One theory of life is that all 'life' forms are just various mutations of a virus. Earth has one kind of intelligent virus and other planets in the universe might have other virus forms which could be considered life as well.
Why wouldn't a virus be considered a life form?
There has been so much effort put into asserting that a living cell must have certain this and that to qualify as no-question life, that viruses have been marginalized. They do have the composition of parts of cells. It is the part that seems to drive mutation and evolution, but can it carry consciousness?