Aperture Mesa

> *"Working to make a better tomorrow for all Crawler kind, and as a trusted friend, in Outland science.”*
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>  *—*The Aperture Mesa Work Motto.
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(Note: Please see the Trivia section.)

## Aperture Mesa

(Innovators) The logo for the prestigious Research Facility

### Level

Below the underground Scorpion Cavern Castle; "second" level down

### Location

Under the Scorpion Cavern Castle HQ and Cave 17

### Inhabitants

Formerly:* Bats (Research only)
* Scorpions (Testing/Research/The Forgotten)
* Spiders (Testing/Research/Forgotten)
* Sabertooth Tigers (Used as a prison)
* Gorillas (Prisoners)

Currently:

* Icebears (Partial control)

The Aperture Mesa Research Facility, or A.M.R.F. for short, was the headquarters of the Imperial Scorpion corporation, and the primary setting for scientists and researchers. It was located in the Outlands, in caves and tunnels underneath and around the Scorpion Cavern Castle. The corporation's headquarters were located in the Aperture Mesa Research Facility.

Aperture Mesa was apparently helmed by the Scorpion Monarchy, as the Great Seal can be seen on the ground of several lobbies of the Aperture Mesa Research Facility (before the Forgotten inhabited it during The Uprising), and the Crawler Empire Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as seen on several com-link status screens.

Aperture Laboratories was also used as a trade name by Aperture Mesa for most of its products; “Outland Science Innovators” was used as a branding name.

## History

Aperture Laboratories was founded by Scortica Breen, the brother of Scorpion King Scorm, almost immediately after Scorpix and Scorponok supported the latter brother's rise to leadership; this was soon after the species inhabiting The Gorge of Eternal Depth were finally evolved by chi at the time of the Roleplay, and traveled through the tunnels Bliston had found into the Outlands. Like the other newly evolved Scorpions, Bats and Spiders, Scortica likely used the books from Corvidholme's library, such as Ludwig Luggington's history books, to accumulate knowledge for his research. He built Aperture Laboratories in the tunnels and caverns beneath the newly-established Scorpion Cavern Castle, and, as a member of the royal family, Scortica had no shortage of funds for his company from the also newly-established currency system. Aperture used live, "volunteer" test subjects from all three Outland tribes for their research, though King Bliston broke into Aperture, rescued a bat Scortica had kidnapped, and forbade any more Bats from being used as test subjects immediately after finding out about this (the sole exception to this decree being the volunteer Bachell). Aperture went on to be responsible for developing many of the Crawler Empire's most well-known vehicles, such as the Scorpion's first aircraft, the Stinger-Copter.

### Partial Destruction

The majority of the caves and tunnels containing Aperture labs were buried by the Bears' bombardment at the tail end of The Uprising (see the Chima Alliance—Crawler Empire War page), with The Forgotten taking control of the remaining caves. However, any remaining Forgotten in the former Aperture caves departed after the Icebears took control of the area near the end of the Crawler—Ice Hunter War. The caves closest to the central Scorpion Cavern Castle area were likely frozen upon the Ice Hunters' arrival, since Iroquois prioritized using Crystal Crater as a construction site to build a new HQ for the Icebears. Meanwhile, the Aperture tunnels stretching the farthest west, near Black Fang Mountain, were used by the Sabertooth Tigers to store their excess frozen prisoners. This was discovered by Unichi's leaders after they drove the Sabertooths out of the Black Fang Mountain region during the Fire—Ice Wars. They entered the Aperture tunnels at the Scorpions Consuls' suggestion, freeing Gorvan and other top Gorilla Republic officials.

## Fields Array

Aperture Mesa undertook research in various fields from standard scientific research to radiation, rocketry, theoretical physics, lasers, experimental propulsion, hydraulics, robotics, hydroelectricity, genetics, zoology, applied mathematics, and a very wide spectrum of research into chemistry and all manner of physics research. The research was mostly conducted in the Aperture Mesa Research Facility and included both pure research and applied science.

In addition to this legitimate research, several secret projects were also carried out at Aperture Mesa, which were deliberately left vague. A large amount of classified research was carried out, including the development of high-tech weapons and defense systems, research into extra-dimensional travel, and teleportation. During a tram ride into the Aperture Mesa Facility, an announcement on the public address system would state that the facility was seeking employees with backgrounds in theoretical physics, biotechnology, and various other high-tech scientific disciplines. It was also said that jobs in low-clearance security and materials handling were available. As the same announcement stated, Aperture Mesa was an equal opportunity employer open to all known species in Chima, as well as female scientists such as Queen Scorpia Mossman and Bachell.

## Personnel

Aperture Mesa employed in its facility two main groups of civilian employees: science personnel and security personnel, along with various other inhabitants including the administrative personnel, service personnel and occasionally the employees' families in labled dormitories. The base also kept a small military presence.

### Notable Personnel

* Dr. Scordon Freeman— Former Scientist, now the leader of the Forgotten after usurping Scrin
* Barney Balhoun— A former security guard, friend of Freeman before he left for his Bat 3ic duties; defected to the Forgotten, but later returned to the Bat Tribe and married Bratta; now King Bliston's brother-in-law
* Dr. Scorpia Mossman— A former Scientist who was a colleague of Freeman’s; also the former Scorpion Queen, wife of Scorm and mother of Scorpio; joined the Forgotten, but later returned to the Scorpions/Republic of the Claw as a politician
* Doug Battmann— A schizophrenic Bat and friend of Bachell; lived as a nomad around Chima after most of Aperture was destroyed, but either moved to New Bat Island with the rest of the Bats, or was killed at some point
* Speli Vance— Former scientist working alongside Scordon, escaped with his daughter after an incident; returned to the Spider Tribe as a Forgotten spy (Revived; discovered and executed by former friend Skaulus Rax, but later resurrected by Scrin)
* Bachell— Former Test Subject; became Scrin's brainwashed Forgotten sleeper agent within the Bat Tribe, before being freed from his control by Dr. Brethil; known for having restored Cavora's chi falls after being possessed by a Phoenix Chi Ghost
* Scortica Breen— Former Admin and CEO of the company and complex; later, The Combine Administrator (Deceased; killed by Scordon during the Uprising)

## Aperture Mesa Computer-Aided Enrichment Center

The Aperture Mesa computer-aided Enrichment Center was Aperture Mesa's main facility where its products branded "Aperture Laboratories" were developed and tested. It was located under the Scorpion Cavern Castle/Scorpion HQ of the Outlands, above and inside a disused salt mine. It is unknown whether it survived the Bears' bombardment, or whether Unichi's Scorpiorax Corporation is currently using it.

## Trivia

* Aperture Mesa was introduced to the Roleplay by Thefirstdecade around late 2017 to early 2018; one of many things he introduced at the time that was heavily inspired by the "Portal" and "Half-Life" video game series, which is the reason for the very direct resemblance to characters, locations, and technology found in those games.