Vault 115

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Vault-Tec, a corporation now famous not only for their incredible nuclear fallout shelters but for their bizarre sociological experiments...

Vault 115 originally housed those with a strong political view and knowledge and was originally meant to be built in the White House, to serve as the President's own personal Vault and as a means to continue democracy for the foreseeable future. The plans were modified at the last minute, and construction began in 2059 unlike most vaults, which began earlier. It was completed early for a Vault, being completed in 2065 (one year after the majority of vaults). Like many Vaults, it's public purpose wasn't it's true purpose. Supposedly meant to now house people of a strong political view and knowledge, as a means to keep politics and their policies alive long after the radiation had died down and the world was "safe".

It's secret purpose was to be a sociological experiment; an experiment to see how being in an isolated community affects politics in a social group. The living quarters were set up based on your political view. Those who were on the fence or liberals were placed in the center quarters, while left and right wing were placed in the left and right quarters. In 2077 when the first leader was elected, tensions between the groups were low due to people being more concerned with their future outside the Vault (many believing it to be temporary shelter). Overseers went by with little tensions still up until 2136. Two strongly opinionated candidates were up. Both were highly charismatic, which lead the opposing sides to be scornful of each other. Note that this was the first time a communist (as opposed to just socialist) candidate stepped up.

Leading the right wing party was Franklin Smithson. A bulky man with a stern posture and a strong chin, and one of those award-winning smiles that captivates an audience. Leading the left wing party was Ignacio Gonzalez. A greasy Mexican face with an awkward smile is what he had, although his dark charisma often managed to please crowds and gather attention.

The rise in tension was caused by the current overseer, Smithson, 's lowering of the lower-class laborers wages. Birthday gifts and other such luxuries were no longer available as necessities such as food and water were all they could afford. They made up roughly a fifth of the Vault's population, and thus were the kind of group that could influence politics...

Smithson won the election. No policies of the previous overseers were changed, and again the right wing party had been chosen. This was the turning point; the start of the war between the two political extremes. This war remained cold for the most part aside from the odd bathroom graffiti or "random" hate-mail. The left was getting sick of being ignored now that they knew this was to be their permanent home...

Smithson's mantle was taken on by various others between the times of high tension. It wasn't until 2271 that Addison Michael Endicott came into power... and that his political opposite, Sophia Ryan, took over as the candidate for the left wing party. His term was considered unsuccessful by some although he kept the majority of the vault content. The economy of the vault, however, was slowly collapsing. A recession was feared to happen soon after. Endicott's term was extended to a period of 6 years rather than 3, as the imminent crisis meant that people didn't care who was in charge... they only cared about them stopping it.

2277. Election time. The workers of the Vault went from a fifth of the Vault to almost half of it, what with most of the jobs becoming redundant and useless in their society. Sophia Ryan won the election.

It only took a year for her to turn the Vault gradually from Endicott's paradise into George Orwell's nightmare. Endicott had warned them of their foolishness at the time, in his last speech on March 21st, 2277:

"So... you've done it. Finally, you've done it... you fools... Don't you see? She isn't the answer, she's my antithesis, she's the antithesis of freedom itself! You are free, for the moment. Savour it... for you have little freedom left. You made your choice as a man; and you will soon be forced to obey... like a slave. You, the parasites of this bustling community... YOU! You complain about how low your wages are, how SHIT your living conditions may be... but still you refuse to educate yourself and find a better place of work... A man gets to choose, a slave must obey. Enjoy your time while it lasts, my brothers and sisters, for Big Sister is watching us."

It was laughed at by the majority of the Vault. That is, until 2281.

Endicott's prophecy had come true; Sophia rarely left her office now, and the robotic husks of servants were everywhere. They listened to your every conversation, watched you while you slept, while you washed... there was no hiding from them. They were all wired with cameras and audio devices able to detect the slightest sound. People had begun disappearing at random times; Sophia was becoming more paranoid, and when she believed someone to be plotting against her she had them executed.

The election was overdue a year. But who would dare stand up to Sophia now?

Endicott planned his next moves carefully, appearing quite the productive and happy citizen of the worker's paradise of Vault 115. Sophia began to think his opinions might be changing... he read the Communist Manifesto (found among the small library the Vault has) and other such propagating Communist material. He was summoned to her office one evening.

She greeted him that all inclusive smile... the smile he loathed. He entered the office, the door sealing shut behind him. A protectron was in the corner of her office, sentient and silent... overseeing the overseer. He looked around for a second, smiling, waiting for her to speak. Her tone was inquisitive, and she asked him whether his political view had changed. He gritted his teeth and exclaimed "Yes.". He moved towards her desk, as though he were going to take a seat...

He dived over the desk and onto her and they rolled around on the floor a while. He placed the inner side of his right elbow around her neck and the protectron began targeting them both. It fired a few shots, but couldn't get a clear one on account of the struggle. He asked her for the key to the secret escape tunnel. This was strange for him. People had seen him as the kind to start a revolution and reinstate himself as a leader. He had lost all interest in this vault... he knew it was evil, deep down. After the struggle continued, she gave him and the key and he sprinted down the hall to the unlabelled door. The keycard fitted into the mechanism perfectly, and the door opened quickly. He ran down the dark metal hall, to the entrance of the Vault...

When there, he used the anger he had built up to aid him in critically damaging the door mechanism console after activating it. He left through the large metal vault door, using the outside console to seal them in forever. Only the outside can open it now, and the strict, inhumane security policies are still in effect. [/center]