Not necessarily, a good ship designer would build in automatic backups for key systems like life support, structural integrity, antimatter containment, etc, in case of catastrophic computer failure. Ideally, these backups would have something like a dead-man’s switch and kick in automatically when the main computer went down.
Besides, even if life support was down, it would take a while to notice the air getting thinner and colder.
Do take a moment to consider the people who built these things. Not really sure that something like backup systems would really be high on their list of priorities when designing it.
Considering Space is a very quick and thorough killer, backup systems are a must… always relate a space vehicle, and how close a lose of power/systems would kill everyone on board, to a submarine… except that a vacuum moves faster than water, and has negative pressure, but both will make their holes bigger.
Also, I myself work for an ISP, and there are 3 primary systems that you need to have “redundancy” for: Domain Controllers (DC’s), Power, and Air Conditioning (specifically power for the ACU’s). The DC’s are the “core servers” of the network, meaning that if your 1 and only DC goes down, there is no more Internet… PERIOD; so a redundant setup of DC’s is absolutely necessary. A lot of computers/servers will be plugged into an “UPS” system, which is basically that battery that kicks in in the event of power failure to the building, or section of the building where you have your server farm. You have extra Air Conditioning Units (ACU’s) in case one fails, and then probably back up exterior building generators if the power to the building goes out… if you can’t get cool air to the server farm, you either melt your servers, or shutdown the Internet.
So if we have all this redundancy and backup systems JUST so a million or so people can write emails, check facebook, watch YouTube, and read Legostar Galactica, but not a single life depends on it, how much more necessary are “backup precautions” on a ship with 100′s of lives at stake?
Actually, a good ship designer wouldn’t have a single point of failure for anything, and instead have independant systems for most things on board, not just “key systems”.
…The “Xanatos”. Of course.
of course
What would worry me – and should worry that computer – is that Bob knows he’s still functional!
Don’t ask me how I know Bob knows, he just does! 
I guess this would apply to the trope that the villain’s apparent “defeat” being “too easy”
Yyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeep!
If the computer stopped functioning, wouldn’t the ship lose life support? Bob would pick up on little things like that.
Not necessarily, a good ship designer would build in automatic backups for key systems like life support, structural integrity, antimatter containment, etc, in case of catastrophic computer failure. Ideally, these backups would have something like a dead-man’s switch and kick in automatically when the main computer went down.
Besides, even if life support was down, it would take a while to notice the air getting thinner and colder.
Do take a moment to consider the people who built these things. Not really sure that something like backup systems would really be high on their list of priorities when designing it.
Considering Space is a very quick and thorough killer, backup systems are a must… always relate a space vehicle, and how close a lose of power/systems would kill everyone on board, to a submarine… except that a vacuum moves faster than water, and has negative pressure, but both will make their holes bigger.
Also, I myself work for an ISP, and there are 3 primary systems that you need to have “redundancy” for: Domain Controllers (DC’s), Power, and Air Conditioning (specifically power for the ACU’s). The DC’s are the “core servers” of the network, meaning that if your 1 and only DC goes down, there is no more Internet… PERIOD; so a redundant setup of DC’s is absolutely necessary. A lot of computers/servers will be plugged into an “UPS” system, which is basically that battery that kicks in in the event of power failure to the building, or section of the building where you have your server farm. You have extra Air Conditioning Units (ACU’s) in case one fails, and then probably back up exterior building generators if the power to the building goes out… if you can’t get cool air to the server farm, you either melt your servers, or shutdown the Internet.
So if we have all this redundancy and backup systems JUST so a million or so people can write emails, check facebook, watch YouTube, and read Legostar Galactica, but not a single life depends on it, how much more necessary are “backup precautions” on a ship with 100′s of lives at stake?
you may be surprised at whether sometimes lives do depend on working internet
The key word in this comment is “good” ship designer…
Actually, a good ship designer wouldn’t have a single point of failure for anything, and instead have independant systems for most things on board, not just “key systems”.
So then the ultimate question should be, exactly who’s xanatos gambiting whom?
I don’t know that answer, but it appears that Xanatos has a marked deck and loaded dice.
This can’t be good
May the fourth be with you all