Vault 29 (Van Buren)

	For the Vault as it is canonically, see Vault 29.

Vault 29 is one of the Vaults built by Vault-Tec.

Background[]

As part of the Vault experiment, it was meant to be populated by young children, with the original inhabitants being no more than 15 years old.^{[Non-game 1]} Harold emerged from Vault 29 in 2090.^{[Non-game 2]}

This Vault's experiment was devised by scientific genius Derek Greenway of Greenway Hydroponics, which had also built the Nursery. Most of the parents were either "accidentally" redirected to other Vaults or were in the early stages of health conditions that would no doubt cause them to die soon after entering the Vault. Instead of a human overseer, Vault 29 would be controlled by a ZAX supercomputer. The ZAX would be programmed to raise children with the aid of robotic helpers, educate them in a primitive culture, and upon their reaching maturity, release them into a controlled environment. They would then be free to rebuild society from the ground up.^{[Non-canon 1]}

At one point Greenway explained his plans for Vault 29 to Diana, a former human scientist whose brain became the core of the Nursery's supercomputer, to see what her opinion would be. He was quite surprised when Diana was appalled at the idea. She said that, although the idea had merit, she found it to be morally objectionable on several levels. She recommended that the plan be scrapped. When Derek refused to do so, Diana took it upon herself to become involved with the project without his knowledge.^{[Non-canon 1]}

When the Great War started and civilization began to fall apart, Diana appropriated control of a satellite dish and aimed it at Vault 29. She then transmitted a series of security codes to the Vault's ZAX unit and gained control. Over the years that followed, Diana was able to see to the upbringing of the children. Every year she ordered a worker robot to leave the Vault under the pretext of checking conditions outside. In reality, they were preparing an area - the village of Twin Mothers - to receive the Vault populace when they were ready to leave. Lastly, she had a series of projectors installed at strategic locations, ready to project her chosen image. Finally, when the Vault doors were opened the inhabitants found Twin Mothers built. Everything was coming together, and Diana was ready to play god. By 2253, the Vault itself has ceased working, but it's still a holy place to the inhabitants of Twin Mothers.^{[Non-canon 1]}

Layout[]

Vault 29 was a standard Vault with three floors: a control center and medical laboratory, storage lockers, an armory, bunk rooms, a common area, a power room, and a vault controller room. It was controlled by a Zax computer, which was overridden by Diana, a super-computer at the Nursery. The Vault underwent changes until the population was ready to be released into the world.

The Vault had two projectors that could be used to cause the goddess to "manifest" by projecting her image onto a reflective mist. The computer control room also had a CODE device that rendered a subject unconscious and erased their short-term memory. This device was used on any natives who discovered the Vault.

The Vault's water storage and production facility had been significantly altered and was the source of the stream that flowed through the forbidden lands and the underground water for the wells of the Twin Mothers tribe. The Vault was also home to robotic workers and security droids.

The player could:

• Bring the Twin Mothers chiefs to the Vault and destroy their faith in the goddess.
• Program the Zax unit to follow their commands and set themselves up as a god.
• Tell the Zax unit about the raiders and ask it to activate the security robots to eliminate them.
• Discover the location of the cave that leads to the satellite dish by asking the Zax where it gets its commands from.

The main goal of the Vault was exposition. The player could learn that the goddess was only a Zax computer programmed to operate within certain guidelines. The Zax admitted that it was nothing more than the servant of a higher authority but would not reveal who that is.

Notes[]

• In Fallout, Harold mentions being from a Vault, but does not specify which one.^[1] The Fallout Bible is the only source that specifies that Harold came from Vault 29 and that he emerged from it in 2090,^{[Non-game 2]} and also noted that the Vault contained only children with adults diverted elsewhere.^{[Non-game 1]}
• Early Van Buren leaks stated the number of the Twin Mothers' Vault as 31 rather than 29.^{[Non-canon 2]}

Appearances[]

Vault 29 was planned to appear in the canceled Fallout 3 project by Black Isle Studios codenamed Van Buren. A canonized version of the Vault is mentioned in Fallout 76.

References[]

Non-game

Non-canon