Welcome to Lock 87

You took this job to earn your way out, but every shift gives them more time to find you.

1992. East Grindle District.

Desperate to earn enough for a black-market visa, you accept a job with the Central Canal Authority and are assigned to Lock 87: an isolated checkpoint where cargo vessels pass between districts under the watch of a brutal regime.

The work is simple: Check the documents. Follow the regulations. Operate the lock. Get paid.

Compliance is mandatory.

CONTROL THE CHECKPOINT

When a vessel requests passage, its documents are delivered through a slot in the bunker wall.

Examine permits, cargo declarations, itineraries and vessel records against an ever-changing set of regulations. Investigate discrepancies, approve legitimate traffic and deny anything that doesn't belong.

Once cleared, operate the lock's industrial controls yourself, opening gates and adjusting the water level to send each vessel on its way.

Inaccuracy and lenience are not advised.

KEEP THE LIGHTS ON

Lock 87 depends on an ageing generator.

Keep it fuelled and running to power your lights, security systems and lock controls. If it fails, the bunker is plunged into darkness and the machinery around you falls silent.

You will then be required to leave the safety of the control room and restore power manually.

WATCH YOUR SURROUNDINGS

The Central Canal Authority has determined that Lock 87 can be safely and efficiently operated by a single employee.

You are alone at your post.

There is no need for concern.

Your only contact with the outside world comes through a radio and fax machine. A narrow window overlooks the lock chamber, while a network of CCTV cameras provides your only view of the surrounding facility.

As the shifts pass, the rules become harder to follow, the machinery less reliable, and the feeling that you are being watched becomes harder to ignore.

EARN YOUR ESCAPE

Every completed shift brings you closer leaving East Grindle behind.

It also gives them another night to find you.

Can you earn enough to escape the district before it's too late?