Sharashka

A sharashka was a laboratory manned by zeks, first used by the Soviet Union. In an alternate where the USSR won the Cold War, sharashkas were found throughout the world, but used most by the USSR, Germany and China.

When Alfredo asked Eduardo Caruso where The Gladiator obtained its games, Caruso put him off by claiming the store had a sharashka in the basement, where zeks developed all manner of games.