In the days before the world collapsed, a select few managed to disappear underground. Whether they were fleeing a nuclear exchange, a plague, or the rumored shadow-clouds seen drifting on the outskirts of ruined cities, one site chosen for refuge was the OctaCore.
Originally designed as a hub for manufacturing massive space vehicles, the OctaCore contained a self-sustaining community meant for its workers. That design proved its salvation. The complex could hold up to 12,000 civilians and 3,000 soldiers, the latter deployed by the Germanic government to maintain order.
Admission was by invitation only. Most were chosen for their skills or usefulness to the Federation's long-term plans. A handful of powerful families—the Clines, Baumanns, and Zieglers, all tied to the OctaCore's creation—claimed their places as well.
The soldiers occupied the 7th and 8th levels, using surplus wall-space as makeshift armories and depots. But for all its grandeur, the OctaCore was no paradise: the supplies stored within were only enough to sustain its 15,000 inhabitants for a single month.