PMV Valdez

Poseidon Marine Vessel Valdez is an old Poseidon Oil tanker anchored in San Francisco harbor.

Background
Operating under the flag of Poseidon Oil before the war, the PMV Valdez was an ancient vessel even before the war. Rather than utilizing new, efficient fusion as its power source, it used a set of conventional fossil fuel engines for propulsion. The precise reasons for not retrofitting the ship are unknown, but may be a result of difficulties in getting such a massive vehicle to run on fusion, corporate branding concerns, or the result of shortages caused by the Resource Wars. Fallout Bible 8 Avalanche!: "1. Why is PMV Valdez using fuel instead of fusion cells? It's relatively new (it's carrying a Vault door, and is fully automatic) and it fits perfectly into Enclave's dock. I think the tanker should have been modified by Poseidon Oil to use fusion power instead of burning valuable oil or another flammable fuel. 1. I may be missing some statements from within F2, but my opinions are: A. Despite the fact that is carrying a Vault Door and is automated doesn't mean the tanker is "new" - it may be old/very old by 2070s standards and not incorporated any fusion technology into its design - and it may be too difficult to retrofit the tanker to run on fusion (although getting the fob was easy). It is not known whether there were any tankers incorporating fusion power sources in the 2070s, although military vehicles would be a different story. ''B. Poseidon Oil (during the Pre-War years) would not want its tankers using fusion cells because that would run contrary to the image of the company, despite its practicality. Plus, the idea of something so big running on something so small hurts its self-confidence. C. Fusion cells are very easy to get (in the game) and thus would undercut the adventure seed of connecting the fuel and the necessity of dealing with the Shi and Hubologists. D. On some thematic level, the fact that the tanker runs on fuel helps drive home: i. The fact the player is going to an oil rig. ii. Brings up images of the real-world Valdez. iii. Suggests the dinosaur-era technology of the tanker and it also provokes some images of the desperation of the Resource Wars, if you're a Fallout history buff. E. The fact that there is a Vault Door aboard the tanker does not mean the tanker itself is new."''

The ship lay idle in San Francisco harbor for decades. It became home to various species of mutated creatures. Sometime after the establishment of Navarro, the ship was disabled by Enclave personnel under security act 9837-334-27A. The navigational computer parts were removed to Vault 13, and the Tanker FOB was placed in the care of the Navarro base commander. The disabled ship was eventually settled by vagrants, a diverse, loosely organized band of independent thinkers, artists, outcasts, and everyone else who preferred privacy and tolerance over quality of life. A small, but lucrative hacking and trading business was also set up by entrepreneurs. The vagrants tried to make the ship move and create a society free from greed.

In 2242, the ship was given a new, temporary lease on life. With the help of A. Ron Meyers, a Navarro deserter, the Chosen One reactivated the ship. With the navigational computer parts replaced and the holds once more full of fuel, he took it to Control Station Enclave, located 175 miles off the coast of California. The ship returned loaded with Vault 13 and Arroyo survivors and Sgt. Granite's deserting Enclave Control Company. The vagrants eventually drifted on, leaving the vessel behind to slumber in the harbor once more, washed by the waves of the Pacific and establishing an uneasy trading operation with the Shi.

Layout
The ship is divided between three levels. The top one, accessible through a staircase in the eastern part of the central level, is the bridge, where the player ultimately uses the terminal to journey to the Enclave.

The central level houses the punks' living quarters, as well as Badger's workroom, the bar, and two shops stocking rare weapons and other goods.

The bottom level are the cargo holds. They are mostly empty, save for the old Vault-Tec door that never reached its destination, Suze, Badger's girlfriend, and hordes of aggressive, high level monsters. Better come prepared.

Appearances
The Poseidon Marine Vessel Valdez appears in Fallout 2 and is mentioned in Fallout Bible.

Behind the scenes
"The aliens, floaters, and centaurs were placed in the tanker, since we needed some major baddies in the tanker at the end game. They most likely crawled down there in search of a lair before the punks showed up. Centaurs and floaters get around – mostly wherever game logic (not necessarily plausibility) dictates."

- Chris Avellone, Fallout Bible 6


 * Exxon Valdez was the original name of an oil tanker owned by the former Exxon Corporation. It gained widespread infamy after the March 24, 1989 oil spill in which the tanker hit Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil.