Cover for the base
This has and still does bother me. I liked my hospice idea, but can see the down sides. I don't like the ranch for the reasons that have been talked about since 1987 (Dear Lord almost 30 years ago!)
So let's go back to first principals:
The cover has to last a couple of decades
It has to allow for a large number of people to come in and a much smaller number to go out of the base during normal prewar operations
It cannot attract undue attention before the war either from the public, the government or the Soviets looking for a place to drop excess nuclear materials
It cannot offer much in the way of shelter or resources to survivors of the war
We know the original base was built under cover of a mine. If as SGT suggests the base was staffed and provisioned in one step and then walled off until the war was over no other cover is needed. I am not so certain the base was staffed and sealed, but it does make life a whole lot easier and it requires absolutely no cover story after the mine closes.
If on the other hand there is going to be some in and out, and especially if the base needs to be resupplied during the prewar period then there needs to be a cover story that allows for it. I think the base is at least partly open during this period. The march of technology during the period seems to be to require that the base be open. New technology, especially computers, and communications gear, as well as drugs and medical devices will be developed between when the base is completed and the war starts.
The ghost town idea got used in Desert Search and seems a nogo anyway. It would attract people.
The hospital idea I see the flaws with, but perhaps it can be modified (more later on that)
The ranch, is again, out-although if the ranch was not on top of the ridge that might make it a more viable option
The hazardous materials storage facility (it would be a TSDF or Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility technically) has some things in its favor but will attract regulators (a hospital would as well) and possibly protesters before the war
I am wondering if a simple salvage yard would maybe fit the bill. The idea would be that the salvage yard would turn over its material very quickly so instead of acres of wrecks just screaming "parts and shelter" there is a very small amount of material that has arrived and not yet been processed and shipped back out. The facility consists of a small yard, a number of really beat up tin buildings which contain the tools used to break down what every is being salvaged, (maybe kitchen appliances, or something else really useless in the post war world-how about a place that recycles phone books?) Wait I like the phone book idea. The "books" come in great big trailers. The plant has a couple of giant shredders that reduce the books to mulch which is then shipped out in other big trucks.
There is another shredder that isn't. Its the secret entrance to the base. The trucks with supplies or staffers mate up with the "shredder".
This facility would have maybe a dozen "employees. When the big kaboom happens the twelve guys throw some torches into the facility and close the hatch behind them. All that is left is the burned out remains of a couple of Quonset huts.
"nothing to see here, move along"
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