Sundex's Theories

[Sundex]

[begin transcript]
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zta ... sp=sharing

[Sundex]

I am back I think...

Discord Discourse Discussing Submachine's Lab Portals on Discord

XYZ Theory.PNG (248.84 KiB) Viewed 28847 times

Also, I do believe that even if you reversed the numbers in the x & z coordinates, you would not change the output of the counter-example. It still disproves the XYZ thought.

HOWEVER, I do not have any replacement mechanic for the Lab Portals.

[Jatsko]

"XYZ physical coordinates don't make sense" seems to be correct. I think for this reason people have tried to avoid pairing the XYZ coordinates with a physical Euclidean grid. I believe the Wiki also tries to avoid this assumption though I don't remember that much.

It should be pointed out that the conglomerate Root map actually does contain locations arranged in a 3D-screened space, but the locations with screens extending on the Z axis have been flattened. 552 + (2,0) is an example, though again this isn't specifically an XYZ coordinate.

[chryoyo]

How exciting!

[Sundex]

I will get straight to the point here: The player traverses in the third layer for at least Submachine 2 through up to and (maybe) including Submachine 7.

The initial proof can be found in Submachine 9. Near the end of the game, the player has to go into layer 3 to revisit the mover used previously in Submachine 5. Within the mover, they find the three wisdom gems that had been previously used to power the mover until it was intercepted in Submachine 6.

The mover in Submachine 9 while in Layer 3. Notice the deformed look thanks to the karma portal (digression)

Mover_Layer_3.PNG (332.18 KiB) Viewed 27790 times

However, if the player changes layers while in the mover, it disappears, and the wisdom gems with it.

The Mover while in Layer 2. Notice that it doesn't exist. This holds true for all layers other than layer three

Mover_Layer_2.PNG (74.91 KiB) Viewed 27790 times

Although I have the wisdom gems in my gameplay, I would have not been able to grab them if I went to layer two beforehand because the mover is not there.

Backtracking to Submachine 5, which is where we find the three wisdom gems needed to power the mover: We find one of the three wisdom gems in location (2, 0) of the root in the... lighthouse dungeons. Is it just me or is that the exact same wisdom gem from Submachine 2? Before we confirm that Submachine 5 is layer 3 as well, we have one conflict: The Lab Portal. Although we are (fairly) certain that it is not based on a euclidean xyz pattern, we are uncertain as to whether it can teleport humans transdimensionally. This needs to be false in order to continue.

[Sundex]

For us to be able to discern that a lab portal does not transport players through layers, we need two views of the same location. In this case, we need to analyze two of each of the following locations (as they are the most relevant in supporting the claim):

1. 747
2. 552

Let's start with 747. For reference, I will be using the two maps found at https://submachine.fandom.com/wiki/Corridor. In Submachine 5, we use the mover that can be found in the corridor. However, it is intercepted in Submachine 6, and we don't see it go anywhere else. Based on the deformities in Submachine 9, we can see that the mover is still in the void. That means that the streaks on the Submachine Universe picture were made by the mover. We were unable to see them because we were in the mover at the time they were created.

552 is next. Ref: https://submachine.fandom.com/wiki/Root_baseThe power is off. However, the device that had supplied the power in Submachine 5 is still plugged in. To explain this, look back to Submachine 10 Tile Room D. That room is the Root Generator. It had been damaged by Murtaugh, and was currently being healed by 5 karmic veins:

The generator being healed by 5 karmic veins

Tile_d_room.png (36.42 KiB) Viewed 27788 times

"Did you see the power generator in the oldest sections of the root? The one destroyed by your portal long time ago? Now it's being rebuilt by five karmic veins."

Because the generator was out of commission, not all sections of the root were powered, hence why the Root Base is dark in Submachine Universe.
The next piece of information in 552 that has to be explained is the difference in void color. We don't have to analyse it because it has already been done for us. In 2013, a forum user explained why the void is different in Subverse and Sub 5:

Credit: read the freaking image

Sub-5_Void_Color_explanation.PNG (16.09 KiB) Viewed 27772 times

Why did we have to confirm that the lab portal doesn't take us through layers? Remember, to get to the corridor, you have to use the lab portal to go from 552 to 747. One example of the change in location is not enough to constitute that you are staying on the same layer. Anyway, now we know that we don't change layers. That means we grab the wisdom gem from Sub 5 in layer 3. Because this wisdom gem is unidimensional (as seen when we go to the mover in Submachine 9), that means that to receive it from Layer 3 in Submachine 5, we would have had to place it in Layer 3 for Submachine 2.

You all might be asking about Submachine 1 now and whether that is on Layer 3 or not. I cannot confirm or deny that. Remember the picture I showed you in the first part of this post? The one where I was in layer 2 holding the wisdom gems. That reveals something else: whatever you are carrying on you at the time you shift layers also shifts layers. Canonically, we are supposed to carry the wisdom gem on us as we exit Submachine 1, and we enter a karma portal to make it to Submachine 2. We know that karma portals have the ability to send the player through the layers, so we only know that we end up in layer 3 by the end of it. Our starting layer in Submachine 1 is unknown.

That's it! Time to fix the wiki

[Jatsko]

The first post seems good. I can't think of anything that is glaringly obvious; it's pretty clear that the mover can't exist in any other layer, and we know that it's the same mover from Sub6 from a previous confirmation.

Regarding the second post: lab portals being uni-dimensional is a solid piece to satisfy the theory, yes. (Which has been elaborated on by people for a while, before you came along. Again, it's the thing with blue and green portals and layer properties and whatnot)

For us to be able to discern that a lab portal does not transport players through layers, we need two views of the same location.

I do not immediately see why, but let's see.

In Submachine 5, we use the mover that can be found in the corridor. However, it is intercepted in Submachine 6, and we don't see it go anywhere else. Based on the deformities in Submachine 9, we can see that the mover is still in the void.

Note: I'm 95% certain it's been confirmed that even though the SubVerse and Sub5 747 maps have different room layouts, they are the same physical location. Mat added an extra room to SubVerse for some reason that I can't recall.

Should point out, just because we don't see it go anywhere else doesn't mean that it didn't. We can't even really tell if the mover was standing still or moving backwards in Sub6's intro because there's literally no reference to compare it to, lol. But the conclusion is that it's in the void somewhere, that's fine. It could have stayed there, or have been on the way back to 747, or maybe on its way somewhere else for inspection.

Which brings up a question: why does the maintenance system have a protocol where an unscheduled movement necessitates a point of contact that brings the mover directly to the Defense System, instead of, idk, anywhere that's not what might be on its way to being attacked by whatever's inside an unruly mover? Is there no way for the DS to forcibly reverse the mover back to its starting point, or do something else to intercept and actually deal with it outside the DS rather than bringing whatever's inside to the DS automatically? Seems weird.

That means that the streaks on the Submachine Universe picture were made by the mover. We were unable to see them because we were in the mover at the time they were created.

No, this does not follow. The absence of the mover revealing streaks in its spot does not mean the mover made those streaks. It can reasonably be assumed that the mover made those streaks simply because nothing else would probably do that, but not specifically because "the mover was in the void".

Unfortunately there's nothing else that you give from 747 that shows that the portal acts on one layer. Were you trying to go for something that shows "both maps appear to be part of the same layer --> the portal hasn't changed layers --> the portal doesn't change layers during transport"? Because that in itself has a whole lot wrong with it. I just don't see the evidence you said this would show.

Your stuff for 552 seems like it might go down a specific path that I can't figure out, so going to voice and later posting the results might be the best option for now.

[Sundex]

Were you trying to go for something that shows "both maps appear to be part of the same layer --> the portal hasn't changed layers --> the portal doesn't change layers during transport"? Because that in itself has a whole lot wrong with it.

I am now in full agreement with this statement. I relearned that the knots exists, and therefore we can't make the assumption that all the locations I am studying are outside of it because we don't know the region of them. (More on that later)

Now let's look back on the oral discussion that me and Jatsko had after he made this post. The first thig we talked about was, surprisingly, 550, but during that discussion, we agreed on one thing: The placement of the wisdom gem in Submachine 2 and the retrieval of it in Submachine 5 was a unique action that could have only happened on that layer. This is an instance of what I am going to refer to as "The Cause-Effect Proof" and it will be the main proof that I try to use for certain locations within the Subnet.

A couple posts ago, we made the claim that Submachine 2 through Submachine 7 all take place in the third layer. We got as far as connecting Submachine 2 and location 552 of Submachine 5 to the same layer and connecting location 747 of Submachine 5 and the Mover to the same layer, but we never connected the separate examples because of the lab portals.

As mentioned in the previous post (and in the title of this post), the only way to prove the connection between these two instances is to prove the unidimensionality of lab portals, leading to a side-claim.

I have spent a couple of days reviewing why my previous mindset was wrong, and now I am going to lay down the process I used to gain the results that I have found.

To begin with, I decided to look beyond the two instances that were the main focus of the L3 theory and compiled a list of locations which were reached by a lab portal in 2 instances (ground rule #1). The resulting conglomerate was:

001
043
104
291
452
462
529
551
552
690
728
747
770
800

From there, I started to analyze, but I hit a roadblock in my discoveries when I took a look at a few locations together (namely 043, 104, and 452). The puzzles for the given locations were NOT SOLVED, but the statue was FIXED. At this point, I called Submachine Universe a convolution of time, and the only explanation I had was that locations were not regularly updated by Mateusz to satisfy the current point in time reflected by new locations. When I told Sublevel 108 about the convolution, I also asked him if he could provide me with maps of Subnet Locations from old updates. He one-upped my request and sent me a 45-video playlist showing updates 1.0.0 (1-43), 2.2.1 (44), and 2.3.0 (45). The playlist in question can be found https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 488F87F034 I watched only a select few videos, as not all of them were important in the theorizing (the videos were 42, 43, 44, and 45). I decided to separate the games based on the updates that they first appeared in and analyze each update separately (ground rule #2). I also used the videos to determine the timing of each updated compared to the main series*. Upon the separation, I came up with the following 2 lists.

*note: Timing is based on in-game. I know that these first few versions were all released between Sub 6 and Sub 7.

V1.0.0 (June 8, 2010) (Takes place Before Submachine 4)
001
043
104
291
747
770

V2.2.1 (June 24, 2010) (Takes place between the end of Submachine 5 and the beginning of Submachine 7)
452
462
529
551
552
690
728
800

After the lists were made, I made two more ground rules:

Clues and Theories will be considered as irrelevant additions, as the purpose of SNEE was to be a game for the fans (partly by the fans). Therefore, additions such as clues and theories were for the fans to utilize and not analyze.
Cause-Effect proof must be used, as it resembles a unique action that only took place in that layer.

I finally continued analyzing using the cause-effect proof, and I came to the following conclusions:

Proved Locations

552
In Submachine 5, most of the main gameplay occurs in 552. During the beginning of traversing 552, the player can go behind the lab portal, find a pedestal, and grab the secret on top. Afterwards, the player goes into the root through a small opening through which a cord runs (he picks up a brass sphere on the way, although irrelevant). Then, they restore power to the root by removing the power cord from an unidentified canister and plugging it into the root power system. From there, the player can explore the rest of the root and complete the task they were assigned. In Submachine Universe, the player can return to the secret pedestal, but the secret will not be there. The player can also traverse part of the Root Base, but they will not be able to go far because the power ran out even though the cord is still plugged into the system.
The unique actions in this scenario are the retrieval of the secret (causing the secret to not exist in subverse) and the restoration of power to the root (the action taken is still visible, but its effects are not).

462
In Submachine 4, we turn off the water flow in 551 and go back to 462 and use the hammer to remove the lock off of the hatch. Upon opening the hatch, we can receive the turbine. In addition, when we ring all four bells with the symbols on their pedestal (001, 043, 104, 800), a panel with the same symbol opens up in 462 allowing us to obtain a secret. In Submachine Universe, the switch in 551 is broken causing the water to resume flowing. Because the hatch has remained open, the water has started to flow out of the pipes. In addition, the water has flowed into where the secret was located because the panel remained open.
In this scenario, the effect of us opening the hatch was the spewing of water within the location. This is not enough evidence to prove the unidimensionality of 551 because the only action we took regarding the water flow was stopping it; we never broke the buttons. However, this is enough evidence to prove the unidimensionality of 462.

690
In Submachine 4, we have a puzzle that takes place in these looping rooms. The player has to activate 4 switches using a device in (-1, 0) of the 3*3 looping space. Then, the player goes to (-1, 1) to remove a glass panel that blocks an orb. In Submachine Universe, although the puzzle is powered off, it is obvious that someone had completed it because the switches are in the "on" position, and even though the glass panel is laying aside from the container, there is no orb to be found. The example speaks for itself.

800
In Submachine 4, 800 is one of the last places the player visits. They use the screwdriver to unlatch a panel from the ship wall, and they use a knife to cut a wire which releases a ladder. In Submachine Universe, the changes made from Submachine 4 are still there with the only difference being that the ladder was removed from the pipe and laid on the floor, so the top of the ship cannot be explored. The example still speaks for itself.

452
Although this one is the easiest to explain away, it does not make it the best example (those are at the top). Basically, in Sub 4, you just complete the game in its entirety because rebuilding the statue was the end-goal. In Submachine Universe, the statue is built. The actions we took in Submachine 4 caused Submachine Universe 452 to look as it does.

728
This is also easily explained. The player hunts for 21 secrets in Submachine 4 that allow the gates in 728 to be opened. In Submacine Universe, they are still opened.

Unproved Locations

043, 104, 747, 770
It is sad to say, but these location were ones that stumped me when using this proof because all of their Submachine Universe counterparts showed times before we even explored them in the main series. Because of this, the only comparisons that could be made were architecturally, but that isn't considered enough evidence to be a proof because of the existence of the Knot. The Knot is a location in the Core in which all layers of the Subnet coincide; they exist in tandem in (approximately) the same fashion. Because we did not have confirmation of the regions in which these areas were located, we were unsure as to whether they were Outer Rim mutations or parts to the Knot. Therefore, an architectural comparison could not be used.

001
This particular location was almost in the same pickle as the ones listed above, but I noticed one flaw within the location when I looked at video #43 in the playlist: the gate to the lab portal was opened even though the location should have taken place before Submachine 4. Because of this, I started to assume that this location took place sometime after Submachine 4, but I needed a new update to tie it to. This is where video #45 came into play; it showed Update 2.3.0 which included location 277: The Radio Lab. In this location, the player could find a laboratory key which is used on the lab door in 001 to gain access to more of the location. I immediately tied the location to the update, and it almost turned out a success. almost. When I moved 001 to after Submachine 5, I forgot one important detail: we had opened the door using a gold key in Submachine 4 and used the acidoxide on the lock mechanism to override the gate and reach the lab portal. In Submachine Universe, we see no unlocked door or affected mechanism. The problem with this location was much grander than the four listed above, and I am ashamed that I didn't see it sooner.

551, 529
These two locations are one in the same, and I will explain why. For 551, we use the buttons to stop the flow in Submachine 4, and they are broken in Submachine Universe. For 529 in Submachine 4, we use the coil to power up the light beam. Then, we use a CD from the lab to somehow reflect the condensed light to a podium on which we put the orb from 690 on and heat up to retrieve a key that we use in 800. In Submachine Universe, the power is off, and there is no evidence that the location had been used (not CD nor orb fragments). In both instances, the player performs actions in one instance of the location that don't have an effect on how the location turns out in another instance. Because the player's actions have no effect, we cannot confirm the lab portal's unidimensionality in these locations.

291
I have a fucking nerve to pick with this one. Remember in the beginning when I assumed that 291 was part of update 1.0.0? That opens up a HUGE CAN OF WORMS When Submachine 7 released 6 months after the release of Subverse 1.0, we arrive at Submachine 7 using.... an edge portal! If I were to explain this location with Subverse coming first, not only would I have to explain how the lab portal was unreverse-engineered, but I would also not come close to finding anything because the player did not cause the things that were part of the invasion to exist; Murtaugh caused it. I had no other option but to abandon this location, but hold on a minute, wasn't this a subverse before the invasion? There was another update some, I don't know, 2 YEARS AFTER THE RELEASE OF SUBMACHINE 7 WHICH FINALLY FIXED UP 291 AND MADE IT REFLECT THE SUBNET POST SUB 7?! So I decided to use that version only. It fixed the edge portal to lab portal situation, but upon looking at the locations, it appeared to me that the evidence of an invasion ever happening was erased... so that removes the right side of the sanctuary from analysis. I guess I can just go the left side to see the portal door that I made back in Submachine 7. Oh wait, I can't. THEY FUCKING BLOCKED THE BIG HOLE IN THE WALL! This location had so much potential of being a huge example. I blame Murtaugh for this.

So those are all the results: 6 proven examples and 8 unproven examples. I don't know how that looks in your eyes, but it seems to me that it is enough information. If it isn't, I am stumped on how to continue this, so I'll probably be passing the torch along to someone or working with someone for the remainder of the creation of this theory. I just really want this point to be proven because it would allow for So much more confirmations within the Subnet. Basically, if the lab portals were unidimensional, it wouldn't just mean that our time from Sub 2 to Sub 7 was in the third layer, but it would mean a plethora of other things. One example would be the multidimensionality of karma portals (or at least some more physical evidence of it) when we go from 552 to KAR or from 966 to WIQ. Maybe this has applications that I haven't even thought of yet! The big picture is that this would be a game-changing theory, but theories like that involve a lot of work. This is only a fraction of it.

[Sundex]

YES, I AM POSTING AGAIN INSTEAD OF TAKING A DAY TO LET THE INFORMATION SINK IN, BUT THIS IS EXCITING NEWS!!!

I was talking to a friend on Discord (Argonbolt) who had been theorizing for a while (he has a location in Subverse). I told him about the main claim and the side claim that I had been trying to prove. This was his response:

Argonbolt has done a big favor in my mind.

ULTIMATE_PROOF.PNG (89.94 KiB) Viewed 27714 times

Tell me this doesn't prove the claim and I'll direct you to the person himself.

But anyway, I think that the notes he is referring to regarding this are:

To be back in only one layer, Murtaugh had to lose his focus. After he focused his mind back on the structure of the plan, his exploration teams didn't understand what happened.

Remember, we're one-dimensional.

With the 1st note applying the unidimensionality of others in the Subnet, stated by note 2, by stating that Murtaugh, a multidimensional being, could not focus on them. He used that logic to claim the unidimensionality of normal people in the Subnet, then took it one step further and said that they could only create unidimensional portals (such as the lab portal)

[Sundex]

BIG 100!!! I really need some feedback on this one.

We have 10 Sub "Main Series" games, 3 "Side games", and a "SNEEMSPO". As of 2014, Mateusz made HD versions for every game. There were changes made to some games that made them all canon… Notice how I said that every game is canon. Which game do you guys think I am going to try and connect to the series? That's right! SNEEMSPO! I believe that Subverse is a game that is underrated in terms of lore, and rightfully so. It was a game that was made by Mateusz with the intent to include fan-made creations such as theories, fanart, and music. At the end of the day, these are all just minor additions. I am not saying that they should be entirely ignored as some of the theories and fanart have some pretty unique explanations for impossible concepts, but for the sake of this particular theory I can't include them. I can however, include the games numerous locations that seem to pair up with a certain time within the main series. The locations that do this are very few, but the results of this are very much. So much so that I have a new claim that contradicts one claim I made with Chryoyo while making the Submachine Timeline: We are following Murtaugh and Liz.
The way we will prove this will be different than what most theories do. I am actually going to take a few concepts that seem irrelevant to the main claim and discuss/prove them: the importance of analyzing not only the most recent Subverse, but previous updates as well in light of the main series, the nature of "in-game time" and why, although abstract in nature, it is concrete info in determining certain aspects of the main series, the claim that the lighthouse is part of the Knot, and the claim that both lab and root portals are both 1) unidimensional and 2) of the 3rd layer. With these smaller claims, along with prior knowledge, we will tell the story that the main series is meant to tell.
Firstly, we need to establish one thing as fact: Submachine Universe is explored by a different person than the Main Series. However, the growth of the game over real-time helps determine some crucial information in-game. As an example, consider Submachine 2, 5, and Universe. Now, instead of considering the most recent version of Subverse, go all the way back to 2009 and think of the first ever version: 50 locations, 13 theories, 1 (or 2) items, and so much more. Now what map do these all have in common? The Lighthouse Dungeons. What time are we exploring these locations? It varies, but we know that Sub 2 came first. We just need to figure out when Subverse 1.0.0 takes place. For this, consider location 043 and the ellipsoid that inhabits the area. In Sub 4, we pour water on this ellipsoid to retrieve a Sceptre. Because this ellipsoid is still here, we cannot be exploring anytime after Sub 4. Therefore, the order of games based on in-game timing is 2, Subverse 1.0.0, 4, 5. In-game timing is a fancy way of saying when everything happened within the games. It does not take into account real-life release dates (see the explanation of SU2.7.1)
Before we go further, we now have to address the concept of layers. Layers are different realities which coincide with each other. Think of seven or eight 3D coordinate planes stacked on top of each other. Some are in perfect sync such as The Knot (with slight nuances between layers here and there) while other points are completely different from each other (Sector 9/The Plan).
How does this relate to our list above? Well, sad news: The Lighthouse is within the core and is part of the knot. Consider the 4 games in which the lighthouse dungeon is explored: Sub 2, 5, Universe, and 10. 2 and 5 are concretely connected to each other via our interactions with a wisdom gem; we put in in a machine in Sub 2 and retrieve the gem from the same machine in Sub 5. This information, although true, must still be questioned, and the biggest possible falsifier is whether wisdom gems are unidimensional or not, but there is no need to worry, for they are. Consider Sub 9. We go to the third layer in the Shiva section to find a karma portal to the mover from Sub 5. We retrieve 3 wisdom gems, one of which is the one from the Lighthouse, and place them in layers 2, 4, and 6. If wisdom gems were multidimensional, there would only be a need for one wisdom gem to solve the puzzle. Remember this example. It is full of other answers. With this piece of information, we can safely say that Sub 2 and 5 are connected, but what about Universe and 10? Consider Universe by itself. There is a rusted arcade machine and a pile of rubble keeping us away from the left and upper portions of the dungeons. Ask the question, “how could that rubble have gotten there?” Then, consider your point in time: Before Sub 4. In Sub 2, we used the light in the lighthouse to transport to the loop. Recall the portal note: “I did draw a portal in here, however it's not stable.” Because of the instability of the Lighthouse Dungeons, the Lighthouse was further buried in rubble. This rubble blocks off the Subverse area and the Sub 5 area. Suddenly, you have your answer, but could there be a way that Subverse happened before Sub 2? No. There cannot be a Lab Portal in the lighthouse until Murtaugh shows the explorers his powers, for there were no lab portals until the explorers used the same power to create them. Finally, Sub 10. First, consider the surroundings: Resin, and a broken arcade machine. Recall that last we saw this machine, it was rusted. The question becomes, “How could a rusted machine suddenly be removed of rust?” No answer comes up, and this becomes the most concrete piece of evidence that there is a 2nd layer which the Lighthouse inhabits, and because there are so many similarities between these two layers, the assumption becomes that they are part of the knot.
Because the lighthouse is part of the knot, there must be two different layers we visit for it: one for Sub 2, Subverse, and Sub 5 and one for Sub 10. Because Subverse is involved with this list, the layer we traverse for the first 3 games in this list must also be the same layer traversed for Sub 4. Why? Because lab portals are unidimensional. They were created by a group of one-dimensional minds, the explorers, using what Murtaugh showed them. Their understanding of karma and such technologies that coincide with it was limited, so naturally, they would only be able to make a limited portal. This is something I have dubbed the Wylie Proposal from time to time, as I did not come up with it: Aiden Wylie did. He was the person referenced in the location AWY in Subverse.
I digress, we still need to determine a layer in which our travels occured. Consider the example from Sub 9 once again. Recall that we go to the third layer to retrieve those gems. Utilizing this, we trace the “roots” of two of the three gems back to the 3rd layer in Sub 5. The other one is utilized in the 3rd layer of Sub 2 and 5, but its “roots” trace back to Sub 1, whose layer of reality is currently irrelevant.
Now, sure you might blindly agree that these gems are all on the third layer, but others might hone in on one crucial factor: the root portals. These are used to navigate the root and retrieve said wisdom gems. How can we be sure that these portals are unidimensional as well? Consider what we know already: Lab portals are of the third layer, and the lighthouse dungeons in Sub 5 are of the third layer. Now, recognize that there is a usage of the Root portal to transport between these two places. If there is no change of layer between transport in one instance, then there should be no change of layer between transport in all instances.
Next, let’s discuss the Loop. Now, I have spent hours looking at Jatsko’s theory that describes the loop, but with all honestly, I beg to differ on the big picture. Based on the notes in-game, I believe not that we are in the loop for a long instantaneous amount of time, but for an instantaneously long amount of time. The “black hole” that the loop is described as does slow down the time-space measurements, but that slowdown only applies to the loop. Time everywhere else is still moving at a pace much faster than your current speed within the loop. In addition, consider the note at SYNTAGMA: “Have you noticed that with each puzzle solved you move deeper below ground?” Deeper within the loop means deeper within the state of slower wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff. Hence why after you escape, it has already been at least 32 years in-game. This thought process does raise some questions: Why wasn’t Murtaugh affected the same way? How could he go into the loop at 1906 and still exit at 1906 while also traversing so deep within the loop? Why is a leaf the item that comes in clutch when we are almost in the clutches of the machine? I do not have an answer for those questions yet, but please feel free to discuss this with people if you have ideas.
Finally, we need to establish a point in time for as many other Subverse updates as possible.
First up, version 2.2.1. Consider location 552 in both Sub5 and SU2.2.1. In Sub 5, we turn on the generator, but when we reach 2.2.1, the generator has died out. The big takeaway is that this puts 2.2.1 after Sub 5. However, consider 291 in its uninterrupted state. This puts the update before Sub 7.
Next up, 2.3.0. This update won't be considered chronologically, but I will refer to it for crucial information. Consider 355. There is a note here from December 12th, 1906 reminding Murtaugh to check on 291 as an entry point. This note reveals that the motive of Murtaugh's ⅓ of the Subnet exploration was to return to the Core.
2.4.0 is only interesting as it is the first location where we see karma portals in Subverse. The karma portals were Murtaugh's doing, but the main reason behind it won't be visible until a story is made.
Version 2.7.1 updates 291 to look as if it had just been invaded. The destruction shows that beyond this update, we are beyond Sub 7. If we were to take into account the date this update was released, it would cut into Sub 8's release date, but we know that because Murtaugh and the other scientists made it look like they weren't there to the best of their abilities after their work was done, it is unwise to say their work took as long as it did.

With this information, we can now try to complete the story. In the Summer of 1905, Murtaugh was spending time at Kent Falls when he was given a karmic arm by Shiva. Not knowing how it functioned, he started testing it out. His first karma portal took him from Kent Falls to inside the Kent Lighthouse.
This is when the player is introduced to the Basement, but not any Basement that is on the same layer as Murtaugh currently. As the player traverses the basement, Murtaugh continues his tests, causing massive death tolls as he does. In October of 1905, he met Einstein, a cat from the First Layer with a power similar to his own. He also started communicating to Liz. One day, people were angry at Murtaugh and decided that they were going to bury the lighthouse with Murtaugh inside. Murtaugh had built a portal out of the lighthouse light, but it was unstable. Liz warned him that if he used that portal, he would no longer have access to the Core. He weighs his options, takes his chances, and uses the portal. Elizabeth takes Einstein back to the first layer.
Fast-forward about a year: December of 1906. Murtaugh is already exploring the Subnet; he had escaped the Loop. The explorers are currently setting up the Lab Portals; they had seen what Murtaugh is capable of. You are currently in the third layer; you are trapped in a Lighthouse that was buried sideways. You have no choice but to escape the same way Murtaugh did: the lighthouse light which takes you to The Loop.
When you escape the Loop and enter the 3rd layer lab, about 32 years have past, and the work of Murtaugh and the Explorers had been done. When you enter the scene, you are able to finish off where they started… NO, not in terms of Subnet exploration. That’s SNEEMSPO. Instead, you finish the puzzles that they couldn’t. However, you can’t blame them. Murtaugh abandoned them to tend to the Plan, but he saw it in all of its glory, and it blinded his mind (my theory is that FLF is the experiences of Murtaugh during this time, but that’s for another day ). When you complete the puzzles, you are transported to the Root where your real tasks begin.
Your first task given by Murtaugh is to power the mover in 747 with 3 wisdom gems from 552. One of these gems is the one from Sub 2, tying Sub 5 to the third layer, one is found in the root, and the last is found in a familiar place: Ancient Adventure. Once the mover is powered up and running, it is intercepted by the defense systems. Murtaugh is able to communicate with you after you disable some of the protocols. Coincidentally, the message involves disabling more protocols. After shutting off the whole of the defense system, the core is unguarded, and Murtaugh can finally utilize that entry point back from December of 1906. He abandons you as he abandoned the Explorers, but you are able to, once again, follow him to the Core.
At the core, you see the results of Murtaugh’s invasions. Research tables are everywhere, and there are some karmic technologies blocking your path. Here, the player finally gets a message from Liz. She tells the player of Murtaugh’s plans to seek revenge on those who buried him. She plans on going to the 5th layer to warn them. Up to Sub 9, we follow not Mur, but Liz.
Sub 8 is the first game with multidimensional transport. The biggest takeaway is that Liz has already undone “the knot” within the Plan. Now it is our turn to do the same. In the end, just as Liz had said she would do, we make it to the 5th layer and into the temple.
Sub 9 describes the conversion that Murtaugh went through… okay, that’s through the secret notes. If you play through the grave, you see their graves, but as Stefan Stephenson once said, “They’re here… and they’re not here.” This temple is their final destination, but it does not come as soon as the player first thinks. In fact, as the descend the temple, enter the 8th layer, and use the white portal, they will learn that Murtaugh and Liz are still very much alive.
Sub 10: The Grand Finale. The player goes through every portion that they had recently discovered, but in a different way: on a different layer. The layer in question, the player doesn’t know, for he has no navigator. However, the information he receives from these areas in mind-changing: Murtaugh and Elizabeth were alive and out of the Subnet after attempting to restore it before at least 32 days after the Subnet’s sentience was revealed by Elizabeth. You turn the lighthouse light off. Murtaugh and Elizabeth sense that you are almost free, and when you are free, they are there to welcome you as the journey ends.