The world of Fallout is inhabited by many characters who act morally questionable. A particularly insidious specimen is a scientist who comes from Bavaria.
Who is this scientist? Stanislaus Braun is a character from Fallout 3. The scientist was born in the Bavarian town of Kronach. He had already worked for the Vault-Tec company before the Great War in 2077.
This company is very important in Fallout because it was responsible for the famous bunkers called Vaults. In fact, Stanislaus Braun was instrumental in the creation of the Vaults.
Outwardly, they were supposed to provide a safe refuge from the falling bombs – but in reality, they were meant to conduct questionable experiments on the inhabitants. Braun himself commissioned these attempts and communicated with the respective Vault overseers.
Braun was also responsible for other accomplishments. He invented the G.E.E.K., a terraforming module, and worked on artificial life extension on behalf of the US Army.
When the Great War finally broke out, however, Braun wanted nothing to do with any of it. He fled to Vault 112, where he found his true “destiny” – including a sadistic side.
Welcome to the Simulation
What happened in Vault 112? In this bunker, Braun sought shelter from the bombs and worked on his own simulation. This means: the scientist developed virtual worlds that were inhabited by himself and the Vault’s residents.
The people lay in special chairs and were in a sleep-like state while living a second, virtual life. Braun initially worked with two simulations, which did not satisfy him.
The sadistic and malicious side of his character craved something different. Thus, Braun developed the simulation “Tranquility Lane.” The inhabitants found themselves in a typical small town of the 1950s, but without the post-apocalyptic touch of the wasteland.
Everything seemed fine here, at least at first glance. In truth, the lives of the Vault residents within the simulation were a nightmare. Braun played himself as a god there. Although he chose a nondescript form and appeared as a little girl named Betty, he acted completely ruthlessly.
Out of pure pleasure, he tortured and tormented the simulation’s inhabitants. He often killed them virtually and then resurrected them, but erased their memory. In this way, people had to experience the fear of death repeatedly, which brought great joy to the scientist.
The only way out: Braun programmed an emergency program that triggers a “Chinese invasion.” Soldiers then appear in the simulation and kill all the inhabitants, this time for good. Only Braun would survive, making him the last and only resident of Tranquility Lane.
As a player, you have a choice
In which quest do you encounter Braun? During the main quest of Fallout 3, the mission “Tranquility Lane” begins. You reach Vault 112 and enter the virtual world via a chair.
There, you meet Braun in the form of the girl Betty, who has already been kept artificially alive for 200 years and is indulging in his sadistic games. To reach the father of your character, who is trapped in Tranquility Lane, you must speak with Betty.
She gives you a series of tasks that essentially consist of tormenting the residents of the simulation and ultimately killing them. Now, as a player, you have the choice to either comply with this request or, after some investigation, trigger the emergency program.
If you decide to virtually kill the inhabitants, you receive bad karma added to your account. After all, they do not actually die but remain at Braun’s mercy.
Good karma is given to those who trigger the emergency program. While this leads to the death of the inhabitants, it also takes Braun’s test subjects away from him and deposes him. The neutral path is taken by only torturing some of the inhabitants virtually.
However you solve the quest, it is one of the highlights of Fallout 3 and leaves Braun in his simulation. The former scientific genius ultimately becomes a victim of his sadistic streak, especially when he must remain alone in Tranquility Lane – forever as the little girl Betty. Stanislaus Braun has rightfully earned his place in our ranking: In Fallout, there are plenty of nasty villains – but who is the worst?
