Alternative History
Alf Landon Research Facility disaster
Alf Landon Research Facility disaster collage
Stages of the EXTHRU thermal runaway
Date November 9, 2023; 1 years ago
Time 01:23 UTC
Location Alf Landon Research Facility
Type Nuclear fusion accident
Cause Electromagnetic containment failure, excessive fuel
Deaths 4,200

The Alf Landon Research Facility disaster began on November 9, 2023 when the Experimental Thermonuclear Reactor Unit (EXTHRU), a nuclear fusion tokamak located inside the Alf Landon Research Facility experienced a sudden complete electromagnetic containment failure. It is considered one of the largest nuclear fusion accidents, if not the largest one, in human history. Due to a complete electromagnetic containment failure combined with an unsafe amount of reactor fuel being fed into the reactor, a fusion runaway began that completely vaporized the exterior reactor containment and caused multiple breaches in the hull of the Sector A of the building. A complete depressurization of the Sector A building began, causing 38 deaths, mostly of Reactor Operations personnel. The destruction of the core's mantle also punctured a hole in the research facility, subjecting the majority of the surviving personnel to the harsh conditions of Mercury's surface. Just two days later, the disaster ended with over 4,200 facility members dead and roughly 1,500 survivors.