The Enclave is a paramilitary organization[3][12] and quasi-state(Note) dedicated to the project of an all-inclusive holocaust of non-members, who they dehumanize as "genetic non-compliance offenders."[7][13][14] It is the direct continuation of a pre-War American deep state consisting of high-ranking political, military and corporate figures.[15] It claims to be the direct continuation of the United States and its government,[16] despite seizing power by subverting continuity of government protocols and murdering non-Enclave government survivors in the name of continuing the war against communism.[17][4][18]
Enclave ideology eventually incorporated pseudo-scientific concepts like social Darwinism[7] and racism towards non-Enclave humans, super mutants and ghouls.[19][20] Racism led to genocide; all humans outside the Enclave were designated as near-human mutants to be exterminated.[21][5] The plans to wipe humanity out worldwide,[8] establish a racially pure state of "true humans,"[14] coupled with its authoritarian structure, use of slaves,[22] human experimentation,[14] torture[23] and unprovoked attacks on American citizens,[24] resulted in the Enclave being seen by the rest of humanity as an evil, tyrannical force, identified by even its former members as a fascist remnant of the pre-War government,[2][3][25][26] sometimes simply called "the rich old bastards who didn't want to give up their power."[27]
As a result of the organization's countless atrocities, all Enclave members are relentlessly pursued by other factions, including by the New California Republic and the Brotherhood of Steel, who treat all members as war criminals.[28][29] It is the main antagonist in Fallout 2 and again in Fallout 3, a minor enemy faction added in Fallout 4 via a next-gen update. In the Fallout TV series, it plays a small role, setting the plot in motion when Siggi Wilzig defects from the organization.
The Enclave is a joinable faction in Fallout 76 through the AI MODUS, though all pre-War Enclave members were dead or missing by the time Vault 76 opened in 2102. Player membership pertains to arming weapons for MODUS in repeatable missions, as well as operating the various automated systems left by that short-lived chapter, including the Appalachian Automated Launch System.
The Enclave's motto seems to be "God Bless America," as seen on their terminals in Fallout 3 and the Fallout 4 next-gen update. The phrase was previously uttered by Charles Curling in Fallout 2.
Background[]
Origins[]
Before the War, the Enclave was a cabal of powerful individuals from across the United States, including presidents, members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, prize-winning scientists, members of the military, influential politicians, wealthy industrialists[30] and other powerful men and women who together formed the group.[31][32][33][15][34] In the opinion of its members, it was the greatest assembly of minds on American soil.[35] To the outside, particularly in later centuries, it wasn't the United States, but the rich and powerful, unwilling to give up their power.[27]
The Enclave was involved in many of the deepest conspiracies and secrets of the federal government, such as covering up the existence of extraterrestrial life, mainly to the ends of studying alien technology for their own use. When the organization Quaere Verum tried to expose this conspiracy, stealing an alien tech-based prototype weapon, they were swiftly hunted down and killed.[Non-game 1][Non-game 2][33]
Preparations[]
Blueprints for the Whitespring Congressional Bunker, one of the Enclave's planned hubs for surviving a post-atomic wasteland.
As the Resource Wars dragged on and the risk of nuclear war increased, members of the Enclave invested into various contingency measures to survive the coming war. Funded by corporate and government money, these installations would enable the Enclave to continue waging war even after the United States ceased to exist. One such installation was the presidential oil rig out in the Pacific Ocean, owned by Poseidon Oil, with the Whitespring Congressional Bunker acting as a hub for future Enclave operations,[36] covertly funded by funds embezzled from the Department of Agriculture by its secretary, Thomas Eckhart.[37] Other facilities prepared in advance were Raven Rock and the Kovac-Muldoon Platform.[38][Non-game 3]
The Enclave used Project Safehouse and Vault-Tec's network of underground shelters for a grand social experiment, to test the occupants in unique circumstances.[39] Vault monitoring and research were conducted under the Vault Behavioral Project. In order to monitor the populations being experimented upon, the Enclave's oil rig possessed a great deal of equipment that allowed them to observe and control the Vaults. For example, the Enclave sent the all-clear signal to Vault 8 shortly after the War, prompting them to leave their vault and build their city. These monitoring tools also let the Enclave see that the population of Vault 13 was largely intact, although this wouldn't become important until much later.[Non-game 4][40]
The original idea behind the Vault experiments was to gather data to enable the creation of a multi-generational starship to settle another planet, as the Enclave assumed Earth would be rendered uninhabitable by nuclear war and human civilization would need to expand into the stars to survive.[Non-game 5]
Eve of the Great War[]
In March 2077, with the world heading directly for nuclear confrontation, the President of the United States and other members of the Enclave retreated to various fortified areas around the globe.[15][Non-game 6] Others remained behind, only retreating to fortified shelters as the nuclear war became imminent.[41]
As the shadow government poised to take over the U.S. government should the worst occur, by late 2077 the existence of the Enclave was potentially known to the public, but only vaguely at best, mostly the subject of longstanding rumors but covered in at least one newspaper in Boston in the last week before the war.[15] Although news outlets across the nation picked up the subject of the "missing" president, discussing the rumors of peace negotiations with China and the president's absence, the Enclave was already heading to the ground.[42] However, this did not stop individuals from attempting to uncover its existence both from within and without the government. As the only way to join the Enclave was to be invited by them, a large majority of the government was unaware of its existence beyond rumors and irregularities in the budget. [citation needed] The United States military refused to allow the Enclave access to some of its systems.[43] Furthermore, the "powers that be" in the government largely opposed the notion of a nuclear first strike against China that some members of the Enclave promoted.[44]
The secrecy wasn't perfect, and some members of the public and government pursued their own investigations. In June 2077, Senator Sam Blackwell began an investigation into the Congressional Bunker Project and Vault-Tec's potential involvement.[37] His activities drew the ire of Thomas Eckhart, a powerful member of the Enclave responsible for establishing Enclave control over The Whitespring bunker. Following a threat on his daughter's safety, Blackwell went into hiding, joining the Free States, and attempted to publicly unveil the Enclave's existence in a controversial interview published in the Charleston Herald.[45] In reality, this was not caused by Eckhart or anyone else with the Enclave, but rather by a completely unrelated regional business magnate, Daniel Hornwright, who had sought to remove Blackwell on account of the senator's opposition to an automation ballot vote.[46]
An independent investigation by reporter Mags Veccio for the Boston Bugle also uncovered evidence linking the Enclave with the highest echelons; she figured out that the president abandoned the White House in favor of the Poseidon Oil Rig, and an anonymous source tipped her off that its official designation was "Control Station Enclave." This gave, as Veccio stated, "credence to the long-running rumors of a secret, militarized 'shadow government,' known as the Enclave, that would take control of the United States in the event of a nuclear conflagration." Veccio was right. However, she published her revelations on the front page in the week that would end in said nuclear conflagration.[15] Although news outlets across the nation picked up the subject, discussing the rumors of peace negotiations with China and the president's absence, the Enclave was already heading to the ground.[47]
Scattering during the Great War[]
Thomas Eckhart, Secretary of Agriculture and self-proclaimed President of the Appalachian Enclave.
On October 23, 2077, the Great War resulted in the destruction of the Old World and the creation of the post-atomic wasteland that would dominate the globe for the next several hundred years. The United States government largely ceased to exist, and despite well-prepared plans, the nuclear attack caught the Enclave by surprise. Some government officials who were supposed to retreat to the congressional bunker never made it, either failing to respond to hails or being removed from the list prior to the bombs for unknown reasons.[48] Members of Congress who made it to the congressional bunker and were not part of the Enclave were summarily executed. Surviving members were then put to a vote as to whether to use the resources of Appalachia to continue the war against China or to oppose Eckhart's plans. Those that disagreed with Eckhart were locked inside while those that agreed with Eckhart were allowed to exit, at which point those inside the room they were voting in were gassed and executed.[18]
Communication between the Whitespring and the rest of the Enclave was mysteriously cut off almost as soon as the bombs dropped. Short of physically cutting the hardline communications systems, this shouldn't have been possible.[49] Without contact with the oil rig, Raven Rock, and other Enclave outposts, Eckhart proclaimed himself President of the United States and Appalachian Enclave.[50] Without any opposition, Eckhart quickly hijacked the mission of the Appalachian Enclave, ignoring his orders and shifting from a primarily scientific mission to a mission of revenge against China.[51]
Crusade in Appalachia (Fallout 76)[]
The Appalachian Enclave was responsible for the creation of the scorchbeasts and the Scorched Plague.
Although Eckhart's reign lasted less than a decade, it left an indelible mark on the region and brought humanity to near-extinction. In his pursuit of vengeance, Eckhart planned to use Appalachia's automated nuclear missile silos to deliver secondary nuclear strikes on China to ensure its destruction.[18] However, due to the nature of the automated systems, he first needed to convince them that Appalachia was under attack severe enough to warrant going to DEFCON 1 again.[52] To do so, he unleashed progressively worse horrors upon Appalachia, from Liberators, through super mutants, to the scorchbeasts, massive mutated bats created by the Enclave, infected with a virulent plague capable of controlling living creatures.[24]
This proved to be the breaking point for a significant part of the Enclave, with opposition forces rallying around General Ellen Santiago.[53] The result was a brief, but bloody civil war that ended in the death of every living member of the Appalachian Enclave; when Santiago's forces attempted to destroy MODUS, the AI defended itself. Although explosives already planted severely damaged its memory banks, it retained control over the bunker long enough to seal it and fill it with poisonous gas, wiping out the Enclave's Appalachian branch in 2086.[54]
MODUS, the only "survivor" of the Appalachian Enclave, began repairing the damage done to the bunker during the civil war using leftover robots. It also tried to recruit a dweller from Vault 76 in 2102,[55] and attempted (but failed) to recruit Captain Oliver Fields and his squad of U.S. Army survivors when people returned to Appalachia in 2103. Fields' group categorically rejected the idea or the Enclave's claim to being the legitimate government.[56]
Orlando and The Management may be tied to the Enclave, given the their access to vast resources and control over the Whitespring.[57]
Attempted global genocide (Fallout 2)[]
The Enclave came to consider themselves the last remaining bastion of "pure," mutation-free humanity on Earth. Sharing the planet with existing wastelanders was deemed untenable,[58] and this rhetoric was used to justify the immediate extermination of all "mutants" (which here means anyone who has been exposed to significant radiation).[59][60] By roughly 2140, the Enclave considered the mere existence of these so-called mutants an obstacle and a threat; President Dick Richardson would declare in 2241 that after the release of the FEV Curling-13, the Enclave's members would "be the first generation free of the mutant threat in over one hundred years."[61]
Dick Richardson, President of the United States in 2242.
Before the Great War, the Enclave developed a plethora of new technologies, including variations of the classic T-51 power armor. The work progressed slowly and the projects failed to yield improvements.[Non-game 7] A renewed research effort into creating a next-generation suit of powered infantry armor began in 2215, with President Richardson's presidential order.[Non-game 8] The project was completed in October 2220, seven months after Congressman Dick Richardson (son of the previous leader) was elected president (on the 5th of March).[Non-game 9]
In 2235, the Enclave began its experimentation on deathclaws, with the aim of creating cheap shock troops for waging war in hostile environments.[Non-game 10] However, it was 2236 that became a breakthrough in its activities. On July 20, 2236, Enclave scouts discovered the ruins of the Mariposa Military Base.[Non-game 11] The Chemical Corps and other scientists began to scour the base, while assault squads began gathering slaves to use for excavating the base.[Non-game 12] In the process, they captured Melchior from the town of Redding.[Non-game 13] Excavations began in September. The slaves and construction crews dug into the collapsed base, removing tons of rock. Unprotected wastelanders were exposed to low levels of FEV in the ruins, released after the base self-destructed and mutations began to occur. At the same time, Frank Horrigan was exposed to the virus and sent to the oil rig for study.[Non-game 14] By October, Melchior (now mutating) realized that the Enclave would execute him and the others as soon as they recovered the FEV and virus data. He began secreting away weapons for the mutants in anticipation of the confrontation.[Non-game 15] The excavations were completed in January 2237. Shortly after Enclave scientists managed to obtain a pure sample of FEV and leave the base, the mutants rose up against their Enclave overseers. After suffering heavy casualties, the Enclave forces fell back and sealed the mutants in the ruins of the facility.[62]
Although it came at a heavy price, the sample allowed the Enclave to start researching the creation of a biological agent that would allow for killing mutants worldwide. Dubbed FEV Curling-13, after Lt. Col. Charles Curling, the leader of the project, the sample was modified and refined by the Chemical Corps into a staggeringly effective killer. The Enclave defined the project's goal as achieving a global clean sweep with a 99.5% extermination rate.[21] In the meantime, between 2236 and 2238, the scientists experiment on Frank Horrigan. The mutating trooper was kept heavily sedated; whenever he was conscious, "incidents" occurred that result in major bloodshed.[Non-game 16] By January 2239, tests ran dry and the decision was made to use Horrigan for fieldwork.[Non-game 17] On March 27, 2239, Horrigan was sealed within power armor custom-manufactured to fit his massive physique. After a number of horrifically successful field tests, he became the Enclave's solution to a number of sticky problems.[Non-game 18]
In 2241, the project was in its final stages. Although the Enclave ran into shortages of certain critical chemicals, they got around that problem by forming a secret relationship with the Salvatores of New Reno; in exchange for laser pistols, the mobsters provided them with the necessary chemicals made in their drug labs.[63][64] Final testing required representative population samples for the toxin and the inoculation against it. The Enclave raided Vault 13 on March 16, 2242; the vault's inhabitants were taken to the oil rig so that the inoculation rendering humans immune to the FEV-based toxin could be tested.[Non-game 19][65] At roughly the same time, the village of Arroyo was also raided, to acquire subjects to verify the effectiveness of FEV Curling-13. By autumn of 2242, the testing was completed and the target toxin efficiency of 99.5% was reached. 250,000 gallons were manufactured and prepared for release into the jet streams. However, hours before the toxin could be released, the Chosen One infiltrated the oil rig, assassinated President Dick Richardson and Frank Horrigan and triggered a nuclear detonation, obliterating the toxin supply and averting global genocide.[6][26]
Retreat to Raven Rock[]
John Henry Eden, President of the Enclave in 2277.
The destruction of the oil rig and loss of senior leadership was a crippling blow to the Enclave. The forces on the West Coast were in disarray. Members from other installations within New California and survivors from the rig (like Sergeant Granite) regrouped at Navarro.[Non-game 20] In late 2242, senior scientist Autumn Senior was contacted by a new president, John Henry Eden, who ordered the majority of the remaining Enclave forces on the West Coast to relocate eastwards, to the Capital Wasteland, near the ruins of the once capital of the United States, Washington, D.C.[Non-game 3][Non-game 21]
Navarro remained as a fully staffed Enclave base. However, a couple of years after 2246,[Non-game 22] the New California Republic invaded Navarro, stating that it posed a threat to the region.[66] The NCR Army was victorious and the Enclave remnants scattered to the winds.[67] Enclave remnants fled east or attempted to integrate into the NCR, with limited success.
Meanwhile, John Henry Eden was joined by Enclave survivors from the West Coast. Raven Rock had full manufacturing facilities and a sizable stockpile of resources, enabling the president to create an army of robots and provide his new human subordinates with military technology necessary to maintain their technological superiority. A separate line of robots, the eyebots, were created to roam the wasteland, spreading a message of hope and the return of pre-War America, in the form of the Enclave.[Non-game 3] The Enclave maintained a low profile, rarely seen in the wasteland. Using Raven Rock and Adams Air Force Base, they slowly rebuilt their military might and even started a number of research projects to develop their technological edge, including Duraframe eyebots and Hellfire power armor.[68]
The War for Project Purity (Fallout 3)[]
Enclave propaganda found in the Capital Wasteland.
Capital Enclave troopers.
The Enclave began a large scale campaign of expansion in 2277, as Project Purity, a massive water purifier in the D.C. tidal basin was activated. Enclave forces raided the facility, establishing a secure perimeter around it. However, due to the actions of the project's lead scientist, who committed suicide by activating the purifier prematurely and flooding its control chamber with radiation (almost killing Colonel Augustus Autumn in the process), they were unable to use it.[69] The Enclave focused on shadowing the scientist's child, the Lone Wanderer, to locate the part necessary for the purifier to function and captured them on their way out of Vault 87. With the Garden of Eden Creation Kit in their possession, the Enclave decided to activate the purifier.[70][71] Colonel Augustus Autumn openly defied the president's plan to contaminate the water with modified FEV, so that it would cleanse the wasteland, instead wanting to use the purifier as a way to unite the wasteland and establish the Enclave as its saviors.[72][73] As a result of the split in ideology, a brief civil war erupts among the Enclave at Raven Rock, during which President Eden's Sentry bots turned on and began to fight the human soldiers, loyal to Colonel Autumn.[74]
The Enclave's attempts were stopped by a sudden raid by Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel. A pre-War war machine code-named Liberty Prime, assisted by the Lyons' Pride and the Lone Wanderer, carved a swathe through the Enclave's fortifications, killing the droves of soldiers that manned them, and destroying a large number of Vertibird gunships that the Enclave called in as reinforcements. The battle ended in a success for the Brotherhood, who proceeded to lay claim to the now-active purifier. The ultimate fate of Colonel Augustus Autumn, present at Project Purity during the raid, remains unknown.[75]
The Brotherhood used Liberty Prime in several other attacks against the Enclave, including the raid on Raven Rock. With their last major facility in the Capital Wasteland destroyed, the Enclave was forced to flee.[Non-game 23] Regrouping at the mobile base crawler at Adams AFB, the Enclave formulated a counter-attack plan. The Brotherhood was lured to the satellite relay station. As usual, they spearheaded the attack with Liberty Prime. The Enclave anticipated that and while the war machine attacked the facility, it was destroyed by mini-nuclear bombardment from Bradley-Hercules, a weapons platform in high orbit.[76]
Robbed of their most important asset, the Brotherhood was demoralized. Reeling from the losses sustained at Project Purity, the Enclave sought to bolster their presence by redeploying special forces from remote and classified locations outside of the Capital Wasteland. Collectively known as Enclave Sigma Squads, these soldiers operated in groups of six, utilizing heavy incinerators and led by a commander in Hellfire Armor. Each member was a hardened veteran of numerous successful combat operations, and the units were posted around locations deemed by Enclave high command as imperative to the salvation of the cause.[Non-game 23]
However, the Enclave overestimated their strategy; the Lone Wanderer managed to elude their squads and retrieve components for a pre-War weapon that would give the Brotherhood an edge in the war. That same person subsequently assaulted the remaining Enclave stronghold at Adams, supported by Brotherhood forces and their captured Vertibird. This attack culminated in the destruction of the crawler, robbing the Enclave of their last known major command center.[77]
Western remnants (Fallout: New Vegas)[]
By 2281, approximately four decades after the fall of Navarro, the Enclave's presence in the west has largely faded. Members who have not integrated into the NCR or were captured and tried for war crimes,[28] continue to be pursued by NCR Rangers and bounty hunters.[29] These remnants fled to the fringes of the republic, keeping out of sight. One squad is known to have ended up in the Mojave Wasteland, on the frontier between the NCR and Caesar's Legion. Most of these old warhorses have found new lives, although their weapons and armor remain safely stored, awaiting the last call to battle that may never come.[67]
The only other known remnant of the Enclave that isn't a rusted wreck, repurposed machine, or man running from their past is ED-E, a reinforced combat-model eyebot, sent out from Adams Air Force Base before its fall. Representing the last prototype of its line, it was sent to Navarro by way of Illinois, its creator Whitley not aware that Navarro had fallen. It is not known if ED-E ever tracked down the Chicago outpost or if it still exists. All that remains of it is a license plate bolted to ED-E's side.[9]
Commonwealth Remnants (Fallout 4)[]
One of the Enclave's camps
In 2287, the Enclave appeared in the Commonwealth, led by Major Major Elias. Their orders were to establish a field headquarters in the Glowing Sea, in the derelict Atlantic Offices. Their primary goal was the recovery of high value equipment, including Hellfire power armor, X-02 power armor and high tech weapons.[78] Satellite encampments were established across the Commonwealth: A retrieval camp near The Slog, southern near Gunners plaza, eastern near Parsons State Insane Asylum and western in the vicinity of Dark Hollow Pond.[79]
The encampments reflected the expanded scope of the deployment, as the Commonwealth was identified as a potential site for a permanent base of operations for the Enclave, and Elias was instructed to continue investigating and searching for such a base.[80] Retrieval operations continued, with the Enclave units gathering intelligence via reconnaissance, coercion, torture and other methods,[13] identifying a number of leads: Enclave deserters, raiders who caught them and targets of opportunity. The general population was expendable, with standing orders to kill them after any interaction and to hunt down witnesses. The Gunners were to be engaged and executed given favorable tactical situation, while the Brotherhood was to be avoided.[81]
Other camps were supposed to perform propaganda operations in order to prepare and release Eyebots that would spread agitprop among the population,[82] perform research on local flora[83] and capture mirelurks to obtain DNA samples. All camps had standing orders to execute anyone who discovers their camps.[84]
Further north on the Island, the only known survivor of the Enclave's forces under Autumn and Eden is former lieutenant Brian Richter, who was left for dead during a recon mission. A decade after the fall of Raven Rock, the purifier and Adams, Richter is a devout follower of Atom on the Island, at the Nucleus, having abandoned his former affiliation for a new life as a zealot.[85]
Flight of Dr. Wilzig (TV series)[]
Dr. Siggi Wilzig, working on a cold fusion device.
However, despite constant setbacks and gradual fading into myth,[86] the Enclave survived in isolated locations. One of these is an underground research colony located in an unidentified snowy mountain region, still conducting research in various areas, such as biology (in particular that of mutated organisms), behavioral engineering and advanced energy. Dr. Siggi Wilzig was stationed at this facility, involved in both behavioral studies and cold fusion research, harnessing Vault-Tec Corporation technology based on Lee Moldaver's research.[87]
In 2296, following an incident in which Wilzig's canine subject CX404 attacked and killed an Enclave administrator who realized Wilzig had conducted unauthorized cold fusion research, the doctor defected from the Enclave and fled into the Wilds.[88] His defection led to a manhunt by the Brotherhood of Steel, on orders from Commonwealth clerics,[86] and a bidding war between the six mercenary agencies in New California, all of which posted the bounty for his head.[89] The only safe haven Wilzig could expect was with the New California Republic forces under Lee Moldaver, who would have once hunted him down as a war criminal.[90] Moldaver arranged for the transport of the defector, but the plan was derailed when The Ghoul intercepted Wilzig at Filly.[91] In the resulting gunfight, Wilzig lost his left foot and was mortally wounded. His head, which contained a vital artifact, was eventually posthumously decapitated by Lucy MacLean. Lucy briefly lost possession of the head when it was swallowed by a gulper, and it was later recovered by Maximus and Thaddeus. Lucy later took possession of the head back from Thaddeus, and delivered it to Moldaver's base at the Griffith Observatory.
Fallout Shelter Online[]
 | The following is based on information from Fallout Shelter or Fallout Shelter Online. |
|---|
According to Fallout Shelter Online, which is outside the main continuity, the Enclave was not entirely eradicated in the Capital Wasteland despite the Lone Wanderer's efforts, and still remain around a decade later. The Enclave has made an agreement with slavers where the Enclave is giving slavers high-tech arms, in exchange for safe passage to recover "assets." They are also working with the Talon Company.[92]
| End of information based on information from Fallout Shelter or Fallout Shelter Online |
|---|
Society[]
 Part of a series on |
| the Enclave |
|---|
| Game articles |
| Fallout 2 · Fallout 3 · Fallout: New Vegas · Fallout 4 · Fallout 76 |
| Politics and history |
| History of the Enclave · President Eckhart · President Richardson · President Eden · AEC |
| Assets |
| Enclave uniforms · Oil Rig · The Whitespring bunker · Raven Rock · Secret Service · Chem. Corps |
| Technology |
| Advanced and Enclave power armor · EnclaveNet · Enclave Radio · FEV Curling-13 · MODUS and SODUS · Kovac-Muldoon Platform · Mutations · Multi-generational starship · Vertibird |
| Other |
| Characters · Locations |
The Enclave has patterned itself after the pre-War United States of America, scaling down its structure to match its smaller size. The Enclave is led by a president,[93] elected by members of the Enclave without a term limit.[16][94] In practice, the elections are optional and a new president may assume power by invoking succession rights. John Henry Eden became president by simply claiming to be next in line for leadership, with Enclave members falling in line.[95] The AI rationalized it by claiming the state of the nation made elections impossible,[96] though none of these stopped Eden from lying on air that he was elected "by the appropriate people."[1]
Under normal circumstances, the president is assisted by a vice president,[97] who together form the executive branch of the government.[98] The Enclave also has a congress, but there appears to be no judicial branch to control abuses of power.[99] Some governmental agencies have also been reformed in the Enclave. The Atomic Energy Commission exists but has been scaled down significantly and around 2242 was responsible simply for maintaining the oil rig's nuclear reactor.[100][101]
The Enclave's society in its heyday was characterized by secrecy, pervasive surveillance[102] and conformity, particularly under President Richardson. The slightest sign of discontent was seen as disloyalty and grounds for permanent reassignment to mainland duties, rather than the cozy confines of the oil rig.[103] The situation was different on the mainland; all members were expected to be able to produce identification papers at a moment's notice,[104][105][106] and summary execution authorized at the commanding officer's discretion, without the need for court martial. If they so decided, they could decide to execute the offender on the spot, for example, for disobeying a direct order,[107] but even carelessness and breaking delicate equipment (eg. EnclaveNet infrastructure) could easily lead to facing the firing squad.[108] The atrocities were packaged as patriotic necessity, or rather, jingoism, emphasized by the ever-present patriotic anthems and iconography. For example, both Richardson's and Eden's speeches were preceded by a variety of anthems.[109]
Though most of the Enclave were conformists, dissension was present. While in Appalachia this led to civil war and the extinction of the chapter, in New California there were more outlets. The opening of Navarro and mainland operations allowed dissenters to simply desert its ranks and blend in with the wasteland population, benefiting from ignorance. This eventually changed as the NCR and the Brotherhood became aware of the extent of the organization's crimes.
Ideology[]
President Richardson's office, draped in flags and bearing the pre-War seal, to claim continuity.
The Enclave claims to be the direct continuation of the pre-War United States of America,[16] but ignores the duties and laws of the state in favor of entrenching its own power; standard protocols implemented during the Great War included the murder of all non-Enclave personnel at facilities it controlled, such as elected members of Congress not part of the organization at CB 002.[17] Enclave members weren't safe from each other either, as at the same location, refusal to fall in behind Thomas Eckhart resulted in a purge through mass gassing.[18] Eckhart was determined to eradicate communism and its supporters through any means necessary. The planned genocide was to be carried out through any means necessary,[4] including mutation experiments that rendered subjects questionably human[110] and releasing mutants and hostile robots againt American citizens to trick the AALS to raise DEFCON, and gain access to the nuclear silos.[111]
This promise was used to recruit soldiers to the Enclave banner, promising vengeance for the losses sustained in the Great War.[112] The Sino-American War continued in the ranks of the Enclave,[113] but morale suffered, leading General Ellen Santiago to question whether eradicating communism and vengeance justified tormenting and killing American survivors, on top of the murders of congressmen and fellow Enclave members.[111] The disagreement eventually spiraled into a civil war, extinguishing the Enclave in Appalachia, around early 2085.[114]
The Enclave faction on the opposite end of the continent, centered around the last President of the United States, survived. The plans to eradicate communism through genocide evolved into a plan to exterminate all non-Enclave humans. The Enclave used pseudo-scientific justifications, declaring that subtle alterations in DNA of humans outside the Enclave make them near-human mutants, who must be exterminated to maintain the integrity of the human race. This position was adopted around 2140,[61] with the Enclave styling itself the last remaining bastion of humanity on Earth, and the only salvation of the human race.[7] The idea of "saving the human race" has caused the Enclave to reject any cohabitation with non-Enclave humans.[58]
The idea of extermination was pursued with single-minded dedication, with nobody involved questioning the morality of such an act,[115] President Richardson least of all. Under Richardson's rule, the dehumanization of all non-Enclave humans was extreme,[21][58] who pursued the genocide with religious dedication.[116] The architect of the genocide, Charles Curling, considered it an example of social Darwinism, one species asserting its dominance over another.[7]
As direct killing of humans across the world was impossible, the Enclave sought a different solution: all humans "guilty of mutation" would be gassed using FEV Curling-13, created by the aforementioned Dr. Curling and his Chemical Corps.[117][60] Death was to be the fate of every non-Enclave human, including those born in a Vault to American citizens, who would therefore, by United States law, hold American citizenship.[118] All were branded as mutants (or muties, near-humans etc.) who could be freely enslaved, experimented upon and murdered at will.[119]
The Chosen One prevented the Enclave from implementing its mad plans, blowing up the oil rig just hours before it was meant to be deployed.[6] The surviving mainland forces of the Enclave were gathered and evacuated east, on orders from John Henry Eden, the self-declared successor of President Richardson (details of his "election" were suppressed for reasons of national security).[1] The idea of reclaiming the mainland United States persisted, though Eden has altered the strategy. Unlike Richardson, Eden broadcast the Enclave's existence to the Capital Wasteland, promising to rebuild the land,[120] the American family[121] and restoring "peace, order, and prosperity," while killing anyone who opposes the Enclave (euphemistically described as removed forever").[122]
Both Richardson and Colonel Augustus Autumn, descendant of the commander who led the evacuation east, agreed on killing anyone who opposed the Enclave.[123] However, they disagreed on the course of action regarding the wasteland.[124] Eden wanted to restart the original genocidal plan and use modified FEV to cleanse the wasteland of mutations,[8] which Autumn felt was too extreme. While he believed that the colonel's humanity was clouding his judgment,[125] Eden agreed to abandon the plan, at least for a time.[126]
The alternative seems to be Autumn's idea: seizing Project Purity, then using it as leverage to establish the Enclave as a power in the Captial Wasteland; the masses were supposed to "flock to the Enclave for fresh water, protection, and a plan for the future."[127] Autumn seemed convinced that he was seriously fighting for the American people and a secure future,[72] declaring it on the Enclave Radio,[123] and even sparing the lives of people captured in the wasteland like Anna Holt[128] or Stiggs,[129] so that their knowledge and skills can better serve the goals of the organization. Holt even started believing the Enclave was truthful about its goals.[130]
Despite public proclamations, Autumn's soldiers maintained a network of constituency enforcement points, to enforce Enclave presence among the general populace and perform compulsory genetic compliance screenings. Anyone found in violation of Enclave's genetic standards was detained and murdered, their corpses incinerated.[13] The idea of humans outside the Enclave being guilty of mutation seemed to persist, and even those within Vault 101 were marked for death (although the idea of amnesty was floated to the overseer, in an attempt to coax him into opening the Vault).[131]
Finally, while both Eden and Autumn purported to fight for the American people, they also rejected the idea of non-Enclave humans to be American citizens. Like in New California, even Vault denizens who would be considered American citizens under United States law, could be killed by Enclave soldiers at the officers' discretion.[132]
Iconography[]
Seeing itself as the continuation of the United States government, the Enclave continues to use many of its symbols, including the old U.S. flag. However, most Enclave iconography instead uses its own variation of these American motifs. While stars and stripes are often used, black and white with red accents are instead used in most symbols rather than the old red white and blue, or the army green, with the capital "E" of the Enclave being used as the primary symbol of the faction. Some variants of their flag use the 1969 U.S. flag, with the capital "E" replacing the central star of the flag that represents the federal government.
Power armor design diverged from the T-series that was used by the pre-War American military, continuing designs based on the experimental X-01 power armor and starting the advanced power armor line. Most of their power armor uses a dark dull-brown color scheme.
Enclave uniforms diverged from that of the U.S. Army over time, taking on distinctive black and tan color schemes by 2086, with officers wearing a distinctive leather overcoat. These uniforms continued to evolve over time, with the officer uniform taking on a distinct Civil War-era design by 2277 and losing the overcoat except for Col. Autumn's uniform. Scientists wore typical labcoats as well as white hazmat suits.
Enclave bases[]
The true extent of the Enclave is unknown. The strongest known concentrations of their forces were in New California and the Capital Wasteland, with an isolated force making use of the Whitespring Bunker and select other nearby facilities in Appalachia. In general, the great plans to continue the war against China from the safety of their bunkers were ruined by communication breakdowns and isolation.[36] However, enough preparation took place to ensure that Enclave bases make use of the best security technologies that were available in 2077. Forcefields are common passive defenses, while plasma turrets and auto-cannons are common stationary defensive emplacements. Enclave patrols are a common defensive measure, including anywhere between three and five troopers armed with high powered weapons.[133]
Apart from the oil rig and Navarro, the Enclave had locations and bases hidden throughout New California and the Mojave Wasteland.[134][135] However, some hypothesize that many members traveled east or integrated with the NCR.[136]
| Name | Description | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control Station ENCLAVE | A Poseidon Energy oil rig off the coast of California, designated as a presidential shelter.[38] Became the Enclave's headquarters after the Great War. | 175 miles west of San Francisco[137] | Destroyed (2242) |
| Adams Air Force Base | Pre-War air force base, used by the Enclave as the base of operations after their defeat in 2242. | 10 miles south-east of the Capital Wasteland | Base claimed by the Brotherhood (2277) |
| Mobile base crawler | A refitted pre-War mobile missile platform, used as base and satellite uplink station. | Mobile, stationed at Adams Air Force Base by 2277 | Destroyed (2277) |
| ENCLAVE Vault-Research Control | Active PoseidoNet station as of 2241.[138] | Unknown | Unknown |
| Navarro | Retrofitted oil refinery that served mainly as a refueling stop for Vertibirds carrying out missions in California as well as a general base of operations outside the oil rig. | Coast of California | Lost to the NCR (post–2246) |
| Remnants bunker | A small Vertibird refueling outpost, used by the Devil's Brigade as storage. | Mojave Wasteland | Sealed and abandoned |
| Raven Rock | Pre-War continuity of government base. | Capital Wasteland | Destroyed (2277) |
| Research colony | Underground facility focusing on research in the fields of biology, physics, and behavioral engineering.[88] | Near New California | Active (2296)[88] |
| Satellite relay station | Enclave's main communications installation used to coordinate the remainder of the Enclave forces following the devastating defeat at the Purifier. | West of the Capital Wasteland | Lost to the Brotherhood (2277) |
| The Whitespring bunker | Constructed using Department of Agriculture funds with the intention of using it as a future hub of operations.[36] | The Whitespring Resort, Appalachia | Lost during a civil war (2086) |
| Enclave research facility | Biological research station operated by the Enclave Research and Development Division | Hidden beneath a relay station in west Appalachia | Personnel infected with the Scorched Plague (~2086) |
 Gleaming Depths
|
TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Chicago outposts | Numerous outposts of an unknown capacity operating within the vicinity of the city. | Chicago | Unknown |
Military[]
A Vertibird assault team
The military arm of the Enclave also uses the pre-War U.S. system to a certain degree. The president is the commander-in-chief,[Non-game 3] while actual command of the military is handled by the Enclave High Command.[139][Non-game 23] The Enclave military collectively forms the Department of the Army,[140] which has at least two other departments: Research & Development[141] and Peacekeeping and Recovery, charged with staffing Constituency Enforcement Points whenever they are set up in the wasteland.[142] The Enclave has also recreated several pre-War formations. The Secret Service was reformed, tasked with protecting the government (such as the president), though their activities will occasionally include being deployed on delicate missions to the mainland (such as silencing a Brotherhood outpost or assassinations).[143] The United States Chemical Corps returned as well, its duties including the development of the FEV-2.[144]
Apart from units based on their pre-War analogs, the Enclave has several formations unique to itself. The most well known are the verti-assault teams, heavily armed squads of Enclave power armor troops, widely known for their tendency to go in shooting without asking questions. They let someone else sift through the ashes to figure out what was going on.[145] Other units include the Enclave Control Company, responsible for perimeter defense,[146] and the Sigma Squads, six-man groups used for securing high priority targets.[Non-game 23] Another specialized formation are Fauna Details, tasked with handling animals used by the Enclave in their operations and experiments. Fauna Detail Charlie is one such example, handling deathclaws.[147]
Due to its small size and extremely limited manpower, the Enclave experimented with automation in their military. Camp RHO was one such experiment undertaken under the auspices of the Army's R&D wing, testing a new R76-H3-0 chip that is a part of an automated defense grid staffed by a single officer.[141] It has also explored the use of deathclaws as disposable shock troops, continuing the pre-War program. After attempts to use FEV to produce intelligent deathclaws were too successful, the Enclave continued the program using surgery and specially-designed technology.[147]
According to the Sierra Depot GNN transcript, the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy was deployed to Control Station Enclave before the Great War, though its exact post-War fate is unknown.[148] However, this information is from the Sierra Depot GNN transcript, which is an unreliable source.[149]
At first, the Enclave only accepted recruits from within its own ranks. Following the loss of the oil rig and the departure to the east coast, the Enclave began making overtures towards wastelanders via broadcasting propaganda (Enclave Radio over Eyebots and propaganda posters and billboards).
Department of the Army[]
Evolved from the pre-War Department of the Army, the Enclave Department of the Army serves a much broader role than its original counterpart. All branches of the US Military have now fallen under the control of the Department of the Army, creating a singular force that the Enclave uses to carry out its operations in the wasteland. At the peak of Enclave's power, they were even considered the most advanced fighting force in the wastes. The bulk of the Department of the Army's forces are soldiers, clad in various forms of advanced power armor wielding energy weapons. However, the department also fields an Air Force made up of Vertibirds, which are used for a wide variety of operations. They likewise maintain a Navy comprised of pre-War battleships, which may be the remains of the aforementioned Pacific Fleet. [Non-game 24] The Enclave also has access to a limited number of automobiles, primarily used in a transport capacity.[150][151]
The Army typically deploys its forces in squads that make use of advanced military tactics beyond the capabilities of most wasteland factions. Combined with their use of cutting edge technology, such as sentry drones that can protect their flanks, the Army is extremely capable of dispatching most threats to the Enclave. But when standard forces prove insufficient, one more weapon remains the Department of the Army's arsenal. The elite black-ops unit known as Enclave Squad Sigma can be dispatched to eliminate top priority dangers or guard installations considered to be of utmost importance, such as the mobile base crawler at Adams Air Force Base.[Non-game 25][141]
Research and Development[]
This branch has been responsible for the Enclave's technological advancements and is run by some of the most brilliant minds in the Enclave. They designed the advanced power armor that is able to keep the Enclave soldiers safe from radiation. These scientists are rarely seen in the field. When they are, they are wearing heavy environmental protection suits.[141]
Peacekeeping and Recovery[]
This department is responsible for civil protection, local council and rule of the civilian side of the Enclave. It maintains bases around the wasteland under the guise of "protecting" the citizens. They actually exist to keep an eye on the population and quietly remove anyone who the Enclave considers "non-compliant." In the Capital Wasteland, Peacekeeping and Recovery are seen at a camp near the Wheaton Armory taking and enforcing details from wastelanders passing through and eliminating those that offend or do not comply with their regulations.[142]
Secret Service[]
Frank Horrigan executing a family in the desert.
The original United States Secret Service was an agency under the Treasury Department, with at least one unit known to have survived the War as part of the detachment sent to guard Vault 79. The Enclave's Secret Service was unrelated, reformed into personal security detail for the president,[152] always present in the president's vicinity.[153]
The most infamous of Secret Servicemen was Frank Horrigan, former presidential bodyguard who after a tour at the Mariposa excavation became exposed to FEV, then further altered by the Chemical Corps, making him a genetically modified, cybernetic killing machine,[154][155] used against various priority targets in the wasteland.[156] All the while remaining subordinated to the president.[157][158]
Foreign and outside relations[]
MODUS at CB-002, the only Enclave leader to practice outreach and recruitment.
Due to their ideology, the Enclave generally does not maintain relations with wasteland polities, preferring hostility instead. In the decades following the Great War, this was dictated by a belief that the Sino-American War was still going, and isolating themselves from the outside was necessary to prosecute total war against communism.[159] In Appalachia in particular, outside contact was limited for the purposes of secrecy, primary to restock supplies, recruit new members (after appropriate processing)[160] and analyze the ability to subvert the Appalachian Automated Launch System for war purposes, as the system did not recognize the Enclave as legitimate government.[161] Even loyal soldiers were treated with paranoia as potential subversives.[162] Disregarding any obligations a legitimate government might have, the Enclave in Appalachia unleashed a procession of horrors on the people to inflate the DEFCON rating artificially and reactivate the automated missile silos.[163] This ultimately led to a civil war within the ranks and a total wipeout of the Enclave, with the surface remaining none the wiser.[164] MODUS, damaged in the fighting, attempted to recruit Vault 76 dwellers to fill out the ranks and rebuild the Enclave, marking an uncharacteristic departure from the usual secretive mode of operation.[165] What's more, it also carried out a variety of patrols and extermination operations targeted at securing Appalachia and destroying threats to human life.[166][167]
The belief in total war against communism did not dissipate. Over time, it would evolve into total war against humanity, believing the Enclave to be the sole group of pure humans left in the wasteland, and one entitled to taking the world back. In the wasteland, it seemed as if the Enclave was convinced it was still fighting the Sino-American War, over a century and a half after it ended.[168][169][170]
New California[]
A Vertibird squad dealing with the Salvatore family; a rare instance of the Enclave trading with wastelanders
By 2241, outsiders were considered useful only as slave labor (at Mariposa, for example), testing (FEV Curling-13) or eradication (ultimate goal). After the adoption of the human purity ideology, the Enclave pursued a course of genocide, but when chemicals necessary to manufacture FEV Curling-13 ran low, it covertly contacted the Salvatores, trading low-grade Wattz 1000 laser pistols for chemicals sourced by the New Reno family.[63] The pistols provided the mobsters with an edge over their competitors, keeping them unaware of the Enclave's ultimate goal.[171] The entire tribal village of Arroyo was abducted to serve as test subjects for the Chemical Corps' experiments.[172]
The Enclave's contempt for wastelanders resulted in low operational security, allowing Metzger of the Den slavers to tap into their radio communications.[64] Wright children in New Reno were also aware of the exchanges, having seen their landings,[173] while Melchior Jr. witnessed the abduction of his father.[174] Vertibirds were a common sight flying over Redding and San Francisco, and one even crashed in the Klamath canyon following a rotor malfunction. The bodies of the pilots were not recovered and the Vertibird was left to the wasteland.[175]
Underestimating the wasteland attracted the attention of the Brotherhood of Steel, which activated a network of outposts in the Den, the NCR and San Francisco to monitor its activities and keep watch.[176] The Brotherhood soon discovered the Enclave was heavily involved in the drug trade, gun running and slavery, all in service to a higher purpose the Brotherhood was unable to determine, but learned enough to seek ways to counter the threat the Enclave posed.[22] Beyond atrocities, the Enclave has been also polluting the coasts of southern California and Mexico, causing irreversible ecological damage with effluvia from the oil rig's nuclear reactor. By 2241, beaches in the region became saturated with toxic waste and highly irradiated sea life.[101]
After the destruction of the oil rig, the Enclave fled New California under the leadership of Augustus Autumn's father. The NCR and the Brotherhood learned of the genocidal plans of the organization, declaring the Enclave a criminal organization. Any membership in the organization is grounds for arrest, trial as a war criminal and life imprisonment.[177] Failing that, NCR Rangers and bounty hunters are authorized to pursue targets.[178] The policy was adopted by the NCR's government under the left-leaning President Tandi. If her government failed and the right-wing of the republic was radicalized, the NCR would have become a haven for Enclave war criminals.[179]
Capital Wasteland[]
An Enclave trooper disposing of ghoulified US citizens, executed for "genetic non-compliance."
The situation changed when the Enclave retreated to the Capital Wasteland. Following the seizure of the purifier, Enclave troops established a strong presence in the region circa 2277, maintaining a network of constituency enforcement points. Colonel Autumn's plans for Project Purity were similar to the Brotherhood of Steel; he wanted to use the purifier to distribute water to the masses and create a power base for the Enclave, offering supplies, security and a plan for the future.[127] He disagreed with Eden's approach, which entailed the use of modified FEV to contaminate the purifier and kill anyone and anything with a hint of mutation (i.e. every living organism in the wasteland). Eden's rejection of the idea was evidence of "humanity clouding judgement" to Eden, although he went along with the colonel publicly.[125]
It is unclear how the Enclave was supposed to win the hearts and minds of the population; while propaganda aired on Enclave Radio stated their mission was aiding wastelanders, the troops were ordered to first carry out mandatory genetic screening. The test would be followed by immediate execution if they failed to meet genetic standards.[13] It is unclear who issued the orders; while Eden, the sentient ZAX, sought the extermination of mutations,[125] Autumn was the head of the Enclave military forces and has never countermanded Eden's orders,[126] to maintain the chain of command and protect the presidency.[180] At the same time, he appeared to consider wastelanders the "American people," further complicating responsibility.[72]
Regardless of who issued the genocidal orders, a large scale deployment of their forces to establish territorial control was an unprecedented change. Before the loss of the oil rig, the Enclave focused on covert operations, maintaining a low profile. The Brotherhood, owing to the accumulated knowledge and intel, quickly identified that the purposes of this network were just as sinister as before.[181] The resulting Brotherhood-Enclave War resulted in the near-total destruction of the Enclave, fall of Adams Air Force Base to the Brotherhood, and the establishment of Brotherhood's supremacy in the East. The Prydwen was, in fact, constructed at the former base.[182]
Ten years later, the Enclave became a footnote in history, with its former members integrating in society. Grand Zealot Richter is one example, as a member of the Children of Atom on the Island. Whether the Enclave still exists and in what capacity is unknown, or what Colonel Autumn meant when he stated the Enclave is at the height of its power at the end of the battle for the purifier.[127]
Technology[]
An image showing two of the most important technological assets of the Enclave: Mark II advanced power armor and the Vertibird.
Granted access to the most intimate secrets of the United States government, its military and corporate powerhouses such as Poseidon Energy,[32] the Enclave managed to preserve a large variety of advanced and prototype technologies for future use within its bunkers. PoseidoNet, Poseidon's proprietary network, was the backbone of transnational operations before the Great War, patched into corporate and government facilities.[183]
The most important of these were schematics for the experimental X-01 power armor, an advanced model still in early testing phases, and the Vertibird family of tiltrotor aircraft.[184] Combined with the automated production facilities established at their bases, the Enclave was capable of outfitting its soldiers with weapons far above anything the wasteland could muster, including standardized Mark II power armors derived from the X-01, introduced in 2220,[185] widespread plasma and laser weapons (such as the urban plasma rifle developed shortly before the War by REPCONN Aerospace),[186] and the Vertibirds.[187] In fact, many of the Enclave's most advanced technologies may have originated from reverse-engineered Zetan alien technology, although there is only one confirmed case of this: the Enclave plasma pistol.[Non-game 1][Non-game 2][33] The Enclave have access to orbital bombardment satellites from the pre-War era, one of which was used to disable Liberty Prime in the Battle of Rockland. Another tool they possess are force fields, used to deny access for security or defense purposes.
Enclave laboratories also possessed cutting edge equipment, ahead of anything wastelanders could muster.[188] Apart from infrared spectrometers,[189] chemical synthesis equipment[190] and other advanced tools, the Enclave also possessed the necessary equipment and knowledge for conducting genetic analysis,[191] engineering[192] and large scale virus synthesizing.[21] Their scientific expertise was matched by their industrial capacity; the Enclave had the ability to mass-produce next generation power armor, high tech weapons, Vertibirds, robots and more. It was also one of the few organizations to use high speed data networks, in the Enclave's case, the pre-War PoseidoNet created by Poseidon Energy.[193]
However, despite manpower and hardware, the Enclave overwhelmingly relied on tweaking and tuning existing technologies, rather than creating new ones. The advanced power armor and the Vertibirds were both derived from pre-War designs, weapons issued to troops dated back to pre-War times, and even the Enclave's most fearsome weapon, FEV Curling-13, was fundamentally a modification of the pre-War Forced Evolutionary Virus.[194] The only major new developments were undertaken by the isolated Appalachian branch, which experimented with directed human mutation. The resulting mutation serums proved controversial,[195] in no small part due to their reliance on human tissue[196] grown in laboratory conditions.[197] Despite ethical reservations, the mutation serums were used by Enclave operatives and contributed to the brutality of the civil war that extinguished the branch.[198] The Enclave would make use of pre-War era robots, such as sentry bots and ZAX series supercomputers, but no new developments on these technologies have been made.
The Enclave has done research into increasing the intelligence of dogs, though they have yet to be seen fielding them in any capacity. More extensively the Enclave have made experiments with deathclaws, creating a strain of talking intelligent deathclaws that they left at the remains of Vault 13. Later, in the Capital Wastelandl there experiments had succeeded in 'taming' deathclaws through use of mind-control helmets that could allow deathclaws to work beside Enclave squads. However these deathclaws needed to be within the range of local radio-beacons to maintain the control, and if the helmet was sufficiently damaged the deathclaws once again become hostile toward and attack Enclave personnel.
Major defeats due to external and internal factors effectively nullified the Enclave's technological advantage. By the end of the 23rd century, the Enclave lost all of its major hubs: The presidential oil rig, Raven Rock, Adams Air Force Base and Navarro. However, even without their homes, the Enclave remnants still possess their power armor, heavy weapons and Vertibirds.[67]
Notes[]
- ^ (Note) The Enclave has yet to either fulfill any continuity-of-government operations or establish itself as a fully sovereign nation state with defined territory and institutions.
- The Enclave claims to be a direct continuation of the pre-War US government, which was operating several concentration camps targeting Chinese-American citizens at the time of the War.[199][200][201][202] America was also enslaving misdemeanor criminals such as traffic offenders, fitting them with bomb collars and forcing them to toil in work camps or be decapitated.[203][204][205]
- "Dixie" plays on Enclave radio in Fallout 3. "Dixie" is widely recognized as a de facto anthem for the Confederate States of America, the unrecognized secessionist nation who waged the American Civil War explicitly in the name of racialized slavery (per the text of their constitution).[Non-game 26]
- Fallout 4 was the first game without some sort of Enclave presence since their introduction in Fallout 2.
- The next-gen update added Echoes of the Past, a framing quest for Speak of the Devil and other Enclave-themed Creation Club content. The expansion was officially described as bringing the Enclave into the storyline.[Non-game 27] The announcement also described the Enclave as a "cabal."[Non-game 27]
- Fallout Shelter Online contains an original speaking Enclave commander, a woman named Harton.
- Three Dog refers to the Enclave as the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, referencing the Holy Bible.[206]
Appearances[]
Living members of the Enclave appear in Fallout 2, Fallout 3 and its add-on Broken Steel, Fallout Shelter Online, the Fallout TV series, and the Fallout 4 next-gen update. Former members of the Enclave appear in Fallout: New Vegas, as well as the Fallout 4 add-on Far Harbor. Dead members of the Enclave appear in Fallout 76.
The Enclave is mentioned in the Fallout: New Vegas add-on Lonesome Road. Before the Fallout 4 next-gen update, the Enclave was only mentioned in the game.
Behind the scenes[]
- An enclave is an insular community that is completely surrounded by a different territory, which is demographically or politically distinct in some way.
Fallout 2[]
- The Enclave was originally conceived by Tim Cain, as a way to explain why the United States government only commissioned a relative handful of Vaults that were unable to protect a substantial amount of American citizens. While not spelled out in detail in the game, the idea was that the Vaults were actually grand experiments supporting the creation of a multi-generational starship to flee Earth after it was rendered uninhabitable by the Great War. While the starship is not alluded to, the entire premise of the Vaults being parts of a grand experiment for some higher purpose is included in the game. Cain explained the situation in detail 21 years later.[Non-game 5]
- The floor design is based on the Atomic Energy sculpture at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.[Non-game 28]
- A lost Enclave patrol team would have also appeared in Black Isle's canceled Van Buren.[Non-canon 1] In general, the Enclave would have been featured in the game more prominently, including a version of Cain's starship idea. Bloomfield Space Center would be present to explain that the Enclave's ultimate plan to survive a nuclear war was simply to find another planet to live on after blowing up this one. They began repurposing the Hermes-13 rocket to escape Earth, but the attempt was never completed before the Great War. The plan was for the government to flee to the oil rig, and then leave in a spaceship for another planet.[Non-canon 2] Eagle's Rock mine complex would also feature, exploring the ties between Enclave-affiliated politicians and Poseidon Energy executives.[Non-canon 3]
Fallout 3[]
- In early development for Fallout 3, Bethesda used a different set of emblems (seen below) for the Enclave and its vertibird fleets that were drawn and by concept artist Adam Adamowicz. The prototype air force emblem can still be seen on the wreckage of Vertibirds in Fallout 3.
- This was the first actually released game to provide insignia for the faction, in the shape of a stylized E surrounded by twelve stars. It's a variation of the design created by Joshua Sawyer for his pen and paper project, published online shortly after Sawyer's first Fallout development job, Van Buren, was axed by Interplay. Additionally, it was the first game to show a glimpse of the Enclave flag, visible on propaganda posters, and combining the national flag with Enclave's own canton. While not visible entirely, the flag clearly had a different symbol than the large star, and was reconstructed for the Fallout Wiki by combining a solid white version of the roundel with the US flag and its colors. This reconstruction proved correct, as from Fallout 76 onwards the flag was revealed to be exactly that.
Fallout: New Vegas[]
- The Enclave remnants were written by Jeff Husges, based on a simple concept provided by Joshua Sawyer. He noted that, in hindsight, he may have made them a bit too sympathetic, instead of accenting "shades of former Nazis in hiding".[Non-game 29]
Fallout 4 and 76[]
- An alternate Enclave logo was featured on a shirt, which is no longer being sold on the Bethesda Gear store. It was advertised as a "special edition of the Enclave logo - featuring a flourish of red, white and blue."[Non-game 30]
- Additional Enclave-styled items have been released for Fallout 76, including the Enclave signalman outfit, Enclave intel officer outfit, and power armor skins.
Gallery[]
Uniforms[]
2100s[]
Enclave signalman outfit
Enclave signalman hat (without headphones)
Enclave intel officer uniform
Enclave combat armor paint
Enclave Marine armor paint
Enclave Secret Service armor paint
Enclave scout armor paint
Enclave power armor paint
Enclave beret
Enclave beret
Enclave eyepatch
Enclave radio operator backpack
Deep Spacewalk power armor paint
Enclave Pip-Boy paint
Enclave paint for handmade rifle
Enclave turrets2240s[]
2270s[]
2280s[]
Enclave weapon paints
Enclave armor paints
X-02 power armor
Hellfire power armor
Enclave colonel (Major Elias).jpg "FO4 Enclave Soldier (Combat Armor).jpg (530 KB)")
Enclave soldier
Enclave laser turret2290s[]
Flags and emblems[]
ASCII art[]
- Enclave field research terminals sometimes have ASCII art of the United States flag as a terminal header. While most have the usual 13 stars arranged in a circle, the terminal in the RHO Camp south of Canterbury Common and one the Lone Wanderer is directed to during Shock Value have 15 in straight lines similar to the pre-1969 flag.
| 13 star ASCII art | 15 star ASCII art |
|---|---|
 -***------- FIELD OPERATIONS |
*****------ FIELD OPERATIONS |
Fallout 76[]
Fallout 4[]
Fallout 3[]
.png "Enclave Symbol (FO3).png (72 KB)")
Fallout 2[]
References[]
|
Non-game
|
Non-canon
- ↑ New Canaan design documents, page 15: "Encounter 3: Lost Enclave Patrol (Unique/LK 8/Outdoorsman 100+) - Six Enclavers humorously lost in northern Utah. One wears a suit of Enclave Combat Armor similar to Arcade Gannon's (CNPC). The others wear bits and pieces of leather armor or metal armor. They are carrying mixed and matched weapons and a lot of broken tech. The leader (in ECA) will approach the PC and ask him or her if he or she knows the way to the MacArthur Army Base. If the PC is at all hostile or "weird" to the Enclavers, they will become defensive and will fight back. If the PC is helpful, the Enclaver will give the PC some "junk" (broken down weapon parts), and head out. Insert comedic banter between confused team members about whether they are in Utah, Colorado, or Kansas, and you have comedy gold!"
- ↑ Bloomfield Space Center design documents; page 7: "In November, 2076, the Enclave seized control of Bloomfield Space Center. They knew nuclear war was just around the corner, so they tried to refit the Hermes-13 and convert it into a vehicle that would take selected personnel (mainly themselves) off-planet, destination yet to be determined."
- ↑ Burham Springs design documents, page 5: "Government decision makers order the dumping of radioactive waste into Eagle Rock's lower mines. Enclave politicos help secure a contract for Poseidon Energy to develop and use their AGRICOLA mining robots in the operation of the dumping ground. Not surprisingly, the AGRICOLA lab turns out to be a pretty good bunker as well."
