VFX / Animation
Backstory *fictional scenario * – In 2024 NATO lifted the nuclear testing ban for a joint international program called Project Benchmark. The goal of the project was to test modern theory and practice of nuclear age technology including sensors, and defensive structurers. The climax of the project would see the detonation of the largest nuclear device in recorded history. The yield of the device has been meticulously fine-tuned to break the current record by exactly one megaton showcasing the latest and greatest modern refinement technology. Said technology claims to deliver the same amount of power, as traditional devices, with an unprecedented level of control, including the near elimination of dangerous radioactivity resulting in near non-existent radioactive fallout. This opens the door for humanitarian applications of nuclear devices, such as reservoir creation, mining excavation and more. The project was to be televised globally to create public support for these applications. However, when the device detonated the nuclear reaction acted unpredictably. The composite elements used in the core of device, intended to limit the output, acted as catalysis for an unchained reaction resulting in a megaton yield several times greater than intended. The device was set to be detonated as a low altitude air bust over the newly retired U.S.S Nimitz. The aircraft carrier, including mock escorts, had been outfitted with the latest sensor suits which served as the main testing platform for Project Benchmark. The unpredicted blast radius encompassed the entire aircraft carrier battle group instantly vaporizing it, and the test equipment it carried, rendering the results of the experiment null and void while unleashing massive amounts of radioactivity. The plasma bubble created by the device reached incredible temperatures that were multiplied by its interaction with the surface of the ocean. The resulting fire storm created a vortex so intense that the pressure and heat generated was enough to create the conditions needed for atmospheric ignition. The ignition can be seen, in the surviving test footage, as a secondary detonation. The secondary detonation blows apart the initial mushroom cloud and knocks out the remaining test equipment. The experiment was classified as a complete failure and catastrophe. No usable data was recovered and resulting in the loss of billions of dollars or hardware, the lives of the leading scientists, several world leaders and creating the largest ecological disaster in human history.