The Loop

From its inception in 1969, the Facility for Research in High Energy Physics, or simply “The Loop,” is the largest particle accelerator of its kind in the world. The Mälaröarna Facility was built by the newly formed government agency Riksenergi, together with the state-owned corporation Atomenergi, on the island of Munsö, some 26 kilometers northwest of downtown Stockholm.
  Construction began in 1961, using the best of Swedish engineering and know-how. Tunnels were blasted deep into the bedrock, creating the enormous loops for the world's largest particle accelerators, centered around a huge chamber housing the Gravitron. The facility was powered by the Bona reactor, a subterranean nuclear power plant whose most prominent feature are the three huge cooling towers, the tallest rising 253 meters above the rural surroundings.
  The scale of the Loop – or rather Loops – is daunting. The main particle accelerator, Prim-1, has a diameter of 26 kilometers, unsurpassed anywhere in the world. It is capable of performing experiments that were previously only dreamt of. There is also the secondary accelerator, Prim-2, at 20 kilometers in diameter, and lastly, the auxiliary accelerator, Aux-1, with a diameter of a “mere” 16 kilometers. Add to this the access tunnels and other underground installations, and one has one of the most impressive engineering feats ever seen.
  It isn't known how a small nation like Sweden could afford such a massive undertaking, as large parts of the project's budget were classified, but there's speculation that private investors, international corporations, universities, and the US government provided funds in exchange for access to the facility and the results of the research conducted there.
  To enter the main entrance of the Loop, a visitor needs to pass through two security checks, have valid credentials, and be scheduled to work or visit, making it next to impossible for any unwanted intruders to slip in. It is safe to say that no Kids will be allowed in here through any means. However, there are a number of service tunnels stretching below and around the islands, and these have separate entrances. Though guarded by security systems, and requiring special codes and cards to open, there have been rumors that some locals have managed to open one of these entrances, and have snuck around in the tunnels for short periods before being discovered.
  Not much is publicly known about what kind of experiments are performed at the facility. Some claim that Riksenergi has failed to get the installation to perform at its full capacity, others that the nature of the experiments have changed drastically since the second director, Hans Albrechtsson, took over the reins at @Riksenergi. What is known is that US delegations, some of them uniformed, have visited the facility, fuelling speculations that the science worked on at the Loop might somehow have military applications.
  Most of the projects and experiments conducted at the Loop are secret, which has resulted in a lot of speculation. The nature of some of the anomalies appearing in the area gives some hints, though. The high energies released in combination with experiments with anomalous materials are believed to cause minor and major resonance cascades, which in turn, opens rifts in the space-time continuum. There are persistent rumors of large, reptilian animals having been seen in the woods on the Mälaren Islands.
  Most people disregard this as kids’ fantasies about dinosaurs, but some have noticed that the Riksenergi game warden team has been unusually active lately and seemingly on constant alert. Using JR-17 hunting robots and MSPB-13 magnetrine armored reconnaissance cars, the warden team patrols the area around the Loop facilities, officially to make sure “wild animals” are not a reason for concern to the scientific installations.
  There are rumors of an illness among the workers, scientists, and other staff working in proximity to the Gravitron. This so-called “Loop sickness” has symptoms of psychological disorders, including nightmares, depression, rage, alcoholism, and drug use, sometimes leading to suicide. It appears that the longer someone is exposed to the Gravitron, the higher the risk of developing the disorder. Unconfirmed rumors claim that Riksenergi employees fill a whole wing at the Beckomberga psychiatric hospital in west Stockholm.
  One intriguing, and not completely understood, type of machinery is the echo sphere, which appears here and there in the landscape. These metal spheres, up to a few meters in diameter, each accessible through a round hatch, lie seemingly abandoned in the countryside around the Loop. The spheres can feel warm to the touch (or icy cold), give off a tingling sensation, cause nausea, or emit flashing lights emanating from the inside. Some carry a sign marked “Rogosin Locke Industries, Bethesda, Maryland,” while others are unmarked.
  It’s possible that the echo spheres are the remains from a previous experiment by Riksenergi, as no one has claimed ownership of the spheres, and they are often left to rust. What their true purpose was – or is – is not known. Maybe they are still active somehow. Unconfirmed reports from locals claim that animals (and even people) that have entered some spheres have vanished into thin air. Whatever the truth of the matter is, most agree that echo spheres are best left alone.