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Origin

     The Tau Project was a conspiracy organized a decade or so before the Atomic War, led by a charismatic evangelist, James Belef Rabnell (b. 1917, d. 1989). Rabnell became aware of the Morrow Project in the 1970s, and began planning for a way for his family and his vision of American Christianity to survive the Tribulation Times.

      Most members of the project were recruited in the early 1980s from various non-denominational churches; they now belong to the Capsheaf Church. In theory, they were chosen for their technical skills, religious faith, health and married status; in practice, many of them were chosen for personal connections, donations to the church, and convenient  recruitment circumstances.

Population

     Stronghold has 500 residents -- 90 families, with an average of 3 children per family, along with less than a dozen unmarried adult men. Any person with children is considered an adult for this description. Almost all of the adults are under 45 years of age; a few are as young as 18. None of the children are younger than 3 or older than 17.

     There are twenty-five 20-person cryoberths, and six 1-person cryoberths. Two of the large cryoberths, and all six singles, have been activated as of May of 2141; of the possible 46 revived people, two didn't survive (one of the singleton berths failed, and one person didn't recover from the resuscitation process in a larger berth).

     Six of the security staff, and one of the deacons, were killed when Morrow team R-36 attacked the bunker in January 2141.

     Professional and organizational distribution:

• leadership:  pastor , 4 elders, 4 deacons (9 men)

• Pastor Thomas Marshall, from New Mexico

• born 1929 (effective age 57), a veteran of the Korean War (though he never saw combat), then a high school teacher and evangelist preacher. A member of James Rabnell's Capsheaf Church since it was founded.

• Elder Ira J. Steward, from Arizona

• born 1935 (effective age 51), a mechanical engineer formerly employed by the Utah Construction & Mining Company. He worked on projects including tunnels, dams, and Minuteman missile silos until 1976 (when the company was bought by GE). A member of James Rabnell's churches, including Capsheaf, since the early 1970s. 

• he was part of Rabnell's team which investigated the Morrow Project.

• Deacon Roger D. Sinnott, from Kansas. Killed in the Morrow Project attack of January 2141.
  

• Elder Eddie C. Cassel, from Coeur D'Alene, Idaho

• He is a former Army officer, born in 1943 (effective age now 43); he attended West Point, and served in Vietnam from 1967 to 1970. He was an infantry officer in the 101st Airborne, and won a few medals in combat. After leaving the Army in 1972 with the rank of Captain, he was employed by Electronic Data Systems. He became a member of the Capsheaf Church in 1977.

• Deacon Kenneth G. Fogle, from Westland, Michigan

• A former Green Beret engineer NCO, born in 1943 (effective age now 43). He emigrated to the United States from South Africa in 1947, and became a citizen in 1965, just before joining the Army. By 1970, he was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam as a staff sergeant within the MACV advisors (and the 10th SFG). He was captured in 1971 after a major battle, heavily wounded, and released in 1973. He left the Army in 1980 as a Sergeant Major; he was a member of the Capsheaf Church from 1978 onwards. He is allergic to bee stings.

• Elder David A. Lawson, from Kansas
  

• Deacon James C. Hammon, from Fullerton, Calif.
  

• Elder Randy R. Moody, from Arlington Heights, Illinois
  

• Deacon James M. Griggs, from Kansas

• medical:  2 doctors, a dentist, 2 nurses, and a pharmacist (2 women, 4 men)

• Dr. Avery K. Douglas, from Oklahoma

• Dr. John L. Opperman, from Newark, DE

• Dr. Felix J. Campbell, a dentist from Chicago

• Dr. Ross K. Leff, a pharmacist from Metropolis, IL

• Sarah J. Higgins, RN, from New York City; her berth failed years ago, and she was long dead
  

• Janice J. Opperman, RN from Richmond, IN (wife of John Opperman)

• educational:  12 teachers or daycare, and a librarian (10 women, 3 men)

• facilities and repair shop:  2 janitors, 4 mechanics, 6 machinists (12 men)

• all 12 have been awakened

• commissary:  4 cooks (2 men, 2 women), 1 barber (1 man), 2 laundry (2 women, 1 man)
  

• supplies:  2 storekeepers (1 woman, 1 man)

• home making:  wives (29 women) ... basically all the women with no other task, plus any injured or incapable.
  

• communications and electronics:  6 electronics specialists (2 women, 4 men)

• all 4 of the men have been awakened

• admin staff:  secretary, clerk, steward (2 women, 1 man)
  

• settlement:  drivers, carpenters, plumbers, etc. (27 men)

• scouts and security:  vehicle crew, soldiers, watchmen (30 men, divided between just two of the large cryoberths)

• 15 have been awakened; 1 died during resuscitation, and 1 went missing a while ago (the body found by the Morrow folk) -- which left only 13. Six were killed, and five seriously wounded, when the Morrow Project attacked the bunker in January of 2141; another was killed, and one captured (Noah Ramsey), in May of 2141. Thus only seven remain alive within the bunker. Of the scouts, 10 were unmarried (or at least did not have a wife within the Tau Project).
  

• heads of household:  husbands (7 men) ... the men with no particular job. The organist and a few other non-essential tasks, plus injured or incapable.

     Two of the large cryoberths, and all six of the individual ones, have been opened so far -- so 46 individuals woke up (or would have, if every berth had functioned, and every person's health had been good).

Organization

     The pastor is in charge of the congregation; he and the elders make decisions about policy. The deacons act as deputies to the elders. The other 91 adult men are each in charge of their families -- it's a patriarchy.

     Elder Steward is in charge of the redoubt's systems, vehicle maintenance, and heavy equipment. Deacon Fogle is his main assistant.

     Elder Cassel is the head of security and scouting.

     Elder Lawson is in charge of education, religious instruction, the medical staff, and records.

     Elder Moody is the second-in-command, and the expected successor to Marshall.

Construction

     This is one of six Tau Project bunkers; it was constructed within the Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky, just south of the park boundaries. The main surface entrance is at 37° 07' 57.0" N, 86° 07' 48.6" W. Note that the Tau Project bunkers are constructed nearly identically below the entrance level; most of them did not have a convenient cave system to place the entrance in.

     The bunker is 40 meters in diameter and 7 levels deep, with a central open core and eight radial chambers on most levels; the top level is about 50 meters below the entrance. A freight elevator 10 meters in diameter runs up the core. The main levels are named A through G, in descending order.

An example of a Tau Project bunker (in this case, the Stronghold bunker).

     It was built in a hurry, from about 1980 to 1985; it has a fusion reactor for electrical power. The water supply is sufficient for 20,000 liters day.

notice the human figure down by the edge of the elevator platform

Level A

     Each of the barracks spaces has bunks for 20 persons. A single 20-person cryoberth, and six individual berths, are located on this level. Food prep and cleanup goes on in the galley. Pastor Marshall and the eight elders and deacons have rooms, also; the pastor has a small office.

     The hall has benches, maps, and lectern; a few radios, file cabinets, and other "office/headquarters" stuff is against the walls.

Levels B and C

     All of the motor vehicles and trailers are parked on these two levels. The buggies and Twisters are located closest to the elevator.

Level D

     Most of the members of the congregation are here, frozen in 20-person cryoberths.

Level E

     Supplies are stored here; many of them are in 6 meter long ISO containers.

Level F

     Water filtration and storage, wastewater removal, carbon dioxide fire suppression, power generation and distribution, air hearing/ventilation/cooling, and other "life support" functions are centered here.

Level G

     Eight fuel tanks each contain 350,000 liters of diesel fuel, for a total of 2.8 million liters. Barrels of lubricants, hydraulic and transmission fluids are stored around the elevator platform.

     Despite anti-oxidants, fuel stabilizers, and high sulfur levels, etc. the fuel went bad within 20 to 40 years.

Logistics

Habitation

     Supplies for tent housing for 500 people:  porta-potties, military kitchens, cots, medical supplies, portable light stands, fluorescent lights and cables for tents or temporary housing, 600 Schofield Reference Bibles, 600 copies of "The End of Planet Earth", water tank on stilts, refrigerators, barbed wire, water testing kits, a bailey bridge, a few hundred body bags, spools of black and white flexible 3/4" PVC pipe, lots of fittings for water system, etc.

Military

     Personal arms and equipment: 

• 200 P-1 pistols (the post-WW2 version of the P.38) ... damage 1d10, range 20 meters
  

• 12 Remington 870 pump shotguns ... damage per shell, range 20 meters
  

• 30 MP5A2 submachineguns ... damage 1d10, range 40 meters
  

• 30 Galil ARM rifles in 5.56mm caliber ... damage 2d8, range 90 meters
  

• 200 M16A1 rifles ... damage 2d8, range 90 meters
  

• 12 MAG-58 machine guns (including 8 as vehicle mounted weapons)

• 40 black kevlar Level IIIA vests and PASGT helmets  ... vest armor value 10 flex, helmets armor value 9
  

• 200 adult gasmasks, 300 childrens' gasmasks, 1000 exposure protection suits

• geiger counters and cumulative exposure meters

   

     Ammunition, spares and other ordnance:

• 150,000 rounds of 9mm ball

• 1440 rounds of 12 gauge magnum buckshot

• 1440 rounds of 12 gauge birdshot

• 20,000 rounds of 7.62mm NATO linked ball

• 230,000 rounds of 5.56mm NATO ball

• 8,000 rounds of 20x139mm ammo:  mixed 3 HEI-T and 2 APDS-T (can penetrate 34mm armor sloped 45 degrees at 1000 meters)

• several hundred kilograms of plastic explosives, along with detonating systems

• various linear and "hole-making" shaped charges, most of which don't contain explosive until needed

   

     Members of the scouting and security unit tend to own personal weapons (almost all in calibers that the Tau Project stocks). Some examples:  VP70 pistol, S&W Model 59 "Full House" pistol, Ruger New Model Blackhawk (a single-acton gate loader) with cylinders for .357 Magnum and 9mm, Franchi SPAS-12 semi-auto shotgun, and a Ruger AC556K full-auto carbine with folding stock. They are also the kind of folk who get serious about knives.

     Clothing, packs, hats, etc. are a mix of surplus and sporting gear; there's no real attempt to dress uniformly except for Tau patches.

Vehicles

     Vehicles characteristics can be found here. 

• two D7G armored bulldozers
  

• five scout buggies
  

• four Lockheed XM808 Twister armored patrol vehicles
  

• twelve D350D articulated off-road trucks (for cargo, 6m ISO containers, water and fuel)

• two diesel-powered forklifts

• four multifuel M35 cargo trucks with Caterpillar engines
  

• eighteen multifuel M35 trucks with Caterpillar engines, fitted with bus bodies
  

• one electric-powered truck (to carry the reactor)

• two 19,000 liter fuel tank trailers

• four M345 flatbed trailers

• four M586 insulated water-carrying semi-trailers

• one M353 semi-trailer, for the generator
  

• one M447C electrical shop semi-trailer

• one M447C machine shop semi-trailer

• one water purification trailer
  

• one "class 16" air-portable bridge, carried on an M345 trailer.
  

• one work boat, carried on a one-axle trailer.

• two Mk V inflatable Zodiac boats, both carried on the same M345 trailer.
  

• several dozen "Darby" carts

   

     The "big trucks" use an average of 800 liters of fuel for a 450 kilometer trip; so the congregation would need  27,000 liters of fuel for the trip, or two semi-trailer tanker loads.

Anachronistic Technology

• Twenty-five 20 person cryogenic sleep berths. Theirs do not look the same as the Morrow berths, especially since they each hold 20 persons, but are built on a version of the same technology; the manufacturer is Physio-Control Corporation, in Seattle.
  

• A boron fusion reactor, constructed by Varian at Palo Alto. Again, It doesn't look quite like the Morrow Industries versions, but is clearly the same technology. 

• Three of the four Particles.

Timeline

• 1979:  the technology and funding for the Tau Project are acquired
  

• summer, 1980:  excavation for the Stronghold Redoubt begins
  

• November 1985:  construction on the Stronghold Redoubt is complete; recruitment of the congregation members is continuing, along with production of some of the specialized supplies
  

• July 1986:  the bunker was sealed

• December 19, 2140:  the bunker's systems awakened the medical staff, in the six individual berths; one fails to wake up
  

• December 21, 2140:  the medical staff activated one of the large berths, with Parson Marshall in it.

• December 22, 2140:  another of the large berths is activated by the staff.By now Marshall realizes that the date is at least a century after they went to sleep.

• December 24, 2140:  the scouts report that there have been a lot of changes within Mammoth Cave, and radiation levels are increased (though not immediately dangerous). The originally-designated exits are blocked by debris and gravel.

• December 26, 2140:  teams of scouts are sent out to find an exit from the cave.

• January 2, 2141:  Dean Wilson goes missing while scouting (his body was found by the Morrow team).

• January 9, 2141:  an exit is found, but it's about 2 days travel through the caves from the redoubt.

• January 11, 2141:  the scouts return to the redoubt with news of the exit

• January 12, 2141:  two teams of 2 scouts each set out to recon the outside world

• January 14, 2141:  the recon teams leave Mammoth Cave

• January 18, 2141:  the recon teams re-enter Mammoth Cave

• January 20, 2141:  the two recon teams return to Stronghold; the demolition charges are set on the large exit. The congregation needs several things, mostly diesel fuel.

• January 22, 2141:  a group of outsiders appears ... on a Sunday. It's been 34 days since the first cryoberths were activated.