Fallout’s second season has introduced the Forced Evolutionary Virus (or FEV) in bold move for the TV series.
In the games, FEV is the reason the Wasteland looks like a failed science experiment. It’s a virus responsible for the super mutants, the Master’s failed utopia, and half the nightmares you run into. Now there’s a chance that FEV will play a major role in Bud Askins’ experiments for Vaults 32 and 33.
The origins of the Forced Evolutionary Virus (FEV)
Before the bombs, FEV was developed at West Tek as part of the “Pan-Immunity Project.” With the ability to rewrite the host’s DNA, the virus was meant to protect humanity from bioweapons.
Like most things in Fallout, FEV only made things worse. It can make the subject “better” by giving them enhanced strength, speed and regenerative abilities. But FEV leaves the infected hideously deformed and sterile.
The virus had a lasting influence on the Wasteland. Various political and military organizations fought over the virus. The ease of which it could be synthesized to force mutations led to various creatures like the super mutants, floaters, psykers and centaurs (not the ones from Greek mythology). In fact, the FEV is one of the reasons why the Brotherhood of Steel believes that humans shouldn’t be trusted with technology.
Vaults 32 and 33: Phase Two of the Experiment
In the season 2 episode “The Wrangler,” Norm is looking through Barb Howard’s old computer when he finds an entry for FEV. Rebranded to Future Enterprise Ventures, FEV is only summarized as being a “gene-altering agent for organism supercharging.”
We don’t get a chance to learn more, but the episode hints that Vaults 32 and 33 could become test sites for Vault-Tec’s strain of FEV. In the show, Steph Harper mentions something suspicious happening through the water supply in Vault 32.
Then there’s the ominous “Phase Two” mentioned of Bud Askins’ Bud’s Bud’s experiments. If Phase One was the controlled breeding program across the three sibling vaults, Phase Two might be where Vault-Tec flips the switch and starts the mutation process.
Why FEV Matters to Fallout’s Story
Introducing FEV changes the stakes for the TV show. It’s a good way to explore how far humanity is willing to alter itself in the name of progress. The games used Super Mutants and FEV as metaphors for forced evolution and authoritarian control. The show reframes that concept through the lens of modern corporate culture. Every horrific experiment is a business opportunity for Vault-Tec.
The games have introduced different strains with varying effects and origins. The TV show could make FEV central to Vault-Tec’s plans from the start. It explains why Vault-Tec wanted to preserve certain populations while experimenting on others. The Forced Evolutionary Virus has been hiding in plain sight in the TV series this whole time. If or when Phase 2 is activated, everyone in those vaults is going to learn what “Future Enterprise Ventures” really means.
