Fallout 4’s post-apocalyptic stretch of Pennsylvania is wonderful, awful, and mysterious. Above ground, we find mutated monsters, vagrant survivors, and semi-civilized settlements. Below ground and past reinforced concrete are horror stories and violations of humanity.
Vault-Tec’s vaults were social and scientific experiences under the guise of a haven from the looming nuclear war. There are a total of five explorable vaults that are in Fallout 4’s open world, each carrying a story of how the U.S Government sanctioned their surviving population to serve as lab rats.
5 Vault 111
Vault 111 is the vault immediately North of Sanctuary Hills. As you are guided through the panic of the missile strike, the Vault-Tec staff are reassuring new residents that they are now safe in their new home. Little did these vault dwellers know they were about to be subjected to suspended animation for the rest of their lives.
After emerging from the cryogenic pod, you find no one left alive inside the vault. All that can be found are bodies, skeletons, and the records of a dystopic bunker.
You learn that the bunker was solely meant to test Vault-Tec’s Cryogenic freezing. You also discover that there was a mutiny between staff and authority when things took a tyrannical turn, causing the deaths of the Vault’s staff.
The subjects that were frozen all perished from the Vault’s power short-circuiting, causing the pods to malfunction and essentially killing everyone inside. Everyone but the lone survivor, you.
4 Vault 114
Vault 114 is encountered during the Unlikely Valentine quest. In the venture to save Nick Valentine from a mafia-Esque gang, we learn that the gang’s hideout is a Vault. Vault-Tec had obtained the Park Street Subway Station to build the vault. The vault was never finished as Vault-Tec decided to try hiring an outside construction company, which took longer to build with much more mistakes and rework.
The inhabitants were supposed to be wealthy elites and powerful politicians along with their families. The Vault’s staff were instructed to make the inhabitants as uncomfortable as possible for those in society who were so used to comfort in the outside world. It was a social experiment designed to see how far the population could be pushed before they snapped.
3 Vault 75
Under the Maiden Middle School is a Vault that has a rather tragic backstory. The vault was designated for the staff, attendees, and their families. However, upon entering the vault, the children were immediately separated from the adults. The adults were told that they would be attending an orientation about their new home, but instead, they were executed.
The purpose of the vault was to harness and strengthen the gene pool of the residents. The children of the parents executed, were subjected to borderline torturous tests to analyze their worth.
If a child were found to have strong genes, they were “harvested” and then executed after turning 18. If a child was found to be weak, they were just executed. After a century there was an uprising from the children and they were able to escape the vault to The Wasteland. The vault later became a stronghold for The Gunners.
2 Vault 81
While the Vault-Tec staff are seemingly cold and calculated, there seems to be one Overseer that actually has a beating heart. The original Overseer, Dr. Olivette, saw what Vault-Tec was going to do to its residents and was tempted to blow the whistle. However, she found out that Vault-Tec’s schemes were completely sanctioned and backed by the U.S Government.
Instead, when the alert of the Great War began, she tried to only contact the residents and not the doctors. Despite her efforts, three scientists still showed up at the Vault. In a last-ditch effort to protect her residents, she sealed off the scientists indefinitely in the science division. The scientists still had access to food that would last them the rest of their days.
Dr. Olivette kept the Vault’s original purpose and the existence of the science division a complete secret, allowing the residents to continue their lives in ignorant bliss. It wasn’t until 100 years after The Great War that Vault 81 opened to begin communication and trade to the outside world.
1 Vault 95
Vault 95 was yet another vault that was designed to be a social experiment. Inviting citizens who were dependent on Chems, Vault-Tec promised them shelter and a rehabilitation program. As the program progressed, many of the residents were reacting positively to the treatment.
The social experiment began when a Vault-Tec employee disguised as a resident revealed a stash of Chems in the dead of night. The next morning, many of the residents caved and broke their recovery, while others held their faith in the program and stayed sober. The vault devolved into a state of chaos and violence.
Vault 95 serves as a heavily guarded Gunner base. With many Gunner members guarding the vault alongside three Assaultrons and two Mr. Gutsy’s. This vault also has the highest number of aluminum junk items you can collect.
NEXT: Fallout: 7 Plotholes To Fill in Fallout 5
