As the Cold War widened in the 1950s, military hero George Kutter and his family trained to be legacy survivors in the event of an atomic exchange with the Soviet Union. Prepared to wait out the aftermath of nuclear war, they were subjected to myriad simulations, scenarios and stresses in hopes of helping salvage something of their family, their country and humanity from the ashes of a conflict with the Russians that never happened.

But when a group of hunting buddies stumble upon an old fallout shelter buried in the present-day Pennsylvania wilderness and end up locked inside, they quickly learn that “truth” is just a matter of conditioning, while a crash course in paranoia, propaganda and control awaits.

What was the nature of the secret Archonite initiative? What lengths did the United States go to in order to prepare for all-out war and its aftermath? What did the Kutter Family endure in perpetration for their duty? And if World War III never broke out… why are they still down there?

Visual artist(s): Cat Staggs