The United States Air Force Special Area (Restricted) No. 7, simply known as Area 7, is a U.S. Air Force base in the Utah desert.
History[]
Early History[]
During the Cold War, Area 7 was constructed as an Air Force bunker with a thermonuclear bomb buried beneath it for in case the base was taken over. Once the Cold War ended, the base's function was converted into an Air Force Medical and Surgical Command facility, intended for biological and viral studies, and so the bomb was left in place in case it was fully contaminated, as a thermonuclear blast would vaporise any bacteria.
During the late 1980's to early 1990's, Area 7 was charged with Project Fortune, which to genetically engineer a cure for the Chinese bio-weapon known as the Sinovirus, though the base would also look into research to improve a soldier's stamina. Both of these experiments required prisoner volunteers to test the results upon, and the use of Kodiak bears and Komodo dragons for their natural stamina and bacteria immunity respectively. In addition, a genetically-engineered human was required who could provide the antibodies for the Sinovrius vaccine, and so during the mid 90's, the boy Kevin was created.
Area 7 was overseen by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles "Caesar" Russell for a brief period, and later Colonel Jerome Harper was assigned to command the base and oversee the projects.
In 1996, the South African virologist Gunther Botha was recruited by the U.S. to take part in the vaccine's development due to his expertise in race-targeting diseases, despite concerns regarding Botha's involvement in white supremacy groups in Africa. Over the next five years, Botha proved valuable to Project Fortune, and by 2001 was close to completing the Sinovirus vaccine.
At the same time, the 7th Squadron forces who guarded the base were provided with a combat stimulant derived from the Kodiak bears, which increased their stamina and allowed them to effectively rule over other military teams during war games they took part in.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone, Caesar, who had been imprisoned for treason and apparently executed, chose to use Area 7 as the stage for his coup against the President and the U.S. government. Caesar chose the base due to its work on the Sinovirus, which he intended to use to wipe out black Americans and use the vaccine for white Americans. Having the loyalty of several members of Air Force bases he had commanded during his career, Caesar was able to bring on board Harper and the 7th Squadron men, and prepared to begin his coup when the President came by to inspect the project.
Area 7[]
After the President had finished inspecting the Area 8 facility, he traveled onward to Area 7 with Marine Helicopter Squadron 1, where as soon as he arrived, Harper took him and his secret service detail on a tour of the facility. Meanwhile, Captain Shane Schofield and the 7th Squadron's commander, Kurt Logan, exchanged personnel lists, before Logan requested that the Nighthawk choppers be brought into their underground hanger. As the President was shown the results of Project Fortune by Botha, most of the President's staff and the HMX crew waited in the hanger's offices. However, Schofield became concerned by the 7th Squadron's offensive positions around the main hanger, but "Ramrod" Hagerty disbelieved his claims.
Once Caesar had retrieved the Nuclear Football from Carl Webster, he notified Harper that they were ready to begin, who in turn led the President and the secret service detail to an isolated room. All around the base, Caesar made a broadcast announcing his coup d'etat, and the 7th Squadron units began their assault. While the President and his detail attempted to flee to their emergency escape on Level 6 via the stairs, the people in the hanger came under heavy fire. While the President's staff and HMX crew in the offices were slaughtered, a few Marines managed to escape the carnage; Schofield led Gant, Brainiac and Mother down an air vent to the Level 1 hanger, and Book II, Elvis, Love Machine and Calvin fled down the elevator shaft.
The President's security detail was ambushed on the X-rail platform, forcing them to flee back up to Level 5. At the same time, an assault on Schofield's group resulted in the base's primary junction box and water tanks being hit by rockets, and when the elevator shaft began flooding, Book II's group were forced to escape onto Level 5. Ending the assault on Level 1, Schofield drove an AWACS plane off the hanger's into the aircraft elevator's shaft, crashing it on Level 4 where the platform was waiting. Schofield's group moved on to discover the Project Fortune facility and Kevin, while Book II's group met up with the President and remaining secret service agents, fleeing through the containment facility onto Level 4. Unfortunately, Logan's Alpha Unit was waiting in ambush, killing Calvin, Curtis and Romando before Schofield's group turned the tables and forced Logan and his remaining men to retreat.
During the first lull in the battle within Area 7, Schofield organised the group to prepare to retrieve the Football from Caesar's men in the Ground Level hanger, while at the same time Botha opened the facility's emergency exit vent to allow the South African Reconnaissance Commandos in so that they could steal Kevin and the Sinovirus vaccine. Using uniforms from some of the fallen Alpha unit men, Schofield, Book II, the President and Janson bluffed their way among the Bravo and Alpha unit men guarding the Football as their allies attacked, managing to reset its timer. In their escape, Gant brought along the previously hidden Nicholas Tate III and Ramrod, and Schofield retrieved the Football while rescuing the injured Love Machine.
As they prepared to leave Area 7, they discovered Botha's actions and decided to pursue him on the X-rail to Lake Powell. However they were attacked by Bravo unit, and most of the group were forced to abandon the X-rail engine as it began moving due to grenades. While Schofield decided to move on to rescue Kevin, knowing that the President would be safe in his people's hands, Elvis performed a kamikaze on Bravo unit after they killed Love Machine, allowing Gant's group to retreat back inside the facility.
As they continued to move positions regularly to avoid detection from the searching 7th Squadron, Gant came up with a plan to do something about the President's heart transmitter. When Charlie unit returned to Area 7 via the top door with Kevin, they were betrayed by Echo unit, who took Kevin and fled on the X-rail to Area 8. Soon afterwards, the back-up generator that had been powering Area 7 since the junction box was hit shut down, plunging the base into darkness and disabling the electronic locks on the cells for the prisoners, bears and Komodos. When Caesar and Alpha unit were forced to leave the rest of their men behind for the prisoners, they discovered Echo's handiwork at the top door, and prepared to pursue.
Schofield reunited with Gant, Mother, Janson and the President when they were captured by the the prisoners. Their leader, Seth Grimshaw, demanded an exit from Harper, and after the Colonel relented, Grimshaw forced Schofield's group to undergo a battle to the death with Harper, Boa, Webster and two other Bravo men. At the same time, one of the prisoners, Lucifer Leary, snatched Ramrod from beside Tate without him noticing, and began using the Project Fortune facility to prepare to satisfy his cannibalistic desires. When Harper was the only one left, he detonated a Sinovirus grenade, which killed the prisoners, aside from the test-immunised Grimshaw and Goliath. Luckily Schofield had obtained Botha's vaccine and dispensed it among his group, but the separated Gant had to locate a bio-hazard suit.
Schofield, Mother and the President decided to use the X-rail to pursue Echo unit, picking up the panicked Tate before departing, while Book II and Janson went after the two prisoners to retrieve the Football and Gant set about locating Caesar's transmitter controller. While both Harper and Gant ended up being captured and dragged to Leary's makeshift home on Level 4, Book II and Janson defeated Grimshaw and Goliath and retrieved the Football. Meanwhile, Area 7's self-destruct sequence began initiating because of the facility's lockdown procedures.
When Caesar's men returned to Area 7 after failing to retrieve Kevin or the President, they landed at the top door entrance right before the X-38 that had eluded them landed nearby. While Schofield took out the men in one of the Penetrators, Caesar and Logan re-entered Area 7, where Caesar revealed his own heart transmitter and intention to die in the base's self-destruction. While the injured Book II and Janson remained with the President and Kevin at the control tower until Marine forces could arrive and extract them, Schofield entered Area 7, to find Gant and prevent Caesar from dying.
Schofield successfully rescued Gant by dropping Leary into the water-filled Level 5 with the Komodos, and as they went to confront Caesar, Ramrod was directed flee via the Emergency Exit Vent. Unfortunately, Schofield was unable to deactivate the initiating of the self-destruct sequence after being held at gunpoint by Logan and Caesar, and so Gant attempted to finish her replacement transmitter so that they could use it instead of Caesar's. Schofield struggled against Logan before finally succeeding, but was unable to shoot back at Caesar. When Gant finally managed to deactivate Caesar's transmitter and activate her makeshift one, Schofield shot the madman and left him for dead as he and Gant hurried to leave.
Schofield and Gant managed to reach the X-rail platform and boarded its maintenance vehicle, which they used to flee from Area 7 as the thermonuclear bomb detonated, destroying the base and the dying Caesar.
Residents[]
- Base Commanders
- Lieutenant General Charles "Caesar" Russell (unofficially)
- Colonel Jerome Harper
- 7th Squadron Forces
- Alpha Unit
- Major Kurt Logan
- M.J. Alvarez
- A.W. Baines
- F.C. Christian
- T.W. Criece
- F.G. Dohney
- G.H. Fredericks
- W.E. Goldman
- R. Hughes
- H.T. Wolfson
- Bravo Unit
- Captain Bruno "Boa" McConnell
- F.D. Atlock
- C.S. Boland
- M. Coles
- R.R. Egan
- R.E. Giggs
- W.A. Ingliss
- R. Kincaid
- M.T. Sayles
- Charlie Unit
- Captain Luther "Python" Willis
- R.T. Arthurs
- N.M. Biggs
- M.S. Fraser
- I.N. Morton
- A.L. Price
- M.J. Rawson
- S.R. Sommers
- J.K. Stone
- Delta Unit
- L.W. Boyce
- D.T. Crick
- S.T. Dillan
- A. Gale
- D.K. Golding
- S.W. Johnson
- M. Jones
- S.K. Milbourn
- G.F. Nance
- J.J. Nystrom
- Echo Unit
- Captain Lee "Cobra" Carney
- B. Bennett
- E.T. Calvert
- G.K. Coleman
- A.M. Davis
- A.M. Dayton
- S.N, Frommer
- S.R. Grayson
- S.O. Littleton
- K. Messick
- P.K. Oliver
- Alpha Unit
- Medical Staff
- Gunther Botha
- Herbert Franklin
- D.E. Shaw
- Kevin
- Four unnamed Radio Operators
- Prisoners
- Seth Grimshaw
- Goliath
- Lucifer Leary
- Leon Roy Hailey
- Sylvester McLean
- Ronald Noonan
- 36 other prisoners
Facilities[]
Ground Level - Main Hanger[]
The entire ground level of Area 7 is housed within a small mountain, serving as the base's primary entrance. The hanger contains offices to both the north and south sides, with a personnel elevator situated along the north side as well. The centre of the hanger, meanwhile, is dominated by the large aircraft elevator, used to transport aircraft, equipment and large numbers of personnel down to the lower levels of the facility.
The east side of the main hanger contains Area 7's primary control centre, which overlooks the rest of the hanger. The control centre also contains a hidden entrance to the "top door" exit.
Level 1 - Underground Hanger Bay 1[]
The first of two underground aircraft hangers, the Level 1 Hanger houses one Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS plane, two B-2 stealth bombers and an SR-71 Blackbird. The hanger contains the base's water tanks, and its primary junction box and generator. There is also a vehicle ramp for vehicles to use to drive up from the Level 2 Hanger.
Level 2 - Underground Hanger Bay 2[]
The second of two underground aircraft hangers, the Level 2 Hanger houses only two Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACs planes. There is also a vehicle ramp for vehicles to use to drive down from the Level 1 Hanger.
Level 3 - Living Quarters[]
Level 3 houses the living quarters for the Area 7 staff. It contains the 7th Squadron barracks, scientific and officers quarters, as well as an office/library, a common room and a gym.
Level 4 - Laboratories and Quarantine[]
As the primary facility within Area 7, the medical laboratories as set on Level 4. The level contains the cube housing Kevin, which is overlooked from an observation level that contains the main laboratory. A sectioned-off wall separates this from the quarantine facility, which possesses a decompression chamber, and gas chambers for testing aerosolised weapons and viruses. A ramp leads down to Level 5, where prisoner tests subjects can be brought up.
Level 5 - Confinement[]
The containment facilities of Area 7 are situated on Level 5, where prisoners and animal subjects are held. The animal cells are located in a closed off section to the east side of the level, away from the prisoner cells in the centre of the level. An transition area for prisoner containment supplies, including weapons, stands by both the standard and aircraft elevator shafts. A ramp leads up to Level 4, which prisoner tests subjects can be led.
Level 6 - X-rail Platform[]
The lowest level of Area 7 is the X-rail platform, which can be accessed by the elevator and stairwell, and also the Emergency Access Vent. The underground X-rail track can be used to traverse to Area 8 in the east, and to a docking bay at Lake Powell to Area 7's west. The Lake Powell dock is connected to the X-rail to serve as a loading dock for the base's incoming supplies.
Control Tower and Top Door[]
Area 7 possesses a control tower on the facility's surface, which contains a hanger holding AH-77 Penetrator choppers, and also houses the entrance to the "top door" entrance. The top door leads directly down to the top of the facility's elevator shaft, and leads to a hidden opening inside the hanger level's control room as a means of quick escape.
Emergency Access Vent[]
The Emergency Access Vent is an alternative entrance into Area 7, though it is intended to be an emergency exit in the event of a lockdown so that one person may venture up to check on the outside world's status. The EEV is kept locked unless an authorised staff member of Area 7 opens it.
Trivia[]
- Area 7's name is somewhat of a play on Area 51, the well-known "secret" base supposedly containing alien spacecraft.
- The four technicians who coordinated the 7th Squadron from the control room were not on Logan's personnel list.
- In addition, there were no mentioned prison staff on the Area 7 staff list, so it can presumed that this role was largely filled by the 7th Squadron men.