Vault 114

Vault 114

Vault 114 was primarily built and intended for housing high ranking members of local and state government, local luminaries, business people and their families as part of a social experiment. Future members of the vault were also made aware that they will be cohabiting solely with others of Boston's upper class.

Even though the initial residents were of upper social class status, the "luxury" aspect of the vault was highly exaggerated to the future residents instead. Multiple families, chosen randomly, lived and slept in single-room apartments. Dining and bathing were shared in quarters and the provision of amenities were minimal.

The Vault 114 personnel were interviewing individuals for the Overseer position - presumably, while the vault was already operating with the new residences. The vault personnel's goal was to find someone with no supervisory or government experience, and a strong anti-authority bias. Human Resources told them that the interview process vetted many viable candidates for the position.

An Overseer was chosen when the interview process dredged up a man known only as "Soup Can Harry". He refused to provide his legal name (which he referred to as a "rank and number" branded by the government) and believed that the government used taxes to fund "Illuminati-Freemason sex parties". Soup Can was presumably homeless, as he implied that he slept in dumpsters. He also appears to have eaten Abraxo cleaner before, as he is heard to say "I seen the back of them Abraxo boxes. 'Not for consumption'? Don't you tell me what to do, I'll eat what I want!"

As Soup Can so perfectly exemplified what Vault-Tec desired in an Overseer for this Vault, his interviewer offered him the position on the spot. Soup Can accepted, but cautioned that he "ain't wearing no goddam tie...or pants".

Vault 114 personnel were also told by Vault-Tec Management not to "undermine the new Overseer's authority at all during the experiment, even (and especially) if it may cause physical discomfort, embarrassment, or harm to residents."

By taking away the luxury and authority these groups saw in surface life, while simultaneously subjecting them to the whims of a dangerously incompetent Overseer, they hoped to study the residence's reactions in stressful situations