~Convergent Timelines Theory~ MotD Connects With...

[Electric Jesus]

"From a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint, time is like a big bowl of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... Stuff."

Hi all! It's good to be back on my feet. I come to you with my first theory in a while. Well here she is.

~Convergent Timelines~

(Keep in mind that when I say "the rift" I'm referring to a connection between MotD and the other timeline. It has nothing to do with the rift as mentioned in Buried.)

In Mob of the Dead it is a commonly held notion that the map takes place in another dimension. This has been interpreted as hell, or simply "through the rift." As we know, a new omnipotent being watches and toys with the characters as they survive. Although they are unidentified, it is widely assumed that they are Lucifer, or some such satanic figure. This explains the bizarrely demonic appearance of what was minutes previously a perfectly functioning and (for all intents and purposes) normal detention center.

We also know that many objects are pulled "through the rift" to prolong the torment of the mobsters. These include weapons, perks (excluding EC), and power-ups.

Well, that's some of what we know as of now, or at least what we can infer. However, one possibility hasn't been tossed around before. What is this idea?

Let's say Mob of the Dead exists outside of time. Once Alcatraz has been dragged through the rift, all of the events that transpire there are irrelevant and inconsequential to the events in the "real" timeline, which encompasses all other maps. In other words, the dimension of hell and our world are disconnected chronologically. The only bridge between them is the rift. The rift is not exactly like a bridge though. It is more of a bend, or a ripple, at which the two dimensions meet. In mathematical terms, the "real" timeline is a tangent. It touches he'll in exactly one spot: the rift. Furthermore, in order for a tangent to exist (still speaking mathematically) hell's timeline can't be a line. I believe in this case it is a circle, or a closed loop. This explains "the cycle" as well as the presence of a tangentially convergent sister timeline of sorts.

Why might I be telling you this? As these objects are dragged through to hell, they are likely pulled from the same point in time: the point at which the hell portal joins hell and our world. I'm going to attempt to gather this information pinpoint exactly what point on the real timeline intersects with hell.

~Narrowing it Down~

First let's look at the more obvious evidence. Power-ups (such as insta-kill, fire sale, etc.) are not native to hell. As I said before, they are pulled through the rift from the real world. As the demonic voice that accompanies them is that of Samantha, we can gather that MotD's dimension intersects with ours at a point where Samantha is in control. So that narrows our timeframe down to some point between World at War and pre-big bang theory. However, as the power-up "fire sale" is only present in Black ops 1 in that timeframe, we can conclude that the point of convergence is located chronologically somewhere from Kino der Toten to Moon.

Let's look at another toy the omnipotent being summoned: perks. All of the perks that belong in another time or dimension are visually distorted. Electric Cherry is the exception, as it actually belongs in Alcatraz. However, let's take a look at one perk in specific. Deadshot Daiquiri has only been featured in three maps that are already in our possible threshold. We can then deduce that the point of convergence is somewhere from Call of the Dead to Moon.

Weapons are generally considered non-canon. That is, until the rift was presented. At that point, almost any anachronism (time-related error) could be blamed on the rift. Consequently the presence of future guns as well as past guns in MotD can be attributed to the rift. Perhaps it isn't, and weapons are simply non-canon. Regardless, the presence if certain weapons in MotD is irrelevant to this theory as they can't be used to specify any timeframe.

Yet another detail exists to narrow down our timeframe. While using the ray gun, the weasel says "Nikolai, Nikolai, Nikolai! Why do I keep hearing that name?" It seems the name Nikolai is being spoken repeatedly, and it is drifting from our world through the portal, where it is heard by the weasel. One thing we must ask is why he alone remarks on it? Can only he hear it? This is likely because he alone is aware of the cycle, and the fact that they are no longer in the real world. His awareness of this fact enhances his perception of "glitches in the matrix" if you will. (Errors that indicate that they are "elsewhere.")

We can't be certain of why only the weasel can hear it, but we can assume that apart from perks and power ups, someone's voice is carrying over from the real world, and it's saying Nikolai. Note that the weasel specifically says "... I keep hearing that name." Signifying that he hears it repeatedly.

For the point of convergence to exist at a time where nikolai's name is mentioned repeatedly on the real

Timeline, it would have to be at a point when the actual map is occurring! That is why weasel can hear character quotes and there are power-ups (which are only found on actual maps.) you could say that the events described in a radio are reaching him, but only in-game is Nikolai's name repeated. I can't even recall a specific radio that mentions Nikolai's name. It is possible that

So we have 3 possible points of convergence: Call of the Dead, Shangri-la, and Moon. We know it can't be in the transition between CotD and Shangri-la, because we know exactly how they get there. (Through the teleporter, with our help.)

Here's where I'm going to need a little help, CoDz. I can't pinpoint an exact single point with the evidence I am currently aware of. If anybody can help me further narrow the timeframe that would be great. If you have another idea, or think I'm completely wrong, please share! This is a work-in-progress, and I'm open to constructive criticism. I'm going to throw in some diagrams and stuff eventually too. Ain't that swell? Also I put this thread here rather than in the MotD section because it encompasses other maps as well.

[WoodysGamertag]

So are we looking for an event the O4 May have done to cause the rift to break? Like a significant step that causes the breakage? I think you're spot on with this and it lies somewhere between Shang & Moon..

[scp1146]

I think it happened during the Shangri La EE, all that jumping back and forth and altering events could easily have caused it.

[TheRealMistyBriarton]

Nice, I like it, very well researched I think, through Samantha isen't the controller of the Zombies in MoTD, her voice is just a placeholder, but ethier way, nice stuff.

I also agree that the Shangri-La EE was what caused the Rift, going back and forth between the past and present and causing Brock and Gary's fate to change so many times threw Time and Space out of wack and caused the Rift, which became Physical once the Rockets hit the Earth.

[Electric Jesus]

Plus what's more is that Brock and Gary are actually trapped in a cycle too. You can repeat the Eclipse Easter egg as many times as you want in a single game, and each time the adventurers have no memory of meeting you previously. They are unaware of their chronological prison, so they can't break free from it (unlike Arlington.)

Shangri-la is looking a bit suspicious. Plus with Maxis talking about Agartha (spelling?) in Buried, and Brock + Gary's expedition, as well as the shared mountain theory, the O4 may be able to return to Shangri-La from Area 51 to enter Agartha.

[WoodysGamertag]

I thought MoTD Took place on New Years Eve 1933? They don't travel forwards in time or anything, they're in an infinite loop of that night but the rift breaking is what caused it.

CoTD is believed to be in 2011 so it didn't happen and Moon is in 1968. But we don't have a year (or location but that's irrelevant) for Shangri La. It's very possible that MoTD and Shangri La are taking place at the same time..But at the same time -

If Samantha isn't in control of the Zombies during MoTD, why would she be on SRL if we're believing them to be at the same time?

[Electric Jesus]

Didn't you read the part where MotD exists outside of time completely? Sure the gangsters actually lived in the 30s, but once they are in hell they are completely disconnected from all real time. Lucifer RIPPED them out of reality. However an event elsewhere on the timeline (possibly in Shangri-La) connected it to hell through the portal. MotD's original date is irrelevant.

[LJx19]

There's a small problem with your theory, everyone is aware that they're trapped in the continuous loop. Billy says in the motd Intro " we must have been through this fifty times already" then Sal " and we'll do it another 50 times if that's what it takes."

Then this:

Physical Time Loop

In a physical time loop (rarely seen in the media), the spacetime loops around to form several closed timelike curves. Since the time in that region is looped, a person could escape it only by leaving the affected area. Also, there would be an infinite number of copies of any matter in the area, unless an object left the loop. In that case, there would only be as many copies of that object as many times it completed the loop. This type of time loop cannot be ended or destroyed.

So this doesn't necessarily place Alcatraz in another dimension. Comparing it to Gary and Brock's problem where they were also stuck in:

Conscious Time Loop

In a conscious time loop, everyone's consciousness loops through time. In such a time loop, causality could easily be violated.

The o4 were exempt from this because through teleportation, their own consciousness wasn't affected.

Minor problems yes, but potentially exploitable. Point I'm trying to make is they could have been stuck in there for a very long time perhaps even before Sam was in the mpd. Remember "something far more terrible than you lies here Edward." That would then make the case that whatever was in control is the devil. Using power up drops doesn't help much either as in say there is no fire sale on w@w while there is on Kino and of course we know Sam is in control on both maps. Just a few holes.

[Electric Jesus]

That's an interesting thought. But how long is the timeframe from MotD to Shangri-La? I don't know the exact date, because dates are often debated. However it's safe to assume that decades have passed. Naturally it wouldn't take decades for them to fly the plane 50 times. However I don't think he was referring to the cycle in that quote. Look at the intro cutscene. Sal's voice is doing a voice-over of what's happening during the escape. He isn't just yelling "AND NOW WEASEL KILLS THE GUARD" right in front of him; What sal is saying is actually the conversation they had before the escape (while they were planning.) so i think he's just saying he's walked them through the plan VERBALLY 50+ times, because he wants to be certain they'll do it correctly. I don't think he's aware of the cycle at that time.

The firesale thing can be attributed to Sam refining her technique. Over time she out-grows her old toys and makes some new ones to play with. One of them is Firesale, which she didn't make until Kino.