The Ultimate SOMA Discussion Thread

**BAndrew** · 04-11-2014, 09:05 PM

(04-11-2014, 09:03 PM)Macgyverthehero Wrote:
(04-11-2014, 08:49 PM)BAndrew Wrote: Why would anyone build a station underwater in the first place? What's the purpose?

Ever seen the movie The Abyss? That took place on an underwater oil drilling platform.

No, but how does this answer my question? The research station has nothing to do with oil. The purpose of PATHOS-2 has probably something to do with AI and consciousness. So what's the point building it underwater?

**Sampyli** · 04-11-2014, 09:33 PM

(04-11-2014, 09:05 PM)BAndrew Wrote: So what's the point building it underwater?

(04-03-2014, 08:29 PM)Sampyli Wrote: Well, no ones going to find you in the bottom of the ocean so you can do some preeeetty secret stuff down there, like study weird dangerous machines you've found and keep them away from other people.

**BAndrew** · 04-11-2014, 09:36 PM

(04-03-2014, 08:29 PM)Sampyli Wrote: Well, no ones going to find you in the bottom of the ocean so you can do some preeeetty secret stuff down there, like study weird dangerous machines you've found and keep them away from other people.

Why not in a deserted area or underground? It's much cheaper and safer.

**Sampyli** · 04-11-2014, 11:07 PM

(04-11-2014, 09:36 PM)BAndrew Wrote: Why not in a deserted area or underground? It's much cheaper and safer.

For a company that does that kind of stuff, money probably isn't an issue.

**BAndrew** · 04-11-2014, 11:23 PM

(04-11-2014, 11:07 PM)Sampyli Wrote:
(04-11-2014, 09:36 PM)BAndrew Wrote: Why not in a deserted area or underground? It's much cheaper and safer.

For a company that does that kind of stuff, money probably isn't an issue.

Even so, then why underwater and not underground? Also PATHOS-2 is a research station not a company.

**Kein** · 04-11-2014, 11:49 PM

(04-11-2014, 07:48 PM)Fortigurn Wrote:
(04-10-2014, 04:03 PM)SomethingRidiculous Wrote: When the surface of the ocean is seen just outside the base in a preview video, it doesn't seem that dark, almost like a twilight-ish on the surface. ASSUMING that it's currently daytime in the surface, I would place my guess of the base in the Mesopelagic part of the sea. The Mesopelagic has a twilight-ish color with the depth of 200 - 1000 m. Using equation of the pressure increase, we know that it has the pressure of 20 - 100 atmospheric pressure which doesn't sound that bad.

However, if it's currently night time in the surface, then I would place my bet on the Epipelagic part of the sea, with the depth of 0 - 200 m, with the pressure of 1 - 20 atmospheric pressure which makes it more habitable.

This post has great merit when we consider other clues in the video. Firstly, we don't see any of the typical marine life of the Abyssal or Hadal zones. Secondly, we see small fish which are typical of much shallower zones.

Spoiler below!

Thirdly, we see a small crab of the kind found in shallower waters, nowhere near the Abyssal zone.

Spoiler below!

Fourthly, and very importantly, we see a hammerhead shark, barnacles, and common bivalve mollusks (not the giant mollusks found at Abyssal depths).

Spoiler below!

Spoiler below!

None of these are found anywhere near the Abyssal zone; barnacles are only found down to 600 metres, and while one type of hammerhead is found down to 500 metres, another type is found only down to 80 metres.

If the plot is true to these details, we can reliably place the undersea station within the shallow regions of the Mesopelagic zone at deepest, and more likely in the deepest part of the Epipelagic zone.

We are back on the track, I see. Nice.

And yes, this is more likely.

(04-03-2014, 08:29 PM)Sampyli Wrote: Well, no ones going to find you in the bottom of the ocean so you can do some preeeetty secret stuff down there, like study weird dangerous machines you've found and keep them away from other people.

That's kinda primitive way to keep things in secret. Going underwater just for that? Nah, there probably must be geological reason for that. Perhaps this exact spot(s; for the stations) has some particular value for the research? That, or... may be it is safety reasons. Not to keep outside world from what's inside, but vice versa- to protect the outside world.

**Alardem** · 04-12-2014, 01:18 AM

They clearly found some alien ruins underwater. Remember that this is, once again, going to be set in a Lovecraftian world - and I'm sure everyone knows where Cthulhu lives...

**BAndrew** · 04-12-2014, 01:20 AM

(04-12-2014, 01:18 AM)Alardem Wrote: They clearly found some alien ruins underwater. Remember that this is, once again, going to be set in a Lovecraftian world - and I'm sure everyone knows where Cthulhu lives...

Is it just an assumption or did you read it somewhere?

**SeanieTheMan** · 04-12-2014, 04:48 AM

My theory is that the entire body of water we have seen is actually inside the station itself and we are still in space :p

**Ghieri** · 04-12-2014, 07:29 AM

(04-12-2014, 01:20 AM)BAndrew Wrote:
(04-12-2014, 01:18 AM)Alardem Wrote: They clearly found some alien ruins underwater. Remember that this is, once again, going to be set in a Lovecraftian world - and I'm sure everyone knows where Cthulhu lives...

Is it just an assumption or did you read it somewhere?

Well, my theory is that they discovered something of interest and built a base around it because it's super interesting, and that super interesting thing doesn't like being probed, so it's going to eat their brains.(Last part is hyperbole.)

Why build a base in Antarctica? Because that's where the research is.