The Shitcan
One of the cheapest and dirtiest bars on Red Level, known for its makeshift furniture, questionable drinks, and as a hub for information exchange.
Location ID
HC-LOC-THE-SHITCAN-0604
Location Data
Red
Crimson District
R-84-C
Variable (30-50 patrons)
Minimal
Security Level: CONFIDENTIAL
HC-LOC-THE-SHITCAN
Overview
One of the cheapest and dirtiest bars on Red Level, known for its makeshift furniture, questionable drinks, and as a hub for information exchange.
Dangers
!
Frequent violent altercations between patrons!
Potential for being robbed or scammed!
Questionable alcohol quality that may cause health issues!
Gang members and criminals often frequent the establishment
Story Appearances
Clone
Key location where Scott Preston meets with Hammer to arrange a deal for illegal weapons
Corpie
Featured as a meeting place where Emi Tanaka connects with Red Level contacts
Culture Vulture
Regular hangout for Rigby Barclay where he meets with Hookie to gather information for his stories
Notable Characters
Hookie
Bartender and proprietor
Hammer
Regular patron and known fence
Rigby Barclay
Horizon City serves as a backdrop for Rigby's media platform targeting corruption, while his actions reinforce corporate power dynamics through public anger and self-referentiality.
Connected Locations
Midnight Market
Nearby black market where stolen goods are fenced
Shin's Shop
Weapons dealer frequented by many of The Shitcan's patrons
Related Themes
Social Stratification
The judge's office at Level 7 exists as a representation of Horizon City's stratified society, reflecting its social hierarchy through design and function.
Disposability of Human Life
Horizon City exemplifies how technological advancements in cloning create a society where human life's value is fundamentally altered, leading to renewed death as a temporary option and reinforcing social disparities.
Media Manipulation
Horizon City exists as a site of media manipulation and audience complicity, enabling controlled public perception through controlled rebellion and sustained by consumer acceptance of manipulated narratives.
Related Technologies
Nanostims & Designer Drugs
Nanostim technology's functionality shapes drug use and treatment efficacy across social strata in Horizon City, reflecting varying risks and societal inequality.
Additional Information
The Shitcan
Red Level's Notorious Watering Hole
The Shitcan stands as a testament to Red Level ingenuity and desperation - a bar cobbled together from literal garbage that somehow became one of the most important information hubs in the lower levels of Horizon City. Located at the corner of Crimson and 84th, this establishment offers the cheapest drinks on Red Level, along with valuable street intelligence for those who know how to ask.
Atmosphere and Appearance
To call The Shitcan "rustic" would be a severe understatement. The bar itself is constructed from an enormous metal door propped on old plastic crates. The furniture consists of makeshift garbage hastily thrown together for customers to squat on. A permanent layer of dust and dirt has formed a stain on every exposed surface.
Lighting comes from two old construction lights that cast long shadows everywhere, making the walls seem alive with perpetual motion. The corrugated steel walls are covered in graffiti of varying artistic quality, some of which is apparently valuable enough to be "purchased" as a cover for information exchange.
Services and Clientele
The Shitcan offers a limited selection of cheap alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and other basic vices. The ancient refrigerator behind the bar holds cans of beer with names like "Headshot" alongside whatever other drinks Hookie has managed to acquire.
The clientele consists primarily of Red Level residents looking for cheap drinks, criminals arranging deals, and information brokers exchanging valuable street intelligence. Despite its appearance, The Shitcan serves as a neutral ground where various factions can meet without immediate violence - though fights are still common.
Information Economy
The true value of The Shitcan lies not in its drinks but in its role as an information exchange. The bartender, Hookie, serves as both proprietor and information broker, selling street intelligence to those willing to pay. Regular patrons like Hammer use the establishment as an unofficial office for arranging deals and meeting contacts.
Information is typically purchased through thinly veiled transactions - buying "artwork" on the wall, overpaying for drinks, or other creative exchanges that maintain a veneer of legitimate business.
Cultural Significance
To Red Level residents, The Shitcan represents one of the few constants in an unpredictable environment. Despite its squalid conditions (or perhaps because of them), it provides a sense of community and belonging for those at the bottom of Horizon City's social hierarchy.
The establishment embodies the resourcefulness and resilience of Red Level culture - making something functional out of society's discards and creating value where others see only waste.