Vivian Garrahan

"Someone once said "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." I'm sure whoever came up with that quote never ran a mining company, but their words ring true."

 was the CEO of Garrahan Mining Company.

Background
A bold and risk-taking woman, Vivian led her company in the bitter competition for domination of West Virginia's mining market. While Hornwright bet their chips on increasing automation and elimination of the human element, Vivian invested heavily in humans and bolstering their ability to mine ore. The most important of these projects was the Excavator power armor, engineered with help from ex-military engineer Harold Frost siphoned from the Army's research project. Investing millions of dollars, including a contract shackling them to AMS and expensive black titanium excavation, Vivian staked her company's future on the success of the project. While her son, Bryce, stood by her, the elder Bill just scoffed at the notion, but did nothing to help.

Playing all in, Vivian decided to challenge Hornwright and pit the Excavator against the Auto-Miner, against the recommendations of her husband, Brighton Gould, a jeweler. He recommended that she let the project mature and take root, but her single-minded drive convinced her otherwise. Brighton decided to stand by her, as she believed in him and his ventures. After all, she funded his shop, believing in his plans, and she was responsible for their survey trip to Africa, when she insisted on making repeated survey drills until the made bank on the seventh (normal people gave up after the fourth unsuccessful drill). However, the intensity of the project and the competition were taking their toll on her.

Things were not improved by the miner riots triggered by AMS' seizure of Welch in October or the constant nagging by others to deal with the situation by force. She rejected them, whether they be overtures by HalluciGen to use pacification gas or Bill Garrahan's idiocy about shooting miners with miniguns. She believed in dealing with people peacefully, no matter what happened. For this, she enjoyed their loyalty and friendship, at least those who worked with her. To those who were laid off or denied employment, she was a monster on par with Daniel Hornwright.

When the Man vs. Machine challenge ended and Hornwright worn by less than two tons, Vivian was devastated. The company was in free-fall after this humiliation, with the Excavator project scrapped on the spot, creditors at the door, and her very employees resenting her. Determined to see Garrahan through these dark days, Vivian considered many options - even leasing Auto-Miners from Hornwright to bring additional money in or moving the entire operation to the Adirondacks. Most importantly, however, she decided that maybe giving up the spot of CEO and handing it over to her sons was the wisest course of action.

Appearances
is only mentioned in Fallout 76.