ATEN Facilities

Cairo-3

Status: Active

Named for being a union of Old Cairo, New Cairo, and Giza cities, as well as for being their direct successor, it is still the capitol of Egypt. It is also still competing with Lagos, Nigeria for the title of "largest city in Africa". Cairo-3 became a key focus of the United Nations reconstruction efforts, ostensibly as a means of showing solidarity with North Africa, the Middle East, and Mediterranean Europe, while also preserving vital cultural and historical treasures. The northern edges of the city were badly flooded, and over half the Ring Road that encircled it was submerged. Since then, the remaining portions have been reclaimed, and a new metropolitan center has been constructed by the U.N. in what was once Uptown Cairo. This new area, now called "Aphelion", was chosen to become the worldwide headquarters for ATEN.

The Geofront

Status: Active

This cavernous space has been named AARU, but is also typically known as the geofront. A completely natural cave complex beneath Cairo was found, and the U.N. excavated to create more usable space. Due to seismic activity following Second Impact, a portion of the Nile river has partially flooded the cavern, resulting in an environment similar to the pre-Impact Nile delta. Due to quirks of geography, the underground river flows West to East. ATEN H.Q. takes the form of a pyramidal temple complex in the center of the cavern, and extends downwards and outwards into the "ground". A massive pylon, a traditional entry building that mimics two hills, leads into the pyramid. Far below the command center is the restricted area known as AKHETATEN, or "the Horizon of the Aten."

ATEN North America

Status: Active

Located in a vast swathe of the Nevada desert, this sprawling complex has a long and storied history as a research outpost for experimental military aircraft. After the United States generously donated the site to the United Nations following the Valentine Treaty, it has become ATEN's premier facility for testing out new vehicles and weapon systems. While security is tight, it is known that several renowned physicists have come to work on next-generation power sources. Conspiracy theorists continue to insist that UFOs and alien corpses are hidden on-site, but there is still just as little evidence of that as there was last century.

Bethany Base

Status: Closed

Constructed with the generous support and cooperation of Russia, this remote, secure facility is located at a classified site within the Arctic Circle. It was built very shortly after the Valentine Treaty was signed, and speculation abounds that it was supposed to have been a Russian missile base, due to the large amount of excavation equipment that was sent there. These days, it is known to be used for extended climatology studies, research into theoretical physics phenomena, and hostile environment testing of new equipment. It also occasionally serves as a joint operations training area for ATEN and the U.N. North Atlantic Fleet, which maintain a constant series of naval patrols in the region.

Fort Grissom

Status: In Planning

A proposed space colony on the far side of the Moon, Fort Grissom would serve as a launching point for further human exploration and exploitation of the Solar System. It would also serve as an excellent location for deep-space telescopes and low-gravity research. In light of recent events, it could also serve a vital purpose as an early-warning system for extraterrestrial threats. Currently, plans and funding for the facility are held up in the United Nations Security Council, which has so far been focusing its attention on other expensive engineering projects. The expected success of the Solar Generator Satellite may give this proposal a needed boost.