The Citadel

What the Citadel Is

The Citadel is the safest and most controlled part of New Vance City. It sits inside a group of old corporate towers in an area called the Glass Ring. When the Collapse hit in 2069, these towers survived because they were already built to withstand disasters. They had backup power, thick walls, and private security.

People who lived or worked in these towers at the time were mostly executives, engineers, and security leaders. They locked the buildings down and used them to survive the first chaotic months. While the rest of the city burned and broke apart, the towers stayed sealed and standing.

Over time, these survivors formed what became the Citadel Council. They took control of food storage, housing records, and security. As more systems were added and the towers were linked together, the area became known simply as the Citadel.

What the Council Claims

The Council says the Citadel exists to preserve a working version of normal life. Inside, lights stay on. Elevators work. People have assigned homes and jobs. Children go to school. Clinics have clean tools and steady power.

The Council points to this as proof that planning and control can still keep people alive. They argue that strict rules are the price of safety. If residents follow orders and stay quiet, they are fed, housed, and protected.

To people outside the Citadel, this sounds like comfort and arrogance at the same time. The Citadel shows what the city could be. It also shows who gets left out.

Layout and Security

The Citadel is made of several tall towers joined by sealed walkways and tunnels. At ground level, every entrance is blocked by gates, doors, and guards. You cannot wander in by accident.

Inside the walls, streets are rare. Most movement happens through enclosed corridors, elevators, and transit pods. Cameras and drones watch all of it.

Some towers are covered by large domes. These domes control light and air and block outside weather. Beneath them are gardens, open plazas, and public gathering areas. The Council uses these spaces for speeches and ceremonies to remind people that life inside the Citadel is stable.

Bright walkways connect the towers. Large projected signs display rules, reminders, and slogans like ORDER, UNITY, and HOPE. Drones float overhead at all times. Cameras watch every corner.

How People Live Inside

Everyone inside the Citadel is registered. Identity checks use eye scans, voice checks, and body data. Every door, elevator, and checkpoint records where people go and when.

Each resident has a score. This score is based on how well they work, how closely they follow rules, and how they behave in public spaces. The score controls access to food, water, power, and housing.

People with high scores get better meals, more water, and cleaner living space. People with low scores get less food, crowded housing, and worse jobs. If a score drops far enough, someone can be moved to harsher housing or forced into dangerous work.

Speaking openly is risky. Messages, public forums, and official networks are watched. Criticizing the Council, organizing without approval, or talking too often to the wrong people can lower a score. Most residents learn to stay quiet and careful.

On the surface, daily life feels calm. Work shifts are regular. Schools teach basic skills and praise the Council. Announcements repeat safety rules and success numbers. Music plays in public areas to keep people relaxed.

Health and Fear

Medical care inside the Citadel is better than anywhere else in the city. Clinics have clean equipment and trained staff. Vaccines and basic medicine are common. Everyone is tested often for infection.

People who show signs of illness are taken away immediately. Officially, they are treated and monitored. Unofficially, many are never seen again. Rumors say they are locked in sealed levels deep inside the towers.

Most residents do not ask questions. They know that safety depends on obedience.

The Council and Control

The Citadel Council is made up of Directors. Most of them were managers, analysts, or security heads before the Collapse. They think in terms of efficiency, risk, and numbers. They see the city as something that must be managed, not trusted.

The Council is divided into offices that handle food, housing, messaging, and security. These offices control who eats, who moves, and who gets noticed.

Security has two layers. The first is visible. Guards and drones patrol every day. They stop fights, block exits, and arrest people who break rules.

The second layer is quiet. Patterns in movement and communication are watched. If someone seems suspicious, their score can drop without warning. Access can be cut. Family members can be questioned. In serious cases, people are taken away for interrogation or “correction.”

These actions do not involve trials or public records.

Relations With the City

The Citadel relies on other factions for power and water. It works with them when needed, but it does not allow them inside its core systems. The Council trusts no one fully.

To outsiders, the Citadel is a locked fortress of privilege. People in poorer districts see its clean towers and steady lights and know they will likely never live there. Visitors from outside are watched closely and limited in where they can go.

The Council runs small aid projects outside the walls to reduce anger and recruit skilled workers. At the same time, borders remain tight. Unauthorized entry can lead to arrest, forced labor, or permanent exclusion from Citadel services.

Smugglers and criminal groups sometimes slip in through service tunnels or forged IDs. The Council knows this happens but cannot seal every route without disrupting daily life.

What the Citadel Really Is

To its residents, the Citadel is safety with strings attached.
To the rest of the city, it is proof that survival is uneven.

The Citadel did not save New Vance City.
It saved itself.