truththat was brought up earlier. Not all Vaultswere supposed to work. In fact, only Vault8 was designed to neither be without flawnor hitch. The Government did not createthese Vaults as a safe refuge for thenations smartest, bravest, richest, mostpowerful, nor even most famous people.The Vaults were constructed to be a sort ofSocial Darwinist experiment.

The U.S. government (remnants ofwhich remain to this day, known as TheEnclave) had recognized the inevitability ofnuclear war and the destruction that itwould have on the Earth. Figuring thateven if they survived such devastation,there would be nothing left on the entireplanet with which to build on. Essentially,all the things that we as a species hadwaged war over for since we could walkupright would be gone. This was not aproblem that a simple G.E.C.K. couldsolve. The solution was a new planet.

Vault records received by a ceasedwanderers possession through Holodisksrevealed that The Enclave at one time priorto the war had looked into (and possiblyaccomplished) the creation of aninterstellar spacecraft. This spacecraft, ofcourse, only had limited capacity fortravelers. Only the strongest and bestshould be allowed to colonize the humanraces new home. How to choose the saidindividuals? Enter the Vaults.

Each Vault, with the noted exceptionof Vault 8, which was used as a controlgroup, was graced with an intentionaldesign flaw. These flaws gave each Vaulta unique set of circumstances to which totest the inhabitants. Those deemed worthy(i.e. the survivors) when the Vault doorsopened were supposed to be given theinvitation to join the self-appointed elite intheir journey to the stars.

Some of the Vaults had ratherminor challenges set to them, such asVault 70s lack of sufficient clothing.While it might have been a source ofconsternation for the Vaults largelyMormon population, it pales whencompared to Vault 68 with its populationbreakdown of 999 men and one woman,or that of Vault 29s lack of anyone overthe age of 15. Most would agree,however, that the Vault with the worstpossible experiment assignment wasVault 12.

Located in Bakersfield, California,Vault 12s doors were designed to notclose. The inhabitants of the Vault wereexposed to an extremely high level ofradiation. The survivors of this horribleexperiment were mutated into ghouls.These violent cannibals rechristenedBakersfield Necropolis. These violentcannibals are well known throughout theWasteland and frighten even the mostbattle-hardened traveler. There arerumors of a more peaceful Ghoulpopulation that lives in the sewers. Onewonders if this is wishful thinking.

These Vaults were presented asthe last hope of the human racesurviving the war. But, they werenothing more that yet another gameplayed on the public by the power elite.As the war waged and the cities melted,these 4-yard thick walls entombed thehopeful underground.

Meanwhile, the heads of TheEnclave waited out the war not inVaults, but rather the Poseidon Oil Rig,located off the coast of San Francisco.They waited for the day they could enlistthose who emerged alive from theVaults and leave Earth forever.

Something must have happenedthough. Either the blasts from thebombs or the resulting radiation musthave destroyed the spacecraft, ormaybe it was not yet complete when thebombs fell. Either way, the plan forcolonizing a new planet never came tofruition. Now The Enclave is stuck withthe only option available to it: reclaimand reform the United States.

There is, of course, resistance tosuch a plan.

Vault City Rogue PressTuesday September 5th, 2240 Limited Edition

A Peoples History Part 2

From the ashes of nucleardevastation

By Sarah Grey

In 2098, Vault 8 opened for the first time in21 years. There were a number of youngadults and children who had never seenthe outside world before. For them, therewas nothing more terrifying and freeingthan the idea of open space. For thosewho remembered what life was like beforethe war, there was nothing so shocking asseeing that world literally turned to dust,ash, glass, and rubble.

People emerged from their sheltersand began trying to piece together somesemblance of a working society. Farmsbegan to spring up, basic hunter/gathereractivities were established, and scoutingfor goods and other survivors were allincorporated into daily life. It did not takelong for social phenomena like bottle capbased economies to become a fairlycommon feature amongst these fledglingvillages. Life was hardly returned tonormal, but there were emerging constantsthat could be relied upon.

Unfortunately, one of thoseconstants was self-defense. While manyof the human survivors had been safelyhidden from the radioactivity, wildlife wasnot. There were giant radscorpions,mutated large rats, fire-breathing lizards,carnivorous plants, and many othercreatures to deal with. There were alsoghouls, raider hordes, and mutants thatthreatened life on a daily basis.

Not all mutations were the result ofradiation. West Tek, a governmentsponsored experimental facility, designeda man-made virus called the ForcedEvolutionary Virus (FEV) originallyintended to create a super soldier, forthe military before the Great War. FEVhad some unexpected side effects andresearch was violently halted just prior tothe war.

Those exposed to F.E.V. wereeither mutated into brutish, unintelligentgiants (provided they survived) or, morerarely, became Super Mutants. TheSuper Mutant is also large and amazinglystrong, but is also immune to radiationand even boasts improved intelligence!

Despite the possibility of good,being achieved with FEV, it can be (and

is) used as a weapon of enslavementand terror. There has already been atleast one madman who tried to raise hisown Mutant army. The risk of abuse ofthis technology is astoundingly high.

While FEV was around prior to thewar, very few people knew of it. Afterthe Vaults began to open though, itspresence was not something that couldbe ignored or covered up.

The world that awaited that firstgeneration of people to inhabit the post-war Earth must have seemed as alienas any target plant of the Enclave.Some human traits might reassertthemselves (war, economies, vehicles,weapons), but this world was nothinglike its predecessor.

Vault 8 was neither the first nor thelast Vault to open. Each Vault openedaccording to its own schedule. Somestayed closed for a mere 10 years andsome were intended to open after astaggering 200 years had passed.Since not all of the Vault locations areknown, it is possible that some Vaultsare still locked.

The NCR Historical NewsSunday, August 13, 2164 Article 12-66

Todays Wasteland:A Survivors Guide

By Jonathon Stone

Civilizations struggle to arise

There are a number of powerful factionsand relatively prosperous places in theWasteland. It is always a good idea toknow a bit about them and their historiesbefore shooting your mouth off in a bar in astrange town.

The Brotherhood of Steel, while notlarge, is probably the most technologicallyadvanced faction in the Wasteland.Secretive and suspicious, this organizationworships technology and sees itself as theonly group responsible enough to use it.They are not at all involved in maintainingorder or delivering justice. Their main goalis to develop tech and consolidate theirpower.

Roger Maxon founded theBrotherhood in response to witnessing theFEV experiments on prisoners while hewas a member of the U.S. military. Maxonled a revolt at the Mariposa base wherethe experiments were being carried out.On October 20th, 2077 he declared thebased succeeded from the U.S.A. Thiswas a mere three days before the bombsfell. Amazingly, the radiation levels aroundthe base were fairly low. Maxon led hismen to Lost Hills and formally founded theBrotherhood. Their influence has spreadconsiderably since then. However, giventheir xenophobic and secretive nature,their growth has been eclipsed by otherfactions.

The Eastern Brotherhood of Steel, asplinter group of the main force, wasformed in the Chicago area. This grouphad argued for the sharing of technologyand recruitment of new members to thefold. After being rebuked, this small sub-faction of the Brotherhood was sent east toobserve and report Super Mutant activity.Their airship crashed during a storm. Thesurvivors formed this break away factionand began operating independently of theBrotherhood of Steel. Holodisks reportsindicate that this Eastern Brotherhood ofSteel, while more open minded in sharingtechnology, rule with an iron fist.

Like The Brotherhood of Steel, TheEnclaves roots extend far beyond theGreat War. The Enclave was at one time afaction within the U.S. government. Thisgroup was the power elite within the power

elite. Not only did they have the powerand resources that came with runningone of the most powerful nations onEarth, they had every large corporation(such as West-Tek) in their pockets.

After 2077, The Enclave had tochange its focus and aim for some newergoals. There have been rumors ofpeople disappearing and strangemachines flying in the air near westcoast.

Rounding out the pre-Great Warsocieties that survived the nuclearonslaught are the Hubologists. Foundedby Dick Hubbell, Hubologists see theirlifes mission as repairing a pre-warspace shuttle in order to relocate (orsomething) to a large wheel in the sky.No one else, of course, has ever heard ofor seen this great wheel. Still, theHubologists believe.

There is some evidence that point toDick Hubbell having invented the religionas a hoax in order to scam money.However, since there is so little unbiasedinformation about Mister Hubbell still inexistence, no one can say authoritativelyif that is the case.

Most people do, however, agree thatHubology is strictly for crazies. Despitetheir fervor and weirdness most do seemto be relatively harmless. Especiallywhen compared tojust about anyoneelse you might run into in the Wasteland.

In addition to dangerous andpowerful groups, the Wasteland has anumber of dangerous and powerfulplaces. Primary amongst these would bethe NCR, or New California Republic.Comprised of 5 states (Shady, Maxon,Hub, Los Angeles, and the Glow). NCRboasts a population of over 700,000,which makes it clearly the largest powercenter in the former United States. Thecapitol of city is also known as NCR andhas a population of over 3000 peopleitself.

Originally founded by the inhabitantsof Vault 15, NCR had an unparalleledgrowth rate. In addition to its highpopulation and strong economy, NCR isknown for its representational democraticgovernment and the outlawing ofprostitution, public intoxication, andgambling amongst other things.

Some of the positions that can befound in the government are Senators,Governors, Council people, and aPresident. They serve the greater goodof the NCR while maintaining statesrights.

NCR has a very large and fullyoutfitted army with which to protect itsborders and is also one of the morecivilized areas. With the freedom ofreligion and laws designed to protect thecitizenry, NCR (on the surface at least) isa desirable and safe place to live. Somemight argue that the strict laws prohibitingalcohol, drugs, and any number of naturalforms of entertainment actually make thearea oppressive and dull.

There is some amount of conflictbetween the states that make up theNCR and its capitol. Thesedisagreements are mostly centered oncontrol of trade routes and theirtariffs/taxation rights. Some of thesedebates can get quite heated and anumber of the states view themselves asrivals, but there does not seem to be anyindication that there will be any sort ofmajor schism in the near future.

Without a doubt, NCR polar oppositeis New Reno. With no centralgovernment and certainly no lawsprohibiting drugs, booze, gambling, andescorts, New Reno is a depravedwanderers paradise. You can have allthe fun you could ever imagine in NewReno, if youre prepared to pay the price.

Before the Great War, gamblingtowns such as Reno, Nevada wereconsidered to be recession proof. Nomatter how bad things were doing in theworld, people still liked to throw dice,drink a few too many, catch a show, andmaybe even pay for a nights worth ofamore. New Reno proves that nothing,not even the end of the world can erasehumanitys drive for cheap thrills andreasonably priced deals. In its own way,its kind of beautiful.

New Reno is not so much policed orgoverned as it is kept in line by fourmob families. The families Salvatore,Wright, Mordino, and Bishop each havetheir own turf and each have a hand inmaking sure the tourists keep coming.Anyone that makes a nuisance of his orherself and is thought to be driving awaybusiness will probably end up inGolgatha. For those not in the know,

Golgatha is a large graveyard outside oftown.

Another popular (somewhatinvoluntarily so) draw to New Reno is Jet,a highly addictive mind-affecting drugcreated in 2241. This powerful stimulantwas invented right there in the smallest bigcity in the Wasteland. A person on a Jetbender could not only gamble for severaldays without any kind of sleep, but couldalso be convinced to do just aboutanything to get more Jet. And while Jetcan be found in most any settlement now,there is no Jet like New Reno Jet.

There are some rumblings that theruling families, especially the Mordino, areeyeing nearby Redding as a new propertyto expand into. This has, of course, beenmet with nothing but denials.

Just off the bay in northern Californialies San Francisco. This city is unique formany reasons. One of the main ones haveto do with its re-founding.

Most of the settlers in San Franciscoare descended from a Chinese submarinecrew that ran aground off the coastsometime after the Great War. Thesepeople are known as the Shi. A largenumber of the rest are Hubologists. Inaddition to this strange collusion of peopleare small populations of artists, misfits, ex-military, and criminals. According to

records, this mix provides San Franciscowith an atmosphere very much like theone it has during the pre-war era.

The city itself exerts a bit of mob rule(mostly handled by the Shi). SanFrancisco seems to pay NCR no mindand by all appearances just keepstrucking along fine without their influence.

Martial arts play a large role in theculture of the city. There are largedemonstrations and rivalries betweenschools. These exciting and often deadlyencounters only add to the mystery andintrigue of the place.

Finally, there is Vault City. WhileVault City is as active and organized asanything within the NCR, Vault Citycitizens are not as hung up on false andantiquated senses of morality andfreedom.

Born from the dwellers of Vault 8,Vault City quickly established itself as anadvanced and progressive city-state.Vault Citys society is split into differentcastes (Full Citizens, Servants andOutsiders); we are all given a place in thesocial order here.

Within the walls only Citizens areallowed and those who had earned a daypass (diplomats, heroes, and the like)inside of our walls. The rest of the rabble

could stay out in the Courtyard wherethey could peddle their wares and dowhatever it is they do out there. Mostwanderers who have managed to finaglea day pass have noted that the Courtyardis more lively and chaotic and fun.However, it is also more dangerous anddirty. Vault City is not favorable to chaosand grimeor interesting times.

While these cities might be some ofthe most powerful and influential, they arehardly the only cities worth seeing.Redding, Klamath, Necropolis, andJunktown are all worth seeing. As harshand unstable as the Wasteland seems tobe, there are some amazing sights to behad out there.

These towns and cities are at once adepressing reminder of how far and fastwe as a species fell into the abyss and asymbol of hope. As each city gets rebuilt,or a new city gets founded, we are liftedup. We can build as well as destroy. Weare not just manufactures of death.

At the same time they force us tolook at what we have done. Where weare now proud to merely have shelter, weonce had thriving metropolises. Masscommunication, great works, decentroads, vehiclesthese were abundant.Now we are forced to use their pieces inorder to merely get by. It could be worse.

The Redding RagFable # 12

Legendary Heroesof the Wastes

By Mason Storm

The Vault Dweller, he doesnt even needa name. He is a savior, villain, andlegend all in one. What he represents isso large and so vastly overshadows hisactual life, one wonders if a true history ofhis exploits could ever be written.Fortunately for us, history is dead and wehave the folk tale to live with.

Not much is known about him priorto the events that turned him into asymbol. He was born in Vault 13 and bywhat little accounts there are; he was amore than capable person, but hardly ahero. Like many legendary champions,The Vault Dweller was just caught up incircumstances beyond his control and yetwas able to master these circumstances.

Sometime around 2161, Vault 13swater chip broke. The leader of thatVault, called the Overseer, chose TheVault Dweller seemingly at random to bethe one sent out into the Wasteland inorder to find a working chip. Since Vault13 was supposed to remain sealed for200 years, the Overseer did not want toopen the doors and send out a party. Hedecided that sending merely one memberof the tribe would be acceptable.

The Vault dweller quickly foundhimself in a harsh world full of injusticeand exploitative degenerates. Nearlyeverywhere he went, he was asked tohelp yet another downtrodden person.Accounts seem to verify that The VaultDweller did make some rather morallyambiguous decisions, but generally actedon behalf of the good.

When he arrived in Shady Sands, hewas asked to help the town fight theradscorpions who had invested it. Beinghandy with a gun and having no particularlove of radscorpions, he agreed. All in adays work for a wanderer, really.

But, soon after these beasts hadbeen taken care of, raiders kidnapped,Tandi, the daughter of the towns leader.The Vault Dweller was again asked tohelp, even though the problems of thistown are not his own and that the townsleader openly distrusts him. The VaultDweller set out to complete this quest.

Tandi had been kidnapped by theKhans, a raider gang styling itself afterthe Mongols of ancient history. Theleader of this gang was feared (but nonetoo bright). It did not take long for TheVault Dweller to find him.

A local trader who was looking forsome adventure and was almost handy ina fight joined the Vault Dweller in theconquest of the Khans. The resultantbloodbath was amazing.

Tandi was safely returned to hertown. The Vault Dweller told her aboutVault 13 to the west and then had to leave.Tandi never forgot The Vault Dweller.Eventually she grew up and became thePresident of the NCR.

Sometimes, it isnt just individuals thatsymbolize a certain zeitgeist, but alsofriendships. You wont hear too manystories about The Vault Dweller that dontinclude at least a mention of mean olhound called Dogmeat.

No one knows exactly how these twobecame friends. Some stories have theVault Dweller bribing Dogmeat withiguana-on-a-stick, while others contendDogmeat mistook the Vault Dweller for hisprevious owner due to his leather jacket.The only two things that all accounts oftheir meeting agree upon are that it was inJunktown and Dogmeat had an old manbarred from his own home.

Resolving this issue was a little easierthan fighting raider gangs and soonDogmeat and The Vault Dweller weretraveling the Wasteland together. Theyfought enemies and kept each othercompany. It may seem like a simple not atall interesting thing now, but at the timethis friendship served a comforting story forthose learning to deal with the vagariesand paranoia in this post-apocalypticworld. Friendship and loyalty were thingsa lot of people seemed to have forgottenabout.

On or around January 2162, TheVault Dweller reached The Hub. He wassuccessful in his attempts to negotiate withthe Water Merchants. This did not saveVault 13, but it certainly helped. What didnot help was that someone, or something,was stealing water from Vault 13smagazine.

Pressing on, The Vault Dweller andcompanions, ended up in Necropolis(formerly Bakersfield, CA) and somehowmanage to recover a water chip. Whilethere, they experience the full spectrum ofghouls that make up Necropolispopulation. It was not a happy time as oneof the Vault Dwellers companions wasburned to death via a Super Mutantsflamethrower.

The Vault Dweller returned home withthe water chip. When he told the VaultOverseer about the Super Mutant

presence in Necropolis, he was given anew mission. This time, the VaultOverseer wanted him to dispose of thisSuper Mutant problem. Most peoplenow consider this a suicide mission. Anumber of scholars believe that theOverseer knew about the true nature ofthe Vault project, feared The VaultDweller was close to finding out, andsimply wanted The Vault Dweller dead.

In March of that year, The Mastersent his army of Super Mutants to razeNecropolis to its foundations. Thisforced a confrontation between TheMaster and The Vault Dweller.

For those that dont know, TheMaster was a dangerous cult leaderwhose secret aim was very similar tothat of the Enclaves prior to the GreatWar.

The Master ran a cult called TheChildren of the Cathedral who wereseemingly out to better mankinds lot.However, the Children of TheCathedral were actually secretlylooking to recruit normal humans toserve as operatives. Theseoperatives, if approved, would convertto the Cathedral faith (a mixture ofhigher callings, social Darwinism, andfaux altruism), and would be voluntarilydipped in one of many vats of FEV thatThe Master had hidden in hisconverted military base.

When The Vault Dweller arrivedback in Necropolis, he saw a burnedcity that was sadly worthy of its name.One of the survivors told The VaultDweller that The Master was in hidingin The Boneyard, a city formerly knownas Los Angeles.

The Vault dweller, intent oncompleting his mission, descended onthe city with a heart full of fury.However, he did not kill randomly orwithout strategy. Beneath thecathedral was a special Vault. ThisVault was not like the others built byVault-Tec prior to the War. This Vaultwas never intended to be used, as itwas merely a demonstration model. Itwas, of course, still used as a shelterwhen the bombs began to drop. Unlikethe other Vaults, this one wasabandoned fairly quickly after the Warwas over. When that happened, TheMaster moved in.

The Vault Dweller made his waythrough the Cathedral (and through thedisciples within) and began his decentinto the Vault underneath. The wallswere melded with a sort of sentient

flesh. There were vengeful mutants.Death and mockery of life wereeverywhere.

At the end of this abysmal journeywas The Master himself. No one knowsthe exact details of what came next. Allwe do know is that The Vault Dwelleremerged alone, The Master was neverseen again, and the Children of theCathedral were broken, scattered to thewinds with no direction.

Once this was accomplished, TheVault Dweller set out for Mariposa todispose of the FEV vats. Using a fewconnections he had made with TheBrotherhood of Steel, The Vault Dwellerlocated the base and destroyed it.

This victory came with a high price.Not only was the base full of Mutants androbots that nearly cost The Vault Dwellerhis life, it had some powerful force field

technology that cost him his friend,Dogmeat.

There are stories that he and all ofthe heroes of our time live in a sort ofghost town that appears and disappears towanderers on their own long journeys.Such is the power of myth.

When The Vault dweller returned tothe Vault one final time, he was met notwith a fanfare, but a rebuke. After all ofthat hard work, sacrifice, and blood to saveVault 13, the Overseer told our hero thathe must leave the Vault forever. He wascast out into the Wasteland for no logicalreason. This is part of the supportingevidence that the Overseer was a cog in agreater conspiracy.

Undaunted, The Vault Dweller and anumber of faithful left the Vault andfounded the town of Arroyo. Soon Arroyowas flourishing and strong. The Vault

Dweller took wife and had a daughterwith her. The child eventually becamethe Elder of the tribe.

The Vault Dweller wrote hismemoirs and settled into the tribal life.All was well, until one day, withoutwarning, he was gone. All that was leftbehind was the folded Vault Suit andmemoirs. Some say that sky spiritstook him to the afterlife and other sayhe just wanted one last chance tojourney the Wasteland.

It is telling that The Vault Dwellersigned his book of memories as TheWanderer; for that is what he truly was.

Our world is both brighter anddarker without him in it. Darkerbecause we need more strongerpeople like him, and brighter becausehis myth does so much for our spirits.