FFV - The Vault

"None of us expected to spend the rest of our lives down here. I mean, sure. Two weeks before the radiation levels went down, right? Maybe a few months if you wanted to be careful. But years, decades, with the same people in your face? Not able to feel the sun or smell the flowers? Sounds like cruel experiment." 

— Douglas Dorgan, shelter dweller 

Purpose / Function

The purpose of the shelter was to provide an area where humans would be able to live and not be exposed to radioactive fallout. While the groups were told that two weeks would be enough time before venturing out again, this group waited for about two months before venturing outside (only because the shelter had a Geiger counter and they were able to see that there was radiation out in the air). After the radiation cleared, they continued to use the shelter as headquarters.  
As HQ, the shelter was the area to store food (so it wouldn't be even more contaminated), to let people sleep when they needed to (if they were still in the area), and to have a place when the rubble and ruin of the world becomes overwhelming.

Design

The entire building was built in a rectangular shape. It had three floors: the bottom floor was for sleeping and hygiene. The middle floor housed the cafeteria, the kitchen, and the pantry. The final floor, the one nearest to the shelter, was where registration happened in the event of a nuclear attack and where, during the time spent indoors, children could play and be a little active. This was also where the equipment, like the Geiger counter, was housed so people would be able to take measurements of the radiation from outside by going up the escape chute.

Entries

There are two places to enter, mostly for when people were trying to get into the Vault, but during the two weeks one of them was locked and the key was "lost." (The person who was in charge of it didn't know where it had gone.) After that, the sealed route was forgotten and people only talked about the open one.

Sensory & Appearance

The whole area can be described as having undergone a transformation of senses. In the beginning, it smelled like fresh linen (with a little bit of dust on the third floor), like cleaning supplies on the second floor, and like mud on the first floor. 
After two weeks of people living in the shelter, the first floor took on the smells of children not yet successfully potty trained and sweat. The second floor was a mixture of the many meals that were being cooked there, and was developing a bit of a moisture in the room, even with the ventilation. And the third floor smelled of water, slight mold, and the combined body odor of bodies sweating under blankets. [If there was ever a slight nasally hint of "inappropriate activities," between people, then it was not mentioned, though there were most likely knowing looks at the first few women to become show pregnancy.]

Denizens

The people that can be found in the vault are ordinary folks from the neighborhood. There is a higher range of young couples and smaller children, but that's in line with how the town itself (growing and attracting those looking to start their families). 
As this fallout shelter was put in place due to concerned streets, there are actually more women here than men (they were off relaxing at Lake Fish, golfing, etc.). The women were the ones at home when the bombs fell and so more of them made it to the shelter [though not everyone registered made it since some families were elsewhere at the time].

Contents & Furnishings

The furnishings of the kitchen and pantry (which were in the same room) included items such as government supplies and other, private supplies, contributed by the families that made the Vault their home (through things such as the Grandma's Pantry membership card).
Foods included: carbohydrate supplements, "beverages," canned juice, canned soups, canned milk, canned vegetables, canned meats/fish, bottled water, canned fruit, and other items that were brought in my denizens, such as home bottled food as well.  There were also other items which could be found in the shelter. A small list is included here: bottle opener, can opener, pocket knife, eating utensils, measuring cups, blankets, sewing kits, extra clothing, sanitary napkins, first aid kit, emergency toilet, soap, diapers, rubber sheets, bottles and nipples, charger, extra batteries, battery-powered radio, dosimeter, clock, rope, shovel, broom, crowbar, flashlight, extra batteries, wrench, screwdriver, pliers, matches, candles, calendar

Valuables

Behind

Alterations

This was prefabricated

Architecture

Most of the me

Founding Date

1955

Type

Shelter