Private Tim Caufman was a soldier of the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces, present during the Necromorph outbreak on Tau Volantis in 2314[1][note 1]. He serves as the false protagonist in the prologue of Dead Space 3.
History
- "Alpha Niner, this is Whiskey Two Five Zero...Alpha Niner, this is Whiskey Two Five Zero. Serrano, do you read me?"
- —Tim Caufman
Before the events of 2514
Not much is known about his early life; Tim was born on Earth. as a child, he was interested in the Sovereign Colonies Armed Forces and had an unspecified relationship with his parents. Tim was deployed to the S.C.A.F. colony on Tau Volantis, in support of the archaeological and 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 counsel issued a Scenario Five kill order for all personnel on Tau Volantis. PVT Caufman was unaware of this order. When the commander of the colony, General Mahad, came to the armory to requisition all ammunition there for use in the kill order, PVT Caufman reported that the armory key was missing. This prompted GEN Mahad to threaten him with a permanent assignment of peeling potatoes unless the key was found quickly.
Events of 2314
As one of the last surviving S.C.A.F. soldiers on Tau Volantis, Tim, along with Private Sam Ackerman, was sent by Doctor Earl Serrano to retrieve a Codex that may save the colony of Tau Volantis[2][1]. The mission led them to a crashed ship, the Mule. Overrun with Wasters, Tim and Sam fight their way to the bridge where they find the Codex that Serrano was searching for. The ship begins to explode, shaking it loose from its precarious position on the edge of the cliff. In an effort to save themselves, Tim attaches the canister onto his suit before he and Sam rappel down the face of the cliff.
While Tim narrowly escapes the burning debris of the ship when their tethers break and send them tumbling down the cliff, Sam is killed by the falling debris. At the bottom, Tim finds himself in an encampment at the Research Compound Silo surrounded by the bodies of fellow soldiers before being confronted by GEN Mahad. He attempts to explain the nature of the canister to the general as he learned from Serrano. Mahad is unconvinced they can be saved, believing they have lost to the creatures. Mahad takes the Codex from Tim. Mahad then asks Tim if he loves the Earth and his folks back home, to which Tim confirms he does. Mahad calmly approves before shooting Tim point-blank in the head, he then kills himself, complying with the colony wide kill order[1].
Personality
From his formal, respectful conduct towards 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, somewhat naive, soldier of the S.C.A.F. When he was ordered by General Mahad to fetch ammunition for the barracks, Tim didn't even know that the bullets he brought would later be used to kill him and the other soldiers during the Scenario Five cleanse.
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 that Serrano contacted him as he was one of the only soldiers still alive on the colony.
As a junior enlisted and supply worker, Caufman, while still a soldier, 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. PVT Sam Ackerman notes this by commenting that Tim isn't a seasoned soldier and doesn't know how to proficiently use a rifle. Tim also berates himself for forgetting to bring ammunition for his rifle on the mission.
Trivia
- Tim is voiced by Scott DeFalco.[3]
- Tim's role is that of the "false protagonist", mirroring Sam Caldwell's in Chapter 1 of Dead Space: Extraction.
- In Co-Op, Tim is accompanied by a soldier named Sam Ackerman.[1] Sam does not change the story in any 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 a temperature meter appears 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.
- 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 subtitle's throughout the game.
- Despite the obvious difference in time, Tim's RIG is of the newer variant introduced in Dead Space 2 and not an earlier version similar to the first game's. This could be due to developer oversight or game limitations.
- Interestingly, any upgrades to Isaac's RIG HP capacity is also applied to Tim's RIG capacity. It is odd that Tim's RIG would have any upgrades in the Prologue, as he has no access to a Suit Kiosk in the immediate vicinity of his mission area. This is probably in for gameplay purposes.
- Tim's callsign of "Whiskey Two Five Zero" (NATO for W250) may be a reference to the popular internet slang term "What The Fuck." This can be seen if the first letter of the first three components are the only ones considered.
- Even though his suit has a meter for it, Tim does not have a stasis module. As Tim worked in the Armory, where there were few large moving machinery pieces, he was most likely not issued one.
Gallery
Notes
- ↑ The subtitle at the bottom of the prologue's opening reads June 18, 2314.
Sources