The Orville - 2D Rescue

**The Orville - 2D Rescue** is an independent, unofficial video game based on *The Orville* published by Phoenix Development for the computer on January 9, 2020. In Episode 1, the crew is perturbed to find they live in a strange, pixelated version of reality. Meanwhile, the people of the Bio-ship have found themselves stranded yet again in space.

The game was written by Elyse Hargreaves. It is the second fan-made video game after The Orville - Interactive Fan Experience.

The Orville - 2D Rescue will be followed by a much larger video game: The Orville 2D: Planet of Yesterdays.

## Summary

In Episode 1 of The Orville - 2D Rescue, the player character is a civilian from the Planetary Academy who explores the USS *Orville*, performing various tasks and speaking to ship officers, all of whom suspect something about their reality is wrong. The main crew realizes that they live in a 2-dimensional pixel universe, which may impact the Orville's systems. The character first helps Chief Engineer John LaMarr and Second Officer Bortus check the ship's quantum drive, and then accompanies an away team to visit Tomilin, now leader of the Bio-ship, who worries they are about to drift into a nearby nebula. Though the nebula in fact poses no danger, the Orville helps the Bio-ship's crew obtain "blue crystals" (probably dysonium) to let the ship navigate on its own.

Afterwards, the main crew convenes and finds it odd that no one else notices they live in a two-dimensional reality, implying only the ship's crew is only *perceiving* reality in two dimensions. Isaac determines that the crew exists in a different "layer" of one reality where all things are perceived as two-dimensional. Everyone retires to the Mess Hall for karaoke. The episode ends just as Second Officer Bortus is about to sing.

## Trivia

* The game features a number of actual production crew members who are popular in the show's fan community:
	+ Co-producer and editor Tom Costantino
	+ Assistant art director Kit Stølen
	+ Senior concept designer Lex Cassar
	+ Visual effects producer Brooke Noska
* Locations in the game include:
	+ The player characters' quarters
	+ The Classroom
	+ Decks F, C, B, and A
	+ The matter synthesis room
	+ Engineering
	+ Bortus' quarters
	+ The ship's iconic spiral staircase
	+ Science Lab
	+ Mess Hall
	+ Bridge
	+ Briefing Room
	+ Captain's Office
	+ Shuttle Bay
	+ Bio-ship
	+ A nearby moon

### Timeline

* Because Talla Keyali appears as the Orville's Chief of Security, Episode 1 must take place after the end of 2420.

### References

* The game has a number of references to previous episodes:
	+ The "2D pixel universe" in game resembles two-dimensional space in *New Dimensions*.
	+ From *If the Stars Should Appear*:
		- Tomilin was a member of the Reformers
		- Hamelac, now a disgruntled member of the Bio-ship, was once its despotic ruler
		- Among the group of the Bio-Ship is someone who resembles Kemka
		- Tomilin thanks "Dorahl," the deified person of Jahavus Dorahl
	+ Bortus smoking and Klyden noticing the scent of cigarette smoke on Bortus refer to *Lasting Impressions*, where both characters grow addicted to smoking.
	+ Bortus about to sing karaoke refers to *Cupid's Dagger*.

## Cast

* Capt. Ed Mercer
* Cmdr. Kelly Grayson
* Lt. Cmdr. Bortus
* Dr. Claire Finn
* Isaac
* Lt. Cmdr. John LaMarr
* Lt. Talla Keyali
* Lt. Gordon Malloy

### Recurring cast

* Tomilin
* Hamelac
* Klyden

### Guest cast

* Tom
* Kit
* Lex
* Brooke