Lucy and Maximus were warmly welcomed by Vault 4's overseer, Bob, along with Birdie, a survivor hailing from the now-ruined Shady Sands. The pair revealed that their vault had always been open to outsiders, particularly refugees fleeing the devastation of Shady Sands in 2277. Among the salvaged items was Maximus's prized power armor. However, they sternly cautioned the duo against exploring level 12 of the vault.
While Maximus quickly adjusted to the oddities of vault life, Lucy found herself deeply unsettled by the eccentric ritual of worshipping "The Flame Mother," later revealed to be Moldaver. Determined to uncover the truth behind Vault 4, Lucy ventured forth to level 12, only to stumble upon the vault's secret experiments. But her quest for knowledge soon turned into a nightmare as she was captured by Birdie and the vault's inhabitants.
Elsewhere, Howard's conscience was torn by the secrecy surrounding Barb's connection to Vault-Tec. His curiosity led him to a clandestine meeting promising to reveal the truth behind the organization. Little did he know, the mysterious host of this gathering was a younger Moldaver, whose intentions remained shrouded in mystery.
