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For the vehicle, see fighter jet. |
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This is an overview article, listing content appearing in multiple Fallout media. For information specific to a given game or TV series, consult the table below. |
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Jet is a highly addictive chem commonly found throughout the wasteland and appearing multiple times in the Fallout series. The most widely known source of the chem is an extract derived from the fumes given off by the fecal matter of the mutated bovine brahmin, commonly administered to the user via huffing from an inhaler container. Although there is evidence of a different form of it existing in the pre-War era, in the first half of the 23rd century, wasteland chemist Myron created one of the most widely known forms of Jet and turned it into a highly marketable commodity, prominently utilized as a vehicle for the enslavement of the Californian town of Redding by the Mordinos crime family of New Reno. Even after its creator's death and the Mordinos' collapse into irrelevancy, Jet's availability, replicability, and popularity increased exponentially among wasteland communities, and despite later attempts to create an antidote, it could barely slow the proliferation of the chem's powerful addictive effect and appeal to wastelanders on both the West and East Coasts looking to escape the brutal reality of life in the wasteland.[1]
Overview[]
Effects[]
Jet visual filter in the Fallout 76 photomode.
Jet is a powerful hallucinogenic chem that stimulates the central nervous system, triggering a rush of energy and strength primarily brought about by endorphins.[2] The initial euphoric rush rarely lasts more than a few minutes,[3] but the altered state of consciousness makes it subjectively longer for any Jet user.[4][5]
Packaging[]
Post-War Jet is typically sold packaged into small, disposable ampules or canisters (rarely in half-ounce bags), designed for use with a metered-dose inhaler (sometimes sold separately).[6] The goal is to deliver the aerosolized drug directly into the lungs of the user, where it is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.[7] To maximize high, dealers would recommend taking a dose, followed by a deep breath and time to let it settle.[6]
Wholesale buyers, like Redding in the 2240s, usually receive bulk packages that have to be processed into user ampules first. This requires clean facilities and medical training to do properly, as poor processing will result in contamination and expose users to disease.[8] Jet may also be mixed with saline solutions or other liquids to be delivered intravenously. This was the preferred method of researchers working at the Stables.[9]
Addiction rate[]
Standard Jet is highly addictive, inducing psychological and physical reliance. Both stem from the way their Jet alters the perception of reality, to the point that the euphoric rush brought about by the drug is interpreted by the user as the norm and sobriety as the abnormal. Drug addictions caused by regular Jet responded to treatment with Fixer and Addictol, increasing their popularity both before and after the Great War.[10]
Variants[]
With the Mordino variant off the market and the technique to manufacture it[11] at large, new batches flooded the market, becoming a staple recreational and performance-enhancing drug throughout the wasteland. Unlike the Mordino variant, drug addictions caused by regular Jet responded to treatment with Fixer and Addictol, increasing their popularity.[10]
Numerous enterprising cooks also developed their unique versions of the drug by mixing the original version with additional chemicals. Commonly seen variants include Rocket, Turbo, and Ultrajet in the west and Buffjet (mixed with Buffout), Psycho jet (Psycho), Jet Fuel (flamer fuel), and Ultra jet.[12]
Proliferation[]
Jet proliferated throughout the wasteland in the wake of the Great War, particularly due to the ease of manufacture. As long as a chemist had access to a reliable source of fertilizer, they could manufacture it in quantity, even in the most barren of environments (as was the case with Great Khans at Red Rock Canyon).[13]
In New California, its spread was triggered by Myron's discovery of the ease of its manufacture and aided by its infamy. Regular Jet found use as a recreational chem (particularly by chem-reliant wastelanders, like the Fiends). However, it was also used to enslave people. Long after the Mordinos became a footnote in history, the Omertas used free Jet and morphine to control and exploit their sex workers.[14]
Weaponized Jet[]
The high addiction rate was exploited by Myron, who took the regular Jet and tweaked it while simultaneously developing a way to manufacture the drug in large quantities. One of the distinguishing characteristics of his version of Jet was the elevated addiction rate. Their version was a drug designed to create a permanent addiction that combines psychological and chemical reliance and was immune to treatment with Addictol and Fixer.[15] This provided Big Jesus Mordino with the weapon he needed to secure Redding for his family.[16]
It is designed to be invulnerable to standard methods of countering drug addictions, including the various nervous system suppressants that work on the regular version of the drug. The only real way to counter Myron's Jet was to use endorphin blockers, which repress the euphoria,[17] resulting in a violent experience that is comparable to radscorpion poisoning. Endorphin blockers also prevent the drug from taking hold again: Anyone exposed to Jet after taking the antidote will become sick, as the meta-amphetamines will no longer have any effect.[3]
Before the Jet antidote was created thanks to the efforts of the Chosen One, the Mordinos continued to develop the design and increase its potency and addiction rate. A development version, named Jet Beta, was created, though it did not reach maturity after the antidote appeared on the market.[18]
History[]
Origins[]
The exact origins of the meta-amphetamine variant known as Jet are unclear. However, it was available before the Great War in some form.[19] The formula was simple enough to allow for the use of common chemicals and simple laboratory set-ups in its manufacture.[20] It was even used by Vault-Tec in its experiments and found its way into vaults before they were sealed.[21] In the Vault-Tec Regional HQ, a pre-War log found on a terminal notes that Psycho and Jet were sent to Vault 95 during its construction.[19]
After the Great War, wastelanders in the Burrows (an underground settlement in Appalachia) mention inhaling brahmin dung fumes to achieve a high.[22] The chem was also utilized by gangs like the Blood Eagles and chem addicts; of note being mentions of Jet by name in 2103 by Beckett,[23] several Blood Eagles in 2104,[24] and Clark in 2105.[25]
Mordino use[]
A much more potent version of Jet was introduced in New California in the first half of the 23rd century by Myron, a self-taught juvenile prodigy specializing in drug manufacture. Myron came to New Reno a few years before 2241 and offered his services after noticing that their drug operation (centered on farming peyote cacti and selling it as the Reno Experience) could use improvement. The combination of low strength (less than half of old school LSD) and a long high duration made peyote a sub-par choice for a fast turnaround. The exact specifics of how Myron came into Mordinos' employ are unclear, but it is known that through trial and error Myron eventually managed to arrive at a solution fit for the new climate. As they could not grow coca plants or opium poppies, Myron settled for developing hallucinogens. Basing on extracts from mushrooms grown by the Mordinos, Myron began experimenting with derivatives of lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin.[26] The impetus to create Jet came when Big Jesus Mordino ordered Myron to create a drug that would give him control over Redding.[26] Although Myron claims he alone invented Jet, a high-intelligence Chosen One can question whether Myron truly invented the drug, stating, "I'm not convinced a child like you didn't just STUMBLE across it, Myron" which Myron vehemently denies.[27]
In order to avoid relying on extracts from vegetables and mushrooms, Myron began exploring his possibilities. Since pre-War meat companies experimented with cheap protein extracts to increase their profit margins, only to discover that the slightest contamination made the entire extract act like potent amphetamine upon digestion. Rather than dump the entire program, the companies fed the extracts to their vast bovine herds to recoup losses. What they didn't realize is that the protein extract would be metabolized and absorbed by the cattle's bodies, becoming an integral element of their metabolism when cattle would mutate into brahmin. With some blood samples, one could readily recreate the contaminated extract even two centuries after the war.[28] Myron did not have access to the tools and expertise necessary to isolate the extract, so they decided to acquire it by proxy: Grow mushrooms in fertilizer provided by the affected brahmin and extract it from the fungus. The eureka moment came completely unexpectedly: When Myron observed slaves tending to the brahmin fertilizer, he noticed that they were getting high purely on fumes. The brahmin excreta contained the desired drug in large enough concentrations to be viable as a commercial drug - exactly what Big Jesus wanted.[26]
After a round of testing which claimed the lives of a hundred slaves, primarily due to myocardial infarctions (heart attacks), cerebral hemorrhages, and psychotic episodes, the first iteration of Jet was ready for deployment. The investment returned itself multiple times over and the expense wrought by Myron's experimentation and loss of slaves was absorbed by the burgeoning Mordino budget.[29][30]
By January 2241, the first Jet samples arrived in Redding, creating a wave of addiction that affected miners and other denizens of the town, making it reliant on regular shipments from Redding.[Non-game 1] The Stables research team would further Myron's work, hoping to create a stronger and even more potent version, codenamed Jet Beta. However, the results were unsuccessful, as they could not quite get the kinks out (e.g., nasal bleeding, hallucinations, heart attacks). But they did increase the duration of its high; from 5 to 60 minutes. However, the development of Jet Beta was halted by the introduction of a Jet antidote.
Continued production[]
Myron would die less than a year after the Chosen One defeated the Enclave, stabbed to death by a Jet addict while drinking in a bar at the Den.[31] The manufacturing of Jet would continue, spreading as far as the Capital Wasteland, where Murphy would attempt to produce an even more potent version, named Ultrajet, designed for use by ghouls, who are barely affected by standard Jet.
Throughout the Capital Wasteland, Jet can also be found in containers located within vaults, collected by exploration completed by vault dwellers. Old Lady Palmer from Vault 101 used to lead such explorations, as seen in a file in the overseer's terminal.
Meanwhile, in the Mojave Wasteland, some of the more scientifically enlightened learned about the secrets of Ultrajet and sought to make it themselves, and home chemists developed more potent forms of Jet like Rocket and Turbo. Rocket was one of few drugs that were not known to the Great Khans, who were the predominant chem traders in the area.
Variants[]
Jet[]
The most common and basic form of Jet, from which all other variations are based on.
- For the weakened version of Jet peddled by Dixon in Fallout: New Vegas, see: Dixon's Jet
Myron's Jet[]
A post-War offshoot developed by wasteland chemist Myron around the early 23rd century. Though his feat in refining the drug's potency was forgotten soon after his death at the Den less than a year after the death of Dick Richardson, his formula and its addictive effects outlived him; subsequent production has failed to meet the refinement and efficiency of the original design ever since.
Jet Beta[]
A work-in-progress version of the drug that was being developed at the Stables in 2241.
It was intended to replace the original, but due to the Mordinos losing power with the emergence of the antidote, it never reached production.
Rocket[]
An offshoot variant of Jet that to date is only known to be found in the Mojave Wasteland. Created by mixing Jet with Nuka-Cola and pre-War laundry detergent, the product provides a greater energy rush due to the refinement.
Jet Fuel[]
A variation of Jet made as the result of combining regular Jet with weapons-grade flamer fuel. To date only known to be found in the Commonwealth.
Turbo[]
Another offshoot variant of regular Jet, designed to modify the user's perception of time. Its creation constitutes Jet being piggybacked to an aerosol can containing broc flower and the poison gland of the jittery insectoid cazador, dissolved in turpentine.[32] The refined concoction creates the illusion of slow motion, while the addition of Jet increases the user's speed so that they move at a normal speed relative to their surroundings.
Ultrajet[]
A unique variation of Jet created by the ghoul chemist Murphy in the Capital Wasteland around the late 2270s. As most regular forms of Jet has a very limited effect on ghouls, due to their altered physiology, Murphy sought to enhance its properties by combining the original drug with the pre-War snack food Sugar Bombs, complete with the addition of caustic cleaning chemicals. The result is a drug that has double the potency of Jet and replicates its effect on humans for ghouls.[33][34] While originally thought to be exclusive to the Capital Wasteland, by the turn of the 2280s, samples of ultrajet were procured by Sergeant Daniel Contreras of the NCR Army in the Southwest. A formula for ultrajet also appears available at chemistry stations in the Commonwealth in 2287. Because of its potency, users of Ultrajet have a harder time getting addicted than standard Jet, but when done so, it is often permanent, especially should someone abuse it too much.
Notes[]
Joey Bello, a lite ally in Fallout 76, makes an indirect reference to how Jet is extracted, though he does not mention the chem by name. In one of his jokes, he says that he would rather "rather try to get high sniffin' brahmin farts than deal with the Blood Eagles."[35]- In the Fallout: Wasteland Warfare Wasteland Wildlife Rules Packet, a Vault dweller describes the Sheepsquatch as being "like some Jet addict’s idea of a sheep."[Non-game 2]
- In the Fallout TV series episode "The End", a burly raider participating in the attack on Vault 33 is shown puffing drugs from a red inhaler similar to Jet in appearance and usage;[36] the official script for the episode only identifies the item as a "red inhaler."[37]
 | The following is based on Atomic Shop content. |
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- An Atomic Shop Collectron, Ace the Raider, makes reference to the chem in his dialogue.[Atomic Shop 1]
| End of information based on Atomic Shop content |
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Behind the scenes[]
- The concept of an addictive drug administered through an inhaler was the invention of Chris Avellone, inspired by memories of his brother's use of an inhaler to treat asthma.[Non-game 3] Avellone also posited in Fallout Bible 9 that Mrs. Bishop's claim of being hooked on Jet by John Bishop before they were married (subsequently leading to her exile from Vault City) could be due to her memories being warped by lifetime drug abuse.[Non-game 4]
- When asked why samples of Jet cannot be found in pre-war pharmacies in Fallout: New Vegas, Joshua Sawyer responded, "Why would jet be found in abandoned pharmacies? It was invented after the war. Myron invented jet."[Non-game 5]
- According to Chris Avellone, during development of Dead Money, Jet was one of many items that were specifically excluded from loot in the Sierra Madre, because it logically would not have been there, due to the location's isolation from the rest of the wasteland and the team's desire to make loot there "pre-War appropriate."[Non-game 6]
- In April 2024, Emil Pagliarulo acknowledged that the mention of Jet on a pre-War terminal at the Vault-Tec Regional HQ in Fallout 4 was an error, saying that a designer on the development team had made a "simple human error" that was unfortunately missed. However, with the drug being further expanded on in Fallout 76, Jet has since been established as a pre-War chem, though Pagliarulo also said he supported the "fan theory" that pre-War mentions of Jet refer to "a generic kind of drug."[Non-game 7]
- It is unclear as to whether Jet is meant to be a form of methamphetamine. In Fallout 2, Jet is referred to as a "metamphetamine" on two occasions, by Renesco and in the inventory's item description for Jet. While this could mean that it is a meta- amphetamine, this term is not widely used anywhere in Fallout or the real world. One possiblity is that that the mentions of "metamphetamine" are typos for "methamphetamine" (which is not mentioned in-game), but this has never been officially clarified or corrected anywhere.[5][11]
Gallery[]
References[]
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Non-game
- ↑ Fallout Bible 0: "2241 January The first samples of Jet begin to arrive in Redding, courtesy of the Mordino family."
- ↑ Wasteland Wildlife Rules Packet p. 15: "You know diary, I’ve done some strange things for the Caps since I left the Vault and this “cryptid hunting thing” isn't even the strangest. I'd love to know who names these things, though... Mothman is pretty self explanatory; half moth and half man. Even that Sheepsquatch thing looked kinda like some Jet addict’s idea of a sheep. But a Snallygaster? * LAUGHTER * What the hell is that supposed to be? Sounds like something you chase from the outhouse before use! Snallygaster indeed, haha!"
- ↑ Chris Avellone: "Scripting Cassidy to die when he gets stims, trying to figure out what form "Jet" could take, then being reminded of my brother's asthma inhaler when we were younger, and using that as the drug dispenser idea."
(Chris Avellone IGN article) - ↑ Fallout Bible 9; Jet? When? Myron? How old? Huh?
- ↑ Q&A session with Josh Sawyer during a live charity stream. (reference begins at 8:37:23)
- ↑ Interview w/Chris Avellone, Jason Fader, and other Fallout: New Vegas devs (2:22:22)
- ↑ Emil Pagliarulo on Twitter (archived): "Happy to. Jet was absolutely pre-war. That old lore stands. Now, did reference to Jet show up in a pre-war terminal at some point? It did. Honest reason - the designer forgot. Simple human error, and it got missed. An unfortunate reality is that sometimes mistakes happen. All that being said, and knowing we can't go back and fix that error, I do support the fan theory that the mention of "jet" pre-war is really a mention of a generic kind of drug. So yeah, it sucks, but it happens in every major canonical work. You move on and be more diligent!"
Atomic Shop
- ↑ Ace the Raider: "If I don't get more Jet soon, I'll blow a fuse."
(Ace the Raider's dialogue)
