PMV Valdez

Poseidon Marine Vessel Valdez is an old Poseidon Oil tanker anchored in San Francisco harbor in 2241.

Background
Operating under the flag of Poseidon Oil before the war, the PMV Valdez was an ancient vessel even before the Great War. Rather than utilizing new, efficient fusion as its power source, it used a set of conventional fossil fuel engines for propulsion. The precise reasons for not retrofitting the ship are unknown, but may be a result of difficulties in getting such a massive vehicle to run on fusion, corporate branding concerns, or the result of shortages caused by the Resource Wars. Fallout Bible 8 Avalanche!: "1. Why is PMV Valdez using fuel instead of fusion cells? It's relatively new (it's carrying a Vault door, and is fully automatic) and it fits perfectly into Enclave's dock. I think the tanker should have been modified by Poseidon Oil to use fusion power instead of burning valuable oil or another flammable fuel. 1. I may be missing some statements from within F2, but my opinions are: A. Despite the fact that is carrying a Vault Door and is automated doesn't mean the tanker is "new" - it may be old/very old by 2070s standards and not incorporated any fusion technology into its design - and it may be too difficult to retrofit the tanker to run on fusion (although getting the fob was easy). It is not known whether there were any tankers incorporating fusion power sources in the 2070s, although military vehicles would be a different story. ''B. Poseidon Oil (during the Pre-War years) would not want its tankers using fusion cells because that would run contrary to the image of the company, despite its practicality. Plus, the idea of something so big running on something so small hurts its self-confidence.'' C. Fusion cells are very easy to get (in the game) and thus would undercut the adventure seed of connecting the fuel and the necessity of dealing with the Shi and Hubologists. D. On some thematic level, the fact that the tanker runs on fuel helps drive home: i. The fact the player is going to an oil rig. ''ii. Brings up images of the real-world Valdez.'' ''iii. Suggests the dinosaur-era technology of the tanker and it also provokes some images of the desperation of the Resource Wars, if you're a Fallout history buff.'' E. The fact that there is a Vault Door aboard the tanker does not mean the tanker itself is new."

The ship lay idle in San Francisco harbor for decades. It became home to various species of mutated creatures. Sometime after the establishment of Navarro, the ship was disabled by Enclave personnel under security act 9837-334-27A. The navigational computer parts were removed to Vault 13, and the Tanker FOB was placed in the care of the Navarro base commander. The disabled ship was eventually settled by tanker vagrants, a diverse, loosely organized band of independent thinkers, artists, outcasts and everyone else who preferred privacy and tolerance over the quality of life. A small, but lucrative hacking and trading business was also set up by entrepreneurs. The vagrants tried to make the ship move and create a society free from greed.

In 2242, the ship was given a new, temporary lease on life. With the help of A. Ron Meyers, a Navarro deserter, the Chosen One reactivated the ship. With the navigational computer parts replaced and the holds once more full of fuel, he took it to Control Station Enclave, located 175 miles off the coast of California. The ship returned loaded with Vault 13 and Arroyo survivors and Sgt. Granite's deserting Enclave Control Company. The vagrants eventually drifted on, leaving the vessel behind to slumber in the harbor once more, washed by the waves of the Pacific and establishing an uneasy trading operation with the Shi.

Notable loot
The following skill books are sold by Jenna:
 * Dean's Electronics
 * Big Book of Science
 * First Aid Book
 * Guns and Bullets
 * Scout Handbook

Appearances
The tanker appears only in Fallout 2.

Behind the scenes

 * Exxon Valdez was the original name of an oil tanker owned by the former Exxon Corporation. It gained widespread infamy after the March 24, 1989 oil spill in which the tanker hit Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and spilled an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil. After a series of renamings and repossessions, the ship was decommissioned in 2012. It was beached at the Alang Ship Breaking Yard in Guharat, India, to be broken down and sold for scrap.
 * The tanker is named after Ronald Valdez, a developer who worked for Interplay.
 * The tanker's design is based on a general cargo ship called the Nedlloyd Bahrain.