The Institution
The Institution is named as a governing body and seems to answer the question, “What did the Founders found?”
Boomtown’s society appears to operate under the authoritarian rule of the Institution. There is a fairly constant presence of Keepers within the walls. We see oaths being given and papers being checked at the gates between localities. A banner hanging in the alley behind a restaurant (where people from the Annex are being served their food) reads: “Census is mandatory,” suggesting a desire for strict accounting of the population, perhaps especially of the “slummers” who live outside the walls.
We know of two branches of the government so far. One consists of the Keepers. Holman states he transferred from an unspecified branch to the Cogency. Based on his manner of dress, this must be the branch to which the Makers belong.
Aside from the Black Pyramid, we see at least one Institutional building - a structure at once reminiscent of a place of worship and a place of business. The Institution’s symbol - a geometrically impossible triangle - is prominently displayed.
Ricky presents the Institution as indifferent to the quality of life of those who live in the Annex, laying at their feet the deleterious effects of the walls’ construction and the squalid living conditions in the Annex.
In Interlocation, Ricky suggests putting pressure on the institution by printing inspiring, contraband literature. Holman is aghast, reminding Ricky that to do so would be to risk execution.
When Ricky and Hank are talking in Savages!, the Outsider uses “the Black Pyramid” in reference to the Institution or Boomtown’s society in general.