Inside the Lock-Up
Forty levels down, between a water reclamation plant and a freight lift that never stops. One room, one counter, one rent book, and a block that remembers.
The building
The Lock-Up is a rented room, not a property. The landlord has no name on the lease; Vey signs for him. Eleven owners have held the tenancy in twenty years, and the rent has never gone down. Above the shutter: the ward committee, the auction board, and people who have never been below level thirty. Below it: the water plant, the service shafts, and the Returners.
The people
Vey Ostrom
The collector. He wears the same coat in every season, counts the rent twice, and never raises his voice. He is not cruel; he is exact. The difference matters when you are short.
Ilsa Renn
Ran the Lock-Up for eleven years. Kept a second ledger of everyone Security took and what it cost to bring them back. She vanished on a Tuesday; the tenancy was in arrears by Friday. The key to the back room is still taped to the cover.
The regulars
Mira Voss moves crates she never opens. Dae-9 checks the exits before the goods. Old Sable has been buying relics since before the ward had a committee. They come back every third day, price by how you treated them, and leave a gift every third visit.
The five factions
Standing is not a score. It is who answers when the shutter is down.
Tenants’ Union
Keeps the water on and the eviction notices slow. Pays badly, remembers well.
Ward Committee
Owns the paperwork above your head. Buys relics, complains about the smell, decides what the block is worth.
Security / Compliance
Files everything. Pays for clean tips. Never forgets a face, and never tears up a page.
The Chute
Buys buildings, not goods. Prefers a fire to a lawsuit. If they sit on your counter, the conversation is already over.
The Returners
Keep lists of the disappeared and go down after them. They do not have money. They have time.
The Hollow
People with a chip where the decision used to be. Stillness, a uniform that does not match, a pupil that does not dilate, an answer a beat late, a badge with no name. Security calls them Augs. The block calls them Hollow. Drawing on one is called a draw, and nobody agrees on what that word means.
Questions about the Lock-Up
Is the Lock-Up from the official game?
No. The Lock-Up, Vey, Ilsa, the regulars, the five factions and the Hollow are original to this browser fan remake. The official game has its own shop, characters and storylines.
Do I need to know the lore to play?
No. The counter works on its own. The chapters and field notes unlock as you play, and this page is here for anyone who wants the background without spoiling the decisions.
Is any of this true?
It is fiction written for a fan project. It is not canon for the official game, and none of it should be quoted as official lore.