Ok, so I must be crazy, because I don't see any mention of this anywhere, but after the latest episode (Root Path) it's hard for me not to serve up some speculation on one key phrase I found extremely interesting. No, it's not the banter between Finch and Root, it's not the banter between Collier and Shaw, and it's not even the chip that Decima stole (that is for a later date 8D). This theory is all taken from one small phrase Root casually comments to Fusco around the middle of the show: when she tells him that she just became an FBI Agent "last night" to gain access to a nuclear power plant outside of Tulsa (That would most likely be Tulsa, Oklahoma).
Just off the top of our heads here, where else - and why - before in the show has Root been interested in a nuclear power plant? Yes, yes indeed, that's right, it's all becoming clear now isn't it? I know what your thinking, well, it could be one of two things, consisting of either, "Pfff, I noticed that like, before she even said it..." or "Whoa, my mind is blown." Hopefully it's a little of both, because the last time she wanted access to a nuclear power plant facility, it was to find The Machine, up around Portland.
So, what if The Machine is now located in or around Tulsa? "Why would it be?" you might ask, "What are the benefits of Tulsa?" Well, there are many reasons and some benefits actually. First, how can I deduce this and what are these reasons or benefits. Think back to the map that Finch had drawn of the possible three locations the government could have housed The Machine at. Why three? How come Finch couldn't have just shortened it down to one obvious facility? Well, "obvious" is exactly why. I imagine the government wouldn't build just one extremely likely place to hold The Machine at. It would at least build a few, or in our case three, so as to divert suspicion away from one distinct place.
Of the other two, one was aptly circled down around the Texas region. Meaning a likely facility with all the fixings for our Machine would have been built there. Of course, a place like that would probably be the first areas the government would search in a quest to recapture "their" property, so The Machine might not expressly be able to move there to the prepared facility per se, but if perhaps it retrofitted another facility further up the line, the NSA line to be exact, by way of many private contractors and such, to fit its needs. It would be able to tap into the connections needs to use and still have the power to run.
It just so happens that the government has been considering a nuclear facility for some time in just that Oklahoma area. Black Fox fits the bill perfectly. Funny that Black Fox appears to be the only nuclear facility that was called off because of protests and such. Now, I'm am pretty certain that even if the facility was run down a bit, a Machine that is self-upgrading and can create an entire persona, let alone a fake company to go along with it, can take a few measurements about its power consumption and the connections it would need to function and then hire the appropriate contractors to get the job done. Plus, if the government had truly prepared each site to the fullest, the connections it would need (the NSA connections) would most likely run pretty close by on there way to the other facility. It would just need to tap in somewhere, remaining undetected, and I think we all know how good our Machine is at doing that.
You can question why The Machine would let Root access its location, but I think the bottom line is that Root is on the level, no tricks and no evil agendas, and The Machine knows it. It trusts her as it can see she truly admires it as much as she says she does. Root probably drops in every now and again to say hey even, have some tea, play telephone (with her left ear), chat face to face, swap some superconductors. Joking aside, The Machine probably would use someone that is truly trustworthy to it to handle some important upgrades or other, as I'm sure it wants to avoid all ill-associated (With the government) or blabber mouth individuals.
You've gotta admit, it fits pretty well doesn't it? It might not be as ironic as it being in New York right under there noses (underneath Broadway [the mass casualty event coordinates it gave during one of its prediction sequences]), or as cool as it being in many different places (a piece here and a piece there), but this location has one huge thing the show goes for a lot that the others do not: common sense.
As always, thanks for reading. I hope you found it cohesive and it all makes sense the way I see it in my mind's eye. Don't forget, I may dominate the theories thread, but that's only because I'm a fanboy with no life and lots of time... ok, I do have a life, I don't take time for POI... I make time for POI!!! Anyway, what I really mean to say is, if you have theories of your own, please post them (Currently here). I love reading them and I know others do to, and if you're wrong then use the theorist's exit clause: "Theories subject to change as time goes on." Thanks again!