Danganronpa: Fallout

Prologue Part 1 - A Whole New-Clear World

War. War never changes. 

People may say that the further humanity advances, the more advanced weapons we invent, as the older models on which warfare used to rely on become obsolete, so to say. But that's merely the surface level of war. Because while the weapons may advance, the names and opponents may change, the means and motives are always the same. 

Thutmose III extended the lengths of the Ancient Egyptian Empire to heights never seen before. Alexander the Great sought to topple the Persian Empire and gain power over the entire known world. Julius Caesar's pride and ambition fueled his desire to become dictator of the Roman Republic. Attila and his ruthless army of Huns raided and scorched countless cities across the east Roman Empire, striking fear into their hearts. Regardless of their motivations, every well-known military leader has needed to resort to some form of violence and bloodshed as their means to achieve power, resources, and accomplish their achievements for which we know them for today.

Even now, in the year 2077, the means and motives of war remain. With rapid technological advancement came the demand for fossil fuels, oil, gasoline, and nuclear energy. As our natural resources and fossil fuels began to run dry, conflict and chaos followed. The European Commonwealth collapsed and turned on each other to gain whatever final resources they had. This would start a series of conflicts known as "The Resource Wars". 

The Middle Eastern Oil fields ran dry. Out of desperation to keep their fossil fuels, the US annexed Canada to protect Alaska from Chinese invaders trying to gain whatever oil was left. Tensions between the United States of America and the People's Republic of China have never been higher. Even with the invention of the T-51 power armor suit and an invasion on mainland Chinese soil, the Sino-American war would wage for a decade. 

That added to the fact that both sides possessed an arsenal of countless nuclear weapons at their disposal, and fears of impending nuclear annihilation skyrocketed. Many nations were worried that if the situation kept progressing at this rate, it would only be a matter of time until nuclear war breaks out. The big ol' mushroom cloud sendoff, so to say, looked to be inevitable. And coming sooner than expected.

To prepare in the event that a nuclear holocaust did occur, a series of underground fallout shelters were built by a large American corporation, Vault-Tec Industries, across the United States. These vaults were designed to make sure a small amount of people could survive underground amidst the radioactive wasteland and bombings outside. Provided with enough accommodations so any inhabitants could wait out the horrors of nuclear devastation, and one day, maybe even recolonize the Earth. While not all of them receive the same privileges as other vaults, they're quite efficient at their job, according to Vault-Tec's lawyers.

This fear of nuclear war was shared by the Hope's Peak Academy Committee as well. Hope's Peak Academy is a wealthy academic institution located in Japan. It's where the bravest and brightest individuals across the world, from every imaginable field, were brought here and instructed to shape the economy of the nation's fields for the betterment of society. Getting an invitation to join could set you up for life. 

As a last minute project proposal designed to protect their Ultimate Students to help rebuild the future, Hope's Peak's principal, Jin Kirigiri, and Vault-Tec's investors struck an international investment deal in 2073. Two vaults were built by Hope's Peak to protect their students (and some staff members): Vault 222, located directly underneath the academy building, and Vault 223, located just outside of the big city. Each vault is equipped with Vault-Tec state-of-the-art advanced technology. Like all vaults, 222 and 223 have their own special perks, such as [INFORMATION REDACTED FOR STORY PURPOSES]

Vault-Tec representatives would later sign a deal with Japanese investors from Viosan a few months later, and build a handful of other vaults in Japan in the event of such a disaster. Only a few dozen or so could be built due to the prohibitively expensive costs of building such vaults, and the massive bill that came with the American-made ones. But then again, a few more costs would also mean a few more profits to harvest for Vault-Tec Industries.