Free Economic Zone of New Vegas

The Free Economic Zone of New Vegas is a city state led by Robert House in New Vegas. Although it is formally founded if House establishes sovereignty over the Mojave, in practice, it exists in a practical capacity throughout Mr House's rule in New Vegas.

History
The foundation of the Free Economic Zone was laid in 2274, when after detecting NCR advance parties at Hoover Dam, House emerged from hiding and began restoring the city in order to meet the Republic as a host and a bargaining partner. He extended an offer of employment to the tribes inhabiting the city: in return for his considerable resources and access to medical facilities, food, water, clothing, and other high value goods, they would work for him, restoring the city, running its services, and defending it, if need be. Most tribes turned down the offer, but three (the future Chairmen, Omertas, and White Glove Society) did. Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.41: "The Strip Before the Great War started, Mr. House used his considerable genius and wealth to ensure that no missiles would strike the city of Las Vegas. Though a few warheads did get through in the outskirts, most of the city was spared. Despite this, the Strip itself was not re-settled, and after close to two hundred years, Mr. House immediately began searching for a mysterious Platinum Chip, and rebuilding the glory of Las Vegas. Sending out Securitron scouts, Mr. House started negotiating with local tribes to exchange his considerable resource stockpiles for their help. Some of the tribes resisted, but three tribes eventually gained Mr. House's favor. They became the Omertas, Chairmen, and White Glove Society, running the Gomorrah, Tops, and Ultra-Luxe casinos, respectively. Because Mr. House was dedicated to restoring Las Vegas, he insisted on transforming the tribes into families with cultures that harkened back to Vegas' glory days. ''In the process of rebuilding the Strip, Mr. House also effectively "bought out" the residents of Vault 21. After they evacuated, he had the Vault stripped of useful technology, most of its actual volume filled with concrete, and the entrance turned into a gift shop and small hotel. While the families were rebuilding the casinos, the rest of the locals were hard at work erecting an enormous wall around the Strip. When NCR traders and explorers arrived on the scene, they were amazed at the Strip and returned back to California with tales of opulence and great wealth awaiting travelers. Eventually, the NCR military itself arrived and were surprised to find the Strip so well-protected and heavily policed. Though they struck a deal with Mr. House to establish a base in the area (along with control of Hoover Dam), the NCR has never had control of The Strip. After the Battle of Hoover Dam, the NCR negotiated an MP (military police) presence on The Strip, but their influence remains small. Though the tribes that became The Strip's families were once hatefully opposed to each other, the demands of Mr. House have forced the families to play nice. They continue to hold long-standing grudges, but do not act openly against each other for fear of angering Mr. House."'' (Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide faction profiles) With House's aid, these three tribes drove the others out of the Strip and into the surrounding areas. The future Kings claimed what became Freeside, establishing a semblance of social order there. The Great Khans were particularly hard-hit, forced to settle at Bitter Springs and abandon all claim to the northern Mojave.

When the Republic's military arrived, it found a considerable presence in the city of Vegas and Hoover Dam. The combined forces of Securitrons and tribals resulted in them bargaining with House, rather than conquering the city outright. The resulting New Vegas Treaty normalized relations between the Republic and the FEZ, securing an influx of money and tourists to the city, NCR protection, but without formal annexation. House was aware that the NCR only negotiated to avoid a protracted war for New Vegas, which would leave them vulnerable to the Caesar's Legion. He knew that President Aaron Kimball would gladly trade the blood of hundreds of Republican troops for Hoover Dam. As such, he began working towards securing the FEZ's independence.

The Republic was harnessed as an income source for the FEZ, allowing House to steadily expand his influence and power base. The ultimate goal was to allow the NCR to bleed while fighting the Legion in the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, while setting up conditions that would ensure that House would be the sole party dictating terms once the dust cleared.

With independence, House aims to use the city as a catalyst for the restoration of civilization. It would be one of the most vital trading partners of the Republic, drawing income from exports of water and energy to the Republic, as well as tourists and traders flowing into the city. Meanwhile, House would use that wealth to restart high technology sectors within twenty years. Within fifty, he aims to restart the conquest of space, with another fifty allowing him to send colonization ships to extrasolar planets. The projected timeline is largely an estimate based on available data.

Organization
"If you can't hold to a contract, simply for the ethic of holding to a contract, you're worthless to me."

- Robert House

The FEZ is an autocracy, with all power (legislative, executive, and largely judicial) centralized in the hands of the Chief Executive, Robert House. House states that he has no interest in abusing power, controlling the private affairs of people living in the FEZ, or installing himself as a machine god messiah, with his judgement and utmost rationality being a guarantee of fairness as autocrat of the FEZ-NV.

In practice, House adheres strictly to the letter of all contracts he signs and expects others to do the same. Violation of contractual obligations earns his scorn, at best, and violent retaliation, at worst. The latter is usually reserved for particularly severe violations, for example, if the White Glove Society returned to its noxious habit of eating people. Examples of his adherence include limiting the jurisdiction of Securitrons to the Strip, with casinos being off-limits except under extraordinary circumstances and withholding the original tribal name of the White Gloves, even in a situation where no adverse effect could be produced.

A direct result of House's disinterest in legislating people's behavior is the absence of any checks and balances on himself or anyone else. Although he would have the FEZ become an independent, dynamic, high-technology enterprise zone, he would not intervene in the affairs of the people as long as his basic rules were followed. The New Vegas libertopia would be a place where the strong prey on the weak, ruling without limits as long as their strength lasts, and the weak are continuously trampled, lulled by the dream of becoming strong themselves one day.

Military
FEZ-NV relies primarily on its robotic Securitron force as a deterrent. Under the Treaty of New Vegas, the burden of securing the Mojave rests squarely on the shoulders of the NCR Army, with Securitron jurisdiction limited to policing the Strip alongside Republican military policemen. However, with House's victory after the Battle, Securitron MkII robots become the primary enforcer of law and security throughout the Mojave, in the absence of Republican military units.

Economy
Like the pre-war casinos Las Vegas had before, the FEZ's economy is based almost entirely on tourism and gambling. Nearly all profits are gained from NCR citizens and soldiers vacationing on the Strip and partaking in its various casinos making the FEZ's economy based entirely around tourism. To ensure profit from every entrant into the Strip, the person must pass a credit check of 2000 caps or more at the gate. This is to prevent squatters and otherwise non-affording persons from taking away valuable foot traffic. To supplement the income gained from tourists, House offers franchisee agreements to any person who wants to sell foodstuffs, non-alcoholic beverages (alcohol is solely for casinos), and other items on the Strip. The individuals that work under the franchisee agreement must forfeit 50% of their profits to Mr. House at the end of each working day, while the franchisee keeps the rest.

While almost entirely a tourist economy, Mr. House is making strides to expand his economic prospects by acquiring control of Hoover Dam. Should Mr. House acquire Hoover Dam, he begins exporting water and power to the NCR should they comply with the term of withdrawal. Exporting both power and water and the rates he set would be a giant step in bringing the FEZ into a more traditional export led growth that would bolster the coffers of the FEZ immensely.

Foreign relations
The FEZ is a major partner for the New California Republic, which is New Vegas' largest and most powerful customer. The fact that the NCR aims to annex the Mojave and New Vegas as the sixth state of the union proves the FEZ's influence but is problematic for relations between the two. Regardless of what the NCR wants, Mr. House plans to make all NCR military personnel withdrawal from the immediate New Vegas area and to charge exuberant fees to the NCR on power and water from Hoover Dam once the current conflict over it ends to further tighten his grip on the NCR.

Interactions with the player character
The player can help establish the FEZ as an independent, sovereign state by aiding Robert House, first as a contractor, and then as his protege. This is done through the quests, The House Always Wins.

Technology
The FEZ is one of the most technologically advanced states in post-War America, with access to an army of Securitrons (which can be upgraded by the Courier for Robert House), pre-War stockpiles of technology and resources, Lucky 38's reactor, which allows for self-sufficiency energy-wise, and, on a more personal level, incredibly advanced life-prolongation techniques.

Appearances
The Free Economic Zone of New Vegas appears in Fallout: New Vegas.