| “ | Horror of the seas... | ” |
| — Lotus[1] | ||
The Cetus Amicus was a large and powerful submarine, and was one of the masterpieces of Mechanist craftsmanship, engineering and inventive talent. While under development, it was referred to as the Cetus Project.
Use
The Cetus Amicus was deployed to maintain a subaquatic route to the KD Site, better known as the The Lost City. It was used to transport staff, spare parts and other machinery to the excavation site and return the findings safely back to The City. Brother Cavador, designer of the Cetus Amicus, often used the vessel to travel between the Mechanist base on Markham's Isle and the KD Site.[2]
Despite its superiority over all other vessels, the Cetus Amicus was never used for raiding or to fight out naval battles, though the captain was eager to take the vessel into a fight.[3]
Design and Features
The hull of the Cetus Amicus was forged of iron and other metals in order to withstand the enormous deep-sea water pressure. The vessel was able to submerge and dive beneath the sea level to stay undetected.[4]
The Cetus Amicus was powered by two large steam engines. Access to this room was granted via three hatches; one led directly into the engine room from the bottom of the vessel, while the other two hatches were located on the two superstructures on top.
The interior of the ship was very cramped; in some spaces there was hardly any room to open a door. Nonetheless, she did feature four stowage rooms: two large ones on the second deck, and two smaller ones on the first deck.[5] To serve the crew's comfort, there was a mess at the stern on the first deck, as well as separate sleeping quarters and a staff room. Food and potable water could be stored in the refrigerated hold. While the lower deck was primarily functional in design, the upper deck was more luxurious, mirroring the designs of Angelwatch.
In case of emergency, the ship was secured by several water-tight compartments, separating each part of the hull. The vessel was also stocked with diving equipment, which would allow the crew to escape if it became necessary to abandon ship.
The Cetus Amicus was Brother Cavador's crowning achievement. The Cetus Project, which was the name given to construction operation,[6] was carried out in a hidden facility beneath Markham's Isle. The construction operation was a well-guarded secret, but it was eventually spied out by Viktoria's agent, Lotus.
Gallery
 The Cetus Amicus |
  Command bridge |
  Captain's quarter |
  Mess |
  Stowage room 3 |
  Engine room |
Trivia
- The name Cetus Amicus means "The Friendly Whale" in Latin (Cetus is derived from the Greek Kētos, meaning "giant fish" or "sea monster").
- In Thief: Deadly Shadows, inside the Docks district lies an apartment of Old Man Eli, an old fisherman who claims to have seen the Cetus Amicus as it surfaced. He described it as a metal whale which breathed fire.[7]