Character Relationship Map: Iron Lung

Characters

• Simon (played by Mark Fischbach) — protagonist

  Convict imprisoned for destroying a space station, forced to pilot the SM-13 submarine 'Iron Lung'. Navigates via a sealed porthole using a crude X-ray camera. Collects samples from the ocean floor, s...

• Ava (played by Caroline Kaplan) — protagonist

  Commander of the surface crew who coordinates Simon's missions via radio. Initially strict and demanding, she later reveals her name and promises personal rescue upon data recovery. Ultimately admits...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Simon → Ava (Professional Commander And Prisoner) — Ava directs Simon's assigned operations as part of his forced mission.

  Ava commands the surface crew coordinating Simon's missions, while Simon is a convict forced to pilot the SM-13.

Story Analysis

A condemned pilot descends into a blood ocean where survival, forbidden knowledge, and mutation converge.

Plot Progression

1. The Forced Descent — After the Quiet Rapture, Simon is compelled to pilot the sealed Iron Lung. Ava directs his first descent and promises freedom for completing the mission.
2. Evidence Beneath the Blood — Simon photographs a skeleton and discovers a medallion left by an earlier pilot. A living creature, strange liquids, and repeated sampling orders deepen the danger.
3. The Light Below — Hallucinations and the wrecked SM-8 disrupt Simon's sense of reality. A radio voice leads him toward a mysterious light and an enormous eye.
4. The Cost of Knowledge — Ava reveals Simon's impossible disappearance and demands the SM-8 data. Simon's body mutates as the submarine fills with blood and organic matter.
5. The Seed's Final Bloom — The black box reveals the ocean is human blood, while Ava admits rescue is impossible. The monster attacks, and the mutated seed destroys both creature and submarine.