he scrubs do their best to clean up the remains of each battle, but it's never enough. The tarnish and rust slowly devour the last few pristine surfaces, as entropy and blood sport have their way. It's like they say. Asbestos, it'll kill you.
The easiest way to reach the Super Shield is via the ledge coming from the Rocket Launcher room. Approach the ledge in a 45° angle and dodge sidewards while holding the forward key.
In UT2003 you can boost-dodge your way right up to the Link Gun/Small Shield via the pillars. For a visual aid, go here
Trivia
CliffyB's picture is hidden in a wall near the Shock Rifle. To see it, you need to hit the ceiling above the health pack or adrenaline pills in the room with the Lightning Gun four times with weapon fire (if done correctly you should see "Ownage!" in the message log), then go to the Shock Rifle and look up.