Table of Contents
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A Block
Helipad 1, Roof (AR), Fourth Floor (A4)
Designed to handle up to three heavy-lift helicopters simultaneously, the A Block helipad is equipped to offload and distribute cargo quickly and efficiently via two large cargo elevators. Distinctive angled wind/snow-breaks surround the perimeter of the pad. Rest and refuelling facilities are located immediately below on the fourth floor, along with temporary storage space.
Central Command, Third Floor (A3)
The nerve centre of Area-354, Command handles the smooth running of the site at a strategic level. All administrative functions are housed here, as well as radar and long range communications. A situation room dominates the centre of the floor, with a large screen showing the current status of all five Blocks. Site- or Block-wide public announcements are able to be made from this room. The Site Director's office adjoins the situation room, along with a pair of briefing/conference rooms. Large, thick, bulletproof windows give Command staff a panoramic view of the entire Site.
Archives, Second Floor (A2)
Even though the Site's administration is mostly done electronically, the activities of Area-354 generate a prodigious amount of paperwork, much of which is sensitive and has to be kept for future use. The Archives, overseen by Espionage, fill this need, providing long term storage for hard-copies of personnel files, experiment reports, after-action debriefings and other important documents. Documents are stored in protected filing cabinets, with especially sensitive material kept in a fortified safe-room. Next to this room is Espionage Director's office. Agents may request access to files at the front desk, immediately in front of the elevator.
Security, Ground Floor (AG)
Home to the Site's contingent of guards and response teams, Security maintains a constant vigil over the many rooms and corridors of Area-354 from the state-of-the-art Monitoring Centre, with a multitude of screens showing feeds from every camera and sensor on base. The Security Director's office is located directly adjacent. In addition, Security also houses an indoor 50m firing range. Limited to weapons firing pistol ammunition not exceeding .44 Magnum, the range's 25 lanes are available to all staff 24 hours a day. Larger calibres are directed to the outdoor range. Finally, this floor contains the Brig, with a selection of short-term and long-term High- and Low-security cells for offenders.
The Armoury, Sub-Level 1 (SA1)
The Armoury is the Red Pool's central logistics hub, handling everything from weapons and ammunition to soap and toilet paper. Everything delivered to Area-354 goes through here, under the watchful eye of Quartermaster Lachlann McKinnon, destined for either the sprawling storerooms or transport to another section of the site. Access to the back rooms is rare - requests are dealt with at the front counter, immediately after entering the floor.
Medical, Sub-Level 2 (SA2)
Though comparatively small, Area-354's med bay equals, if not surpasses, the average metropolitan hospital. Director Reginald Carrel ensures that the wards are kept spotlessly clean from his office in the middle of the floor, and with several surgical suites, a 20 bed capacity and a range of specialised treatment facilities, the hard-working doctors and nurses are equipped to deal with nearly any medical emergency the Pool can throw at them. General wards are located around the outside wall, while the specialist facilities are clustered around the central column.
B Block
Cafeteria, Ground Floor (BG)
Serving 4 square meals a day, the Red Pool Caf operates at full capacity from 6AM to 10PM, with self-service facilities available 24 hours a day for those who prefer to do their own cooking. Seating provided for up to 50% of staff at any one time. The north side of the hall is taken up by the queuing and serving areas, as well facilities for making coffee, tea and other drinks.
Recreation Room, Ground Floor (BG)
Adjoining the Cafeteria, 'The Rec' serves as the primary social centre for those assigned to the drudgery (and occasional terror) of Area-354. Couches, chairs and coffee tables are provided, along with a smattering of recliners. A large screen TV adorns each end of the room, and a fireplace sits in the centre of the far wall. Also available are a selection of vending machines and facilities for making tea and coffee. Adjoining the rec is a games room, which includes a pair of pool tables and some arcade machines, as well as a cabinet of board games for those so inclined. Finally, the wall next to the rec room door hosts several large bulletin boards, used by Command and staff alike to post notices. One of these is devoted to photos of the deceased.
Billets, Sub-Level 1 (SB1)
Primary base housing facilities. Every staff member is given a small room - these come with a desk, wardrobe, set of shelves, chest of drawers, a bed and an attached bathroom. Poolboy rooms ring the central column, while general staff accommodation is located around the outer wall.
Gymnasium, Sub-Level 2 (SB2)
Working in an environment that alternates between boredom and sheer terror on a weekly and daily basis, it is considered imperative that staff have somewhere to work off stress and tension, or simply blow off steam. A fully featured gym is provided for all agents stationed at Area-354, and comes stocked with a wide variety of exercise equipment, martial arts training aids and space in which to practice whichever regimen is preferred.
C Block
Helipad 2, Roof (CR)
More compact than its busier A Block cousin, the C Block helipad serves primarily as a backup, though it is occasionally used for airlifting special-order components and personnel to Maintenance. Designed to handle a single heavy-lift chopper, and equipped with an outsize cargo elevator.
Maintenance, Ground Floor (CG))
Loud, bright and often dirty, the majority of Maintenance is taken up by a maze of storage lockers, equipment bays, test rigs, workbenches and heavy machinery. A large, clear section around the central pillar is reserved for large projects, though most of the time it's used as temporary storage for fabricated parts. Maintenance Director Frank Ricigliano can usually be found at a battered desk in the raised offices on the east side, from which he co-ordinates the controlled chaos of the department with his foremen.
Garage, Sub-Level 1 (SC1)
Currently home to a motley assortment of (mostly broken-down) vehicles left over from the construction of the new Area, the cavernous bays of the Site garage can support anything up to the equivalent a reinforced armoured company. Large retractable doors cover entrance and exit ramps on the north and south sides of C Block respectively, each of which is large enough to take two heavy movers at once. Basic refuel and repair facilities are provided in each bay, with extended maintenance bays located around the centre column.
Environmental Controls, Sub-Level 2 (SC2)
Life Support provides the majority of the Site's potable water, air filtering, heating, cooling and electricity distribution. Fully staffed 24 hours a day, guards are posted at every entrance, and will deny entry to unauthorised personnel. Smaller, backup Life Support sections are located under every Block, and each can provide its Block with 24 hours of the projected air, water, heating/cooling and electricity requirements in the event of a system failure.
Reactor, Sub-Level 3 (SC3)
The Reactor complex is probably the most shielded portion of Area-354, surrounded by metres of lead, armour and concrete and mounted on a bed of springs to absorb shocks. A single 300MW system supplies the entire Site, with the entire level connected to the rest of C Block by three passages, one for personnel entry, one for personnel exit and the final passage for cables and coolant. Checkpoints, barriers and blast doors are a regular feature, even more so than other portions of the site, and Security will not hesitate to detain possible trespassers. In extreme cases, lethal force is authorised without hesitation.
D Block
Research and Development, Ground Floor (DG), Sub-Level 1 (SD1)
Packed with labs and testing areas of various descriptions, Research is the playground of the scientists and engineers working and experimenting at Area-354. Non-hazardous and routine work is carried out on the Ground Floor, while more dangerous and unpredictable testing is restricted to the specially strengthened and reinforced laboratories of Sub-Level 1. Laboratories are, for the most part, fairly communal, and each discipline has their own dedicated area with specialist equipment.
Containment, Sub-Level 2 (SD2)
Purposefully detached from the rest of Research at the end of a 50m long shaft, Containment is a silent, concrete and metal prison, housing captured anomalies and retrieved items. Eight 'spokes' radiate out from the central column, each a featureless passageway terminating in five separate, high security, lifeform containment cells. Each of these passageways is able to sealed off at both ends by thick blast doors, or as a last resort, demolition charges can collapse them entirely. Lower security cells and items storage rooms ring the column, and checkpoints are a constant feature.
E Block
Pool Overwatch, Second Floor (E2)
Located above (and around) the sub bay, Overwatch is the first line of defence against emergence events from the Pool. From here SCP-354 is monitored and enclosed, ensuring that anything arriving via the anomaly will find itself contained in fairly short order. Overwatch is effectively divided up into two sections:
- Command Section - Effectively a miniature barracks, armoury and command centre all rolled into one, this area takes up most of the second floor, and houses the Quick Reaction Force, the first responders to Pool incursions. From here, E Block can be locked down in seconds, sealing it off from the Red Pool and/or rest of Area-354. Researchers are a common sight here, taking advantage of the proximity to the SCP to conduct experiments, or simply observe from behind multiple panels of impact resistant glass. Anyone wishing to enter the enclosure will require permission from their Director, or the officer on watch.
- The Wall - The most visible part of the site (in no small part thanks to the bright red of the anomaly it contains) the Wall completely encircles SCP-354, preventing arriving Pool entities from escaping prior to neutralisation or containment. Extremely thick and comprised of concrete, reinforced with steel and [REDACTED], the Wall extends 12m above and 6m below ground, at a distance of 50m from the Pool proper. Much like a dam wall, it angles in at the base, and is topped by catwalks, allowing fire to be directed down into the enclosure from multiple points. Floodlights, sensor arrays and razor wire ring the periphery.
Submarine Bay, Ground Floor (EG)
Built into the Wall and protected by thick exterior doors, the Sub Bay is the only access point to the Red Pool. Inside, Area-354's collection of underwater exploratory equipment is stored and maintained - four separate bays house submersibles, while SCUBA and diving gear fills lockers on the south side. To get its metal charges into the Pool, the sub bay operates much like a rail yard, using a turntable and strips of large polyurethane "donut" rollers built into the floor to transport the submarines from their bays out to the Platform. Once there, two vehicles can be launched at once via built-in ramps.
Platform, Ground Floor (EG)
A large, reinforced concrete slab, fronting directly on to SCP-354. Two large ramps sit either side of the centre of the platform, from which the Pier extends. Heavy weaponry has been emplaced to cover the anomaly, the most visible of which is a pair of large cannon, set up at opposite ends of the slab. Originally, more modern 25mm weapons were planned, but these were requisitioned for another, more urgent project, forcing planners to seek substitutes. A frantic search of US and Canadian naval warehouses lead to the discovery and appropriation of a pair of 40mm Bofors guns in powered naval mounts, mothballed after being stripped from the ex-HMCS Terra Nova. Following a hurried refurbishment the two weapons were rushed to Area-354 and pressed into service, though this quick turnaround time was not without its repercussions - placed in positions designed around another gun, the Boffins mounting cannot depress its barrel as far as the 25mm, and under a certain point simply cannot aim at a target.
Though technically museum pieces, the Bofors guns are well liked by their operators, who engage in a (usually) friendly rivalry with each other, competing to see which 5 person crew (Mount Captain, Aimer, Loader and ammunition carriers) can get their weapon into action the fastest, and sustain the highest rate of fire. 8 ready-use 4-round clips are stored on the gun, with another 24 in easy-access containers behind the mount. A mix of HE and AP rounds are carried.
Pier, Ground Floor (EG)
Extending from the Platform, out over the depths of SCP-354, the 15m retractable, grated, steel span of the Pier gives the Poolboys access to launched submarines for missions into the Pool. Railings line either side; these collapse inwards when the Pier is being retracted.
Outside
The Pool
The raison d'ĂȘtre for Area-354 and its associated Special Task Force, SCP-354 (The 'Red Pool') sits to the north of the Site, joined via E Block. The crimson 'water' that gives it its name sits in sullen stillness, occasionally rippling in response to an unseen force. Efforts to identify the exact point where SCP-354 ends and normal earth begins have thus far proved unsuccessful, so staff working within the enclosure are directed to stay a minimum of 1m from the currently placed yellow demarcation line, which rings the Pool 5m from the highest recorded point.
Fullbore Range
Effectively the indoor range's larger cousin. The main area consists of 700m rifle range, and is able to accommodate 30 shooters in a sheltered firing pavilion, with the range master controlling the moving, pop-up targets from an elevated booth. A short distance to the left of the primary range, heavy and explosive weapons such as machine guns, grenades and rocket launchers have their own dedicated testing range - its 1500m length means that this also doubles as a sniper practice area. To the right of the rifle range a pair of Live Fire Shoot Houses have been constructed, for use in Security's advanced tactical training.
Security personnel are rostered to provide range safety, and the entire zone is surrounded by a combination of bullet-resistant walls and thick, earthen berms.
Site Perimeter
Surviving largely unscathed from the chaos of the November 2012 emergence event, the perimeter of Area-354 remains much the same as ever, comprising two thick chain-link fences, topped with coils of razor wire, security cameras and motion sensors. Recognising that even the most sophisticated surveillance can be tricked, standing orders mandate constant two or three man patrols along the fenceline at purposefully irregular intervals, even in the worst weather. Rumours persist of landmines being emplaced in potential 'blind spots'; whether true or not, Command has not commented, finding that they discourage Security personnel on patrol from attempting to fraternise in areas that the cameras cannot see.