The story begins in 2114, forty-two years after the events of System Shock. After joining the United National Nominate, the protagonist — Soldier G65434-2 — is assigned to the Rickenbacker, a military spacecraft. The Rickenbacker is escorting the Von Braun, an experimental faster-than-light (FTL) starship, on its maiden voyage. As the Rickenbacker does not have an FTL system of its own, the two ships are attached together for the trip.