An attempt to connect the Rift, Maxis, and Buried.

[Mattzs]

With MOTD’s exposition of purgatory and the cycle I thought I would make a shot in the dark theory about how it relates to Buried.

Now we know the Rift is apparently here in this map, but what is it?

What if the Rift is the passage to the afterlife? Is the rift merging the world of the living with the dead?

Think about it for a second. Element 115 and the Rift have created this zombie apocalypse. Zombies can be considered neither Living NOR dead. Therefore zombies themselves are a metaphor for the rift. They bridge the transition between life and death. Zombies have trapped souls/life force (the aura that powers the MPD), but yet no psychical living Human counterpart.

Now for some support in previous map installments-

Moon-Changing gears, Lets look at the MPD. Although Samantha’s body is in the machine, what is it powered by? Souls. What does Richtofen do? Transfers his soul to her body. The spirit only matters. Richtofen did not need his physical being to enter the MPD. All he needed was his life force, a soul. The device that controls the undead requires souls to open and a soul to take control. Everything about the device itself is Ethereal. The device is a bridge to the afterlife.

This would also explain the demon inside the machine. If the device is a bridge to the afterlife than it would be fairly easy for some demon from the planes of Hell or a corrupt part of the afterlife to make his way through the world of the living.

Mob of the Dead-Lets also look at MOTD for a second. The mobsters are in a mini-rift, a pocket dimension/time stream under control by the Demon. The mobsters are able to enter the afterlife because they are close to the realm of death, or in their case Hell. This alternate time-stream-lope is sending the mobsters into the afterlife. I believe we said that the GG Bridge represents that crossing over to the other side. That it is the literal passageway for the mobsters between earth and the afterlife. Either way, they either go to the realm of the dead or the living, but it is always VIA the rift.

Now, what does Buried have to do with this?

Well, I would like to point out the ghosts in the map. Although, it’s entirely possible they aren’t really ghosts, I think it is safe to some they have some connection to the Ether. We are seeing these ghosts, because we are close to the Ether/Afterlife. The hole (possibly made by the meteorite in the cutscene) in Buried could be similar to the GG Bride in MOTD. These girls could literally be coming out of the rift. They are crossing over to the psychical world. The T4 could really be standing right in front of the afterlife.

AL in MOTD makes note that the Lava pit under the prison cells is somehow connected to Hell. Once again, a mini-rift. Now in Buried we have a HUGE lava like crater in the beginning of the map that Russman refers to as the Rift . See a connection?

Which brings me to another theory.

What if Maxis isn’t an AI, but a spirit instead? Could Maxis be literally coming back from the dead? Whether he serves the demon or not, Maxis making himself whole could mean that he is literally trying to bring back his entire body.

Apparently an opening quote for the Maxis side of the EE in Buried he states “This location represents the final piece of a puzzle beyond the comprehension of your mortal minds” to the N4. To refer to them as mortals indirectly states that Maxis or so he believes, has transcended mankind. In some shape or form Maxis is not Mortal.

If he was an AI why would he refer to them as mortals? It would make more sense if as an AI he said “Humans” or something more biological or flesh based. The word Mortal sounds more spiritual than scientific. It just sounds weird coming from an AI.

Quote from nayrc’s thread viewtopic.php?f=152&t=33228

Long story short-

The Rift is a bridge to the afterlife which, is located in Buried. Therefore Buried is close to the afterlife. The incorporation of ghosts possibly suggests that these girls could be coming from the rift. Maxis wants to use this supernatural rift to return his soul to his body as he is not Mortal.

Anyway, it is late at night, I am tired and I hope this makes sense. I really should select better times to write these theories. Thanks for reading!

[RockyRhode]

This would make sense, what you're saying about Maxis wanting to become human again. Seeing that in the Die Rise cut scene it's revealed that Richtofen wants Stuhlinger to mend the rift.