Fallout by Interplay is an excellent game. I should know I have already invested a great many hours going through the various plots (there are a great many more than
is initially apparent).
The first part of the game is spent trying to find the chip for the vault's water recycling system. This is a timed event so I will point you in the right direction. If you talk
to enough people, you will find out about Necropolis (city of ghouls and mutants). I won't tell you where, but there is a hidden vault under the city and it has what
you need. Once you have the chip and take it back to vault 13, you get some breathing room. Hope this helps those that are stumped.