Changes: Forced Evolutionary Virus

Revision as of 13:40, 26 March 2020

...

Vats — The vats of FEV at Mariposa Military Base.

“Research into possible cures for the New Plague created the Forced Evolution Virus, which was further developed in an attempt to create a transmittable genetic-engineering virus -- in effect, infectious evolution.”— ZAX 1.2

The Forced Evolutionary Virus, or FEV, is an artificial virus created by West Tek's NBC Division. Its ability to force changes in both the genotype and phenotype made it one of the most important mutagens in the wasteland, harnessed by different organizations and individuals for their own purposes both before and after the Great War.

The strain responsible for creating regular super mutants is called FEV-II^[1]^[2] and represents the pinnacle of pre-War research into the virus. A different, unfinished FEV strain is the source of the super mutants infesting the Capital Wasteland, intellectually inferior to their West Coast cousins. Other strains created the monsters of Appalachia and the distinct super mutants of the Commonwealth, as well as served as the basis for the Institute's third-generation synths.

The FEV exists in various forms across all of the Fallout games, mainly to serve the goals of the various antagonists. It was through the FEV that the Master made his race of super mutants and how the Enclave meant to purify the world of mutation.

Virology

FEV is a megavirus, with a protein sheath reinforced by ionized hydrogen. It is capable of absorbing neutrons without becoming radioactive, i.e. it cannot be sterilized by radiation. In terms of functionality, FEV is a shifting-absorptive virus, copying DNA patterns and storing these patterns in exons much like a retrovirus. These exons, combined with the FEV, are re-injected into the host cells in typical viral infectious fashion. This causes the host cells to "regenerate" their DNA with FEV's corrections that eradicated recessive genes.^[3]

FEV comes pre-loaded with introns of corrected DNA that eradicate recessive genes responsible for ailments and alters RNA strands for greater transmission of signals.^[4] DNA altered by the virus renders the subject immune to biochemical weapons, radiation and common diseases. Cellular division rate is increased, with mitosis occurring at 115% of normal human rate. Normally non-regenerating tissue, such as neural tissue and non-somatic cells also begin to replicate, allowing for real-time regeneration.^[4]^[2]

A peculiar feature of FEV is that it is highly corrosive and volatile in its pure form, capable of degrading rubber containment seals like an acid, though without any acidic residue.^[5] This also rendered attempts at creating an effective decontamination process difficult, as FEV could render most compounds inert before they could neutralize the virus. Eventually, combining a booster with an antiviral compound created a neutralizing agent capable of rendering FEV inert when applied in sufficient quantities.^[6]^[7]

Variation in mutation

A notable feature of FEV is that it partially relies upon the DNA of the individual coming in contact with it. Coupled with portions of its own recursive code, effects of exposure can be unpredictable,^[3] particularly when non-humans are exposed to the virus, or multiple organisms are placed into the same vat (vide centaurs).^[8] This feature of FEV made it incredibly versatile, though tweaking the genome of the virus required extensive experimentation: Strains would typically produce unstable results, with few viable, stable strains.^[9]

Changes to DNA are expressed phenotypically by recursive growth patterns integrated in the FEV. However, apart from the genome in the virus strain, effects also vary greatly depending on the method of exposure. Prolonged immersion in the virus creates the most stunning transformations, such as super mutants and centaurs. In Mariposa this has been achieved by a twenty-four hour exposure to FEV-II in the vats, achieving a severe overdose of the virus.^[10]^[2] In Vault 87, infection took place in sealed chambers, where an aerosolized virus was introduced. The exposure was relatively brief, compared to the Mariposa procedure.^[11]^[12] In Appalachia and the Institute, exposure to their own version of the virus took place in sealed tubes, where the subject was immersed for a prolonged period of time, allowing for observation of the transformation results.^[13]

On the other hand, injections of small doses of the virus will not bring about transformation but can be used to induce a variety of changes. The Master used localized FEV injections to modify himself in the early days of the Unity, and later experimented with brain injections,^[14] awakening the latent psyker potential in the subjects (though also causing permanent, terminal insanity).^[15] The Enclave used a modified FEV virus to greatly increase the intelligence of deathclaws through cranial injections (overshooting the project's goals by a wide margin). ^[16]

Reverting the changes

Since FEV does not store an unaltered copy of the subject's DNA, the changes are generally impossible to revert. Theoretically, the mutation process could be reversed by infecting the subject with a secondary virus that contained a copy of the subject's original DNA and replaced the FEV's modified strands, then forced recursive growth again. However, it would also be necessary to neutralize FEV itself to prevent mutation from reoccurring. It was not possible with pre-War technology.^[3]

However, The Institute's FEV research made this possible. Dr Brian Virgil created a serum to revert the mutation. The FEV itself, the serum was a retrovirus,^[17] using recombinant counter-intron sequences and transcriptive exon strands^[18] together with a genetic resequencer to counteract the specific strain of FEV that Virgil was infected with. Technically, the serum did not actually revert his mutation: It restoring him to a human state by recreating it using the mutated DNA as a basis. The experimental state of the serum and a buggy resequencer prevent a perfect restoration, leaving portions of the mutated code untouched. If exposed, Virgil will retain some muscle mass after the transformation and won't suffer from baldness. As the cure was also tailored to the specific strain Virgil infected himself with, generalizing the formula would take years, if not decades of additional, intense research.^[19]

Strains

Toxin strain (FEV-I)

Initial experiments into FEV were for the purpose of a biological weapon. The virulent toxin that would eventually become FEV-II saw extensive research until its much more potent quality of completely altering and mutating the human body was discovered. Research quickly swerved into heading up possibilities of a cure for New Plague and creating "super-soldiers", as well as its other applications with mutating life with the toxin.^[20] The research done into the biological weapon applications were filed away deep within the record vaults of Mariposa Military Base as other avenues of application saw further research and investment. On July 2236^[21], the Enclave would undercover the records detailing the early experiments of FEV and adapt the original research into recreating FEV as a biological WMD; finally succeeding with FEV Curling-13.^[22]

Mariposa strain (FEV-II)

Main article: Mariposa super mutant

In humans, phenotypical changes brought upon by the Mariposa strain are substantial, accomplished by recursive growth patterns integrated in FEV. In order for the mutation to succeed, the subject needs to have a low level of radiation-induced damage^[3] and should not have been exposed to the mutated FEV in the wasteland.^[23]^[24] Subjects that do not meet these criteria will suffer a massive overhaul of the body's systems, leading to organ failure and an extremely painful death.^[3]^[25]

The average super mutant is 3.2 meters tall and weighs in excess of 350 kilograms. Muscle accounts for over 75% of body mass, while bone and tissue are 10% each. Fat mass is exceedingly low, accounting for between 3-5% of body mass.^[2] The increased muscle and body mass lead to a change in posture: FEV super mutants have a characteristic, hunched stance. The skin tone changes substantially and becomes gray with tints of light green, though as the mutant ages, it may become more green or even olive. The skin becomes much thicker and resistant to trauma, including cuts, bruises and damage from fire, acid or even gunfire.^[2] Despite this resistance to trauma, completely destroyed tissues cannot be regrown, and will result in permanent scarring or organ loss.^[26]

These changes are uniform across mutants, due to the aforementioned growth patterns and pre-programmed DNA loaded into the virus. This also has the effect of removing secondary sexual characteristics, in favor of a pre-programmed masculine body shape. Primary sexual characteristics, such as the penis and testicles in males and the uterus and ovaries in females are unaffected.^[27] However, super mutants are sterile, as FEV perceives gametes as damaged DNA and corrects them, resulting in sterility.^[2]^[3]

Increased size of neural transmitters and synaptic receivers in the body give super mutants acute reflexes and heightened senses.^[2] However, these changes are usually not accompanied by a similar rise in intellect. The FEV strain in Mariposa has a chance of modifying intelligence: while most people retain their pre-dipping intellect,^[28] a majority of the remaining group experiences a loss (typically by 30%),^[2] while the remaining minority of exceptional individuals may even experience an increase.^[28] The loss is the result of damage caused by recursive growth and increase in brain mass, which may be accompanied by disfigurement and damage to existing neural patterns, causing loss of memory.^[3]

The most stunning effect is practical immortality. Although theorized to only bring an approximate 10% increase in life expectancy,^[2] the FEV strain in Mariposa results in a cell regeneration rate that exceeds cell death rate and prevents DNA degeneration through aging. The Hayflick limit is believed to have been completely overcome. This allows a super mutant to live for centuries, though if care is not given to exercising one's intellect, elder mutants may suffer from onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.^[29] Death is made even more unlikely by the fact that super mutants are immune to common diseases^[30] and radiation.^[31]

EEP strain (FEV derivative)

Main article: Vault 87 super mutant

The modified, inferior FEV strain used at Vault 87 retains the recursive growth patterns characteristic to FEV, but has a different effect, which may be also linked to how infection was performed in the labs. Testing began in 2078,^[32] where test subjects were exposed a single time to FEV in isolated chambers, where the virus was deployed with an airborne aerosol. Phenotypical changes occur within three days and include increased muscle mass, changes in skeletal structure and atrophy of sexual characteristics, both primary and secondary (including body hair). At ten days, skin pigmentation becomes a mixture of yellow and green, while its thickness and resistance to radiation and other environmental hazards rapidly increases.^[33]^[32]

However, a key problem was that the mutation did not stop. Within fourteen days of initial exposure, test subjects regress to an almost feral state, exhibiting extreme aggression at every non-mutant. While some semblance of cognition is retained, exhibited by the ability to speak, operate machines and use basic tactics in combat, super mutants of this type are typically characterized by significant mental retardation.^[33] This result is most likely brought upon by the same factor as with FEV-II: Damage to existing neural patterns caused by rapid changes in the phenotype. The effects typically cause significant damage to long term memory, again, a shared characteristic.^[34] The traumatic nature of the transformation is also a factor. The excruciating pain that accompanies it can and will cause the subjects to become insane.^[35]^[32]

Another unforeseen side effect is that the unfinished virus strain codes the body for continued growth. If a super mutant of this type eludes death for prolonged periods of time, they may become a considerable threat, reaching the size of a small building.^[32]

Institute strains

Main article: Institute super mutant

The super mutants of the Commonwealth are a different strain from either Vault 87 super mutants or Mariposa super mutants, derived from the Huntersville strain that the Appalachian West Tek experimented with. While they possess the imposing musculature and resilience of the former, they have a level of intelligence on par with the dumber examples of the latter. They are capable of following a chain of command, erecting fortifications,^[36] and even setting up traps and ambushes - such as at Trinity Tower, where Fist deliberately used Rex Goodman as bait to lure humans and weed out the weak super mutants among his host. They are also capable of speaking like normal humans, unlike their practically feral brethren from the Capital Wasteland, and consider themselves the superior race of the Commonwealth.^[37] All super mutants of the Commonwealth are products of the Institute's experiments into FEV using the abducted Commonwealth wastelanders above ground. These experiments were the base work used to progress their synths from mechanical construction to a new frontier using human DNA as a base to construct synthetic humans.

Main article: Generation 3 synth

The most advanced synthetics created by the Institute are fundamentally different from their predecessors. Despite sequential numbering, they are unrelated to their mechanical counterparts, in fact. They are derived from Shaun's pre-War DNA extensively modified using the Institute's own research into the Forced Evolutionary Virus, combining the advantageous adaptations encoded into FEV with the versatility of the human body shape. This allowed the Institute to create a variety a of synths of varying races and appearances despite the base DNA coming from only one source. They are the result of nearly five decades of research, from 2178 to 2227.^[38]^[39]^[40]^[41]

Third generation synthetics are unlike humans and some liberated synths do not consider themselves human at all. The reasons for this are multiple, chief among them is the assembly process.^[42] Other reasons include the fact that synths do not require sleep at all to function properly, are completely immune to disease, and don't require the intake of food or water to generate energy for their bodies certainly contribute.^[43]

Related projects

Appalachian experiments

Experiments with recombinant strains of FEV at the West Tek Research Center in Appalachia produced numerous failed mutations, with two exceptions:

FEVS-006443 from October 14, 2077, a Phase 2 combination strain that combined traits that resembled a number of different species. The results were considered disturbing by the scientists, but provided valuable insights as to the capability of recombinant FEV. Notable changes included a number of ocular organs along the enlarged upper torso, a second set of arms ending in clawed digits, and a large sickle-shaped claw on each inner toe. The living, stable, and functioning subject was sustaining itself normally (a major accomplishment for the program) and was planned for release in Huntersville after the subsequent experiment matured.^[44] The mutant was never returned to the area until January 3, 2078, when it escaped containment and the facility. The mutant procreated, leading to the emergence of snallygaster mutants across Appalachia.^[45]
FEVS-006458 from October 23, 2077. Tweaking the snallygaster strain, researchers tweaked the genome, producing a giant that shattered the containment unit, but was otherwise stable (excepting the absence of a discernible head). The mutant was sedated and transported off-site, with the Great War sidetracking the convoy and allowing the Grafton monster to escape into the wild.^[46]

Albino mole rats

Main article: Albino mole rat

Before the destruction of West Tek Research Facility, lab rats were exposed to FEV. In the turmoil of the facility's destruction, they escaped into the wasteland. Similar to the Enclave's later experiments with deathclaws, these two unique rats gained intelligence and ability to talk, along with a long lifespan.^[47]

Psyker program

Main article: Psyker

Apart from transforming humans into super mutants, the Master and his staff experimented with FEV by injecting it into the brains of the subjects (usually the pineal gland, but also the amygdala or medulla), triggering changes in brain chemistry.^[14] These experiments had limited success: four extremely powerful psykers were created, capable of theoretically wiping out the human race.^[48] However, the same changes that increased psychic ability also resulted in terminal insanity, forcing them to be sequestered and nullified to prevent them from harming themselves or others.^[49]

FEV Curling-13 strain

Main article: FEV Curling-13

Based on the original FEV-II recovered by the Enclave at Mariposa Military Base's ruins, FEV Curling-13 was a viral agent tailored to reach maximum levels of lethality with minimal exposure levels required to achieve the result. It was being developed under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Charles Curling of the Chemical Corps since 2236, to provide the means for the Enclave's genocide. Just a .0001% aerosol solution exposure was enough to kill Arroyo villagers in under one hour, as massive hemorrhaging and inflammations start, leading to a complete failure of the victim's organs within sixty minutes. Significant radiation-induced mutation may thus be beneficial – humans with a lower radiation count suffer a much worse fate. Unmutated Vault 13 dwellers exposed to the virus expected subdermal hemorrhaging and convulsions within sixty minutes of exposure, but their agony lasted much longer – 14.5 hours on average. No test subject survived the tests on Control Station Enclave.^[22]

Interestingly, in the event of worldwide release, only humans and human-based mutants would be eradicated, however – FEV was engineered to bond only with human glycoproteins, leaving other animals and plant life alive and quite kicking.^[50] FEV Curling-13 is also unique in that it is the only known FEV strain for which an inoculation was developed that granted total immunity from its effects.^[51]

Modified FEV Curling-13

Main article: Modified FEV

A modified strain of the Forced Evolutionary Virus developed by John Henry Eden, based on the earlier FEV Curling-13 strain used by the Enclave in 2241, only now it was designed to be placed into the Project Purity water purification system.^[52] According to President Eden it will eradicate super mutants, ghouls, and all other "unclean" citizens, namely anyone who had been born in the Wastelands and exposed to radiation or other mutational effects from birth.^[53] The only people who would survive the infection are dangerous radiation level free humans and humans who were born in the Vaults.^[54]

In the add-on Broken Steel, if the player had chosen to contaminate the purifier with the modified FEV, what President Eden said is confirmed for as accurate and the FEV completely lethal. The medical facility of every city in the Capital Wasteland (except Tenpenny Tower and Paradise Falls) is filled with new patients dying from FEV infection. These new patients hold their stomachs and repeat dialogue along the lines of, "it burns on the inside." According to both Doctor Preston and Doctor Barrows, the FEV specifically targets the immune system of infected individuals, which in turn makes them vulnerable to other diseases. This occurs in both humans and ghouls, despite the latter's immunity to most diseases.^[55]^[56] Along with affecting the immune system, the FEV severely weaken individuals both physically and mentally until it simply kills them.^[57] The modified FEV is also completely undetectable by any kind of test meaning there's no possible way to screen water that has been infected as it only comes back as clean, purified water.^[58]

The FEV is contained to only those that have ingested infected water as the transmission of FEV is impossible from physical contact or bodily fluids. In Rivet City, Dr. Preston comments that they are burning the corpses just to be safe.^[55] The spread of FEV is contained to only bottles of Aqua Pura and the Tidal Basin for now. However, eventually, the spread of the FEV infected water will spread from the Tidal Basin and affect all water in the Capital Wasteland.

Intelligent deathclaws

Main article: Intelligent deathclaw

In 2235, the Enclave began experiments on captive deathclaws to create expendable shock troops for their use, continuing the pre-War project.^[59] The recovery of FEV from Mariposa allowed them to create a tailored mutagen that increased the intelligence of deathclaws after localized injections, making them capable of understanding and following complex commands, as well as communication. The resulting modification overshot the project goals, giving them human-level intelligence, erudition, and most importantly, morality. Realizing that they would be exterminated if that was discovered, Gruthar instructed his pack to play dumb until they were deployed to Vault 13. Although the Enclave intended to use them as deterrence, the deathclaws formed a commune instead, deserting their mission.^[16] Not all deathclaws were equally blessed with intelligence and some experienced further changes, including a gray skin and a bobtail.^[60]

All intelligent deathclaws were exterminated by a task force headed by Frank Horrigan, mopping the project up.^[61]

Fire ants

Main article: Fire ant

FEV was synthesized and used by Weston Lesko in the Capital Wasteland around 2277, in an attempt to return giant ants to their normal size through genetic manipulation. His ambition was to reduce their size exponentially over the course of several generations. An error in the synthesis process created a virus that left the ants' size unaltered, but altered their venom sacks to produce a flammable liquid that they can aerosolize, project, and ignite with a spark generated by clicking mandibles. The resulting pyrosis, as he calls it, turns them effectively into walking flamethrowers.^[62]^[63]^[64]

History of the FEV

“A long story. FEV... a virus with an even longer story...”— Father Elijah, Dead Money

Main article: Pan-Immunity Virion

The Forced Evolution Virus originated from the Pan-Immunity Virion Project, a project originally dedicated to discovering a cure for the New Plague, was established in September 2073 in response to aggressive use of biochemical weapons by China. In order to combat the newest biological weapons, the decision was made to create a viral defense that would alter uninfected DNA to render it immune to standard viral infection.^[65] The last attempt to continue the PVP line of experimentation was the Greenhouse Initiative in August 2075 at the newly established Appalachian branch, which attempted to use mutations to create edible plants and vegetation that could greatly increase food production and combat the shortages that led to the food riots rocking the country.^[66] The town of Huntersville was selected as the test site, resulting in an economic boom.^[67] Although the company would purchase test rights from local farmers as late as December 2075, the project was at an end.^[68]

Batch 10-011 and the beginning of FEV

The history of the FEV starts with Pan-Immunity Virion batch 10-011, renamed as the Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV) and used in further research. The key difference was that instead of Pan-Immunity Virion's quad-helix DNA structure, the batch became a shifting-absorptive virus. This was a deliberate choice by Major Barnett, who considered the unwanted side effects of the quad-helix structure to outweigh the benefits of replicative stability afforded by the design.^[20]

The first experiments took place in March 21, 2075 on single celled organisms. While their base metabolism appeared unchanged, their immunity to infection and radiation exceeded all earlier expectations. Research on FEV effects on plants proved unsuccessful. The next stage included flatworms. Infected on May 9, 2075, they exhibited a 28% increase in size and resistance to 9 separate viral contagions within hours. The new DNA structure was successfully passed to progeny, though only asexual reproduction was possible.^[20]

June 30, 2075 saw the next stage of experimentation: several lab strains of white mice have been infected successfully with FEV. Within hours they exhibited increased growth, stabilizing at a 31% size increase after nine days. The most increase in size occurred in striated muscle tissue and certain internal organs, including the liver, heart and kidneys. An increase in intelligence was also noted, allowing mice to run mazes in less than half the time required by normal mice.^[20]

The final experimentation with FEV batch 10-011 occurred with rabbits. On November 9, 2075, 218 rabbits were infected, half of which were implanted with electrodes to monitor changes in EEG activity. Increased electrical activity was noted 3.2 seconds after infection, accompanied by the typical increase in size. A new effect was noted, namely an increase in aggression and posturing, particularly among males. Dissection of the brains showed increased dendritic connection, particularly in the limbic system and frontal cortex (areas responsible for behavior, senses and higher mental functions).^[20]

Batch 11-011 and nationalization

On January 6, 2076, West Tek was effectively nationalized after military units deployed to corporate facilities across the United States in the interest of national security.^[69] Experiments continued with Batch 11-011. The new virus batch featured improved mitotic cycle efficiency by a factor of 43%. As part of the test, 53 raccoons were infected with the new strain on January 26, 2076. Along with the expected size increase, behavioral tests confirmed an increase in intelligence and manual dexterity by 19 points on the Schuler-Kapp index. Unfortunately, subjects escaped confinement and had to be hunted down. Two pairs were unaccounted for.^[20]^[70]

In February, the West Tek facility in Appalachia joined the FEV research effort, ordered to begin human experimentation in order to push FEV to its practical limits, in what was dubbed the Super Mutant program. Due to the virulent nature of the virus and its unpredictability, the facility's objective was to identify and isolate viable FEV strains through a variety of methods. The most important of these was the introduction of one of the FEV strains to the water supply of Huntersville, to observe the effects of long-term low-level exposure. The experiment began in February 2076, providing valuable research data for the project.^[71]

Further development occurred after several new gene sequences, supplied by Major Barnett's advisory team, were spliced into FEV batch 11-011. Designated batch 11-101a, this batch was used to infect 23 dogs of pure and mixed breed on May 13, 2076. The results included nearly immediate growth, accompanied by increased aggression and no notable increase in intelligence. All subjects were terminated after 14 weeks of study. 92 allele pairs were chosen for splicing with batch 11-011.^[20]

Batch 11-111 and further human research

The new hybrid batch was designated 11-111. On October 4, 2076, it was used to infect 15 chimpanzees. Growth and immunity levels were unprecedented: attempts to induce cancers through radiological and chemical agents were not successful. Increased aggression led to isolating the subjects by the science team, while violent epileptic seizures caused two subjects to expire. The rest was terminated after all data was mined successfully.^[20] Despite protests from the science team, on January 7, 2077, FEV research in California was transferred to the Mariposa Military Base,^[20] to continue under the lead of Leon Von Felden and Robert Anderson. Batch 11-111 has been chosen as basis for further development through human experimentation. The batch offered a near 100% success rate on lab animals, granting an approximately 60% increase in size and potential 200% intelligence increase. It was the perfect basis for mass producing super soldiers.^[65]

The Appalachian branch continued its experimentation by pushing FEV to its practical limits and experimenting with recombinant strains. The experimental strains resulted in the creation of many unsustainable forms: FEVS-005938 tested on January 13, 2077, rendered the subject unable to breathe,^[72] FEVS-006186 from April 30 converted the subject into a mass of retinal tissue,^[73] FEVS-006309 from July 12 produced canines that pierced the brain stem through unrestrained growth,^[74] and FEVS-006378 from July 12 was biologically stable, but the hyperactive nervous system subjected it to constant traumatic pain and led to self termination.^[75] The team had more luck with strains FEVS-006443 (October 14) and FEVS-006458 (October 23) that created stable mutations that would become the snallygaster and the Grafton monster respectively after their escape into the wild.^[44]^[46]

Another research effort was set up by Vault-Tec Industries in Washington, D.C. Vault 87 was established as an independent research center for Dr. Wayne Merrick, cooperating with the team at Mariposa. Despite his efforts, he was unable to improve batch 11-111 enough to reach satisfactory effects. Humans subject to his strains produced in the Vault 87 labs exhibited superior physical developments, such as increased size, strength and endurance to environmental factors, but were also characterized by significant mental retardation and extreme aggression to non-mutants.^[33]

Compared to Merrick's efforts and Appalachian experiments, the science team at Mariposa reached a full success. They succeeded in creating the FEV-II strain, able to create powerful super soldiers, exhibiting superior physical prowess, resistance to combat damage, aging and disease, as well as negligible loss of intelligence.^[2] In certain cases, intelligence could even be increased by the virus. However, before the testing could begin in full, soldiers under the command of Roger Maxson rebelled and executed the science staff. With the Great War destroying the United States, Mariposa and research within was sealed by the soldiers and abandoned.^[76]

The Master

Main article: Mariposa super mutant

The vats were rediscovered in 2102 by an expedition led by Harold, a major Hub merchant. Accompanied by Richard Grey, a brilliant exile from Vault City, he managed to crack the Mariposa base security and infiltrate the lower levels. However, within the vats, the automated crane crashed into the two, knocking Harold out and flinging Grey into the vat with FEV. Harold woke up in the wastes outside the base, mutating due to exposure to FEV fumes, but becoming a special type of a ghoul-like mutant, rather than a super mutant. Grey, on the other hand, underwent extreme mutation due to prolonged exposure to the virus in the vat. His intellect grew exponentially, allowing him to comprehend even the most complex issues easily (or so he thought).^[77]^[78] Grey methodically researched FEV, experimenting with animals and eventually, captured scavengers that strayed into the facility. It wasn't until a few failed mutations that he discovered radiation count to be a deciding factor in the success of the change, leading him to pick subjects more carefully.^[78]^[79] When his Lieutenant was created, he suggested a secondary reason for possible incompatibility. Reviewing available evidence, he concluded that failed mutations in relatively non-radiated humans are caused by the inoculating effect mutated FEV had on humans with which it came into contact.^[80] Such exposure was not enough to cause phenotypical changes, but enough to cause conflicts when the pure FEV in Mariposa attempted to change the DNA, resulting in the death of the subject.^[81]

By carefully selecting his test subjects, he managed to create the first real super mutants in January 2103.^[82] Through a combination of willing converts and abductions, the Master slowly builds up the foundations for his army between 2103 and 2130.^[83] The impact of the Great Winter of 2130 results in him stepping up his operations and spreading them out into the wasteland, attacking caravans to gather human stock for transformations. The string of attacks between 2131 and 2135 boosts the size of his army. The attacks are blamed on desert monsters in the Hub.^[84] Due to reliance on wastelanders, only 20% of the dipped population survives the dipping and of that number, only half seem to last and become a part of the Unity. Regardless, it continues to grow.^[85]

By 2152, the Unity's influence has spread through the wastes and the Master recruited a group of doomsday cultists under Morpheus to act as spies, rather than stock for transformation.^[86] Four years later, the cultists would form the Children of the Cathedral to act as a front for the Unity, proselytizing, recruiting, and preparing munition dumps for the coming super mutant offensive.^[87] Between 2155 and 2156, the Master makes another important discovery: His forces intercept a caravan of Vault dwellers, leading him to discover Vault-Tec Industries' demonstration Vault. He moved his command center to the Vault, using the cultists to set up the Cathedral, and launched a campaign to discover Vaults to gain prime subjects for his super mutant army.^[88] At least one installation, Vault 17, was discovered and its inhabitants transformed into super mutants. The success rate is far higher than when using regular wastelanders. Even the elderly Lily Bowen was successfully transformed into a super mutant at the age of 75 - and a nightkin no less!^[89]

The Master and his staff also experimented with FEV by injecting it into the brains of the subjects (usually the pineal gland, but also the amygdala or medulla), triggering changes in brain chemistry.^[14] These experiments had limited success: four extremely powerful psykers were created, capable of theoretically wiping out the human race.^[48]

By 2161, the Unity was on the verge of achieving total military superiority over the human inhabitants of New California. All that was needed was Vault 13 and its inhabitants.^[27] Ironically, all FEV development and experimentation by the Master was abruptly halted by the Vault Dweller, of the very Vault the Master needed to dominate the New West.^[90]

The Institute

Main article: Institute super mutant

Commonwealth super mutants are the result of The Institute's research into FEV,^[91] which has continued since the early 2220s in a dedicated facility. The original goal was the creation of a successor to second generation synths by creating a new breed of super mutant that would serve The Institute as laborer and soldier. Due to a lack of success with mutants, efforts were refocused with the goal of creating third generation synths. The organic synth project was spun off from the FEV research initiative around 2227 (the acquisition of Shaun), while the FEV research effort continued for several more decades.^[39]^[92] Both women and men were abducted from the Commonwealth and submerged in The Institute's modified FEV, their mutations carefully tracked. Successful mutations would be monitored to ensured survivability, then tagged and discarded.^[93] In layman's terms, The Institute was simply releasing super mutants into the wild, creating a scourge on the Commonwealth that lasted for years.^[94] When Brian Virgil succeeded Dr Syverson as head of the project in April 2286, it became evident that FEV experimentation ran its course and served no useful purpose, not with the availability of third generation synths.^[95] Eventually, as Virgil's conscience took its toll, the scientist lodged a formal complaint with the Directorate.^[39] When no reaction came, Virgil rebelled and escaped the Institute after transforming himself into a super mutant, destroying as much of the project as he could.^[96]

The Enclave

Main articles: FEV Curling-13, Modified FEV

Seeking the means to achieve their plans of global genocide, the Enclave excavated Mariposa from July to August 2236, in search of surviving samples of FEV-II. Using slaves captured in towns across California, they managed to uncover the vats and secure the necessary scientific material. However, slaves exposed to the raw virus in the ruins of the base mutated, creating the second generation super mutants.^[80] The uneven nature of exposure, coupled with a significant radiation count meant that those that survived the change suffered from significant mental damage. Retreating from the base, the Enclave blasted the only remaining entrance, trapping the mutants inside.^[80]^[97]

Enclave's Chemical Corps proceeded to work on the acquired samples of the virus, creating a staggeringly effective killer, tailored to provide maximum lethality with minimal required exposure. However, two weeks before the virus' deployment, the Enclave and the virus stockpiles were destroyed. However, copies of research were transmitted to Raven Rock, providing Raven Rock's ZAX John Henry Eden with an opportunity to achieve plans of genocide. After modifying the FEV Curling-13 to only target the heavily mutated and heavily irradiated, the ZAX unit decided a localized infection of the water supply would be more effective at culling the undesirables while also improving the quality of life for the unmutated and unirradiated.^[98]^[99]^[100]

FEV in the Capital Wasteland

Despite Vault 87 being the main research facility it evidently wasn't the only one, as Dr. Weston Lesko had found another source, which he used to try to de-mutate the giant ants of the Capital Wasteland.^[101] As of 2277 his efforts culminated in the creation of fire ants.^[102] Also as of 2277 the levels of said toxin where low in the vault,^[103] so the super mutants where actively searching for it in the surrounding areas.

Appearances

The Forced Evolutionary Virus or products of it appear in some form in all Fallout games to date.

Videos

References

↑ The Vault Dweller: "{133}{}{I happen to know that your mutants are sterile.}"
Master: "{135}{Mast11}{Preposterous! The FEV-2 virus doesn't destroy the reproductive organs of those it mutates.}"
(MASTER.MSG)
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 ^2.7 ^2.8 ^2.9 Vree's autopsy report
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 ^3.6 The Vault Dweller: "{120}{}{How does the Virus work?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{157}{}{My research into the Forced Evolution Virus, or FEV, indicates that it is a shifting-absorptive virus. It copies DNA patterns much like RNA, storing these patterns in exons.}"
"{158}{}{These exons, combined with the FEV, are re-injected into the host cells in typical viral infectious fashion. This causes the host cells to 'regenerate' their DNA.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{159}{}{How do you catch FEV?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{162}{}{FEV is not 'caught', per se. It is not air-transmittable. Typically, infection is through injection, or direct physical contact with an FEV sample.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{164}{}{Why isn't FEV affected by radiation?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{166}{}{The FEV is a megavirus, with a protein sheath reinforced by ionized hydrogen. It is therefore capable of absorbing neutrons without becoming radioactive.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{168}{}{If the FEV re-infects the host with its assimilated viral patterns, how does it make a 'better specimen'?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{169}{}{The FEV is pre-programmed with introns of corrected DNA appropriate to the proper type of species. It therefore attempts to correct the DNA of the individual.}"
"{170}{}{However, as the FEV is partially reliant upon the DNA of the individual, and also includes portions of its own recursive code, the effects can be unpredictable.}"
"{171}{}{When inoculated into an individual with significant genetic damage, such as through radiation, it will cause the body's systems to suffer massive overhauling, leading to organ failure and death.}"
"{172}{}{In a genetically viable individual, it re-writes portions of DNA, causing accelerated mutation, usually leading to recursive growth due to the FEV's own patterns.}"
"{173}{}{This recursive growth leads to an increase in muscle and brain mass, but is often accompanied by disfigurement and damage to existing neural patterns, causing loss of memory.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{174}{}{What potential long-term side effects exist?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{178}{}{As the FEV causes constant regenerative update to DNA, it would effectively render the subject largely immortal, as cell death would be offset by augmented growth.}"
"{179}{}{Additionally, as the gametes of the reproductive system consist of 'half-cells' using split DNA, they could be perceived as 'damage' by FEV, which would 'repair' them, rendering the subject sterile.}"
"{180}{}{However, as my laboratory facilities are damaged beyond repair, this is conjectural. I cannot offer physical proof. You will have to, in human terms, 'take my word for it.'}"
The Vault Dweller: "{181}{}{Could FEV mutation be corrected with a counter-virus?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{184}{}{No. FEV does not retain unaltered original copies of the subject's DNA. Only a virus which re-infected the subject with original DNA could reverse the effects. Additionally, there is no known way to remove the FEV itself.}"
(ZAX.MSG)
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Delta experiment disk
↑ West Tek research center terminal entries: "Not much to report today. The FEV tanks are starting to spring some leaks where the feeder lines are connected, but it shouldn't take more than a day or two to swap out the O-rings. It's messy work, but luckily Spielman drew the short straw and he'll have to stand ankle-deep in the sludge until we can properly get it cleaned up. This FEV is volatile stuff, it degraded the vulcanized rubber on those seals like it was acid. Strangely, there's no acidic content to it at all, it must have affected the O-rings on a molecular level. Kind of makes me wonder if it's safe having it pooling up on the floor."
↑ West Tek research center terminal entries: "Bardwell's all over my ass about getting the decontamination arches up and running. How the hell am I supposed come up with a decontamination method for something that's totally experimental? To make matters worse, West Tek HQ refuses to give me the FEV's chemical and organic breakdown, so I'm totally shooting in the dark. My degree in biochemistry never prepared me for this, but I should have known things would be... different around here when I had to get high-level clearance just to walk in the door."
↑ West Tek research center terminal entries: "Three weeks and about sixty compounds later, I've still got nothing. This FEV is some tenacious stuff. I know that FEV is virus-based, so I've approached it from that angle. Unfortunately, every antibiotic compound known to man isn't designed to handle something this... well, virulent. What I need to come up with is some sort of a booster, a total neutralizing agent that will render the FEV inert."
↑
Fallout Bible 0: "3. Are the radscorpions a product of the FEV virus? When you talk to the doctor, Razlo, in Shady Sands, he tells you that they were once American Emperor Scorpions but that he has no idea how they mutated because radiation alone couldn't have done it. For that matter, what about all of the other creatures of the wasteland? Which ones have been mutated by FEV and which ones haven't? Maybe in the bestiary each creature could have a stat that shows it's level of FEV infection."
"Answer:
- The radscorpions are a result of a combination of radiation and the FEV virus, and Razlo in Shady Sands is correct - they were originally Emperor Scorpions that have grown... big.
- FEV-Infected Critters in the wasteland include almost all the ones you've seen in F1 and F2:
  Mantises.
  Most species of rats.
  Gecko lizards.
  Brahmin
  Scorpions
  Ants
  Various varieties of plants, including the Venus Flytrap.
  Rumor has it some dogs were affected, but no one's seen any, so for now that's just rumor. Of course, the centaurs are a mash of human, dog, and various other parts... but hey, who knows how that mutation came about. Grey was probably messing around in one of his labs.
- Creatures not mutated by FEV probably did not survive the aftermath of the Great War, with the possible exception of cockroaches... and perhaps normal ants, though there are FEV-infected versions of these species.
- No one knows where those bird noises in Vault City came from.
- I'll try to include a chart of FEV-infected creatures in future additions as well as other critters that you may not have seen in F1 and F2. Most likely a great majority of insects were affected (they tend to breed much faster, and their mutations tend to become evident pretty quickly as the generations advance), possibly beetles, some spiders, cockroaches, and other creatures."
↑ West Tek research center terminal entries: "GOAL: Push FEV to its practical limits. The Super Mutant program has shown great promise. By tweaking the genomes, we are able to cultivate different strains of the virus, which produce varying results.Note: Most strains produce highly unstable results. Few are viable. Only genetic technicians above clearance level 5 are allowed access to the FEV recombinator, given prior approval by Dr. Elias Khan."
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{142}{}{What is the current status of the patients?}"
Vats Control Computer: "{143}{}{Current status on patients as follows: FEV batch #23872-A consists of four male units and two female units. All individuals suffering from FEV exposure. Vital signs are within normal parameters. FEV process on all subjects is approxiamtely 50% complete. Expect full FEV transformation within 12 hours.}"
(VCONCOMP.MSG)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "A friendly Super Mutant. Well, now I've seen everything."
Fawkes: "Ugh. Must you use that vulgar term? Yes, I was born in the F.E.V. Chambers but a Super Mutant I certainly am not. I prefer the term Meta Human. Suits me better don't you think?"
(Fawkes' dialogue)
↑ Vault 87 exposure chambers.
↑ Institute FEV lab
↑ ^14.0 ^14.1 ^14.2 Mad scientist: "{101}{}{Good evening, brother. What brings you to our little corner of heaven?}"
The Vault Dweller: "{103}{}{I'm here to check on your progress.}"
Mad scientist: "{112}{}{It's not going well. I've been injecting the FEV directly into the pineal gland, but I'm not getting the results I'd hoped for.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{113}{}{Why don't you try injecting it directly into the Amygdala?}"
The Vault Dweller: "{114}{}{Why don't you try injecting it into the Medula?}"
(MADSCI.MSG)
↑ See psyker for details.
↑ ^16.0 ^16.1 The Chosen One: "{126}{}{What can you tell me about the deathclaws here?}"
Goris: "{147}{}{These aren't your average deathclaws, as I'm sure you noticed. They've had their intelligence enhanced by some means not understood by them. It was done by a group of humans known as 'The Enclave.' It seems this Enclave needed an army and they chose deathclaws because of their ferocity, physical prowess, and... well, you get the picture. Anyway, the only thing lacking in deathclaws was their intelligence. They needed to be smart enough to understand complex commands, but not so smart that they'd be a threat to 'those in charge.'}"
"{217}{}{So, the Enclave started messing with a virus, or some such thing, and injected the deathclaws with it. This virus was known to mutate humans into some sort of super beings, so the Enclave wanted to see what it would do to deathclaws. Well, the result was a breed of deathclaws so smart that they could see they were destined for slavery. So, they played dumb until they could gain their freedom. And here they are!}"
(Ocgoris.msg)}}
↑ Sole Survivor: "It'll work. Don't worry."
Brian Virgil: "I hope so. We just have to let the retrovirus run its course. I'm going to rest for a while. Come back in a few days, maybe a week, and... well, I guess we'll see."
(Brian Virgil's dialogue)
↑ Brian Virgil: "Retrovirus has matured nicely. Density gradient is high... Recombinant counter-intron sequences look stable... Transcriptive exon strands have formed..."
(Brian Virgil's dialogue)
↑ Brian Virgil: "Welcome back. It needs some refinement, but I think we can consider my serum a qualified success."
Sole Survivor: "This is a "qualified success"?"
Brian Virgil: "There were some side effects to the process. I seem to have hair again. And I've retained some muscle mass. The genetic resequencer needs more work. Still, I take your point. This is a significant advance. But only for one strain of FEV. It will take years, perhaps decades, to generalize my formula."
(Brian Virgil's dialogue)
↑ ^20.0 ^20.1 ^20.2 ^20.3 ^20.4 ^20.5 ^20.6 ^20.7 ^20.8 FEV experiment disk
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2236 July 20 Enclave scouts discover the remains of the Mariposa Military Base and find it partially destroyed."
↑ ^22.0 ^22.1 The Project
↑ The Vault Dweller:"{188}{}{Why am I a prime human ?}"
Lieutenant: "{194}{LIEUT30}{The FEV was mutated by the war radiation. Those living in this desolate wasteland have been exposed to this mutant FEV, essentially inoculating them from the full effects.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{195}{}{So?}"
Lieutenant: "{197}{LIEUT31}{So, you're from a Vault and have limited exposure to this mutated virus. The original FEV in the Vats should work quite well on you.}"
(LT.MSG)
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "6. According to Chris A., the ghouls in V12 were exposed to radiation and FEV. I know Harold said the Vault door opened early or something, so the radiation bit makes sense. My question is, how were the ghouls of Vault 12 exposed to FEV? Harold was a special case, since he went to the Vats with... er... someone, whose shall remain nameless... and got dipped. How do you account for the others? - Richard Grey"
"When the West Tek research facility was hit, it shattered the FEV storage tanks on levels four and five and released the FEV into the atmosphere. Through some means, perhaps propelled by the explosion, the virus was able to reach the ghouls quickly and the mutation process began even as the radiation was rotting away their bodies. How the virus was able to survive the blast without being sterilized is unknown... it would depend on what type of warhead cracked the West Tek facility like an egg.
Actually, Harold never said he got dipped (although it's possible). He was exposed, however - being in close proximity to FEV is enough to cause mutations, as the Enclave slaves mining Mariposa discovered. I imagine the shield between the vats and the control room in Mariposa was meant to keep the virus contained."
Note: The West Tek Research Facility is an underground bunker, which although was directly hit by a nuclear weapon did not release the Forced Evolutionary Virus. The FEV was moved to the Mariposa Military Base (a bunker under a mountain) before the Great War.
↑ Fallout Bible 8: "Peter Hopkins asks:
I was reading version 5 of the Bible, and found a bit of a conflict with current knowledge... In one of your anwers, it was said that it was random whether the FEV increased intelligence or not. However, as far as I know, FEV increases the growth and integrity of ALL cells consistently, by doubling the amount of genetic material in the cells. In this case, an increase in brain size (assuming a healthy brain to begin with) and intelligence should be regular. Another theory could be that, as the mutant's brain grows, the mass of the mutant's body increases exponentionally and the brain would not be big enough to control the whole body and sustain the throught process of a human body. Also, it is possible that while intelligence does increase initially, the brain does not gain the resistance to radiation that the body does, and the mutant develops brain damage and shows reduced intelligence. Are any of the above true? PS There is a very good report documenting the effects of FEV and how it was developed on the No Mutants Allowed message board (www.nma-fallout.com). PPS I don't know about any so called 'purists', but i am hugely interested in the fallout world and would love to FOT background in the Bible.
About FEV:
That might be why some of the super mutants (such as the Lieutenant) are smart (or remain smart) - but generally, for some reason (I don't know off the top of my head, nor do I know if it's spelled out anywhere), they're about 30% dumber than a normal human being, if Vree's research disk in the Brotherhood of Steel is accurate. I wouldn't be surprised if the dipping process caused brain damage in dipped subjects - it's a hell of a shock to the system.
Furthermore, everyone's favorite introspective machine intelligence, Zax, has the following to say about it:
When inoculated into an individual with significant genetic damage, such as through radiation, it [FEV] will cause the body's systems to suffer massive overhauling, leading to organ failure and death. In a genetically viable individual, it re-writes portions of DNA, causing accelerated mutation, usually leading to recursive growth due to the FEV's own patterns. This recursive growth leads to an increase in muscle and brain mass, but is often accompanied by disfigurement and damage to existing neural patterns, causing loss of memory.
Other possible factors that might be causing the super mutants' stupidness:
- Most mutants have some degree of radiation poisoning, which may cause problems and brain damage, as mentioned above.
- The process is unsafe - the mortality rate on "dippees" is pretty high. This is likely due to radiation poisoning.
- Memory functions are "sometimes" impaired by the dipping, and intelligence loss may occur as well. Harold's memory wasn't in the best of shape after exposure.
From the Pre-War experiment tapes, it looks like some mammals did display consistent increased intelligence (raccoons), while others didn't (the dogs) or even suffered brain damage (the chimps and the seizures). However, in an old Scott Campbell doc, there was a note that later subjects injected with the FEV (especially the chimps) hid their enhanced intelligence from their captors (or in the case of the raccoons, made a break for it).
Furthermore, the FEV tests at West-Tek were done through injection, not dipping, so it's possible the dipping process itself that causes the brain damage. Possibly with the increased brain mass in the skull, the brain is "squeezed," and all that tasty juice runs out the ears.
Still, on the other hand, a lot of the animals Grey talks about in his experiment tapes that were running around the Military Base were getting smarter from the FEV, and he himself became supra-intelligent.
So there's a long-winded series of random answers. Moving on!"
↑ The cybernetic implants, branding scars, and the amputated tongue of Lieutenant, Dog and God, and Mean Sonofabitch respectfully are examples of permanent tissue damage.
↑ ^27.0 ^27.1 The Vault Dweller: "{132}{}{You can't possibly take on the entire world.}"
Master: "{134}{Mast10}{I'm not after the world, yet. When I turn your fellow vault-dwellers into mutants, my forces will be too strong for any to stand against! But don't worry, you won't care. Care! Care!}"
(MASTER.MSG)
↑ ^28.0 ^28.1 Fallout Bible 5:
"5. In F1 the Lieutenant said that the FEV raises intelligence. There are, however, very many dumb mutants. What can you say about it? And what do you think of my theory, which i've been using in my Fallout PnP campaign?
Sorry, Pawel, for two things: I wasn't able to personally respond to your email because I kept getting bounced, and two, I wasn't able to comment on your FEV theory (as a reminder, I can't read fan-created material, so just send questions, comments, or facts if you can).
As for the FEV enhancing intelligence, the original Pre-War FEV at West Tek did, and more consistently than the Fallout-era virus.
The current Fallout-era FEV does enhance intelligence - in some people. Just not many. The Lieutenant was one of the lucky ones who didn't become a knuckle-dragging, butt-scratching moron after being dipped (and it may not have raised his intelligence, he may have been that smart before his dipping, but no records of his past exist to verify this).
The FEV that was released out in the wasteland was mutated by radiation, so its effects changed. As for the FEV at Mariposa, the Lieutenant says the super mutants are smarter than humans ("We are highly intelligent and immune to disease"), which is only half-right, and he also says that the virus can also interfere with a person's memory, causing them to forget things. Obviously, the Lieutenant keeps forgetting that most of his super mutant forces can barely form complete sentences.
Basically, the FEV in the vats only has a small chance of raising a being's intelligence (or even keeping it intact). The Master was one of the lucky ones. More often than not, it causes brain damage. It's also possible that the crude dipping procedure in Mariposa also caused imperfect mutations as well, reducing the chance of heightened intelligence.
But to answer your question: the FEV at West Tek before the war caused increased intelligence in its subjects, but the FEV at Mariposa after the war rarely enhanced the intelligence of humans who were dipped. The reason for this is unknown.
Chris Taylor says:
Chris Taylor: Actually, a dip in FEV has a chance of modifying Intelligence, but it doesn't always increase it. Some people do gain increased intelligence, a larger majority lose intelligence and most people remain the same. It also depends if people have enough radiation damage to be turned into ghouls or super mutants."
↑ Broken Hills mutants (Mutant miner, Old mutant), and those appearing elsewhere, are long lived, but some show signs of impaired cognitive function.
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{141}{}{How are you more advanced?}"
Lieutenant: "{149}{LIEUT14}{Intuitively obvious to the most casual observer. We are highly intelligent and immune to disease. The strong survive! It is our goal to improve the human race.}"
(LT.MSG)
↑ The Master: "{168}{Mast27}{Your humor will not save you now. Do you accept my offer, or not? Not! Accept!}"
The Vault Dweller: "{169}{}{Not.}"
The Master: "{171}{Mast28}{Radiation has no effect on us. The FEV virus makes us immune. Your argument is weak, and so are you.}"
(MASTER.MSG)
↑ ^32.0 ^32.1 ^32.2 ^32.3 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.42: "Super Mutants"
"The Super Mutants that infest the urban ruin of Washington D.C. originated in Vault 87. Those unlucky enough to have reserved space in Vault 87 soon found themselves forcefully taken to a secure part of the vault, where they were locked in airtight chambers and exposed to a concentrated form of the F.E.V. The Overseer and his security force had no real idea what to expect; they were simply following the "plan." When the exposed vault dwellers started transforming into Super Mutants, nearly the entire vault population had been exposed. Those who hadn't yet metamorphosed knew what was coming, and, well...it didn't end well for humanity.
The dwellers of Vault 87 were turned into Super Mutants in 2078, and have been a presence in the Capital Wasteland ever since. Most of those original Super Mutants have long since been killed. But whether it's because of the nature of the F.E.V. they were exposed to, or a simple underlying human instinct, the Super Mutants of the Capital Wasteland are obsessed with the preservation of their own species. Super Mutants are asexual and incapable of procreation, so their only way of reproducing is to kidnap other humans, drag them back to the Vault 87 chambers, and infect them with F.E.V. And so they have done, for nearly 200 years.
Super Mutant society is loosely hierarchical, with the weaker (most recently transformed) Super Mutants generally giving way to the stronger. The Super Mutant hierarchy, as defined by the Capital Wasteland contingent of the Brotherhood of Steel, is as follows: Grunt, Brute, Master, and Behemoth. Generally speaking, the Super Mutants of the Capital Wasteland get bigger, stronger, and dumber as they age. The Behemoths are so strong and savage that they’re the only thing feared by the other Super Mutants."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide faction profiles)
↑ ^33.0 ^33.1 ^33.2 Chief Physician's Terminal
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Do you remember who you were?"
Fawkes: "I don't remember enough to tell you everything about my former self. My metamorphosis destroyed a good deal of my long term memory. However, I can recall being in this place when it wasn't the macabre laboratory that it's become. I remember walking around this place and seeing other humans in white lab coats and blue jumpsuits. I wish I could find out more, but the personnel information for the Vault wasn't in the mainframe for some reason. I feel like my identity is so close to me... I can almost see myself as a human but can't recollect the details. It's maddening."
(Fawkes' dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "So, tell me more about yourself."
Fawkes: "I was born here, in this place. I don't mean that in the literal sense of course. All I can remember is the excruciating pain that tore through me as my body underwent the rapid physical changes. For most, this moment is what severs the grip on their minds. They become barely a shell of their former selves. I was different. When I spoke to them, they immediately branded me "another failure" and had me placed here as a curiosity."
(Fawkes' dialogue)
↑ Prydwen terminal entries; Scribe Neriah's Terminal, Entry 0769-CM22
↑ Fallout 4 loading screens: "Super Mutants are stronger and more resilient than humans, and consider themselves the Commonwealth's superior race."
↑ The Sole Survivor: "Human synths? Really?"
Shaun: "Human-like synths. A great distinction. The Institute endeavored to create synthetic organics. The most logical starting point, of course, was human DNA. Plenty of that was available, of course, but it had all become corrupted. In this... wasteland... radiation affected everyone. Even in their attempts to shield themselves from the world above, members of the Institute had been exposed. Another source was necessary. But then the Institute found me, after discovering records from Vault 111. An infant, frozen in time, protected from the radiation-induced mutations that had crept into every other human cell in the Commonwealth. I was exactly what they needed. And so it was my DNA that became the basis of the synthetic organics used to create every human-like synth you see today. I am their Father. Through Science, we are family. The synths, me... and you."
(Shaun's dialogue)
↑ ^39.0 ^39.1 ^39.2 The Institute terminal entries; Terminal, 2287.2.10: "Entered By: Virgil.B
Notes:
Nothing new. Always the same. Have entered formal complaint with Directorate; these tests are not bringing in any valuable information. The organics project was spun off decades ago. Why do we insist on continuing this?" Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "virg1" defined multiple times with different content
↑ The Institute terminal entries; Terminal, 2277.7.10: "Entered By: Syverson.C
Notes:
Latest round of testing complete. Results are all within expected parameters. Informed Dr. Zimmer directly, as he had ordered the tests personally. He seemed annoyed with the results; unsure what he was looking for. He declined to specify why he wanted the tests run to begin with."
↑ The Institute terminal entries; Terminal, 2286.4.10: "Entered by: Virgil.B
Notes:
I have officially assumed the lead role on the project after Dr. Syverson's passing.
Latest round of subjects show results similar to previous test runs over last 5 years. No statistical deviation noted."
Synthetic organics continue to perform well; the necessity of further tests is unexplained."
↑ The Sole Survivor: "How do they make synths?"
Glory: "Damned if I know. The machines are... massive. Complicated. Not like anything I've seen out here. No matter what Dez and others say, synths ain't human. We're assembled bone by bone. Muscle by muscle. I've seen it. I'm gonna hit the range. I need to shoot something. Now."
(Glory's dialogue)
↑ The Sole Survivor: "What makes them superior?"
Max Loken: "The list of improvements is exhaustive. I can talk for an hour and still not cover all of it. Imagine what you could accomplish if you could live without fear of hunger or disease. Imagine what you could create if you could use every waking moment of your life as you saw fit, with no need of sleep? Like I said, a momentous time."
(Max Loken's dialogue)
↑ ^44.0 ^44.1 West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM52"
↑ West Tek research center terminal entries: "SPECIAL REPORT: CONTAINMENT BREACH"
↑ ^46.0 ^46.1 West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM53"
↑ The Chosen One: "{310}{}{You’re sure you want to consign all the citizens of both cities to a slow death?}"
Brain: "
Brain: "{360}{}{You humans have such limited tolerances. I would have remained a normal rat if you humans hadn’t done your best to destroy the world. If it weren’t for the radiation, I wouldn’t be what I am today.}"
The Chosen One: "{361}{}{And what’s that, exactly?}"
Brain: "{380}{}{I was just one of many normal rats in a advanced research lab. Then, one day, there were explosions. Our cages were broken open, and we were doused with some sort of fluid from a huge vat.}"
The Chosen One: "{381}{}{Then what?}"
Brain: "{390}{}{I crawled outside. As I began to heal, I noticed that I had changed. I tried to communicate with people, but they all just tried to kill me. Humans are just too violent to survive under their own leadership -- but that's another story. The first step is to repair the reactor.}"
(GCBRAIN.MSG)
↑ ^48.0 ^48.1 Fallout Bible 3
↑ Mad scientist: "The Master's truth is revealed, resulting in increased psychic ability. [shakes his head] But the poor souls become terminally insane and must be sequestered and nullified to keep them from harming themselves or others."
↑ The Chosen One: "{209}{}{I still don't understand how that's *perfect.*}"
Charles Curling: "{211}{}{The F.E.V. toxin will only attack to humans, leaving everything else alive, better still, within a month all the mutants will be dead and the F.E.V. toxin will die out as soon as it runs out of hosts. }"
(QCCURLNG.MSG)
↑ The Chosen One: "{237}{}{What about my people? Or me? Or you, for that matter?}"
Charles Curling: "{238}{}{I can release the antidote into the air-system for all the cells. The detention level is served by a separate air system from the rest of the Enclave. Everyone will think that I'm just running another test. You, I can inoculate directly, here and now. (he reaches for you with a syringe)}"
(QCCURLNG.MSG)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Where did this plan of yours come from?"
John Henry Eden: "A great many years ago, the remnants of the government had a similar idea. I can only assume the plan failed, as I never heard word of its success. But the plan itself was sound. I've made a few modifications, and with your help, I do believe it can work. There's a bright future ahead of us, my young friend."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Say whatever it is you have to say."
John Henry Eden: "Our land is ravaged by mutation. The war was so many years ago, and yet we still suffer from its effects. We cannot move forward until humanity can gain a solid foothold in the world. To do so, we must rid ourselves of the mutations that have plagued us for so long. These "Super Mutants", Ghouls, hideous creatures... I believe your father's work can do that in a way unlike any other."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Won't this kill pretty much everyone in the Wasteland?"
John Henry Eden: "Anyone or anything that has been affected by mutation will be eliminated. You will likely be immune, thanks to your upbringing in the vault. Likewise, the good people of the Enclave will be unaffected as well. I understand that you may have become sympathetic to certain individuals in your travels. Individuals this will eliminate. Please recognize that the fate of our entire country rests on this plan. Sacrifices must be made for the greater good."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)
↑ ^55.0 ^55.1 The Lone Wanderer: "Doc, it's crowded in your clinic. Something going around I should worry about?"
Doctor Preston: "Oh no... I'm fairly certain it's not contagious. Though, we are burning the bodies of the deceased, just in case... I just wish I knew how to treat these people. It's like their immune system is killing them. I don't know what to do about it!"
(Preston's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Doc, it's crowded in your clinic. Something going around I should worry about?"
Doctor Barrows "I don't know yet. Some kind of virus that attacks the body on a cellular level. I've never seen anything like it. It's strange because ghouls are immune to almost any known disease."
(Barrows' dialogue in Broken Steel)
↑ If the Lone Wanderer drinks four bottles of Aqua Pura infected with the modified FEV, they suffer increasingly negative effects (that are temporary) such as loss of strength and intelligence until the last bottle that kills them.
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Doc, it's crowded in your clinic. Something going around I should worry about?"
Doctor Church: "There's something going around, all right, but it isn't anything I've ever seen before. Definitely not contagious. Maybe something in the water, but that seems unlikely since I've tested it and this is the cleanest water we've ever had. I have no idea how to help these people and it's really taken the shine off my normally sunny disposition."
(Church's dialogue)
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2235 The Enclave experiments on deathclaws, attempting to create special fighting units for waging war in hostile environments."
↑ Intelligent deathclaws in Fallout 2.
↑ Canon Fallout 2 endings
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "So, what's gone wrong?"
Weston Lesko: "Well. I'm afraid I've made slight miscalculations in the mutagen. Instead of lowering their size, the brood hatched with a new biomechanism. I call their genetic abberation pyrosis; the ability to emit flame from their bodies. I may be able to correct this error, but I can't get near my equipment."
(Weston Lesko's dialogue)
↑ Doctor Lesko's Terminal
↑ Doctor Lesko's Terminal
↑ ^65.0 ^65.1 FEV research
↑ West Tek research center terminal entries: "Greenhouse Initiative"
↑ Huntersville terminal entries: "Personal Journal 08.20.75"
↑ Huntersville terminal entries: "Personal Journal 12.20.75"
↑ GPWRTERM.MSG
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2076 January 26 Using batch 11-011, experiments are conducted on raccoons. Same results are noted, but the attempted escape of several infected raccoons causes Major Barnett to terminate the escape... and the test subjects. Two pairs of raccoons, however, are unaccounted for."
"Note: Scott Campbell and Chris Taylor intended these escaped raccoons to form an intelligent animal community NW of the Glow called the "Burrows." This location was never implemented."
↑ West Tek research center terminal entries: "FTS-3A Water Analysis"
↑ West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM48"
↑ West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM49"
↑ West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM50"
↑ West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM51"
↑ History of the Brotherhood of Steel
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2102 May 22 Increasing mutant attacks on Harold's caravans cause Harold to get so pissed he finances one of the first adventuring parties of Fallout to try and find out where these dagnab mutants are coming from. Consulting with a scientist and doctor at the Hub, a man by the name of Grey, the two of them decide to join forces.
2102 June 23 Richard Grey's Expedition [including Harold] finds the Mariposa Military Base and the Expedition is scattered and defeated by mutants at the base. Grey is knocked into one of the vats of FEV by a robotic arm, and Harold is knocked unconscious, only to awaken later out in the wasteland.
2102 June 27 Harold, already mutating, is found by traders and taken back to the Hub. His former caravan partners and employees, horrified by his condition, abandon him and he is soon left without even two bottlecaps to rub together.
2102 July Richard Grey, now horribly mutated by the virus, crawls from the Vats covered with FEV and in terrible pain. Barely able to think or perceive his surroundings, he crawls into the Vat control room and begins his audio log. He fades in and out of consciousness, sometimes for days or weeks at a time.
2102 July-Nov Richard Grey begins to acclimate to his condition, and begins his first tests of animals by exposing them to FEV. These experiments and his growing awareness lay the foundation for his plans for the Unity and the master race. He takes the name, "the Master.""
↑ ^78.0 ^78.1 Richard Grey's audio diary
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2102 Nov The first human victim wanders into Mariposa, and Grey consumes him.
2102 Dec Grey continues his experiments on wanderers that enter Mariposa... with no success. The creations are flawed (due to the radiation counts in their bodies), making them big but incredibly stupid, and Grey consumes them rather than letting them live."
↑ ^80.0 ^80.1 ^80.2 Military base level 4
↑ The Vault Dweller: "{1001}{}{FEV}"
Lieutenant: "{1104}{LIEUT60}{The Vats are where the FEV is stored, and where you normals become one of us. Of course, some die horrible, excruciatingly painful deaths, but well, those are the breaks.}"
(LT.MSG)
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2103 January The Master discovers the problem with the influence of radiation on his mutations, and he begins to choose his subjects more carefully. The first classic super mutants are born, butt-scratching animations and all. He begins his plans to build an army."
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2103-2130 Throughout this period, the Master begins slowly gathering test subjects, willing or unwilling, from local human stock. The Great Winter of 2130 and the scarcity of human subjects make building his army difficult."
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2131-2135 The Master begins ordering his super mutants to gather human stock from caravans. For many years, the caravan disappearances are blamed on monsters in the desert, and even when the abductions begin to occur on Hub caravans, the deathclaws are blamed. The super mutant army grows."
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2137 Master begins to mass-produce super mutants. Only about one in six or one in five attempts are successful, and of these successes, only half seem to last to go on to be part of his growing army, called the Unity."
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2152 As their influence slowly spreads throughout the wastes, the Master finds humans, doomsday cultists, and rather than dip them in the vats, he demands their obedience as spies - their leader is a man named Morpheus, and he pledges his followers to the Master. Morpheus and his cultists form the future core of the Children of the Cathedral."
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2156 The Master sees advantages in establishing a benevolent "religion," the Children of the Cathedral, and using them as spies in settlements throughout the wastes. Missionaries from the Children of the Cathedral spread slowly across the wasteland, acting as eyes and ears for Morpheus and the Master."
↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2155-2156 After capturing a caravan of strange-garbed travelers (vault dwellers), Master learns the location of the Boneyard Vault, the future site of the Cathedral. He conquers the inhabitants and sets up operations there, and the human cultists begin to use the Vault as their powerbase. Within the Vault, the Master learns of other Vaults, and realizing their human occupants are ripe for transformation, begins to send out patrols to Vault locations in search of these other Vaults."
↑ The Courier: "Where did you come from?"
Lily Bowen: "I grew up in Vault 17. I never even saw the sun until I was 75 years old - that was when Super mutants raided the Vault and carried a lot of us off. Yes, Leo, I'm getting to that part! They made me one of them, and they put me to work in an army that was going to conquer California."
(Lily Bowen's dialogue)
↑ Fallout events.
↑ Institute FEV lab
↑ The Institute terminal entries: "2277.7.10
Entered By: Syverson.C
Notes:
Latest round of testing complete. Results are all within expected parameters. Informed Dr. Zimmer directly, as he had ordered the tests personally. He seemed annoyed with the results; unsure what he was looking for. He declined to specify why he wanted the tests run to begin with."
↑ The Institute terminal entries: "Baseline: Male, early 30s. Moderate overall health.
Post-submersion results: Physical condition consistent with standard results. Mental acuity charting slightly higher than average.
Subject Status: TAGGED, DISCARDED"
↑ Preston Garvey (?): "Those Super Mutants have been raiding across the Commonwealth for years. I'm glad to have the Brotherhood's help clearing them out."
↑ The Institute terminal entries; FEV Terminal: "2286.4.10
Entered by: Virgil.B
Notes:
I have officially assumed the lead role on the project after Dr. Syverson's passing.
Latest round of subjects show results similar to previous test runs over last 5 years. No statistical deviation noted.
Synthetic organics continue to perform well; the necessity of further tests is unexplained."
↑ Brian Virgil Personal Log 0176
↑ See this article for references.
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "My father's work? How is that relevant?"
John Henry Eden: "The purifier your father helped create has the ability to provide clean water to the whole of this "Capital Wasteland". With a simple modification, it can be used to distribute agents that destroy mutated creatures upon ingestion. In time, we could eliminate all mutations in the Wasteland at the same time the good people of the world regain their health. I need you to make the modification necessary for this to succeed."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "I'll do whatever I have to if it means getting rid of mutants."
John Henry Eden: "I was hoping you would see it my way. If the water purifier can be activated, it can be used to distribute toxins that will eliminate any mutated creatures upon ingestion. The longer it runs, the cleaner the world becomes. I need you to see that it starts running, and that the necessary modification is made."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)
↑ Take it Back!
↑ The Lone Wanderer: "Something isn't right. You shouldn't have gotten results like these so quickly"
Weston Lesko: "Well... ummm, I may have used a few... ahem, shortcuts. Yes. I was told that the FEV works wonders when used under controlled circumstances! Apparently I was wrong, but I know my mistake. I'm certain I can get it to work!"
(Weston Lesko's dialogue)
↑ Those!
↑ Vault 87 super mutant
(Vault 87 super mutant's dialogue)

[1] The Vault Dweller: "{133}{}{I happen to know that your mutants are sterile.}"
Master: "{135}{Mast11}{Preposterous! The FEV-2 virus doesn't destroy the reproductive organs of those it mutates.}"
(MASTER.MSG)

[Vree's_autopsy_report-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 ^2.7 ^2.8 ^2.9 Vree's autopsy report

[ZAX.MSG-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 ^3.6 The Vault Dweller: "{120}{}{How does the Virus work?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{157}{}{My research into the Forced Evolution Virus, or FEV, indicates that it is a shifting-absorptive virus. It copies DNA patterns much like RNA, storing these patterns in exons.}"
"{158}{}{These exons, combined with the FEV, are re-injected into the host cells in typical viral infectious fashion. This causes the host cells to 'regenerate' their DNA.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{159}{}{How do you catch FEV?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{162}{}{FEV is not 'caught', per se. It is not air-transmittable. Typically, infection is through injection, or direct physical contact with an FEV sample.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{164}{}{Why isn't FEV affected by radiation?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{166}{}{The FEV is a megavirus, with a protein sheath reinforced by ionized hydrogen. It is therefore capable of absorbing neutrons without becoming radioactive.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{168}{}{If the FEV re-infects the host with its assimilated viral patterns, how does it make a 'better specimen'?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{169}{}{The FEV is pre-programmed with introns of corrected DNA appropriate to the proper type of species. It therefore attempts to correct the DNA of the individual.}"
"{170}{}{However, as the FEV is partially reliant upon the DNA of the individual, and also includes portions of its own recursive code, the effects can be unpredictable.}"
"{171}{}{When inoculated into an individual with significant genetic damage, such as through radiation, it will cause the body's systems to suffer massive overhauling, leading to organ failure and death.}"
"{172}{}{In a genetically viable individual, it re-writes portions of DNA, causing accelerated mutation, usually leading to recursive growth due to the FEV's own patterns.}"
"{173}{}{This recursive growth leads to an increase in muscle and brain mass, but is often accompanied by disfigurement and damage to existing neural patterns, causing loss of memory.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{174}{}{What potential long-term side effects exist?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{178}{}{As the FEV causes constant regenerative update to DNA, it would effectively render the subject largely immortal, as cell death would be offset by augmented growth.}"
"{179}{}{Additionally, as the gametes of the reproductive system consist of 'half-cells' using split DNA, they could be perceived as 'damage' by FEV, which would 'repair' them, rendering the subject sterile.}"
"{180}{}{However, as my laboratory facilities are damaged beyond repair, this is conjectural. I cannot offer physical proof. You will have to, in human terms, 'take my word for it.'}"
The Vault Dweller: "{181}{}{Could FEV mutation be corrected with a counter-virus?}"
ZAX 1.2: "{184}{}{No. FEV does not retain unaltered original copies of the subject's DNA. Only a virus which re-infected the subject with original DNA could reverse the effects. Additionally, there is no known way to remove the FEV itself.}"
(ZAX.MSG)

[Delta_experiment_disk-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Delta experiment disk

[5] West Tek research center terminal entries: "Not much to report today. The FEV tanks are starting to spring some leaks where the feeder lines are connected, but it shouldn't take more than a day or two to swap out the O-rings. It's messy work, but luckily Spielman drew the short straw and he'll have to stand ankle-deep in the sludge until we can properly get it cleaned up. This FEV is volatile stuff, it degraded the vulcanized rubber on those seals like it was acid. Strangely, there's no acidic content to it at all, it must have affected the O-rings on a molecular level. Kind of makes me wonder if it's safe having it pooling up on the floor."

[6] West Tek research center terminal entries: "Bardwell's all over my ass about getting the decontamination arches up and running. How the hell am I supposed come up with a decontamination method for something that's totally experimental? To make matters worse, West Tek HQ refuses to give me the FEV's chemical and organic breakdown, so I'm totally shooting in the dark. My degree in biochemistry never prepared me for this, but I should have known things would be... different around here when I had to get high-level clearance just to walk in the door."

[7] West Tek research center terminal entries: "Three weeks and about sixty compounds later, I've still got nothing. This FEV is some tenacious stuff. I know that FEV is virus-based, so I've approached it from that angle. Unfortunately, every antibiotic compound known to man isn't designed to handle something this... well, virulent. What I need to come up with is some sort of a booster, a total neutralizing agent that will render the FEV inert."

[8] Fallout Bible 0: "3. Are the radscorpions a product of the FEV virus? When you talk to the doctor, Razlo, in Shady Sands, he tells you that they were once American Emperor Scorpions but that he has no idea how they mutated because radiation alone couldn't have done it. For that matter, what about all of the other creatures of the wasteland? Which ones have been mutated by FEV and which ones haven't? Maybe in the bestiary each creature could have a stat that shows it's level of FEV infection."
"Answer:
The radscorpions are a result of a combination of radiation and the FEV virus, and Razlo in Shady Sands is correct - they were originally Emperor Scorpions that have grown... big.

FEV-Infected Critters in the wasteland include almost all the ones you've seen in F1 and F2:
Mantises.
Most species of rats.
Gecko lizards.
Brahmin
Scorpions
Ants
Various varieties of plants, including the Venus Flytrap.
Rumor has it some dogs were affected, but no one's seen any, so for now that's just rumor. Of course, the centaurs are a mash of human, dog, and various other parts... but hey, who knows how that mutation came about. Grey was probably messing around in one of his labs.

Creatures not mutated by FEV probably did not survive the aftermath of the Great War, with the possible exception of cockroaches... and perhaps normal ants, though there are FEV-infected versions of these species.

No one knows where those bird noises in Vault City came from.

I'll try to include a chart of FEV-infected creatures in future additions as well as other critters that you may not have seen in F1 and F2. Most likely a great majority of insects were affected (they tend to breed much faster, and their mutations tend to become evident pretty quickly as the generations advance), possibly beetles, some spiders, cockroaches, and other creatures."

[9] The radscorpions are a result of a combination of radiation and the FEV virus, and Razlo in Shady Sands is correct - they were originally Emperor Scorpions that have grown... big.

[10] FEV-Infected Critters in the wasteland include almost all the ones you've seen in F1 and F2:
Mantises.
Most species of rats.
Gecko lizards.
Brahmin
Scorpions
Ants
Various varieties of plants, including the Venus Flytrap.
Rumor has it some dogs were affected, but no one's seen any, so for now that's just rumor. Of course, the centaurs are a mash of human, dog, and various other parts... but hey, who knows how that mutation came about. Grey was probably messing around in one of his labs.

[11] Creatures not mutated by FEV probably did not survive the aftermath of the Great War, with the possible exception of cockroaches... and perhaps normal ants, though there are FEV-infected versions of these species.

[12] No one knows where those bird noises in Vault City came from.

[13] I'll try to include a chart of FEV-infected creatures in future additions as well as other critters that you may not have seen in F1 and F2. Most likely a great majority of insects were affected (they tend to breed much faster, and their mutations tend to become evident pretty quickly as the generations advance), possibly beetles, some spiders, cockroaches, and other creatures."

[9] West Tek research center terminal entries: "GOAL: Push FEV to its practical limits. The Super Mutant program has shown great promise. By tweaking the genomes, we are able to cultivate different strains of the virus, which produce varying results.Note: Most strains produce highly unstable results. Few are viable. Only genetic technicians above clearance level 5 are allowed access to the FEV recombinator, given prior approval by Dr. Elias Khan."

[10] The Vault Dweller: "{142}{}{What is the current status of the patients?}"
Vats Control Computer: "{143}{}{Current status on patients as follows: FEV batch #23872-A consists of four male units and two female units. All individuals suffering from FEV exposure. Vital signs are within normal parameters. FEV process on all subjects is approxiamtely 50% complete. Expect full FEV transformation within 12 hours.}"
(VCONCOMP.MSG)

[11] The Lone Wanderer: "A friendly Super Mutant. Well, now I've seen everything."
Fawkes: "Ugh. Must you use that vulgar term? Yes, I was born in the F.E.V. Chambers but a Super Mutant I certainly am not. I prefer the term Meta Human. Suits me better don't you think?"
(Fawkes' dialogue)

[12] Vault 87 exposure chambers.

[13] Institute FEV lab

[:0-14] 14.0 ^14.1 ^14.2 Mad scientist: "{101}{}{Good evening, brother. What brings you to our little corner of heaven?}"
The Vault Dweller: "{103}{}{I'm here to check on your progress.}"
Mad scientist: "{112}{}{It's not going well. I've been injecting the FEV directly into the pineal gland, but I'm not getting the results I'd hoped for.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{113}{}{Why don't you try injecting it directly into the Amygdala?}"
The Vault Dweller: "{114}{}{Why don't you try injecting it into the Medula?}"
(MADSCI.MSG)

[15] See psyker for details.

[:1-16] 16.0 ^16.1 The Chosen One: "{126}{}{What can you tell me about the deathclaws here?}"
Goris: "{147}{}{These aren't your average deathclaws, as I'm sure you noticed. They've had their intelligence enhanced by some means not understood by them. It was done by a group of humans known as 'The Enclave.' It seems this Enclave needed an army and they chose deathclaws because of their ferocity, physical prowess, and... well, you get the picture. Anyway, the only thing lacking in deathclaws was their intelligence. They needed to be smart enough to understand complex commands, but not so smart that they'd be a threat to 'those in charge.'}"
"{217}{}{So, the Enclave started messing with a virus, or some such thing, and injected the deathclaws with it. This virus was known to mutate humans into some sort of super beings, so the Enclave wanted to see what it would do to deathclaws. Well, the result was a breed of deathclaws so smart that they could see they were destined for slavery. So, they played dumb until they could gain their freedom. And here they are!}"
(Ocgoris.msg)}}

[17] Sole Survivor: "It'll work. Don't worry."
Brian Virgil: "I hope so. We just have to let the retrovirus run its course. I'm going to rest for a while. Come back in a few days, maybe a week, and... well, I guess we'll see."
(Brian Virgil's dialogue)

[18] Brian Virgil: "Retrovirus has matured nicely. Density gradient is high... Recombinant counter-intron sequences look stable... Transcriptive exon strands have formed..."
(Brian Virgil's dialogue)

[19] Brian Virgil: "Welcome back. It needs some refinement, but I think we can consider my serum a qualified success."
Sole Survivor: "This is a "qualified success"?"
Brian Virgil: "There were some side effects to the process. I seem to have hair again. And I've retained some muscle mass. The genetic resequencer needs more work. Still, I take your point. This is a significant advance. But only for one strain of FEV. It will take years, perhaps decades, to generalize my formula."
(Brian Virgil's dialogue)

[FEVExp-20] 20.0 ^20.1 ^20.2 ^20.3 ^20.4 ^20.5 ^20.6 ^20.7 ^20.8 FEV experiment disk

[21] Fallout Bible 0: "2236 July 20 Enclave scouts discover the remains of the Mariposa Military Base and find it partially destroyed."

[TheProject-22] 22.0 ^22.1 The Project

[23] The Vault Dweller:"{188}{}{Why am I a prime human ?}"
Lieutenant: "{194}{LIEUT30}{The FEV was mutated by the war radiation. Those living in this desolate wasteland have been exposed to this mutant FEV, essentially inoculating them from the full effects.}"
The Vault Dweller: "{195}{}{So?}"
Lieutenant: "{197}{LIEUT31}{So, you're from a Vault and have limited exposure to this mutated virus. The original FEV in the Vats should work quite well on you.}"
(LT.MSG)

[24] Fallout Bible 0: "6. According to Chris A., the ghouls in V12 were exposed to radiation and FEV. I know Harold said the Vault door opened early or something, so the radiation bit makes sense. My question is, how were the ghouls of Vault 12 exposed to FEV? Harold was a special case, since he went to the Vats with... er... someone, whose shall remain nameless... and got dipped. How do you account for the others? - Richard Grey"
"When the West Tek research facility was hit, it shattered the FEV storage tanks on levels four and five and released the FEV into the atmosphere. Through some means, perhaps propelled by the explosion, the virus was able to reach the ghouls quickly and the mutation process began even as the radiation was rotting away their bodies. How the virus was able to survive the blast without being sterilized is unknown... it would depend on what type of warhead cracked the West Tek facility like an egg.
Actually, Harold never said he got dipped (although it's possible). He was exposed, however - being in close proximity to FEV is enough to cause mutations, as the Enclave slaves mining Mariposa discovered. I imagine the shield between the vats and the control room in Mariposa was meant to keep the virus contained."
Note: The West Tek Research Facility is an underground bunker, which although was directly hit by a nuclear weapon did not release the Forced Evolutionary Virus. The FEV was moved to the Mariposa Military Base (a bunker under a mountain) before the Great War.

[25] Fallout Bible 8: "Peter Hopkins asks:
I was reading version 5 of the Bible, and found a bit of a conflict with current knowledge... In one of your anwers, it was said that it was random whether the FEV increased intelligence or not. However, as far as I know, FEV increases the growth and integrity of ALL cells consistently, by doubling the amount of genetic material in the cells. In this case, an increase in brain size (assuming a healthy brain to begin with) and intelligence should be regular. Another theory could be that, as the mutant's brain grows, the mass of the mutant's body increases exponentionally and the brain would not be big enough to control the whole body and sustain the throught process of a human body. Also, it is possible that while intelligence does increase initially, the brain does not gain the resistance to radiation that the body does, and the mutant develops brain damage and shows reduced intelligence. Are any of the above true? PS There is a very good report documenting the effects of FEV and how it was developed on the No Mutants Allowed message board (www.nma-fallout.com). PPS I don't know about any so called 'purists', but i am hugely interested in the fallout world and would love to FOT background in the Bible.
About FEV:
That might be why some of the super mutants (such as the Lieutenant) are smart (or remain smart) - but generally, for some reason (I don't know off the top of my head, nor do I know if it's spelled out anywhere), they're about 30% dumber than a normal human being, if Vree's research disk in the Brotherhood of Steel is accurate. I wouldn't be surprised if the dipping process caused brain damage in dipped subjects - it's a hell of a shock to the system.
Furthermore, everyone's favorite introspective machine intelligence, Zax, has the following to say about it:
When inoculated into an individual with significant genetic damage, such as through radiation, it [FEV] will cause the body's systems to suffer massive overhauling, leading to organ failure and death. In a genetically viable individual, it re-writes portions of DNA, causing accelerated mutation, usually leading to recursive growth due to the FEV's own patterns. This recursive growth leads to an increase in muscle and brain mass, but is often accompanied by disfigurement and damage to existing neural patterns, causing loss of memory.
Other possible factors that might be causing the super mutants' stupidness:
- Most mutants have some degree of radiation poisoning, which may cause problems and brain damage, as mentioned above.
- The process is unsafe - the mortality rate on "dippees" is pretty high. This is likely due to radiation poisoning.
- Memory functions are "sometimes" impaired by the dipping, and intelligence loss may occur as well. Harold's memory wasn't in the best of shape after exposure.
From the Pre-War experiment tapes, it looks like some mammals did display consistent increased intelligence (raccoons), while others didn't (the dogs) or even suffered brain damage (the chimps and the seizures). However, in an old Scott Campbell doc, there was a note that later subjects injected with the FEV (especially the chimps) hid their enhanced intelligence from their captors (or in the case of the raccoons, made a break for it).
Furthermore, the FEV tests at West-Tek were done through injection, not dipping, so it's possible the dipping process itself that causes the brain damage. Possibly with the increased brain mass in the skull, the brain is "squeezed," and all that tasty juice runs out the ears.
Still, on the other hand, a lot of the animals Grey talks about in his experiment tapes that were running around the Military Base were getting smarter from the FEV, and he himself became supra-intelligent.
So there's a long-winded series of random answers. Moving on!"

[26] The cybernetic implants, branding scars, and the amputated tongue of Lieutenant, Dog and God, and Mean Sonofabitch respectfully are examples of permanent tissue damage.

[MASTERMast11-27] 27.0 ^27.1 The Vault Dweller: "{132}{}{You can't possibly take on the entire world.}"
Master: "{134}{Mast10}{I'm not after the world, yet. When I turn your fellow vault-dwellers into mutants, my forces will be too strong for any to stand against! But don't worry, you won't care. Care! Care!}"
(MASTER.MSG)

[CTBible-28] 28.0 ^28.1 Fallout Bible 5:
"5. In F1 the Lieutenant said that the FEV raises intelligence. There are, however, very many dumb mutants. What can you say about it? And what do you think of my theory, which i've been using in my Fallout PnP campaign?
Sorry, Pawel, for two things: I wasn't able to personally respond to your email because I kept getting bounced, and two, I wasn't able to comment on your FEV theory (as a reminder, I can't read fan-created material, so just send questions, comments, or facts if you can).
As for the FEV enhancing intelligence, the original Pre-War FEV at West Tek did, and more consistently than the Fallout-era virus.
The current Fallout-era FEV does enhance intelligence - in some people. Just not many. The Lieutenant was one of the lucky ones who didn't become a knuckle-dragging, butt-scratching moron after being dipped (and it may not have raised his intelligence, he may have been that smart before his dipping, but no records of his past exist to verify this).
The FEV that was released out in the wasteland was mutated by radiation, so its effects changed. As for the FEV at Mariposa, the Lieutenant says the super mutants are smarter than humans ("We are highly intelligent and immune to disease"), which is only half-right, and he also says that the virus can also interfere with a person's memory, causing them to forget things. Obviously, the Lieutenant keeps forgetting that most of his super mutant forces can barely form complete sentences.
Basically, the FEV in the vats only has a small chance of raising a being's intelligence (or even keeping it intact). The Master was one of the lucky ones. More often than not, it causes brain damage. It's also possible that the crude dipping procedure in Mariposa also caused imperfect mutations as well, reducing the chance of heightened intelligence.
But to answer your question: the FEV at West Tek before the war caused increased intelligence in its subjects, but the FEV at Mariposa after the war rarely enhanced the intelligence of humans who were dipped. The reason for this is unknown.
Chris Taylor says:
Chris Taylor: Actually, a dip in FEV has a chance of modifying Intelligence, but it doesn't always increase it. Some people do gain increased intelligence, a larger majority lose intelligence and most people remain the same. It also depends if people have enough radiation damage to be turned into ghouls or super mutants."

[29] Broken Hills mutants (Mutant miner, Old mutant), and those appearing elsewhere, are long lived, but some show signs of impaired cognitive function.

[30] The Vault Dweller: "{141}{}{How are you more advanced?}"
Lieutenant: "{149}{LIEUT14}{Intuitively obvious to the most casual observer. We are highly intelligent and immune to disease. The strong survive! It is our goal to improve the human race.}"
(LT.MSG)

[31] The Master: "{168}{Mast27}{Your humor will not save you now. Do you accept my offer, or not? Not! Accept!}"
The Vault Dweller: "{169}{}{Not.}"
The Master: "{171}{Mast28}{Radiation has no effect on us. The FEV virus makes us immune. Your argument is weak, and so are you.}"
(MASTER.MSG)

[FO3OGGGYE-32] 32.0 ^32.1 ^32.2 ^32.3 Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.42: "Super Mutants"
"The Super Mutants that infest the urban ruin of Washington D.C. originated in Vault 87. Those unlucky enough to have reserved space in Vault 87 soon found themselves forcefully taken to a secure part of the vault, where they were locked in airtight chambers and exposed to a concentrated form of the F.E.V. The Overseer and his security force had no real idea what to expect; they were simply following the "plan." When the exposed vault dwellers started transforming into Super Mutants, nearly the entire vault population had been exposed. Those who hadn't yet metamorphosed knew what was coming, and, well...it didn't end well for humanity.
The dwellers of Vault 87 were turned into Super Mutants in 2078, and have been a presence in the Capital Wasteland ever since. Most of those original Super Mutants have long since been killed. But whether it's because of the nature of the F.E.V. they were exposed to, or a simple underlying human instinct, the Super Mutants of the Capital Wasteland are obsessed with the preservation of their own species. Super Mutants are asexual and incapable of procreation, so their only way of reproducing is to kidnap other humans, drag them back to the Vault 87 chambers, and infect them with F.E.V. And so they have done, for nearly 200 years.
Super Mutant society is loosely hierarchical, with the weaker (most recently transformed) Super Mutants generally giving way to the stronger. The Super Mutant hierarchy, as defined by the Capital Wasteland contingent of the Brotherhood of Steel, is as follows: Grunt, Brute, Master, and Behemoth. Generally speaking, the Super Mutants of the Capital Wasteland get bigger, stronger, and dumber as they age. The Behemoths are so strong and savage that they’re the only thing feared by the other Super Mutants."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide faction profiles)

[V87Merrick-33] 33.0 ^33.1 ^33.2 Chief Physician's Terminal

[34] The Lone Wanderer: "Do you remember who you were?"
Fawkes: "I don't remember enough to tell you everything about my former self. My metamorphosis destroyed a good deal of my long term memory. However, I can recall being in this place when it wasn't the macabre laboratory that it's become. I remember walking around this place and seeing other humans in white lab coats and blue jumpsuits. I wish I could find out more, but the personnel information for the Vault wasn't in the mainframe for some reason. I feel like my identity is so close to me... I can almost see myself as a human but can't recollect the details. It's maddening."
(Fawkes' dialogue)

[35] The Lone Wanderer: "So, tell me more about yourself."
Fawkes: "I was born here, in this place. I don't mean that in the literal sense of course. All I can remember is the excruciating pain that tore through me as my body underwent the rapid physical changes. For most, this moment is what severs the grip on their minds. They become barely a shell of their former selves. I was different. When I spoke to them, they immediately branded me "another failure" and had me placed here as a curiosity."
(Fawkes' dialogue)

[36] Prydwen terminal entries; Scribe Neriah's Terminal, Entry 0769-CM22

[37] Fallout 4 loading screens: "Super Mutants are stronger and more resilient than humans, and consider themselves the Commonwealth's superior race."

[FatherHS-38] The Sole Survivor: "Human synths? Really?"
Shaun: "Human-like synths. A great distinction. The Institute endeavored to create synthetic organics. The most logical starting point, of course, was human DNA. Plenty of that was available, of course, but it had all become corrupted. In this... wasteland... radiation affected everyone. Even in their attempts to shield themselves from the world above, members of the Institute had been exposed. Another source was necessary. But then the Institute found me, after discovering records from Vault 111. An infant, frozen in time, protected from the radiation-induced mutations that had crept into every other human cell in the Commonwealth. I was exactly what they needed. And so it was my DNA that became the basis of the synthetic organics used to create every human-like synth you see today. I am their Father. Through Science, we are family. The synths, me... and you."
(Shaun's dialogue)

[virg1-39] 39.0 ^39.1 ^39.2 The Institute terminal entries; Terminal, 2287.2.10: "Entered By: Virgil.B
Notes:
Nothing new. Always the same. Have entered formal complaint with Directorate; these tests are not bringing in any valuable information. The organics project was spun off decades ago. Why do we insist on continuing this?" Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "virg1" defined multiple times with different content

[40] The Institute terminal entries; Terminal, 2277.7.10: "Entered By: Syverson.C
Notes:
Latest round of testing complete. Results are all within expected parameters. Informed Dr. Zimmer directly, as he had ordered the tests personally. He seemed annoyed with the results; unsure what he was looking for. He declined to specify why he wanted the tests run to begin with."

[41] The Institute terminal entries; Terminal, 2286.4.10: "Entered by: Virgil.B
Notes:
I have officially assumed the lead role on the project after Dr. Syverson's passing.
Latest round of subjects show results similar to previous test runs over last 5 years. No statistical deviation noted."
Synthetic organics continue to perform well; the necessity of further tests is unexplained."

[42] The Sole Survivor: "How do they make synths?"
Glory: "Damned if I know. The machines are... massive. Complicated. Not like anything I've seen out here. No matter what Dez and others say, synths ain't human. We're assembled bone by bone. Muscle by muscle. I've seen it. I'm gonna hit the range. I need to shoot something. Now."
(Glory's dialogue)

[43] The Sole Survivor: "What makes them superior?"
Max Loken: "The list of improvements is exhaustive. I can talk for an hour and still not cover all of it. Imagine what you could accomplish if you could live without fear of hunger or disease. Imagine what you could create if you could use every waking moment of your life as you saw fit, with no need of sleep? Like I said, a momentous time."
(Max Loken's dialogue)

[:2-44] 44.0 ^44.1 West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM52"

[45] West Tek research center terminal entries: "SPECIAL REPORT: CONTAINMENT BREACH"

[:3-46] 46.0 ^46.1 West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM53"

[47] The Chosen One: "{310}{}{You’re sure you want to consign all the citizens of both cities to a slow death?}"
Brain: "
Brain: "{360}{}{You humans have such limited tolerances. I would have remained a normal rat if you humans hadn’t done your best to destroy the world. If it weren’t for the radiation, I wouldn’t be what I am today.}"
The Chosen One: "{361}{}{And what’s that, exactly?}"
Brain: "{380}{}{I was just one of many normal rats in a advanced research lab. Then, one day, there were explosions. Our cages were broken open, and we were doused with some sort of fluid from a huge vat.}"
The Chosen One: "{381}{}{Then what?}"
Brain: "{390}{}{I crawled outside. As I began to heal, I noticed that I had changed. I tried to communicate with people, but they all just tried to kill me. Humans are just too violent to survive under their own leadership -- but that's another story. The first step is to repair the reactor.}"
(GCBRAIN.MSG)

[:4-48] 48.0 ^48.1 Fallout Bible 3

[49] Mad scientist: "The Master's truth is revealed, resulting in increased psychic ability. [shakes his head] But the poor souls become terminally insane and must be sequestered and nullified to keep them from harming themselves or others."

[50] The Chosen One: "{209}{}{I still don't understand how that's *perfect.*}"
Charles Curling: "{211}{}{The F.E.V. toxin will only attack to humans, leaving everything else alive, better still, within a month all the mutants will be dead and the F.E.V. toxin will die out as soon as it runs out of hosts. }"
(QCCURLNG.MSG)

[51] The Chosen One: "{237}{}{What about my people? Or me? Or you, for that matter?}"
Charles Curling: "{238}{}{I can release the antidote into the air-system for all the cells. The detention level is served by a separate air system from the rest of the Enclave. Everyone will think that I'm just running another test. You, I can inoculate directly, here and now. (he reaches for you with a syringe)}"
(QCCURLNG.MSG)

[52] The Lone Wanderer: "Where did this plan of yours come from?"
John Henry Eden: "A great many years ago, the remnants of the government had a similar idea. I can only assume the plan failed, as I never heard word of its success. But the plan itself was sound. I've made a few modifications, and with your help, I do believe it can work. There's a bright future ahead of us, my young friend."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)

[53] The Lone Wanderer: "Say whatever it is you have to say."
John Henry Eden: "Our land is ravaged by mutation. The war was so many years ago, and yet we still suffer from its effects. We cannot move forward until humanity can gain a solid foothold in the world. To do so, we must rid ourselves of the mutations that have plagued us for so long. These "Super Mutants", Ghouls, hideous creatures... I believe your father's work can do that in a way unlike any other."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)

[54] The Lone Wanderer: "Won't this kill pretty much everyone in the Wasteland?"
John Henry Eden: "Anyone or anything that has been affected by mutation will be eliminated. You will likely be immune, thanks to your upbringing in the vault. Likewise, the good people of the Enclave will be unaffected as well. I understand that you may have become sympathetic to certain individuals in your travels. Individuals this will eliminate. Please recognize that the fate of our entire country rests on this plan. Sacrifices must be made for the greater good."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)

[PrestonsPlight-55] 55.0 ^55.1 The Lone Wanderer: "Doc, it's crowded in your clinic. Something going around I should worry about?"
Doctor Preston: "Oh no... I'm fairly certain it's not contagious. Though, we are burning the bodies of the deceased, just in case... I just wish I knew how to treat these people. It's like their immune system is killing them. I don't know what to do about it!"
(Preston's dialogue)

[56] The Lone Wanderer: "Doc, it's crowded in your clinic. Something going around I should worry about?"
Doctor Barrows "I don't know yet. Some kind of virus that attacks the body on a cellular level. I've never seen anything like it. It's strange because ghouls are immune to almost any known disease."
(Barrows' dialogue in Broken Steel)

[57] If the Lone Wanderer drinks four bottles of Aqua Pura infected with the modified FEV, they suffer increasingly negative effects (that are temporary) such as loss of strength and intelligence until the last bottle that kills them.

[58] The Lone Wanderer: "Doc, it's crowded in your clinic. Something going around I should worry about?"
Doctor Church: "There's something going around, all right, but it isn't anything I've ever seen before. Definitely not contagious. Maybe something in the water, but that seems unlikely since I've tested it and this is the cleanest water we've ever had. I have no idea how to help these people and it's really taken the shine off my normally sunny disposition."
(Church's dialogue)

[59] Fallout Bible 0: "2235 The Enclave experiments on deathclaws, attempting to create special fighting units for waging war in hostile environments."

[60] Intelligent deathclaws in Fallout 2.

[61] Canon Fallout 2 endings

[62] The Lone Wanderer: "So, what's gone wrong?"
Weston Lesko: "Well. I'm afraid I've made slight miscalculations in the mutagen. Instead of lowering their size, the brood hatched with a new biomechanism. I call their genetic abberation pyrosis; the ability to emit flame from their bodies. I may be able to correct this error, but I can't get near my equipment."
(Weston Lesko's dialogue)

[63] Doctor Lesko's Terminal

[64] Doctor Lesko's Terminal

[FEVRes-65] 65.0 ^65.1 FEV research

[66] West Tek research center terminal entries: "Greenhouse Initiative"

[67] Huntersville terminal entries: "Personal Journal 08.20.75"

[68] Huntersville terminal entries: "Personal Journal 12.20.75"

[GPWRTERM.MSG-69] GPWRTERM.MSG

[70] Fallout Bible 0: "2076 January 26 Using batch 11-011, experiments are conducted on raccoons. Same results are noted, but the attempted escape of several infected raccoons causes Major Barnett to terminate the escape... and the test subjects. Two pairs of raccoons, however, are unaccounted for."
"Note: Scott Campbell and Chris Taylor intended these escaped raccoons to form an intelligent animal community NW of the Glow called the "Burrows." This location was never implemented."

[71] West Tek research center terminal entries: "FTS-3A Water Analysis"

[72] West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM48"

[73] West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM49"

[74] West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM50"

[75] West Tek research center terminal entries: "Report: Test Subject AM51"

[76] History of the Brotherhood of Steel

[77] Fallout Bible 0: "2102 May 22 Increasing mutant attacks on Harold's caravans cause Harold to get so pissed he finances one of the first adventuring parties of Fallout to try and find out where these dagnab mutants are coming from. Consulting with a scientist and doctor at the Hub, a man by the name of Grey, the two of them decide to join forces.
2102 June 23 Richard Grey's Expedition [including Harold] finds the Mariposa Military Base and the Expedition is scattered and defeated by mutants at the base. Grey is knocked into one of the vats of FEV by a robotic arm, and Harold is knocked unconscious, only to awaken later out in the wasteland.
2102 June 27 Harold, already mutating, is found by traders and taken back to the Hub. His former caravan partners and employees, horrified by his condition, abandon him and he is soon left without even two bottlecaps to rub together.
2102 July Richard Grey, now horribly mutated by the virus, crawls from the Vats covered with FEV and in terrible pain. Barely able to think or perceive his surroundings, he crawls into the Vat control room and begins his audio log. He fades in and out of consciousness, sometimes for days or weeks at a time.
2102 July-Nov Richard Grey begins to acclimate to his condition, and begins his first tests of animals by exposing them to FEV. These experiments and his growing awareness lay the foundation for his plans for the Unity and the master race. He takes the name, "the Master.""

[Richard_Grey_audio-78] 78.0 ^78.1 Richard Grey's audio diary

[79] Fallout Bible 0: "2102 Nov The first human victim wanders into Mariposa, and Grey consumes him.
2102 Dec Grey continues his experiments on wanderers that enter Mariposa... with no success. The creations are flawed (due to the radiation counts in their bodies), making them big but incredibly stupid, and Grey consumes them rather than letting them live."

[leve4disk-80] 80.0 ^80.1 ^80.2 Military base level 4

[81] The Vault Dweller: "{1001}{}{FEV}"
Lieutenant: "{1104}{LIEUT60}{The Vats are where the FEV is stored, and where you normals become one of us. Of course, some die horrible, excruciatingly painful deaths, but well, those are the breaks.}"
(LT.MSG)

[82] Fallout Bible 0: "2103 January The Master discovers the problem with the influence of radiation on his mutations, and he begins to choose his subjects more carefully. The first classic super mutants are born, butt-scratching animations and all. He begins his plans to build an army."

[83] Fallout Bible 0: "2103-2130 Throughout this period, the Master begins slowly gathering test subjects, willing or unwilling, from local human stock. The Great Winter of 2130 and the scarcity of human subjects make building his army difficult."

[84] Fallout Bible 0: "2131-2135 The Master begins ordering his super mutants to gather human stock from caravans. For many years, the caravan disappearances are blamed on monsters in the desert, and even when the abductions begin to occur on Hub caravans, the deathclaws are blamed. The super mutant army grows."

[85] Fallout Bible 0: "2137 Master begins to mass-produce super mutants. Only about one in six or one in five attempts are successful, and of these successes, only half seem to last to go on to be part of his growing army, called the Unity."

[86] Fallout Bible 0: "2152 As their influence slowly spreads throughout the wastes, the Master finds humans, doomsday cultists, and rather than dip them in the vats, he demands their obedience as spies - their leader is a man named Morpheus, and he pledges his followers to the Master. Morpheus and his cultists form the future core of the Children of the Cathedral."

[87] Fallout Bible 0: "2156 The Master sees advantages in establishing a benevolent "religion," the Children of the Cathedral, and using them as spies in settlements throughout the wastes. Missionaries from the Children of the Cathedral spread slowly across the wasteland, acting as eyes and ears for Morpheus and the Master."

[88] Fallout Bible 0: "2155-2156 After capturing a caravan of strange-garbed travelers (vault dwellers), Master learns the location of the Boneyard Vault, the future site of the Cathedral. He conquers the inhabitants and sets up operations there, and the human cultists begin to use the Vault as their powerbase. Within the Vault, the Master learns of other Vaults, and realizing their human occupants are ripe for transformation, begins to send out patrols to Vault locations in search of these other Vaults."

[89] The Courier: "Where did you come from?"
Lily Bowen: "I grew up in Vault 17. I never even saw the sun until I was 75 years old - that was when Super mutants raided the Vault and carried a lot of us off. Yes, Leo, I'm getting to that part! They made me one of them, and they put me to work in an army that was going to conquer California."
(Lily Bowen's dialogue)

[90] Fallout events.

[91] Institute FEV lab

[92] The Institute terminal entries: "2277.7.10
Entered By: Syverson.C
Notes:
Latest round of testing complete. Results are all within expected parameters. Informed Dr. Zimmer directly, as he had ordered the tests personally. He seemed annoyed with the results; unsure what he was looking for. He declined to specify why he wanted the tests run to begin with."

[93] The Institute terminal entries: "Baseline: Male, early 30s. Moderate overall health.
Post-submersion results: Physical condition consistent with standard results. Mental acuity charting slightly higher than average.
Subject Status: TAGGED, DISCARDED"

[94] Preston Garvey (?): "Those Super Mutants have been raiding across the Commonwealth for years. I'm glad to have the Brotherhood's help clearing them out."

[95] The Institute terminal entries; FEV Terminal: "2286.4.10
Entered by: Virgil.B
Notes:
I have officially assumed the lead role on the project after Dr. Syverson's passing.
Latest round of subjects show results similar to previous test runs over last 5 years. No statistical deviation noted.
Synthetic organics continue to perform well; the necessity of further tests is unexplained."

[96] Brian Virgil Personal Log 0176

[97] See this article for references.

[98] The Lone Wanderer: "My father's work? How is that relevant?"
John Henry Eden: "The purifier your father helped create has the ability to provide clean water to the whole of this "Capital Wasteland". With a simple modification, it can be used to distribute agents that destroy mutated creatures upon ingestion. In time, we could eliminate all mutations in the Wasteland at the same time the good people of the world regain their health. I need you to make the modification necessary for this to succeed."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)

[99] The Lone Wanderer: "I'll do whatever I have to if it means getting rid of mutants."
John Henry Eden: "I was hoping you would see it my way. If the water purifier can be activated, it can be used to distribute toxins that will eliminate any mutated creatures upon ingestion. The longer it runs, the cleaner the world becomes. I need you to see that it starts running, and that the necessary modification is made."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)

[100] Take it Back!

[101] The Lone Wanderer: "Something isn't right. You shouldn't have gotten results like these so quickly"
Weston Lesko: "Well... ummm, I may have used a few... ahem, shortcuts. Yes. I was told that the FEV works wonders when used under controlled circumstances! Apparently I was wrong, but I know my mistake. I'm certain I can get it to work!"
(Weston Lesko's dialogue)

[102] Those!

[103] Vault 87 super mutant
(Vault 87 super mutant's dialogue)

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

[41]

[42]

[43]

[44]

[45]

[46]

[47]

[48]

[49]

[50]

[51]

[52]

[53]

[54]

[55]

[56]

[57]

[58]

[59]

[60]

[61]

[62]

[63]

[64]

[65]

[66]

[67]

[68]

[69]

[70]

[71]

[72]

[73]

[74]

[75]

[76]

[77]

[78]

[79]

[80]

[81]

[82]

[83]

[84]

[85]

[86]

[87]

[88]

[89]

[90]

[91]

[92]

[93]

[94]

[95]

[96]

[97]

[98]

[99]

[100]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Games|FO1|FO2|FO3|FNV|FO4|FO76|FOT|FOBOS|FOT2|FB|VB|FOBOS2}}
+[[File:Vats.jpg|right|thumb|250px|The vats of FEV at [[Mariposa Military Base]].]]
-{{Quotation|FEV nears completion. Test on lab animals are at a near 100% success rate. Size and muscle density increase approximately 60%, and the potential intelligence increase by 200%. Effects upon human subjects remain unknown; although they are theoretically promising. The military, wishing to continue further testing, builds a large facility at the Mariposa military installation in central California. At this new facility, testing of the FEV virus continues on volunteer subjects from the military.|[[FEV research]] log, recorded in [[Timeline#2077|2077]].}}
 {{Quotation|Research into possible cures for the [[New Plague]] created the Forced Evolution Virus, which was further developed in an attempt to create a transmittable genetic-engineering virus -- in effect, infectious evolution.|[[ZAX 1.2]]}}
+The '''Forced Evolutionary Virus''', or '''FEV''', is an artificial virus created by [[West Tek]]'s [[NBC Division]]. Its ability to force changes in both the genotype and phenotype made it one of the most important mutagens in the [[wasteland]], harnessed by different organizations and individuals for their own purposes both before and after the [[Great War]].
-The '''Forced Evolutionary Virus''' ('''FEV'''/'''F.E.V.''') is a major source of [[Mutations and their causes|mutation]] in the ''Fallout'' universe. [[Super mutant]]s, the [[Master]], and possibly some [[ghoul]]s are a result of infection by the FEV. Aside from super mutants, the Master also created a variety of other aberrant creatures using the virus, which includes, but is not limited to: [[floater]]s, [[centaur]]s, and potentially [[deathclaw]]s. The FEV exists in various forms across all of the ''Fallout'' games, mainly to serve goals of the various antagonists. It was through the FEV that the Master made his super mutant army and how the [[Enclave]] meant to purify the world of mutation.
+The strain responsible for creating regular super mutants is called FEV-II<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{133}{}{I happen to know that your mutants are sterile.}"''<br />[[Master]]: ''"{135}{Mast11}{Preposterous! The FEV-2 virus doesn't destroy the reproductive organs of those it mutates.}"''<br />([[MASTER.MSG]])</ref><ref name="Vree's autopsy report">[[Vree's autopsy report]]</ref> and represents the pinnacle of pre-War research into the virus. A different, unfinished FEV strain is the source of the [[Vault 87 super mutant|super mutant]]s infesting the [[Capital Wasteland]], intellectually inferior to their West Coast cousins. Other strains created the monsters of [[Appalachia]] and the distinct [[Institute super mutant|super mutants]] of [[the Commonwealth]], as well as served as the basis for the Institute's third-generation [[synth]]s.
+The FEV exists in various forms across all of the ''Fallout'' games, mainly to serve the goals of the various antagonists. It was through the FEV that the Master made his race of super mutants and how the [[Enclave]] meant to purify the world of mutation.
 ==Virology==
+FEV is a megavirus, with a protein sheath reinforced by ionized hydrogen. It is capable of absorbing neutrons without becoming radioactive, i.e. it cannot be sterilized by [[radiation]]. In terms of functionality, FEV is a shifting-absorptive virus, copying DNA patterns and storing these patterns in exons much like a [[Wikipedia:Retrovirus|retrovirus]]. These exons, combined with the FEV, are re-injected into the host cells in typical viral infectious fashion. This causes the host cells to "regenerate" their DNA with FEV's corrections that eradicated recessive genes.<ref name="ZAX.MSG"/>
-The FEV's composition is known and detailed solely by [[ZAX 1.2]]. The effects are documented and/or described by ZAX, and those who have used it include the Master, the Master's [[Lieutenant]], [[Charles Curling]], and [[Weston Lesko]], as well as those who were mutated by it such as [[Harold]], [[Talius]], [[Marcus]], [[Fawkes]], [[Strong]], [[Brian Virgil|Virgil]], and [[Tabitha]].
+FEV comes pre-loaded with introns of corrected DNA that eradicate recessive genes responsible for ailments and alters RNA strands for greater transmission of signals.<ref name="Delta experiment disk">[[Delta experiment disk]]</ref> DNA altered by the virus renders the subject immune to biochemical weapons, radiation and common diseases. Cellular division rate is increased, with mitosis occurring at 115% of normal human rate. Normally non-regenerating tissue, such as neural tissue and non-somatic cells also begin to replicate, allowing for real-time regeneration.<ref name="Delta experiment disk" /><ref name="Vree's autopsy report" />
-===Composition===
-According to ZAX 1.2, the FEV is a shifting-absorptive megavirus with a protein sheath reinforced by ionized hydrogen that makes it immune to radiation. It is pre-programmed with specific introns of genetic information for the species of the infected/inoculated specimen. The FEV works by copying the host cell's DNA, like RNA, and placing them into exons that are then re-introduced into the host's cells alongside the pre-programmed introns. What makes the FEV unique is that it utilizes a recursive genetic code that allows it to repeat its genetic copying and insertion infinitely.<ref>[[ZAX.MSG]]: Lines 129 & 134 indicate ZAX 1.2 is fallible but intentionally so it could learn. Lines 135 & 154 are ZAX's defense of its authority on subject material. Line 134 also states certain functions are not subject to error but these functions are not specified.
-:For biochemical description, see lines 157 & 166.
-::Note: A protein sheathe reinforced with ionized hydrogen would not come close to rendering something the size of a virus capable of absorbing or repelling a neutron (or gamma radiation). Instead, the virus would almost certainly be destroyed.
-:For pre-programmed introns, see line 169.
-:For exon copying and insertion, see lines 157 & 158.
-::Note: The FEV most closely resembles a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrovirus retrovirus] which inserts RNA into a host cell which then uses reverse transcriptase to express the viral genes. The exons are described in correspondence to this resemblance but the introns are not.
-:For recursive code, see lines 170, 172, & 173.
-</ref>
+A peculiar feature of FEV is that it is highly corrosive and volatile in its pure form, capable of degrading rubber containment seals like an acid, though without any acidic residue.<ref>[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''Not much to report today. The FEV tanks are starting to spring some leaks where the feeder lines are connected, but it shouldn't take more than a day or two to swap out the O-rings. It's messy work, but luckily Spielman drew the short straw and he'll have to stand ankle-deep in the sludge until we can properly get it cleaned up.''
-===Effects===
-Common amongst sources is that the FEV operates more undesirably on subjects with heightened mutation to their, otherwise, [[Etymology of pure and prime humans|''pure'']] genomes as well as sterility in those infected. {{citation needed}}
+''This FEV is volatile stuff, it degraded the vulcanized rubber on those seals like it was acid. Strangely, there's no acidic content to it at all, it must have affected the O-rings on a molecular level. Kind of makes me wonder if it's safe having it pooling up on the floor.''"</ref> This also rendered attempts at creating an effective decontamination process difficult, as FEV could render most compounds inert before they could neutralize the virus. Eventually, combining a booster with an antiviral compound created a neutralizing agent capable of rendering FEV inert when applied in sufficient quantities.<ref>[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''Bardwell's all over my ass about getting the decontamination arches up and running. How the hell am I supposed come up with a decontamination method for something that's totally experimental?''
-According to ZAX 1.2, the sterility is the result of the FEV seeing ''"half-cells"'' ([[wikipedia:Haploid#Haploid and monoploid|haploid]] [[wikipedia:Gametes|gametes]]) as genetic damage and ''correcting'' it. The sterility effect is a common cause of concern for pro-Mutant agendas promoted by the Master, [[Gammorin's Army]], and [[Attis]]. A solution for the sterility is potentially pursued by Gammorin's Army along with [[Brotherhood of Steel (Midwest)|Midwestern Brotherhood of Steel]] General [[Dekker]] as a bargaining chip against Gammorin's Army.<ref>[[ZAX.MSG]]:
-:For sterility details & confirmation, see Line 179
-[[Vree's autopsy report#Transcript]]
-:For sterility confirmation, see '''Hypothesis''' paragraph 2, sentences 5 & 6.
-[[HAROLD.MSG]]: Harold is notorious for making crude jokes and maintaining a jocular demeanor in speech. Despite this, his experience is unique and his insight noteworthy.
-:For potential sterility confirmation, see line 257.
-[[MASTER.MSG]]:
-:For cause of concern, see discourse of Lines 133, 135, 146, 149, & 153.
-[[MIS 10 Speech.txt#General Dekker]]: ''See also: [[Jefferson (mission)]] & [[Jefferson (town)]]''
-:For Gammorin's Army's interest, see '''Situation A01'''
-:For bargaining chip, see '''Situation B02'''
-</ref>
+''To make matters worse, West Tek HQ refuses to give me the FEV's chemical and organic breakdown, so I'm totally shooting in the dark. My degree in biochemistry never prepared me for this, but I should have known things would be... different around here when I had to get high-level clearance just to walk in the door."''</ref><ref>[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''Three weeks and about sixty compounds later, I've still got nothing.''
-Radiation is frequently blamed as the cause of this genetic ''tainting'' with the sole exception of the Master's Lieutenant who cites immunity from mutated airborne strains of the FEV as the cause instead. <ref>[[LT.MSG]]:{194}{LIEUT30}{The FEV was mutated by the war radiation. Those living in this desolate wasteland have been exposed to this mutant FEV, essentially inoculating them from the full effects.}</ref>
+''This FEV is some tenacious stuff. I know that FEV is virus-based, so I've approached it from that angle. Unfortunately, every antibiotic compound known to man isn't designed to handle something this... well, virulent. What I need to come up with is some sort of a booster, a total neutralizing agent that will render the FEV inert.''"</ref>
-Upon expression, the FEV genes typically increase muscle and brain mass.<ref>[[ZAX.MSG]]:{173}{}{This recursive growth leads to an increase in muscle and brain mass, but is often accompanied by disfigurement and damage to existing neural patterns, causing loss of memory.}</ref>
+===Variation in mutation===
-Only one species remained fertile with further exposure to FEV. Deathclaws have been known to exhibit increased intelligence while still being able to reproduce, as is the case with the Vault 13 Deathclaws.
+A notable feature of FEV is that it partially relies upon the DNA of the individual coming in contact with it. Coupled with portions of its own recursive code, effects of exposure can be unpredictable,<ref name="ZAX.MSG" /> particularly when non-humans are exposed to the virus, or multiple organisms are placed into the same vat (''vide'' [[centaur]]s).<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Answer me these questions three|Fallout Bible 0]]: ''"'''3. Are the radscorpions a product of the FEV virus?  When you talk to the doctor, Razlo, in Shady Sands, he tells you that they were once American Emperor Scorpions but that he has no idea how they mutated because radiation alone couldn't have done it.  For that matter, what about all of the other creatures of the wasteland?  Which ones have been mutated by FEV and which ones haven't?  Maybe in the bestiary each creature could have a stat that shows it's level of FEV infection.'''"''<br />''"Answer:''
+* ''The radscorpions are a result of a combination of radiation and the FEV virus, and Razlo in Shady Sands is correct - they were originally Emperor Scorpions that have grown... big.''
+* ''FEV-Infected Critters in the wasteland include almost all the ones you've seen in F1 and F2:''<br />''Mantises.''<br />''Most species of rats.''<br />''Gecko lizards.''<br />''Brahmin''<br />''Scorpions''<br />''Ants''<br />''Various varieties of plants, including the Venus Flytrap.''<br />''Rumor has it some dogs were affected, but no one's seen any, so for now that's just rumor. Of course, the centaurs are a mash of human, dog, and various other parts... but hey, who knows how that mutation came about. Grey was probably messing around in one of his labs.''
+* ''Creatures not mutated by FEV probably did not survive the aftermath of the Great War, with the possible exception of cockroaches... and perhaps normal ants, though there are FEV-infected versions of these species.''
+* ''No one knows where those bird noises in Vault City came from.''
+* ''I'll try to include a chart of FEV-infected creatures in future additions as well as other critters that you may not have seen in F1 and F2. Most likely a great majority of insects were affected (they tend to breed much faster, and their mutations tend to become evident pretty quickly as the generations advance), possibly beetles, some spiders, cockroaches, and other creatures."''</ref> This feature of FEV made it incredibly versatile, though tweaking the genome of the virus required extensive experimentation: Strains  would typically produce unstable results, with few viable, stable strains.<ref>[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''GOAL: Push FEV to its practical limits.''
+''The Super Mutant program has shown great promise. By tweaking the genomes, we are able to cultivate different strains of the virus, which produce varying results.Note: Most strains produce highly unstable results. Few are viable. Only genetic technicians above clearance level 5 are allowed access to the FEV recombinator, given prior approval by Dr. Elias Khan.''"</ref>
-{{FB}}
-According to the [[Fallout Bible]], FEV makes most species sterile, but not all. The exceptions are most species of rats, [[mantis]], and [[radscorpion]], as well as [[deathclaws]]. Breeding ability may have something to do with survival of the species, as the more common FEV mutations like mantises are easier to kill, thus they need to breed.
-{{FB|end}}
+Changes to DNA are expressed phenotypically by recursive growth patterns integrated in the FEV. However, apart from the genome in the virus strain, effects also vary greatly depending on the method of exposure. Prolonged immersion in the virus creates the most stunning transformations, such as super mutants and centaurs. In [[Mariposa Military Base|Mariposa]] this has been achieved by a twenty-four hour exposure to FEV-II in the vats, achieving a severe overdose of the virus.<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{142}{}{What is the current status of the patients?}"''<br />Vats Control Computer: ''"{143}{}{Current status on patients as follows: FEV batch #23872-A consists of four male units and two female units. All individuals suffering from FEV exposure. Vital signs are within normal parameters. FEV process on all subjects is approxiamtely 50% complete. Expect full FEV transformation within 12 hours.}"''<br />([[VCONCOMP.MSG]])</ref><ref name="Vree's autopsy report" /> In [[Vault 87]], infection took place in sealed chambers, where an aerosolized virus was introduced. The exposure was relatively brief, compared to the Mariposa procedure.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"A friendly Super Mutant. Well, now I've seen everything."''<br />[[Fawkes]]: ''"Ugh. Must you use that vulgar term? Yes, I was born in the F.E.V. Chambers but a Super Mutant I certainly am not. I prefer the term Meta Human. Suits me better don't you think?"''<br />([[Fawkes' dialogue]])</ref><ref>[[Vault 87]] exposure chambers.</ref> In Appalachia and [[The Institute (location)|the Institute]], exposure to their own version of the virus took place in sealed tubes, where the subject was immersed for a prolonged period of time, allowing for observation of the transformation results.<ref>[[FEV Lab|Institute FEV lab]]</ref>
-===Infection/Inoculation===
-According to ZAX 1.2, the FEV is incapable of being air-transmissible which, if true, contradicts the Master's Lieutenant's immunization theory. In the decades to come, however, [[Charles Curling]] managed to create, through alteration, a strain of the FEV that is transmissible via [[wikipedia:Aerosol|''"aerosol solution"'']].
+On the other hand, injections of small doses of the virus will not bring about transformation but can be used to induce a variety of changes. The Master used localized FEV injections to modify himself in the early days of the Unity, and later experimented with brain injections,<ref name=":0" /> awakening the latent [[psyker]] potential in the subjects (though also causing permanent, terminal insanity).<ref>See [[psyker]] for details.</ref> The Enclave used a modified FEV virus to greatly increase the intelligence of deathclaws through cranial injections (overshooting the project's goals by a wide margin). <ref name=":1">The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{126}{}{What can you tell me about the deathclaws here?}"''<br />[[Goris]]: ''"{147}{}{These aren't your average deathclaws, as I'm sure you noticed. They've had their intelligence enhanced by some means not understood by them. It was done by a group of humans known as 'The Enclave.' It seems this Enclave needed an army and they chose deathclaws because of their ferocity, physical prowess, and... well, you get the picture. Anyway, the only thing lacking in deathclaws was their intelligence. They needed to be smart enough to understand complex commands, but not so smart that they'd be a threat to 'those in charge.'}"''<br />''"{217}{}{So, the Enclave started messing with a virus, or some such thing, and injected the deathclaws with it. This virus was known to mutate humans into some sort of super beings, so the Enclave wanted to see what it would do to deathclaws. Well, the result was a breed of deathclaws so smart that they could see they were destined for slavery. So, they played dumb until they could gain their freedom. And here they are!}"''<br />([[Ocgoris.msg]]<nowiki>)}}</nowiki></ref>
-The FEV is typically inoculated into subjects who are brought into direct contact with a FEV sample such as at the [[Mariposa Military Base]] or injected into subjects directly. <ref>[[ZAX.MSG]]:{162}{}{FEV is not 'caught', per se. It is not air-transmittable. Typically, infection is through injection, or direct physical contact with an FEV sample.}</ref>
-==History of the FEV==
+=== Reverting the changes ===
+Since FEV does not store an unaltered copy of the subject's DNA, the changes are generally impossible to revert. Theoretically, the mutation process could be reversed by infecting the subject with a secondary virus that contained a copy of the subject's original DNA and replaced the FEV's modified strands, then forced recursive growth again. However, it would also be necessary to neutralize FEV itself to prevent mutation from reoccurring. It was not possible with pre-War technology.<ref name="ZAX.MSG"/>
-===Before the Great War===
-In the years immediately preceding the [[Great War]] of 2077 between [[China]] and the [[United States]], both sides were scrambling to research a new weapon that would give them an edge in the coming conflict. Chinese government-funded programs began to research [[Chinese stealth armor|invisibility]], while the United States government tapped the resources of American private industry to develop a secret biological weapon that could defeat the Chinese. One company, a high-technology scientific research firm known as [[West Tek]], was already a major American defense contractor and quickly became involved in tipping the global scale. In the first ''[[Fallout]]'', the Vault Dweller explored a location in New California called [[West Tek Research Facility|the Glow]], which was in fact an underground West Tek research facility that had been directly targeted by Chinese nuclear warheads during the Great War. While exploring the highly radioactive ruins, the Vault Dweller discovers that West Tek had created a number of useful, yet volatile, biological, chemical, and conventional weapons for the American military. Potent laser and plasma weapons were being experimented within the facility, and [[power armor]], massive self-contained suits of mechanized combat armor that turned a single soldier into a walking tank, were also developed there. Most importantly, research into immunity-boosting drugs designed to combat biological weapons agents was being conducted by West Tek which lead to the creation of the PVP, and later, the FEV.
+However, The Institute's FEV research made this possible. Dr [[Brian Virgil]] created a serum to revert the mutation. The FEV itself, the serum was a retrovirus,<ref>[[Sole Survivor]]: "''It'll work. Don't worry.''"<br /> [[Brian Virgil]]: "''{{Tooltip|I hope so. We just have to let the retrovirus run its course.|{Worried / Worried} }} {{Tooltip|I'm going to rest for a while. Come back in a few days, maybe a week, and... well, I guess we'll see.| {Nervous / Nervous} }}''"<br />([[Virgil.txt|Brian Virgil's dialogue]])</ref> using recombinant counter-intron sequences and transcriptive exon strands<ref>[[Brian Virgil]]: "''{{Tooltip|Retrovirus has matured nicely. Density gradient is high... Recombinant counter-intron sequences look stable... Transcriptive exon strands have formed...|{To himself. Studying a high-tech medical serum. Generally pleased with what he's seeing. / Concerned} }}''"<br />([[Virgil.txt|Brian Virgil's dialogue]])</ref> together with a genetic resequencer to counteract the specific strain of FEV that Virgil was infected with. Technically, the serum did not actually revert his mutation: It restoring him to a human state by ''recreating'' it using the mutated DNA as a basis. The experimental state of the serum and a buggy resequencer prevent a perfect restoration, leaving portions of the mutated code untouched. If exposed, Virgil will retain some muscle mass after the transformation and won't suffer from baldness. As the cure was also tailored to the specific strain Virgil infected himself with, generalizing the formula would take years, if not decades of additional, intense research.<ref>[[Brian Virgil]]: "''Welcome back. It needs some refinement, but I think we can consider my serum a qualified success.''"<br />[[Sole Survivor]]: "''This is a "qualified success"?''"<br />[[Brian Virgil]]: "''There were some side effects to the process. I seem to have hair again. And I've retained some muscle mass. The genetic resequencer needs more work. Still, I take your point. This is a significant advance. But only for one strain of FEV. It will take years, perhaps decades, to generalize my formula.''"<br />([[VirgilHuman.txt|Brian Virgil's dialogue]])</ref>
-One fear amongst the American military of this period was that the Chinese would deploy biological weapons against American troops; these would be powerful, genetically engineered super-viruses that would decimate other armies and civilian populations without a single shot being fired. Thus, West Tek had initiated the Pan-Immunity Virion Project (PVP) to develop a way to stimulate the human immune system in such a way that it could naturally counteract any Chinese biological agents. It was determined that altering the subject's DNA in such a way that its dual helical structure transformed into a quadruple helical structure would render the recipient immune to almost any known or engineered pathogen. <section begin="Pure human background" />During West Tek's testing phase of the PVP in [[Timeline#2075|2075]], abnormal side effects were observed developing in the test subjects. The test animals began to grow dramatically larger in size and muscular structure, and their brain activity increased. Seeing the potential military applications of these unexpected results, the U.S. Army sent its own military scientists into the facility to secure the project and renamed the PVP virus as the Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV). Not content with producing mere immunity to disease, the Army's researchers hoped that the FEV would turn its soldiers into abnormally strong and intelligent superhumans capable of defeating many times their own number of Chinese soldiers. When the testing on animals reached its logical conclusion, the American military moved the entire apparatus of FEV research to the [[Mariposa Military Base]] in California, where secret human testing on military prison inmates proceeded.<section end="Pure human background" />
-===The Great War===
+== Strains ==
+===Toxin strain (FEV-I)===
-However, the grim nature of the research being carried out at Mariposa greatly unnerved many members of the U.S. Army garrison guarding the base. The nature of the military's work, which had until then been kept a secret from the Army grunts, caused them to revolt when they discovered the truth. Colonel [[Robert Spindel]], the officer in charge of the garrison, suddenly lost his mind and committed suicide. His second-in-command, Captain [[Roger Maxson]], took command of the troops and began interrogating the Mariposa scientists. Rattled by the vile things the scientists were doing to their test subjects, and incredulous of the claim that the science team was only following orders that had been handed down from the highest levels of the Pentagon, Captain Maxson had the researchers executed. Later, he announced the Mariposa Military Base to be in full secession from the United States, and his own unit left the U.S. Army. Only days after these actions, in October 2077, the Sino-American War reached its climax, as both nuclear bombs and warheads fell from the sky, and the United States ceased to exist as a unified nation. Disgusted with the Mariposa base, and haunted by the fate of the FEV test subjects along with the executed scientists, Maxson decided to lead his troops and their families to the federal government's Lost Hills emergency bunker, where they would later use their high-tech military equipment, and knowledge brought from the Mariposa base, to form the [[Brotherhood of Steel]].
+Initial experiments into FEV were for the purpose of a biological weapon. The virulent toxin that would eventually become FEV-II saw extensive research until its much more potent quality of completely altering and mutating the human body was discovered. Research quickly swerved into heading up possibilities of a cure for New Plague and creating "super-soldiers", as well as its other applications with mutating life with the toxin.<ref name="FEVExp" /> The research done into the biological weapon applications were filed away deep within the record vaults of [[Mariposa Military Base]] as other avenues of application saw further research and investment. On July [[Timeline#2236|2236]]<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2236 July 20 ''Enclave scouts discover the remains of the Mariposa Military Base and find it partially destroyed."''</ref>, the Enclave would undercover the records detailing the early experiments of FEV and adapt the original research into recreating FEV as a biological WMD; finally succeeding with [[#FEV Curling-13 strain|FEV Curling-13]].<ref name="TheProject" />
+{{clear}}
-===Richard Grey's Expedition===
+===Mariposa strain (FEV-II)===
+{{main|Mariposa super mutant}}
-The [[Mariposa Military Base]] remained silent for a long time after the bombs fell. However, some time after the [[Great War]], a group of explorers from New California, including the future mutant [[Harold]], discovered the base while looking to end a peculiar proliferation of mutated animals which seemed to be coming from the installation.
+<section begin="MariposaBG" />
+In humans, phenotypical changes brought upon by the Mariposa strain are substantial, accomplished by recursive growth patterns integrated in FEV. In order for the mutation to succeed, the subject needs to have a low level of radiation-induced damage<ref name="ZAX.MSG">The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{120}{}{How does the Virus work?}"''<br />[[ZAX 1.2]]: ''"{157}{}{My research into the Forced Evolution Virus, or FEV, indicates that it is a shifting-absorptive virus. It copies DNA patterns much like RNA, storing these patterns in exons.}"''<br />''"{158}{}{These exons, combined with the FEV, are re-injected into the host cells in typical viral infectious fashion. This causes the host cells to 'regenerate' their DNA.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{159}{}{How do you catch FEV?}"''<br />ZAX 1.2: ''"{162}{}{FEV is not 'caught', per se. It is not air-transmittable. Typically, infection is through injection, or direct physical contact with an FEV sample.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{164}{}{Why isn't FEV affected by radiation?}"''<br />ZAX 1.2: ''"{166}{}{The FEV is a megavirus, with a protein sheath reinforced by ionized hydrogen. It is therefore capable of absorbing neutrons without becoming radioactive.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{168}{}{If the FEV re-infects the host with its assimilated viral patterns, how does it make a 'better specimen'?}"''<br />ZAX 1.2: ''"{169}{}{The FEV is pre-programmed with introns of corrected DNA appropriate to the proper type of species. It therefore attempts to correct the DNA of the individual.}"''<br />''"{170}{}{However, as the FEV is partially reliant upon the DNA of the individual, and also includes portions of its own recursive code, the effects can be unpredictable.}"''<br />''"{171}{}{When inoculated into an individual with significant genetic damage, such as through radiation, it will cause the body's systems to suffer massive overhauling, leading to organ failure and death.}"''<br />''"{172}{}{In a genetically viable individual, it re-writes portions of DNA, causing accelerated mutation, usually leading to recursive growth due to the FEV's own patterns.}"''<br />''"{173}{}{This recursive growth leads to an increase in muscle and brain mass, but is often accompanied by disfigurement and damage to existing neural patterns, causing loss of memory.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{174}{}{What potential long-term side effects exist?}"''<br />ZAX 1.2: ''"{178}{}{As the FEV causes constant regenerative update to DNA, it would effectively render the subject largely immortal, as cell death would be offset by augmented growth.}"''<br />''"{179}{}{Additionally, as the gametes of the reproductive system consist of 'half-cells' using split DNA, they could be perceived as 'damage' by FEV, which would 'repair' them, rendering the subject sterile.}"''<br />''"{180}{}{However, as my laboratory facilities are damaged beyond repair, this is conjectural. I cannot offer physical proof. You will have to, in human terms, 'take my word for it.'}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{181}{}{Could FEV mutation be corrected with a counter-virus?}"''<br />ZAX 1.2: ''"{184}{}{No. FEV does not retain unaltered original copies of the subject's DNA. Only a virus which re-infected the subject with original DNA could reverse the effects. Additionally, there is no known way to remove the FEV itself.}"''<br />([[ZAX.MSG]])</ref><!-- This ref name is repeated so as to not result in a cite error when transcluded. Please do not remove. --> ''and'' should not have been exposed to the mutated FEV in the wasteland.<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]:''"{188}{}{Why am I a prime human ?}"''<br />[[Lieutenant]]: ''"{194}{LIEUT30}{The FEV was mutated by the war radiation. Those living in this desolate wasteland have been exposed to this mutant FEV, essentially inoculating them from the full effects.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{195}{}{So?}"''<br />Lieutenant:  ''"{197}{LIEUT31}{So, you're from a Vault and have limited exposure to this mutated virus. The original FEV in the Vats should work quite well on you.}"''<br />([[LT.MSG]])</ref><ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Questions, questions|Fallout Bible 0]]: ''"'''6. According to Chris A., the ghouls in V12 were exposed to radiation and FEV. I know Harold said the Vault door opened early or something, so the radiation bit makes sense. My question is, how were the ghouls of Vault 12 exposed to FEV? Harold was a special case, since he went to the Vats with... er... someone, whose shall remain nameless... and got dipped. How do you account for the others? - Richard Grey'''"''<br />''"When the West Tek research facility was hit, it shattered the FEV storage tanks on levels four and five and released the FEV into the atmosphere. Through some means, perhaps propelled by the explosion, the virus was able to reach the ghouls quickly and the mutation process began even as the radiation was rotting away their bodies. How the virus was able to survive the blast without being sterilized is unknown... it would depend on what type of warhead cracked the West Tek facility like an egg.''<br />''Actually, Harold never said he got dipped (although it's possible). He was exposed, however - being in close proximity to FEV is enough to cause mutations, as the Enclave slaves mining Mariposa discovered. I imagine the shield between the vats and the control room in Mariposa was meant to keep the virus contained."''<br />{{Small|'''Note: ''' The [[West Tek Research Facility]] is an underground bunker, which although was directly hit by a nuclear weapon did not release the Forced Evolutionary Virus. The FEV was moved to the [[Mariposa Military Base]] (a bunker under a mountain) before the [[Great War]].}}</ref> Subjects that do not meet these criteria will suffer a massive overhaul of the body's systems, leading to organ failure and an extremely painful death.<ref name="ZAX.MSG"/><ref>[[Fallout Bible 8#FEV is the answer|Fallout Bible 8]]: ''"'''Peter Hopkins''' asks:''<br />'''''I was reading version 5 of the Bible, and found a bit of a conflict with current knowledge... In one of your anwers, it was said that it was random whether the FEV increased intelligence or not. However, as far as I know, FEV increases the growth and integrity of ALL cells consistently, by doubling the amount of genetic material in the cells. In this case, an increase in brain size (assuming a healthy brain to begin with) and intelligence should be regular. Another theory could be that, as the mutant's brain grows, the mass of the mutant's body increases exponentionally and the brain would not be big enough to control the whole body and sustain the throught process of a human body. Also, it is possible that while intelligence does increase initially, the brain does not gain the resistance to radiation that the body does, and the mutant develops brain damage and shows reduced intelligence. Are any of the above true? PS There is a very good report documenting the effects of FEV and how it was developed on the No Mutants Allowed message board (www.nma-fallout.com). PPS I don't know about any so called 'purists', but i am hugely interested in the fallout world and would love to FOT background in the Bible.'''''<br />''About FEV:''<br />''That might be why some of the super mutants (such as the Lieutenant) are smart (or remain smart) - but generally, for some reason (I don't know off the top of my head, nor do I know if it's spelled out anywhere), they're about 30% dumber than a normal human being, if Vree's research disk in the Brotherhood of Steel is accurate. I wouldn't be surprised if the dipping process caused brain damage in dipped subjects - it's a hell of a shock to the system.''<br />''Furthermore, everyone's favorite introspective machine intelligence, Zax, has the following to say about it:''
+:'''''When inoculated into an individual with significant genetic damage, such as through radiation, it [FEV] will cause the body's systems to suffer massive overhauling, leading to organ failure and death. In a genetically viable individual, it re-writes portions of DNA, causing accelerated mutation, usually leading to recursive growth due to the FEV's own patterns. This recursive growth leads to an increase in muscle and brain mass, but is often accompanied by disfigurement and damage to existing neural patterns, causing loss of memory.'''''
+''Other possible factors that might be causing the super mutants' stupidness:''<br />''- Most mutants have some degree of radiation poisoning, which may cause problems and brain damage, as mentioned above.''<br />''- The process is unsafe - the mortality rate on "dippees" is pretty high. This is likely due to radiation poisoning.''<br />''- Memory functions are "sometimes" impaired by the dipping, and intelligence loss may occur as well. Harold's memory wasn't in the best of shape after exposure.''<br />''From the Pre-War experiment tapes, it looks like some mammals did display consistent increased intelligence (raccoons), while others didn't (the dogs) or even suffered brain damage (the chimps and the seizures). However, in an old Scott Campbell doc, there was a note that later subjects injected with the FEV (especially the chimps) hid their enhanced intelligence from their captors (or in the case of the raccoons, made a break for it).''<br />''Furthermore, the FEV tests at West-Tek were done through injection, not dipping, so it's possible the dipping process itself that causes the brain damage. Possibly with the increased brain mass in the skull, the brain is "squeezed," and all that tasty juice runs out the ears.''<br />''Still, on the other hand, a lot of the animals Grey talks about in his experiment tapes that were running around the Military Base were getting smarter from the FEV, and he himself became supra-intelligent.''<br />''So there's a long-winded series of random answers. Moving on!"''</ref>
+The average super mutant is 3.2 meters tall and weighs in excess of 350 kilograms. Muscle accounts for over 75% of body mass, while bone and tissue are 10% each. Fat mass is exceedingly low, accounting for between 3-5% of body mass.<ref name="Vree's autopsy report">[[Vree's autopsy report]]</ref><!-- This ref name is repeated so as to not result in a cite error when transcluded. Please do not remove. -->  The increased muscle and body mass lead to a change in posture: FEV super mutants have a characteristic, hunched stance. The skin tone changes substantially and becomes gray with tints of light green, though as the mutant ages, it may become more green or even olive. The skin becomes much thicker and resistant to trauma, including cuts, bruises and damage from fire, acid or even gunfire.<ref name="Vree's autopsy report"/> Despite this resistance to trauma, completely destroyed tissues cannot be regrown, and will result in permanent scarring or organ loss.<ref>The cybernetic implants, branding scars, and the amputated tongue of [[Lieutenant]], [[Dog and God]], and [[Mean Sonofabitch]] respectfully are examples of permanent tissue damage.</ref>
-Leading the expedition was [[Master|Dr. Richard Grey]], previously known as Richard Moreau until he was exiled from [[Vault 8]], one of the massive underground bunkers created by [[Vault-Tec Corporation|Vault-Tec Industries]] as part of [[Project Safehouse]]. When [[Master|Grey's]] team entered the [[Mariposa Military Base|Mariposa base]], most of his men were killed once they encountered the base's still-active automated robotic defense systems. Eventually, only Grey and Harold are known to have survived the expedition. Harold was mysteriously knocked out, and suddenly woke up out in the desert, with the appearance of a ghoul without having any of the traits of one. Grey, however, was heading for bigger trouble. He had made it to the vat room, where massive bubbling cauldrons of the thick green nutrient solution, which contained the FEV, awaited to be used in experimentation. Grey was accidentally knocked into a vat by an automated crane, and managed to crawl out after a month of complete exposure. While the FEV was designed to be injected into humans, Grey soon found out that direct physical contact with the nutrient solution which it grew in worked just as well. He began to rapidly mutate in horrible ways, turning into a tentacled blob of mutated flesh, but he also developed potent psychic powers, which were enhanced by consuming other living minds to expand his own psionic strength. As other wasteland wanderers explored the base over the years, Moreau eventually began experiments on these human subjects, using primitive physical contact with the FEV.
+These changes are uniform across mutants, due to the aforementioned growth patterns and pre-programmed DNA loaded into the virus. This also has the effect of removing secondary sexual characteristics, in favor of a pre-programmed masculine body shape. Primary sexual characteristics, such as the penis and testicles in males and the uterus and ovaries in females are unaffected.<ref name="MASTERMast11">The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{132}{}{You can't possibly take on the entire world.}"''<br />[[Master]]: ''"{134}{Mast10}{I'm not after the world, yet. When I turn your fellow vault-dwellers into mutants, my forces will be too strong for any to stand against! But don't worry, you won't care. Care! Care!}"''<br />([[MASTER.MSG]])</ref><!-- This ref name is repeated so as to not result in a cite error when transcluded. Please do not remove. --> However, super mutants are sterile, as FEV perceives gametes as damaged DNA and corrects them, resulting in sterility.<ref name="Vree's autopsy report"></ref><ref name="ZAX.MSG"/>
-===The Coming of the Master===
-[[File:Vats.jpg|thumb|300px|FEV vats at the [[Mariposa Military Base]].]]
-Grey found that many of his test subjects were turning into giant brutes with the intelligence of a child, if they survived the mutational process at all. However, a rare few test subjects became the meta-humans known colloquially as super mutants. Immune to both disease and ionizing radiation and blessed with exceptional strength, intelligence, and endurance, super mutants were superior to pure-strain humans in every way. They also possessed the exceptionally long life common to those individuals infected with FEV, as well as (unknown to Grey at the time) total sterility. Grey - who now called himself the Master - had long lamented the needless destruction of human civilization caused by the final nuclear holocaust of the Great War. In his warped state, he decided that he would have to force humanity to evolve beyond its own destructive impulses. If everyone could be as perfect as his super mutants, there would no longer be any reason for human conflict and the misery it wrought. Those who could not evolve along the lines the Master desired would have to die. The Master began seeking out uncontaminated, pure-strain humans in New California, with whom he could create new Mutants and build his Super [[Mutant Army|Mutant army]].
+Increased size of neural transmitters and synaptic receivers in the body give super mutants acute reflexes and heightened senses.<ref name="Vree's autopsy report"/> However, these changes are usually not accompanied by a similar rise in intellect. The FEV strain in Mariposa has a chance of modifying intelligence: while most people retain their pre-dipping intellect,<ref name="CTBible" /> a majority of the remaining group experiences a loss (typically by 30%),<ref name="Vree's autopsy report"/> while the remaining minority of exceptional individuals may even experience an increase.<ref name="CTBible">[[Fallout Bible 5#Questions|Fallout Bible 5]]:<br />"'''5. In F1 the Lieutenant said that the FEV raises intelligence. There are, however, very many dumb mutants. What can you say about it? And what do you think of my theory, which i've been using in my Fallout PnP campaign?'''<br />''Sorry, Pawel, for two things: I wasn't able to personally respond to your email because I kept getting bounced, and two, I wasn't able to comment on your FEV theory (as a reminder, I can't read fan-created material, so just send questions, comments, or facts if you can).''<br />''As for the FEV enhancing intelligence, the original Pre-War FEV at West Tek did, and more consistently than the Fallout-era virus.''<br />''The current Fallout-era FEV does enhance intelligence - in some people. Just not many. The Lieutenant was one of the lucky ones who didn't become a knuckle-dragging, butt-scratching moron after being dipped (and it may not have raised his intelligence, he may have been that smart before his dipping, but no records of his past exist to verify this).''<br />''The FEV that was released out in the wasteland was mutated by radiation, so its effects changed. As for the FEV at Mariposa, the Lieutenant says the super mutants are smarter than humans ("We are highly intelligent and immune to disease"), which is only half-right, and he also says that the virus can also interfere with a person's memory, causing them to forget things. Obviously, the Lieutenant keeps forgetting that most of his super mutant forces can barely form complete sentences.''<br />''Basically, the FEV in the vats only has a small chance of raising a being's intelligence (or even keeping it intact). The Master was one of the lucky ones. More often than not, it causes brain damage. It's also possible that the crude dipping procedure in Mariposa also caused imperfect mutations as well, reducing the chance of heightened intelligence.''<br />''But to answer your question: the FEV at West Tek before the war caused increased intelligence in its subjects, but the FEV at Mariposa after the war rarely enhanced the intelligence of humans who were dipped. The reason for this is unknown.''<br />''Chris Taylor says:''
-However, creating new super mutants proved to be a hit-or-miss process. The great majority of super mutants produced by the Master, and later his [[lieutenant]], in the Mariposa base's FEV vats were big, dumb brutes. Physically, they were vastly superior to pure-strain humans, but they possessed the intelligence of children. The Master was certain this mutational randomness was related to the amount of radiation damage suffered by an individual: humans who had not been exposed to much of the post-nuclear environment's radiation produced more intelligent Mutants after their FEV infection (see [[Richard Grey's audio diary|his personal diary]] for his thoughts on this). His lieutenant, however, had a different theory. When the Chinese nuclear bombs hit the original West Tek Research Facility and turned it into the region known only as the Glow, the impact of the nuclear shockwave cracked open a few nutrient solution tanks filled with FEV. The nuclear bombs' radiation then mutated this FEV into an airborne strain of the original virus, but this new airborne strain of the FEV did not have any real mutagenic effects on human beings. All it did was inoculate any person infected with it against the original, mutational strain of the FEV, acting as a form of vaccine and giving exposed creatures some limited resistance to the FEV's mutational effects. As a result, the ideal subject for FEV mutation was someone who had not been exposed to the airborne form of the FEV following the Great War. Both of these conditions - lack of radiation exposure and airborne FEV inoculation - were present in only one known population: Vault-dwellers. Each Vault contained around 1,000 viable subjects who could be infected with the original strain of the FEV and turned into intelligent super mutants. Which factor exactly determines what would emerge from an FEV infection - accumulated radiation levels or inoculation by the airborne FEV strain - is still uncertain, though as a rule of thumb, the less exposed the subject is to radiation, chemicals, and biological agents, the better.
+:'''''Chris Taylor''': Actually, a dip in FEV has a chance of modifying Intelligence, but it doesn't always increase it. Some people do gain increased intelligence, a larger majority lose intelligence and most people remain the same. It also depends if people have enough radiation damage to be turned into ghouls or super mutants.''"
+</ref> The loss is the result of damage caused by recursive growth and increase in brain mass, which may be accompanied by disfigurement and damage to existing neural patterns, causing loss of memory.<ref name="ZAX.MSG"/>
+The most stunning effect is practical immortality. Although theorized to only bring an approximate 10% increase in life expectancy,<ref name="Vree's autopsy report"/> the FEV strain in Mariposa results in a cell regeneration rate that exceeds cell death rate and prevents DNA degeneration through aging. The [[wikipedia:Hayflick limit|Hayflick limit]] is believed to have been completely overcome. This allows a super mutant to live for centuries, though if care is not given to exercising one's intellect, elder mutants may suffer from onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.<ref>[[Broken Hills]] mutants ([[Mutant miner]], [[Old mutant]]), and those appearing elsewhere, are long lived, but some show signs of impaired cognitive function.</ref> Death is made even more unlikely by the fact that super mutants are immune to common diseases<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{141}{}{How are you more advanced?}"''<br />[[Lieutenant]]: ''"{149}{LIEUT14}{Intuitively obvious to the most casual observer. We are highly intelligent and immune to disease. The strong survive! It is our goal to improve the human race.}"''<br />([[LT.MSG]])</ref> and radiation.<ref>The [[Master]]: ''"{168}{Mast27}{Your humor will not save you now. Do you accept my offer, or not? Not! Accept!}"''<br />The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{169}{}{Not.}"''<br />The Master: ''"{171}{Mast28}{Radiation has no effect on us. The FEV virus makes us immune. Your argument is weak, and so are you.}"''<br />([[MASTER.MSG]])</ref><section end="MariposaBG" />
-In [[Timeline#2162|2162]], a person known as the [[Vault Dweller]] managed to destroy the FEV vats, the Mariposa Military Base, and killed the Master in his [[cathedral]] beneath the ruins of Los Angeles.
+{{clear}}
+===[[Evolutionary Experimentation Program|EEP]] strain (FEV derivative)===
-===The Enclave and the Modified FEV Strain===
+{{main|Vault 87 super mutant}}
-{{Main|FEV Curling-13}}
+The modified, inferior FEV strain used at [[Vault 87]] retains the recursive growth patterns characteristic to FEV, but has a different effect, which may be also linked to how infection was performed in the labs. Testing began in [[Timeline#2078|2078]],<ref name="FO3OGGGYE">[[Fallout 3 Official Game Guide]] Game of the Year Edition p.42: ''"'''Super Mutants'''"''<br />''"The Super Mutants that infest the urban ruin of Washington D.C. originated in Vault 87. Those unlucky enough to have reserved space in Vault 87 soon found themselves forcefully taken to a secure part of the vault, where they were locked in airtight chambers and exposed to a concentrated form of the F.E.V. The Overseer and his security force had no real idea what to expect; they were simply following the "plan." When the exposed vault dwellers started transforming into Super Mutants, nearly the entire vault population had been exposed. Those who hadn't yet metamorphosed knew what was coming, and, well...it didn't end well for humanity.''<br />''The dwellers of Vault 87 were turned into Super Mutants in 2078, and have been a presence in the Capital Wasteland ever since. Most of those original Super Mutants have long since been killed. But whether it's because of the nature of the F.E.V. they were exposed to, or a simple underlying human instinct, the Super Mutants of the Capital Wasteland are obsessed with the preservation of their own species. Super Mutants are asexual and incapable of procreation, so their only way of reproducing is to kidnap other humans, drag them back to the Vault 87 chambers, and infect them with F.E.V. And so they have done, for nearly 200 years.''<br />''Super Mutant society is loosely hierarchical, with the weaker (most recently transformed) Super Mutants generally giving way to the stronger. The Super Mutant hierarchy, as defined by the Capital Wasteland contingent of the Brotherhood of Steel, is as follows: Grunt, Brute, Master, and Behemoth. Generally speaking, the Super Mutants of the Capital Wasteland get bigger, stronger, and dumber as they age. The Behemoths are so strong and savage that they’re the only thing feared by the other Super Mutants."''<br />([[Fallout 3 Official Game Guide faction profiles]])</ref> where test subjects were exposed a single time to FEV in isolated chambers, where the virus was deployed with an airborne aerosol. Phenotypical changes occur within three days and include increased muscle mass, changes in skeletal structure and atrophy of sexual characteristics, both primary and secondary (including body hair). At ten days, skin pigmentation becomes a mixture of yellow and green, while its thickness and resistance to radiation and other environmental hazards rapidly increases.<ref name="V87Merrick">[[Vault 87 terminal entries#Chief Physician's Terminal|Chief Physician's Terminal]]</ref><ref name="FO3OGGGYE" />
-In [[Timeline#2236|2236]], the [[Enclave]], the surviving remnant of the United States federal government, excavated the ruins of the Mariposa Military Base, largely using slave labor gathered from the town of [[Redding]], and eventually discovered the remains of the Master's FEV vats deep inside the lower levels of the base. Though they had been buried in rock and forgotten for decades, the vats still contained that familiar, green, bubbling gunk, the nutrient solution that contained active particles of the Forced Evolutionary Virus. The Enclave gathered samples to be sent back to the oil rig that served as their headquarters off the Pacific coast of California for further analysis. Before long, though, the slave miners - some being fully exposed to raw FEV in the course of their labors, others likely falling into the FEV vats accidentally - began to mutate into a second generation of super mutants. The mutant slaves soon overthrew their Enclave guards. Seizing their weapons, hardware left behind by the first Mutant army or anything lying around the ruins that could serve as a weapon, the super mutants stormed the upper levels and quickly overran the Enclave troops in the base. Panicked and retreating, the Enclave troopers on the upper levels fled the base and used explosives to seal the entrance, trapping the second-generation Mutants inside the base.
+However, a key problem was that the mutation did not stop. Within fourteen days of initial exposure, test subjects regress to an almost feral state, exhibiting extreme aggression at every non-mutant. While some semblance of cognition is retained, exhibited by the ability to speak, operate machines and use basic tactics in combat, super mutants of this type are typically characterized by significant mental retardation.<ref name="V87Merrick"/> This result is most likely brought upon by the same factor as with FEV-II: Damage to existing neural patterns caused by rapid changes in the phenotype. The effects typically cause significant damage to long term memory, again, a shared characteristic.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Do you remember who you were?"''<br />[[Fawkes]]: ''"I don't remember enough to tell you everything about my former self. My metamorphosis destroyed a good deal of my long term memory. However, I can recall being in this place when it wasn't the macabre laboratory that it's become. I remember walking around this place and seeing other humans in white lab coats and blue jumpsuits. I wish I could find out more, but the personnel information for the Vault wasn't in the mainframe for some reason. I feel like my identity is so close to me... I can almost see myself as a human but can't recollect the details. It's maddening."''<br />([[Fawkes' dialogue]])</ref> The traumatic nature of the transformation is also a factor. The excruciating pain that accompanies it can and will cause the subjects to become insane.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"So, tell me more about yourself."''<br />[[Fawkes]]: ''"I was born here, in this place. I don't mean that in the literal sense of course. All I can remember is the excruciating pain that tore through me as my body underwent the rapid physical changes. For most, this moment is what severs the grip on their minds. They become barely a shell of their former selves. I was different. When I spoke to them, they immediately branded me "another failure" and had me placed here as a curiosity."''<br />([[Fawkes' dialogue]])</ref><ref name="FO3OGGGYE" />
-Still, even though things went poorly at Mariposa, the Enclave had the samples of FEV its scientists needed. Back at the oil rig, the Enclave's United States Chemical Corps began work on the serum immediately. They found that it would be possible to create from the FEV an incredibly potent and lethal toxin. Dr. [[Charles Curling]] was the Enclave scientist who lead this project under the direction of [[Dick Richardson]], the President of the United States. In order for the research to progress, however, the Enclave needed test subjects. They required two test groups: one of uncontaminated, pure-strain humans, and another composed of the "mutants" that lived all over the mainland of the West Coast, who had suffered from nuclear radiation and airborne FEV exposure for decades. To the Enclave, this exposure made all the peoples of the Wasteland genetically impure, regardless of how similar in appearance they were to pure-strain humans. The mutant sample was easily obtained when the Enclave's troops kidnapped the entire population of the town of [[Arroyo]], who were all the descendants of citizens of [[Vault 13]], to see if they had suffered mutation after they left the Vault.
+Another unforeseen side effect is that the unfinished virus strain codes the body for continued growth. If a super mutant of this type eludes death for prolonged periods of time, they may become a considerable threat, reaching the size of a small building.<ref name="FO3OGGGYE" />
-The pure-strain human group proved difficult to obtain. The Enclave would not allow the Chemical Corps to use the Enclave's own people living on the oil rig. So, they had to look elsewhere. Once again, the mainland provided the needed stock. Thanks to the United States government's pre-War [[Vault Experiment]] project, the Enclave's scientists were able to determine that the pure-strain population of Vault 13 was largely intact. Thus, the Enclave's troops traveled in force to Vault 13 and sent a command to the Vault's computers to open the Vault door. After taking care of some mild resistance from the surprised Vault-dwellers, the Enclave's troops rounded up the residents of Vault 13 and shipped them off to the oil rig in [[Vertibird (Fallout 2)|Vertibirds]] to take part in the Chemical Corps' FEV experiments.
+{{clear}}
+===Institute strains===
-Before long, the Chemical Corps developed their viral supertoxin. It was found to be 100% lethal to humans who had suffered even mild radiation or airborne FEV exposure. Just as the Enclave was preparing to launch the poison into the North American jet stream to kill the entire population of the mainland, the [[Chosen One]] arrived at the oil rig on the Poseidon Oil tanker that had sat in the ruins of San Francisco for years. He freed the survivors of the Vault 13 population, as well as his own Arroyo tribals and started a self-destruct sequence on the oil rig that destroyed the entirety of the Enclave's headquarters, saving the surviving human population of the various American wastelands from a horrible death at the hands of the modified FEV strain - at least for a time.
+{{main|Institute super mutant}}
+The super mutants of [[the Commonwealth]] are a different strain from either [[Vault 87 super mutant]]s or [[Mariposa super mutant]]s, derived from the [[Huntersville super mutant|Huntersville strain]] that the Appalachian West Tek experimented with. While they possess the imposing musculature and resilience of the former, they have a level of intelligence on par with the dumber examples of the latter. They are capable of following a chain of command, erecting fortifications,<ref>[[The Prydwen terminal entries#Entry 0769-CM22|''Prydwen'' terminal entries; Scribe Neriah's Terminal, Entry 0769-CM22]]</ref> and even setting up traps and ambushes - such as at [[Trinity Tower]], where [[Fist (super mutant)|Fist]] deliberately used [[Rex Goodman]] as bait to lure humans and weed out the weak super mutants among his host. They are also capable of speaking like normal humans, unlike their practically feral brethren from the [[Capital Wasteland]], and consider themselves the superior race of the Commonwealth.<ref>[[Fallout 4 loading screens|''Fallout 4'' loading screens]]: "''Super Mutants are stronger and more resilient than humans, and consider themselves the Commonwealth's superior race.''"</ref> All super mutants of the Commonwealth are products of the [[Institute]]'s experiments into FEV using the abducted Commonwealth wastelanders above ground. These experiments were the base work used to progress their synths from mechanical construction to a new frontier using human DNA as a base to construct synthetic humans.
+{{Main|Generation 3 synth}}[[File:X6-88.jpg|right|thumb|220px|A generation 3 synth [[Courser]].]]
-===The Capital Wasteland and FEV===
+The most advanced synthetics created by the Institute are fundamentally different from their predecessors. Despite sequential numbering, they are unrelated to their mechanical counterparts, in fact. They are derived from [[Shaun]]'s pre-War DNA extensively modified using the [[Institute]]'s own research into the Forced Evolutionary Virus, combining the advantageous adaptations encoded into FEV with the versatility of the human body shape. This allowed the Institute to create a variety a of synths of varying races and appearances despite the base DNA coming from only one source. They are the result of nearly five decades of research, from 2178 to 2227.<ref name="FatherHS">The [[Sole Survivor]]: ''"Human synths? Really?"''<br />[[Shaun]]: ''"{{Tooltip|Human-like synths. A great distinction.|correcting an error / Stern}} The Institute endeavored to create synthetic organics. The most logical starting point, of course, was human DNA. Plenty of that was available, of course, but it had all become corrupted. In this... wasteland... radiation affected everyone. Even in their attempts to shield themselves from the world above, members of the Institute had been exposed. Another source was necessary. But then the Institute found me, after discovering records from Vault 111. An infant, frozen in time, protected from the radiation-induced mutations that had crept into every other human cell in the Commonwealth. I was exactly what they needed. And so it was my DNA that became the basis of the synthetic organics used to create every human-like synth you see today. I am their Father. Through Science, we are family. The synths, me... and you."''<br />([[Shaun's dialogue]])</ref><ref name="virg1">[[The Institute terminal entries#2287.2.10|The Institute terminal entries; Terminal, 2287.2.10]]: ''"Entered By: Virgil.B''<br />''Notes:''<br />''Nothing new. Always the same. Have entered formal complaint with Directorate; these tests are not bringing in any valuable information. The organics project was spun off decades ago. Why do we insist on continuing this?"''</ref><ref>[[The Institute terminal entries#2277.7.10|The Institute terminal entries; Terminal, 2277.7.10]]: ''"Entered By: Syverson.C''<br />''Notes:''<br />''Latest round of testing complete. Results are all within expected parameters. Informed Dr. Zimmer directly, as he had ordered the tests personally. He seemed annoyed with the results; unsure what he was looking for. He declined to specify why he wanted the tests run to begin with."''</ref><ref>[[The Institute terminal entries#2286.4.10|The Institute terminal entries; Terminal, 2286.4.10]]: ''"Entered by: Virgil.B''<br />''Notes:''<br />''I have officially assumed the lead role on the project after Dr. Syverson's passing.''<br />''Latest round of subjects show results similar to previous test runs over last 5 years. No statistical deviation noted."''<br />''Synthetic organics continue to perform well; the necessity of further tests is unexplained."''</ref>
-In the [[Capital Wasteland]], centered on the ruins of [[Washington, D.C.]] on the East Coast of what was the United States, [[Vault 87 super mutant|yellow-skinned super mutants]] had also appeared along with a modified version of the chimaeric mutants known as [[centaur]]s. It was eventually learned that a modified version of the FEV was to blame for the emergence of this version of the super mutants and the centaurs on the East Coast. In the Capital Wasteland, [[Vault 87]] had been equipped with a large supply of the FEV. In 2077, following the fall of the Chinese nuclear bombs on Washington, D.C., the dwellers of Vault 87 had been forcibly infected with a modified version of the FEV as a part of the secret Vault Experiment project controlled by the U.S. government and the Vault-Tec corporation. The modified version of the FEV used in Vault 87 gave the skin of the Super Mutants it created a yellow-green tint and made these mutants stronger and larger as they aged while greatly lowering their intelligence. This version of the virus also seemed to create more "healthy" super mutants than their New California counterparts, who were much more mutilated by the virus-induced mutations as a result of the Master's modifications. However, in the Capital Wasteland highly intelligent Super Mutants developed much less frequently, with only two "civilized" super mutants encountered in ''Fallout 3'': [[Uncle Leo]] and [[Fawkes]]. Once in Vault 87, the Lone Wanderer can overhear two Super Mutants discussing collecting stronger men to make into stronger Super Mutants by putting them in "the green stuff". This is thought to be the ultimate intended fate of the super mutant [[captive]]s strewn across the Capital Wasteland, and the reason why they are not simply killed or eaten. Uncle Leo also mentions that Super Mutants periodically abduct humans to create more super mutants using their diminishing supply of FEV located in Vault 87.
+Third generation synthetics are unlike humans and some liberated synths do not consider themselves human at all. The reasons for this are multiple, chief among them is the assembly process.<ref>The [[Sole Survivor]]: ''"How do they make synths?"''<br />[[Glory]]: ''"Damned if I know. The machines are... massive. Complicated. Not like anything I've seen out here. {{Tooltip|No matter what Dez and others say, synths ain't human. We're assembled bone by bone. Muscle by muscle. I've seen it.|Somber}} {{Tooltip|I'm gonna hit the range. I need to shoot something. Now.|Angry}}"''<br />([[Glory's dialogue]])</ref> Other reasons include the fact that synths do not require sleep at all to function properly, are completely immune to disease, and don't require the intake of food or water to generate energy for their bodies certainly contribute.<ref>The [[Sole Survivor]]: ''"What makes them superior?"''<br />[[Max Loken]]: ''"The list of improvements is exhaustive. I can talk for an hour and still not cover all of it. Imagine what you could accomplish if you could live without fear of hunger or disease. Imagine what you could create if you could use every waking moment of your life as you saw fit, with no need of sleep? Like I said, a momentous time."''<br />([[Max Loken's dialogue]])</ref>
-It is revealed during the quest [[Those!]] that while attempting to reduce the size of the ant populace of Capital Wasteland, [[Weston Lesko|Doctor Lesko]] lazily used the FEV (possibly a mutated version) as a shortcut while trying to modify the genes, and as a result of this shortcut, the ants ended up with the ability to breathe fire instead, which caused the deaths of everyone in [[Grayditch]]. The virus was found stored beside one of his terminals in Marigold Station, which was thought to be a controlled environment.
+== Related projects ==
-The Enclave's President [[John Henry Eden]] attempted to convince the Lone Wanderer to use the same [[Modified FEV|modified form of FEV]] originally developed thirty years earlier by the Enclave on the West Coast to taint the activation of the [[Jefferson Memorial|Purifier]]. Like its predecessor this strain of the FEV had been created by the Enclave to kill all forms of life with any degree of radioactive or virally-induced mutation. If the Lone Wanderer carries out Eden's plan, then in the ''Broken Steel'' add-on the Wastes are devoid of those that had hoped to find new beginnings with the cleansing of the water of the Potomac River.
+=== Appalachian experiments ===
+Experiments with recombinant strains of FEV at the [[West Tek Research Center]] in [[Appalachia]] produced numerous failed mutations, with two exceptions:
+* FEVS-006443 from October 14, 2077, a Phase 2 combination strain that combined traits that resembled a number of different species. The results were considered disturbing by the scientists, but provided valuable insights as to the capability of recombinant FEV. Notable changes included a number of ocular organs along the enlarged upper torso, a second set of arms ending in clawed digits, and a large sickle-shaped claw on each inner toe. The living, stable, and functioning subject was sustaining itself normally (a major accomplishment for the program) and was planned for release in [[Huntersville]] after the subsequent experiment matured.<ref name=":2">[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''Report: Test Subject AM52''"</ref> The mutant was never returned to the area until January 3, 2078, when it escaped containment and the facility. The mutant procreated, leading to the emergence of [[snallygaster]] mutants across Appalachia.<ref>[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''SPECIAL REPORT: CONTAINMENT BREACH''"</ref>
+* FEVS-006458 from October 23, 2077. Tweaking the snallygaster strain, researchers tweaked the genome, producing a giant that shattered the containment unit, but was otherwise stable (excepting the absence of a discernible head). The mutant was sedated and transported off-site, with the Great War sidetracking the convoy and allowing the [[Grafton monster]] to escape into the wild.<ref name=":3">[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''Report: Test Subject AM53''"</ref>
-===The Commonwealth and FEV===
+===Albino mole rats===
+{{main|Mole rat (Fallout)#Albino mole rats|t1=Albino mole rat}}
-At some unknown point in time, [[the Institute]] located in the Commonwealth came into possession of a modified strain of FEV. Considering the Institute was once known as the Commonwealth Institute of Technology, a pre-War facility dedicated to scientific advancement, it is likely their possessing of the FEV dates back to before the bombs fell. Further evidence of this can be found in the personal diary entries of [[Swan]], a super mutant behemoth residing in a pond near [[Boston Common]]. According to his diary entries, he used to be a convicted criminal from before the war who was offered a second chance if he agreed to be a test subject.
+Before the destruction of [[West Tek Research Facility]], lab rats were exposed to FEV. In the turmoil of the facility's destruction, they escaped into the wasteland. Similar to the Enclave's later experiments with deathclaws, these two unique rats gained intelligence and ability to talk, along with a long lifespan.<ref>The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{310}{}{You’re sure you want to consign all the citizens of both cities to a slow death?}"''<br />[[Brain]]: ''"<br />Brain: ''"{360}{}{You humans have such limited tolerances. I would have remained a normal rat if you humans hadn’t done your best to destroy the world. If it weren’t for the radiation, I wouldn’t be what I am today.}"''<br />The Chosen One: ''"{361}{}{And what’s that, exactly?}"''<br />Brain: ''"{380}{}{I was just one of many normal rats in a advanced research lab. Then, one day, there were explosions. Our cages were broken open, and we were doused with some sort of fluid from a huge vat.}"''<br />The Chosen One: ''"{381}{}{Then what?}"''<br />Brain: ''"{390}{}{I crawled outside. As I began to heal, I noticed that I had changed. I tried to communicate with people, but they all just tried to kill me. Humans are just too violent to survive under their own leadership -- but that's another story. The first step is to repair the reactor.}"''<br />([[GCBRAIN.MSG]])''</ref>
+=== Psyker program ===
-Following the Great War, the Institute vacated underground where they continued to advance in scientific innovation, including the study of the FEV. Led by [[Brian Virgil]], the Institute would periodically kidnap unsuspecting people from the surface and conduct experiments on them within the FEV laboratory of the bioscience department. These particular super mutants displayed typical mutant traits such as abnormal body mass, prolonged life span, and radiation immunity. Like the Vault 87 super mutants, their bodies continued to grow unnaturally large with age. After exposure, the test subjects were locked in separate rooms where social experiments were conducted to test their cognitive functions and processing skills. Among these experiments included solving block puzzles, playing board games, and interacting with house cats, all of which failed due to the violent nature of the super mutants. All subjects who were deemed failures were cast out into the wasteland, which explains the presence of super mutants in the Commonwealth by [[Timeline#2287|2287]]. Dogs were also subject to experimentation and then cast out, being transformed into [[Mutant hound (Fallout 4)|mutant hounds]].
+{{Main|Psyker}}
+Apart from transforming humans into super mutants, the Master and his staff experimented with FEV by injecting it into the brains of the subjects (usually the pineal gland, but also the amygdala or medulla), triggering changes in brain chemistry.<ref name=":0" /> These experiments had limited success: four extremely powerful psykers were created, capable of theoretically wiping out the human race.<ref name=":4" /> However, the same changes that increased psychic ability also resulted in terminal insanity, forcing them to be sequestered and nullified to prevent them from harming themselves or others.<ref>[[Mad scientist (Fallout)|Mad scientist]]: "''The Master's truth is revealed, resulting in increased [[Psyker|psychic ability]]. [shakes his head] But the poor souls become terminally insane and must be [[Psychic nullifier (Fallout)|sequestered and nullified]] to keep them from harming themselves or others.''"</ref>
+===FEV Curling-13 strain===
-The Institute eventually ceased experimentation on the FEV due to the project's abandonment by Virgil, who became overcome with guilt from ruining so many innocent lives. After destroying his data and escaping the Institute, he infected himself with a strain of the FEV, turning himself into a super mutant so that he could survive the harshness of the [[Glowing Sea]] and hide from the Institute. Being a human of significantly pure DNA, Virgil did not succumb to the stupidity most mutants suffer and instead managed to retain his intellect, memories, and civility, which may explain a relation between this strain of FEV and the strain used by the Master.
+{{main|FEV Curling-13}}
+Based on the original FEV-II recovered by the Enclave at Mariposa Military Base's ruins, FEV Curling-13 was a viral agent tailored to reach maximum levels of lethality with minimal exposure levels required to achieve the result. It was being developed under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Dr. [[Charles Curling]] of the Chemical Corps since [[Timeline#2236|2236]], to provide the means for the [[Enclave]]'s genocide. Just a .0001% aerosol solution exposure was enough to kill [[Arroyo villager]]s in under one hour, as massive hemorrhaging and inflammations start, leading to a complete failure of the victim's organs within sixty minutes. Significant radiation-induced mutation may thus be beneficial – humans with a lower radiation count suffer a much worse fate. Unmutated [[Vault 13]] dwellers exposed to the virus expected subdermal hemorrhaging and convulsions within sixty minutes of exposure, but their agony lasted much longer – 14.5 hours on average. No test subject survived the tests on [[Enclave Oil Rig|Control Station Enclave]].<ref name="TheProject">[[The Project]]</ref>
+Interestingly, in the event of worldwide release, only [[human]]s and [[Super mutant|human-based mutants]] would be eradicated, however – FEV was engineered to bond only with human glycoproteins, leaving other animals and plant life alive and quite kicking.<ref>The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{209}{}{I still don't understand how that's *perfect.*}"''<br />[[Charles Curling]]: ''"{211}{}{The F.E.V. toxin will only attack to humans, leaving everything else alive, better still, within a month all the mutants will be dead and the F.E.V. toxin will die out as soon as it runs out of hosts. }"''<br />([[QCCURLNG.MSG]])</ref> FEV Curling-13 is also unique in that it is the only known FEV strain for which an inoculation was developed that granted total immunity from its effects.<ref>The [[Chosen One]]: ''"{237}{}{What about my people? Or me? Or you, for that matter?}"''<br />[[Charles Curling]]: ''"{238}{}{I can release the antidote into the air-system for all the cells. The detention level is served by a separate air system from the rest of the Enclave. Everyone will think that I'm just running another test. You, I can inoculate directly, here and now. (he reaches for you with a syringe)}"''<br />([[QCCURLNG.MSG]])</ref>
-Despite the production of the Institute's super mutants ending, the presence of super mutants in the Commonwealth is still a daily threat. But because they possess no access to the FEV, no knowledge of their creation, and no proper form of leadership, they are little more than just stronger versions of raiders. Their only goal in life is to kill and conquer as much as they possibly can.
-=== Appalachia and FEV ===
+===Modified FEV Curling-13===
+{{main|Modified FEV}}
-In Appalachia, FEV was used to experiment on citizens of [[Huntersville]], West Virginia by West-Tek. Before the Great War, West-Tek spiked the town's water supply with the virus, which was a slower acting strain than other variants of FEV. At some point after the Great War took place, the town's surviving residents mutated into super mutants.
+A modified strain of the Forced Evolutionary Virus developed by [[John Henry Eden]], based on the earlier FEV Curling-13 strain used by the [[Enclave]] in [[Timeline#2241|2241]], only now it was designed to be placed into the [[Project Purity]] water purification system.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Where did this plan of yours come from?"''<br />[[John Henry Eden]]: ''"A great many years ago, the remnants of the government had a similar idea. I can only assume the plan failed, as I never heard word of its success. But the plan itself was sound. I've made a few modifications, and with your help, I do believe it can work. There's a bright future ahead of us, my young friend."''<br />([[John Henry Eden's dialogue]])</ref> According to President Eden it will eradicate [[Vault 87 super mutant|super mutant]]s, [[ghoul]]s, and all other "unclean" citizens, namely anyone who had been born in the Wastelands and exposed to radiation or other mutational effects from birth.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Say whatever it is you have to say."''<br />[[John Henry Eden]]: ''"Our land is ravaged by mutation. The war was so many years ago, and yet we still suffer from its effects. We cannot move forward until humanity can gain a solid foothold in the world. To do so, we must rid ourselves of the mutations that have plagued us for so long. These "Super Mutants", Ghouls, hideous creatures... I believe your father's work can do that in a way unlike any other."''<br />([[John Henry Eden's dialogue]])</ref> The only people who would survive the infection are [[Enclave|dangerous radiation level free]] humans and humans who were born in the Vaults.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Won't this kill pretty much everyone in the Wasteland?"''<br />[[John Henry Eden]]: ''"Anyone or anything that has been affected by mutation will be eliminated. You will likely be immune, thanks to your upbringing in the vault. Likewise, the good people of the Enclave will be unaffected as well. I understand that you may have become sympathetic to certain individuals in your travels. Individuals this will eliminate. Please recognize that the fate of our entire country rests on this plan. Sacrifices must be made for the greater good."''<br />([[John Henry Eden's dialogue]])</ref>
+In the [[Fallout 3 add-ons|add-on]] ''[[Broken Steel]]'', if the player had chosen to contaminate the purifier with the modified FEV, what President Eden said is confirmed for as accurate and the FEV completely lethal. The medical facility of every city in the Capital Wasteland (except [[Tenpenny Tower]] and [[Paradise Falls]]) is filled with new patients dying from FEV infection. These new patients hold their stomachs and repeat dialogue along the lines of, "it burns on the inside." According to both Doctor [[Preston]] and Doctor [[Barrows]], the FEV specifically targets the immune system of infected individuals, which in turn makes them vulnerable to other diseases. This occurs in both [[human]]s and [[ghoul]]s, despite the latter's immunity to most diseases.<ref name="PrestonsPlight">The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Doc, it's crowded in your clinic. Something going around I should worry about?"''<br />Doctor [[Preston]]: ''"Oh no... I'm fairly certain it's not contagious. Though, we are burning the bodies of the deceased, just in case... I just wish I knew how to treat these people. It's like their immune system is killing them. I don't know what to do about it!"''<br />([[Preston's dialogue]])</ref><ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Doc, it's crowded in your clinic. Something going around I should worry about?"''<br />Doctor [[Barrows]] ''"I don't know yet. Some kind of virus that attacks the body on a cellular level. I've never seen anything like it. It's strange because ghouls are immune to almost any known disease."''<br />([[Barrows' dialogue]] in ''[[Broken Steel]]'')</ref> Along with affecting the immune system, the FEV severely weaken individuals both physically and mentally until it simply kills them.<ref>If the [[Lone Wanderer]] drinks four bottles of [[Aqua Pura]] infected with the modified FEV, they suffer increasingly negative effects (that are temporary) such as loss of strength and intelligence until the last bottle that kills them.</ref> The modified FEV is also completely undetectable by any kind of test meaning there's no possible way to screen water that has been infected as it only comes back as clean, purified water.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Doc, it's crowded in your clinic. Something going around I should worry about?"''<br />Doctor [[Church (Fallout 3)|Church]]: ''"There's something going around, all right, but it isn't anything I've ever seen before. Definitely not contagious. Maybe something in the water, but that seems unlikely since I've tested it and this is the cleanest water we've ever had. I have no idea how to help these people and it's really taken the shine off my normally sunny disposition."''<br />([[Church's dialogue]])</ref>
-==FEV variations==
-At least five different variations of the post-Great War FEV are known to exist, plus one rumored. The FEV is a major cause of mutations in all of the ''Fallout'' games, and usually is an instrument used by a villain to achieve their goals.
+The FEV is contained to only those that have ingested infected water as the transmission of FEV is impossible from physical contact or bodily fluids. In [[Rivet City]], Dr. [[Preston]] comments that they are burning the corpses just to be safe.<ref name="PrestonsPlight"/> The spread of FEV is contained to only bottles of [[Aqua Pura]] and the [[Tidal Basin]] for now. However, eventually, the spread of the FEV infected water will spread from the Tidal Basin and affect all water in the Capital Wasteland.
-===Mariposa FEV strain===
-The original strain of the virus that was developed at the [[Mariposa Military Base]] and later gave birth to the [[Master]], [[Unity]], and the army of the West Coast super mutants. All these super mutants were created using this strain, including [[Frank Horrigan]], who was further augmented and experimented on by the Enclave's scientists. Other notable creatures created with this virus are centaurs, [[Floater (Fallout)|floaters]], and two ghoul-like mutants: [[Harold]] and [[Talius]]. The Master desired to use this virus to remake humanity into his own twisted vision of perfection. The Army had planned on releasing something similar to the super mutants in China before the [[Great War]] as seen in one Citadel terminal in ''[[Fallout 3]]''. A number of remnant mutants from the original FEV experiments conducted by the Master have emigrated east and settled in places like the Mojave Wasteland.
-===Vault 87 FEV strain===
+===Intelligent deathclaws===
+{{main|Intelligent deathclaw}}
-This modified strain of FEV was located in [[Vault 87]] in the Capital Wasteland and was also responsible for the creation of a super mutant army, this time without any clear leader. This strain completely wiped out any signs of pre-mutation gender and, compared to its western counterpart, produces quite different creatures who grow bigger as they age. This FEV strain is used by the super mutants to produce more of them in Vault 87. The design of Vault 87 indicates that this version of the FEV was administered in a gaseous state. This FEV strain, like the Mariposa version, gave birth to a group of misshapen mutants known as centaurs.
+In [[Timeline#2235|2235]], the [[Enclave]] began experiments on captive deathclaws to create expendable shock troops for their use, continuing the pre-War project.<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2235 ''The Enclave experiments on deathclaws, attempting to create special fighting units for waging war in hostile environments."''</ref> The recovery of FEV from Mariposa allowed them to create a tailored mutagen that increased the intelligence of deathclaws after localized injections, making them capable of understanding and following complex commands, as well as communication. The resulting modification overshot the project goals, giving them human-level intelligence, erudition, and most importantly, morality. Realizing that they would be exterminated if that was discovered, [[Gruthar]] instructed his pack to play dumb until they were deployed to [[Vault 13]]. Although the Enclave intended to use them as deterrence, the deathclaws formed a commune instead, deserting their mission.<ref name=":1" /> Not all deathclaws were equally blessed with intelligence and some experienced further changes, including a gray skin and a bobtail.<ref>Intelligent deathclaws in ''Fallout 2''.</ref>
+All intelligent deathclaws were exterminated by a task force headed by [[Frank Horrigan]], mopping the project up.<ref>Canon [[Fallout 2 endings]]</ref>
-===FEV Curling-13 strain===
-{{Main|FEV Curling-13}}
+===Fire ants===
-The [[Enclave]], while led by President [[Dick Richardson]], developed their own version of the FEV. It was an airborne modification that was intended to be spread by Vertibirds into the North American jet stream so that it could infect the entire American mainland. Created by the Enclave scientists led by Dr. [[Charles Curling]], this strain of the virus was designed to kill all the "mutant" inhabitants of the post-nuclear United States.
+{{main|Fire ant}}
+[[File:Fire ant.png|thumb|150px]]
+FEV was synthesized and used by [[Weston Lesko]] in the [[Capital Wasteland]] around 2277, in an attempt to return giant ants to their normal size through genetic manipulation. His ambition was to reduce their size exponentially over the course of several generations. An error in the synthesis process created a virus that left the ants' size unaltered, but altered their venom sacks to produce a flammable liquid that they can aerosolize, project, and ignite with a spark generated by clicking mandibles. The resulting pyrosis, as he calls it, turns them effectively into walking flamethrowers.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"So, what's gone wrong?"''<br />[[Weston Lesko]]: ''"Well. I'm afraid I've made slight miscalculations in the mutagen. Instead of lowering their size, the brood hatched with a new biomechanism. I call their genetic abberation pyrosis; the ability to emit flame from their bodies. I may be able to correct this error, but I can't get near my equipment."''<br />([[Weston Lesko's dialogue]])</ref><ref>[[Marigold station terminal entries#Doctor Lesko's Terminal|Doctor Lesko's Terminal]]</ref><ref>[[Grayditch terminal entries#Doctor Lesko's Terminal|Doctor Lesko's Terminal]]</ref>
+{{clear}}
+==History of the FEV==
+{{Quotation|A long story. FEV... a virus with an even longer story...|[[Elijah|Father Elijah]]|''[[Dead Money]]''}}
+{{main|Pan-Immunity Virion}}
+The Forced Evolution Virus originated from the Pan-Immunity Virion Project, a project originally dedicated to discovering a cure for the [[New Plague]], was established in September [[Timeline#2073|2073]] in response to aggressive use of biochemical weapons by [[China]]. In order to combat the newest biological weapons, the decision was made to create a viral defense that would alter uninfected DNA to render it immune to standard viral infection.<ref name="FEVRes">[[FEV research]]</ref> The last attempt to continue the PVP line of experimentation was the Greenhouse Initiative in August 2075 at the newly established Appalachian branch, which attempted to use mutations to create edible plants and vegetation that could greatly increase food production and combat the shortages that led to the food riots rocking the country.<ref>[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''Greenhouse Initiative''"</ref> The town of [[Huntersville]] was selected as the test site, resulting in an economic boom.<ref>[[Huntersville terminal entries]]: "''Personal Journal 08.20.75''"</ref> Although the company would purchase test rights from local farmers as late as December 2075, the project was at an end.<ref>[[Huntersville terminal entries]]: "''Personal Journal 12.20.75''"</ref>
+===Batch 10-011 and the beginning of FEV===
+The history of the FEV starts with Pan-Immunity Virion batch 10-011, renamed as the Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV) and used in further research. The key difference was that instead of Pan-Immunity Virion's quad-helix DNA structure, the batch became a shifting-absorptive virus. This was a deliberate choice by [[Barnett|Major Barnett]], who considered the unwanted side effects of the quad-helix structure to outweigh the benefits of replicative stability afforded by the design.<ref name="FEVExp">[[FEV experiment disk]]</ref>
+The first experiments took place in [[Timeline#2075|March 21, 2075]] on single celled organisms. While their base metabolism appeared unchanged, their immunity to infection and radiation exceeded all earlier expectations. Research on FEV effects on plants proved unsuccessful. The next stage included flatworms. Infected on May 9, 2075, they exhibited a 28% increase in size and resistance to 9 separate viral contagions within hours. The new DNA structure was successfully passed to progeny, though only asexual reproduction was possible.<ref name="FEVExp"/>
+June 30, 2075 saw the next stage of experimentation: several lab strains of white mice have been infected successfully with FEV. Within hours they exhibited increased growth, stabilizing at a 31% size increase after nine days. The most increase in size occurred in striated muscle tissue and certain internal organs, including the liver, heart and kidneys. An increase in intelligence was also noted, allowing mice to run mazes in less than half the time required by normal mice.<ref name="FEVExp"/>
+The final experimentation with FEV batch 10-011 occurred with rabbits. On November 9, 2075, 218 rabbits were infected, half of which were implanted with electrodes to monitor changes in EEG activity. Increased electrical activity was noted 3.2 seconds after infection, accompanied by the typical increase in size. A new effect was noted, namely an increase in aggression and posturing, particularly among males. Dissection of the brains showed increased dendritic connection, particularly in the limbic system and frontal cortex (areas responsible for behavior, senses and higher mental functions).<ref name="FEVExp"/>
+===Batch 11-011 and nationalization===
+On [[Timeline#2076|January 6, 2076]], West Tek was effectively nationalized after military units deployed to corporate facilities across the United States in the interest of national security.<ref name="GPWRTERM.MSG">{{Color|#808080|[[GPWRTERM.MSG]]}}</ref> Experiments continued with Batch 11-011. The new virus batch featured improved mitotic cycle efficiency by a factor of 43%. As part of the test, 53 raccoons were infected with the new strain on January 26, 2076. Along with the expected size increase, behavioral tests confirmed an increase in intelligence and manual dexterity by 19 points on the Schuler-Kapp index. Unfortunately, subjects escaped confinement and had to be hunted down. Two pairs were unaccounted for.<ref name="FEVExp"/><ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2076	January	26	 ''Using batch 11-011, experiments are conducted on raccoons. Same results are noted, but the attempted escape of several infected raccoons causes Major Barnett to terminate the escape... and the test subjects. Two pairs of raccoons, however, are unaccounted for."''<br />''"'''Note''': Scott Campbell and Chris Taylor intended these escaped raccoons to form an intelligent animal community NW of the Glow called the "Burrows." This location was never implemented."''</ref>
+In February, the West Tek facility in Appalachia joined the FEV research effort,  ordered to begin human experimentation in order to push FEV to its practical limits, in what was dubbed the Super Mutant program. Due to the virulent nature of the virus and its unpredictability, the facility's objective was to identify and isolate viable FEV strains through a variety of methods. The most important of these was the introduction of one of the FEV strains to the water supply of [[Huntersville]], to observe the effects of long-term low-level exposure. The experiment began in February 2076, providing valuable research data for the project.<ref>[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''FTS-3A Water Analysis''"</ref>
+Further development occurred after several new gene sequences, supplied by Major [[Barnett]]'s advisory team, were spliced into FEV batch 11-011. Designated batch 11-101a, this batch was used to infect 23 dogs of pure and mixed breed on May 13, 2076. The results included nearly immediate growth, accompanied by increased aggression and no notable increase in intelligence. All subjects were terminated after 14 weeks of study. 92 allele pairs were chosen for splicing with batch 11-011.<ref name="FEVExp"/>
+===Batch 11-111 and further human research===
+The new hybrid batch was designated 11-111. On October 4, 2076, it was used to infect 15 chimpanzees. Growth and immunity levels were unprecedented: attempts to induce cancers through radiological and chemical agents were not successful. Increased aggression led to isolating the subjects by the science team, while violent epileptic seizures caused two subjects to expire. The rest was terminated after all data was mined successfully.<ref name="FEVExp"/> Despite protests from the science team, on [[Timeline#2077|January 7, 2077]], FEV research in California was transferred to the [[Mariposa Military Base]],<ref name="FEVExp" /> to continue under the lead of [[Leon Von Felden]] and [[Robert Anderson]]. Batch 11-111 has been chosen as basis for further development through human experimentation. The batch offered a near 100% success rate on lab animals, granting an approximately 60% increase in size and potential 200% intelligence increase. It was the perfect basis for mass producing super soldiers.<ref name="FEVRes" />
+The Appalachian branch continued its experimentation by pushing FEV to its practical limits and experimenting with recombinant strains. The experimental strains resulted in the creation of many unsustainable forms: FEVS-005938 tested on January 13, 2077, rendered the subject unable to breathe,<ref>[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''Report: Test Subject AM48''"</ref> FEVS-006186 from April 30 converted the subject into a mass of retinal tissue,<ref>[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''Report: Test Subject AM49''"</ref> FEVS-006309 from July 12 produced canines that pierced the brain stem through unrestrained growth,<ref>[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''Report: Test Subject AM50''"</ref> and FEVS-006378 from July 12 was biologically stable, but the hyperactive nervous system subjected it to constant traumatic pain and led to self termination.<ref>[[West Tek research center terminal entries]]: "''Report: Test Subject AM51''"</ref> The team had more luck with strains FEVS-006443 (October 14) and FEVS-006458 (October 23) that created stable mutations that would become the [[snallygaster]] and the [[Grafton monster]] respectively after their escape into the wild.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
+Another research effort was set up by [[Vault-Tec Industries]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] [[Vault 87]] was established as an independent research center for Dr. [[Wayne Merrick]], cooperating with the team at Mariposa. Despite his efforts, he was unable to improve batch 11-111 enough to reach satisfactory effects. Humans subject to [[Evolutionary Experimentation Program|his strains]] produced in the Vault 87 labs exhibited superior physical developments, such as increased size, strength and endurance to environmental factors, but were also characterized by significant mental retardation and extreme aggression to non-mutants.<ref name="V87Merrick" />
+Compared to Merrick's efforts and Appalachian experiments, the science team at Mariposa reached a full success. They succeeded in creating the FEV-II strain, able to create powerful super soldiers, exhibiting superior physical prowess, resistance to combat damage, aging and disease, as well as negligible loss of intelligence.<ref name="Vree's autopsy report" /> In certain cases, intelligence could even be increased by the virus. However, before the testing could begin in full, soldiers under the command of [[Roger Maxson]] rebelled and executed the science staff. With the [[Great War]] destroying the United States, Mariposa and research within was sealed by the soldiers and abandoned.<ref>[[History of the Brotherhood of Steel]]</ref>
+===The Master===
+{{main|Mariposa super mutant}}
+The vats were rediscovered in [[Timeline#2102|2102]] by an expedition led by [[Harold]], a major [[Hub]] merchant. Accompanied by [[Master|Richard Grey]], a brilliant exile from [[Vault City]], he managed to crack the [[Mariposa Military Base|Mariposa base]] security and infiltrate the lower levels. However, within the vats, the automated crane crashed into the two, knocking Harold out and flinging Grey into the vat with FEV. Harold woke up in the wastes outside the base, mutating due to exposure to FEV fumes, but becoming a special type of a ghoul-like mutant, rather than a super mutant. Grey, on the other hand, underwent extreme mutation due to prolonged exposure to the virus in the vat. His intellect grew exponentially, allowing him to comprehend even the most complex issues easily (or so he thought).<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2102	May 22 ''Increasing mutant attacks on Harold's caravans cause Harold to get so pissed he finances one of the first adventuring parties of Fallout to try and find out where these dagnab mutants are coming from. Consulting with a scientist and doctor at the Hub, a man by the name of Grey, the two of them decide to join forces.''<br />2102 June 23 ''Richard Grey's Expedition [including Harold] finds the Mariposa Military Base and the Expedition is scattered and defeated by mutants at the base. Grey is knocked into one of the vats of FEV by a robotic arm, and Harold is knocked unconscious, only to awaken later out in the wasteland.''<br />2102 June 27 ''Harold, already mutating, is found by traders and taken back to the Hub. His former caravan partners and employees, horrified by his condition, abandon him and he is soon left without even two bottlecaps to rub together.''<br />2102 July ''Richard Grey, now horribly mutated by the virus, crawls from the Vats covered with FEV and in terrible pain. Barely able to think or perceive his surroundings, he crawls into the Vat control room and begins his audio log. He fades in and out of consciousness, sometimes for days or weeks at a time.''<br />2102 July-Nov ''Richard Grey begins to acclimate to his condition, and begins his first tests of animals by exposing them to FEV. These experiments and his growing awareness lay the foundation for his plans for the Unity and the master race. He takes the name, "the Master.""''</ref><ref name="Richard Grey audio">[[Richard Grey's audio diary]]</ref> Grey methodically researched FEV, experimenting with animals and eventually, captured scavengers that strayed into the facility. It wasn't until a few failed mutations that he discovered radiation count to be a deciding factor in the success of the change, leading him to pick subjects more carefully.<ref name="Richard Grey audio" /><ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: ''"2102 Nov The first human victim wanders into Mariposa, and Grey consumes him.''<br />2102 Dec ''Grey continues his experiments on wanderers that enter Mariposa... with no success. The creations are flawed (due to the radiation counts in their bodies), making them big but incredibly stupid, and Grey consumes them rather than letting them live."''</ref> When his [[Lieutenant]] was created, he suggested a secondary reason for possible incompatibility. Reviewing available evidence, he concluded that failed mutations in relatively non-radiated humans are caused by the inoculating effect mutated FEV had on humans with which it came into contact.<ref name="leve4disk"/> Such exposure was not enough to cause phenotypical changes, but enough to cause conflicts when the pure FEV in Mariposa attempted to change the DNA, resulting in the death of the subject.<ref>The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{1001}{}{FEV}"''<br />[[Lieutenant]]: ''"{1104}{LIEUT60}{The Vats are where the FEV is stored, and where you normals become one of us. Of course, some die horrible, excruciatingly painful deaths, but well, those are the breaks.}"''<br />([[LT.MSG]])</ref>
+By carefully selecting his test subjects, he managed to create the first real super mutants in January 2103.<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2103	January	''The Master discovers the problem with the influence of radiation on his mutations, and he begins to choose his subjects more carefully. The first classic super mutants are born, butt-scratching animations and all. He begins his plans to build an army."''</ref> Through a combination of willing converts and abductions, the Master slowly builds up the foundations for his army between 2103 and 2130.<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2103-2130 ''Throughout this period, the Master begins slowly gathering test subjects, willing or unwilling, from local human stock. The Great Winter of 2130 and the scarcity of human subjects make building his army difficult."''</ref> The impact of the [[Great Winter]] of [[Timeline#2130|2130]] results in him stepping up his operations and spreading them out into the wasteland, attacking caravans to gather human stock for transformations. The string of attacks between 2131 and 2135 boosts the size of his army. The attacks are blamed on desert monsters in the Hub.<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2131-2135 ''The Master begins ordering his super mutants to gather human stock from caravans. For many years, the caravan disappearances are blamed on monsters in the desert, and even when the abductions begin to occur on Hub caravans, the deathclaws are blamed. The super mutant army grows."''</ref> Due to reliance on wastelanders, only 20% of the dipped population survives the dipping and of that number, only half seem to last and become a part of the Unity. Regardless, it continues to grow.<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2137	''Master begins to mass-produce super mutants. Only about one in six or one in five attempts are successful, and of these successes, only half seem to last to go on to be part of his growing army, called the Unity."''</ref>
+By 2152, the Unity's influence has spread through the wastes and the [[Master]] recruited a group of doomsday cultists under [[Morpheus]] to act as spies, rather than stock for transformation.<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2152 ''As their influence slowly spreads throughout the wastes, the Master finds humans, doomsday cultists, and rather than dip them in the vats, he demands their obedience as spies - their leader is a man named Morpheus, and he pledges his followers to the Master. Morpheus and his cultists form the future core of the Children of the Cathedral."''</ref> Four years later, the cultists would form the [[Children of the Cathedral]] to act as a front for the Unity, proselytizing, recruiting, and preparing munition dumps for the coming super mutant offensive.<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2156 ''The Master sees advantages in establishing a benevolent "religion," the Children of the Cathedral, and using them as spies in settlements throughout the wastes. Missionaries from the Children of the Cathedral spread slowly across the wasteland, acting as eyes and ears for Morpheus and the Master."''</ref> Between 2155 and 2156, the Master makes another important discovery: His forces intercept a caravan of Vault dwellers, leading him to discover [[Vault-Tec Industries]]' [[Los Angeles Vault|demonstration Vault]]. He moved his command center to the Vault, using the cultists to set up the Cathedral, and launched a campaign to discover Vaults to gain prime subjects for his super mutant army.<ref>[[Fallout Bible 0#Timeline repair: Second strike|Fallout Bible 0]]: "2155-2156 ''After capturing a caravan of strange-garbed travelers (vault dwellers), Master learns the location of the Boneyard Vault, the future site of the Cathedral. He conquers the inhabitants and sets up operations there, and the human cultists begin to use the Vault as their powerbase. Within the Vault, the Master learns of other Vaults, and realizing their human occupants are ripe for transformation, begins to send out patrols to Vault locations in search of these other Vaults."''</ref> At least one installation, [[Vault 17]], was discovered and its inhabitants transformed into super mutants. The success rate is far higher than when using regular wastelanders. Even the elderly [[Lily Bowen]] was successfully transformed into a super mutant at the age of 75 - and a [[nightkin]] no less!<ref>The [[Courier]]: ''"Where did you come from?"''<br />Lily Bowen: ''"I grew up in Vault 17. I never even saw the sun until I was 75 years old - that was when Super mutants raided the Vault and carried a lot of us off. {{Tooltip|Yes, Leo, I'm getting to that part!|{Aside} }} {{Tooltip|They made me one of them, and they put me to work in an army that was going to conquer California.|{Back to player} }}"''<br />([[Lily Bowen's dialogue]])</ref>
+The Master and his staff also experimented with FEV by injecting it into the brains of the subjects (usually the pineal gland, but also the amygdala or medulla), triggering changes in brain chemistry.<ref name=":0">[[Mad scientist (Fallout)|Mad scientist]]: ''"{101}{}{Good evening, brother. What brings you to our little corner of heaven?}"''<br />The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{103}{}{I'm here to check on your progress.}"''<br />Mad scientist: ''"{112}{}{It's not going well. I've been injecting the FEV directly into the pineal gland, but I'm not getting the results I'd hoped for.}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{113}{}{Why don't you try injecting it directly into the Amygdala?}"''<br />The Vault Dweller: ''"{114}{}{Why don't you try injecting it into the Medula?}"''<br />([[MADSCI.MSG]])</ref> These experiments had limited success: four extremely powerful psykers were created, capable of theoretically wiping out the human race.<ref name=":4">[[Fallout Bible 3#Psykers|Fallout Bible 3]]</ref>
+By 2161, the Unity was on the verge of achieving total military superiority over the human inhabitants of [[New California]]. All that was needed was [[Vault 13]] and its inhabitants.<ref name="MASTERMast11">The [[Vault Dweller]]: ''"{132}{}{You can't possibly take on the entire world.}"''<br />[[Master]]: ''"{134}{Mast10}{I'm not after the world, yet. When I turn your fellow vault-dwellers into mutants, my forces will be too strong for any to stand against! But don't worry, you won't care. Care! Care!}"''<br />([[MASTER.MSG]])</ref><!-- This ref name is repeated so as to not result in a cite error when transcluded. Please do not remove. --> Ironically, all FEV development and  experimentation by the Master was abruptly halted by the [[Vault Dweller]], of the very Vault the Master needed to dominate the New West.<ref>''[[Fallout]]'' events.</ref>
-===Eden's FEV strain===
+===The Institute===
+{{main|Institute super mutant}}
-{{Main|Modified FEV}}
+Commonwealth super mutants are the result of [[The Institute]]'s research into [[FEV]],<ref>[[FEV Lab|Institute FEV lab]]</ref> which has continued since the early 2220s in a dedicated facility. The original goal was the creation of a successor to second generation [[synth]]s by creating a new breed of super mutant that would serve The Institute as laborer and soldier. Due to a lack of success with mutants, efforts were refocused with the goal of creating third generation synths. The organic synth project was spun off from the FEV research initiative around 2227 (the acquisition of [[Shaun]]), while the FEV research effort continued for several more decades.<ref name="virg1">[[The Institute terminal entries#FEV Terminal|The Institute terminal entries]]: "''2287.2.10''
-When the Enclave relocated to the Capital Wasteland after the destruction of its oil rig headquarters off the coast of California in 2242, the survivors of the [[Enclave Oil Rig|Oil Rig]]'s destruction probably brought a sample of Richardson's modified Curling-13 strain of the FEV with them. President Richardson's successor as the leader of the Enclave, President [[John Henry Eden]], a sentient artificial intelligence, personally remastered the virus, and altered it so that it was water-soluble instead of airborne. The President planned to use it to continue Richardson's plan to wipe the United States clean of all mutants, this time using [[Project Purity]], an independent effort intended to cleanse the Potomac River of its radioactive contamination and provide clean water to the people of the Capital Wasteland. If the Lone Wanderer chose to infect Project Purity with this strain of FEV, [[Three Dog]] will report on how the people of the wastes are mysteriously becoming ill, but it only started when the purifier started 'chugging', he will say that 'the water is free, but not necessarily clean'.
+<br />''Entered By: Virgil.B''
+<br />''Notes:''
+<br />''Nothing new. Always the same. Have entered formal complaint with Directorate; these tests are not bringing in any valuable information. The organics project was spun off decades ago. Why do we insist on continuing this?''"</ref><ref>[[The Institute terminal entries#FEV Terminal|The Institute terminal entries]]: "''2277.7.10''
+<br />''Entered By: Syverson.C''
+<br />''Notes:''
+<br />''Latest round of testing complete. Results are all within expected parameters. Informed Dr. Zimmer directly, as he had ordered the tests personally. He seemed annoyed with the results; unsure what he was looking for. He declined to specify why he wanted the tests run to begin with.''"</ref> Both women and men were abducted from the Commonwealth and submerged in The Institute's modified FEV, their mutations carefully tracked. Successful mutations would be monitored to ensured survivability, then tagged and discarded.<ref>[[The_Institute_terminal entries#FEV_Terminal|The Institute terminal entries]]: "''Baseline: Male, early 30s. Moderate overall health.''
+<br />''Post-submersion results: Physical condition consistent with standard results. Mental acuity charting slightly higher than average.''
-===The Institute's FEV strain===
-The scientists of [[the Institute]] experimented with a strain of FEV for at least 108 years,<ref>BioScience division report, 2178: "Uhh... This is Doctor Elliott, with the official report for the Directorate from BioScience. The date is, umm, August 2178. I'm pleased to report that, as has been the case during my tenure, crop yields exceed expectations. In point of fact, everything down here is fine... with... one notable exception. Doctor Frederick has informed me that the Directorate has pre-approved research on samples of the FEV virus, which he already has in his possession. Now, I'm not one to question the Directorate... you all know that. I don't even want to know where this came from. But... well, this is troubling. Dangerous, possibly. I will do my best to make sure risks are minimized, but I really do hope that the consequences are understood."</ref> and were responsible for abducting citizens from [[the Commonwealth]] and replacing them with synth duplicates. They would then experiment upon the acquired test subjects with the FEV, and release them onto the surface. Similar to the Vault 87 FEV strain, the Institute strain also causes super mutants to grow bigger as they age.
+<br />''Subject Status: TAGGED, DISCARDED''"</ref> In layman's terms, The Institute was simply releasing super mutants into the wild, creating a scourge on the Commonwealth that lasted for years.<ref>[[Preston Garvey]] (?): "''Those Super Mutants have been raiding across the Commonwealth for years. I'm glad to have the Brotherhood's help clearing them out.''"</ref> When [[Brian Virgil]] succeeded Dr [[Syverson]] as head of the project in April 2286, it became evident that FEV experimentation ran its course and served no useful purpose, not with the availability of third generation [[synth]]s.<ref>[[The Institute terminal entries#FEV Terminal|The Institute terminal entries; FEV Terminal]]: "''2286.4.10''
-One Institute strain overseen by [[Brian Virgil]] has a known cure. The [[Sole Survivor]] has the option of locating the [[experimental serum]] created by Virgil to cure him of the FEV he infected himself with. By Virgil's own admission, however, this serum is not a viable cure for the vast majority of super mutants created by the Institute.
+<br />''Entered by: Virgil.B''
+<br />''Notes:''
+<br />''I have officially assumed the lead role on the project after Dr. Syverson's passing.''
+<br />''Latest round of subjects show results similar to previous test runs over last 5 years. No statistical deviation noted.''
+<br />''Synthetic organics continue to perform well; the necessity of further tests is unexplained.''"</ref> Eventually, as Virgil's conscience took its toll, the scientist lodged a formal complaint with the Directorate.<ref name="virg1"></ref> When no reaction came, Virgil rebelled and escaped the Institute after transforming himself into a super mutant, destroying as much of the project as he could.<ref>[[Brian Virgil Personal Log 0176]]</ref>
-=== Huntersville FEV strain ===
+===The Enclave===
+{{main|FEV Curling-13|Modified FEV}}
-The Huntersville strain created by West-Tek is very similar to the Institute's strain, although unlike other strains, it seems that certain effects may not require radiation to mutate.
+Seeking the means to achieve their plans of global genocide, the [[Enclave]] [[Mariposa Military Base excavation|excavated Mariposa]] from [[Timeline#2236|July to August 2236]], in search of surviving samples of FEV-II. Using [[Slavery|slaves]] captured in towns across California, they managed to uncover the vats and secure the necessary scientific material. However, slaves exposed to the raw virus in the ruins of the base mutated, creating the second generation super mutants.<ref name="leve4disk">[[Military base level 4]]</ref> The uneven nature of exposure, coupled with a significant radiation count meant that those that survived the change suffered from significant mental damage. Retreating from the base, the Enclave blasted the only remaining entrance, trapping the mutants inside.<ref name="leve4disk"/><ref>[[Enclave|See this article for references]].</ref>
+Enclave's Chemical Corps proceeded to work on the acquired samples of the virus, creating a staggeringly effective killer, tailored to provide maximum lethality with minimal required exposure. However, two weeks before the virus' deployment, the Enclave and the virus stockpiles were destroyed. However, copies of research were transmitted to [[Raven Rock]], providing Raven Rock's [[ZAX]] [[John Henry Eden]] with an opportunity to achieve plans of genocide. After modifying the FEV Curling-13 to only target the heavily mutated and heavily irradiated, the ZAX unit decided a localized infection of the water supply would be more effective at culling the undesirables while also improving the quality of life for the unmutated and unirradiated.<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"My father's work? How is that relevant?"''<br />[[John Henry Eden]]: ''"The purifier your father helped create has the ability to provide clean water to the whole of this "Capital Wasteland". With a simple modification, it can be used to distribute agents that destroy mutated creatures upon ingestion. In time, we could eliminate all mutations in the Wasteland at the same time the good people of the world regain their health. I need you to make the modification necessary for this to succeed."''<br />([[John Henry Eden's dialogue]])</ref><ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"I'll do whatever I have to if it means getting rid of mutants."''<br />[[John Henry Eden]]: ''"I was hoping you would see it my way. If the water purifier can be activated, it can be used to distribute toxins that will eliminate any mutated creatures upon ingestion. The longer it runs, the cleaner the world becomes. I need you to see that it starts running, and that the necessary modification is made."''<br />([[John Henry Eden's dialogue]])</ref><ref>[[Take it Back!]]</ref>
-===Vault-Tec's FEV strain===
-{{FOBOS}}
-A secret [[Vault-Tec Corporation|Vault-Tec]] installation known as the [[Secret Vault]] was uncovered by the super mutant remnants of the Master's army, who were led by a super mutant named [[Attis]]. Attis revealed that Vault-Tec's scientists had intended to further improve the FEV. The super mutants saw the FEV as a chance to use as both a bio-weapon and as a key to humanity's evolutionary future, which is why they were determined to overcome the virus' primary disadvantage: the sterility it produced in mutants infected by it.
+===FEV in the Capital Wasteland ===
-Attis proved unsuccessful in making FEV mutants fertile. However, the resulting Vault-Tec FEV strain provided mutants infected with new features such as faster cell regeneration and increased brain mass. The living bio-weapons created by this modified FEV included the unusual species of [[radbug]]s native to [[Texas Commonwealth|Texas]], and the horrifying [[experimental deathclaw]]s. When Attis, who was already transformed into a super mutant by that time used the modified strain on himself, he started to regenerate more rapidly and grew much larger; eventually becoming a giant, rapidly-multiplying, multi-cellular organism, which was destroyed by an explosion caused by the protagonist.
+Despite Vault 87 being the main research facility it evidently wasn't the only one, as Dr. [[Weston Lesko]] had found another source, which he used to try to de-mutate the [[Giant ant (Fallout 3)|giant ants]] of the [[Capital Wasteland]].<ref>The [[Lone Wanderer]]: ''"Something isn't right. You shouldn't have gotten results like these so quickly"''<br />[[Weston Lesko]]: ''"Well... ummm, I may have used a few... ahem, shortcuts. Yes. I was told that the FEV works wonders when used under controlled circumstances! Apparently I was wrong, but I know my mistake. I'm certain I can get it to work!"''<br />([[Weston Lesko's dialogue]])</ref> As of 2277 his efforts culminated in the creation of [[fire ant]]s.<ref>[[Those!]]</ref> Also as of 2277 the levels of said toxin where low in the vault,<ref>{{Color|#808080|[[Vault 87 super mutant]]<br />([[AudioTemplateSuperMutant.txt|Vault 87 super mutant's dialogue]])}}</ref> so the [[Vault 87 super mutant|super mutants]] where actively searching for it in the surrounding areas.
-{{FOBOS|end}}
 ==Appearances==
-The Forced Evolutionary Virus appears in some form in '''all''' ''Fallout'' games.
+The Forced Evolutionary Virus or products of it appear in some form in '''all''' ''Fallout'' games to date.
 ==Videos==
-[[File:Fallout Cutscenes The Dipping|400px|left]]
+[[File:Fallout Cutscenes The Dipping|350px|left]]
 {{clear}}
 ==References==
-{{references}}
+{{Ref box}}
 [[Category:Fallout setting]]
@@ Line 150: / Line 209: @@
 [[fi:Forced Evolutionary Virus]]
 [[fr:Virus Évolutif Forcé]]
+[[ja:Forced Evolutionary Virus]]
 [[nl:FEV]]
 [[pl:FEV]]