Can Do Station
Can Do Station was a nuclear power plant converted into a fortress-castle, one of the main holdouts against the Ironworks in the northern wastes. The facility was already fortress-like before the Fall, and during the Ironworks era, it kept the empire at bay through the simplest and most terrifying deterrent imaginable: the threat of nuclear detonation.
When Merican incursions pushed into Homeland, the station's workers retreated inside and warned that they would blow the reactor and the surrounding area if invading forces came too close. One supervisor, Betty Shields, proved the threat was not a bluff. She walked out in front of Merican troops carrying a vial of heavy water and martyred herself to demonstrate their sincerity. The invaders withdrew. Betty Shields became a saint in Reclaimer memory, and the message was received: Can Do Station was off limits.
During the Ironworks era, keeping the reactor operational in the apocalypse required shutting down all non-essential functions. The near-army of workers needed to maintain a nuclear facility under these conditions formed the station's permanent population. Despite the limitations, Can Do still produced enough power for surrounding Reclaimer settlements, making it invaluable to the northern resistance.
The Abbey of the First Fission had definite designs on the facility. If the Darwinists ever gained control of a functioning nuclear reactor, the balance of power in the wastes would shift decisively in the Ironworks' favor. The Reclaimers knew this, and they kept their thumb on the red button accordingly.
When Merican incursions pushed into Homeland, the station's workers retreated inside and warned that they would blow the reactor and the surrounding area if invading forces came too close. One supervisor, Betty Shields, proved the threat was not a bluff. She walked out in front of Merican troops carrying a vial of heavy water and martyred herself to demonstrate their sincerity. The invaders withdrew. Betty Shields became a saint in Reclaimer memory, and the message was received: Can Do Station was off limits.
During the Ironworks era, keeping the reactor operational in the apocalypse required shutting down all non-essential functions. The near-army of workers needed to maintain a nuclear facility under these conditions formed the station's permanent population. Despite the limitations, Can Do still produced enough power for surrounding Reclaimer settlements, making it invaluable to the northern resistance.
The Abbey of the First Fission had definite designs on the facility. If the Darwinists ever gained control of a functioning nuclear reactor, the balance of power in the wastes would shift decisively in the Ironworks' favor. The Reclaimers knew this, and they kept their thumb on the red button accordingly.
History
The nuclear power station served its original purpose before the Fall and was already built like a fortress. When Merican incursions threatened Homeland, the workers retreated inside and issued their ultimatum: approach and the reactor goes. Betty Shields proved the sincerity of the threat by martyring herself with a vial of heavy water in front of Merican troops, earning sainthood in Reclaimer memory. The invaders withdrew, and Can Do Station remained free. During the Ironworks era, the facility operated at reduced capacity with all non-essential functions shut down, but it still produced enough energy to sustain surrounding settlements. The Abbey of the First Fission coveted the station, and the knowledge that a Darwinist takeover would tip the balance of power kept the Reclaimers vigilant.
Geography
Can Do Station occupied a pre-fall nuclear power facility in the northern wastes of Homeland. The plant's existing fortress-like construction made it naturally defensible. The surrounding area fell within the implicit blast radius that kept Ironworks forces at a distance. The station provided power to nearby Reclaimer settlements, connecting it to the broader northern resistance network that included Lakehead, Tohr, and Soosainmaree.
