Minerva's Den (Level)

"Hello there. Welcome to Minerva's Den, the home of Rapture's High-Technology."

- Entry Recording





Minerva's Den is the first level featured in the Minerva's Den DLC for BioShock 2. It is known as Rapture's Technology Center, headquarters the Rapture Central Computing executive wing, Air-Tite Archives, and McClendon Robotics businesses, but also contains the entrance to the Operations part of RCC, leading to the Thinker's Core.

History
The source of computerization in Rapture, the Rapture Central Computing Corporation was founded in Minerva's Den by Charles Milton Porter and Reed Wahl, during the early days of Rapture's development. The Rapture Operational Data Interpreter Network (nicknamed "The Thinker"), the mainframe computer that runs many of Rapture's automated processes, is hidden deep within the bowels of the Den, in the Operations part of Rapture Central Computing.

Before the Rapture Civil War, Porter and Wahl entered into conflict for The Thinker's use. Wahl falsified evidence that Porter had struck an alliance with Frank Fontaine, leading to Porter's arrest by Andrew Ryan's security forces. As Porter was incarcerated in Persephone, Wahl took control of Rapture Central Computing and Minerva's Den, allowing him to use The Thinker as he wished while he slowly lost his mind using ADAM. When the war began to tear apart the city Wahl sealed off Minerva's Den from the rest of Rapture. Over the next decade the Den suffered some damage and minor flooding, however the computers remained operational allowing Rapture's systems to keep functioning properly.

Den Entrance
When workers or visitors first came to Minerva's Den, they would pass through the Den Entrance. From the Atlantic Express terminal, they would enter the Lobby where an animatronic receptionist would greet them. Beyond was an Atrium which boasts a cast of Rodin's sculpture The Thinker, cast from the original mold. The Rapture Central Computing Executive Wing, McClendon Robotics, Air-Tite Archives, and Operations are all accessible from the Atrium.

Executive Wing
Occupying the Northern section of Minerva's Den, the Executive Wing housed the offices of many of the employees of Rapture Central Computing, including the Office of Charles Milton Porter.

McClendon Robotics
McClendon Robotics was Rapture's preeminent robotics producer. The facility housed the public showroom, drafting rooms, and experimental workshops.

Air-Tite Archives
Located just off the Atrium is Air-Tite Archives. Here, Rapture citizens would store their valuables in a secured pneumatic warehouse.

Map
Minerva's Den (Level)/L0 extra|Level 0 Minerva's Den (Level)/L0|Level 0 orig.||true Minerva's Den (Level)/L1 extra|Level 1 Minerva's Den (Level)/L1|Level 1 orig. Minerva's Den (Level)/L2 extra|Level 2 Minerva's Den (Level)/L2|Level 2 orig.

Collectibles

 * 9 Sea Slugs
 * 5 Vacuum Bots

New Weaponry

 * Drill
 * Hack Tool - In the flooded basement of the Boardroom.
 * Ion Laser - Found next to dead Lancer and in front of the Lighting Control.
 * Upgraded Ion Laser (Intensity Upgrade) - Beside a dead Lancer in Air-Tite Archives.
 * Rivet Gun - In the central lobby of McClendon Robotics.
 * Spear Gun - On a table in the System Design portion of McClendon Robotics.
 * Upgraded Spear Gun (Acceleration Upgrade) - Found in a great room's gallery along the hallway to Porter's office.
 * Shotgun - In a little, flooded basement in the Air-Tite Archives. The basement is right after the reception, on the left side.
 * Launcher - In the Corporate Offices area. Past the Mag-Lock door, it's in a room at the end of the straight corridor.

New Plasmids

 * Telekinesis
 * Security Command
 * Electro Bolt
 * Gravity Well - In the Administrator's Office in Air-Tite Archives.

New Gene Tonics

 * Booze Hound - Inside vacuum bot #4, on the second floor of Air-Tite Archives entrance.
 * Careful Hacker - In a flooded closet on the first floor of Corporate Offices.
 * Drill Dash - Found in the lobby of McClendon Robotics.
 * Drill Lurker - Inside vacuum bot #5.
 * EVE Link - In the closet area in the far back-right of the Robotics Showroom.
 * Hacker's Delight - In a closet next to the Hack Tool in the flooded basement of the Boardroom.
 * Handyman - In a flooded room to the left of the entrance in the Workshops in McClendon Robotics, underneath a Security Camera.
 * Master Protector - Available at a Gatherer's Garden (only with all stars obtained in The Protector Trials DLC).
 * Natural Camouflage - In a side room of the first floor of the Warehouse of Air-Tite Archives.
 * Sports Boost - In a room along the hallway to Porter's office.
 * Walking Inferno - Found in a safe in Porter's office.

New Enemies

 * Thuggish Splicer
 * Spider Splicer
 * Security Camera
 * Leadhead Splicer
 * Security Bots
 * Rocket Security Bot
 * Laser Security Bot
 * Electric Security Bot
 * Fiery Brute Splicer
 * Lancer Big Daddy

Audio Diaries

 * 1) Andrew Ryan - Your Link of the Chain
 * 2) Reed Wahl - The Thinker's Potential
 * 3) Charles Milton Porter - The Thinker
 * 4) Reed Wahl - The Predictive Equation
 * 5) Charles Milton Porter - Nothing But Ashes
 * 6) Brigid Tenenbaum - Reversing ADAM Sickness
 * 7) Christopher di Remo - New Bot Models
 * 8) Charles Milton Porter - Somebody Else's War
 * 9) Jack McClendon - Robotic Little Sisters
 * 10) Charles Milton Porter - The Turing Test
 * 11) Charles Milton Porter - Thinker, Meet Pearl
 * 12) Charles Milton Porter - The Wager
 * 13) Audrey Hesselgren - Prying Eyes
 * 14) Brigid Tenenbaum - A Possible Solution
 * 15) Charles Milton Porter - How to Get Ahead
 * 16) Charles Milton Porter - Thinker Input 1
 * 17) Nicholas Ingraham - Subversives in the Archives
 * 18) Reed Wahl - Implicating Porter
 * 19) Andrew Ryan - Attracting the Looters
 * 20) Evelyn Klein - Vacuum Bot Problems

Radio messages can be see in Radio Messages

Behind the Scenes

 * It is possible to avoid the Big Sister fight in this level by dropping off the last Little Sister in the vent closest to the Operations elevator, and then escaping through the latter before she arrives.
 * Minerva is the Roman Goddess of Wisdom, which fits perfectly to this part of Rapture as the Thinker is considered to have the answer to every question.
 * The symbol of this district of Rapture is an owl, which appears on its doors and on its advertisements. It is also a symbol of wisdom often depicted with Goddess Minerva.
 * In the hidden room in the Robotics Workshop of McClendon Robotics (you knock a grate open to enter) there is a mechanical 'Robotic' Little Sister on a pallet. When you first enter, a splash of water drops on it, causing a short circuit, and it moves for a few seconds.
 * Concept art for Minerva's Dan reveals that this district of Rapture was powered by Hydroelectric power plant built into the caves beneath the facility.