The Strip

“I can still hear them.

Clawing. Screaming through the barred doors. And then a silence. Nothing but the wind...

[...] There was nothing left, you see. No bodies, no Strip. [...]”

—Patrol Log

The Strip, formerly the Free Economic Zone of New Vegas, is a location in Fallout:DUST and Fallout: New Vegas.

It was the heart of New Vegas and one of the biggest settlements in the Mojave Wasteland.

Fallout: New Vegas[]

Before the Great War started, Mr. House used his considerable genius and wealth to ensure that most of the missiles would miss the city of Las Vegas. Though a few warheads did indeed get through in the outskirts, a good portion of the city was spared.

He later sent out PDQ-88b Securitron scouts, to negotiate with local tribes using his considerable resources, up to and including threats of violence.

Mr. House's stockpiles could be used for or against the tribals in exchange for their help. Some of the tribes resisted, but three of the largest and most powerful tribes eventually gained Mr. House's favor. They became the Omertas, the Chairmen, and the White Glove Society; these tribes began running the Gomorrah, Tops and Ultra-Luxe casinos respectively shortly after House found out about the New California Republic exploring the Mojave. Because Mr. House was dedicated to restoring the Strip, he insisted on transforming the tribes into families with cultures that hearkened back to Vegas' glory days.

In the process of rebuilding the Strip, Mr. House won control over the residents of Vault 21 after a gambling match with the vault's best players. After they evacuated, he had the vault stripped of useful technology, most of its actual volume filled with concrete, and the entrance turned into a gift shop with the lower levels remaining converted into a small hotel. While the families were rebuilding the casinos, the rest of the locals were hard at work erecting an enormous wall around the Strip. When NCR traders and explorers arrived on the scene, they were amazed at the Strip and returned back to California with tales of opulence and great wealth awaiting travelers.

Eventually, when the NCR military itself arrived, they were surprised to find the Strip so well-protected and heavily policed. Though they struck a deal with Mr. House to establish a base in the area, along with control of Hoover Dam, the NCR never had control of The Strip. After the First Battle of Hoover Dam the NCR negotiated to allow for a military police presence on the Strip, but their influence was small.

In DUST[]

At some point after the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, despite suffering a defeat to Independent Vegas, NCR forcibly annexed the city, driving the Courier into hiding and branding him as a terrorist.

After the discovery of the Sierra Madre, NCR researchers set up laboratories in Vault 21 (and later the Lucky 38) to conduct ethically questionable experiments on radiation resistance, in a sealed location out of sight of the general populace. Desperation for human test subjects led the team to begin abducting residents of Freeside. This among other factors would spawn a rebel uprising led by the King, which led NCR forces to establish the brutal martial law. Purportedly, internal sabotage from a disgusted employee led to a containment failure in Vault 21, killing many researchers and forcing the NCR to seal the Vault off with toxic waste. The NCR moved its research into the Lucky 38 as the rebellion simmered.

In 2287 a huge dust storm from the Divide bore down on the Mojave, and the New Vegas rebels took advantage of the lessened NCR presence and attacked the Strip. After cutting through the gate and abducting several VIPs, they breached the Lucky 38 and the resulting battle released the Cloud onto the Strip, causing widespread chaos and destruction. The Dust Storm spread the cloud across the American southwest, as flaying winds and deadly radiation mixed with the toxin, turning the people of New Vegas into ghouls, Centaurs, and a cloud-based form of Marked Men. Surviving NCR personnel responded by executing civilians in the streets and sealing the Strip gate shut, leaving victims and their own comrades to die. The Rebels managed to evacuate many Freesiders into the sewers. Some managed to survive in hazmat suits but eventually transformed into Ghosts from cloud exposure. Unmutated NCR and survivors would eventually be killed by fighting, the Cloud, or mutants.

By 2301, the Strip is a tangled, toxic ruin completely covered in the Cloud and intense radiation. The few intelligent Mutants still alive have descended into Insanity and Cannibalism. All three Strip gates are blocked by debris, requiring numerous side-routes through the Casinos to fully traverse the area.

There are three ways to enter the Strip in DUST. Player characters can enter via the main gate between it and Freeside. The key to that gate can be found on NCR Rangers at Camp Golf. The second means is through the Lucky 38, which has an entrance to the last level of the sewers under New Vegas. Finally, there is a door on the outside wall of New Vegas not far from the Sunset Sarsaparilla Bottling Plant. It has a hard lock and leads to an elevator shaft in the Tops Casino. The entrance is one-way.

The monorail between McCarran and the Strip is still operational, though player character must obtain a key located at the NCR Embassy to utilize it.