Charles Curling

Lieutenant Colonel Doctor Charles Curling is head of the United States Chemical Corps in 2242.

Background
A very tired looking man in a white coat seemingly perpetually stained with chemicals, Charles Curling's unassuming appearance hides his real position. Ever since 2236, he became the foundation of the Enclave's plan to destroy mutants on a global scale. On July 20th, 2236, Enclave scouts (re)discovered the ruins of the Mariposa Military Base. Curling's Chemical Corps and other scientists began to scour the base, while assault squads began gathering slaves to use for excavating the base. Excavations began in September. The slaves and construction crews dug into the collapsed base, removing tons of rock. Unprotected wastelanders were exposed to low levels of FEV in the ruins, released after the base self destructed and mutations began to occur. At the same time, Frank Horrigan was exposed to the virus and sent to the oil rig for study. By October, Melchior (now mutating) realized that the Enclave would execute him and the others as soon as they recovered the FEV and virus data. He began secreting away weapons for the mutants in anticipation of the confrontation. The excavations were completed in January 2237. Shortly after Curling's men managed to obtain a pure sample of FEV and leave the base, the mutants rose up against their Enclave overseers. After suffering heavy casualties, the Enclave forces fell back and sealed the mutants in the ruins of the facility.

Although it came at a heavy price, the sample allowed the Chemical Corps to start research into the creation of a biological agent that would allow for killing mutants worldwide. Dubbed FEV Curling-13, after the good doctor, the leader of the project, the sample was modified and refined by the Chemical Corps into a staggeringly effective killer. The Enclave defined the project's goal as achieving a global clean sweep with a 99.5% extermination rate. In the meantime, between 2236 and 2238, the scientists also conducted experiment after experiment on Frank Horrigan, including injecting him with modified FEV strains. The mutating trooper was kept heavily sedated: whenever he was conscious, "incidents" occured that result in major bloodshed. By January 2239, tests ran dry and the decision was made to use Horrigan for field work. On March 27, 2239, Horrigan was sealed within power armor custom-manufactured to fit his massive physique. After a number of horrifically successful field tests, he became the Enclave's solution to a number of sticky problems. To protect Enclave citizens from exposure, Curling also developed a vaccine.

In 2241, the project was in its final stages. Although the Enclave ran into shortages of certain critical chemicals, they got around that problem by forming a secret relationship with the Salvatores of New Reno: in exchange for laser pistols, the mobsters provided them with the necessary chemicals made in their drug labs. Final testing required representative population samples for the toxin and the inoculation against it. The Enclave raided Vault 13 on March 16, 2242; the vault's inhabitants were taken to the oil rig, so that the inoculation rendering humans immune to the FEV-based toxin could be tested. At roughly the same time, the village of Arroyo was also raided, to acquire subjects to verify the effectiveness of FEV Curling-13. By Autumn of 2242, the testing was completed and the target toxin efficiency of 99.5% was reached. 250,000 gallons were manufactured and prepared for release into the jet streams. However, hours before the toxin could be released, the Chosen One infiltrated the oil rig, assassinated President Dick Richardson and Frank Horrigan and triggered a nuclear detonation, obliterating the toxin supply and averting global genocide. Curling perished in the blast.

Quests

 * Stop the Enclave: A Speech check allows the player to awaken Curling's dormant conscience, convince him that he is aiding global genocide, and release the FEV toxin into the airducts of the Enclave. The virus kills all unprotected humans within minutes, though Curling inoculates the player and the prisoners through airborne dispersal to protect them. It does not kill the President, however.

Behind the scenes

 * The poem Curling recites when convinced of the horrific nature of his actions is William Blake's The Tyger.

Appearances
Charles Curling appears only in Fallout 2.