Location
Oceanus is located under water in the Indian Ocean approximately 1000 kilometers from the Kimberley coast in Western Australia. The base sits on the Exmouth Plateau at a depth of 350m below sea level, overlooking the depths of the North Australian Basin (which drops to nearly 6 kilometers below sea level).
Description
Oceanus consists of four interconnected pressurized domes and a large attached outbuilding, all situated amongst the kelp and plankton aquaculture fields. The primary central dome is six levels containing the command, research and security sections as well as officer, executive, and guest quarters. The three level outbuilding is attached to the primary dome and houses the geothermal power plant as well as processing facilities for the harvested aquaculture plants and for the materials produced from the mining and drilling experiments. Each of the three secondary three-level domes is connected to the primary dome via a pressurized tunnel. The first of the secondary domes is the primary submarine docking facility and airlock for Oceanus; the second houses the quarters, mess hall, and recreation facilities for the base's enlisted crew and civilian workers; and the third contains storage and the motor pool and mini-submarine dock for the smaller submersibles that are used for local operations around the base (including several suits of Sea Squad Kraken dive armor).
History
Construction began on Oceanus just prior to the start of the First Robotech War. Work ceased for several years after the Zentraedi Rain of Death, but resumed during the latter half of the Reconstruction period only to pause again for better part of the Malcontent Uprisings. The construction was finally completed in the early 2020s, with control being handed over to the Southern Cross Sea Squad with the departure of the REF in 2023.
Oceanus served as a strategic asset for Southern Cross naval operations around Indonesia and Southeast Asia during the NWO conflict. The base did not see any action during the Second Robotech War, though it continued to serve as a naval base for submersible Sea Squad forces.
After the collapse of the Southern Cross and the United Earth Government, Oceanus was effectively left to its own devices. The facility became the home base of the last surviving United Earth Navy Daedalus-class submersible mecha carrier, the SLV Ulysses, which served as a lifeline for Oceanus. Contact was eventually made with a remnant of the United Earth Government based in New Zealand attempting to restore some semblance of order to the Oceania region. With the help of the Ulysses an underwater fibreoptic cable was laid between Oceanus and New Zealand, giving a direct communications hardline between the base and the surviving United Earth Government there.