What happened to the Council of Tomorrow?
 

Rich people now have retreat villas today, but wouldn't all the CoT except Bruce Morrow have something decades earlier? or did they pour a drink and sit on a balcony? What if the Backup Base was just their Designated Shelter?

In my thoughts, half are frozen in widely separated personal retreats. Others chose, due to their own advanced age, to have that drink on the balcony and toast to the Projects success. Secure in the knowledge that they have a prepared heir, secured their own fortunes, and that they have done all they could for civilization.

Like the Rich Five, each has secured a carefully selected portion of their corporate empire. Focused around the specialists that make that happen and the automation to do that with reduced manpower despite costs.

Their still asleep. The computers that maintain the cryosleep systems haven't triggered a wake up because a number of factors haven't happened yet.

In "Prime Base, it mentioned those who could take over running the Project were too far away. Wrangling up the surviving members would be an interesting campaign. securing their assets for the Project would be a second set of adventures.

I mostly agree. The CoT could be divided into 3 groups: the useful, the fatalists, and the hopefuls. The useful are the ones young enough and skilled enough to actually play a part in Project Operations, and they are out there somewhere in the Project (or dead at Prime Base!). The fatalists died in the war or shortly thereafter, or else died wondering where the Project was and why it wasn't helping - they doubtful would have access or resources to be able to restart the Project on their own! The hopefuls likely had their own bunkers and freeze tubes... that they would NOT want triggered until the Project had ensured a nice, safe place for them to live!

So I think it is safe to assume that the CoT won't be a problem until the Project starts waking up the "it's pretty safe now" resources, at which point a new power struggle may ensue...

That having been said, I am leaning more and more towards the idea that Krell is a member of the CoT, perhaps a young, aggressive, sociopathic powerbroker who takes the seat vacated on the death of his mentor. Pretty sure someone has raised this idea before, just can't remember when or who off the top of my head. With proper compartmentalization he would know a lot of generalities about the Project but few details, and knowing that the war was coming he would see the Project (with resources far greater than his own) as the way to grow his empire and secure his well-being and comfort. He wouldn't know where Prime Base was located, but he probably could arrange to meet the Director of the Project and give him a thoughtful gift... perhaps laced with a few different airborne biological weapons wrapped in impermeable seals that dissolve slowly with time. In short, he would have the knowledge and access to bring down the Project without the Project itself being full of idiots or otherwise wrong people.

My version of Krell is similar to this. I have Krell being a low level esper with short term precognition that he was using to increase his wealth. When suddenly events were not happening as he foresaw, he looked for a reason why and discovered that someone was mucking up the future. Through that, he discovers some information about the Morrow Project, and seeks to disrupt the Project for his gain. He is ruthless, wealthy and determined.

Krell for me is a Pentagon staff officer that was part of the Snake Eater program. He was a project administrator and in charge of technology integration. He is aware of the DoD programs scope and mission. Using his rank and position he diverts resources for a test bed program. This is how Krell and his first lieutenants ride out the nuclear exchange.

A lot of useful stuff, with Prime Base in the SW, should some of these be in the northern Smokies, or somewhere similiar.

I think Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut are the most common favorites for low population density, remoteness from probable targets, and old mines or industrial spaces to emplace large scale shelters.