I would like to second this. I'm a programmer in my 20s, and my preferences run against the limos-and-clubbing stereotype. We do exist!

Chances are that there are some people who really like to go out on the town, some people who are indifferent, and some people who stay behind. And if this company employees great people, they will (1) treat you well no matter which group you're in, and (2) make it easy to tag along for the occasional thing that you actually want to attend. My coworkers are this way, and they are awesome.

As for the employees at the unnamed startup, it all depends on their personalities.

In 2002, researchers for another project — the replacement of the Alaskan Way viaduct — drilled down into the ground to take water samples.

The tunnel that Bertha's digging isn't another project — the whole reason for digging the tunnel is to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. See here.

The wells were drilled in 2002 to study the ground after the 2001 Nisqually quake. But that's a related project, because the Nisqually quake is the reason why we got to thinking about a replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Am I making sense? I hope I'm making sense. At any rate, the story summary needs updating.

Most fusion reactions will also create waste, and any reaction that creates copious neutrons will be a proliferation risk.

I might be behind on my knowledge of fusion, but both of those statements sound suspect to me. Fusion waste consists of low-atomic-number elements, like Helium. And the radiation in a fusion reaction mainly occurs during the reaction, but not after, IIRC. The waste products do not constantly emit neutrons.

Oh, how I wish I had mod points right now. This is an excellent point that is missing from almost all of the comments here.