Squeeze

The Squeeze (Lambeth Containment Zone) is a district in the city of London.

Origin

The Squeeze is a part of south London, whose origins date back to "Project 42-20". Which was an attempt by the Adams-Hoffman corporation to control goblinization, with the goal of stopping the process. It secretly experimented on the populace by testing experimental mutagens. Which resulted in premature abortions, babies that were born with birth-defects, and people dying slowly because their immune systems were destroyed or their internal organs were shriveling. It was later confirmed that the tests resulted in 750 deaths with an additional 9,500 deaths suspected to be caused by Project 42-20. In the aftermath, many hundreds more residents are slowly succumbing to the effects of the mutagens.

This went on for 15 years before Ork journalists from Channel 7 revealed all in a broadcast in 2038. Which resulted in a series of riots, the first starting 15 days after the first and only broadcast of the expose. The riots were violently suppressed by the police and army, resulting in deaths (the first martyrs). Some of the residents, angry and vengeful formed the "Lambeth Martyrs" (LM). Armed with weapons supplied by criminal gangs, they struck back in several attacks killing nearly 100 innocents in one attack and 74 in another attack (including an ex-prime minister). The army then established the "Lambeth Containment Zone".

The Squeeze

Within the Lambeth Containment Zone (aka, the Squeeze), the residents are treated as rebels by the government and the residents see the army is an occupation force. It's cut off by army road blocks on every major road and the inhabitants are required to carry identification documents. The army patrols the streets and has arrested, using techniques refined in Northern Ireland against the IRA but the Lambert Martyrs keep getting recruits.

It's a community full of crumbling housing and where the buses don't run on time. Vast murals are painted wherever there is an exposed surface, defiantly supporting the LM. Go inside a pub, and you find them passing the LM collection box. Brutal street gangs operate the black market and everywhere one finds victims of Project 42-20. Al the gangs in the Squeeze answer to the LM. If the LM says jump, they say how high. If they don't, they end up at the Metal Jungle (the dump).

At least 2,700 troops are in the Squeeze. The residents are all either poor or squatters, mostly poorly educated and dead broke. Most of those within are unemployed and many of them are registered as disabled due to 42-20. Though all metahuman and ethnic types are presented, the largest group are the West Indians.

Index

• o66933837London Sourcebook, 109-112