diff --git a/src/nancy/cli/__init__.py b/src/nancy/cli/__init__.py
index 87b5313..0308404 100644
--- a/src/nancy/cli/__init__.py
+++ b/src/nancy/cli/__init__.py
@@ -19,10 +19,20 @@ class AliasedGroup(click.Group):
         ctx.fail("Too many matches: %s" % ", ".join(sorted(matches)))
 
 
-@click.group(f"nancy v{__version__}", cls=AliasedGroup)
+@click.command()
+def version():
+    """Print version information."""
+    print(f"nancy v{__version__}")
+
+
+@click.group(
+    cls=AliasedGroup,
+    help=f"Composable provenance tracking for scientific data")
 def main():
+    """
+
+    """
     pass
-
-
 main.add_command(freeze)
 main.add_command(thaw)
+main.add_command(version)
diff --git a/src/nancy/cli/freeze.py b/src/nancy/cli/freeze.py
index 77c2a7d..18e2867 100644
--- a/src/nancy/cli/freeze.py
+++ b/src/nancy/cli/freeze.py
@@ -2,27 +2,43 @@ import click
 
 from .. import store
 
+import os
+
 
 @click.command()
 @click.argument("directory")
 def freeze(directory):
+    """
+    Initialize tracking in a directory or freeze a tracked directory.
+
+    If DIRECTORY is not already part of an existing nancy store, then a new
+    'nancy.db' file is created in that directory. On the other hand, if the
+    directory is part of an existing store, it will be re-frozen and versions
+    of any files changes since thawing will be incremented.
+    """
     if not os.path.isdir(directory):
         raise ValueError(f"Cannot freeze non-existent directory {directory}")
 
-    existing_store = db.find_store(directory)
+    existing_store = store.find_store(directory)
     if existing_store is None:  # this is a new store
-        s = store.init(directory)
+        s = store.Store.init(directory)
     else:  # this is an existing store
-        store.connect(directory)
+        s = store.Store(directory)
 
-    # remove write permissions on all files except nancy.db
-
-    # compute checksums on all files, update versions in nancy.db as appropriate
-
-    # remove write permissions on nancy.db
+    s.freeze()
 
 
 @click.command()
 @click.argument("files", nargs=-1)  # , help="Files or directories to thaw.")
 def thaw(files):
+    """
+    Enable manual alteration of files within a tracked directory.
+
+    This command is meant to be used in conjunction with the 'freeze'
+    subcommand. After thawing, changes may be made in the current directory,
+    after which `nancy freeze` should be run changes may be made in the current
+    directory, after which `nancy freeze` should be run. At that point, changes
+    will be recorded: new files will be detected and modified files will have
+    their version numbers incremented.
+    """
     pass
diff --git a/src/nancy/store.py b/src/nancy/store.py
index 0c28a50..4515e5b 100644
--- a/src/nancy/store.py
+++ b/src/nancy/store.py
@@ -1,6 +1,206 @@
 """Utilities for creating new stores and linking between them."""
 
+from . import db
+
+import importlib
+import json
 import os
+from pathlib import Path
+import sqlite3
+import stat
+
+
+def remove_write_perms(path):
+    """Remove write permissions for all users while preserving other perms"""
+    s = os.stat(path)
+    orig_perm_string = stat.filemode(s)
+    os.chmod(
+        path,
+        s.st_mode ^ stat.S_IWUSR ^ stat.S_IWGRP ^ stat.S_IWOTH,
+        follow_symlinks=False,
+    )
+    return orig_perm_string
+
+
+class Store:
+    """Describes a data directory, holds active connection to nancy.db"""
+
+    def __init__(self, directory=None, conn=None):
+        """
+        Arguments:
+            directory (str): Location of existing store directory. If omitted
+            or None, initialize a store in memory, with no associated
+            directory.
+        """
+        if directory is None:
+            self.path = None
+            self.db_path = ':memory:'
+        else:
+            self.path = Path(directory)
+            self.db_path = self.path / "nancy.db"
+        if conn is None:
+            self.connect()
+        else:
+            self.conn = conn
+
+    def copy(self, store_path):
+        """Copy this store to a new store path"""
+        dst_db_path = os.path.join(store_path, "nancy.db")
+        dst_conn = sqlite3.connect(dst_db_path)
+        self.conn.backup(dst_conn)
+        dst_conn.close
+        return self.__class__(store_path)
+
+    def connect(self):
+        self.conn = sqlite3.connect(self.db_path)
+        self.conn.cursor().execute("PRAGMA foreign_keys = ON;")
+        return self.conn
+
+    @classmethod
+    def init(cls, directory=None):
+        if directory is None:  # initialize an in-memory store
+            db_path = ':memory:'
+        else:
+            if not os.path.isdir(directory):
+                raise FileNotFoundError(
+                    f"Directory {directory} must exist before initializing a store there.",
+                )
+            db_path = os.path.join(directory, 'nancy.db')
+            if os.path.isfile(db_path):
+                raise FileExistsError(
+                    f"File {db_path} exists. Refusing to re-initialize",
+                )
+        # initialize a database in the target directory
+        schema = importlib.resources.open_text("nancy", "schema.sql").read()
+        conn = sqlite3.connect(db_path)
+        conn.cursor().executescript(schema)
+        new_store = cls(directory, conn)
+
+        new_store.record_machine_description()
+
+        return new_store
+
+    def record_machine_description(self):
+        """Record machine-specific information"""
+        import platform, time
+        cur = self.conn.cursor()
+        fdor = ''
+        try:
+            fdor = json.dumps(platform.freedesktop_os_release())
+        except AttributeError:
+            # freedesktop_os_release only available for python >= 3.10
+            fdor = ''
+        machine_info = (
+            platform.node(),
+            platform.processor(),
+            platform.system(),
+            platform.release(),
+            platform.machine(),
+            time.tzname[time.daylight],
+            fdor,
+            json.dumps(platform.win32_ver()),
+            json.dumps(platform.mac_ver()),
+        )
+        cur.execute('INSERT INTO machine VALUES(NULL,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?,?)', machine_info)
+        self.conn.commit()
+
+    def make_readonly(self):
+        """Make store directory read-only (except for nancy.db) and return file list"""
+        dirpaths = {}
+        regfilepaths = {}
+        symlinkpaths = {}
+        irregfilepaths = {}  # any file that's not regular or symlink. e.g. inodes or sockets
+
+        # traversing bottom-up makes it easier to freeze perms on directories
+        for root, dirs, files in os.walk(self.path, topdown=False):
+            for f in files:
+                p = os.path.join(root, f)
+                if p == './nancy.db':
+                    continue
+
+                orig_perms = remove_write_perms(os.path.join(self.path, p))
+
+                if not os.path.isfile(p):
+                    # not a link or regular file
+                    irregfilepaths[p] = orig_perms
+
+                if os.path.islink(p):
+                    symlinkpaths[p] = orig_perms
+                else:
+                    regfilepaths[p] = orig_perms
+
+            for d in dirs:
+                p = os.path.join(root, d)
+
+                orig_perms = remove_write_perms(os.path.join(self.path, p))
+
+                dirpaths[p] = orig_perms
+        return dirpaths, regfilepaths, symlinkpaths, irregfilepaths
+
+    def file_hashes(self, local_only=True):
+        """Get recorded hashes of all files currently tracked in this store"""
+
+
+    def freeze(self):
+        # Remove write permissions on all files except nancy.db
+        # This also catalogs all files, directories, and symlinks
+        # Note that ./nancy.db is NOT listed in files and is not altered
+        dirs, files, symlinks, irreg = self.make_readonly()
+        if len(irreg) > 0:
+            raise Exception(
+                "Refusing to freeze directory containing irregular files: "
+                ", ".join(irreg),
+            )
+        for p, perms in symlinks.items():
+            target = os.path.readlink(p)  # gives possibly relative path to tgt
+            resolved = os.path.realpath(p)
+            if not resolved.startswith(os.path.abspath(self.path)):
+                raise Exception(
+                    f"Freezing {p} failed since it points to location "
+                    f"{target} which is outside store path ({self.path})",
+                )
+
+        # compute checksums on all files
+
+        # detect new and deleted files, and those that have changed type
+
+        # update versions in nancy.db as appropriate
+
+        # remove write permissions on nancy.db
+        remove_write_perms(os.path.join(self.path, 'nancy.db'))
+
+    #@contextmanager
+    def run(
+        self,
+        name=None,
+        message=None,
+    ):
+        """
+        Create a context manager that encapsulates a procedure that can save files.
+
+        Note that this does NOT spawn any new OS processes or threads.
+
+        Example:
+
+            s = nancy.store.init(target_directory)
+            with s.run("sum_dataframe") as f:
+                x = PandasDataframe()
+                y = Sum(x)
+                f.save('stats/xsum.csv', y)
+        """
+        pass
+
+
+class StoreFile:
+    """Describes a file that is recorded in the store."""
+
+    def __init__(self, store, rel_path):
+        self.store = store
+        self.rel_path = rel_path
+
+    def save(self):
+        # call the appropriate save method
+        pass
 
 
 def find_store(path):
@@ -14,7 +214,4 @@ def find_store(path):
         newd = os.path.dirname(path)
         if newd == d:  # indicates this is a filesystem root like C:\ or /
             return None
-
-
-def connect(path):
-    """Given directory, connect to its store"""
+        d = newd