[SPOILER] Plot Discussion Thread *Spoiler Alert*

[zico]

Actually I was reading for hours as it seems with the most interest about all the story theories. And I am still not sure IF there is an actual way the story is supposed to be. I am sure Chinese Room had their outline but they want to leave it up for interpretation.

For all we know Mandus - at least a part of him is the machine. His evil part? Now who is it that we play? Just a memory? Who is the man in the iron lung? Is Mandus sitting in the chair the whole time while he's fighting the machine in a very surreal manner? That seems almost logical but I still ponder on certain aspects. We DO witness the Pig attack on London. If all is just happening in a matter of moments - why do we witness this scene in realtime?

I haven't grasped the concept to the fullest and I am sure I missed on many details in my first playthrough. However I want to share my own theory.

I base this on two things I have not seen any satisfactory answer in the thread:
a) Where exactly is the orb?
b) Why doesn't it cast a shadow?

I think the theory about two parts of Mandus' soul may be right. He split already when he touched the orb and realized the terrible fate of the world. But it still doesn't explain WHAT EXACTLY we live through in the game. And if Mandus' heart or the hearts of his children power the machine - not the orb - where IS the orb?

My theory upon this isn't 100% water proof but I think - IF Chinese Room didn't IGNORE the Orb Shadow - after all it was never stated that EVERY Orb HAS to cast one, the Mandus we play in the game might BE the Shadow itself/himself. Think about it. He got the Orb in Mexico which made him into the man designing the machine. This was the moment when he was already consumed by the Orbs shadow. I know it's far fetched but while the good half of Mandus soul seeks redemption, the destruction of the machine, it goes along with the goals of the Shadow - to sabotage the work done with the help of the Orb. So maybe the Shadow is providing the vessel for Mandus soul. And probably in the end when Mandus heart is ripped from his chest - if we would have stayed a little longer, we might have seen it wasn't his heart but the Orb.

Like I said this theory isn't 100% perfect and probably has lotsa holes you guys will rip through. Heck I admit it's VERY far fetched.

But like the Shadow was "hindering" the efforts of Daniel and later Alexander, too, it might be so fitting the Shadow in AMFP might have an interest in tearing down the machine as well.