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Silo One

Silo 1

The supervisory silo houses suspended populations and rotating workers; in 2345 Donald uses its communications room to call another silo’s mayor.

Story so far

Silo One supervises the other silos, and its leader is charged with preventing problems. Thousands of men received shift assignments and orientation before entering suspension; women were put to sleep before the men finished that orientation. Troy began a first shift here in 2110. Men worked six-month shifts without weekends or free days, separated by decades asleep, while women and children remained in long suspension. Communal rooms offered repeatedly playing movies, and food came from cans. By Donald Keene’s awakening in 2212, the corridors showed centuries of wear.

The supervisory role includes receiving reports from other silos: Bernard Holland contacted One when Juliette disappeared from view, and Solo recalled a checking-in call. The heads of surviving silos were not told about the destruction of affected silos. In 2345, staff awakened Donald during the urgent response to a cleaner passing beyond a hill. Most waiting shift workers occupy two identical levels; lower storage contains thousands of tightly packed pods. The facility has sixteen storage levels besides its armory, and two levels above the level fifty-seven storeroom contain compacted unrecyclable trash. Worn central floor tiles cannot be replaced.

Donald has concluded that Silo One’s inhabitants are themselves intended to die because they would threaten a future world. He also concludes that preserving the women and children was meant to motivate the men to keep working, rather than guarantee the families’ survival. These are his conclusions about the plan. He is currently making his call from the silo’s communications room.

Appearance

A centuries-old underground facility with worn corridors and irreplaceable central floor tiles. Storage includes tightly packed suspension pods, sixteen storage levels beyond the armory, and levels holding compacted trash.

Role

The supervisory center for the other silos and the home of a population maintained through long suspension and rotating work shifts.

Relationships

Donald Keene — He has awakened here across successive eras, now uses its communications room, and believes its population is ultimately intended to die.
Troy — His first shift here began in 2110, and he awakened here again in 2212.
The Silo — Bernard contacted One about the disappearance of Eighteen’s cleaner.
Solo — He recalled receiving a checking-in call from One.

Earlier in this series

Also appears in books you've already read — spoiler-safe to their endings:

Sources — 24 recorded facts, by chapter
Chapter 3
  • Silo 1 is the location of Troy’s awakening and first shift in 2110.
  • Thousands of men were assigned shifts and toured the facility before being put to sleep.
  • The women were put to sleep before the men completed their orientation.
  • Troy recalls being told that having only men present is safer, but cannot remember the reason.
Chapter 5
  • Silo 1 supervises the other silos.
  • The person in charge of Silo 1 is responsible for preventing problems.
Chapter 9
  • Silo One’s women and children remain in a long sleep while the men work shifts.
  • The men’s schedule provides no weekends or free days during six-month shifts separated by decades off.
  • Silo One has communal rooms where movies play repeatedly on flat-panel televisions.
Chapter 11
  • The women of Troy’s silo remain in long-term sleep.
Chapter 25
  • Troy awakens in Silo 1 in the year 2212.
Chapter 30
  • Silo One’s corridors show centuries of wear when Donald awakens in 2212.
Chapter 38
  • Silo One’s food comes from cans.
Chapter 44
  • The heads of the surviving silos have not been told about the destruction of the affected silos.
Chapter 63
  • In 2345, silo one’s staff awaken Donald amid an urgent response to a cleaner disappearing over a hill.
Chapter 69
  • Silo 1 is in a state of panic, with people hurrying through the hall outside Donald’s room.
Chapter 79
  • Most of Silo 1’s waiting population of shift workers occupies two identical levels.
Chapter 80
  • Silo One has sixteen storage levels in addition to its armory.
  • The two levels above the level fifty-seven storeroom hold compacted unrecyclable trash.
Chapter 86
  • Donald concludes that Silo One’s inhabitants are intended to die because they would endanger any future world.
  • Donald concludes that the women and children were preserved to motivate Silo One’s men to keep working, despite all being intended to die.
Chapter 91
  • The centuries-old silo has worn central floor tiles with no replacements available.
Chapter 101
  • Silo One’s lower-level shift storage contains thousands of tightly packed pods.
Chapter 103
  • Donald makes his call from the communications room in Silo 1 in 2345.
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