I don’t know about you, but I’ve been wanting more details about Jude's lab for the longest time. However, we know how Cybird loves leaving things vague, so I doubt we will ever get more information. Anyway, these are my thoughts on it. It's just for fun. We can't be dogmatic about it. And if you have any head canons, please feel free to share!
In this post we are going to discuss:
╰┈➤ Potential Lab Location ╰┈➤ Laboratory Warehouse(s) ╰┈➤ Holding Cells & Their Conditions ╰┈➤ The Test Subjects ╰┈➤ The Torture Chamber (CW: Discussion of Torture, Violence)
I know it's a lot, so feel free to jump to whatever interests you.
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Laboratory Location: We know from his main route, the lab is within London’s city limits and relatively close to Raven, Ltd. Now, depending what type of trade you specialized in, determined where a merchant's business was typically located. Unfortunately, Cybird has Jude dealing with all sorts of trade ranging from spices, to art, to textiles, etc. So, it’s difficult to pin down where Raven Ltd would be located. However, based on the research I did and the fact that Jude's often at the docks, I’d wager it’s located somewhere in the docklands. The West Indian Docks, Metropolitan Wharf, or the Wapping Pier are some potential locations. They are linked if you want to look at them.
Now, the story also mentions the lab being a singular warehouse, but I imagine Jude had to purchase an entire lot of buildings because it is such a massive project that could need expansion. Additionally, purchasing an entire lot of buildings would also serve as a protective barrier against being squished between other business or homeowners, and they catching onto what Jude is doing less easily.
So, I feel there actually multiple warehouses and the following are their potential uses:
Warehouse One: Receiving and storage. Jude needs vast quantities of materials from wires, metals, fabrics, tools, hoses, machine belts, oil, lamps, coal, gears, etc. An entire warehouse could easily be dedicated to receive regular deliveries of these materials, and their storage.
Warehouse Two: Research & Development, and Records. In Jude's route, we saw only one researcher. He would need multiple researchers that specialize in various fields from structural engineers, physicists, propulsion specialist, etc. This warehouse would serve as a space needed to be able to research, develop and document their findings. It would also store and maintain records of the prisoners, confidentiality agreements of the those whom Jude employs for the project, blueprints, the data from the tests performed, inventory records; and all of the books and papers that Jude’s collected over the years.
Warehouse Three: Stores the failed protypes of the rockets. Each are catalogued meticulously.
Warehouse Four: This is where the rocket is being assembled. It's a tall building, and not only would you see the skeletal structure of the rocket, but the space would have chalk and bulletin boards filled with equations and notes, piles of scraps that have either blown up or burnt up that are being studied, and desks with bankers lamps for late night work. I often imagine the sound of metal clinks, steam, whirring noises, conversations between the researchers all happening here.
Warehouse Five: Serves as a horse stable and carriage/wagon storage facility. In Jude's route, some of the lab employees are seen carrying one of the test subjects out of the warehouse, and to the hospital per Jude's directive. I can't see them flagging down a carriage while they have a potentially bloodied person on a stretcher, and not have it raise some eyebrows? That's too sketch.
It would be wiser for Jude to have his own wagons or carriages on hand so they can take the captive to wherever Jude tells them. Additionally, they may need to disassemble the rocket and transport it piece by piece at some point, having his own transport would be much more efficient.
Warehouses Six/Seven: Are empty, but available if more space is needed for construction.
That was a lot right? Well, I'm not finished yet. Let's talk about where the test subjects are held and their living conditions.....
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Holding Cells & Their Conditions: I believe the criminals that Jude keeps are caged underground, beneath the lab. And the reason why I say this is because the MC doesn’t ever mention seeing Jude’s victims inside the warehouse where the rocket ship is being built. Further, it’s never mentioned that the military discovered the prisoners either. Jude was only accused of treason and murder, he was never accused with false imprisonment or of torturing people.
I feel like there is a large cellar beneath the lab, or maybe a network of rooms that have the prisoners caged or chained up. They live in total darkness 24/7.
And as much as I want to think the criminals live in putrid conditions and are starved to death, that would only serve as a breeding ground for disease which could affect not only the criminals and those immediately involved with the project, but also the general populace.
I simply don't see Jude risking the that, so at the very least, the prisoners are give the minimal amount of food and water they'd need to maintain their lives. Remember too, during the 1st Anniversary SE the bowler hat guy survived a full year in Jude’s lab before he escaped, which tells me that there's probably some who are employed by Jude to feed these guys and.....clear out bodily fluids & excrement.
The Test Subjects: We read about Ellis taking these criminals to the lab and I always imagine him tossing them into a cage after they've been castrated by the black market doctors. However, I think it is more systematic than that because of Jude's meticulous and organized nature.
Therefore, I think the prisoners are actually individually documented. Their medical history is taken, height, weight and age are part of the record because all of that could have a bearing on the experiments. I also think they're assigned prisoner numbers for tracking and comparing research data as experiments progress.
And when they are finally pulled into testing (if they aren't tortured to death by Jude before that), then they are likely gagged so no pedestrians can hear any of their screams.
Speaking of screams.......
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Jude's Torture Room: Maybe it's just me, but I can't help imagining that Jude has his own personal torture room. In my head, there's this very long and dimly lit underground corridor that connects from where the prisoners are kept, and it leads all the way to his fun room. It's filled with all sorts of things such as examine tables and chairs with straps, surgical tools like pliers, and tongs, and scalpels. There's also chains, large wash bins for drowning, a furnace, branding irons or hot pokers. You get the picture. Jude, I'm sure has a very large repertoire.
It's a shame that most of his torture scenes are cut short, or fade to black and happen off screen. Tragic really.
Now as much as we know that Jude is very much a hands-on kind of guys when it comes to his methods of torture, I also think that sometimes he just goes underground and messes with these people psychologically.
For example, I've pictured Jude silently walking in between the rows of cages. Perhaps, he has a metal pipe or something threatening in his hand that he clinks along the cage bars non-stop until he stops in front of a prisoner, and stands there silently. The prisoner freezes, sweat cakes their body as their heart hammers against their chest. They wonder if it's their turn to be abused by him, but they can never tell because sometimes Jude will open cage and drag the prisoner away, and sometimes he doesn't. So, they whimper and snivel out of fear. Music to Jude's ears.
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In conclusion (listen to me making a report), I think Jude's laboratory would be much larger than what Cybird has depicted to us. I mean, this is his dream, this is his sister's dream. His promise. I doubt he is running some dinky little back water project in only one building.
He is rich asf. He has the resources and then some for an operation of this magnitude, and he wants to get it right. He wants to keep his promise to his sister. So, those are my thoughts about his lab.
If you stuck it out this far, then thanks for reading. It's been a while since I've posted something like this.