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A Complete Story Breakdown of SIGNALIS

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is a game of questions

what is the value of human life how far

are you willing to go for the ones you

love how can we differentiate between

reality and fantasy and what is the

worth of a replica a copy of a copy

these questions of course are not new

stories told throughout the ages have

grappled with themes of creation reality

and the nature of humanity which

resonate with us because they tap into

some of our most universal wonders

like many I began playing sickness the

day it released back in October and was

enthralled by it almost immediately I

began working on this video my own

attempt to understand its Mysteries

uncover its secrets and learn from

myself the truth of this thing that is

so dark and yet so beautiful

but signalus is Cosmic horror and just

as in the classic works of Robert

Chambers and H.P Lovecraft its deepest

Mysteries are intentionally left

ambiguous implied to be beyond our

comprehension it's not that they don't

have answers but that the very pursuit

of those answers is enough to drive you

mad and this is exactly what you'll

experience with signalus the deeper you

dig into the lore and the more

discoveries you make the more agonizing

it becomes that the pieces don't all fit

together because even the most

contradictory details feel so careful

and deliberate

there are other complicating factors as

well the events of the whole game hinge

on a phenomenon called bioresonance

which is barely understood by the

characters in The Game and is

subsequently barely explained to the

player dream logic is ubiquitous and

some degree of unreliable narration is

also at play another Hallmark of

Chambers and Lovecraft which means we

can't take anything we see or hear at

face value

so with all that established we find

ourselves facing a pretty significant

question should we try to understand

for me at least the answer is absolutely

there may not be a singular truth or

definitive interpretation but that

doesn't mean the search for answers is

futile signalus is a Masterwork of

Illusion allegory and art brimming with

many secrets that can in fact be

explained and in pursuit of these

smaller Mysteries we draw ever closer to

understanding the greater whole

of particular note as a resource in this

endeavor are the many works of

literature used throughout the game

including the King in Yellow anthology

by Robert Chambers an inhabitant of

carcosa by Ambrose Pierce and the

festival by H.P Lovecraft it's

absolutely worth it to read through

these diverse stories as they provided

much of the inspiration for signalus and

contain a great deal of information that

sheds light on its dense Mysteries

I'll refer to these works periodically

in order to highlight some of the most

important connections they have with

signalus but I won't be covering them in

depth for two reasons first this video

is quite long enough already and second

these Works do not Define the game in

and of themselves they were not merely

copied but transformed and have become

something new in the context of elster

and ariane's story

as an example of what I mean by this

let's take a quick look at the concept

of carcosa signalus makes clear

reference to carcosa in its visual

iconography and directly quotes passages

relating to it from the King and yellow

which itself appropriated the term from

an inhabitant of carcosa which was

borrowed from Gustav nadu's poem

Carcassonne which is originally inspired

by the medieval French city of carcasson

but what does it mean nadu's poem refers

to the place as an actual City whose

meaning is metaphorical as a stand-in

for an individual's deepest desires or

Heaven by some interpretations but this

meaning has evolved each time it has

been used to the point that it has

become quite hard to pin down in any

general sense the reason I bring all

this up is to point out the fact that

all explicit mentions of carcosa are

deliberately omitted from signalus there

are no easy answers here and to find Our

Truth we must take a leap into the great

Abyss that is signalus lore and that's

exactly what I tried to do here my goal

in making this video is twofold first

and foremost it is to present a thorough

researched explanation of the game from

beginning to end showing and explaining

exactly what is happening along elster's

journey and pointing out its many

connections to other pre-existing works

and second it is to offer my own

comprehensive interpretation of what it

all means

to be clear my intent is not to convince

you that this is the only or best

interpretation of signalus but simply to

present it as an option that ties

together many of the narrative threads

I'll be discussing

my Approach assumes there are literal

and symbolic elements at play but I

think purely symbolic interpretations

are very interesting and valid as well

part of what makes signalus so

compelling is that the emotional core of

the story retains its potency regardless

of interpretation

needless to say this video will contain

full spoilers for the entire game from

this point on so if you haven't yet

played it yourself I would highly

recommend pausing the video here and

doing that before you continue watching

signalus is well worth your time and the

less you know going into the experience

the better

with that out of the way this is how the

rest of the video will work first I'll

cover all background information

preceding and leading up to the main

Narrative of the game including an

overview of the solar system the

Revolution and ariane's life up to the

Penrose Mission next I'll dig deeper

into the origin of the titular signal

what it is the serpinski connection and

the important role of replica Commander Falk

Falk

I'll then discuss the nature of ariane's

dream its fundamental purpose the

significance of the king and yellow and

The Meta layering of the overall narrative

narrative

following this I'll transition to a more

granular approach and break down

elster's Journey chronologically chapter

by chapter explaining each sequence in

context of the larger whole as such do

note that I will be skipping over some

details the first time they appear so

that I can address them properly in a

later section as well as jumping around

the game a bit to tie together scenes

and Concepts that appear at different

points of the story

finally I'll discuss the game's four

endings and bring my analysis to a close foreign

foreign [Music]

is set in our own solar system but as

stated by the developers it does not

take place in our future but in a

different reality with its own timeline

in this alternate future six worlds were

inhabited by humans and the correlations

to our system's planets are evident when

we consider the star map in serpinsky

the dream diary and Tarot cards from

rotfront and the posters found

throughout the game bouillon is the

capital of the empire of usan and is

described as having a floating Imperial

Palace and a sun-like eye both of which

correspond to Venus while the planet's

surface is utterly inhospitable due to

the Heat and crushing air pressure its

atmosphere 30 miles up is surprisingly

temperate the air pressure and

temperature are comparable to Earths and

the rich CO2 gas found there could be

filtered to provide oxygen conveniently

there are still plenty of atmosphere

left above this point to provide

shielding from solar radiation and seen

through this absorbent barrier the sun

would likely appear as a large luminant

eye constructing floating cities at the

this height makes far more sense than

trying to terraform the planet's surface

and this appears to be the approach the

Empire took

next we move to Veneta aptly named The

Cradle of humanity since it is in fact

Earth the large oceans and blue skies

attest to this although the planet's

climate was so devastated by the ongoing

War for control that these bodies of

water Rose to cover much of its land

mass we can see that the moon itself was

destroyed as well meaning that the ocean

would no longer be affected by its tidal forces

forces

is the system's second Imperial world

and corresponds to Mars the planet is

described as having a red desert strong

sandstorms and appears to be the site of

Major mining operations as well all of

which match up to the World As We Know

It furthermore we learned that farming

is an industry here which makes sense

considering Martian soil has all the

essential minerals to support plant life

rotfront is a revolution-controlled moon

of the planet Jupiter with a deep ocean

under its icy crust and a prominent red

storm in the sky the inclusion of a

Subterranean ocean appears to leave us

with three possible candidates Ganymede

Callisto and Europa but the first two

can be ruled out since their oceans are

buried hundreds of miles beneath Solid

Rock while europa's ocean is only 10 to

15 miles beneath a thin icy crust this

more closely fits the description from

the dream diary which says below the ice

of rotfront so I think it's safe to

conclude we're talking about Europa here

the large red storm referred to as an

eye by many of rotfront's inhabitants is

simply Jupiter's Great Red Spot as

evidenced by the way it is referred to

as a high pressure region in the

atmosphere of rotfront's planet and is

clearly shown on the official rot-front poster

poster

hi Matt is the capital of the nation of

yusan the Revolution and based on its

yellow color and the fact that rings are

visible from the world it clearly

corresponds to Saturn's moon Titan in

fact Titan is considered one of the most

Earth-like worlds in our solar system

due to its large size and dense

atmosphere that features a hydrological

cycle similar to ours and as such would

have been particularly suitable for terraforming

terraforming

finally we have Lang for which

surprisingly little information is given

considering how much time we spend there

fortunately there are some good clues

that indicate this is the dwarf planet

Pluto first the star map shows Lang by

itself meaning it cannot be a moon of

either Uranus or Neptune and its

standout feature is the serpinsky mind

that delves deep into the world's

surface while little is known about

Pluto's composition some theories

suggest the interior of the planet is

rich in deposits of gold Platinum nickel

and other valuable minerals that would

make mining a lucrative operation there

it's also worth acknowledging that Pluto

is named after the god of the underworld

which fits with serpinsky's identity as

a veritable hell as a whole the solar

system appears to be Loosely inspired by

lovecraft's dreamlands which is

essentially a mirror image alternate

version of our universe that can be

accessed through sleep or rather through

dreams interestingly the system's three

actual planets bouillon Veneta and

katesh are all named after mythical

locations on Earth that for varying

reasons sunk into an ocean or other

large body of water bugyan was a

mysterious island in Slavic mythology

with the ability to appear and disappear

with the tide kitesh was a Russian city

that sank into Lake svitloyar to protect

its inhabitants from a Mongol invasion

and Vanetta was a city that was sunk by

the gods into the Baltic Sea as

punishment for its numerous sins of

excess and blasphemy the use of these

names implies that the base reality of

cignalis is related to but fundamentally

detached from our own

Additionally the dwarf planet laying is

named after a cold but otherwise

ambiguous location in the dreamlands

where multiple realities converge the

names of the other two moons don't fit

this theme but are interesting

nonetheless hi Matt is the German word

for home or Homeland both with regard to

physical location and culture and this

makes sense considering it is the

capital of usan rotfront translates

literally to Red Front which could be a

reference to its planet's iconic Red

Storm and is also the name of a small

Russian village that was occupied by the

Soviet Union in the 1920s just as rot

front the Moon lives under the tight

grip of usan while it may not be

strictly necessary to know this

information in order to appreciate the

events of signalis I find it quite

interesting all the same and useful for

understanding the greater context in

which these events take place

but with that out of the way let's get

to the actual story of signalus it all

began with Mankind's Ascension from

Veneta to the rest of the solar system a

feat attributed to the empress we are

told she lifted the Empire of yusan to

the stars with her special gift of

bioresonance a power that led to the

creation of replicas and made possible

the terraforming of other worlds and

while bioresonance is never fully

explained we do get a useful description

within the book song of the Gods found

in the attu's bookstore on rotfront it

states the following there exists a

connection between all of us that few

are fully aware of a song we all dance

to but few can hear this deep vibration

of the cosmos cannot just be heard and

felt we all resonate in harmony with it

shaping it deforming it around us though

select few who can consciously perceive

it often fear it too oppressive is the

sound of the Stars too invasive the

noise of the unaware around them

polluting the song with their fickle

emotions but every once in a while some

are born that cannot only hear and play

this music of the world but who can

conduct it gifted individuals capable of

manipulating the essence of the world

around them this concept is very similar

to the Tau within Taoist philosophy

which can be described as the cyclical

flow of the universe that manifests

through each individual's experience of

life and keeps the universe balanced and

ordered of course humans are nothing if

not chaotic and disorderly and at some

unspecified point during the Empire's

rule a revolution sprang from the outer

planets probably centered on heimat that

fought against the empire and came to be

known as the nation of usan by

weaponizing bioresonance in the form of

replicas they were able to take control

over half the system with Vanetta hotly

contested it's important to note that

this Revolution was a recent and ongoing

development and seems to have started

within a generation of the events of

signalus the great revolutionary and her

daughter are referred to as if they are

still living and leading the Revolution

and we know that serpinsky is actively

engaged in Mineral extraction or

refinement and Munitions production

helping the war effort against the

remnants of the Empire while we aren't

given much information regarding the

broad beliefs or ideals of the usan

nation there are a few interesting

details to note first is the way humans

are referred to as gestalts this term

refers to its subjects not as

individuals but rather as an organized

whole that is perceived as more than the

sum of its parts each citizen matters

only as they exist in and contribute to

the greater whole of society a

perspective similar to that of Communism

additionally we can surmise that usan is

a matriarchal society based on the fact

that its rulers are female along with

the vast majority of its replica leadership

leadership

now while haimat laying and rotfront

were all swiftly taken by the revolution

Vanetta proved to be far more difficult

and a great number of soldiers were

deployed there in an attempt to rest the

planet from the control of the Empire

among these was a small unit of eight

native vened soldiers unit 12 of the

fifth infantry division to be exact that

included Lilith E2 and Elena SEO both of

whom play key roles in the story sadly

only two members of their unit survived

the conflict in elster's flashback

Montage we see Lilith clearly

identifiable by her hair at a gravesite

with six headstones as she leaves a lily

on what must be Alina's grave we know

Alina was one of the casualties because

we later learned the other soldier who

survived Rebecca Liang who eventually

moved to rotfront sector C this detail

informs us how far in the past these

events took place approximately 10 years

considering Rebecca is apparently 10

years older than Ariane based on their

medical records it remains ambiguous

what Lilith and Alina's relationship was

like whether they were romantically

involved or simply close friends though

for the sake of parallels I'd say it was

probably the former but it honestly

doesn't matter the important thing is

that they were emotionally close to some

degree Lilith would later be chosen as

the neural pattern for the elster

replica unit she was perfect quiet stoic

probably anti-social and with PTSD from

the war she was considered to have only

basic needs making her quite suitable

for the long-term isolation conditions

of the Penrose program she also lost an

eye a detail that will return to you

later the game gives enough direct

evidence for Lilith being the elster

neural pattern that I think we can

safely call it fact and not merely a

theory but one additional piece of

evidence I want to point out is her name

in medieval Jewish tradition Lilith was

said to be the first woman and was

created alongside Adam in the Garden of

Eden before choosing to leave and

subsequently being replaced by Eve the

parallel is unmistakable Lilith was

native to Veneta called The Cradle of

Life much like Eden and was the first

woman in the line of elster replica

units before being replaced by a

replica's copy of her neural pattern as

an aside it's interesting to consider

how the process of replica selection

works for gestaltz was Lilith willing or

unwilling to be used as a blueprint does

the original human even survive the

transfer based on the way they are

referred to as hosts it seems unlikely

but this remains unknown in any case I

personally don't think that Lilith was

the mother of Issa and Erica and it was

more likely a relative such as an aunt

or cousin if she was their mother and

had been on rotfront then it would be

truly odd indeed for this to be

completely omitted from the story

at this point we get to Ariane we

learned that she was born on laying and

interesting detail since it shows that

there must be other human settlements

there besides the serpinski mine shortly

afterwards however her mother Iris was

relocated to a radio outpost on Rod

front station 6 and here she raised her

daughter in solitude this was apparently

highly unusual as was the fact that

Ariane was taught to appreciate art

music and free thinking literature Iris

also taught her daughter how to operate

the long-range radios at the station

while Ariane rarely refers to this

childhood in her notes and who her

mother barely at all it is implied that

this was a Happy Time albeit a boring

and or claustrophobic one on the one

hand Camilla refers to Arianne and Iris

as being Inseparable but on the other

the prologue Montage briefly shows the

radio station and what might be a figure

standing on the hill looking out into

the distance perhaps feeling there was

more to life than this

unfortunately there was more but it

wasn't better when Arianne was still a

teenager her aunt Camilla intervened in

her life coordinating with aeon the

national Ministry of work and education

to have Ariane taken away from her

mother and stay with Camilla in the

sector C block where she could be given

a proper upbringing by a community of

Good People overseen by a block Warden

and attend the mandelbrot polytechnical

high school upon starting life in the

city Arianne was immediately an outcast

in the words of a teacher she was

remarkably Odd as her artistic and

individualistic personality was seen as

a big problem that needed to be fixed

she was mercilessly bullied by the other

students and as far as we know her only

friends were the E2 sisters Issa and

Erica though even this friendship was

likely not super close since Ariane

always had trouble telling them apart

along with attending the polytechnical

school Arianne worked at her aunt's

photo store and it was here she

developed a batch of photos of the fifth

vened infantry division unit 12 and was

drawn to 1 of Alina CEO this unknown

woman looked remarkably similar to

herself and Ariane later wrote when I

saw the photo of that Soldier I wondered

who she was was she happy was her family

proud of her did her comrades love her

since we looked alike could I have been

like her she also sent the photo to her

mother who agreed the resemblance was

uncanny in all likelihood the photos

were provided by Rebecca who wanted to

remember her lost friends this longing

may have even been partially the reason

for her deep depression aside from well

living here in the first place we know

that this took place around the time of

arianne's graduation since her mother

remarked she would be entering her

military service soon and this was also

around the time the teacher's evaluation

was written since one line reads I can

only hope military service will beat

those frivolous ideas out of her in a

way that this school has failed to do so

far curiously Arianne never speaks of

this military period and the only detail

we learn about it is that she was placed

in rotfront orbital where she may have

been piloting and maintaining spaceships

or stations to some extent despite the

lack of information however I think it's

safe to assume it was not a pleasant

experience and she was looking forward

to it ending as quickly as possible

unfortunately her return home brought no

relief as it was likely during this span

of time that the imperial Espionage plot

was uncovered in sector C and things

went from bad to worse the monthly

montfest celebration was suspended

indefinitely and the protectors in

charge went on the hunt for the rumored

spies in Adler's diary found later he

writes of a recent dream he had in which

he conducted a test with Ariane that

involved drawing tarot cards and asking

her to guess which one he was holding

while he assumes it to be a memory from

his Gestalt life this is a shaky

conclusion at best as the very next

entry proves that his memory is not very

reliable furthermore there is evidence

that this memory actually belongs to the

rot-front Spy known only as Sun we find

his table of tarot cards in a hospital

room suggesting this event did actually

happen and that the Spy was

impersonating a doctor it would appear

that his goal was possibly to scout out

bioresonant individuals among the enemy

population which would be highly

valuable information considering how

impactful bio resonance was in the war

this simple tarot card exercise would be

an effective way to test for psychic

abilities while also being easy to

disguise as a memory test

now an argument could perhaps be made

that sun was the writer Nikolai and

later served as the neural blueprint for

Adler since they were obviously intended

to look alike but this explanation makes

several big assumptions that must be

accepted first that Nikolai was on State

records as being a writer but somehow

managed to impersonate a doctor without

being caught and second that he was

captured by the authorities at the last

minute before his escape and then was

inexplicably chosen to become a replica

blueprint while these events certainly

could have happened it all feels a bit

too convenient and I'm more inclined to

think that we're seeing dream Distortion

here regardless we know Arianne was

covertly examined for bioresonance and

passed the test which unsettled son

enough to make him abandon his mission

and attempt to return to katesh it is

little wonder that in the midst of such

stifling oppression Ariane was as

desperate as ever to get away from

everything especially considering her

poor health but her prospects were quite

Bleak she eventually received her work

assignment to S2 23 sir Pinsky a Mining

facility on Lang curiously named after

the serpinski triangle a famous

self-similar fractal it's important to

note that serpinsky is not just a mine

but also a re-education facility a place

for troublemakers and non-conformists

there was however a second option one

day as she rode the empty train home

Arianne noticed a recruitment poster on

the wall for the Penrose program a

state-sponsored program that would count

as a valid work assignment instead of

being forced into a veritable labor camp

she could choose to become a scout

officer and make her own decisions away

from the constant supervision of the

authorities the option was substantially

more attractive and in time she applied

and was accepted regarding rotfront she

left it all behind except her memories

of the place and its customs and

superstitions including peridolia and

the red eye

for a time her Mission aboard the

Penrose was everything Ariane had hoped

it would be she was free from the

Judgment of others could finally be

alone and was even able to continue her

painting hobby At first she and elster

kept their distance but when the

loneliness of long-term isolation

conditions began to set in they

gradually kindled a friendship having

neglected to read the mission manuals

and classified documents given to her at

their Journey's commands Ariane was

unaware of the destabilizing effect this

would have on elster's Persona and

further activities such as the viewing

of War films destabilized her even more

Arianne saw an elster a kindred spirit

someone else who had run away from the

world and as the line between elster and

Lilith began to blur the Gestalt

memories becoming her own elster saw an

Ariane at the woman she had loved in a

past life a romance blossomed and for

the first time in a very long time they

were happy

but unfortunately it would not last upon

entering phase 3 at cycle 3000 and

receiving their new Mission parameters

the two learned the truth that their

Voyage was a one-way trip having failed

to find any resources or habitable

worlds supplies would soon begin to run

out and the ship's functional systems

would fail without the means for repair

despite the official recommendation to

end things quickly Arianne and elster

struggled to survive as long as possible

which turned out to be a staggeringly

long time they were supposed to start

running low on supplies after cycle 3000

approximately eight years into their

Voyage but the latest diary entry we

find is dated well after 5400 Cycles or

about 15 years while it's unclear

precisely how they managed this feat it

likely involved a combination of Ariane

using the cryogenic Pod intermittently

and else they're not needing as many

resources to survive due to her

biomechanical nature as a replica things

took a turn for the worse however when

the ship's reactor started leaking

causing them both to suffer terribly

from the radiation and here we get to

the promise at some point during this

period Arianne made elster promise to

kill her to end her suffering though

it's never stated what the conditions

were it must not have been an immediate

thing as Ariane wrote that she didn't

know if they would continue to wake up

each day what is clear is that they both

both continued to cling to life with

Arianne likely spending more and more

time in the cryogenic Pod as their

carefully rationed supplies ran out

finally the day came that Arianne feared

when elster succumbed to the radiation

and died quietly and this could not have

happened at a worse time for Arianne was

still in the cryogenic pod

far from being the permanent rest

assured by the phase 3 mission briefing

Arianne found herself caught between

Consciousness and sleep in constant pain

from her radiation-induced cancer

unprotected by a cryopod that was likely

malfunctioning since the lid is later

found open with the Diagnostics turned

off elster failed to fulfill her promise

this is what actually happened and would

have been the end of it if Ariane had

not begun to dream

from this point on things get really

complicated because the human mind with

its Myriad memories and desires is

complicated and the most immediate and

fundamental point of complexity is the

determination of what is real and what

is not how much of what we see in the

game is actually happening and how much

is Just a Dream it's quite the brain

teaser and also a bit of a trick

question since I think the only reliable

answer is all of it

my personal theory is that all of

cignalis is taking place within a dream

or rather two dreams that have overtaken

reality and become its new form and this

is precisely why right to give this

analysis a name I would simply call it

after elster's death or at least ceasing

a function Ariane understandably became

desperate trapped as she was in a

malfunctioning cryogenic pod

experiencing constant pain in her

shallow dreams she did the only thing

she could think of attempt to wake

elster up and she did this by projecting

elster's memories via bioresonance while

it may sound dubious at first for Ariane

to have known elster's memories this is

actually well established by the Colibri

replica known issues document which

states the following like most

bioresonant individuals calibris will

often subconsciously create an emotional

feedback loop imitating and then

broadcasting the emotions of those

around them acting as a sort of

amplifier this is precisely what Ariane

did she subconsciously created a

feedback loop with elster processing her

memories which could later be broadcast

back this bioresonant projection took

the form of a very specific radio signal

that we later learn is called The Magpie

signal this is the titular signal of

signalus that lays the foundation of the

entire game and affects not only the

Penrose but serpinsky as well along with

showing up here on the title screen it

also appears in the Radio Room the

Penrose and on the rotfront radio towers

and while The Magpie signal is certainly

cryptic it is far from arbitrary back

during World War One this type of radio

signal was first developed for the

purpose of Espionage shortwave radio

stations known as numbers stations would

broadcast an endless string of spoken

numbers sometimes interspersed with

musical motifs that could be decrypted

by spies in enemy Nations the codes were

unbreakable because they utilized

one-time pads which contain random

groups of numbers used to convert the

letters of the transmission just like

the sword document used in the wall safe

puzzle these number stations have been

plentiful and active ever since and were

especially prominent during the Cold War

in the aftermath of World War II this

particular sequence in The Magpie signal

is known as the three note Oddity a

hungarian-based signal targeted at

Germany that was active until 2005.

while I don't intend to read too deeply

into the real world history of these

stations since as I explained in the

introduction signalus has transformed

its sources with new meaning I do think

they are being used in a similar way in

ariane's reactor note she recounts a

dream she had in which her mother was

listening to a number station and taking

notes in a book while holding the king

and Yellow on her lap we can make an

educated guess that it was the magpie

signal specifically since on the main

menu the signal plays alongside the

sounds of a clinking metal pole which

evoked the image of the remote radio

station it would make sense for this

stream to be based off of memory and as

such it appears to be implied that

ariane's mother was a spy who was

decoding messages from a number station

over the radio but what is the

significance of ariane's signal taking

the form of this transmission I'll come

back to this point later but for now

there are a few more immediate questions

I want to address to support this

General explanation for starters how do

we know bioresonance has anything to do

with radio waves going back to what we

learned about the Colibri replicas it is

said that tuning a radio to the same

frequency they are transmitting will

cause a feedback loop and this is

exactly what we see happen so radio

waves must be at least a major component

of bioresonance signaling if not the

whole of it there's an even better

question however one that had me puzzled

for quite some time why is ariane's

bioresonance so powerful how can it

affect a location billions of miles away

so strongly as to warp its very reality

the answer is deceptively simple the

Penrose vessel we read in the song of

the Gods earlier that bioresonance is

what lifted Humanity to the stars and

since other technology stagnated in the

100 years since then it makes sense that

all spaceships must be powered by

bioresonance we also need to look at the

math here the phase II Mission

parameters inform us that the Penrose

reaches the Oort cloud after about 1500

cycles and we know that Cycles are days

from the chronometer adjustment note in

which area on states she adjusted the

Ship's Cycle calculations to equal the

length of a day on venetta conveniently

venetta is Earth so from this point on

their Cycles were 24 Hours by our

Reckoning taking all of this into

account they reached the Oort cloud in

roughly four years one month and 10 days

which may sound reasonable until we

consider just how insanely far away the

Oort cloud is from the heart of our

solar system the approximate distance to

its closest Edge is 2 000 astronomical

units or 186 billion miles

to put this into perspective light from

the sun takes a full two years to reach

it and many years more to reach its

outermost Edge this means the Penrose

would have had to be moving at

approximately 50 percent the speed of

light the entire way and even with a

strong launch there is just no way these

clunky spacecraft could do that unless

of course they used a device that could

warp the fabric of space itself and

effectively shrink the distance that

needed to be traveled by a huge margin

while on the subject of light speed I

want to slip in a quick note about time

dilation at a rate close to 50 percent

the speed of light time would pass about

15 percent slower for Ariane and Ulster

than for everyone else so those four

years would amount to about 4.7 years to

those in the solar system a noticeable

difference but not huge this is turning

into a long-winded explanation but the

main takeaway is simply that the Penrose

must be outfitted with some kind of

bioresonant hyperdrive and this acted as

a perfect amplifier for ariane's Signal

little did the nation of us know that

the cheap scouting vessel they had sent

off would become a Bonafide bioresonant

nuke empowered as it was by this

hyperdrive ariane's signal was so potent

that it caused the Penrose to crash not

on the planet but rather in a different

dimension altogether something akin to

the astral plane and from here we trace

the signal from its source on the

Penrose to The Mining facility on Lang

the reason s23 serpinsky is a part of

signalus at all is revealed in ariane's

Workforce assignment whereby we learned

that if Ariane had not been accepted

into the Penrose program she would have

been assigned to work there instead as

the story progresses it becomes

increasingly clear that bioresidence has

the power to alter timelines and

probabilities but more on that in a bit

on a broad level ariane's influence over

the serpinski mine was made possible by

something the workers found deep within

it details are appropriately vague we

are simply told something was Unearthed

something older than humanity and it

strongly appears that what they found

was a tear in the fabric of reality a

gateway to the astral plane possibly

generated by Ariane herself since she

was clearly thinking about the place and

how her life might have been different

there this explanation provides an

answer to one of the most confounding

mysteries in signalus how can the

Penrose be both billions of miles out in

the Oort cloud and also be deep below

the surface of laying because it now

exists in a dimension accessible from

both of these locations this dimensional

Rift is the massive pit at the bottom of

the mining site and when elster drops

into it she lands in not one but two

locations first on a strange Beach and

then in the nowhere interestingly prior

to making the jump elster states that

she can hear the sounds of water from

below the only water we see in the

nowhere is a small puddle that doesn't

look to be making any noise so I think

she's actually hearing waves crashing

along the shoreline the presence of six

pillars leading up to the pit further

reinforce its metaphysical nature we are

told that Falk went personally to see

this strange Discovery down in the mine

and when she returned she had been

changed but what exactly did she see

Falk doesn't give many details about her

experience within the rift mostly

writing about the after effects from it

in her diary like elster Falk may have

first landed on the beach after after

which she made her way to the gate

Adler's dialogue indicates that she

passed through it and in a red dream

found at the end of the game Falk wrote

that she saw Ariane in the red emptiness

waiting for me she may have even spotted

the Penrose if she ventured far enough

while she certainly did not see during

her foray into the rift however was the

nowhere which at that point in time

didn't exist as I'll explain later but

this we know for sure upon exposing

herself to the uninhibited song of

reality she was flooded by the wave of

ariane's signal her mind forcibly

injected with elster's memories at

length Falk returned to the upper levels

of serpinsky and for a time was able to

continue functioning but so overwhelming

and persistent was the signal that she

eventually slipped into a coma and began

to dream just as the caliber units were

designed to function as amplifiers for

Falks owned by a resonance she became an

amplifying node for ariane's Signal

resonating with its immense power and as

she dreamed of the serpinsky facility

that fantasy C became its reality a

second dream created by a second Dreamer

this is why serpinsky feels so grounded

and real we see later in chapter 3 that

ariane's own Recreations of reality are

much more surreal and rotfront is

literally where she lived generating a

massive Mining facility that she had

never once seen or visited in Exquisite

detail was certainly Beyond her but the

replica Commander Falk who oversaw the

entire facility would have known it well

perhaps even better than a human in her place

place

this idea of Falk being a second dreamer

is very well supported by the many

parallels drawn between her and Ariane

for one she is lying in the same

position as Ariane in a similarly shaped

room both of which are mirrored by the

sealed chamber in the nowhere Adler

kisses her forehead just as elster

kisses Ariane in the memory and promise

endings and prior to the final

confrontation we can see they look

identical to each other besides the

color of their hair which is only

different because of ariane's a chroma

trickia with elser's memories and

ariane's appearance and purpose Falk

essentially becomes both of them at the

same time

further evidence for the actuality of

fall extreme is the fact that no one at

serpinsky started getting sick until

after Falk succumbed to the signal

because ariane's dream was unable to

affect the facility on her own it is

also telling that the spreading

infection takes the form of radiation

poisoning because that is what Ariane

herself was experiencing

there's one final topic relating to

serpinsky that I want to address briefly

before moving on which really applies to

the game as a whole the dates it becomes

evident early on in signalus that there

are multiple calendar systems which is

very confusing but makes sense for this

futuristic Society each planet would

need its own calendar to account for

their unique rotation and revolution

periods and the outermost worlds would

need a different system for years

altogether due to the sheer length of

their revolutions additionally there

would need to be a universal System

calendar so that each planet could stay

in sync with the others there appear to

be at least four date formats shown in

the game my best guess is that the first

two date formats are based on the

planetary calendars of laying and

rotfront with the first number of each

indicating year whether these years

correlate to each other is uncertain

though since a technical year on laying

would be much longer than the year on

rotfront so it's hard to say whether the

events at serpinsky are taking place 50

years in the future or around the same

time but regardless the story plays out

quite the same if I had to venture a

guess arianne's graduation date is

probably written in the Universal format

due to the inclusion of a decimal point

which would be a likely compromise for a

calendar that has to combine the time

cycles of every planet into a cohesive

format while it's definitely interesting

trying to piece the dates together I

want to make it clear up front that my

theory doesn't rely on them too heavily

since they are left so ambiguous foreign

foreign [Music]

it's easy to get lost in the weeds here

because there is so much information to

sift through but we can simplify our

approach by going back to the whole

purpose of the dream to begin with the

promise the dream was started by Arianne

is expanded by Falk and is colored by

elster all for the ultimate purpose of

enabling elster to fulfill the promise

she had made to end ariane's life this

is the why behind everything and as such

everything needs to be examined through

this lens furthermore we must remember

that the story takes place completely

within a dream that has overtaken and is

shaping reality itself as a result we

can't take anything we see at face value

and there are a great deal of

interesting parallels that may not have

existed prior to the dream at all for

example the way some of the serpinski

replicas resemble rotfront gishdalts the

matching piles of trash found in the

Penrose serpinsky and rotfront and

perhaps even the fact that there is a

security breach at both serpinsky and

rotfront sector C but among the most

important parallels of all is the

recurring appearance and constant

presence of the King in Yellow a

fictional dread play that drives the

events of several stories within Robert

Chambers anthology of the same name it's

never actually shown whether the book

appearing in signalus is chamber's novel

or the play itself and while I don't

think it really matters since it plays

the same narrative function either way

I'm inclined to believe it's the latter

the play has two acts and three

characters casilda Camilla and a

mysterious stranger who is almost

certainly the titular King in Disguise

while the play's First Act is quite

benign and disarming the second is

filled with such devastating truths that

all who read it invariably go mad and

usually end up dead for to read its

words is to expose oneself to the power

of the Godlike entity known only as the

King in Yellow a jealous being who

demands total sacrifice of his subjects

in a similar fashion The Mysterious

white-haired Girl seen by those at

serpinsky may have appeared benign and

disarming at first but so devastating

was the force of her signal that all

exposed to it were irreversibly changed

their individual identities contaminated

in the name of sacrifice and while Falk

is of course the prime example of this

in truth everyone at serpinski has

become a performer on the stage of

ariane's dream compelled to play their

given role over and over again until

they are torn apart by the endless

recycling of the world around them

Ariana herself is clearly representative

of the king a god-like being over all

whose will is absolute but this raises

an extremely important question is

Ariane actually aware of what she is

doing is she truly accountable for the

horror she unleashes upon scores of

innocent humans and replicas I don't

think so for Ariane all appears as a

dream a Delirious swirl of images that

respond to her desperate signal and she

may very well not realize what she sees

as actually a twisting of reality itself

alternatively it is possible that Ariane

did catch on to the true nature of her

dream but was unable to stop the signal

she had started and found herself at the

mercy of elster's success along with the

others which was of course her situation

to begin with either way Ariane is not

the villain of this story she is a

victim of Oppression just as much as

anyone else an outcast in a cruel world

where the only Escape is death and yusan

alone can be held responsible for the

bioresonant Calamity that falls upon serpinsky

serpinsky

moving on there is one more fundamental

aspect of signalus that informs the way

we must view it quite literally and that

is the meta layering of the overall

narrative design from the beginning it

is made abundantly clear that we are

watching the story unfold through a

screen the most basic evidence for this

includes the glitching and tearing

effects that can be seen regularly the

most extreme of which cause elster

physical harm as well as the inclusion

of film grain and CRT filters that can

be applied in the game settings

additionally we see that concentrated

bioresonance emitted by Colibri and Falk

replicas disrupts the current image

revealing a video marker as well as the

underlying purpose behind the signal the

island a manifestation of ariane's

desire for death also notable are the

appearance of gishdalt's file numbers

and replica Data Bank overviews this

page intentionally left blank screens

and violence seen missing all of which

make it seem as though we are parsing

Through official government documents

so whose point of view are we looking

through we are given one more revealing

clue in the form of the invisible red

eye almost anywhere in the game

drastically brightening the footage will

reveal the silhouette of an unmistakable

eye superimposed over the screen the

only places it does not appear are

during full screen first-person

sequences for obvious reasons and

elster's final return to the Penrose

which I'll discuss later with insignolus

the imagery of the red eye represents

two things the government of yusan and

Ariane herself and I think both are at

play here Ariane is an active Observer

of her dream not a passive one watching

and guiding elster along every step of

the way it is then quite possible that

her bioresonance signal was later

intercepted by government authorities

edited and annotated accordingly as they

tried to make sense of it at the very

least they would have had access to the

serpinski camera footage tracking

elster's progress through the facility foreign

foreign [Music]

and now we arrive at where the game

officially begins elster wakes from her

calibration unit following the Penrose

crash and upon checking the ship's

Central console finds a damaged photo of

Arianne further inspection of the ship

reveals she is nowhere to be found one

of the two Ava suits is missing and the

cryogenic Pod holds only a broken and

bloody key card

reasonably assuming that Ariane left the

ship elster initiates the airlock cycle

puts on the second Ava suit and strikes

out into the snow

as explained earlier this is not laying

nor is it base reality at all but rather

a different dimension that has been

altered and shaped by ariane's dream

evidence for this is abundant a star

unit found later within the mine refers

to the laying sky as being filled with

stars which would not be visible from

within such a snowstorm and this is

supported by the serpinski vertical map

which shows a Starry Sky as well the

Penrose status monitor States this is an

unknown planetary surface which

obviously wouldn't make much sense if

this really was laying and it also can't

be a rogue Planet deep within the Oort

cloud since there is no way this much

ambient light would be present and

speaking of the Oort cloud the sky in

this sequence reveals another seeming

impossibility two celestial bodies one

much larger than the other that can only

be Jupiter and one of its moons this

planetary surface is rotfront which

Ariane knew well though it is but a

surreal representation of the place

visible in the snow are large angular

beams jutting from the the ground and

the Mysterious gate along with a large

perfectly round hole in the ground not

having any other options elster passes

through the gate descends into the

strange hole and crawls through a narrow

tunnel which leads into a small bedroom

as we'll discover later this is in fact

ariane's room in rot front sector C but

importantly elster doesn't know that she

does not recognize the room or anything

in it she no longer remembers the

promise she does however feel drawn to

the king and yellow lying on the desk

and upon picking it up the radio

suddenly switches on and begins to

transmit The Magpie signal in the

following Montage we see quite a few

things a rod front radio Outpost the

computer screen turning from white to

Red the Mysterious Island elster's skin

slowly peeling away an ominous line

pulled from the festival the words

remember our promise Issa cutting

herself over a strange symbol separated

by sacrifice Ariane herself and finally

the words wake up

as a whole I think this complete

prologue sequence can be understood as a

representation of elster's memories

being transmitted via the signal we are

not playing the real physical version of

her but rather the last wisps of her

dying memory that Ariane is projecting

to serpinsky the situation on the

Penrose with Ariane missing along with

an Ava suit is entirely fabricated by

Ariane for the purpose of getting elster

to leave the broken ship or rather

coaxing her memories out of her broken

body so a new cycle can begin with

another elster unit

we'll come back to issa's bit in the

Montage later but the main takeaway for

now is that we are seeing an

indeterminate number of Cycles play out

which is made obvious by the inclusion

of the fatal error screen at the end

that appears elsewhere when elster is killed

killed

so when we next move to serpinsky

following the title screen we know that

this is many many cycles later from the

chapter 1 starts in a first floor

serpinski bathroom with elster looking

intently at herself in the mirror after

looking around for a bit she finds an

injured star unit who warns her to leave

since the facility is lost undaunted

elster retrieves and shows her the photo

from the Penrose which now depicts a

completely different woman Elena SEO the

star tells elster that she must be a

worker all of whom had been sent down

into the mine this is of course not

actually Alina who died in the Venetian

conflict a decade earlier rather she is

an extension and likeness of Arianne

formed from the probability of Ariane

ending up as serpinsky had she not

gotten accepted by the Penrose program

in combination with ariane's dreaming

about the woman in the photo she is in a

way a self-insert of Ariane in her own

dream and even shares her poor health

evidence for the two actually being one

can be seen in the brief images of Alina

that flashed up twice during transitions

once during the elevator malfunction on

Level 3 and once again when elster jumps

into the mining pit

when placed alongside ariane's profile

we can see that they match exactly

furthermore the butterfly box bearing a

clear symbol of transformation leads to

one of ariane's memories nautalinas and

we learned from Alina's diary that she

was close with elster as Ariane was her

final diary entry found later on in the

nowhere reveals that her memories were

beginning to blur with Ariane and her

hair was even turning white which is

notable since ariane's memories are not

part of the signal only elsters this

phenomenon can be understood as the

Elena manifestation breaking down and

returning to the one who created her in

the first place

we can apply this same probability

manipulation reasoning to our elster

unit as well simply put this is a

completely different Ulster unit from

the one in the prologue an elster who

may never have been part of the Penrose

program at all in a note written by the

serpinsky protectors we learned that

they had considered requesting an Ulster

unit to do survey work down in the mine

but postponed the decision indefinitely

when Falk fell ill however Adler

distinctly remembers conversing with an

Elsa replica as they were both

inspecting the mining site and an

examination of his memory proved that

this recollection was quite real in

another timeline or in Adler's words

another version of reality where events

had played out differently an elster

unit did indeed come to the Mind from

the surface and this reality merged with

base reality to create a hazy Zone in

the Middle where elster 2 ends up this

is why she is simultaneously familiar to

some of the replicas at serpinsky while

also being immediately recognized as

someone who doesn't belong there Alina's

diary entries Echo this as well in entry

1 she wrote that she hadn't seen elster

in a few days but later in entry 3 she

makes the remark I still haven't found

any trace of elster it's as if she had

never been here

anyways following her exchange with the

star unit elster finds Issa in the

library having just used the Gestalt

first aid kit we can see a bandage on

her Palm confirming that the sacrificial

scene in the prologue has already happened

happened

this first encounter is quite vague with

elster briefly explaining her Surge and

Issa simply responding that she is here

to accomplish something as well

the two part ways an Ulster drops down

to the second floor where her most

important Discovery is Elena's

confiscated butterfly box opening it and

claiming the plate of Eternity within

triggers the radio Outpost sequence

wherein we see the place of ariane's

childhood at the time she was pulled

away to sector c as confirmed by the

letter from her aunt Camilla the

sequence primarily functions as a way

for elster to get the radio module which

she needs to gain access to Keys hidden

away in the levels wall safes one such

key enables elster to use the elevator

though it promptly malfunctions on Level

3 forcing her out to scout the area the

main goal on this floor is to find the

five Elemental key cards that will

unlock the surgery room fire earth water

wind and most notably gold which is

obtained from the video cassette train

sequence passing through the door and

dropping to the next level brings elster

face to face with her first Mina replica

who has been corrupted like most of the

others and it is only by defeating her

that elster is able to find meet the

administrator Adler he seems friendly at

first and confirms that Alina CEO is

indeed one of serpinsky's factory

workers but after luring elster close to

the empty Elevator Shaft he suddenly

tosses the photo aside and shoves her in

quietly saying you shouldn't have

returned Adler was expecting her and as

we'll see this exchange has already

happened many times

but first we witnessed the library

sequence Issa wakes in a dark empty

classroom at the mandelbrot

polytechnical high school and heads to

the library to check if Erica is still

there peering through the door reveals

an altogether worst sight however Ariane

is being mercilessly bullied by some

masked students shoved onto the floor

and kicked the rest of the story is told

through quick text blocks at the end

Issa was paralyzed by indecision and

fear and Erica eventually showed up to

rescue Arianne Issa could never forgive

herself for not taking action and was

racked by guilt considering herself useless

useless

following this sequence elster wakes to

find herself near the bottom of the

Elevator Shaft which is filled with dead

elster units they can be recognized as

such by their orange chest plates

so many cycles have passed so many units

killed that the bodies were able to

cushion elster's fall leaving her

miraculously unharmed many literal

interpretations that have already been

offered for signalus assert these are

all unique and different elsters that

were summoned to laying by ariane's

signal and these theories point to the

elster overview which states all elster

units were copied from a decommissioned

unit from the Penrose program after the

original neural pattern on Veneta had

been destroyed allegedly arianne's

elster was this unit which means all

future elsters would have had memories

of Ariane implanted within them to begin

with and this is why all of them felt

compelled to fulfill the promise

while I do like this interpretation

conceptually I don't find it very

convincing since virtually every other

piece of evidence works against it how

would elsters from all over the solar

system have been able to receive the

signal when it only seems to be

affecting Lane due to the dimensional

Rift how would all these Ulster units

have had access to ships they could fly

solo to the edge of the solar system

when resources were so tightly

controlled why are none of the units in

the elevator white when that was a

standard configuration and finally how

could they have possibly recovered the

Penrose elster from deep space let alone

a different dimension what I think is

really going on here is that this is the

same elster unit elster II who ended up

as serpinsky when the timelines blurred

together each time she fails the

timeline gets recycled Anew and the

signal is transferred again

the decommissioned Ulster detail is

still relevant because it reveals the

important information that a replica

unit's mind can be copied to another

which provides a precedent for this

phenomenon with elster2 as well as Falk

later on this explanation also has nice

symmetry with the fundamental tenet of

the double dream theory there are two

dreams and two elsters

once Ulster explores down to the aurar

replica dorm we see another cutscene in

which Issa attempts to get into falk's

room but is stopped by Adler perhaps it

comes as no surprise then that elster's

objective is to find Falk as well and

more importantly open the owl box she

holds close to her chest on this level

elster also comes across the first

physical versions of the Mysterious

Island painting and I think it's about

time to stop and talk about it in detail

the painting's official name is Isle of

the dead and was created by the Swiss

painter Arnold beauclean as a prime

example of German symbolism a particular

note is the fact that beauclean painted

five versions of it beginning in 1880

each with significant differences the

fourth version appears in black and

white since the original painting was

lost in a bombing during World War II

and only a single black and white

photograph of it Remains the painting is

an evident metaphor for death featuring

tombs carved into the tall Cliffs and a

Grove of cypress trees at the center

alone oarsman ferries a white shrouded

figure to the island on a small boat

reminiscent of Caron transporting Souls

across the river sticks and the reason

it feels very familiar to elster is

because it is a visual manifestation of

the promise that she is slowly but

surely starting to remember it is

arianne's carcosa her deepest desire

that remains forever just beyond her

reach and the Bedrock layer of her

Magpie signal this is also why the

painting has power we read in the note

Colibri in the management office that

the replica in question was transmitting

the image of the aisle so strongly it

caused nausea in those nearby and elster

experiences this effect as well when

caliber units are encountered just as

these replicas were designed to function

as amplifiers for their Commander's

bioresonance they now unwittingly serve

this purpose for ariane's signal the set

of Isle paintings also has a notable

inverse a number of years after his

first version of Isle of the Dead

beauclean made another painting he

called Isle of life that depicts a

vibrant Green Island abounding with life

and Beauty this aisle never appears on

its own in signalus but can be seen

briefly during several Montage sequences

most notably the ones that play directly

through elster in the fake ending it

serves as a reminder that the bitterness

of death would not exist without the

joys and pleasures of life however

fleeting they may be

at length elster finds the owl tape in

the Yule dorm and when placed in the

workshop radio transmitter it begins to

play the swan theme from Tchaikovsky's

Swan Lake at frequency 210 far from

being arbitrary it is strongly implied

that this track from Tchaikovsky's

ballet is in fact false bioresonance

signal responsible for the creation of

the serpinski dream for starters tuning

to this transmission on the radio is how

elster opens Fox owl box which is

remarkably similar to the way she later

obtains the star card from ariane's

Magpie box on rotfront using the magpie

signal you'll also notice that the

workshop radio is identical to the one

in ariane's room which broadcasts the

aforementioned signal and finally the

Starling incident referred to in

memorandum lighting malfunctions in

which a Furious star unit destroyed the

Yule's tape player hints that the song

has real power the Yules are

irresistibly drawn to it to the point

that they will play Nothing Else and the

star has no qualms about breaking

quarantine to put an end to this madness

emphasis on that last word

there is also nice symmetry to this

connection two birds two signals two

dreams after opening the owl box and

several Keys later Ulster gains access

to the library and finds another copy of

the king and Yellow on a bookcase which

hides the astronomical key to Adler's

lock box and the shrine diary within in

it we read of his longing for Falk

following her illness as well as his

gradual realization that he is caught

within a Time Loop and that things are

not quite as they appear the final page

reads the answers lie below I can feel

it someone or something calls me from

there in the mine and that is precisely

where elster now armed with Adler's

administrative key goes next she

activates the mine shaft elevator and

descends ever deeper at which point chapter 1 comes to a close

chapter 1 comes to a close so going back to the chapter title what

so going back to the chapter title what does synchronization mean in the context

does synchronization mean in the context of what we've seen happen in this first

of what we've seen happen in this first section a simple definition proves

section a simple definition proves instructive the term synchronization can

instructive the term synchronization can refer to two different functions causing

refer to two different functions causing a set of data to remain identical in

a set of data to remain identical in more than one location or the activity

more than one location or the activity of two or more things at the same time

of two or more things at the same time or rate and I think both of these

or rate and I think both of these functions apply here

functions apply here regarding the former function we can

regarding the former function we can refer to the book by a resonance

refer to the book by a resonance technology and its limitations which

technology and its limitations which defines the related term synchronicity

defines the related term synchronicity as the process of duplicating a neural

as the process of duplicating a neural pattern from a Gestalt host to a replica

pattern from a Gestalt host to a replica brain in this case we are witnessing the

brain in this case we are witnessing the duplication of elster1's neural pattern

duplication of elster1's neural pattern to Ulster 2's brain in the process

to Ulster 2's brain in the process gradually becoming synchronized

gradually becoming synchronized regarding the latter function elster's

regarding the latter function elster's journey is gradually being synchronized

journey is gradually being synchronized with isas you'll notice that both of

with isas you'll notice that both of ariane's interludes the radio Outpost

ariane's interludes the radio Outpost and the train give elster exactly what

and the train give elster exactly what she needs to move forward to keep up

she needs to move forward to keep up with esa's path just as ariadne guided

with esa's path just as ariadne guided Theseus through the Labyrinth with

Theseus through the Labyrinth with golden thread Ariane helps guide elster

golden thread Ariane helps guide elster through her Labyrinthian dream with a

through her Labyrinthian dream with a golden key

golden key the third interlude is unique in that it

the third interlude is unique in that it takes place from the perspective of Issa

takes place from the perspective of Issa herself and at the end we see parallel

herself and at the end we see parallel shots of Ariane and elster that show

shots of Ariane and elster that show they are finally in sync this is a

they are finally in sync this is a pretty significant point that I'll

pretty significant point that I'll revisit later in much more detail but

revisit later in much more detail but for now let's proceed on to chapter 2.

for now let's proceed on to chapter 2. foreign

foreign [Music]

in a general sense liminality refers to the transitional phase in a rite of

the transitional phase in a rite of passage in which the participant stands

passage in which the participant stands at or on both sides of a boundary or

at or on both sides of a boundary or threshold the term is quite fitting in

threshold the term is quite fitting in this context because this is precisely

this context because this is precisely the point elster is at on her journey

the point elster is at on her journey she is now midway between her original

she is now midway between her original Self

Self Ulster II and arianne's elster or

Ulster II and arianne's elster or elster1 her identity in a state of flux

elster1 her identity in a state of flux the chapter starts with Issa who has

the chapter starts with Issa who has been hunted by Adler through the depths

been hunted by Adler through the depths of serpinsky and is now cornered at the

of serpinsky and is now cornered at the mining pit he tells her this has already

mining pit he tells her this has already happened countless times before trapped

happened countless times before trapped as they are in the cycle this time

as they are in the cycle this time however Issa gets the upper hand and

however Issa gets the upper hand and stabs him through the eye causing him to

stabs him through the eye causing him to fall into the pit

fall into the pit we returned to elster still descending

we returned to elster still descending into the mine after making her way

into the mine after making her way through its many dark passages she

through its many dark passages she slides down a massive sealed shaft

slides down a massive sealed shaft leading to the mining site where she

leading to the mining site where she finds the great pit and jumps in a red

finds the great pit and jumps in a red countdown appears and elster suddenly

countdown appears and elster suddenly finds herself on a strange beach with

finds herself on a strange beach with dark skies and a distinct rock formation

dark skies and a distinct rock formation in the distance this setting is in fact

in the distance this setting is in fact another painting the shore of Oblivion

another painting the shore of Oblivion by Eugene brockt just as beauclean did

by Eugene brockt just as beauclean did with Isle of the Dead brocked painted

with Isle of the Dead brocked painted eight different versions of the piece

eight different versions of the piece between 1889 and 1916 though only two

between 1889 and 1916 though only two remain preserved today The Works share

remain preserved today The Works share another connection as well German

another connection as well German Emperor Wilhelm II received a copy of

Emperor Wilhelm II received a copy of each and hung them next to each other

each and hung them next to each other just as Falk does outside her bedroom

just as Falk does outside her bedroom the theme of death is quite heavy in the

the theme of death is quite heavy in the painting which depicts a desolate Rocky

painting which depicts a desolate Rocky Shoreline littered with skulls and a

Shoreline littered with skulls and a massive outcropping looking over a dark

massive outcropping looking over a dark sea left to interpretation the scene can

sea left to interpretation the scene can be read as the last domain of life one

be read as the last domain of life one final respite before Mortals are

final respite before Mortals are swallowed Forever by the great sea of

swallowed Forever by the great sea of the Dead this idea is echoed by the

the Dead this idea is echoed by the final note found in this section which

final note found in this section which reads it calls me in a sea of Flesh we

reads it calls me in a sea of Flesh we will become one but I can never go back

will become one but I can never go back to being me

to being me the other notes looted across the shore

the other notes looted across the shore consist of excerpts from casilda's song

consist of excerpts from casilda's song in The King and yellow act 1 scene 2

in The King and yellow act 1 scene 2 which serve as a description of the

which serve as a description of the mysterious realm of carcosa

mysterious realm of carcosa the king and yellow itself can be found

the king and yellow itself can be found in a hole in the Rock though cannot be

in a hole in the Rock though cannot be obtained since it is just Out Of Reach

obtained since it is just Out Of Reach after enough time elapses in this

after enough time elapses in this section the countdown reaches zero and

section the countdown reaches zero and elster falls into the nowhere of the

elster falls into the nowhere of the three major areas in signalus this one

three major areas in signalus this one is the most perplexing and it's

is the most perplexing and it's initially difficult to determine where

initially difficult to determine where when or even what we're looking at but a

when or even what we're looking at but a good place to start in coming to

good place to start in coming to understand the nowhere is its strong

understand the nowhere is its strong theme which is that of a nuclear waste

theme which is that of a nuclear waste Repository

Repository as nuclear power plants have become more

as nuclear power plants have become more common in the present day and age so too

common in the present day and age so too has the highly radioactive waste they

has the highly radioactive waste they produce and one of the primary methods

produce and one of the primary methods for disposal is to seal it away deep

for disposal is to seal it away deep underground in dense repositories this

underground in dense repositories this is quite effective but comes with one

is quite effective but comes with one major drawback nuclear radiation

major drawback nuclear radiation persists at dangerous levels for many

persists at dangerous levels for many thousands of years which means if any of

thousands of years which means if any of these sites were to be dug up by an

these sites were to be dug up by an unsuspecting future civilization they

unsuspecting future civilization they would be exposed to the toxic material

would be exposed to the toxic material to raise awareness of this issue and

to raise awareness of this issue and provide guidance to nuclear waste

provide guidance to nuclear waste facilities Sandia National Laboratories

facilities Sandia National Laboratories released a report in 1993 that issued

released a report in 1993 that issued recommendations for future proofing

recommendations for future proofing these sites one section of particular

these sites one section of particular note laid out a warning message template

note laid out a warning message template with varying levels of complexity that

with varying levels of complexity that could be used

could be used if this looks familiar it's because this

if this looks familiar it's because this is the exact same message found on an

is the exact same message found on an early door in the nowhere another method

early door in the nowhere another method of warning proposed by the Sandia report

of warning proposed by the Sandia report was the use of hostile architecture that

was the use of hostile architecture that would convey The Poisoned nature of the

would convey The Poisoned nature of the land and one of the more striking design

land and one of the more striking design suggestions was the spike field a series

suggestions was the spike field a series of massive spikes protruding from the

of massive spikes protruding from the ground at odd angles

ground at odd angles the theme runs deeper than even these

the theme runs deeper than even these connections however prior to the Sandia

connections however prior to the Sandia report a German poll conducted in the

report a German poll conducted in the 1980s gathered ideas regarding the

1980s gathered ideas regarding the preservation of knowledge about nuclear

preservation of knowledge about nuclear waste sites into the far future the

waste sites into the far future the first of which became known as the

first of which became known as the atomic priesthood this small

atomic priesthood this small pseudo-religious organization would be

pseudo-religious organization would be responsible for creating rituals and

responsible for creating rituals and myths regarding the locations and

myths regarding the locations and dangers of nuclear waste sites as well

dangers of nuclear waste sites as well as indicating the consequences of

as indicating the consequences of trespassing other ideas included the

trespassing other ideas included the following biologically encoding warnings

following biologically encoding warnings into the DNA of certain flowers which

into the DNA of certain flowers which would be planted near repositories

would be planted near repositories launching satellites that would transmit

launching satellites that would transmit the data from orbit indefinitely

the data from orbit indefinitely breeding a special type of cat that

breeding a special type of cat that would significantly change color when

would significantly change color when exposed to radiation constructing such

exposed to radiation constructing such durable storage locations that only an

durable storage locations that only an advanced generation could penetrate them

advanced generation could penetrate them through excavation or Drilling in which

through excavation or Drilling in which case they would also likely be able to

case they would also likely be able to detect the radiation levels and finally

detect the radiation levels and finally installing warning signs in a concentric

installing warning signs in a concentric ring around the repository in the most

ring around the repository in the most important Global languages as these

important Global languages as these languages evolved over time new signs

languages evolved over time new signs would be added in wider Rings

would be added in wider Rings translating the older signs this concept

translating the older signs this concept of using multiple languages to convey

of using multiple languages to convey the same information is one that forms

the same information is one that forms the fundamental structure of signalus

the fundamental structure of signalus the game incorporates a Rich Blend of

the game incorporates a Rich Blend of English German and Chinese all important

English German and Chinese all important Global languages into its storytelling

Global languages into its storytelling but you'll notice that the different

but you'll notice that the different languages are mostly used to reinforce

languages are mostly used to reinforce each other or the current scene rather

each other or the current scene rather than communicate brand new information

than communicate brand new information this is fully intentional because their

this is fully intentional because their purpose is not just to tell a story but

purpose is not just to tell a story but to communicate a warning to all

to communicate a warning to all receivers of the signal regarding the

receivers of the signal regarding the danger deep within serpinsky that can be

danger deep within serpinsky that can be understood regardless of what language

understood regardless of what language they speak

they speak as I alluded to earlier in the video

as I alluded to earlier in the video with this graphic the nowhere exists in

with this graphic the nowhere exists in the space where Ariane and falk's dreams

the space where Ariane and falk's dreams overlap and represent a distant possible

overlap and represent a distant possible future of serpinsky in which the cycle

future of serpinsky in which the cycle is never broken and the facility has

is never broken and the facility has degraded so far as to be nearly

degraded so far as to be nearly unrecognizable

unrecognizable in response to this the government of

in response to this the government of usan attempted to seal off the entire

usan attempted to seal off the entire site or perhaps even the whole planet

site or perhaps even the whole planet marking it as they would a nuclear waste

marking it as they would a nuclear waste repository and where is the primary

repository and where is the primary warning placed at the very center of it

warning placed at the very center of it all marking the dreamer or at least her

all marking the dreamer or at least her shadow

shadow the room is immediately recognizable as

the room is immediately recognizable as the parallel of Falks with a central bed

the parallel of Falks with a central bed and chair off to the left side though

and chair off to the left side though you'll notice the shadow of a

you'll notice the shadow of a slow-moving ceiling fan that was not

slow-moving ceiling fan that was not present earlier this along with the fact

present earlier this along with the fact that only a smoky imprint remains in the

that only a smoky imprint remains in the bed May raise some doubts as to the

bed May raise some doubts as to the identity of this room however there is

identity of this room however there is strong evidence that this is indeed

strong evidence that this is indeed falk's room in the far future we simply

falk's room in the far future we simply have to look elsewhere

have to look elsewhere during elster's confrontation with Falk

during elster's confrontation with Falk at the end of the game one phase reveals

at the end of the game one phase reveals her room with the bed chairs and tables

her room with the bed chairs and tables and also a ceiling fan

and also a ceiling fan this is a clear transitional shot that

this is a clear transitional shot that Bridges together the corresponding

Bridges together the corresponding Chambers in serpinsky and the nowhere

Chambers in serpinsky and the nowhere and the loss of detail is a sign of

and the loss of detail is a sign of reality turning into noise under the

reality turning into noise under the weight of the Relentless cycle

weight of the Relentless cycle represented by the endless cyclical

represented by the endless cyclical motion of the fan

odd for only a vague imprint to remain a Falk when she is a replica and only

Falk when she is a replica and only humans are seen to disintegrate in this

humans are seen to disintegrate in this way I want to emphasize that this is not

way I want to emphasize that this is not the actual future it is but a hazy

the actual future it is but a hazy incongruous possible outcome that

incongruous possible outcome that doesn't yet exist it is nowhere

doesn't yet exist it is nowhere on that note let's return to the sealed

on that note let's return to the sealed door blocking access to this chamber I

door blocking access to this chamber I stated earlier that the warning placed

stated earlier that the warning placed on the door exactly matched out of the

on the door exactly matched out of the Sandia report but there is in fact one

Sandia report but there is in fact one key addition and that is the final line

key addition and that is the final line stating when blank within is killed a

stating when blank within is killed a path will open here this refers to the

path will open here this refers to the cage monster Issa encounters that is

cage monster Issa encounters that is labeled as a new way or Japanese Chimera

labeled as a new way or Japanese Chimera a creature composed of several animals

a creature composed of several animals fused together and known in folklore to

fused together and known in folklore to be a harbinger of sickness and bad luck

be a harbinger of sickness and bad luck not a moment too soon elster drops down

not a moment too soon elster drops down into the khmera flesh pit and working

into the khmera flesh pit and working together she and Issa are able to defeat

together she and Issa are able to defeat the monster

the monster unfortunately Issa is knocked

unfortunately Issa is knocked unconscious by her rifles recoil and is

unconscious by her rifles recoil and is carried by elster into the next room

carried by elster into the next room where she remains until elster is able

where she remains until elster is able to awaken her by using the small bottle

to awaken her by using the small bottle of ammonia as an inhalant this encounter

of ammonia as an inhalant this encounter draws attention to another core aspect

draws attention to another core aspect of the nowhere flesh

of the nowhere flesh early on in signalus it appears as

early on in signalus it appears as though the flesh might be an ancient

though the flesh might be an ancient Eldritch creature with the mind of its

Eldritch creature with the mind of its own but as the story progresses it

own but as the story progresses it becomes increasingly evident that it is

becomes increasingly evident that it is actually a representation of ariane's

actually a representation of ariane's cancer in a later cut scene with Adler

cancer in a later cut scene with Adler he refers to the world as being torn

he refers to the world as being torn apart and put back together by someone

apart and put back together by someone who doesn't understand how it works and

who doesn't understand how it works and that's exactly what cancer cells do they

that's exactly what cancer cells do they disrupt and hijack the human body's

disrupt and hijack the human body's normal functions and use them to grow

normal functions and use them to grow malignant cells that no longer resemble

malignant cells that no longer resemble the original body at all and the fact

the original body at all and the fact that we see flesh growing directly in

that we see flesh growing directly in ariane's cryogenic pod in the fake

ariane's cryogenic pod in the fake ending implies that this is the point of

ending implies that this is the point of origin additionally we learned that one

origin additionally we learned that one of the serpinski workers was in

of the serpinski workers was in possession of hydroxy carbamide pills

possession of hydroxy carbamide pills which are a specific type of

which are a specific type of chemotherapy drug used for treating

chemotherapy drug used for treating radiation-induced leukemia

radiation-induced leukemia elster's main goal in the nowhere

elster's main goal in the nowhere similarly to level 3 of serpinsky is

similarly to level 3 of serpinsky is finding six plates to open a mysterious

finding six plates to open a mysterious door the plates of knowledge balance

door the plates of knowledge balance sacrifice flesh love and of course

sacrifice flesh love and of course eternity as she collects these plates

eternity as she collects these plates and encounters the dangerous Twisted

and encounters the dangerous Twisted replicas within the nowhere's confined

replicas within the nowhere's confined spaces the screen will occasionally

spaces the screen will occasionally glitch much as it has in earlier parts

glitch much as it has in earlier parts of the game but something is different

of the game but something is different about the phenomenon here rather than

about the phenomenon here rather than simply scrambling the current video

simply scrambling the current video signal the glitches reveal an entirely

signal the glitches reveal an entirely different scene which is actually

different scene which is actually elster's earlier confrontation with the

elster's earlier confrontation with the new a monster this occurs at all points

new a monster this occurs at all points of the nowhere as if to show that that

of the nowhere as if to show that that moment is Frozen in time and may be an

moment is Frozen in time and may be an additional clue regarding the true

additional clue regarding the true nature of the area going out on a limb

nature of the area going out on a limb here it is possible that most of the

here it is possible that most of the nowhere sequence takes place within

nowhere sequence takes place within elster's mind during her fight with the

elster's mind during her fight with the new way and only by combining all six

new way and only by combining all six plates all six aspects within herself is

plates all six aspects within herself is she able to feed it the final line on

she able to feed it the final line on the upper sealed door reads when blank

the upper sealed door reads when blank within is killed a path will open here

within is killed a path will open here and that door provides access to the

and that door provides access to the dreamer's shadow in a similar way

dreamer's shadow in a similar way slotting in every plate on the lower

slotting in every plate on the lower sealed door allows access to the

sealed door allows access to the emptiness where the dreamer Ariane

emptiness where the dreamer Ariane herself lies but before elster can reach

herself lies but before elster can reach her she must climb back up the deep hole

her she must climb back up the deep hole she first descended in the prologue now

she first descended in the prologue now appearing in its raw form and encounter

appearing in its raw form and encounter Adler at the gate

Adler at the gate notably he makes no attempt to stop

notably he makes no attempt to stop elster from continuing on which shows

elster from continuing on which shows that he still doesn't totally understand

that he still doesn't totally understand the meaning of his looping existence or

the meaning of his looping existence or the significance of the gate that

the significance of the gate that changed everything

changed everything elster passes through this gate and here

elster passes through this gate and here we see the technical first ending that

we see the technical first ending that can be better described as a fake ending

can be better described as a fake ending there is a lot to unpack here we first

there is a lot to unpack here we first see the words at the end the way home I

see the words at the end the way home I am waiting followed by a view of the

am waiting followed by a view of the vast emptiness many Fallen elster units

vast emptiness many Fallen elster units can be seen lying on the ground or

can be seen lying on the ground or propped against the angled beams as

propped against the angled beams as elster approaches ariane's Focus turns

elster approaches ariane's Focus turns to her and we see elster Flash in

to her and we see elster Flash in different colors green yellow and

different colors green yellow and magenta a subsequent shot of Ariane also

magenta a subsequent shot of Ariane also shows this color splitting which is

shows this color splitting which is quite easily explained as elster nears

quite easily explained as elster nears the source of the signal it begins to

the source of the signal it begins to break down around her revealing its

break down around her revealing its component layers of light waves we then

component layers of light waves we then see an unfamiliar oil painted landscape

see an unfamiliar oil painted landscape which is in fact an extreme close-up of

which is in fact an extreme close-up of the work Wanderer above the sea fog

the work Wanderer above the sea fog painted by the German artist kaspar

painted by the German artist kaspar David Friedrich in 1818. the painting is

David Friedrich in 1818. the painting is considered one of the most

considered one of the most representative works of the Romantic

representative works of the Romantic Movement and is widely interpreted to

Movement and is widely interpreted to symbolize self-reflection

symbolize self-reflection Ariane then inquires who elster is

Ariane then inquires who elster is looking for which may seem like an odd

looking for which may seem like an odd question but remember elster is still

question but remember elster is still looking for Alina and Arianne knows this

looking for Alina and Arianne knows this as she states I've been waiting Alina

as she states I've been waiting Alina CEO we then see a line with multiple

CEO we then see a line with multiple versions of Ariane though only the very

versions of Ariane though only the very last one clearly Alina turns around but

last one clearly Alina turns around but that's not who Ariane herself has been

that's not who Ariane herself has been waiting for she has been waiting for you

waiting for she has been waiting for you she calls elster's name and multiple

she calls elster's name and multiple versions of elster are shown turning in

versions of elster are shown turning in Rhythm two red one white one red and

Rhythm two red one white one red and missing an arm and one wearing an Ava

missing an arm and one wearing an Ava suit

suit and why has she been waiting for us we

and why has she been waiting for us we see the line of Aryans again except this

see the line of Aryans again except this time all turn in perfect sync and we get

time all turn in perfect sync and we get a better look at who they really are

a better look at who they really are Alina isaba without her signature braid

Alina isaba without her signature braid Aryan in uniform and two versions of

Aryan in uniform and two versions of Ariane wearing white but there is

Ariane wearing white but there is someone out of place here at the very

someone out of place here at the very front of each line Falk you can tell

front of each line Falk you can tell from her long hair as well as the mark

from her long hair as well as the mark on her shoulder that this is

on her shoulder that this is unmistakably the replica Commander this

unmistakably the replica Commander this once again reinforces the fact that she

once again reinforces the fact that she has become both Ariane and elster the

has become both Ariane and elster the dreamer and the Seeker following this

dreamer and the Seeker following this rapidly changing images of the three

rapidly changing images of the three paintings appear shrinking as if in

paintings appear shrinking as if in response the screen glitches and elster

response the screen glitches and elster is physically hurt Falk appears with

is physically hurt Falk appears with Adler at the gate just as elster did

Adler at the gate just as elster did earlier a white square turns blood red

earlier a white square turns blood red echoing the prologue's monitor screen

echoing the prologue's monitor screen the enigmatic symbol appears elster's

the enigmatic symbol appears elster's Lilith memories flood through her in a

Lilith memories flood through her in a rapid montage and elster slowly

rapid montage and elster slowly deliberately touches the Penrose which

deliberately touches the Penrose which is followed by the words remember our

is followed by the words remember our promise she climbs up the ship's hole

promise she climbs up the ship's hole and the words wake up appear then for

and the words wake up appear then for the third time in this sequence we see

the third time in this sequence we see the aisle paintings flashing through her

the aisle paintings flashing through her directly as elster attempts to open the

directly as elster attempts to open the entrance hatch this is an important

entrance hatch this is an important Association that goes back to the nature

Association that goes back to the nature of the aisle as a representation of

of the aisle as a representation of death since Ariane is unable to bring

death since Ariane is unable to bring herself to the aisle elster must instead

herself to the aisle elster must instead bring it to her she acts as an agent of

bring it to her she acts as an agent of death in her fulfillment of the promise

death in her fulfillment of the promise however I think there's another layer to

however I think there's another layer to this as well as a substitution for

this as well as a substitution for carcosa the Isle of the Dead also

carcosa the Isle of the Dead also represents irian's deepest desire or

represents irian's deepest desire or rather desires plural she Longs not only

rather desires plural she Longs not only for the sweet release of death but the

for the sweet release of death but the sweet Embrace of her love elster as well

sweet Embrace of her love elster as well two conflicting desires that can never

two conflicting desires that can never be reconciled unless of course the great

be reconciled unless of course the great song of reality could be persuaded to

song of reality could be persuaded to play another Melody altogether

play another Melody altogether but here elster fails her arm breaks she

but here elster fails her arm breaks she falls to the ground and her eyes go dark

falls to the ground and her eyes go dark but not before one final appeal to wake

but not before one final appeal to wake up

up on a basic level at least it's clear

on a basic level at least it's clear what's happening in this sequence elster

what's happening in this sequence elster fails because she hasn't remembered the

fails because she hasn't remembered the promise she is still compromised by her

promise she is still compromised by her search for Alina as a result of her

search for Alina as a result of her destabilized Lilith memories and thus

destabilized Lilith memories and thus hasn't truly woken up when you start the

hasn't truly woken up when you start the game again after the credits things

game again after the credits things appear almost exactly as they did at the

appear almost exactly as they did at the beginning but not quite this time the

beginning but not quite this time the Penrose is functional and still on

Penrose is functional and still on course having just awoken from the

course having just awoken from the calibration pod elster goes through her

calibration pod elster goes through her regular maintenance check in the process

regular maintenance check in the process finding the unopened Ulster known issues

finding the unopened Ulster known issues document as well as ariane's painting of

document as well as ariane's painting of the shore of Oblivion

the shore of Oblivion following her completion of the list she

following her completion of the list she reports to Ariane herself and we witness

reports to Ariane herself and we witness what is undoubtedly the happiest scene

what is undoubtedly the happiest scene in the entire game the two Embrace

in the entire game the two Embrace reunited once more and we learned from

reunited once more and we learned from Ariane that this is their 3000 cycle

Ariane that this is their 3000 cycle anniversary over eight years on the

anniversary over eight years on the Penrose with the updated Mission

Penrose with the updated Mission parameters still enroute they begin to

parameters still enroute they begin to dance blissfully unaware of the bad news

dance blissfully unaware of the bad news awaiting them we then transition to

awaiting them we then transition to subsequent shots of the two asleep

subsequent shots of the two asleep together the second of which must take

together the second of which must take place significantly later since ariane's

place significantly later since ariane's hair is much longer also if you've been

hair is much longer also if you've been wondering about the mark on her left arm

wondering about the mark on her left arm it appears to be the mark of a Penrose

it appears to be the mark of a Penrose Scout officer since the same lines can

Scout officer since the same lines can be seen on the ship itself

be seen on the ship itself finally we close in on the ship's

finally we close in on the ship's control panel and witness the origin of

control panel and witness the origin of the signal

based on falk's statement in a red dream that official Penrose broadcasts began

that official Penrose broadcasts began with a song it seems as though this is

with a song it seems as though this is the very transmission the two were

the very transmission the two were waiting for in which they learned their

waiting for in which they learned their mission was effectively over the news

mission was effectively over the news was surely devastating for both Arianne

was surely devastating for both Arianne and elster forever burned into their

and elster forever burned into their minds and this emotional trauma is quite

minds and this emotional trauma is quite possibly the reason ariane's signal

possibly the reason ariane's signal later takes its form there's also a

later takes its form there's also a certain irony in the fact that the

certain irony in the fact that the dooming transmission sent by usan into

dooming transmission sent by usan into the void returns to Herald's the Doom of

the void returns to Herald's the Doom of the serpinsky facility

the serpinsky facility but wait doesn't this contradict what I

but wait doesn't this contradict what I said earlier about the magpie signal

said earlier about the magpie signal being received and decrypted by Iris

being received and decrypted by Iris back on rotfront well maybe but it's

back on rotfront well maybe but it's complicated aside from the possibility

complicated aside from the possibility that its usage simply changed over time

that its usage simply changed over time we must remember that the signal is that

we must remember that the signal is that of a shortwave number station which are

of a shortwave number station which are normally used to communicate with spies

normally used to communicate with spies in enemy countries why would a signal

in enemy countries why would a signal like this be used to transmit into deep

like this be used to transmit into deep space and why would a Penrose

space and why would a Penrose transmission need to be encrypted in the

transmission need to be encrypted in the first place this raises some doubts

first place this raises some doubts regarding the prior explanation and may

regarding the prior explanation and may indicate other factors at Play

indicate other factors at Play alternatively perhaps the signal showing

alternatively perhaps the signal showing up on the control panel simply

up on the control panel simply represents ariane's bioresonance being

represents ariane's bioresonance being Amplified and transmitted by the Penrose

Amplified and transmitted by the Penrose vessel and the time Jump established in

vessel and the time Jump established in the first cut between Ariane and elster

the first cut between Ariane and elster could imply the third shot occurs much

could imply the third shot occurs much later as well when elster died and

later as well when elster died and Arianne began to dream either way the

Arianne began to dream either way the magpie signal is definitely ariane's

magpie signal is definitely ariane's dream signal which is the most important

dream signal which is the most important Point here

Point here following this memory sequence we

following this memory sequence we returned to elster still lying on the

returned to elster still lying on the ground and an apparition of Ariane

ground and an apparition of Ariane appears first smooth and then bandaged

appears first smooth and then bandaged possibly a representation of elster's

possibly a representation of elster's memory of her becoming more accurate

memory of her becoming more accurate remembering her as she is rather than as

remembering her as she is rather than as she was once again the question is posed

she was once again the question is posed do you remember our promise elster's

do you remember our promise elster's eyes open and she crawls back up to the

eyes open and she crawls back up to the Penrose in the snow rot front again

Penrose in the snow rot front again elster drops into the ship but it's

elster drops into the ship but it's important to note that she doesn't use

important to note that she doesn't use the hatch she tried earlier rather she

the hatch she tried earlier rather she drops directly into arianne's room

drops directly into arianne's room through what must have been a breach in

through what must have been a breach in the ship's Hull an unsanctioned entrance

the ship's Hull an unsanctioned entrance the ship is in its crashed State here

the ship is in its crashed State here and elster enters the cryogenic chamber

and elster enters the cryogenic chamber to discover a fleshy Mass inhabiting the

to discover a fleshy Mass inhabiting the Pod with a dead elster and white off to

Pod with a dead elster and white off to the side the screen then flashes you and

the side the screen then flashes you and I merging into we in what is I believe

I merging into we in what is I believe our strongest clue as to what the

our strongest clue as to what the promise actually was you'll notice it is

promise actually was you'll notice it is often referred to as our promise rather

often referred to as our promise rather than simply the promise and this shows

than simply the promise and this shows it was certainly not a one-way thing

it was certainly not a one-way thing elster did not just promise to kill

elster did not just promise to kill Ariane to end her suffering rather they

Ariane to end her suffering rather they promise to end it together each making

promise to end it together each making an oath I won't leave you behind

an oath I won't leave you behind upon remembering this elster is more

upon remembering this elster is more determined than ever to press on no

determined than ever to press on no matter the cost and proceeds to take the

matter the cost and proceeds to take the arm and chest plate from the dead unit

arm and chest plate from the dead unit and Dawn them herself

and Dawn them herself and from here all that's left for her to

and from here all that's left for her to do is once again jump into a massive pit

do is once again jump into a massive pit of Flesh

of Flesh the next Shore sequence occurs this time

the next Shore sequence occurs this time directing you right instead of left

directing you right instead of left across the beach and once again the King

across the beach and once again the King in Yellow is visible floating aways off

in Yellow is visible floating aways off in the water instead of Simply timing

in the water instead of Simply timing out as the first sequence did this

out as the first sequence did this section ends when elster boards the

section ends when elster boards the small boat grounded on the shore a red

small boat grounded on the shore a red lantern hanging from its bow this is in

lantern hanging from its bow this is in fact the second time we've seen it the

fact the second time we've seen it the first was back on level 6 of serpinsky

first was back on level 6 of serpinsky where the vessel had been constructed by

where the vessel had been constructed by Aura replicas within their dorm room

Aura replicas within their dorm room it's a small detail but shows that the

it's a small detail but shows that the alluring pull of the aisle and perhaps

alluring pull of the aisle and perhaps even this Shoreline experience was

even this Shoreline experience was shared by Alice serpinsky

shared by Alice serpinsky as the boat shoves off a single star

as the boat shoves off a single star falls into the sea and the chapter ends

falls into the sea and the chapter ends the imagery of the falling star shows up

the imagery of the falling star shows up multiple times in signalus and to

multiple times in signalus and to understand its significance we must turn

understand its significance we must turn to the Book of Revelation from which

to the Book of Revelation from which many passages are drawn throughout the

many passages are drawn throughout the course of the game Revelation chapter 9

course of the game Revelation chapter 9 verses 1 through 6 reads the fifth angel

verses 1 through 6 reads the fifth angel blew his trumpet and I saw a star that

blew his trumpet and I saw a star that had fallen from Heaven to Earth

had fallen from Heaven to Earth the key to the shaft of the Abyss was

the key to the shaft of the Abyss was given to him he opened the shaft of the

given to him he opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke came up out of the shaft

abyss and smoke came up out of the shaft like smoke from a great furnace so that

like smoke from a great furnace so that the sun and the air were darkened by the

the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the shaft following this a

smoke from the shaft following this a plague of venomous locusts emerge from

plague of venomous locusts emerge from the smoke having power to torment those

the smoke having power to torment those who do not have God's seal on their

who do not have God's seal on their foreheads and so great would be their

foreheads and so great would be their pain that in those days people will seek

pain that in those days people will seek death and will not find it to over

death and will not find it to over generalize just a bit the star is

generalize just a bit the star is Abaddon or the devil the abyss is hell

Abaddon or the devil the abyss is hell and the key is the authority to open its

and the key is the authority to open its wide ma to the world the connections

wide ma to the world the connections here are apparent the large hole Ulster

here are apparent the large hole Ulster comes upon in the prologue is the shaft

comes upon in the prologue is the shaft of the abyss and she herself is the

of the abyss and she herself is the falling star given the key for surely

falling star given the key for surely the Penrose must have shown like a star

the Penrose must have shown like a star as it fell into this adjacent reality

as it fell into this adjacent reality and the keyhole on the management

and the keyhole on the management office's Isle of the Dead is located

office's Isle of the Dead is located directly on the boat's shrouded figure

directly on the boat's shrouded figure whom elster has just become on the shore

whom elster has just become on the shore of Oblivion while in the original

of Oblivion while in the original passage Abaddon is opening the shaft so

passage Abaddon is opening the shaft so hell May emerge from it this is

hell May emerge from it this is subverted as elster opens the shaft so

subverted as elster opens the shaft so she can descend into hell herself

she can descend into hell herself but what meaning does elster see in the

but what meaning does elster see in the falling star a similar object appears in

falling star a similar object appears in Lilith's memories almost certainly a

Lilith's memories almost certainly a bomb or rocket as evidenced by the other

bomb or rocket as evidenced by the other one's present and vanetta's status as a

one's present and vanetta's status as a war-torn world this is further supported

war-torn world this is further supported by the descriptions associated with the

by the descriptions associated with the key of sacrifice which are themselves a

key of sacrifice which are themselves a restructuring of Revelation chapter 8

restructuring of Revelation chapter 8 verses 7 9 and 12. on the horizon I saw

verses 7 9 and 12. on the horizon I saw a star fall into the sea and the sound

a star fall into the sea and the sound of thunder like trumpets of angels Flew

of thunder like trumpets of angels Flew Over The Water a mix of Hail Fire and

Over The Water a mix of Hail Fire and Blood hit my wet face and a third of all

Blood hit my wet face and a third of all creatures that lived in the sea died

creatures that lived in the sea died this may be how elster sees herself as

this may be how elster sees herself as an object of Destruction one with a

an object of Destruction one with a promise to destroy Something Beautiful

the word gestaltzerfall literally translates to shape decomposition it is

translates to shape decomposition it is a type of visual agnosia or brain

a type of visual agnosia or brain disorder in which complex shapes begin

disorder in which complex shapes begin to break down into their smaller

to break down into their smaller components the longer you look at them

components the longer you look at them similarly if a person reads or hears the

similarly if a person reads or hears the same words over and over again they

same words over and over again they eventually cease to have any meaning and

eventually cease to have any meaning and this is the exact phenomenon we see at

this is the exact phenomenon we see at the beginning of the chapter elster

the beginning of the chapter elster finds herself back at serpinsky though

finds herself back at serpinsky though it's in much worse shape than before

it's in much worse shape than before with the flesh growing rampant she once

with the flesh growing rampant she once again retrieves the key from classroom

again retrieves the key from classroom 4B and on the chalkboard are the words

4B and on the chalkboard are the words you've been here before clearly a

you've been here before clearly a reference to the poster found in the

reference to the poster found in the staff room earlier in the game which

staff room earlier in the game which states if you didn't write it down it

states if you didn't write it down it never happened so by implication the

never happened so by implication the fact that this was written down means

fact that this was written down means that it did really happen and it has

that it did really happen and it has happened so many times that the world is

happened so many times that the world is falling apart around her ceasing to have

falling apart around her ceasing to have the meaning it once did

the meaning it once did there is another secondary definition of

there is another secondary definition of the term gestaltzerfall which does not

the term gestaltzerfall which does not directly apply here but is worth

directly apply here but is worth bringing up since it is highly relevant

bringing up since it is highly relevant to the story as a whole it can be

to the story as a whole it can be described as a phenomenon where the

described as a phenomenon where the output signals from the brain go beyond

output signals from the brain go beyond their expected range

their expected range this is what signalus is all about a

this is what signalus is all about a bioresonant brain output signal that

bioresonant brain output signal that traverses the vast emptiness of space to

traverses the vast emptiness of space to affect places and realities that should

affect places and realities that should have been Out Of Reach

have been Out Of Reach elster makes her way to the upper

elster makes her way to the upper classroom just as before but this time

classroom just as before but this time the hole in the floor is a massive

the hole in the floor is a massive fleshy pit and upon jumping in we get a

fleshy pit and upon jumping in we get a short sequence with Adler he approaches

short sequence with Adler he approaches and kisses the dreaming Falk in her room

and kisses the dreaming Falk in her room musing over the destructive nature of

musing over the destructive nature of the cycle the words I have become whole

the cycle the words I have become whole again and I hate everything up here and

again and I hate everything up here and while it's difficult to say who exactly

while it's difficult to say who exactly is speaking here I think it very well

is speaking here I think it very well may be Adler himself becoming whole

may be Adler himself becoming whole means he has finally reconciled with the

means he has finally reconciled with the dream and embraced it as indicated by

dream and embraced it as indicated by the pervasive red light in this scene

the pervasive red light in this scene and the way his replica shell plating

and the way his replica shell plating vanishes to reveal the flesh underneath

vanishes to reveal the flesh underneath he also States I wear no mask a line

he also States I wear no mask a line pulled from the King in Yellow spoken by

pulled from the King in Yellow spoken by the unnamed stranger

the unnamed stranger I explained earlier in the video that

I explained earlier in the video that ariane's dream can be thought of as a

ariane's dream can be thought of as a grand performance with each character

grand performance with each character given a role to play and Adler's

given a role to play and Adler's decision here to remove his mask his

decision here to remove his mask his recognizable faceplate signifies that he

recognizable faceplate signifies that he has broken out of his role in the story

has broken out of his role in the story he is now fully aware of the loop and

he is now fully aware of the loop and begins trying to stop it in Earnest

begins trying to stop it in Earnest which no one else does

which no one else does though not shown here we know that he

though not shown here we know that he makes his way back to the gate and there

makes his way back to the gate and there he waits but before the sequence ends we

he waits but before the sequence ends we are shown one more image Isa looking in

are shown one more image Isa looking in a mirror now missing her right eye as a

a mirror now missing her right eye as a refresher we last Saw Issa in the

refresher we last Saw Issa in the nowhere with both her eyes intact so

nowhere with both her eyes intact so it's clear that something has happened

it's clear that something has happened off screen here did Adler catch up with

off screen here did Adler catch up with Issa and take her eye as he tried to do

Issa and take her eye as he tried to do at the mining pit could that perhaps be

at the mining pit could that perhaps be another reason he considers himself

another reason he considers himself whole again or is this a new Issa from a

whole again or is this a new Issa from a new cycle regardless her appearance here

new cycle regardless her appearance here is an interesting detail especially

is an interesting detail especially considering what happens in the final

considering what happens in the final area rot front this is where elster

area rot front this is where elster finds herself following the previous

finds herself following the previous sequence alone in a ruined atrium of

sequence alone in a ruined atrium of sector C in stark contrast to serpinsky

sector C in stark contrast to serpinsky which felt mostly grounded in reality

which felt mostly grounded in reality rotfront is very abstract and surreal

rotfront is very abstract and surreal appearing far more dreamlike the subway

appearing far more dreamlike the subway train is still running despite the

train is still running despite the complete absence of any humans ariane's

complete absence of any humans ariane's teeth are found on the table in the

teeth are found on the table in the guest station the butterfly safe is

guest station the butterfly safe is originally set to elster when you first

originally set to elster when you first find it as though waiting for you and

find it as though waiting for you and when else takes damage the screen will

when else takes damage the screen will often glitch to show multiple rooms all

often glitch to show multiple rooms all tangled together

tangled together what does seem to be real however is the

what does seem to be real however is the plethora of information lying around

plethora of information lying around regarding sector C Ariane and the e2s

regarding sector C Ariane and the e2s and this seems to be the main purpose of

and this seems to be the main purpose of the area for elster to learn more about

the area for elster to learn more about ariane's past in order to alter the

ariane's past in order to alter the course of her future and one of the best

course of her future and one of the best examples of this is her discovery of the

examples of this is her discovery of the original photo of Alina in the Yong

original photo of Alina in the Yong photo store

photo store finally the true form of this photo is

finally the true form of this photo is revealed along with the significance of

revealed along with the significance of the number 512 that has been prevalent

the number 512 that has been prevalent throughout the whole game Lilith

throughout the whole game Lilith belonged to unit 12 of the fifth

belonged to unit 12 of the fifth Venetian Infantry Division 512 taking

Venetian Infantry Division 512 taking this into consideration I don't think

this into consideration I don't think that the original elster unit from

that the original elster unit from ariane's Voyage is technically unit 512

ariane's Voyage is technically unit 512 at all rather any Ulster unit that

at all rather any Ulster unit that becomes destabilized and experiences a

becomes destabilized and experiences a resurfacing of their Gestalt memories

resurfacing of their Gestalt memories reverts to this number mistaking it for

reverts to this number mistaking it for their identity and this happens to both

their identity and this happens to both elster units in signalus

elster units in signalus extending this line of thought a bit

extending this line of thought a bit further it stands to reason that the

further it stands to reason that the numerous other occurrences of the number

numerous other occurrences of the number 512 such as on the Penrose are likely

512 such as on the Penrose are likely inaccurate as well and are only

inaccurate as well and are only perceived as such by elster's degraded

perceived as such by elster's degraded persona but back to the photo despite

persona but back to the photo despite this being the second iteration of the

this being the second iteration of the photo scene in game I think this is

photo scene in game I think this is actually the original the photo always

actually the original the photo always was Alina Ariane kept a copy for herself

was Alina Ariane kept a copy for herself and had brought it with her on the

and had brought it with her on the mission as a token elster sees two

mission as a token elster sees two different versions of the photo as a

different versions of the photo as a result of her destabilized Persona to

result of her destabilized Persona to her Alina and Arianne were one in the

her Alina and Arianne were one in the same

same in terms of gameplay the overall design

in terms of gameplay the overall design of Rod front is similar to the previous

of Rod front is similar to the previous areas in that elster must collect six

areas in that elster must collect six different keys of swords in this case

different keys of swords in this case turret cards that enable her to complete

turret cards that enable her to complete the planetary mural

the planetary mural the tower card is found in the guest

the tower card is found in the guest station with the teeth the sun card is

station with the teeth the sun card is found in the P.O box with the spy's note

found in the P.O box with the spy's note the lovers card is found embedded in a

the lovers card is found embedded in a painting of the aisle the moon card is

painting of the aisle the moon card is found in the butterfly safe the star

found in the butterfly safe the star card is found in the magpie box in

card is found in the magpie box in ariane's hospital room and the death

ariane's hospital room and the death card is found by the photos of Issa and

card is found by the photos of Issa and Erica in the e2's Bookshop

Erica in the e2's Bookshop immediately prior to this last one

immediately prior to this last one however is elster's final encounter with

however is elster's final encounter with Isa standing alone in the Bookshop Issa

Isa standing alone in the Bookshop Issa States I couldn't find her I've looked

States I couldn't find her I've looked everywhere but she's not here anymore I

everywhere but she's not here anymore I can't go on I'm sorry

can't go on I'm sorry following this she notices elster and

following this she notices elster and reaches out for her but promptly melts

reaches out for her but promptly melts into flesh that oozes onto the floor

into flesh that oozes onto the floor we then see the words forgive me this is

we then see the words forgive me this is a startling abrupt end to one of our

a startling abrupt end to one of our main characters and begs the question

main characters and begs the question why what was esa's purpose in this story

why what was esa's purpose in this story at all let's start with the basics if

at all let's start with the basics if there was still any doubt at this point

there was still any doubt at this point whether Isa was real or not the matter

whether Isa was real or not the matter is resolved by the photos of Issa and

is resolved by the photos of Issa and Erica that are marked with black lines

Erica that are marked with black lines which indicate that the subjects are

which indicate that the subjects are dead and probably have been for some

dead and probably have been for some time it is possible they were executed

time it is possible they were executed in the aftermath of the Spy plot due to

in the aftermath of the Spy plot due to the E2 bookstore's mildly

the E2 bookstore's mildly anti-revolutionary Tendencies which may

anti-revolutionary Tendencies which may have drawn the attention of the

have drawn the attention of the authorities but there isn't enough

authorities but there isn't enough evidence to push this beyond the realm

evidence to push this beyond the realm of speculation

of speculation regardless the eso we encounter on

regardless the eso we encounter on elster's journey is ariane's memory of

elster's journey is ariane's memory of her from the time they were both in

her from the time they were both in school and wearing the white and green

school and wearing the white and green school uniforms but it goes deeper than

school uniforms but it goes deeper than that for ISSA is also Ariane herself

that for ISSA is also Ariane herself way back in chapter 1 when elster gains

way back in chapter 1 when elster gains access to the elevator on level 2 you

access to the elevator on level 2 you actually have the option to write it

actually have the option to write it back up to level one before it gets

back up to level one before it gets stuck on Level 3 and doing so leads to

stuck on Level 3 and doing so leads to an extra conversation with Issa in

an extra conversation with Issa in addition to learning the important

addition to learning the important information that Erica is issa's sister

information that Erica is issa's sister if he pay close attention to her

if he pay close attention to her dialogue here you'll notice that her

dialogue here you'll notice that her words are eerily similar to ariane's she

words are eerily similar to ariane's she makes the comment have you ever wondered

makes the comment have you ever wondered if you're speaking to someone for the

if you're speaking to someone for the last time without knowing I wish I could

last time without knowing I wish I could go back so I could say something else

go back so I could say something else this is very close to something Ariane

this is very close to something Ariane writes in one of her last notes around

writes in one of her last notes around cycle 5000 every time I go to sleep I

cycle 5000 every time I go to sleep I wonder if I'll wake up again I'm scared

wonder if I'll wake up again I'm scared that it'll be the last time I said

that it'll be the last time I said goodnight to her did I say it right will

goodnight to her did I say it right will she be okay what if one of us just won't

she be okay what if one of us just won't wake up tomorrow such parallels continue

wake up tomorrow such parallels continue to appear in the following chapters as

to appear in the following chapters as well after waking Issa into nowhere

well after waking Issa into nowhere following the new way confrontation

following the new way confrontation sheer marks the air in this place feels

sheer marks the air in this place feels thick like you could bite it it's like

thick like you could bite it it's like there's this fog inside my head Arianne

there's this fog inside my head Arianne wrote nearly this exact same thing in a

wrote nearly this exact same thing in a note at cycle

note at cycle 1840 it's like there's this fog inside

1840 it's like there's this fog inside my head I want to breathe fresh air when

my head I want to breathe fresh air when elster makes it back to the Penrose for

elster makes it back to the Penrose for the first time she finds a note from

the first time she finds a note from Ariane detailing how she had lost

Ariane detailing how she had lost another tooth there was so much blood my

another tooth there was so much blood my hands were shaking and we get a glimpse

hands were shaking and we get a glimpse of this scene when elster jumps through

of this scene when elster jumps through the broken meat grinder similarly there

the broken meat grinder similarly there is the brief shot of Issa looking into a

is the brief shot of Issa looking into a mirror her bloodied hand shaking but

mirror her bloodied hand shaking but perhaps the strongest evidence for esa's

perhaps the strongest evidence for esa's identity as a manifestation of Ariane is

identity as a manifestation of Ariane is that she shows up in the line of

that she shows up in the line of ariane's seen earlier in the fake ending

ariane's seen earlier in the fake ending and in this final bookstore encounter we

and in this final bookstore encounter we get a profile shot that perfectly

get a profile shot that perfectly matches up with that of Arianne and

matches up with that of Arianne and Alina

Alina I have two separate but potentially

I have two separate but potentially connected theories about issa's purpose

connected theories about issa's purpose in signalus first Issa is ariane's

in signalus first Issa is ariane's desire and attempt to save herself she

desire and attempt to save herself she makes this interesting remark in the

makes this interesting remark in the aforementioned level one conversation

aforementioned level one conversation you don't need to worry about me I can

you don't need to worry about me I can take care of myself now I can't keep

take care of myself now I can't keep relying on others that's why she left me

relying on others that's why she left me after all I'm sure of that now

after all I'm sure of that now I don't think it's Erica she's talking

I don't think it's Erica she's talking about here it's elster we know that

about here it's elster we know that ariane's worst fear came true one day

ariane's worst fear came true one day when elster just wouldn't wake up and

when elster just wouldn't wake up and it's feasible to consider that in her

it's feasible to consider that in her dreamy delirium Arianne would try coming

dreamy delirium Arianne would try coming up with rationalizations for why elster

up with rationalizations for why elster would have broken her promise the

would have broken her promise the apparent conclusion she came to was that

apparent conclusion she came to was that she needed to solve her own problems and

she needed to solve her own problems and her solution was to create a version of

her solution was to create a version of herself that manifested as one of the E2

herself that manifested as one of the E2 sisters someone who had rescued her in

sisters someone who had rescued her in the past who could travel through the

the past who could travel through the dream instead of elster in order to

dream instead of elster in order to fulfill The Promise by finding herself

fulfill The Promise by finding herself of course this doesn't work as Isa

of course this doesn't work as Isa becomes lost and is unable to find the

becomes lost and is unable to find the real Ariane before falling apart

real Ariane before falling apart interestingly the mark she leaves on the

interestingly the mark she leaves on the floor is very similar to others that we

floor is very similar to others that we see throughout the game including on the

see throughout the game including on the shore of Oblivion and on the Penrose

shore of Oblivion and on the Penrose itself these could possibly indicate

itself these could possibly indicate spots where Issa failed in previous

spots where Issa failed in previous cycles and it's tragic to think that she

cycles and it's tragic to think that she could get so close while never being

could get so close while never being able to enter that last door

able to enter that last door my second theory goes back to the idea

my second theory goes back to the idea of synchronization that I covered at the

of synchronization that I covered at the end of chapter one Issa is still a

end of chapter one Issa is still a manifestation of ariane's desire to save

manifestation of ariane's desire to save herself but she does this indirectly by

herself but she does this indirectly by pacing elster in the world of

pacing elster in the world of professional track and field there is a

professional track and field there is a technique known simply as pacing in

technique known simply as pacing in which pacemakers run just ahead of an

which pacemakers run just ahead of an individual who is attempting to break a

individual who is attempting to break a record the goal of these participants is

record the goal of these participants is not to win the race or sometimes to even

not to win the race or sometimes to even finish at all but rather to keep the

finish at all but rather to keep the star runner on track for the record and

star runner on track for the record and they do this by holding an extremely

they do this by holding an extremely fast pace for the first part of a race

fast pace for the first part of a race before dropping off in a similar way

before dropping off in a similar way Issa helps to pace elster through the

Issa helps to pace elster through the first part of her journey by taking

first part of her journey by taking specific actions in specific places

specific actions in specific places shortly before elster does these include

shortly before elster does these include crossing paths in the library and the EV

crossing paths in the library and the EV Lobby trying to get into falk's room

Lobby trying to get into falk's room jumping into the mining pit running into

jumping into the mining pit running into the new way in the nowhere and finally

the new way in the nowhere and finally awaiting elster's arrival to the

awaiting elster's arrival to the Bookshop

Bookshop when viewed through this lens we can

when viewed through this lens we can interpret the sacrifice Issa makes in

interpret the sacrifice Issa makes in the prologue as a preemptive sacrifice

the prologue as a preemptive sacrifice of herself just as pacemakers sacrificed

of herself just as pacemakers sacrificed their own performance to Aid another

their own performance to Aid another Ariane is sacrificing her manifestation

Ariane is sacrificing her manifestation of Issa fully aware that she will burn

of Issa fully aware that she will burn out and fail relying on the hope that

out and fail relying on the hope that elster will succeed where she cannot as

elster will succeed where she cannot as for Erica and why her face is always

for Erica and why her face is always obscured this is the simplest answer of

obscured this is the simplest answer of all Arianne didn't know the E2 twins

all Arianne didn't know the E2 twins well enough to tell them apart only

well enough to tell them apart only knowing one face so only one can be

knowing one face so only one can be properly represented in her dream

properly represented in her dream but why is Esa shown instead of Erica to

but why is Esa shown instead of Erica to make sense of this detail we must return

make sense of this detail we must return to the library sequence an easy

to the library sequence an easy explanation is that Ariane mistook Erica

explanation is that Ariane mistook Erica for ISSA when she arrived which is

for ISSA when she arrived which is certainly plausible but I think there's

certainly plausible but I think there's more to it than just that following this

more to it than just that following this incident at the library Issa could never

incident at the library Issa could never forgive herself for not taking action

forgive herself for not taking action and she reveals that at least for her

and she reveals that at least for her this moment of paralysis forever

this moment of paralysis forever overshadowed her short friendship with

overshadowed her short friendship with Arianne now I know this is extremely

Arianne now I know this is extremely speculative but my final thought about

speculative but my final thought about Issa that ties it all together is simply

Issa that ties it all together is simply this issa's role in signalus may be a

this issa's role in signalus may be a chance at Redemption for what happened

chance at Redemption for what happened in the library so long ago perhaps the

in the library so long ago perhaps the cosmic scales were unbalanced by her

cosmic scales were unbalanced by her inability to move past this moment of

inability to move past this moment of weakness as well as by her untimely

weakness as well as by her untimely death and when the Great song of the

death and when the Great song of the Gods miraculously granted her soul a

Gods miraculously granted her soul a second chance in the form of ariane's

second chance in the form of ariane's reality altering signal she seized it

reality altering signal she seized it Issa May indeed be one of ariane's

Issa May indeed be one of ariane's projections but why should that mean

projections but why should that mean Issa herself is not in there somewhere

Issa herself is not in there somewhere at the very end of things even in death

at the very end of things even in death Issa was willing to Brave the darkest

Issa was willing to Brave the darkest depths of ariane's nightmares and

depths of ariane's nightmares and finally make the sacrifice she had been

finally make the sacrifice she had been unable to in life ultimately enabling

unable to in life ultimately enabling elster to succeed in fulfilling the

elster to succeed in fulfilling the promise to rescue Ariane one more time

promise to rescue Ariane one more time on that note let's get back to Rod front

on that note let's get back to Rod front when all six turret cards have been

when all six turret cards have been acquired the dial Ring which had been

acquired the dial Ring which had been caught in the Skylight falls into the

caught in the Skylight falls into the lobby due to the expanding flesh above

lobby due to the expanding flesh above more interesting however is the dead

more interesting however is the dead elster that appears to have fallen with

elster that appears to have fallen with it we've seen plenty of such units by

it we've seen plenty of such units by this point like the ones in the

this point like the ones in the serpinski elevator but what's odd about

serpinski elevator but what's odd about this one is that it's still orange if

this one is that it's still orange if the cycle always repeated itself each

the cycle always repeated itself each time with the same events playing out

time with the same events playing out the same way we would expect this unit

the same way we would expect this unit to be white because elster is unable to

to be white because elster is unable to access Rod front until she reaches the

access Rod front until she reaches the Penrose and retrieves the white armor

Penrose and retrieves the white armor this shows that there are variations or

this shows that there are variations or outliers within the looping cycles in

outliers within the looping cycles in which things play out quite differently

which things play out quite differently after picking up the Fallen dial and

after picking up the Fallen dial and adjusting all of the mural rings to

adjusting all of the mural rings to match the tarot cards the wall symbol

match the tarot cards the wall symbol opens up to reveal a tunnel leading

opens up to reveal a tunnel leading right back into ariane's Radio Room from

right back into ariane's Radio Room from the prologue this time however elster

the prologue this time however elster recognizes everything in it and the

recognizes everything in it and the radio is actively transmitting if you

radio is actively transmitting if you tune the radio module to 210 The Magpie

tune the radio module to 210 The Magpie transmission can still be heard this

transmission can still be heard this clearly shows that ariane's signal has

clearly shows that ariane's signal has been steadily transmitting ever since it

been steadily transmitting ever since it began in the prologue and just like in

began in the prologue and just like in that sequence so long ago the king and

that sequence so long ago the king and yellow Waits upon the desk having now

yellow Waits upon the desk having now appeared a total of five times along

appeared a total of five times along elster's Journey the number of seals on

elster's Journey the number of seals on the book has decreased until this point

the book has decreased until this point when there are none left interacting

when there are none left interacting with it reveals the last seal has been

with it reveals the last seal has been broken and that it's time to go home

broken and that it's time to go home this is the last time the book is to be

this is the last time the book is to be found in signalus and its significance

found in signalus and its significance has become apparent elster has been

has become apparent elster has been using the King in Yellow to gradually

using the King in Yellow to gradually decode The Magpie signal a process

decode The Magpie signal a process represented by the seals just as

represented by the seals just as ariane's mother Iris used the book to

ariane's mother Iris used the book to decode the original Magpie signal but

decode the original Magpie signal but now the message it carries is the

now the message it carries is the promise

promise you can think of elster's Journey as one

you can think of elster's Journey as one giant ritual a synchronization of

giant ritual a synchronization of identity with each additional seal

identity with each additional seal broken each new memory gained she passes

broken each new memory gained she passes through liminality to emerge on the

through liminality to emerge on the other side of the ritual threshold and

other side of the ritual threshold and elster reborn now fully cognizant of her

elster reborn now fully cognizant of her promise and poised to save the world and

promise and poised to save the world and its creator from gestaltzerfall

its creator from gestaltzerfall this door in the Radio Room represents

this door in the Radio Room represents that final threshold and now that elster

that final threshold and now that elster is finally ready she passes through and

is finally ready she passes through and finds herself in ariane's home in sector

finds herself in ariane's home in sector C the apartment of her aunt Camilla this

C the apartment of her aunt Camilla this all but confirms that the radio room is

all but confirms that the radio room is in fact ariane's rot front bedroom the

in fact ariane's rot front bedroom the spare room referred to in Camilla's

spare room referred to in Camilla's letter

letter and just as the Seven Seals in the Book

and just as the Seven Seals in the Book of Revelation lead up to the end of the

of Revelation lead up to the end of the world the six seals of the king and

world the six seals of the king and yellow prefigure the end of both dream

yellow prefigure the end of both dream worlds in which so many have suffered

worlds in which so many have suffered elster's departure through the front

elster's departure through the front door is literally the beginning of the

door is literally the beginning of the end and on the other side she finds a

end and on the other side she finds a long note littered hallway that can only

long note littered hallway that can only lead to one place back to Falk

lead to one place back to Falk elster has to escape the second dream in

elster has to escape the second dream in order to find Ariane in the first and

order to find Ariane in the first and for this to happen she must deal with

for this to happen she must deal with the dreamer

the dreamer elster finds Falk lying in her bed as

elster finds Falk lying in her bed as before though now she is awake her

before though now she is awake her dialogue in this scene is quite

dialogue in this scene is quite interesting after asking elster why did

interesting after asking elster why did you return she explains there's nothing

you return she explains there's nothing for you here she'll never dance with us

for you here she'll never dance with us again no matter what we do and she

again no matter what we do and she doesn't even want us anymore the reason

doesn't even want us anymore the reason for this is that neither Falk nor this

for this is that neither Falk nor this elster unit are the replica that Ariane

elster unit are the replica that Ariane fell in love with so long ago but rather

fell in love with so long ago but rather have had those replicas memories

have had those replicas memories forcefully implanted within them false

forcefully implanted within them false bitterness and Desperation is really

bitterness and Desperation is really quite understandable what must it be

quite understandable what must it be like to be filled with such love and

like to be filled with such love and longing for a person who doesn't even

longing for a person who doesn't even know you exist to be tortured by Vivid

know you exist to be tortured by Vivid memories of them that are not actually

memories of them that are not actually your own as falk's story now comes full

your own as falk's story now comes full circle let us revisit her signal Swan

circle let us revisit her signal Swan Lake one more time and examine its

Lake one more time and examine its significance in a new light for those

significance in a new light for those unfamiliar with the story of

unfamiliar with the story of Tchaikovsky's famous ballet I think a

Tchaikovsky's famous ballet I think a very brief synopsis is well worth our

very brief synopsis is well worth our time it all begins when princess debt

time it all begins when princess debt decides to take a solitary walk down by

decides to take a solitary walk down by the lake where she is discovered by the

the lake where she is discovered by the evil Baron von rothbart and transformed

evil Baron von rothbart and transformed into a swan by day later Prince

into a swan by day later Prince Siegfried comes upon her while hunting

Siegfried comes upon her while hunting and after seeing her human form when she

and after seeing her human form when she transforms back at night falls in love

transforms back at night falls in love with her he learns that the only way to

with her he learns that the only way to break the enchantment is to promise his

break the enchantment is to promise his love to her and remain faithful to that

love to her and remain faithful to that vow he begins to do so but the baron

vow he begins to do so but the baron appears and the ensuing confrontation

appears and the ensuing confrontation takes up the last of the Moonlight that

takes up the last of the Moonlight that same day siegfried's mother the queen

same day siegfried's mother the queen throws a ball at which he is supposed to

throws a ball at which he is supposed to find his bride rothbart's daughter odile

find his bride rothbart's daughter odile shows up Enchanted by rothbard to look

shows up Enchanted by rothbard to look like Odette thinking it really is her

like Odette thinking it really is her Siegfried mistakenly vows his love to

Siegfried mistakenly vows his love to odile after which rothbart's trickery is

odile after which rothbart's trickery is revealed distraught he returns to Odette

revealed distraught he returns to Odette and with no hopes of breaking the spell

and with no hopes of breaking the spell she and Siegfried both drown themselves

she and Siegfried both drown themselves in the lake and their Spirits are freed

in the lake and their Spirits are freed to be together

to be together while it should be acknowledged that the

while it should be acknowledged that the story has a great many variations

story has a great many variations especially with regard to the ending the

especially with regard to the ending the parallels to signalus remain consistent

parallels to signalus remain consistent Ariane can be seen as odet the white

Ariane can be seen as odet the white swan trapped in a curse that has

swan trapped in a curse that has rendered the state of her body out of

rendered the state of her body out of her control elster is Siegfried seeking

her control elster is Siegfried seeking to break the curse and free her Love At

to break the curse and free her Love At Last and Falk is odile the Black Swan

Last and Falk is odile the Black Swan caught between the motives of The Prince

caught between the motives of The Prince and the princess transformed with the

and the princess transformed with the identity of another and ultimately

identity of another and ultimately unwanted by the one whose love was vowed

unwanted by the one whose love was vowed to her

to her just as Siegfried must overcome his

just as Siegfried must overcome his mistaken vow to odile before he can be

mistaken vow to odile before he can be with Odette so too elster must defeat

with Odette so too elster must defeat Falk before she can return to Ariane

Falk before she can return to Ariane after their brief Exchange in falk's

after their brief Exchange in falk's room the illusion crumbles to reveal the

room the illusion crumbles to reveal the true fleshy state of the dream and we

true fleshy state of the dream and we see the phrase this God won't forgive

see the phrase this God won't forgive you it seems pretty clear that this is

you it seems pretty clear that this is referring to Falk herself who is revered

referring to Falk herself who is revered as a God by other replicas and is quite

as a God by other replicas and is quite literally the creator of this Twisted

literally the creator of this Twisted world she tells elster both of us we are

world she tells elster both of us we are incomplete let us become whole again and

incomplete let us become whole again and the battle begins along with being

the battle begins along with being essential to escaping the second dream

essential to escaping the second dream this fight to the death may also be

this fight to the death may also be necessary because the original elster's

necessary because the original elster's memories are split between the two

memories are split between the two replicas creating dissonance only one

replicas creating dissonance only one individual can fulfill the promise

individual can fulfill the promise upon her defeat we see Falk phase back

upon her defeat we see Falk phase back and forth and another Montage ensues in

and forth and another Montage ensues in which we witness her memories elster and

which we witness her memories elster and Ariane embracing in the Starlight just

Ariane embracing in the Starlight just as in false drawing the Isle of the Dead

as in false drawing the Isle of the Dead Falk motioning at Adler from the gate

Falk motioning at Adler from the gate elster 512 and a promise character but

elster 512 and a promise character but extremely dim this Show's Falk did know

extremely dim this Show's Falk did know about the promise to some extent but

about the promise to some extent but either did not fully understand it or

either did not fully understand it or was unwilling to go through with it

was unwilling to go through with it which explains why she never attempts to

which explains why she never attempts to carry it out herself

carry it out herself these memories complement and complete

these memories complement and complete those of elster 2 and knowing this Falk

those of elster 2 and knowing this Falk States now we are one and dies and

States now we are one and dies and Ariane watches it happen

Ariane watches it happen elster once again meets Adler at the

elster once again meets Adler at the gate but this time he's openly hostile

gate but this time he's openly hostile insisting that elster's continuous

insisting that elster's continuous return to the Penrose is the cause of

return to the Penrose is the cause of this world's rapid degradation for every

this world's rapid degradation for every time she fails the world is recycled

time she fails the world is recycled Anew in a new Loop in which things are

Anew in a new Loop in which things are twisted added removed it's not entirely

twisted added removed it's not entirely clear what Adler's plan is to stop this

clear what Adler's plan is to stop this however since the cycle clearly repeats

however since the cycle clearly repeats even if elster dies before reaching the

even if elster dies before reaching the Penrose perhaps he believes that they

Penrose perhaps he believes that they can wait out the dream if they last long

can wait out the dream if they last long enough or in his desperation he simply

enough or in his desperation he simply wishes to slow the destruction

wishes to slow the destruction regardless it's not hard to see where

regardless it's not hard to see where Adler is coming from not only has his

Adler is coming from not only has his world been corrupted and turned inside

world been corrupted and turned inside out but his very God is being twisted

out but his very God is being twisted and destroyed as well and it is elster's

and destroyed as well and it is elster's fault she refuses to listen and in an

fault she refuses to listen and in an instant is stabbed in the eye and shoots

instant is stabbed in the eye and shoots Adler through his this motif of losing

Adler through his this motif of losing an eye is one that has cropped up

an eye is one that has cropped up multiple times now it happens to Adler

multiple times now it happens to Adler twice as well as to Issa and elster and

twice as well as to Issa and elster and the reason for this can be traced back

the reason for this can be traced back to Lilith's memories we see that she

to Lilith's memories we see that she herself lost an eye in the Venetian War

herself lost an eye in the Venetian War her right one to be exact and this

her right one to be exact and this pattern can be seen as Lilith's trauma

pattern can be seen as Lilith's trauma resurfacing with an Ulster and spreading

resurfacing with an Ulster and spreading throughout the dream additionally I

throughout the dream additionally I think there's a symbolic aspect to this

think there's a symbolic aspect to this as well dream dreaming about the loss of

as well dream dreaming about the loss of one's eyes and terribly uncommon and

one's eyes and terribly uncommon and while there are admittedly many ways to

while there are admittedly many ways to interpret this occurrence one such

interpret this occurrence one such interpretation is that it represents

interpretation is that it represents having lost an important person in your

having lost an important person in your life and feeling lost or incomplete as a

life and feeling lost or incomplete as a result

result notably Only The Seekers and signalus

notably Only The Seekers and signalus are affected by this pattern not the

are affected by this pattern not the dreamers since they have all lost and

dreamers since they have all lost and are searching for someone very important

are searching for someone very important to them

to them alternatively the loss of an eye can be

alternatively the loss of an eye can be seen as a reference to the Norse god

seen as a reference to the Norse god Odin who sacrificed deny in order to

Odin who sacrificed deny in order to obtain greater wisdom in similar fashion

obtain greater wisdom in similar fashion perhaps this pattern in signalus

perhaps this pattern in signalus represents the sacrifice necessary in

represents the sacrifice necessary in order to obtain the truth Adler Issa and

order to obtain the truth Adler Issa and elster all must suffer and sacrifice to

elster all must suffer and sacrifice to uncover the truth of their broken World

uncover the truth of their broken World anyways undeterred by this traumatic

anyways undeterred by this traumatic setback elster presses on to the Penrose

setback elster presses on to the Penrose and with her stronger armor is finally

and with her stronger armor is finally able to open the main hatch and drop

able to open the main hatch and drop into the ship one last time here she

into the ship one last time here she observes the true state of the Penrose

observes the true state of the Penrose at the end of its voyage and finds

at the end of its voyage and finds ariane's notes scattered about

ariane's notes scattered about chronicling the harrowing last days

chronicling the harrowing last days before her cryosleep

before her cryosleep but of course we have to ask the big

but of course we have to ask the big question is this the real Penrose or is

question is this the real Penrose or is elster still within a dream

elster still within a dream a detail of no small significance is

a detail of no small significance is that the All-Seeing red eye present over

that the All-Seeing red eye present over the whole game is not visible in this

the whole game is not visible in this section since the eye is symbolic of

section since the eye is symbolic of ariane's gaze within the dream this

ariane's gaze within the dream this strongly implies that what we are seeing

strongly implies that what we are seeing is in fact the real Penrose or rather

is in fact the real Penrose or rather the Penrose as it exists in base reality

the Penrose as it exists in base reality we can also see in the ship many items

we can also see in the ship many items and situations that influence parts of

and situations that influence parts of ariane's dream trash piled in every

ariane's dream trash piled in every Corridor blood-stained copies of the

Corridor blood-stained copies of the Isle of the dead blue and red medical

Isle of the dead blue and red medical canisters the reactor room flooded with

canisters the reactor room flooded with green liquid and of course the body of

green liquid and of course the body of elster1

elster1 finally elster 2 comes face to face with

finally elster 2 comes face to face with the cryogenics chamber door and it is

the cryogenics chamber door and it is here we get to the game's multiple

here we get to the game's multiple endings

signalus has four distinct endings all of which are equally valid as

of which are equally valid as conclusions to the game and it's even

conclusions to the game and it's even implied that all four occur at least

implied that all four occur at least once during elster's Journey the

once during elster's Journey the specific criteria needed to achieve each

specific criteria needed to achieve each ending remains fairly ambiguous and is

ending remains fairly ambiguous and is related to the style in which you play

related to the style in which you play the game whether that be cowardly

the game whether that be cowardly balanced or aggressive this matters

balanced or aggressive this matters because at its core what sets each

because at its core what sets each ending apart is elster's

ending apart is elster's self-realization or the extent to which

self-realization or the extent to which she is able to reconcile the innate

she is able to reconcile the innate Lilith inside her with the elster she

Lilith inside her with the elster she has become in the leave ending elster

has become in the leave ending elster does not enter the cryogenics chamber at

does not enter the cryogenics chamber at all but instead is seen leaving the

all but instead is seen leaving the Penrose her last words are brief in the

Penrose her last words are brief in the end I had to leave you behind but it's

end I had to leave you behind but it's too much forgive me she removes her

too much forgive me she removes her blood-stained white chest plate casting

blood-stained white chest plate casting It On The Ground behind her the backdrop

It On The Ground behind her the backdrop here is key she is on Veneta in this

here is key she is on Veneta in this ending her Lilith Persona remains too

ending her Lilith Persona remains too strong leaving elster confused with

strong leaving elster confused with regard to her true identity her idea of

regard to her true identity her idea of go going home is not returning to Ariane

go going home is not returning to Ariane but leaving her behind to return to her

but leaving her behind to return to her home planet

home planet it should come as no surprise that this

it should come as no surprise that this is the Cowardly ending obtained by

is the Cowardly ending obtained by running away from enemies frequently

running away from enemies frequently checking locked doors and lingering

checking locked doors and lingering within safe zones as a side note it is

within safe zones as a side note it is possible that the dead elster units we

possible that the dead elster units we see in the fake ending sequence are

see in the fake ending sequence are those who obtained this ending and as

those who obtained this ending and as they cease to function the cycle began

they cease to function the cycle began anew

anew in the memory ending elster finds and

in the memory ending elster finds and awakens Arianne with a kiss but Arianne

awakens Arianne with a kiss but Arianne no longer remembers her while this is

no longer remembers her while this is consistent with known side effects of

consistent with known side effects of radiation which includes significant

radiation which includes significant memory loss when the brain is affected I

memory loss when the brain is affected I don't think that's the main factor at

don't think that's the main factor at play here rather the key detail is the

play here rather the key detail is the appearance of the cryogenics chamber

appearance of the cryogenics chamber itself the room is rendered in high

itself the room is rendered in high detail appearing much as it did in

detail appearing much as it did in elster's memory of the place in this

elster's memory of the place in this ending her elster Persona is too strong

ending her elster Persona is too strong and the room's detail is representative

and the room's detail is representative of her brain carefully scanning

of her brain carefully scanning everything in the room as if she was

everything in the room as if she was still going through her maintenance

still going through her maintenance checklist while she does remember the

checklist while she does remember the promise she is not focused enough on

promise she is not focused enough on Ariane to follow it through and as such

Ariane to follow it through and as such Ariane does not recognize her as the

Ariane does not recognize her as the replica she fell in love with

replica she fell in love with the line I'm back but you aren't you

the line I'm back but you aren't you anymore refers just as much to elster as

anymore refers just as much to elster as it does to Arianne and elster simply

it does to Arianne and elster simply asks to lay by her side in her last

asks to lay by her side in her last moments this is the balanced ending

moments this is the balanced ending which is obtained by taking moderate

which is obtained by taking moderate actions killing enemies in your path

actions killing enemies in your path talking to other replicas encountered in

talking to other replicas encountered in the game and avoiding damage when

the game and avoiding damage when possible and it is this elster unit from

possible and it is this elster unit from whom the white armor is taken during the

whom the white armor is taken during the fake ending perpetuating chapter 3.

fake ending perpetuating chapter 3. in the promise ending elster finds and

in the promise ending elster finds and awakens Ariane in the cryopod as before

awakens Ariane in the cryopod as before but this time irian remembers her and

but this time irian remembers her and importantly the chamber is different it

importantly the chamber is different it is red and hazy all detail obscured for

is red and hazy all detail obscured for nothing matters except what is found at

nothing matters except what is found at the center of the room Arianne in this

the center of the room Arianne in this ending Lilith and elster are finally

ending Lilith and elster are finally reconciled equal the replica who first

reconciled equal the replica who first fell in love with Ariane in the Happy

fell in love with Ariane in the Happy Days of their Voyage was not fully

Days of their Voyage was not fully elstered nor fully the Gestalt Lilith

elstered nor fully the Gestalt Lilith but someone in between someone who saw

but someone in between someone who saw nyrian not just the Alina she had loved

nyrian not just the Alina she had loved in a life long ago but the beautiful

in a life long ago but the beautiful strong individual whom she was right

strong individual whom she was right then and it is this elster who back from

then and it is this elster who back from the dead fulfills the promise at last

the dead fulfills the promise at last this is the aggressive ending which is

this is the aggressive ending which is obtained by killing as many enemies as

obtained by killing as many enemies as possible taking heavy damage and dying

possible taking heavy damage and dying repeatedly it is the most difficult to

repeatedly it is the most difficult to achieve and requires the most effort on

achieve and requires the most effort on elster's part

elster's part there are at least two pieces of

there are at least two pieces of evidence that indicate the cycle is

evidence that indicate the cycle is finally broken in this ending first as

finally broken in this ending first as the light leaves ariane's eyes we see

the light leaves ariane's eyes we see the red countdown finally reach zero and

the red countdown finally reach zero and shortly after this the screen glitches

shortly after this the screen glitches violently knocking Ulster to the ground

violently knocking Ulster to the ground this could be showing that the signal

this could be showing that the signal now bereft of its origin is beginning to

now bereft of its origin is beginning to fall apart along with the Twisted

fall apart along with the Twisted reality that it created

reality that it created the final secret ending artifact is

the final secret ending artifact is quite different from the others both in

quite different from the others both in the process necessary to obtaining it

the process necessary to obtaining it and in the conclusion to elster's

and in the conclusion to elster's Journey that it depicts which is easily

Journey that it depicts which is easily the most cryptic of the four notably it

the most cryptic of the four notably it must be obtained through the use of sstv

must be obtained through the use of sstv signals the acronym stands for slow scan

signals the acronym stands for slow scan television and refers to the manner in

television and refers to the manner in which static images can be transmitted

which static images can be transmitted using a radio signal there are three

using a radio signal there are three frequencies in elster's radio module

frequencies in elster's radio module that when fed through an sstv decoder

that when fed through an sstv decoder result in the three following images

result in the three following images these can then be linked to their

these can then be linked to their locations in the game and when

locations in the game and when interacting with each Zone while the

interacting with each Zone while the corresponding frequency is playing on

corresponding frequency is playing on the radio three keys can be obtained the

the radio three keys can be obtained the keys of Love eternity and sacrifice

keys of Love eternity and sacrifice respectively I want to point out here

respectively I want to point out here that the use of sstv signals is a pretty

that the use of sstv signals is a pretty important detail since it reinforces the

important detail since it reinforces the fundamental premise that every location

fundamental premise that every location in the game is being generated or

in the game is being generated or transformed by ariane's by a resonant

transformed by ariane's by a resonant signal which itself is passed through

signal which itself is passed through radio waves

radio waves once all keys have been found they can

once all keys have been found they can be used to open the locked safe found in

be used to open the locked safe found in irian's bedroom and reveal a lily flower

irian's bedroom and reveal a lily flower waiting within picking it up triggers

waiting within picking it up triggers the ending which begins with Revelation

the ending which begins with Revelation chapter 9 verse 6. and in those days

chapter 9 verse 6. and in those days people shall seek for death and shall

people shall seek for death and shall not find it we then see elster placing

not find it we then see elster placing the Lily upon a short pillar before

the Lily upon a short pillar before collapsing at its base and the camera

collapsing at its base and the camera moves up to reveal a fallen elster unit

moves up to reveal a fallen elster unit at the base of all six at the center

at the base of all six at the center lying within a rectangular shape

lying within a rectangular shape reminiscent of a bed or cryopod is the

reminiscent of a bed or cryopod is the artifact a shimmering object resembling

artifact a shimmering object resembling a tesseract this is followed by

a tesseract this is followed by Revelation chapter 10 verse 7. the

Revelation chapter 10 verse 7. the mystery of this God is finished as she

mystery of this God is finished as she announced to her servants the prophets

announced to her servants the prophets we see the crashed Penrose a massive red

we see the crashed Penrose a massive red eye in the sky and the words remember

eye in the sky and the words remember our promise before a final shot of

our promise before a final shot of elster and Ariane dancing within the

elster and Ariane dancing within the broken ship there is quite a bit of

broken ship there is quite a bit of information to unpack in this short

information to unpack in this short ending as in the promise ending the

ending as in the promise ending the elster and Lilith aspects of elster II

elster and Lilith aspects of elster II are fully reconciled in the artifact

are fully reconciled in the artifact ending the gravestone pillars and Lily

ending the gravestone pillars and Lily are pulled directly from Lilith's memory

are pulled directly from Lilith's memory for the purpose of perpetuating one of

for the purpose of perpetuating one of elster's memories and the result is a

elster's memories and the result is a new ending that appears to break out of

new ending that appears to break out of the loop in which the others take place

the loop in which the others take place elster never returns to the actual

elster never returns to the actual Penrose or fights Falk and the sequence

Penrose or fights Falk and the sequence contradicts falk's statement that she'll

contradicts falk's statement that she'll never dance with us again no matter what

never dance with us again no matter what we do

we do but what does it all mean going back to

but what does it all mean going back to the Ring of elster units we can see that

the Ring of elster units we can see that each one is a different color since we

each one is a different color since we know the elster replica only comes in

know the elster replica only comes in orange and white configurations a

orange and white configurations a reasonable conclusion is that each

reasonable conclusion is that each Ulster is from a different timeline one

Ulster is from a different timeline one in which the color could be green brown

in which the color could be green brown or red it's impossible to say how many

or red it's impossible to say how many realities were affected by aryan's

realities were affected by aryan's signal but this shows it was far more

signal but this shows it was far more than just her own

than just her own and at the center of the mall is the

and at the center of the mall is the artifact the most ubiquitous yet elusive

artifact the most ubiquitous yet elusive object in the entire game if you weren't

object in the entire game if you weren't already aware the strange symbol

already aware the strange symbol displayed on the main menu is simply a

displayed on the main menu is simply a representation of the artifact clearly

representation of the artifact clearly this object is key to understanding

this object is key to understanding signalus from beginning to end

signalus from beginning to end in addition to its appearance here the

in addition to its appearance here the symbol can also be seen during the

symbol can also be seen during the prologue when Esa makes a blood

prologue when Esa makes a blood sacrifice on the astrolabe connected to

sacrifice on the astrolabe connected to Adler's lock box on the tarot card table

Adler's lock box on the tarot card table beneath the planetary mural on the

beneath the planetary mural on the locked safe and on Falk marking her

locked safe and on Falk marking her vulnerable for a golden spear during the

vulnerable for a golden spear during the final fight

final fight furthermore the symbol is alluded to in

furthermore the symbol is alluded to in the pattern of six that runs throughout

the pattern of six that runs throughout the game inventory items are limited by

the game inventory items are limited by the rule of six which is conveniently

the rule of six which is conveniently represented by a cube and six keys are

represented by a cube and six keys are needed to open the special access doors

needed to open the special access doors in serpinski and the nowhere and there

in serpinski and the nowhere and there are of course six tarot cards as well

are of course six tarot cards as well but the pattern goes deeper repeatedly

but the pattern goes deeper repeatedly we are shown that the six sides of the

we are shown that the six sides of the artifact correspond to the six inhabited

artifact correspond to the six inhabited worlds of the solar system Each of which

worlds of the solar system Each of which is also represented by a specific shape

is also represented by a specific shape I don't think it's too much of a stretch

I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that on one level the artifact

to say that on one level the artifact represents base reality it represents

represents base reality it represents the song of the Gods as it pertains to

the song of the Gods as it pertains to the whole solar system to both the

the whole solar system to both the Empire and a nation of usan in the way

Empire and a nation of usan in the way in which they have chosen to leave an

in which they have chosen to leave an imprint on The Melody of the universe

imprint on The Melody of the universe and for the nation of usan this involves

and for the nation of usan this involves one major act sacrifice the sacrifice of

one major act sacrifice the sacrifice of anything anyone any idea to further the

anything anyone any idea to further the cause of the Revolution and one such

cause of the Revolution and one such sacrifice was the young pile Ariane

sacrifice was the young pile Ariane jettisoned on a suicide trip into the

jettisoned on a suicide trip into the void as a glorious demonstration of the

void as a glorious demonstration of the nation's power

nation's power if we assume the symbol represents

if we assume the symbol represents reality then elster's interaction with

reality then elster's interaction with it as a tangible object separate from

it as a tangible object separate from herself shows that she has managed to

herself shows that she has managed to slip Beyond its boundaries creating an

slip Beyond its boundaries creating an outcome that shouldn't be possible

outcome that shouldn't be possible there are some interesting connections

there are some interesting connections to be made regarding the artifact as it

to be made regarding the artifact as it appears in this form first in Robert

appears in this form first in Robert Chambers story The Mask the sculptor

Chambers story The Mask the sculptor Boris develops the strange liquid

Boris develops the strange liquid solution that can transform any object

solution that can transform any object into Pure White marble with blue veins

into Pure White marble with blue veins and a Rosy light at its heart after

and a Rosy light at its heart after transforming a single lily flower Boris

transforming a single lily flower Boris and his attending friend Alec briefly

and his attending friend Alec briefly Muse over whether the plant has been

Muse over whether the plant has been destroyed or preserved though without a

destroyed or preserved though without a verdict it is possible that the light we

verdict it is possible that the light we see glistening within the artifact is

see glistening within the artifact is elster's final memory and wish a dance

elster's final memory and wish a dance with her lover that will last for

with her lover that will last for eternity and like Boris we must ask

eternity and like Boris we must ask ourselves has this memory been destroyed

ourselves has this memory been destroyed or preserved for its state has been

or preserved for its state has been fundamentally altered this is not the

fundamentally altered this is not the same joyous but transitory scene that

same joyous but transitory scene that played out so long ago but is rather an

played out so long ago but is rather an everlasting Recreation of it elster and

everlasting Recreation of it elster and Ariane dancing as ghosts in a ruined

Ariane dancing as ghosts in a ruined ship

ship also worthy of note while on the topic

also worthy of note while on the topic of the artifact is the presence of a

of the artifact is the presence of a strikingly similar object in Slavic

strikingly similar object in Slavic folklore as the legend goes in the heart

folklore as the legend goes in the heart of bouillon the island which vanishes

of bouillon the island which vanishes and reappears with the ocean tide there

and reappears with the ocean tide there is a brilliant white object known as the

is a brilliant white object known as the alotir it is a living magical stone

alotir it is a living magical stone located on the borderline Between Worlds

located on the borderline Between Worlds and if discovered grants the finder

and if discovered grants the finder happiness for all time additionally the

happiness for all time additionally the a lot here is considered to symbolize

a lot here is considered to symbolize the center of the universe and the

the center of the universe and the transition from one world to another

transition from one world to another this idea neatly supports the previous

this idea neatly supports the previous explanation as elster has found her

explanation as elster has found her happiness in this object in the

happiness in this object in the convergence of multiple realities

convergence of multiple realities speaking of transitioning Between Worlds

speaking of transitioning Between Worlds though there is one final key to

though there is one final key to understanding the true nature of the

understanding the true nature of the artifact ending that also explains what

artifact ending that also explains what exactly happens to Ariane near the very

exactly happens to Ariane near the very beginning of this video I briefly

beginning of this video I briefly mentioned the similarity between

mentioned the similarity between signalus's description of the song of

signalus's description of the song of the Gods and the concept of Tau in

the Gods and the concept of Tau in Taoist philosophy and now I want to

Taoist philosophy and now I want to revisit this idea in Greater detail

revisit this idea in Greater detail specifically looking at the connections

specifically looking at the connections between Taoist Alchemy and cosmology

between Taoist Alchemy and cosmology on the most fundamental level Taoist

on the most fundamental level Taoist cosmology is a system designed to

cosmology is a system designed to explain the nature of the cosmos and its

explain the nature of the cosmos and its relationship with Humanity with the

relationship with Humanity with the concept of the Tau at its Center as a

concept of the Tau at its Center as a refresher the Tau can be understood as

refresher the Tau can be understood as the unified essence of the universe that

the unified essence of the universe that flows within all things and keeps the

flows within all things and keeps the universe in Balance this form of

universe in Balance this form of cosmology is predominantly correlative

cosmology is predominantly correlative which means it is concerned less with

which means it is concerned less with how and why diverse phenomena occur and

how and why diverse phenomena occur and more concerned with defining the

more concerned with defining the relationships present between such

relationships present between such phenomena the purpose for making these

phenomena the purpose for making these connections is to show how all things in

connections is to show how all things in their infinite diversity are in fact

their infinite diversity are in fact contained within the principle of unity

contained within the principle of unity and originate directly from the Tau

and originate directly from the Tau the system has two important sets of

the system has two important sets of emblems the bagua or eight trigrams and

emblems the bagua or eight trigrams and the Wu Xing or five elements let's start

the Wu Xing or five elements let's start with the bagua the eight base trigrams

with the bagua the eight base trigrams represent eight interrelated Concepts

represent eight interrelated Concepts that together constitute the fundamental

that together constitute the fundamental principles of reality and are as follows

principles of reality and are as follows Heaven Lake Fire Thunder Wind water

Heaven Lake Fire Thunder Wind water mountain and Earth each trigram is

mountain and Earth each trigram is composed of three lines which can be

composed of three lines which can be either broken representing Yin or solid

either broken representing Yin or solid representing yang these symbols are

representing yang these symbols are closely associated with and directly

closely associated with and directly correspond to the five elements

correspond to the five elements recognized in Wu Xing water fire wood

recognized in Wu Xing water fire wood Earth and metal the latter three of

Earth and metal the latter three of which must each correspond to two

which must each correspond to two trigrams as Illustrated in this chart so

trigrams as Illustrated in this chart so that the five can equal eight

that the five can equal eight and since both of these emblem sets are

and since both of these emblem sets are correlative there are a huge number of

correlative there are a huge number of associations for each one including such

associations for each one including such things as numbers directions attributes

things as numbers directions attributes animals body parts and so forth this

animals body parts and so forth this pattern of extended linear associations

pattern of extended linear associations should be familiar since it forms the

should be familiar since it forms the backbone of all of signalus's major

backbone of all of signalus's major puzzles which I touched on earlier in

puzzles which I touched on earlier in relation to the artifact itself though

relation to the artifact itself though the ones we see here are appropriately

the ones we see here are appropriately different from the bagua or Wu Xing

different from the bagua or Wu Xing since they apply in a different reality

since they apply in a different reality from our own

from our own one good example of the trigrams being

one good example of the trigrams being used in this pattern of associations is

used in this pattern of associations is found on the special access surgery door

found on the special access surgery door on serpinski Level 3 with 5 of them

on serpinski Level 3 with 5 of them marking the slot for their corresponding

marking the slot for their corresponding Elemental key the selection of these

Elemental key the selection of these particular five is quite interesting

particular five is quite interesting however the trigram corresponding to the

however the trigram corresponding to the Earth key is actually mountain and the

Earth key is actually mountain and the one corresponding to the water key is

one corresponding to the water key is Lake when combined together you can see

Lake when combined together you can see that all of these five Concepts Loosely

that all of these five Concepts Loosely form the image of the Isle of the Dead a

form the image of the Isle of the Dead a detail I think is quite intentional

detail I think is quite intentional since everything ties back to the

since everything ties back to the promise

promise trigrams next appear with significance

trigrams next appear with significance during the fake ending in which three

during the fake ending in which three show up briefly in unison wind heaven

show up briefly in unison wind heaven and lake or 5 1 and 2 clearly intended

and lake or 5 1 and 2 clearly intended to evoke Lilith

to evoke Lilith so obviously Taoist cosmology was

so obviously Taoist cosmology was intended to be an important part of

intended to be an important part of signalus but why what greater purpose do

signalus but why what greater purpose do these Myriad connections serve to answer

these Myriad connections serve to answer this we must now transition to Alchemy

this we must now transition to Alchemy the natural philosophy of Taoist Alchemy

the natural philosophy of Taoist Alchemy has two branches wide on or external

has two branches wide on or external Alchemy and nadon or internal Alchemy

Alchemy and nadon or internal Alchemy external Alchemy is all about

external Alchemy is all about transmuting physical substances from one

transmuting physical substances from one form to another and practitioners of why

form to another and practitioners of why Don combined lead Mercury and other

Don combined lead Mercury and other metals together in an attempt to create

metals together in an attempt to create the golden Elixir a substance believed

the golden Elixir a substance believed to Grant immortality in contrast

to Grant immortality in contrast internal Alchemy was a later development

internal Alchemy was a later development that borrowed the language of wydan and

that borrowed the language of wydan and combined it with cosmology to create an

combined it with cosmology to create an entirely new school of thought focused

entirely new school of thought focused on human beings instead of physical

on human beings instead of physical substances the goal was still to create

substances the goal was still to create a golden Elixir but it now took the form

a golden Elixir but it now took the form of ultimate self-realization elevating

of ultimate self-realization elevating oneself to the original state of Oneness

oneself to the original state of Oneness embodied by the Tau

embodied by the Tau the means to achieving this involved

the means to achieving this involved tracing the process of creation

tracing the process of creation backwards to its original Cosmic

backwards to its original Cosmic emptiness in which trigrams play a key

emptiness in which trigrams play a key role as the combination of Kian and [ __ ]

role as the combination of Kian and [ __ ] Heaven and Earth are what ultimately

Heaven and Earth are what ultimately produced The Golden Elixir this process

produced The Golden Elixir this process can be clearly seen in the way signalus

can be clearly seen in the way signalus is structured though it is notably

is structured though it is notably distorted the entire serpinski dream is

distorted the entire serpinski dream is a downward spiral in which realities

a downward spiral in which realities being unraveled into a state of

being unraveled into a state of emptiness and the idea of becoming one

emptiness and the idea of becoming one haunts all individuals trapped within

haunts all individuals trapped within Ariane is quite literally the gold key a

Ariane is quite literally the gold key a golden elixir in the making who finds

golden elixir in the making who finds herself Trapped In The Space Between

herself Trapped In The Space Between Heaven and Earth

Heaven and Earth the artifact ending shows us the

the artifact ending shows us the culmination of all of these disparate

culmination of all of these disparate elements finally shedding her cryogenic

elements finally shedding her cryogenic Chrysalis Ariane transcends her human

Chrysalis Ariane transcends her human State and joins with the song of the

State and joins with the song of the Gods manifesting as the red eye

Gods manifesting as the red eye the significance of Revelation chapter

the significance of Revelation chapter 10 verse 7 to the ending is that this

10 verse 7 to the ending is that this outcome was actually seen and predicted

outcome was actually seen and predicted before it happened the prophets referred

before it happened the prophets referred to In this passage are in fact calibri

to In this passage are in fact calibri units local nodes for Ariane signal one

units local nodes for Ariane signal one of the Transmissions seen when

of the Transmissions seen when encountering calibrian Rod front reads

encountering calibrian Rod front reads beyond the sun in the dark behind the

beyond the sun in the dark behind the Stars I saw the face of God a shape and

Stars I saw the face of God a shape and color that words cannot describe I saw

color that words cannot describe I saw the six sides of the world unfold and

the six sides of the world unfold and the light swallowed me I had become one

the light swallowed me I had become one with nothing where life and death are

with nothing where life and death are meaningless

meaningless considering how Central these

considering how Central these cosmological themes are to the whole of

cosmological themes are to the whole of signalus along with the prominent

signalus along with the prominent symbolism of the artifact itself it

symbolism of the artifact itself it would be reasonable to assume that the

would be reasonable to assume that the artifact ending is the definitive one

artifact ending is the definitive one were it not for one small detail just

were it not for one small detail just before the last scene the words remember

before the last scene the words remember our promise appear one final time for

our promise appear one final time for all it accomplishes for all the

all it accomplishes for all the probabilities that it miraculously joins

probabilities that it miraculously joins together this outcome still leaves the

together this outcome still leaves the promise unfulfilled a fact of which

promise unfulfilled a fact of which Ariane is all too aware as she gazes

Ariane is all too aware as she gazes down upon the Eternal memory

down upon the Eternal memory while I still subscribe to the idea that

while I still subscribe to the idea that all four endings canonically happen I

all four endings canonically happen I think it is intentionally left for the

think it is intentionally left for the player to decide whether the promise or

player to decide whether the promise or artifact ending is the best one which

artifact ending is the best one which outcome do you think provides the most

outcome do you think provides the most favorable resolution to ariane's

favorable resolution to ariane's nightmare destruction or preservation

well we finally made it and I have just a few final thoughts first off thank you

a few final thoughts first off thank you so much for watching and if you're

so much for watching and if you're interested in seeing future videos like

interested in seeing future videos like this please consider subscribing to the

this please consider subscribing to the channel and leaving a comment down below

channel and leaving a comment down below second I want to reiterate something I

second I want to reiterate something I said at the very beginning of the video

said at the very beginning of the video that my goal in making this breakdown

that my goal in making this breakdown was not to come up with a definitive

was not to come up with a definitive explanation for signalus but rather to

explanation for signalus but rather to promote greater understanding of its

promote greater understanding of its remarkable story and shed some light on

remarkable story and shed some light on its most persistent Mysteries

its most persistent Mysteries whether or not you agree with my

whether or not you agree with my interpretation as presented here I

interpretation as presented here I sincerely hope I've given you more to

sincerely hope I've given you more to think about and A Renewed desire to

think about and A Renewed desire to continue the search for meaning in this

continue the search for meaning in this beautiful game for just as the Isle of

beautiful game for just as the Isle of the dead and shore of Oblivion paintings

the dead and shore of Oblivion paintings have multiple versions that are all

have multiple versions that are all treated as equally valid diverse

treated as equally valid diverse interpretations of signalus are equally

interpretations of signalus are equally valid as well even when contradictions

valid as well even when contradictions arise for gestaltzerfall is par for the

arise for gestaltzerfall is par for the course the longer you look at the

course the longer you look at the entirety of elstonerian's story the more

entirety of elstonerian's story the more it seems to fall apart the question is

it seems to fall apart the question is what pattern do you see in the chaos

what pattern do you see in the chaos finally I'd like to end with a poem that

finally I'd like to end with a poem that I think beautifully articulates what

I think beautifully articulates what signalus is all about

signalus is all about let the Red Dawn surmise written by

let the Red Dawn surmise written by Bliss Carmen the first half of which can

Bliss Carmen the first half of which can be found in the king and yellow

be found in the king and yellow let the Red Dawn surmise what we shall

let the Red Dawn surmise what we shall do when this blue Starlight dies and all

do when this blue Starlight dies and all is through

is through if we have loved but well under the sun

if we have loved but well under the sun let the last Morrow tell what we have

let the last Morrow tell what we have done

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A Complete Story Breakdown of SIGNALIS