The Vault

With all the heroes running around in the world, there have to be some villains too, and there has to be a place to keep them when they’re caught. That’s why UNION commissioned the design and development of The Vault, a high-tech penitentiary which, while technically composed of a single structure, is separated into seven distinct sections, each of which are displaced in time and space. This was conceived as a method of making escape more difficult, and facilitated by a combination of magic and visionary new technology. Movement between each section is instantaneous and activated only for those with the necessary security clearance as applied by UNION.

The sections are as follows:

Section One: Holding - Union City, England
Accessible via the UNION Building, Section One is comprised of a number of holding cells. This is where villains and enhanced criminals are brought after their initial capture, to be held securely ahead of their trial.

Section Two: The Courtroom - The Axiom
Once the accused is given their trial date, they are transported to Section Two, located in a realm of fact known as The Axiom. In this realm, no lies can be spoken and therefore it is the best place for a fair trial to be held.

Section Three: General Population - Sub-Himalayas
Once sentenced, the guilty party is sent to Section Three, the largest of the seven sections and located deep beneath the Himalayan mountain range. Each prisoner is confined within a single-occupancy cell, allowed to move around freely during the day including ample time in the Solarium, a room wherein the artificial environment matches whatever is happening outside. There is a large library and a food hall, and the entire section is staffed solely by robotic drones controlled by the facility’s own version of the AVA (Autonomous Virtual Authority) AI.

Section Four: Psychiatrics - The Great Subconscious
Those in need of specialist psychiatric assistance are moved to Section Four, located within the realm of pure imagination known as The Great Subconscious, where they are encouraged to explore and confront their psychiatric conditions in a safe and calming environment.

Section Five: Medical - The Year 3251
State of the art medical facilities are offered for prisoners who need them, although they are located over a century into Earth’s future, where medical technology is highly advanced and they have access to the best possible care. This is the least secure of the seven sections, but this is mitigated by its inaccessible temporal placement.

Section Six: Maximum Security - Nifleheim
Prisoners considered to be high risk to themselves and others are taken to Section Six, which is located in the ice realm of Nifleheim. The structure of this section has been built by dwarves, with materials forged in the heart of a star, and is completely impenetrable. There is no escape from Section Six, and it is reserved for the most dangerous criminals out there.

Section Seven: Solitary - The Void
After the Bedlam Incident in 2009, an additional section was developed for the sole purpose of housing the most dangerous super-criminal the world had seen. This was Section Seven, located in the null dimension known as The Void, where nothing exists save for the creatures of the same name, and the solitary wing of the Vault. Currently Bedlam is the only occupant of Section Seven, a truly inescapable prison.