The movie is set in a post-apocalyptic world following the "Great War," a nuclear war that occurred on October 23, 2077. The war lasted less than two hours but caused immense damage and destruction. Before the Great War came the Resource Wars, during which the United Nations had disbanded, and Canada was annexed.
The movie takes place in 2161, 84 years after the Great War in Southern California and begins in Vault 13, the protagonist's home. Vault 13's water chip, a computer chip responsible for the water recycling and pumping machinery, has broken. The Vault's overseer tasks the protagonist with finding a replacement. They are given a portable device called the "Pip-Boy 2000" which keeps track of mapmaking, quest objectives, and various bookkeeping aspects. Armed with the Pip-Boy 2000 and meager equipment, the protagonist is sent out into the remains of California to find another water chip.
