Character Analysis: Security Chief Melanie Bronson from System Shock 2

An under-appreciated badass. (Source: SHODANPEDIA)

Amid corrupt corporate executives and military officers, a hacked AI, and a psionic, parasitic annelid hivemind, Security Chief Melanie Bronson decided to f**k them all.

Bronson wasn't especially well-liked, referred to as "goddamn Bronson" by her subordinate Turnbull, and "that paranoid crank" by Yount from Ops deck. Everybody thought she was nuts, with her conspiracy theories and malfunctioning security turrets, as well as her conviction that some malignant force had infiltrated the UNN Von Braun.

Unfortunately for everyone aboard, she was right.

"Screw Anatoly, screw Diego, and screw whatever poisonous influence has desecrated this vessel... I will not abandon my post or my charge..."

 She proceeded to declare martial law on the ship, and told her men, "Anything that gets in your way, human or not, kill without pause or remorse." She demonstrated this order by executing Malick, a hacker under the influence of the aforementioned annelid hivemind (listen to the audio log below).


(Wait until the end for Bronson's badassery)
(Source: Tindeck user PsychedelicSA)

Of course, she also killed some innocent people who weren't being cooperative, but hey, they probably would have become worm-zombies anyway, right?

Bronson's actions have a huge impact on the player. Her security access doors present both a major obstacle and a reassurance that you won't have to face whatever's beyond the door until you're ready. Her turrets can also be quite a pain, but a hacking-focused character can easily use them to their advantage.

Ultimately, Bronson's incredible balls are what get her killed. Infected by the annelids, Captain Diego sends his military force of about 120, supplemented by various annelid creatures, to take out her numerically weaker security squad. A rebel to the end, her personality and awesomeness can be summarized by her final audio log:


(Source: Tindeck user PsychedelicSA)