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"Nicole, Dr. Howell... even my dad, and Sam. What am I, some kind of curse?"
—Lexine about the deaths she has witnessed.

Lexine Weller (née Murdoch) was a grade two CEC surveyor who lived on the Aegis VII colony. Lexine was one of the few known survivors of the Necromorph outbreaks on Aegis VII, the USG Ishimura and, later, Titan Station.

Lexine was seemingly immune to the dementia and hallucinations caused by the Markers, with this apparent immunity making her a person of interest for both the Church of Unitology and EarthGov.

Biography[]

CEC career[]

Lexine lived with her father, an extraction engineer on the Aegis VII colony. A grade two surveyor, she entered a relationship with engineer Sam Caldwell some time before he was called to excavate Marker 3A.

The Second Aegis VII Incident[]

Lexine contacted Sam Caldwell via RIG transmission, moments before Caldwell's team headed to the Excavation Site to remove the Red Marker. She was excited about a surprise that she planned for Sam that night. She revealed that one of her friends, Leon, was a Unitologist. During the massacre in the Megavents, she contacted Sam again who briefly hallucinated her as his dead friend, Egan. She told Sam that some sectors of the colony were losing life support and several Unitologists had committed suicide in Union Square while Leon was present. Before he died, Sam successfully reactivated the life support systems and heard Lexine's voice repeatedly calling to him during his hallucinations. She was his only concern even as he laid dying from a gunshot wound.

The

Lexine in her transmission to Sam Caldwell.

Days after the incident in the Megavent, Aegis VII continued to experience mass murders and cases of insanity which culminated in the emergence of the Necromorphs. During the chaos, Lexine's father went missing and she hid inside the P-Sec building. She was later found by Detective Nathan McNeill and P.C.S.I. Sec officer, Gabe Weller. After Nathan and Weller killed the Necromorphs inside the office, Weller suggested that she should go home and barricade herself inside until the all clear was given. Nathan recognized her as Caldwell's girlfriend and decided to bring her along despite Weller's reservations. Outside the P-Sec office, Lexine felt that she was being watched to which Weller assumed that they are and warned the group to stay sharp. The three witnessed an Infector resurrect a corpse, transforming it into a Slasher and realized that the monsters attacking them were once human.

The group travelled to the shuttle bay in Mission Square where Weller's teammates, Baines and Hutchins waited for them and saw two civilian shuttles taking off. The shuttle crashed not moments after lifting off, destroying the remaining ships in the bay and killing all of those on board. They found a survivor in the rubble, a man named Warren Eckhardt, a crew member from the Ishimura. He told them that there was a surveyor shuttle waiting in the Sector 8 Maintenace Bay. In order to reach the shuttle, Lexine and the others headed down into the Megavents.

7mon73aldlc61

Lexine in the Megavents of the Aegis VII Colony.

They encountered another survivor who hid himself from the Necromorphs roaming the area. He accompanied them through the underground passageway, baffled by the development of the strange flesh-like substance spreading throughout the Megavent. Lexine discovered an audio log from a surveyor named Amanda Castle who suspected that the Marker may be the result of the madness that befell the colony. Lexine and Eckhardt noted that despite the widespread dementia that affected the colonists, none of them are experiencing the symptoms that she described. Later, they encountered the Flyers and Lexine was attacked by a tentacle that emerged from the vent above them. Nathan was forced to kill the survivor that they just met in order to save her from certain death.

Lexine and the others eventually escaped the Megavents by traveling through the ventilation system. Upon reaching the surface, the Hive Mind emerged and killed Baines and Hutchins as several Slashers converged to attack the group. Nathan hacked the shuttle's door and they escaped the planet as the Hive Mind re-emerged for a final attack.

Incident on the USG Ishimura[]

Upon approach, they hailed the Ishimura for landing clearance only to be denied permission. Weller and Eckhardt took evasive maneuvers to evade the Ishimuras cannon fire and crash land on the hull of the ship. With the Vestri damaged, Lexine and the others suited up and braved the perilous terrain of debris filled space around the sixty year old ship. They successfully managed to reach the maintenance airlock. However, Eckhardt was unable to breach the lock and wrongly assumed that Lexine was a waitress when Nathan suggested that she should try and open it. Lexine corrected the executive, stating that she was a grade two surveyor. Nathan managed to hack the airlock open. It ruptured and the force of the blast knocked Lexine off the platform to spiral out into space. Nathan rescued her with the use of his Kinesis. Dazed from the blow, she thanked him for looking out for her.

Exploring the seemingly deserted ship, they discovered that the Necromorphs managed to board the ship and encountered yet another survivor hiding from the creatures. Not unlike the incident inside the Megavents, they lost the survivor when a Necromorph attacked from above, dragging him into the vents and are repeatedly attacked by the Necromorphs until they escaped into the elevator that would bring them closer to the bridge. On the way, Lexine began to feel ill and suffered from a nosebleed. Eckhardt asked Weller to give Lexine a moment to recover, but Weller reminded them that they had no time and she should “man up”. Fighting their way through another wave of Necromorphs, the team was later discovered by the other P.C.S.I. officers who subdued them and took them to the quarantine wing.

During the quarantine, Doctor Nicole Brennan examined Lexine and took note that she had "very high blood pressure” and “brain activity that was off the charts".[1] Nathan spied a nude Lexine for a moment before he was distracted by Nicole releasing him from his tube. Eckhardt was the next to be freed. Nicole gave them the all clear, stating that none of them had the “infection” that currently plagued the ship. Lexine noticed Eckhardt studying her medical records and asked him if he needed help. Eckhardt dismissed her concerns and collapsed from dizziness and Nicole's efforts to open Weller's tube are halted by a quarantine lockdown of the system. Nathan volunteered to enter the vents to override the lockdown while Eckhardt proded Nicole for any further information on Lexine's condition. Nicole assured the executive that Lexine was in the clear which was a statement that Lexine herself supported, citing that her headache was not bothering her anymore.

Nathan successfully managed to override the quarantine lockdown and everyone regrouped in the morgue not moments after he dispatched an Infector and it's newly created Necromorphs. They discovered the body of Captain Benjamin Mathius and decided to head into the ER. There, they met a fellow co-worker of Nicole who kept watch over the crew members who are among those injured in the fights occurring all over the ship. They are attacked by another group of Necromorphs that forced them take refuge inside a security station where the other P.C.S.I. security officers worked to lock the door leading to the tram station.

Lexine refused to be left behind when Weller and McNeill offered to help the security team who are responding to an emergency call in Engineering. Reaching the tram platform, they are informed that the service was shut down for the time being. Weller suggested that they should hoof it through the tram tunnels despite the dangers of being attacked in the dark. Traveling through the tunnels, Eckhardt and Nathan got into an argument about the coincidence of the Marker's extraction and it's connection to the outbreak on Aegis VII.

Their distraction led them to stand on to a weak ventilation cover. It collapsed beneath all four of them and they are sent tumbling into the sewer systems. After being attacked by a Grabber, Eckhardt suggested that the creatures are adapting to their environment and Lexine started to complain about another headache. She reminisced briefly over wanting to visit the Ishimura as a child and revealed that she was born on Earth when Eckhardt asked where her birthplace was. She also experienced the feeling of being watched again as they discovered a ladder that took them to higher ground. Lexine was attacked by a group of Swarmers that dropped down onto her from the overhead pipes. She was dragged down underneath the water and presumed dead by her friends.

Not long after being separated, Lexine was discovered by Karen Howell, a doctor who worked on the Hydroponics Deck of the ship. Howell led her to a medical room where she worked up a concoction for Lexine's nausea and headaches. Temporarily cured of her illness, Lexine explained that she and several others came from the colony to the Ishimura for refuge, but got separated in the sewers. Doctor Howell realized that the three men that she saw below Hydroponics are Lexine's friends.

DSE McNeill Lexine Embrace

Lexine reunites with Nathan McNeill.

While Howell thought that they are dead, Lexine refused to believe it, confident in Nathan's abilities to keep them alive. She asked her to take her back down the sewers to find them which was a request that Howell reluctantly obliged. The two encountered a Brute who tossed Lexine aside when it attempted to kill Howell. Howell defeated the Brute and convinced Lexine to accompany her to the shuttle bay. On the way, Howell continued to protect Lexine from harm as they moved through the Hydroponics Deck. Eventually, Lexine was reunited with Nathan and the others. Lexine, Nathan and Weller opted to go ahead to the tram station to secure a transport while Eckhardt remained behind to protect Howell as she locked down the sewers.

Not long after they departed, Eckhardt reached the tram section without Howell and Lexine prevented Nathan from shooting him. Weller demanded to know what happened to Howell. Eckhardt told them that Howell locked herself inside the room with the creatures while he escaped, saying that there was nothing that he could do to stop her. The Necromorphs appeared at the end of the hall and the survivors entered the tram before they could be harmed. Convinced that their chances of finding a way off the Ishimura were better separated, Lexine and Nathan headed to the Flight Deck in search for a shuttle while Eckhardt and Weller searched the Maintenance Deck. Lexine and Nathan are unsuccessful in their search so they headed for Bay 47 after Weller announced that he found a functional shuttle to escape in.[2]

In her absence, Weller discovered that Eckhardt was a Unitologist “Overseer” reporting the Aegis VII and Ishimura incidents to an unknown person named “Enigma Lange”. Eckhardt revealed to Weller that Lexine's apparent immunity to the effects of the Marker made her a person of interest for the Church of Unitology. He further admitted that it was his intention to bring Lexine to the Church, but she could never know about her true purpose as she would not understand it. He assured Weller that it was for the good of humanity. Eckhardt was attacked and killed by a Leaper before he could reveal anything further.

Extraction - Lexine

Lexine on board an Ishimura tram.

On the tram, Lexine continued to mourn the loss of Doctor Howell, wishing that she could save more than just their group. Off the tram, Nathan searched the ship for the exact location of Bay 47, knowing that Weller expected them “fifteen minutes ago”. Lexine thought that Nathan cared about Weller “more than he deserved” to which he replied that his relationship with Weller was “complicated”.[3] During the search, Lexine and Nathan accessed an ongoing transmission from Nicole from the Medical Wing. As the video was a one way transmission, the two are unable to prevent her suicide and watched her die. Distraught, Lexine believed that her very presence was a curse to all of those around her, holding herself responsible for the deaths of Howell, Nicole, Sam and her father.

They arrived at Bay 47 to a seemingly deserted environment. During the search, Lexine found Eckhardt dead and Weller unconscious in the communications room and alerted Nathan immediately. Weller explained that Eckhardt was responsible for Howell's death and shot him. Weller suspected that Eckhardt went crazy like everyone else. Before they could leave, they had to shut down the ADS cannon. With Weller hurt, Nathan was the only one who could reach the Captain's Nest to shut down the cannon. Lexine remained behind with Weller to treat his wounds and prep the shuttle for launch. Weller regained consciousness after she managed to find a syringe full of painkillers to help him. She told him that Nathan reported that he was heading back to them, but was concerned as the message was “a while ago”. Lexine tried several times to hail Nathan to no avail. In a fit of frustration, she threw her communicator against the wall and decided that they had to leave. The two proceeded to defend the shuttle from the onslaught Necromorphs converging in their area. During the fight, Lexine left Weller to defend the shuttle while she started the engines despite her inability to actually fly a shuttle.

They held off long enough for Nathan reach them. Lexine was alarmed by the sight of Nathan's severed hand, but helped him get the shuttle moving and away from the Ishimura. As their shuttle escaped the Ishimura, they intercepted a transmission from the USG Kellion which was responding to a distress call. Lexine futilely tried to warn them to turn back.[note 1] The transmission did not get through due to the debris field from the planet crack.

Nathan infected

Lexine is attacked by the Necromorph form of McNeill on the escape shuttle.

Their terrifying experience culminated in Nathan succumbing to his wounds and transforming into a Necromorph. Upon attacking Lexine in the cockpit of the shuttle, Lexine grabbed a pistol just as the McNeill-Slasher was about to reach her and killed it. Lexine and Weller are the only apparent survivors of the Aegis VII and Ishimura incident and successfully made it to Titan Station.[note 2]

Living on the Sprawl[]

After successfully surviving the Aegis VII and Ishimura incidents, Lexine and Gabe became the permanent residents of the Sprawl. Both incidents were publicly labeled as a “terrorist attack” conducted by Doctor Isabel Cho.[4] Lexine and Gabe remained silent about their status as the survivors and witnesses of the Necromorph infection. Curious about the effects of their adventure and aware of Lexine's immunity, EarthGov began to monitor them through the Oracle Program, maintaining its distance to avoid drawing the suspicions of the survivors.

The project apparently relied on Lexine's ability to reproduce. If she was successful, capturing Lexine and her child to study the Marker's effects on the child if her immunity was passed on to them was a high priority. At some point, Lexine and Gabe were married and during the next three years, both lived on the Sprawl without incident. Lexine even changed her surname from Murdoch to Weller. Lexine presumably maintained her position as a surveyor while Gabe would work for the Titan Station Security Force. It was not until later that they both decided that it was time to conceive a child.

The Sprawl Infestation[]

Lexine

Gabe tells Lexine about the new Necromorph outbreak on the Sprawl.

When the outbreak on the Sprawl occurred, Lexine was contacted by Gabe in the Mines during a fertility session at the Titan Memorial Medical Center. As she received the results of her test, Gabe warned her about the Necromorphs that were returning and urged her to reach their shuttle.

Lexine lost her connection with Gabe as the quarantine in the hospital began, frightened by the escalation of the events around her. As Gabe travelled through the Mines, Lexine reported that she was unable to breach the panicked crowd to get to their shuttle and lost contact with Gabe a second time when she was knocked around by the crowd. Gabe contacted Lexine again and inquired about the presence of soldiers. Lexine informed him that she could not see anything through the crowd. He warned her to watch out for Victor Bartlett and the Sprawl security as they meant to kill her on the orders from Hans Tiedemann. He told her to hide and Lexine fled to the Psych Ward.

As both Gabe and Victor raced to reach Lexine first, she warned Gabe about "strange looking men dressed in white" - two Oracles - scavenging the hospital and possibly attempting to find her. Lexine contacted Gabe a second and final time, unaware that their RIG conversations were being tracked by Victor. She warned him that the Oracles were almost upon her, allowing Victor to lock on to her exact location. As Gabe managed to reach her location, Victor revealed that EarthGov was aware of Lexine's immunity to the Marker and wanted Gabe to conceive a child with her for analytical purposes. Lexine was made as Victor's temporary hostage when he reached her first.

DeadSpace2SeveredCaptors

The Oracles capture Lexine.

Before Victor could kill Lexine, the two Oracles intervened. Victor used Lexine as a human shield against the two, demanding that they back down and follow Tiedemann's orders to eliminate the "key subjects". The two suggested that they were instead following orders from a higher authority than Tiedemann to retrieve Lexine alive, and used an unknown device on Victor that rendered him unconscious. Lexine was apprehended by the Oracles and called for Gabe's help. Aware about his identity, the Oracles fled with Lexine to protect her from the Necromorphs, stating that the outbreak would take care of Gabe and that his "purpose" was done.

Lexine was taken away to the hospital shuttle bay, where the Oracles were attacked by two Infectors. She retreated to the ship as Gabe arrived and the Oracles were transformed into Twitchers. He killed them and ordered a relieved Lexine to get the ship ready for takeoff. The hospital bulkheads automatically locked down. Gabe successfully overrode the stand-alone fuse relay and warned Lexine to remain inside the ship as she did not have a suit for the oncoming vacuum. At the last second, Victor arrived, armed with a live grenade. Gabe retaliated, knocking Victor to the ground before the grenade detonated. The blast killed Victor and severed Gabe's leg in the process. Lexine was unable to help her husband as he fought off the horde of Necromorphs and destroyed the final failsafe on the bulkhead doors. Lexine's ship launched and escaped the station. She cried out for Gabe, who later succumbed to his injuries after the bulkhead doors were opened. Her current status on EarthGov file is “Missing”.[5] Like Isaac Clarke, she was deemed a primary target of EarthGov with an immediate termination order if she was found.

Personality and Traits[]

Lexine background

Lexine during her time on Titan Station.

Lexine exhibited a strong will which she often used to keep McNeill, Eckhardt and Weller from arguing with each other over what to do next, though she hardly ever presented a course of action on her own. She was quick to grow close to Nate and exhibited genuine concern for him. Weller was the first to assume that the two had feelings for each other, teasingly calling them "lovebirds".[2] Though Lexine remained optimistic throughout most of her journey with the others from Aegis VII to the Ishimura, her hope was quickly dwindled down when the more people that she encountered are killed by the Necromorphs. She remained resolute in their hopes of escape and even aided Nathan and Weller in battle on more than a few occasions despite her apparent lack of experience with a weapon.

Though her relationship with Weller was coarse and worked merely on a cooperative basis, the two eventually warmed up to each other, particularly during their final moments on the Ishimura when she tended to him and they defended the final carrier off the ship. In Severed, as a couple, Lexine exhibited absolute trust and respect in Weller which was something that she believed that he did not deserve before.

Lexine's immunity to the Marker apparently gave protection to other people who were in close physical proximity to her, preventing them from turning insane. The fact that Weller, McNeill and Eckhardt all began to experience visual and auditory hallucinations as well as becoming slightly hostile to each other within just a few minutes of becoming separated from her seemed to support this notion. Eckhardt seemed to be fascinated about Lexine being born on Earth because of her immunity to the influence of the Markers.

Trivia[]

  • Lexine Murdoch was voiced by Laura Pyper and had a distinctive (Northern) Irish accent.
  • In the beginning of Chapter 2, her name is misspelled as "Lexine Murdock" on a screen.
  • According to creative director and Necromorph designer Ben Wanat, Lexine had "early storyline explorations" for Dead Space 3 which were ultimately dropped as the developers felt they were "unnecessary complications of the lore and unrelated to the primary DS narrative".[6]
  • Lexine is mentioned in Dead Space (2023) in the text log "Unexpected Visitors".

Gallery[]

Notes[]

  1. It is possible that Lexine's message is the garbled message the Kellion receives after attempting to hail the USG Ishimura. This, however, is pure speculation.
  2. The in-game footage is unclear, as the last scene of Extraction simply depicts a Necromorph attacking a lone Lexine. However, Dead Space Executive Producer Steve Papoutsis clarified McNeill's fate while answering some fan questions. In addition, there is no mention of McNeill whatsoever in the Severed DLC.

Sources[]

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