TERAPRO
| Theian Energy Research Prototype Reactor Operations | |
|---|---|
  | |
| General Information | |
| Type | Research facility and power plant |
| Para-Community Class | Minor-Prevalence |
| Aliases |
|
| Parent Location | Iujadogia |
| Height | 5 Kilometers |
| Date of Construction |
|
| Purpose | Energy Research |
| Controlled By | |
| Demographic Information | |
| Leader | Administrator (unknown) |
| Population | 75,621 |
| Notable Inhabitants |
|
| Species | |
| Environmental Information | |
| Environment | Cavern |
| Historical Information | |
| Discovered In | 116 (Rediscovered) |
The Theian Energy Research and Prototype Reactor Operations facility is a research institute, power plant, and functioning subterranean city located under the West Plateau in Iujadogia on planet Theia. Run by a select few administrators chosen jointly by the governments of Iujadogia and Asophania, TERAPRO is responsible for around 60% of Theia's power production, sourced from it's Dark Fusion Reactor. It is an amalgamation of two formerly separate facilities - the ANTER research facility and the PRO reactor.
TERAPRO is located in a deceased superorganism, presumed to be the same species as the Nislandian Range Superorganism. Many thousand years ago, this once-living organism had died and over time it's spongy flesh had calcified into a easily-dug mineral that surrounded a huge central cavity, which became the location of the facility. The main facility is situated at the very top of this cavity. Further sub-levels stretch down this 5-kilometre deep cave, however these remain derelict after centuries of disuse. There are two other similarly sized cavities that stretch nearly 10 kilometres deeper than TERAPRO's lowest point (Sub-level 3), firstly the cavern that housed the Flavros Project, and lastly the site of the "portal clock."
History
Founded as ANTER (Aquilean and North Theian Energy Research) by Aquilean scientists in 657 BCE, the project was considered secondary to the more lucrative ASTER project in Arcoradia, however funding was redirected to ANTER following the discovery of a more ideal facility location in modern-day Iujadogia. For secrecy precautions, they constructed their first facility at the bottom of the cave, near the entrance to the creature's colonic fistula, another bigger cave that could be entered through a steep, narrow passage. Many explorers were sent down the passage canal, but few returned, reporting that their peers had "lost their grip" and fallen into the even deeper cave below. Setting up supply routes to the surface, they constructed what is now Sub-Level 3, and the now disused elevator shaft that led to the surface. Among these first scientists to start researching at TERAPRO was the Kaphi'si Carbonado from Lilaci'ah, having been ordered by Hecate to work for Nihilantis, the god of Aquilae, as part of her gifts of gratitude towards the rest of the Nine. Carbonado would quickly rise to become the project lead for ANTER.
Beginnings of "TERAPRO"
Around 200 years later, construction of a new facility immediately above the current one had begun, and after its completion, sub-level 3 was scuttled following an unknown incident. Additionally, Carbonado ordered the construction of the prototype reactor operations (PRO) facility, which contained the new Dark Fusion Reactor. It began producing small amounts of power on it's own, but not enough to power any significant area. Two years later, the two sectors of the facilities began operating under one name - ANTERaPRO (Aquilean and North Theian Energy Research and Prototype Reactor Operations) This name stuck until the ASTER facility rechristened itself as IRIPHOS, eventually leading the facility to settle on the name TERAPRO.
Around 40 years before the Cataclysm, work began on sub-level 1, which was completed shortly after, leaving TERAPRO with two fully-functioning facilities. However, after only a few years, the facility was mothballed to focus resources on concluding the ongoing Great Theian War between the Bejrik Order and its allies against Kanar. Against all odds, Nihilantis went rogue, unleashing his rage upon Theia, beginning the Cataclysm. Concurrently, for unknown reasons, the reactor began absorbing abnormal amounts of elemental energy from it's surroundings, beginning an incredible power surge that was soon put under control and the energy source within was conserved. TERAPRO was then operating once more as a sanctuary for the survivors of the Cataclysm after Theia was ejected into outer space and the surface quickly froze over into a hellish wasteland.
Post-Cataclysm
Almost 400 years later, in 116 CE, Yatan explorers discovered Theia, having entered the orbit of their Solar System. People poured out of TERAPRO as soon as Theia was inhabitable again, founding Iujadogia in the ruins of Aquilae. With the elemental energy that used to flow through Theia now heavily reduced, TERAPRO, along with IRIPHOS and the Polsk facility Ingalina became the leading powers in resource production and scientific research. A new facility, namably "New TERAPRO", which is now the currently used main level of the facility, was constructed just above the Dark Fusion Reactor at the ceiling of the cave. As Theia re-developed from the ruins of the Cataclysm, the reactor began producing mass amounts of energy through Carbonado's innovative energy production model.
During the SDS-001 containment breach, the facility once again became a subterranean refuge. Two years into the incident, a riot began, leading to the facility suffering heavy damage, but it was for the most part rebuilt after the loose ends surrounding the Insurgency were tied up. Having practically proved to the Iujadogian government that TERAPRO could self-sustain, the facility lobbied for representation in the national government, which was soon accepted. International moderators in the talks described the facility's tactic as "coercion" and "blackmail", yet TERAPRO denied this.
In the year 213 CE, a sudden, anomalous load shedding event occurred across the facility, which briefly affected the facility's backup generators. Critically, this provides the power link to Sub Level 3, which back then was recently re-opened as an aseismic, bomb-proof, well-hidden research unit. This allowed for the release of a mysterious creature, who Carbonado had previously contained in Sub Level 3 following the entity's escape from Level -42 by means of a liminal anomaly. This led to the deaths of Jimmy Navarro and an unnamed woman from the Latina Nuclear Plant. The entity would go on to be classified over 100 years later following its containment.
In 472 CE TERAPRO was 'nationalised' by the Yatan-Theian Federation and placed under the guidance of the Department of Scientific Research as a part of a plea deal to avoid the consequences of its failures when it came to dealing with the Eos Crisis, though it regardless retained much of its autonomy. After the Federation's collapse and reorganization as Federalized territories of the Yatan-Theian Accord, TERAPRO remained under the new 'Scientific Research Division' albeit with much more autonomy than it did previously.
Alpha Supersector
The main facility, that is the bulk of the facility excluding the Dark Fusion Reactor, is referred to as the Alpha Supersector, and is divided by function into eight "sectors".
Sector A
Sector A is the core of the facility and thus its largest sector, spanning eight floors (eleven when sub-levels are included). It contains over 30 research laboratory spaces (of which 12 belong to the Translocation Technology Initiative), the security complex, the coolant system, plus the entire residential network and its amenities. It occupies almost all of the section of the facility known as "New TERAPRO", which also contains Sectors C,G,H.
Sector B
Sector B is dedicated to the research and development of artificial intelligence, and is situated in a complex beside New TERAPRO, linked to Sector H. The central focus is the AI known as Gilbert (sometimes considered a retroactive acronym for Genetic Intelligent Lifeform belongside Energy Research and Transhumanism), who was designed to assume partial control of the facility's more automatic functions. Other ventures in this sector include the design of smaller, more widely-applicable forms of artificial intelligence and integration.
Sector C
Sector C houses the facility's teleporter as well as the attached teleportation research labs. Since the teleporter became fully operational around 319 CE, research in this sector has focused on the applications of teleportation outside of TERAPRO, which has proven to be an immense challenge for centuries.
Sector D
Sector D is not so much a "place", but is instead an umbrella term for all of the maintenance-related areas across the entire facility.
Sector E
Sector E houses the Biodome Complex which has two primary functions. It's primary focus is agricultural research beyond standard habitable environments, researching and cultivating crops better attuned for lower light exposure, zero-gravity or even different wavelengths of light. In times of emergency in the facility, the Biodome Complex is additionally well-equipped to provide food for TERAPRO's 75,000 residents for up to 2 years upfront, with the capacity to output food at a self-sustainable rate for up to 215,000 residents.
Sector G
Sector G is the administration complex situated at the highest point within New TERAPRO. Within the scope of TERAPRO itself, it is the most secure and defended area of the facility requiring at least Level 11 clearance to access the elevator up. It is also only accessible via a revolving bridge that can easily cut off access. Within it houses the offices of the Administrator, their residence, and attached amenities. Furthermore, it contains the diplomatic offices of the facility used to manage TERAPRO's complex relations with Theian nations and beyond as if it were a polity itself. As such, Sector G also houses small-scale consulates that represent national interests in the facility. It is rumoured (but actually known to Isla and Psychotria) that Sector G is home to the "secret sector" known as Sector CG - the cryogenic storage faculty used to preserve and monitor high-profile dissidents and prisoners.
Sector H
Sector H, spanning three floors of New TERAPRO, houses the specialised laboratories. Here, research is beyond the scope of TERAPRO and instead belongs to independent (yet sanctioned) research units whose focuses are different from that of what TERAPRO normally oversees in Sector A. It also contains resident units from affiliated research facilities, which, before their divestment following the Share Wars and the Eos Incident, included researchers from Asolab and Kraken Base.
Sector I
Sector I is unique in that it is a refurbished section of part of the facility that had been deprecated for centuries. The sub-level 3 complex as it is known now is adjacent to the original ANTER facility (albeit separated by a blast door seal) and is informally known as the "Doomsday Complex" due to its function as a redoubt within the facility, primarily for high-profile figures. It contains enough provisions to house the entire administration (around 30 people) for ten years, and also houses the override breaker room used to control the facility's functions in times of emergency. In the past, the complex was used as an unsanctioned experimental cloning facility - this has since been relocated to the sub-levels of Sector A following TERAPRO approval of the research.
Omega (PRO) Supersector (F)
The PRO supersector of the facility is located adjacent to the rest of TERAPRO and contains the Dark Fusion Reactor. When referring to the sector scheme, it is informally classified as Sector F. The reactor originally operated by converting absorbed elemental energy directly into mechanical work to produce usable energy, however the Cataclysm led to the dissipation of most of Theia's elemental energy reserves. From 120 CE onwards, the reactor has operated by utilising trace amounts of elemental energy to catalyse nuclear fusion of tritium, which releases substantially more energy to produce mechanical work.
Iota Supersector (J)
The Iota Supersector is located roughly 4km below the old ANTER facility and thus is situated 8 kilometres below the Alpha and Omega Supersectors. It is home to an experimental device, the Quantum Positionary Hyperdrive via Anchored Stationary Entangement (Q-PHASE, colloquially known as the Stationary Hyperdrive - SH) which was built to the exact same specifications as the quantum tunnelling device present within the former Flavros Project, and is built where it once stood. With regards to the sector system, it is informally classified as Sector J. Although closely linked to Sector C, research here is different in how it aims to pioneer long-range teleportation technology but importantly analysing its energy efficiency to make it more viable than conventional FTL methods. Although a small spaceship could pass through the portal it creates it's primary flow is designed to be information, not people or objects.
Anomaly Containment Department
TERAPRO has been permitted to contain anomalous beings, as long as their containment sections are under SDS Supervision. These are typically at the depths of the cavern that Terapro is situated in.
