This was accomplished through regular fake radio transmissions (recorded before the Great War), increasing the idea among Vault 101's residents that the only hope of survival was within the Vault. Just after the Great War in 2077, the first Vault 101 overseer, in order to prevent anyone from leaving the Vault, created the illusion that the outside world was an uninhabitable nuclear-ravaged wasteland with absolutely no hope of existence outside of the Vault. Vault 101 was supplied with most of the equipment it would need to function indefinitely, such as seen with spare parts for the water processor, but the Vault did not receive a G.E.C.K., a device that would only be useful for surface dwellers. One of the main objectives of Vault 101 security has been the containment of these pests. However, Vault 101 has been opened numerous times, violating its original mandate, and became infested by radroaches during these events, making the Vault susceptible to additional large infestations as time went by. The original and underlying purpose of the Vault 101 Vault experiment was to stay closed indefinitely, in order to study the role of the overseer when a Vault never opened. The Vault 76 overseer was originally selected to be its first overseer, but she refused the position in order to stay in Appalachia.

The Vault was constructed sometime in the 2060s along with the other Vaults in Washington, D.C.

Vault 101 wallpaper