I recently read over the http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/New_Plague page on it, which isn't all that long, and (unless I stupidly missed something) I didn't see an official answer to it's origin. Though, in general, I feel like I'm missing something when it comes to this aspect of Fallout lore.

In any case, the most I got out of understanding what origin its from is that there were rumors it was genetically engineered, and that the U.S. was later blamed for it. But from what I gather, they blamed the U.S. because of the FEV info leaked-which, according to the wiki, was in part and/or originally (or at least supposedly, in part/originally) made to destroy the New Plague. It wasn't the origin-again, unless I'm stupidly missing something I should have caught on to.

Is it simply unknown? Because suddenly the question of the source of it's creation is beginning to nag me.

New Plague origin is unknown. Two years or so after it started West Tek tried making a virus to stop it. Does not say it was the FEV virus. New Plague cause the USA to close its boarders. FEV was created to make people super soldiers. Soldiers that can live through bio-warfar, chemical and even high radiation but it failed.

FEV split off from the Pan-Immunity virus project that was supposed to stop the plauge IIRC.

Work on stopping New Plague would later develope into FEV but the OP is off thinking that New Plague was created using FEV and that it was the USA government that unleashed New Plague. FEV came years later after the New Plague.

The New Plague could have been anything from a biological weapon used on the United States, maybe one created by the United States, or some random unknown disease that came from deep within a rain forest that was unknowingly carried into the United States. Maybe it was even created by Aliens to see how humans would react.

People, you surprise me with your lack of Fallout-iness.

Answer:


The New Plague was actually caused by the outbreak of Limit 115, which was released into the general population when two Chinese Spies escaped from the Hoover Dam. They reached Denver before they dropped a vial of it, spreading the infection faster than Justin Biebers crappy music ever did. FEV was developed to, as you said, counter the effect of Limit 115, but instead turned into a biological weapon by West-Tek for creating super soldiers. Even for the Alt. Universe U.S Gov, I don't see how developing super soldiers to combat China would've helped anyone if their population would've been utterly decimated by the plague. Sure, victory over China, whatever, but you now have a rampant virus you could've stopped in time.

FEV was more or less a farce by the government. Limit 115 was a genetically engineered virus. Hoover Dam was the container for it.

Actually the sub level research facility in the Dam was built to create genetically engineered creatures, which the Chinese agents sprung free during their raid. The facility was later sealed up by a guard in sub level who had orders to do so in case the creatures escaped.

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Hoover_Sabotage

The New Plague emerged in 2053 anyways, while this event would have occured during the Great War considering the Chinese agents were wearing Stealth Suits (which were built after Power Armor was used in Alaska and China by the Americans).

Thanks to New Vegas any info from Van Buren that involves the Hoover Dam is not canon. I don't see any secret labs in the Dam in New Vegas or any info about chineses spies.

Chinese sleeper agents or The Enclave blaming it on the former.

The wiki says:



http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/New_Plague

So it was created by the US but the epidemic broke out because of Chinese agents.

There are Chinese stealth suits in a box in the dam.

And the Chinese sabotage of Hoover Dam is mentioned in Operation Anchorage too.

I do enjoy the story that's Van Buren but it's not canon. It provides great "semi-canon" background info. Operation Anchorage was a simulation any info from it can't fully be trusted. The stealth suits at Hoover Dam could just be a little easter egg by the Devs of Obsidian that worked on Van Buren till it was cancelled. Plus people loved the suits in FO3. That's just my take on it. I have not fully explored the Dam yet so maybe there is more info about the Lab and Chinese agents. It would be nice to find a very large lab like the one that was to be in Van Buren. Or at least a room where there was a lab with some clear info that says that USA government had top secret bio research going on there.

Anyway, the Hoover Dam sabotage (which is canon now, even if now the Chinese tried to sabotage the dam itself, and not any secret lab) and the event in which Chinese agents stole Limit 115 are two different events.

That is completely unrelated to the New Plague spreading.

It would be cool to see a DLC on the origins of the New Plague and see how the agents came by it.

I agree that the chinese trying to sabotage the damn and the Limit 115 are two different events but what in game info makes the chinese sabotage of the Dam canon? that is besideds a box of chinese stealth suits or OA which is a simulation and can't be trusted.

I'd say that the OA reference TOGETHER with the FNV suits make me pretty sure that it's canon.

According to the Wiki the OA reference everyone keeps mentioning is from a cut terminal, AND the same cut source says that it's unsuccessful because they captured the suits. And it seems to me that if a sabotage attempt is made canon by NV then it occurred just before the great war and not back in the 2050s, because it would senseless for the suits to just be sitting around for 20 years. The release of New Plague from Hoover Dam can't be canon in any case, not only because there are no secret labs in Hoover Dam, but because if they were successful then the suits wouldn't be sitting in a box in a Hoover Dam storeroom.

New Plague release and Hoover Dam sabotage were different events even in Van Buren. Both simply involved Chinese agents in stealth suits.

OA is a simulation can it really be trusted? it was programmed for training to take back Alaska. Would have been built years before retaking of Alaska to train. Why would they make it after? I am a little fuzzy on the details of how Hoover Dam is mentioned in OA but I would not trust it.

The stealth suits at the Dam to me are just an easter egg left by the Devs of New Vegas some of which worked on Van Buren. It would be better if there was a lab or a computer with info about it all. I say this because New Plague is a big event before the Great War even though we know little about it. I would think if Fallout as finally going to talk about it in game they would do more then two stealth suits in a box.

But the Hoover Dam sabotage had nothing to do with the New Plague. And the New Plague has been mentioned since Fallout 1.

Nothing that is referenced in OA can make us sure of anything thanks to the anknowledged problems with the simulation. In fact, I think we need to check there really is an Anchorage.

Well, considering the simulation is about reclaiming Alaska from the Chinese, it would be fair to assume it was built just before the Great War happened in order to train soldiers not for Alaska, but for China itself (lets not forget General Jingwei's sword was in the armory, and he was the commander of Chinese forces in Anchorage). Using Alaska as an area to test in would have been appropriate, especially to boost morale for the troops using it that they just "re-took" Alaska. But, I could be completely wrong about this.

Also, the Hoover Dam reference in OA was cut from the final version of the game, so it should be assumed that its non-canon.

I agree. Where New plague came from is unknown. Any info from Van Buren about secret research is not canon because New Vegas has no information about, no labs only stealth suits. Still the sabotage in Van Buren happened shortly before the Great War. New Plague was many years before that.

So...so far we've established that there was a sabotage attempt but it had nothing to do with the New Plague?