The Keys of Safeharbor

Deep in a well guarded building in the colony of Dawn is a storeroom featuring rows and rows of strange looking keys. A key is a powerful symbol. Homebound is an organization of Wayfarers isolating their exploration to the ruins of Safeharbor's planet wide city. They use this room to do their job. It wouldn't be possible otherwise.
When we first arrived here, the buildings were locked tight. We lacked the tools to learn it then, but the species that built this place really didn't want others to get inside. These doors survived all the explosives we threw at them. In response, we turned to the keys. Sadly, a key is nothing without its lock. We have the keys, but the locks are scattered, lost among the rubble. We live in the ruins of a lo kn g dead civilization, and each key could unlock a door to our next big discovery.
The keys are carefully categorized, labeled and hung on hooks. Each hook represents one of many sectors. Each sector is created based on where the keys are found. Sometimes the keys are picked up by scouts. Some are raised from control rooms. It is up to Homebound to take each key and test every lock on their expeditions. It takes longer than you think. This city has roots, and the roots run deep.

The keys

A key can be made of many different substances., but all are made of metal. They come in many shapes and colors. They keys are loyal, as are their locks. The keys feature several grooves, and We have yet to find a key that can open more than one lock. The locks are nothing special, to be honest. They are made to match. The keys, though? The keys are special indeed.
The locks are virtually impossible to pick. It requires something shaped exactly as the proper key is shaped, matching its length, its width, and the grooves adorning its body. In comparison to the locks we humans developed, they are significantly more intricate. I suppose we'd be able to emulate the same idea by combining our many different methods of designing locks.
The locks here have wards, sliding mechanisms, pins, and some even possess a password in the form of key turns in different directions, similar to our own combination locks. Without the key, you won't be getting in, and attempting to pick it will often lead to electrocution, or the activation if security measures.

Value

Homebound pays well for keys found around Safeharbor. Areas of the city once believed to be fully explored revealed vast complexes left untouched until the wayfarers were able to open the door. This can often reveal nests and dens of dangerous fauna that are far too close to the colonies for comfort, hiding under very noses.
There are nearly eight thousand keys that have yet to be reunited with their locks. It's an experiment of trial and error. Wayfarers will come and explore, then return sometime later to test new keys on the pocks that failed to open. This makes them thorough, as they often find things they overlooked in their first expedition. When it comes to the pursuit of knowledge, let no stone be unturned.
One thing that baffles me is how well-preserved these places can be. As the archivist of Safeharbor, I've managed to pull information from even the most corrupted of data vaults, but many things found in these dark places function like new.