The Gauntlet
Overview
Guardian's enforcement corridor -- the most dangerous urban stretch in the eastern Sprawl. Checkpoints every few blocks, tactical units on permanent patrol, and the particular tension of a place where the security apparatus has decided that control matters more than consent. Guardian's headquarters anchors the sub-sector's eastern edge, a fortified compound that projects force in every direction. The Dim Ward's processing infrastructure sits beneath the surface, its 340,000 compressed consciousnesses humming under streets where Guardian officers walk their beats. The Long Mile and The Eastern Corridor continue through the Gauntlet, their elevated platforms the only place where civilians can move without passing through a checkpoint. People who live here learn the patrol schedules the way other people learn bus routes.