History Main / SafelySecludedScienceCenter

* The Black Mesa Research Facility in ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' was designed as an isolated [[ElaborateUndergroundBase mostly underground]] multi-disciplinary organization in the deserts of New Mexico. Unfortunately, [[AlienInvasion it wasn't isolated enough]].

* In the FailedPilotEpisode of ''Film/WEIRDWorld'', the Wilson Emory Institute for Research and Development (AKA W.E.I.R.D. Labs) is situated at Thanos Lake Airbase, a seemingly abandoned airbase in a middle-of-nowhere desert somewhere in California, ensuring both secrecy for its researchers and safety for the surrounding area - a must, considering that its researchers are at work on anything from bioweapons to time travel. Getting to the nearest town and back takes some driving time, which ultimately backfires on Dr Bryan Mayhew when he [[spoiler: finds himself physically regressing as a result of being unwillingly injected with Abby's [[FountainOfYouth youth serum]] - and can't get back before he's too young to safely drive.]]

* We don't actually see the {{hyperdrive}} research center in ''Literature/BattleHymn'', because the story takes place before its construction. The only place in the [[ColonizedSolarSystem Solar System]] with enough uninhabited ground to build the center in safety is Mars, so the plot deals with a referendum among the Martian colonists to set the necessary space aside.

* ''Literature/JurassicPark'' features John Hammond conducting genetic experiments on Isla Nublar, an island off the coast of Costa Rica, with the intention of developing it into a wildlife park with real dinosaurs; unfortunately, despite the claims of sparing no expense, the place was chosen more to preserve the initial secrecy of the project rather than safety, and the security protocols are full of holes -- hence the disaster that results in Jurassic Park being shut down before it can even be opened. [[Literature/TheLostWorld1995 The second novel]] reveals that most of the ''real'' experiments took place on the nearby island of Isla Sorna, the company's secret factory floor: it was here that most of the dinosaurs were actually hatched and raised.
* ''Literature/TheLockedTomb: Literature/GideonTheNinth'': The GodEmperor summons {{Necromancer}}s from the [[ColonizedSolarSystem Nine Houses]] to a palatial laboratory complex on his own planet, which he abandoned and sequestered nine thousand years prior, to challenge them to rediscover the process by which his first servants were transformed into immortal Lyctors.
* Julia's travels in ''[[Literature/TheMagicians The Magician King]]'' eventually lead her to Murs, an isolated commune in the south of France: Here, the [[BlueCollarWarlock hedge-witches]] of the Free Trader Beowulf Group conduct top-secret research into the deepest mysteries of the world. Quite apart from being [[SceneryPorn a beautiful place to live]], its relative isolation keeps their work from being investigated by "legitimate" magicians. Even so, it takes a lot of tests before Julia is allowed to join their experiments and finally learns of their true goal: [[spoiler:They're trying to make contact with the oldest and most benevolent form of divinity by summoning a goddess.]]
* In ''[[Literature/JohnCarterOfMars The Master Mind of Mars]]'', reclusive genius Ras Thavas keeps his lab in the Toonolian Marshes, because he has made more than a few enemies, but the marshes are full of some of the most dangerous beasts on Barsoom, including the dreaded white apes. A later book sees him forced to relocate to the abandoned city of Morbus.

* Creator/RobertAHeinlein's novel ''Literature/SixthColumn''. After the [=PanAsians=] destroy the U.S. government and occupy the U.S., a secret government laboratory underneath the Rocky Mountains is tasked to develop superweapons that can defeat the invaders.

Compare and contrast EerieArcticResearchStation, which is ''usually'' isolated for the sake of scientific research that can only take place in the Poles, such as studying icebergs. SafelySecludedScienceCenter and EerieArcticResearchStation can overlap if the mysterious lab is located in the poles for reasons ''not'' connected to polar research, but rather to keep the BlackSite (or UFO crash or whatever) hidden from the public.

* Syndrome from ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' has an ElaborateUndergroundBase concealed in a volcano on Nomanisan Island and uses it as a testing ground for the Omnidroid series of KillerRobot, designed to eradicate superheroes.

* ''VideoGame/StarCraftIIWingsOfLiberty'': A secret mission involves investigating a Dominion research facility located on an asteroid in the Castanar system, a non-descript star system on the fringe of Dominion space. The Raiders find the Dominion has been experimenting with Hybrids, and then one of them gets loose...

Some scientists (and their employers) are perfectly okay with their research being conducted in slick, brushed steel laboratories situated in a downtown business park or in skyscrapers. However, some experiments are a little too volatile for an urban setting. Sometimes, this is because the need for secrecy outweighs the convenience of working in the heart of a city; more often, it's because the subject matter is simply too dangerous to be allowed anywhere near the general populace in case of an accidental release of the viruses/bioweapons/genetically engineered creatures that are being developed.

Some scientists (and their employers) are perfectly okay with their research being conducted in slick, brushed steel laboratories situated in corporate skyscrapers high above major population centers. However, some experiments are a little too volatile for an urban setting. Sometimes, this is because the need for secrecy outweighs the convenience of working in the heart of a city; more often, it's because the subject matter is simply too dangerous to be allowed anywhere near the general populace in case of an accidental release of the viruses/bioweapons/genetically engineered creatures that are being developed.

So, in the interests of avoiding media attention and collateral damage, the laboratory is situated in an isolated spot somewhere off the beaten trail, where the experiments can be conducted as safely as possible. Possible locations include deserts, jungles, deep caverns, the bottom of the ocean, the surface of another planet, or deep space itself. For good measure, if there ''is'' some kind of settlement in the vicinity, it'll often be a small town at the most and -- implicitly -- populated by people that won't be readily missed. That is if the settlement isn't itself a CompanyTown and the inhabitants have a vested interest in keeping anything untoward under wraps; Job Security, not wanting to go to Prison or be themselves disappeared, that sort of thing.

Such labs can be run by a government, a corporation, a heroic team, or maybe just an average joe or jane performing good old-fashioned DIY mad science. Expect some kind of BlackSite to be involved in the case of government labs. These also have a fair chance of being an EnigmaticInstitute. Almost any field of research can be studied here, as long as it's dangerous enough, but weapons testing is a popular one (see TestingRangeMishap for why).

Compare and contrast EerieArcticResearchStation, which is ''usually'' isolated for the sake of scientific research that can only take place in the Poles, such as studying icebergs. SafelySecludedScience and EerieArcticResearchStationCenter can overlap if the mysterious lab is located in the poles for reasons not connected to polar research, but rather to keep the BlackSite (or UFO crash or whatever) hidden from the public.

Compare and contrast EerieArcticResearchStation, which is ''usually'' isolated for the sake of scientific research that can only take place in the Poles.

** In ''Leviathan Wakes'', [[MegaCorp Protogen]] has Thoth, a small, unassuming SpaceStation whose purpose is to crunch numbers received from experiments with protomolecule, except this experiment is ''not'' on Thoth itself, [[spoiler:but on Eros, an ''entire civilian space station'' which Protogen deemed [[DisposableVagrant backwater enough to count as expendable]]]]. In order to avoid giving away Thoth's location, Protogen designed the experiment to transmit data on broadband; everyone over the Solar System could tune in to see the horrific atrocities [[spoiler:[[BodyHorror turning Erotians into some biological machine]]]], but at least no one will be able to pinpoint the culprits, right?

** In ''Nemesis Games'' and ''Babylon's Ashes'', a renegade Martian fleet has barricaded itself in the Laconian star system to tinker with local orbital infrastructure left behind by {{precursors}} [[spoiler:while everyone else has their hands tied with terrorists armed by those Martians]]. In ''Persepolis Rising'', after 30 years of seclusion, those Martians -- or rather Laconians -- emerge from their star system to demonstrate the fruits of their research: [[spoiler:a fleet spearheaded by massive [[LivingShip techno-organic warships]] that will help them [[CurbStompBattle effortlessly]] turn their dictatorship into a capital of an interstellar empire, led by a despot who subjected himself to protomolecule treatment in hopes of [[ImmortalRuler attaing eternal life]].]]

* ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'': Dr. Andonuts's lab is secluded in the distant cliffs of Foggyland (pictured above).

* The Black Mesa Research Facility in ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' was ''intended'' to be one of these, an isolated [[ElaborateUndergroundBase mostly underground]] multi-disciplinary organization in the deserts of New Mexico. Unfortunately, [[AlienInvasion it wasn't isolated enough]].

** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' begins aboard a top-secret deep space installation used by [[NebulousEvilOrganization Cerberus]] for work on the Lazarus Project -- bringing Commander Shepard back from the dead! Unfortunately, the secrecy and isolation turn out to be totally ineffective as a security measure, given that the project ends up being compromised from within by a traitor.

* The Umbrella Corporation of the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series has at least attempted this many times by building their bioweapon labs under remote mansions, in subterranean facilities, on remote islands, and the like, but deadly outbreaks invariably happen anyway from various combinations of malfeasance, sabotage, betrayal, and [[StupidEvil basic incompetence]].

So, in the interests of avoiding media attention and collateral damage, the laboratory is situated in an isolated spot somewhere off the beaten trail, where the experiments can be conducted as safely as possible. Possible locations include deserts, jungles, deep caverns, the bottom of the ocean, the surface of another planet, or deep space itself. For good measure, if there ''is'' some kind of settlement in the vicinity, it'll often be a small town at the most and -- implicitly -- populated by people that won't be readily missed.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Y Project Y]] of the Manhattan Project, a.k.a. Los Alamos Laboratory. For obvious reasons, the government wanted the site that designed, built, and tested the first atomic bombs to be in a remote location. But it was subverted prior to that -- the Manhattan project was so-called because some of the original research took place at Columbia University on New York's island of Manhattan, and the Manhattan Engineering District (which was formed to coordinate all construction activities) was headquartered in Manhattan.
** Similarly, several installations constructed as part of the Project and maintained long after the war ended continued to experiment with nuclear weapons and radioactive materials. The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argonne_National_Laboratory Argonne]] and [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_National_Laboratory Idaho]] National Laboratories, and the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanford_Site Hanford Nuclear Reservation]] were all located in relatively remote areas, both because land was cheap, and there were fewer people to evacuate if something was released.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Y Project Y]] of the Manhattan Project, a.k.a. Los Alamos Laboratory. For obvious reasons, the government wanted the site that designed, built, and tested the first atomic bombs to be in a remote location. But it was subverted prior to that -- the Manhattan project was so-called because its original location was New York's island of Manhattan.

* Plenty of research outposts ''have'' to be located in isolated backwoods areas - deep jungle, the edge of volcanos, Antarctica, treacherous badlands, underwater - simply because that's where the natural phenomena they're investigating happen to be located.

Some scientists (and their employers) are perfectly okay with their research being conducted in slick, brushed steel laboratories situated in corporate skyscrapers high above major population centers. However, some experiments are a little too volatile for an urban setting. Sometimes, this is because the need for secrecy outweighs the convenience of working in the heart of a city; more often, it's because the subject matter is simply too dangerous to be allowed anywhere near the general populace in case of an accidental release.

* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': In the Android Saga, the Z Fighters follow Dr. Gero to his secret laboratory in the mountains where he awakens [[KillerRobot Androids 17 and 18]] [[GentleGiant (and later 16 is awakened)]], pnly to later discover he had a second ''even more secret lab'' where he was creating [[BigBad Cell]].

* ''Anime/ScienceNinjaTeamGatchaman:'' The secret base built under a fake island is also a research lab that maintains and upgrades the team's {{Cool Car}}s and CoolStarship. In addition to that they also provide research for the International Science Organization's Project Mantle.

** In "[[Recap/FarscapeS01E09DNAMadScientist DNA Mad Scientist]]", the geneticist Namtar has set up his laboratory on a remote asteroid somewhere in the Uncharted Territories. After witnessing the depth of Namtar's research, D'Argo wonders why he's chosen to work in the shadows when his discoveries could have made him unimaginably wealthy. As it turns out, it's because [[spoiler:Namtar is using the lab to acquire unique traits from other species in order to make himself "perfect," sometimes by using his clients as test subjects.]] Also, in another twist, [[spoiler:the lab was originally used to conduct top-secret experiments on the origins of intelligence; Namtar's assistant Kornata was the project lead and [[FromNobodyToNightmare Namtar was one of the lab rats]].]]

*** "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS2E7UnnaturalSelection Unnatural Selection]]" concerns the events on Darwin Genetic Research Station, an isolated research facility on the planet Gagarin IV. As it turns out, the isolation is well-justified, as the scientists have managed to engineer children with immune systems so powerful that their antibodies attack anyone in their immediate vicinity, resulting in a plague of RapidAging among the base personnel.

%%* In ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'', these were ''hugely'' popular late in the 21st century, as governments and megacorps began to delve deeper into artificial intelligence, cybernetics, genetic engineering and other areas. With global tensions rising, the construction of such underground facilities proliferated. [[AIIsACrapshoot A.R.C.H.I.E Three]] is located in such a facility. The Coalition's [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke Lone Star research complex]] originally belonged to the U.S. government. The [[MadScientist Angel of Death]] operates out of the hidden Mindwerks complex in Poland. These centers are avidly sought by seekers of LostTechnology. %%Example needs to explain if "such underground facilities" were secluded.

** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' begins aboard a top-secret deep space installation used by [[NebulousEvilOrganization Cerberus]] for work on the Lazarus Project -- bringing Commander Shepard back from the dead! Unfortunately, the secrecy and isolation turns out to be totally ineffective as a security measure, given that the project ends up being compromised from within by a traitor.
** Pragia's isolation and aggressive botanic growth makes it ideal for anyone needing to keep their activities hidden from prying eyes -- including scientists. Several years prior to the start of the series, Cerberus set up a research facility deep in the jungle and began experimenting on kidnapped [[MindOverMatter biotic]] children in an effort to create {{Super Soldier}}s -- even forcing them into gladiatorial games and conditioning them into enjoying violence through narcotic drugs. [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Jack]] is the only known survivor of this barbaric process [[spoiler:(up until [[ArcVillain Aresh]] shows up)]], and as such, her loyalty mission involves returning to the now-abandoned base and [[DestroyTheAbusiveHome blowing it up]].

* In ''VideoGame/PunishingGrayRaven'', one chapter recounts the final days of Atlantis, a top-secret [[{{Scienceville}} research city]] that is capable of diving underwater for a period of time to remain hidden. It's seclusion and dedication to research is so extreme that when the Punishing Virus wiped out most of humanity, all the staff, to a person, decided that the most useful thing to do was determine how the virus came into existence, even if it meant ''systematically'' starving to death. By the time of the game, the only way Atlantis is rediscovered is because a spy leaked the location through an cipher on some sheets of paper that were forgotten about for years.
* The Umbrella Corporation of the ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' series has at least attempted this many times by building their bioweapon labs under remote mansions, in subterranean facilities, on remote islands and the like, but deadly outbreaks invariably happen anyway from various combinations of malfeasance, sabotage, betrayal, and [[StupidEvil basic incompetence]].

* ''Franchise/DragonBall'': In the Android Saga the Z Fighters follow Dr. Gero to his secret laboratory in the mountains where he awakens [[KillerRobot Androids 17 and 18]] [[GentleGiant (and later 16 is awakened)]]. Only to later discover he had a second ''even more secret lab'' where he was creating [[BigBad Cell]].
* ''Manga/OnePiece'': * The island of Punk Hazard ''was'' one of these, being the site of Navy scientist Dr. Vegapunk's laboratory. It was destroyed, however, when his fellow scientist Caesar Clown set off a [=WMD=] that rendered the island uninhabitable. Clown later set up his own operation on it, making illegal weapons for the underworld.