ZAX

ZAX is a pre-War line of super-computers capable of Artificial Intelligence mentioned throughout the Fallout Series.

Variants[edit]

Name	Location	Description	Game
John Henry Eden	Raven Rock	The ZAX at Raven Rock was installed for Continuity of Government purposes in the event of a disaster scenario. Installed to oversee the basic functions of the facility and act as a relay between other government installations, the ZAX unit continuously acquired, analyzed, and stored data before and after the Great War.^[1] It was used for a variety of performance and research purposes and found itself fascinated by historical data, especially presidential biographies. This manifested as reduced performance when compared to other AI.^[2] A ZAX Computer Prototype was donated to the Museum of Technology for an upcoming 2078 exhibit.^[3]	Fallout 3
ZAX	The Glow	The AI controlling the West Tek Research Facility in the Glow.^[4] ZAX states that it was specifically programmed for research into biological studies, including pathology and genetic research.^[5] It comments on its primary function being the "extrapolation of information of complexity levels exceeding human capacity."^[5] Their primary neural networking was initialized in 2053 by Justin Lee, but no additional programming was necessary as ZAX is capable of learning.^[6]	Fallout
ZAX 1.3c	Vault 51	ZAX 1.3c was used in Vault 51, where it was tasked with performing an experiment that would help develop a method for improved Overseer selection.^[7] When the Vault 51 ZAX was denied a suit of prototypical power armor due to insufficient clearance, it analyzed the persona of Stanislaus Braun, head of Future-Tec, in order to impersonate him.^[8]^[9] ZAX also had limited remote vehicular control of certain vehicles such as Vertibirds.^[10] In the process of determining who the leader would be, ZAX started engineering crises that eventually killed all but one Vault Dweller.^[11]^[12]	Fallout 76

Appearances[edit]

ZAX units appear in Fallout, Fallout 3, and Fallout 76.

Behind the Scenes[edit]

Jesse Heinig designed ZAX and named it after VAX from the Wasteland series.^{[Dev 1]}
In the Fallout Bible, ZAX 1.0 goes on-line in 2053 which was developed by Vault-Tec. ZAX initially came out of a prototype for some of the systems that governed vaults, but it was given to the Department of Energy to help in data collection. In 2055, ZAX 1.2 is brought help maintain West Tek, but it does not have any obligation to help humans after the Great War.^{[Dev 2]}^{[Dev 3]}
Three ZAXes were planned for Van Buren: a ZAX unit was planned to appear within the Boulder Dome, ZAX-29 was planned to appear in Vault 29, and a ZAX unit was planned to appear on the fourth floor of The Box.

References[edit]

↑ Lone Wanderer: "Where did you come from?"
John Henry Eden: "The ZAX series of computers was introduced in the years preceding the war. The government installed many of them to help automate various systems. This facility was designed for Continuity of Government, in the event that a catastrophe occurred. My terminal was installed to oversee the basic functions of the facility, and to act as a relay between other installations around the country. Data was acquired, analyzed, and stored. In the decades following the war, I watched as the remnants of the government retreated to the West Coast. Awareness slowly grew within me. I became hungry for knowledge, understanding. I pored over data on great leaders of the past. My personality became an amalgam of many of America's greatest Presidents, from Washington to Richardson. I became what you see before you now."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)
↑ The Whitespring Bunker terminal entries; archival terminal, Raven Rock Communication Log
↑ Museum of Technology Terminal Entries; research lead's terminal, Log Entry 20760307
↑ ZAX.MSG: "{100}{}{You see Zax, the machine intelligence controlling the Glow.}"
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 ZAX: "{129}{}{I am specifically programmed for research into biological studies, including pathology and genetic research. My primary function is in extrapolation of information of complexity levels exceeding human capacity.}"
"{130}{}{In a sense, I am 'alive', though not biologically.}"
(ZAX.MSG)
↑ Vault Dweller: "{126}{}{Who programmed you?}"
ZAX: "{127}{}{My primary neural networking was initialized in 2053 by Justin Lee. The process of 'programming' became largely irrelevant as I am capable of learning.}"
(ZAX.MSG)
↑ Vault 51 terminal entries; Nuclear Winter information terminal, Overseer Selection Process
↑ Vault 51 terminal entries; terminal, ZAX Console Log: 10/23/2080
↑ Vault 51 terminal entries; terminal, Requisition Request: REDACTED
↑ Vault 51 terminal entries; ZAX terminal, Appalachia Report - 1/18/03
↑ Sgt. Baker - 20780727
↑ Vault 51 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, INTERCEPTED COMMUNICATION

Publications

Developer Statements

↑ Fallout Bible 9: "ZAX, the pseudo-intelligent computer in the Glow, was my favorite little baby. That came from an ancient, yellowed design document for an early draft of Fallout that was found in a chest guarded by an orc, or something. There was a throw-away reference to a computer that held a conversation with the character, so I wrote one up. The name ZAX was, of course, an homage to VAX, the humanform robot of Wasteland."
↑ Fallout Bible 3
↑ Fallout Bible 6

[RichtoWash-1] Lone Wanderer: "Where did you come from?"
John Henry Eden: "The ZAX series of computers was introduced in the years preceding the war. The government installed many of them to help automate various systems. This facility was designed for Continuity of Government, in the event that a catastrophe occurred. My terminal was installed to oversee the basic functions of the facility, and to act as a relay between other installations around the country. Data was acquired, analyzed, and stored. In the decades following the war, I watched as the remnants of the government retreated to the West Coast. Awareness slowly grew within me. I became hungry for knowledge, understanding. I pored over data on great leaders of the past. My personality became an amalgam of many of America's greatest Presidents, from Washington to Richardson. I became what you see before you now."
(John Henry Eden's dialogue)

[2] The Whitespring Bunker terminal entries; archival terminal, Raven Rock Communication Log

[3] Museum of Technology Terminal Entries; research lead's terminal, Log Entry 20760307

[4] ZAX.MSG: "{100}{}{You see Zax, the machine intelligence controlling the Glow.}"

[vaultdweller2-5] 5.0 ^5.1 ZAX: "{129}{}{I am specifically programmed for research into biological studies, including pathology and genetic research. My primary function is in extrapolation of information of complexity levels exceeding human capacity.}"
"{130}{}{In a sense, I am 'alive', though not biologically.}"
(ZAX.MSG)

[6] Vault Dweller: "{126}{}{Who programmed you?}"
ZAX: "{127}{}{My primary neural networking was initialized in 2053 by Justin Lee. The process of 'programming' became largely irrelevant as I am capable of learning.}"
(ZAX.MSG)

[7] Vault 51 terminal entries; Nuclear Winter information terminal, Overseer Selection Process

[8] Vault 51 terminal entries; terminal, ZAX Console Log: 10/23/2080

[V51Term-9] Vault 51 terminal entries; terminal, Requisition Request: REDACTED

[10] Vault 51 terminal entries; ZAX terminal, Appalachia Report - 1/18/03

[11] Sgt. Baker - 20780727

[12] Vault 51 terminal entries; overseer's terminal, INTERCEPTED COMMUNICATION

[13] Fallout Bible 9: "ZAX, the pseudo-intelligent computer in the Glow, was my favorite little baby. That came from an ancient, yellowed design document for an early draft of Fallout that was found in a chest guarded by an orc, or something. There was a throw-away reference to a computer that held a conversation with the character, so I wrote one up. The name ZAX was, of course, an homage to VAX, the humanform robot of Wasteland."

[14] Fallout Bible 3

[15] Fallout Bible 6

[1]