Lifeline

Released in 2015, Lifeline is the first game in the Lifeline Series. It acts as an introduction to the main protagonist of the universe, Taylor, along with the antagonist, The Green species. Written by Dave Jestus, the app reached the number 1 ranking on the Apple App Store. Praised for its innovative gameplay, Apple Watch support, and immersive story telling, Lifeline gained mild critical acclaim.

## Plot

In the video game 'Lifeline,' the player receives a communication request from Taylor, an astronaut who is the lone survivor of the starship Varia, which crash-landed on an uninhabited moon designated as 31U00W. Taylor's Immediate Environmental Vocational Assay (IEVA) spacesuit indicates that the moon has a breathable atmosphere, but it lacks water and food sources. Taylor reveals that the starship was originally on a mission to Tau Ceti IV, and the crash occurred following an explosion on the ship, leading Taylor and a crewmate named Colby to escape in a pod.

After the crash, Taylor investigates the wreckage of the Varia. Several sections of the ship are explored, including the cockpit and the galley. Taylor discovers the lifeless bodies of their crewmates, including Colby and Captain Aya. In the ship's storage compartments, Taylor finds an experiment involving Sprague Dawley rats, which were part of the original cargo but are now missing.

Guided by the player, Taylor decides to explore a canyon to seek another path or potential resources. The canyon proves impassable, so Taylor redirects to a large crater. The player's choices determine whether Taylor crosses through or skirts around the crater. Choosing to go around it leads Taylor to discover another crashed ship of caravel-class design. The ship's compartments are searched, yielding valuable resources such as glow rods and food packets stored in the medical bay.

   Experiencing fatigue, Taylor decides to rest inside the newly discovered ship and subsequently falls ill, developing green saliva, and nausea. No immediate explanation for the illness is provided, but Taylor presses on, urged by the need to find a way to survive and communicate with rescue teams. Further exploration leads Taylor to a peculiar peak that stands out due to its geometric perfection and markings resembling Chinese characters. Inside the peak, a cave is discovered that leads to a room filled with computer monitors. The monitors display information indicating that multiple ships have crashed on the moon's surface.

   Taylor later encounters rats from the Sprague Dawley experiment but notices that their eyes have turned a glowing green. Moreover, Taylor is approached by figures resembling the crewmates from the Varia. These figures are later revealed to be infected with The Green, a parasitic organism that appears to control their actions. At one point, the parasite is described as a green creature with tendrils, wrapped around the insides of the rat. These possessed crewmates attempt to stop Taylor from escaping.

Taylor retreats to the control room within the peak for safety. It is here that the player learns the moon is equipped with weapon systems designed to shoot down approaching spacecraft. It is also revealed that this system is somewhat automated, sending out a pulse at set intervals, taking down any nearby craft. A new challenge arises after Taylor sends an SOS signal, which is received by an rescue ship which approaches the moon. The player must guide Taylor through a series of decisions to deactivate the moon's weapon systems in an attempt to save the incoming ship from being destroyed, like the Varia was.

As Taylor attempts to escape, the moon cracks open to reveal thousands of these green creatures, emitting large amounts of green light. During a brief episode of possession, Taylor's dialogue becomes markedly unsettling and cryptic. The text reads: "Thousands of eyes on me. It's... hard not to be drawn in. They need me. They're calling to me. They're screaming. All of them, screaming. But I'm starting to understand it. It's starting to sound... sweet. Like music. The longer I look out, at this sea of green... ...the more sure I am that I should stay here." The text continues, "They can see deeper into me than anyone ever has. They need me in that control room. Bringing them more ships. Bringing them more HOSTS. There aren't enough hosts on this moon, so we call them from other sectors. And there aren't enough hosts in this sector, so we call them from other times."

The rescue team, now wearing helmets for protection from the possession, retrieve Taylor, and leave the moon. The crew of the rescue ship speak of nuking the planet, and the game ends, with Taylor thankful to the player for their assistance.

## Epilogue

Based after the events of Lifeline, the app features an epilogue which continues the story into the events of Lifeline: Silent Night.

Astronaut Melanie "Mel" Chior arrives on a desert moon called 31UOOW aboard a spaceship named Viridian. Mel is a member of the Ninth Battalion and is accompanied by two teammates, Balthazar and Gasper. The team is dispatched by their military division to assess the validity of prior reports from another astronaut, Taylor, and to decide if the moon should be destroyed. Throughout the game, Mel is in communication with the player, just like Taylor was in the original game.

Mel faces several challenges on the moon. One issue is that the Viridian's Blackbox fails, making the player her only source of communication and assistance. Skeptical of Taylor's experiences, Mel initially dismisses them as fictitious but later concedes that her own understanding may be incomplete, specifically in dismissing the potential for cold-blooded life on the moon.

Depending on player choices, Mel names the moon "Jeff" and can explore different areas, including a peak. However, regardless of choices made, she eventually falls victim to an entity known as the Green. This event does not seem to impact the trajectory of Taylor's narrative.

During her journey, Mel reveals her own backstory, including her military career and a strained relationship with her father. As she nears the peak, she discovers Chinese inscriptions and a door. Here, she encounters green-eyed rats and a decaying, zombified alien, which turns out to be one of Taylor's former crewmates. A struggle ensues, leaving Mel incapacitated.

Mel then meets Colby, another of Taylor's green-eyed former crewmates. Colby reveals that they had been eavesdropping on Mel's conversation with the player and apologizes for the attack, explaining that Mel is to serve as a new host for the entity known as the Green. Colby communicates that Mel's body will be more than a host; it will be a palace suitable "for a queen."

As the transformation begins, Mel experiences severe medical conditions, as indicated by her suit's sensors. Despite this, she seems to accept her new role, potentially due to hypnosis. She overrides the security clearance and sends a message back to her military division stating that Taylor's account was a hoax and that the moon should not be destroyed. Significantly, she announces plans to set course for the mining vessel White Star, stating that they want to "see this Taylor... with our own eyes." She ends her message with "This is Viridian actual, over and out."

(The next game, Lifeline 2: Bloodline, can be found here)

## Related Material

In the since-cancelled Lifeline Library app, there was a rendition of a Mario-style platformer, except with Taylor on a desert moon. Like most platformers, the player moved continuously to the right, and was tasked with avoiding rocks and infected astronauts. The game was a continuous style procedural platformer, and had no defined ending. It featured a small selection of levels.

## Characters

### Taylor

Taylor is the main character in this story. His or her gender isn't specified. Taylor has an optimistic but serious personality and seems to have an astute knowledge of esoteric references.

Pop Culture Reference(s): 127 Hours (film)

### Colby

Taylor's survival of the Varia crash is the result of Colby's quick actions. Colby pushed Taylor into an escape pod and then assisted the other crew moments before the crash. Taylor describes Colby as a maternal figure to them and the nicest and smartest of the Varia crew.

### Captain Aya

Is found dying on the crash of the Varia ship.

### Antoine

One of the diseased members in the Varia crash.

### Adair

One of the diseased members in the Varia crash.

### Trotter

One of the diseased members in the Varia crash. Was described by Taylor as the weakest one.

### Pet Rats

Four lab rats from the Varia crash, possibly dead or alive, crash because Taylor cannot find their bodies. Their names were/are Patch, Runt, Logan, and Wildboy.

### Green creatures

Unknown at this point, speculated, green creatures Taylor thinks exist in his or her peripheral vision.

### Melanie (Mel) Chior

Briefly mentioned in another game called Lifeline: Silent Night sneak peek. She is on a desert moon after Taylor's rocket crash lands. She is the Wing Commander of the Viridian.

Pop cultural reference(s): Sequel movies the Empire Strikes Back, Godfather Part II, Birdemic 2: The Resurrection, as well as Vin Diesel

### Balthazar de Ley

Also works with Melanie Chior on the Viridian. He is the first of two corporals, and he is referred to as Balty by Mrs. Chior.

### Casper Cruciger

Also works with Melanie Chior on the Viridian. He is the second of two corporals, and he is referred to as Ghost by Mrs. Chior.

## Influence

The development of this game was almost certainly influenced by the 1998-2000 television series Upright Citizens Brigade and 2003 video game Lifeline. The former contains the names of characters of the Varia Crew, and the latter features both a similar-sounding title and similar gameplay format and setting.

## Walkthrough

* Launch
* Lifeline-related pages will have (L) at the front of titles to indicate they are about Lifeline.
* Win Scenario

1. ↑ https://apps.apple.com/tr/app/lifeline-2/id991357716
2. ↑ https://toucharcade.com/2015/05/08/lifeline-review/
3. ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/game/ios/lifeline
4. ↑ https://www.3minute.games/