Sigma Base

[dragoon500ly]

Depending on how you time the tunnel boring, I can see the slurry being transported to be used in the construction of the cover facility.

[mmartin798]

Just doing some quick and dirty calculations. Assuming each of the 24 main tunnels are 150m long and 15m in diameter, the amount of material to be removed is about 832,000 yards. A large side dump trailer can carry about 26 yards. So to clear just those tunnels will need about 32,000 trailer filled. That might draw some attention if people see that coming from the same site.

[dragoon500ly]

That's fairly close to the numbers I keep coming up with.

So I see three possible choices:

Option one is to go with a combination limestone quarry that is later "roofed over". On a scale of one to ten, this is, at best a "2".

Option two is to go with a higher-tech solution, possibly a tunnel-boring machine with a laser cutter, I'm going with a "5" for this one.

Option three is based on a geological survey of the area that calls attention to several small caves in the limestone/shale strata. This one is problematic at best since most of the caves are described as "small". A PD solution is to rule that a possible large cavern was discovered and modified for use as a base. This one I'm calling a "2-3".

[nduffy]

The failed super-collider in Waxahatchie TX, Big tunnel just waiting for something to happen to it. I am actually working on a campaign where it is a regional supply base. So it was grabbed up under the guise it was bought by a private research group studying the effects of radiation, dark matter, and neutrinos. It gave a great cover for all the equipment that was hauled in in trucks, hidden under tarps and delivered at night.

[mmartin798]

The only real problem again is government regulations. The inspections and permits for the radiological material in some of the instrumentation, the semi-annual fire inspections and so on will make it quite difficult to keep the secrets.

[.45cultist]

Dragoon, there are lots of limestone tunnels used for storage. These could be "Starnaman" type depots. If you use these or say Sigma has such, have sections "closed due to instability" and sealed off with hidden entrances.

[dragoon500ly]

Sorry that I have been quiet on Sigma Base lately. Managed to get my greedy paws on copies of three geological surveys of my anticipated location. Nothing like obscure 600+ pages of scientific research!

This portion of northwest Missouri is comprised of mostly limestone and shale. There are mentions of numerous small caves with minor tunnel networks. The largest appears to be four caverns interconnected with tunnels and ranging about 0.75---2 kilometers in length and covering an area of roughly 4 hectares.

What is interesting are several comments on areas of shale that are described as "badly decayed", "rotting", and "crumbling". Which suggests areas that may be easier to tunnel. This leaves the question of shoring up any digging operations to insure that local seismic activity does not collapse all of the work. (The proposed site is on the outskirts of the New Madrid Seismic Zone.)

This, of course, leaves several options for a demented PD....