An Abridged Biography of Robert House of Fallout
The second season of the Fallout TV show is almost upon us, and with it, we’ll get our first look at what New Vegas is like in 2296. That premise alone is enticing enough for longtime fans, but to sweeten the deal, the most recent trailer revealed the return of a prominent character in Fallout lore: Mr. Robert House, aka the Tony Stark of the Fallout-verse. Even before he was introduced in Fallout: New Vegas, his influence could already be seen in most of the tech players come across in the Wastelands. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that he was, and is, one of the smartest people in the entire series. Since we’ve already covered most of the major players and events from Fallout: New Vegas to prep for the new season, it feels only appropriate to discuss more about Mr. House, who could end up playing a major role in how the show progresses.
Mr. House, I presume?
Robert Edwin House was born in the region of Las Vegas on June 25th, 2020, and he had a rough start to his life. His parents died in an accident when he was two, and his older half-brother cheated him out of his inheritance in their family’s tool-making business. Lesser people would have quit in the face of this misfortune, but not House. He went to CIT in Massachusetts and graduated with honors, and at age 22, he founded his own company, RobCo Industries. Mr. House proved to be an unparalleled genius in robotics, with his models quickly cornering the market. The effects can be seen even after the Great War, with most of the robots found in the Wasteland either being RobCo models or using RobCo software. Even the Pip-Boys that Vault-Dwellers use in the franchise were created in joint ventures with Vault-Tec. In addition, Mr. House opened and operated his own successful casino, the Lucky 38, right on the Las Vegas Strip, making him even richer. But while others would rest on their laurels, House kept looking to the future.
When he wasn’t running his businesses, House would regularly run math equations to predict the future. By 2065, they all pointed to the same conclusion: nuclear war would take place in the next fifteen years. As we saw in season one of the show, those predictions were validated when Vault-Tec said it was willing to start the war itself. However, House wanted zero part of it or their insane experiments. Not because he found it morally repulsive, but because he saw their ideas as stupid (which they were!) Instead, he decided to do something more productive.
The Robot Army
As mentioned in my reviews of the first two trailers, Mr. House poured everything into making sure his beloved hometown would survive nuclear war. He armed the city to the teeth with defenses and countermeasures that would spare the Mojave most of the damage that befell the rest of America. He built his army of Securitrons to maintain control once the chaos died down. And to make sure it was done right, he put himself into a cryopod that connected his brain to his supercomputer network. But things didn’t go as planned.
Firstly, House’s final predictions were off by a single day. Thanks to that, the Platinum Chip that would give him the ability to use his army to the fullest extent was scheduled to be delivered mere hours too late. He managed to make do with an older OS and stopped most of the nukes, but the strain almost killed him. In addition, most of the people of Vegas died anyway thanks to the radioactive fallout, leaving a dead city. In the end, House became comatose for decades before managing to awaken to a city run by raider groups in 2138. After that, he opted to lie low and wait to make a move, and in 2274, he got his chance.
NCR-Legion War
When the NCR expanded eastward to the Hoover Dam, word of their advance reached Mr. House. Seeing this rising power as a threat to his plans, House brought what Securitrons he had online and rolled them out onto the Strip, announcing his return to the world. He forced the raiders that had set up shop to either agree to do what he said or clear out, with most opting to fall in line. With their manpower, he was able to make a deal with the NCR. In exchange for giving them the Hoover Dam, most of its power output, and an old military base, they wouldn’t annex New Vegas. This turned the NCR into New Vegas’ number one customer, turning the city into a hub for traders and people looking to make their fortune. Before long, Vegas was well on its way to regaining its former glory. But that still wasn’t enough for House. He knew that he couldn’t hold off the NCR forever, nor did he want the violent Caesar’s Legion taking control. But to truly gain Vegas’ independence, he would need the Platinum Chip, and spent a fortune trying to find it. That leads to the start of the events of Fallout: New Vegas, where players can ultimately decide the fate of the Mojave.
While it is possible to help the NCR or Legion seize New Vegas, or for players to take power for themselves, the new trailer for season two of the show seems to indicate that the “House Wins” ending is the canon one. In that ending, the Courier chooses to align with Mr. House as their right-hand, giving them the Chip and activating his secret army of Securitrons. With that and any other allies players gather, they help repel the Legion at the Second Battle of Hoover Dam. Then we turn right around and tell the NCR to get out of the Mojave for good. House does agree to sell them power for affordable prices and let caravans continue to come in, though. He is a businessman, after all.
The Best of a Bad Hand?
If you were to ask whether someone like Mr. House is good or bad, there likely wouldn’t be a clear answer. On the one hand, he makes it no secret he intends to rule as an autocrat with absolute power. He wants everything to go his way, and he can be ruthless and underhanded to anyone who gets in that way. Plus, the army of robots doesn’t inspire postive feelings for some people. At the same time, though, he’s not doing it for the sake of power, but because he genuinely thinks that he’s the best person for the job.
And the scariest thing is that he might be right.
On his own, House managed to predict that nuclear war was inevitable, and took steps to ensure he was in the best possible position to survive it. Thanks to that, Vegas managed to get through the worst of the Great War and become a beacon of light in the Wastelands. More importantly, he saw what Vault-Tec wanted to do as stupid and a waste of time. While he could’ve done something to try and stop them, it’s likely he decided that was also a waste. It’s not much of a moral high ground, but for now, it makes him a better choice than Vault-Tec.
America Failed in Fallout, but Can House Win?
Plus, he’s not wrong when he says democracy failed America in his timeline. It wasn’t even a democracy by the time the bombs fell! Trying to bring it back without improving on it would accomplish nothing. Lastly, House says his ultimate goal is to fund space travel so humanity can leave Earth for a better world. I’m all for improving the world we have, but in the case of Fallout, having a backup is a good idea.
Ultimately, Robert House is a very complex character; likely one of the best-written in the Fallout franchise. I don’t approve of everything he does, and it’s up in the air if he could be a friend or foe to Lucy and the Ghoul. However, it will be nice to see him in live-action in the present day. My one regret is that we will not get to see him played by his original voice actor, René Auberjonois. He sadly passed away in 2019 from lung cancer, and it would have been nice to see him reprise the role.
