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In 2029, a military Vehicle and Equipment Repair Depot was established in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Northeast Washington. Titled "Haven" after the nearest town, stationed there was a small detachment of the US Army's Mechanical Corps. The purpose, as the name suggests, is the maintenance, repair and upkeep of the US military's fighting vehicles, both land and air-based, as well as other equipment. The reason for its development in Washington was in preparation for a potential ACMF Invasion of the Western Coast of the US, Canada, and possibly Mexico. The base would serve as a front line repair station, but on a much larger scale. In preparation for the invasion, underground tunnels were built between buildings to protect the workers from any form of aerial attack (whether it be conventional bombing, a nuclear blast, or chemical). These tunnels stretched between each building, pumped with heavily filtered air, and even housed a small section of barracks. Along with the tunnels, the depot was well stocked with food, and had on-site access to well-water, deep enough to avoid contamination.
Due to how essential the depot was to the US defense of the west coast, the depot was kept a relative secret from the press. Not only that, but to avoid ACMF espionage (via spy satellites and recon planes), the vehicles that needed repair were almost always kept within hangers, garages, and other buildings. It was thanks to the combination of these two factors that the depot would survive the flash.
As the flash occurred in 2032, the highest ranking official at the time, Colonel Ward Lawson, ordered everyone to remain inside the depot to wade-out the nuclear fallout. They did so, surviving in the tunnels as the radiation from nuclear impacts in cities like Seattle washed over. It would be here the depot staff would remain for nine years, even occasionally preforming their old jobs of repairing the still pristine tech. Due to how remote the depot was even before the war, the USCPF did not make contact with the base upon their creation in 2033. So, it was assumed by the depot staff the US Government had fallen with the rest of the United States. This belief holds true to this day.
As the nuclear winter subsided in 2041, and with supplies of both food and spare-parts running low, Colonel Lawson ordered 30 heavily armed men to venture out into the wasteland to track down what they needed to survive. Lawson stated that if they were asked who they were, they were to say they were the remnants of the US Army. It was decided the expedition of 30 would break into 15, one heading south and the other east. And thus, the two expeditions set out.
The Southern Expedition had the least difficult time of the two. As they reached the northern tip of Nevada, they discovered for the first time the menace that was the mutants. After a long battle against a hoard of Mutants effected with the RAD-X virus, the group pressed on, only to discover more mutants, bandits, and overall terror. Yet, they pressed on and finally, after crossing through Nevada into California, the Southern Expedition found a small CDF junk-town, who were willing to trade for what they needed. The CDF just assumed they were the USCPF, as they still wore the standard US patches. The return trip was somewhat less deadly, and the expedition, now only containing 7 members, returned in under three months. The Eastern Expedition however, proved even more difficult. Horrible weather conditions on top of mutants and bandits made the journey nearly impossible. The group was forced to return after 10 members were killed. They returned in under a month.
Please Refer to Part Two For the Rest of the Lore.
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