Project MELTDOWN Details

MY CHILDREN, MY WORLD

Murkoff Accounts
1961.04.16

MURKOFF CORP  -  PRIVATE JOURNAL ENTRY OF DR. HENDRICK JOLIET EASTERMAN  -  COPY

Date: April 16, 1961

I had finished preparing an atomized sample of Arora’s compound last night, Sunday, and went to sleep. It needed to settle for another twenty-four hours before it was stable. But come midnight, I found my mind pinwheeling. Black and white images, and in color at the same time. Flowers burning, a mushroom dissolving into a cloud, powder in the air - ashes. A penis in the ocean. Worms in mud. And that night, it happened. The Cubans. They stomped out Gottlieb’s coup. I did not understand it at the time, but I had been sent a premonition. Perhaps by God Himself.

This is what I have been waiting for. It all makes sense. My scalp still sheds, but I know what the truth of all this is. This is MY truth. MY visions. The pillars of smoke, the blinding of the Sun, the phallacy [sic] of weaponry, MY family, MY Creations. I believe the Soviet’s thought reform could destroy MY family. MY country.

I must prepare Them. I must prepare My Children for the post-nuclear world. When all-consuming fire will raze Their homes, Their whole world will become just like our desert nest. My baby birds need protection if They are to evolve into fierce steel eagles. And if My country — or Murkoff, no less — tries to take Them from me, then They will become My army. My eagles will descend.

I have much work to do, apparently including a round of re-synthesization, as My half-empty bottle hasn’t been opened yet, and it seems ten milliliters have evaporated, yet no condensation remains on the bottle, and none of the hairs taped to my door were broken this morning.

DULLES PISSED

Murkoff Minutes
1961.04.17

MURKOFF CORP - COPY - TRANSCRIPTION FROM TAPE OF CONFERENCE BETWEEN JAMESON LAWLER (CIA) & A. BRADLEY AVELLANOS

EDITED FOR CLARITY, [Minutes 12-17]

— AVELLANOS: Oh, shit. How bad?

———— LAWLER: Little Boy Blue wants to break us. This happens on his way in-

— AVELLANOS: And he gets to say he got fucked… Fuck. I’m getting a migraine.

———— LAWLER: Said he wants to “splinter us into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds”. And Dulles went and pussyfooted around the press and all but seconded Jackie’s little proposal.

— AVELLANOS: This can’t happen, not right now.

———— LAWLER: It’s a net loss, Alice. I’m worried they’re going to tighten the pursestrings around here.

— AVELLANOS: They can’t do that.

———— LAWLER: Well, they might.

— AVELLANOS: They can’t do that.

———— LAWLER: Listen, unless your people come up with something good, something soon - I’m afraid Sinyala’s going to have to actually think about some charity outreach. For real.

— AVELLANOS: The fuck are you talking about?

———— LAWLER: Between you and me, for one, our little Nazi friend seems to be getting some interesting results reported back to us from up in Colorado.

— AVELLANOS: Wernicke?

———— LAWLER: The very same. I’m going to show you something. Just... I have to take this with me, and I can’t have this turning up where it isn’t supposed to. Not yet. 

[paper shuffling]

— AVELLANOS: What the fuck? [whispering]

———— LAWLER: I have an idea. I know, I know. At first it seems-

— AVELLANOS: -insane. No, stupid.

———— LAWLER: This is a contingency. In case of emergency.

— AVELLANOS: Does this mean-?

———— LAWLER: The Agency is keeping Mount Massive on GOCO status for this election cycle. Our boys have secured right of first refusal and there’s a quitclaim in escrow being drafted. Once the fires are put out from the next election-

— AVELLANOS: Chum from one bucket to another. Wait, so who’s the one signing in the end?

———— LAWLER: Well, that’s up to you and your staff. I assume Hendrick would want to weigh in, assuming he hasn’t already overdosed in his office.

— AVELLANOS: If only we were so lucky.

MORE THAN BOMBS

Murkoff Accounts
1961.04.20

MURKOFF CORP  -  TRANSCRIPTION FROM TAPE OF CONFERENCE BETWEEN OLIVIER BARANCYZK AND A. BRADLEY AVELLANOS

Date: April 20, 1961

EDITED FOR CLARITY, [Minutes 3-5]

—— BARANCZYK: He can’t be serious, Alice.

—— AVELLANOS: As serious as a tumor.

—— BARANCZYK: That’s not funny. This is serious business. This is - this is more than just fire and bombs, this is nuclear. This is - this might be going too far. I’m worried Easterman’s off the deep end with this.

—— AVELLANOS: I’ve gone over the reports, I’ve seen the files. I know it seems risky, but think, Olivier. The funds we can pull by spilling over into this.

—— BARANCZYK: I... this is -

—— AVELLANOS: This is huge for us. This could be what winds up tipping the scales in Murkoff’s favor, in our favor. And it’ll take a long time for anyone to outweigh our contributions... if we do this right.

—— BARANCZYK: Please, at least think about this. Do you see where he wants to place the Trials? It’s as if he’s tempting fate! It’s been one full year, and he’s pulling this now? At this time?! 

—— AVELLANOS: Do you believe in fate? Or science?

—— BARANCZYK: I’m not - 

—— AVELLANOS: No, you’re not. You’re not anything but a fucking middle man, Baranczyk. And if you even think about trying to step over me, I’ll cut your mousey little face a new neck, you odd-eyed little bastard. I’ll carve a canyon right across that fucking incongruous stare of yours until both halves finally match — red, wet, and screaming. 

  [heavy breathing]

—— AVELLANOS: Don’t test me, Olivier. I balance books, not egos... and yours is already in the red.

PROJECT MELTDOWN PROPOSAL

A. Bradley Avellanos Letters
1961.04.25

MURKOFF CORP  -  INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL LETTERS ONLY  -  COPY

INTER-OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN A. AVELLANOS AND THE BOARD

Date: April 25, 1961

(heading removed)

Following the disaster in Girón, our Los Alamos contacts have provided intelligence on a highly valuable asset: recoverable quantities of high-grade Pu-239 scrap, which has been allocated for contingency devices in the operation, but abandoned following the Houston incident. We are urgently recommending securing and safeguarding this material within our own borders before the Cuban - or worse - the Soviet recovery teams can interdict it. Retrieval assets are already in place through Agency cut-outs; transfer to Sinyala can be completed within a fortnight under existing contingency protocols.

In addition to containment and safe-storage within our highly-guarded facility, our preliminary data suggests synergistic potential in scientific discoveries to benefit both our programs here, and the safety, security, and leadership of our nation in the years to come.

By authorizing use of these scraps for in-house observation and research during the storage process, we believe we can accomplish advancements in both accelerated tissue mutation data for therapeutic and offensive applications; and enhanced psychological leverage against Soviet advances in radiochemical warfare, particularly amid rising concerns over their Cuban foothold and concerns of nuclear war.

Dr. Easterman proposes immediate commencement of Project MELTDOWN: a dedicated series of educational trials centered on biochemical safety and radiological protection. 

All results, tissue samples, and psychological data will be amortized across Los Alamos, Mount Massive, and Sinyala budgets. Agency partners have signaled priority interest given the Soviet arms implications; external funding is assured and should place the project well into surplus before initial exploitation.

Request expedited approval to proceed with Pu-239 transfer and Trial scheduling. 

Full retrieval plan, exposure protocols, and budget attached. Please advise.

DBNR

(Signature)

A. Bradley Avellanos

PROJECT MELTDOWN APPROVED

Murkoff Memorandum
1961.05.01

MURKOFF CORP  -  INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL LETTERS ONLY  -  COPY

Date: May 01, 1961

(heading removed)

The Board has officially authorized the program code-named MELTDOWN. All test results to be internally submitted and reviewed before sharing with Agency partners.

Advise all Cleanup Crews that full-body coverage/protective equipment is mandatory during the course of Project MELTDOWN, and anyone caught mishandling materials will be terminated.

All Project MELTDOWN Trials will be under the authority of Dr. H.J. Easterman, with consultation of Dr. Charles Geschickter from Maryland.

All In-Trial staff MUST be warned against presence in or proximity to Trial Environments during MELTDOWN events, radioactive materials in use.

RADICAL INSIGHT, PT. I

Murkoff Accounts
1961.05.09

MURKOFF CORP - TRANSCRIPTION FROM TAPE OF CONFERENCE BETWEEN H.J. EASTERMAN, MOSES SCARFIOTTI AND A. BRADLEY AVELLANOS

Date: May 09, 1961

EDITED FOR CLARITY, [Minutes 5-7]

—— SCARFIOTTI: The eastern-most part of the mining facility has been converted into the Repository as stated in the outline, and we can begin staff tours before loading in the scraps.

——— EASTERMAN: Excellent. And how are those... scraps, coming along?

—— SCARFIOTTI: Biohaz’ completed barrel filling and they’re currently awaiting transport at the Shuttle Switching System in the Biohazard Facility. 

——— EASTERMAN: And the test results?

[paper shuffling]

——— AVELLANOS: Here you go. Plutonium is stable, but the barrels we’re using seem to be corroding faster than intended based on gas-chromato...spec-bullshit from R&D.

——— EASTERMAN: But is it a cause for concern?

——— AVELLANOS: If anything, it’ll get their feet shuffling a little faster.

—— SCARFIOTTI: In any case, Barlow has been distributing CADARIs to personnel as they report for duty in Sleep Rooms. Our people will be safe.

——— AVELLANOS: Hm... I’m worried turnover is starting to affect our employment rate...

RADICAL INSIGHT, PT. II

Murkoff Accounts
1961.05.09

MURKOFF CORP - TRANSCRIPTION FROM TAPE OF CONFERENCE BETWEEN H.J. EASTERMAN, MOSES SCARFIOTTI & A. BRADLEY AVELLANOS

Date: May 09, 1961

EDITED FOR CLARITY, [Minutes 8-12]

——— EASTERMAN: And Charles has seen these results?

——— AVELLANOS: He wants to observe the Trials himself.

——— EASTERMAN: In-person? Here?

——— AVELLANOS: Well, after he reading up on Liliya’s effects on the Hershey’s globus-

——— EASTERMAN: -Heschl’s gyrus.

——— AVELLANOS: Right... Well, he lit up like a Bolshevik in a blast furnace when he saw the results. He’s taken up an interest in Sinyala apparently.

——— EASTERMAN: Another friend in the Agency.

——— AVELLANOS: And another dollar in our pocket. Moses, you’ve been awfully quiet.

—— SCARFIOTTI: Hmm? Just calculating the tonnage. I’m worried that with this much Plutonium during the trial runs, we aren't going to have observable data... We’re going to have piles of hot meat. And the friction-gear is a mess, Alice. It’s inefficient. We could just use a release valve.

——— EASTERMAN: Renewable resources, Moses. We have three more transports coming from intake by the end of the month.

——— AVELLANOS: Manual labor is the point, Moses. The Agency wants to see them work for the kill. They want the Reagents to feel the vibration of the cable snapping in their own hands.

—— SCARFIOTTI: And the radioactive splash? It’s ruining the winches.

——— AVELLANOS: Think of it as a "Performance Bonus." Besides, watching them scramble when the water hits is the best part of the show. Besides, the faster they melt, the less we have to feed 'em. It’s efficiency, really. I’m more concerned about the optics for the Agency boys. 

—— SCARFIOTTI: What do you mean?

——— EASTERMAN: If Charles is coming, he won’t want a laboratory; he’ll want a "theater of war."

—— SCARFIOTTI: [Sighs] Then we need to rethink containment in the Shuttles. If the corrosion is as bad as R&D says, this "theater" is going to be breathing in the stage lights.

——— EASTERMAN: Then ensure the CADARI dosages are tripled for the observation staff. I won't have my lead researchers glowing in the dark because of a "theatrical" preference.

——— AVELLANOS: I'll handle the paperwork. I'll tell the staff it's a "mandatory vitamin supplement." Some of those guys are too stupid to know a Geiger counter from a toaster anyway.

——— EASTERMAN: Splendid.

PROJECT MELTDOWN MEMORANDUM

Murkoff Memorandum
1961.05.20

MURKOFF CORP  -  INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL LETTERS ONLY  -  COPY

Date: May 20, 1961

(heading removed)

With our new project about to commence, this memo serves as a reminder for the expectations of results within the Trials.

PROJECT MELTDOWN: An experiment in the synergistic effects of acute radiation exposure and irreversible cellular degradation.

FULFILL THE SECONDARY OBJECTIVE FOR ADDITIONAL REWARDS:

Recover all the Cancerous Masses within the Trials for tissue analysis.
Hooked Corpses populate the Trial Environment to provide opportunities for harvest and collection of Cancerous Masses. 

Project METLDOWN is a limited-time program that features a series of Trials and MK-Challenges designed to test the Reagents' ability to survive through the trials while transporting High-Level Waste Barrels to the Deep Repository, avoiding lethal radiation buildup to prevent permanent damage while also dealing with extra variators.

A new set of variators is introduced where Reagents must utilize reinforced shielding enclosures and specialized syringes to mitigate/avoid inflicting permanent damage from periodic radiation surges while also recovering Cancerous Masses for special rewards.

Reagents must locate scattered HIGH LEVEL WASTE BARRELS (highly radioactive Pu-239 scraps) across contaminated zones and transport them to the SINYALA DEEP REPOSITORY — a fortified underground vault (mines) accessible via disposal shaft.

NOTES:

Barrels emit constant radiation. Handle with care, and not for long.

Carrying a barrel will increase Reagent radiation level, and after too long will increase their Radiation Sickness, which can be monitored as follows: 

At first level Radiation Sickness → hallucinations become prevalent and damage taken is increased.

Radiation Sickness Level 2 → Equipment failure (ESOP shorting, Night-Vision goggles periodically fail), vomiting; Level 1 symptoms.

Radiation Sickness Level 3 → Total ESOP failure, increased Pu-239 exposure causes Reagent to emit a slight glow, causing increased visibility in dark environments; all other symptoms.

Radiation Sickness Level 4 → Imminent loss of life.

Symptoms may be managed by use of a CADARI Syringe [Ca-DTPA Anti-Rad Injector]. CADARI’s mitigate the effects of radiation poisoning at the risk of psychotic hallucinations for a short time.

Final phase: Load all required barrels into the repository loader and activate the burial sequence while surviving a radiation surge + Ex-pop release.

Failure = Permanent reassignment to “Containment and Disposal”