Nursery

The Nursery is a self-contained balanced ecological system set within a deep canyon, mentioned in the design documents for Van Buren.

Background
The valley floor of the canyon is rife with the flora and fauna of times past. At the head of the valley is a lake of crystal blue water that feeds a river. The river flows from one end of the valley to the other, disappearing into the canyon wall. Bordering the lake are several buildings that house the maintenance equipment that keeps the Nursery functioning.

The Nursery is located southwest of Denver, Colorado near the Black Canyon National Park. The rim of the canyon is approximately a mile above sea level and the canyon itself is approximately half a mile deep. This area was chosen as the home for the Nursery because of its isolated location, its protected status as a national park, and it was deemed least likely to be affected by war (or most capable of recovering from such effects).

In the early days before the bombs dropped, scientists around the country were pondering how to save mankind from the ravages of war. Eventually, their musings gave birth to a company named Vault-Tec, and the vaults. Over the next decade, some of the most ambitious underground construction took place throughout the United States as hundreds of vaults were built. Into these shelters, the people and the hopes of a nation could retreat in times of war.

The Environmental Protection Agency viewed the vaults as only half the solution. Their concern was not only the salvation of mankind but nature as well. With this in mind, they proposed yet another type of vault, but on a much grander scale. This vault would be used by Mother Nature herself, where she would patiently await the re-emergence of man. When the survivors of the war came forth to reclaim the earth, the Garden of Eden would await them. Thus the Nursery was conceived.

The construction of the Nursery posed quite a problem, however. It was agreed that it could not be built underground like the vaults. Nature needed the sun, the wind, and the rain to flourish. And yet, if exposed and open, how could it possibly survive? The only conceivable answer was that it must be located in an isolated area, free from the influence of man, and the ravages of war. A search for such a location began.

Computers were fed massive amounts of data detailing the effects of war, where the bombs were likely to strike, and how the devastation would spread. Information about air currents, weather patterns, and the conditions that the Nursery would need to survive was then added to the equation. Finally, topographical maps of the nation's input and the machines were asked to choose.

It took years, but a choice was made. A single canyon was found to house the Nursery, deep in the mountains, shielded from the influence of both man and war. Soon afterward the most ambitious project conceived by the minds of men was devised: a self-contained, self-sustaining ecological system, with the capacity to reproduce itself. Of course, the expense of such an enterprise could not be footed by the government alone. The project was put up for bid in the private sector.

Derek Greenway was a scientist working under the employ of Poseidon Energy. When it became apparent that Poseidon was more interested in the development of weapons of destruction, and less in the saving of mankind, Derek resigned and started his own company. Greenway Hydroponics, with its turnip headed stick man logo Mr. Green, was the result.

Over the years Derek's company prospered due to its state of the art innovations in farming technology. When the Nursery project was put up for bid it was only natural that Greenway Hydroponics won and construction began.

Layout

 * The Valley: This is the actual canyon floor that houses the Nursery and its facilities. It is filled with lush vegetation and samples of wildlife. A river teeming with fish divides the valley in twain. The western end of the valley houses the Gardens, while the eastern end houses the Control Facility.
 * The Gardens: This large greenhouse straddles the river of the valley for about half a mile. It is subdivided into four sections. Each section contains the flora and fauna of one of the major climate zones of the United States. The gardens are maintained by a vast network of irrigation pipes, computer equipment, and a small army of robots.
 * The Helipad: The helipad provides access to the Nursery via helicopter. Once construction is completed and production begins, the helipad will be disabled to prevent unauthorized entry.
 * The Factory: This is a fully automated production facility capable of creating the legendary GECK, the Garden of Eden Creation Kit. Each kit can be supplied with the appropriate flora and fauna from any area in the continental United States and comes complete with detailed operations manuals. The kits can be distributed by various automated transportation systems such as trucks, trains, or vertibird.
 * The Repository: Within these walls are sperm and egg samples of a diversity of animal life in the United States. The Repository also contains a computerized gestation environment, the Computerized Gestation Environment (CGE), capable of giving birth to each of the various species.
 * The Power Plant: The Geothermal Power Plant is the ultimate in power systems. Relying entirely on thermal energy converted into usable electricity, this plant stands ready to provide all the power needs of the Nursery. It is self-sustaining, self-repairing, and, in case of unforeseen emergencies, it boasts a crew of robotic repairmen ready to tackle any situation that may arise.
 * The Control Tower: This is the heart of the Nursery. It is here that all data pertaining to maintaining the many facilities is collected, correlated, and digested. A state of the art robo-brain then decides on the appropriate course of action necessary to keep operations at an optimum level.

Appearances
The Nursery was going to appear in Van Buren and is mentioned in the canceled Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel 2.

Behind the scenes

 * The Nursery was designed by John Deiley.
 * The Nursery is described to be in the area of the real-world Black Canyon National Park.