Additionally, the shops and maintenance functions were run by private companies, and EarthGov had no jurisdiction over them, even under martial law, likely thanks to Unitologist infiltrators ensuring those boundaries or the servers allowing remote control of those systems being taken offline in the infestation. The CEC was never under the jurisdiction of the Government, and since Isaac is still officially MIA, they haven't revoked it. EarthGov is powerful, but not thatpowerful, not to mention unpopular as well.

This specifically regards his ability to access maintenance vents and kiosks without consequence. At the very least, Tiedemann should have been able to restrict his access in the the government sector itself, right? I'm not confused about Isaac hacking to gain resources, as that makes perfect sense. If simply being director of the People's Republic of Tyranny wasn't enough, declaring martial law over the colony likely placed endless colony resources at his disposal that should include overriding any and all attempts to access restricted areas made by one Isaac Clarke. While initially seeming a clever aversion of An Economy Is You, is there justification for Isaac's credentials as a CEC engineer to work when he's been in Guantanamo Sick Bay for three years? Even if some bureaucrat forgot to erase his clearances upon admission, after his escape it doesn't take him long to get the attention of Teidemann, who happens to be the director of EarthGov on Titan who just declared martial law.

Dead space 2 securit suit concept art