Vault 32

Vault 32 is a location and Vault-Tec Vault in Los Angeles, California in the Fallout TV series.

Background[]

Origins[]

Part of a network of the Three Vaults near Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Vault 32 was directly connected with Vault 31 and 33. However, direct contact between the populations was limited - officially to prevent the spread of threats, but with the ability to come to each other's aid in times of need.^[2] The Vault remained sealed after the Great War, only exchanging population and necessary supplies with its sister Vaults. For decades, the dwellers were told that the surface was uninhabitable, but encouraged to prepare themselves for the eventual Reclamation Day.^[3]

Civil war[]

The situation was stable for over two centuries, as entire generations were born, lived, and died underground. However, a crisis struck in 2294,^[4] as the dwellers of Vault 32 learned that they were actually guinea pigs, rats in a maze, existing solely for the purpose of Bud Askins' eugenics^[5] project at Vault 31. To breed a class of super-managers that would inherit the Earth after the nuclear holocaust, Askins devised an experiment with Barb Howard,^[6] where selected graduates of his Bud's Buds executive training program would be placed in a state of suspended animation in Vault 31, and then cross-bred with selected candidates from Vaults 32 and 33, all under Bud's supervision, as the robobrain overseer of 31.^[7] In essence, 32 and 33 were just breeding pools.^[5]

To keep the populations docile, all overseers of 32 and 33 were thawed junior executives from Vault 31, wakened periodically, and transferred to the Vaults, before replacing their predecessors through unknown means (there is no direct explanation given, but the "simplest" would be to count the ballots by computer, allowing Bud to guarantee his candidate always won). The consistent selection of overseers from Vault 31 was not a secret. Still, none of the dwellers truly questioned it, ascribing it to the superior education and resources of Vault 31, as well as the slogan "When things look glum, vote 31."^[8] It's not clear how the dwellers learned of the secret, but Overseer Ian Jackson was tortured to death and his staff hanged. At the same time, the resulting violence across the Vault led to widespread loss of life as they split into factions and started killing each other or committing suicide. Graffiti painted on the walls was a stark reminder to others that the dwellers knew the truth and what was inside 31, promising death to Management (Askins' eugenics project).^[9] The anti-Management faction appears to have prevailed and attempted to force their way into Vault 31, using whatever tools they had at hand, including blowtorches and other construction equipment. However, the revolt ultimately failed, with the dwellers perishing at the Vault door.^[10]

Askins restricted communications between Vault 33 and 32,^[11] to cover up the incident, and did not inform Hank MacLean, the overseer of 33, of what happened beyond noting Jackson's passing. This allowed Lee Moldaver to use Rose MacLean's Pip-Boy to open the door to Vault 32,^[12] and infiltrate Vault 33 while posing as the next overseer of Vault 32, explaining the sorry state of her crew as a result of wheat blight that hit their crops.^[13]

Resettlement[]

Following the attack on Vault 33, Moldaver retreated with the captured MacLean through Vault 32, burying the passageway behind her. However, Norm MacLean and Chet managed to gain access to the Vault while everyone was distracted with Stephanie Harper's labor. They discovered that the Vault wasn't wiped out by raiders, as believed, but collapsed in a civil war. Realizing what was happening,^[9] Betty Pearson, the re-elected overseer of 33, after consulting with Bud Askins, decided to resettle Vault 32. One part was to keep the experiment running, another was to split potential troublemakers apart, such as Norm and Chet. In the meantime, Askins arranged to clean up Vault 32, removing the bodies and restoring the largely superficial damage of the civil war.^[14]

Like before, the "interim" overseer was chosen according to the experiment's rules: It was Stephanie Harper, the latest Vault-Tec executive to be thawed at Vault 31.^[15] Other dwellers sent to Vault 32 were Woody Thomas and Davey, and a dozen more.^[1]

Layout[]

Vault 32 is similar in layout to Vault 33, with some exceptions. Its surface entrance is not located near the Santa Monica beach, but inland, near a drive-in theater and concealed beneath a pair of railroad bridges.^[16]

It has a similar atrium to 33's, except instead of raising corn, its principal crop was wheat, with the soil tilled using tractors.^[9]

Appearances[]

Vault 32 appears only in the Fallout TV series.

Behind the scenes[]

• Steph's biography on Amazon once mentioned her husband Bert came from Vault 32, but this was later removed.
• While the fate of the original Vault 32 residents is being investigated, a television is seen playing the in-universe equivalent of the famous real-world "rat utopia" experiments (this clip can be seen in the Vault Seller's Survival Guide episode "Bud's Buds!"). In these experiments, communities of rats were given unlimited access to the necessities of life, leaving the rats to want for nothing. Ultimately, rather than achieving overpopulation, the rats stopped socializing, mating, eating, or raising their young. Some became extremely hostile and violent. Without any real hardship, the rats lost the will to live, leading to the extinction of the community in short order.
  • Conversely, the in-game result of the experiment, as shown on the television, was that the rats became overpopulated and ultimately killed each other in the struggle for resources. This could feasibly be the reason for why Vault 32 failed, in conjunction with their discovery of the Vault 31 experiment and the possible crop failure claimed by Moldaver.
• The existence of Vault 32 was first known in 2022 via leaked set photos, which went viral on social media. However, these photos are unable to be uploaded to this wiki for legal reasons.^[17] The first official appearance of Vault 32 in any show-related material was at the Fallout display at CCXP 2023, where cast and crew members including Jonathan Nolan and Walton Goggins were also available for interview. The display included an interactive Vault tour including staff members in Vault 32 jumpsuits. The tour included a game in which winners would be allowed to "enter" Vault 33, and losers would be sent to Vault 32 instead.

Gallery[]

Vault door

Crop field

Classroom

Nursery

The deceased overseer Ian Jackson

References[]