- "Okay, Tim. You can do this. He's depending on you. You're a soldier, right? Right. Gun's not even loaded."
- —Tim while searching for the Codex.
Private Tim Caufman was a soldier of the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces, present during the Necromorph outbreak on Tau Volantis in 2314.
Biography[]
Before the Events of 2314[]
Tim was deployed to the S.C.A.F. colony on Tau Volantis in support of the archaeological research going on there. During his deployment, Tim was assigned to the armory where he worked as an ammunition specialist. His callsign was "W-250".
On June 17, 2314, the Sovereign Colonies Council issued a Scenario Five kill order for all of the personnel on Tau Volantis. Private Caufman was unaware of this order. The next day, when General Spencer Mahad came to the armory to requisition all of the ammunition there for use in the kill order, Private Caufman reported that the armory key was missing. This prompted General Mahad to threaten him with a permanent assignment of peeling potatoes unless the key was found quickly.[1]
Events of 2314[]
- "Doc, I'm not even sure what we're looking for!"
- —Tim to Dr. Earl Serrano.
Tim and Samuel Ackerman look for The Mule's crash site.
As one of the last surviving S.C.A.F. soldiers on Tau Volantis, Tim along with Private Sam Ackerman were sent by Doctor Earl Serrano to retrieve a Codex that was thought capable of saving "everything".[2][3] The mission led them to a crashed ship, The Mule. Overrun with Fodders, Tim and Sam fought their way to the bridge where they found the Codex that Serrano was searching for. The ship began to explode, shaking it loose from its precarious position on the edge of the cliff. In an effort to save themselves, Tim attached the Codex onto his suit before he and Sam rappelled down the face of the cliff.
General Mahad executes Tim as part of Scenario Five's orders.
While Tim narrowly escaped the burning debris of the ship when their tethers broke and sent them tumbling down the cliff, Sam was killed by the falling debris. At the bottom, Tim found himself in an encampment at Facility Two surrounded by the bodies of his fellow Legionaries before being confronted by General Mahad himself. Tim attempted to explain the nature of the Codex to the General as he learned from Serrano. However, Mahad was unconvinced that they could be saved, believing that they had lost their colony to the creatures. Mahad then took the Codex from Tim, asking him if he loved Earth and his parents back home, to which Tim replied that he did. Mahad calmly approved before shooting Tim point blank in the head. Mahad then deleted the data on the Codex, before killing himself to comply with the Scenario Five order.[3]
Personality[]
- Sam: "I can't see a goddamn thing! How the hell did we get roped into this mess?"
- Tim: "The Doc needs us, Sam."
- Sam: "Oh come on, Caufman! We're not seasoned soldiers! Christ! You don't even know how to hold your rifle!"
- —Tim and Sam Ackerman while searching for the Codex.
Tim finds himself surrounded by executed SCAF Legionaries.
From his formal, respectful conduct toward superior officers and an audio log found during Isaac/Carver's expedition to the Armory, it could be said that Tim was a well-mannered and somewhat naive soldier of the S.C.A.F. When he was ordered by General Mahad to fetch ammunition for the barracks, Tim did not even know that the bullets that he brought would later be used to kill him and the other soldiers during the Scenario Five cleanse order.
Tim also appeared to have developed a friendly co-working relationship with Dr. Serrano as he was entrusted by the doctor to retrieve the Codex. He trusted Serrano's theory and tried to deliver on his assignment, but was killed before he could accomplish it. Tim, like Dr. Serrano, was an optimist and Serrano contacted him as he was one of the only soldiers still alive on the colony.
Tim struggles against a Fodder.
As a junior enlisted and supply worker, Tim was not experienced in combat. He likely had only the basic training of weapon function, even forgetting to acquire ammo for his rifle before beginning his mission for Dr. Serrano. Private Sam Ackerman noted this by commenting that Tim was not a seasoned soldier and did not know how to proficiently use a rifle. Tim also berated himself for forgetting to bring ammunition for his rifle on the mission.
Trivia[]
- Tim is voiced by Scott DeFalco.[4]
- Tim's role is that of the "false protagonist", mirroring Sam Caldwell's in Chapter 1 of Dead Space: Extraction.
- It is unknown whether Tim's surname is spelled "Kaufman" or "Caufman" as a result of both being used in text logs and the game's subtitles.
- In Co-Op, Tim is accompanied by a soldier named Sam Ackerman.[3] Sam does not change the story in any significant way, but adds background dialogue. Both Tim and Sam Ackerman are equipped with Legionary Suits and S.C.A.F. Bullpup Rifles.
- Even though the introduction scene shows Tim without his helmet on in the middle of a snowstorm, his body temperature does not decrease, nor does a temperature meter appear behind him.
- Though Tim shares Isaac's movements and controls, he does not possess a kinesis or stasis module.
- Tim does not curse like Isaac and Carver when his stomp is used in repetition; however, Sam does.
- Interestingly, any upgrades to Isaac's RIG HP capacity are also applied to Tim's RIG capacity.
Gallery[]
Sources[]