Von Braun (starship)

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The Von Braun is an experimental faster-than-light starship within the world of the computer game System Shock 2. It is one of two starships on which the game takes place, the other being the UNN Rickenbacker.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Decks 2.1 Deck 1 - Engineering 2.2 Deck 2 - Med/Sci 2.3 Deck 3 - Hydroponics 2.4 Deck 4 - Operations 2.5 Deck 5 - Recreation 2.6 Deck 6 - Command Deck 3 In game 4 Trivia

[edit] Overview

Named after real-life rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun^{[citation needed]}, the Von Braun is an experimental design capable of faster-than-light travel due to its unique drives developed in main part by Marie Delacroix.

[edit] Decks

The ship has five main decks which are interconnected by a single elevator, although some of the decks have auxiliary maintenance connections such as the one between Engineering and Med/Sci decks. There is also a sixth command deck which is accessed by its own elevator on the Recreation deck. All decks also consist of two or more subsections communicating via various hatches and doors. All decks have certain things in common, such as having a Chemical Storage room that contains various chemical elements in their pure form needed for research of unfamiliar objects.

[edit] Deck 1 - Engineering

Cargo bays, a shuttle bay, the engine core, its coolant assemblies, and control room.

[edit] Deck 2 - Med/Sci

Medical and science labs, R&D facilities, cryogenics, and some crew quarters.

[edit] Deck 3 - Hydroponics

Various storage and cultivation sectors, biological survey, administrative and experimental offices.

[edit] Deck 4 - Operations

Systems administration, mess hall, offices, crew lounge, cold storage, command center, barracks, brig, fluid ops, power ops.

[edit] Deck 5 - Recreation

Main crew quarters, medical annex, athletics, garden, dining mess, security station, mall, and movie theater.

[edit] Deck 6 - Command Deck

Deck 6 contains the bridge, and additional crew quarters. It can only be reached via a central elevator on Deck 5. The UNN Rickenbacker can only be accessed from this deck, via an umbilical.

[edit] In game

The player begins the game awakening from post-op coma in a cryotube on Deck 2, and works his way up the decks, although he does also have to go to Deck 1 in the process. Despite being nearly devoid of any human life, the ship continues to run autonomously, being controlled by its AI, XERXES. This supercomputer monitors the ship via security cameras and has a variety of machines at its command, from Protocol Droids, to Cyborg Assassins.

[edit] Trivia

Von Braun is the name of an influential rocket scientist, as the 'father' of the United States space program, as well the leader of Nazi Germany's V-2 Rocket program.