Minerva's Den (Level)

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

- Entry Recording

Minerva's Den is a new district of Rapture featured in the Minerva's Den DLC for BioShock 2. This area headquarters the Rapture Central Computing, Air-Tite Archives, and McClendon Robotics businesses.

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 all of Rapture's automated processes, is hidden deep within the bowels of the Den, in the Operations part of Rapture Central Computing.

The main reception lobby of Minerva's Den boasts a cast of Rodin's sculpture The Thinker, struck from the original mold. The Rapture Central Computing Executive Wing and Operations are accessible from the lobby. The Thinker's Computer Core lies deep within Operations.

The Den also houses the public showroom and experimental workshops of McClendon Robotics, famous for its automated devices, as well as the Air-Tite Archives, where Rapture citizens would store their valuables in a secured pneumatic warehouse.

During the Rapture Civil War, Porter and Wahl entered in conflict for The Thinker's use. Wahl then turned Porter to Ryan's authorities after accusing him with false proof of his allegiance to Frank Fontaine. As Porter was incarcerated in Persephone, Wahl took control of Rapture Central Computing and Minerva's Den, and isolated the district from the rest of the city.

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.
 * Upgraded Rivet Gun (Clip Size) - In the storage room of Programing immediately on the left upon entering, electic bolt needed to open door.
 * Spear Gun - On a table in the System Design portion of McClendon Robotics.
 * Upgraded Spear Gun (Acceleration Upgrade) - Found in a room along the hallway to Porter's office, past a mag-lock door.
 * Shotgun
 * Upgraded Shotgun (Clip Upgrade) - On a chair across from a little sister vent in operations past the airlock door.
 * Launcher
 * Machine Gun (Recoil Reduction Upgrade) - Across from Fliix Birnbaum's office on the left of a walkway in operations.

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

 * Andrew Ryan - Your Link of the Chain
 * Reed Wahl - The Thinker's Potential
 * Charles Milton Porter - The Thinker
 * Reed Wahl - The Predictive Equation
 * Charles Milton Porter - Nothing But Ashes
 * Brigid Tenenbaum - Reversing ADAM Sickness
 * Christopher di Remo - New Bot Models
 * Charles Milton Porter - Somebody Else's War
 * Jack McClendon - Robotic Little Sisters
 * Charles Milton Porter - The Turing Test
 * Charles Milton Porter - Thinker Meet Pearl
 * Charles Milton Porter - The Wager
 * Audrey Hesselgren - Prying Eyes
 * Brigid Tenenbaum - A Possible Solution
 * Charles Milton Porter - How to Get Ahead
 * Charles Milton Porter - Thinker Input 1
 * Nicholas Ingraham - Subversives In the Archives
 * Reed Wahl - Implicating Porter
 * Andrew Ryan - Attracting the Looters
 * Evelyn Klein - Vacuum Bot Problems

Trivia

 * 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 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.