<Q> Quantum Field Theory
Here is my explanation on mechanics of infinite loops. The theory is mainly to explain how the loop occurs and its interactions with the protagonists.
Most of the story elements are unchanged. It is a view from a scientific / Sci-fi perspective.
To understand how the loop works, we need to see if there are any evidence in "Reset" that provides a scientific explanation.
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Evidence of abnormaly:
click to show/hide spoilers
Below is the time sequence for EP12:
Drama Time "Reset" "Reset"
(Viewer's Reality) - (Drama Time) - Main Cast's <Time Devices> / Event or location
1) 31:40 - 13:31 pm - <Zhang's Handphone> Zhang received Heyun message
2) 32:09 - 13:33 pm - <Police Car GPS> Time
3) 32:53 - 13:32 pm - <Heyun's Handphone> Zhang replied
4) 33:35 - 13:38:35pm - <Heyun's Watch>
5) 33:40 - - Drop off Zone: Bus 45 stopped timing
6) 35:22 - - Drop off Zone: Bus 45 continue timing
7) 35:26 - 13:39:51pm - <Wang's Watch>
8) 36:09 - - Riverside East Stn Police setup complete
9) 40:49 - - Bus 45 up the bridge timing
10) 42:08 - 13:42:09pm - <Heyun's Watch> Middle of Bridge 1
11) 43:28 - 13:44:18pm - <Heyun's watch> Middle of Bridge 2
From <Zhang's Handphone> to <Wang's Watch> : Police station to Riverside East stn
Drama Time : 31:40~35:26 = 3min 46sec
"Reset" Time: 31:XX~39:51 = 9min
Time Ratio: = Drama Time / "Reset" Time = 0.42X
This shows that there is time variance between
our world and "Reset" world. But that is not the point.
Based on <Heyun's Watch>: From Drop off zone to Middle of Bridge 1
Drama Time : 33:35~42:08 = 8min 33sec
"Reset" Time: 38:35~42:09 = 3min 34sec
Time Ratio: = Drama Time / "Reset" Time = 2.39X
Based on <Heyun's Watch>: Middle of Bridge 1 to Middle of Bridge 2
Drama Time : 42:08~43:28 = 1min 20sec
"Reset" Time: 42:09~44:18 = 2min 9sec
Time Ratio: = Drama Time / "Reset" Time = 0.62X
This shows somewhere between Riverside East Station and the bridge, there is abnormal time variance.The likely location is at the junction where the collision of happens. Comparing the bridge to before Riverside East Station, the 47% time speedup (0.62-0.42/0.42*100%) is possibly due to the correlation errors. But the comparison done from the drop off zone to the middle of the bridge is using the same Heyun's watch. Having a speed down of 285% (0.62-2.39/0.62*100%) indicates a time abnormaly.
Based on time dilation concepts, the further away from gravity, the measurement instrument moves faster. But over here the gravity is the same. For time to remain constant, "Excess time resulting in extra events" need to be looped in to maintain time equilibrium. Now we have establish the mechanics of the loop. How or what causes the loop to occur?
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The "Incident" 10 years ago: The fuel
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Superintendent Du mentioned that the crash of the bus and with the oil tanker is the worse accident in recent 10 years.
EP 1 - Her 1st line in "Reset".
What could be worse than this? What if there is another accident that could affect time space?
such as a particle accelerator explosion or a leakage of Dark matter onto the streets?
We can only speculate. But it is a possibility.
With the establishment of time abnormaly above, there is a high chance it occurred at the junction
This is to enhance Question X1 @ Post#22.
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The Pawns:
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In reset, there are many parallels which I refer to as entangled entities.
For example:
Wang Mengmeng : Li Shiqing
1) Similar age
2) Shifan university student
3) Same councillor
4) Took bus 45
5) Jiaodao citizen
Similar background
5) Wang Xingde is her dad : Knew Wang Xingde as she often board his bus
6) Wanted to gift Wang Xingde gloves : Wanted to gift Wang Xingde gloves <- This is insane
7) Last board vehicle - bus 45 : Last board vehicle - bus 45 <- This is artifically arranged by CA
8) Died in accident on bridge at 1.45pm : Died in explosion on bridge at 1.45pm <- This is artifically arranged by CA
9) Bus passengers not willing to help : Bus passengers not willing to help
10) Tried all means to alight : Tried all means to alight
Events associated later
11) Met a real molestor : Accuse a fake molestor
12) Alight the bus because of molestor : Alight the bus because of "molestor"
13) Officer Qin as investigator : Officer Zhang as investigator
14) Liyao as forum enthusiatist : Happyone Bro as tik toker
As such we have more:
Molestor : Xiao Heyun
Officer Qin : Officer Zhang
Driver Tan : Driver Wang Xingde
Liyao : Happyone Bro
All the members did not realise their status as pawns in the entanglement
and failure to abide by the rules of the entanglement results in reset or death.
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The Nature:
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We can visualise this like the Schrdinger's cat thought experiment. If there is no explosion what we see is, there is no connection with Mengmeng and Shiqing. We have totally no clue who they are (i.e 1~7 is unknown). Like the cat. We dont know if it is alive or dead or both alive and dead. It is in quantum superposition. But if their information is slowly uncovered by us audience, we find many similarities with them - in Quantum terms the wave collapse to a single point.
This brings about a characteristics of quantum entanglement. If one particle is entangled with another, even when they are light years away. They will affect each other, even in another time or space. They are entangled or share similarities (1~7) long before the accidents occured. The subsequent similarities are established slowly from the perspective of the audience (8~14) but that doesnt mean they werent entangled before. It is the historical information that is hidden from us. Metaphorically speaking, the moment Mengmeng walks doen the bus is the moment Shiqing wakes up and conciously experience the blast. By right even if they are entangled, without CA's careful coordination, they would have been 2 seperate incidents. Now the whole thing becomes a controlled experiment.
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The Effects:
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The fuel acts as the hand to drive the loop to bind entangled entities within them such that they can only have 1 outcome - Death or Reset. The loop cannot be easily broken due to the more and more "Pawns are being dragged into the picture". They are being entangled as well. We saw what violation does to pawns who decide to violate the system. For example:
1) Heyun attempts to alight, he could, but later he would either be roasted in the taxi (Loop6), Blasted at the hands (Loop21), the least painful is by taking a nap. Yet we could see Shiqing alight without much issue, she did have a concussion at (Loop6) but thats it. This is likely due to Mengmeng did alight the bus where the molestor didnt. If Heyun corresponds to molestor, he shouldnt alight.
2) Heyun killed CA and assumes that once the bomber is dead, the loop is closed.
3) The Duo saved everyone but Officer Zhang is killed in the process.
4) Heyun's failing health is due to not staying on board, rather than he theorize, due to time not reversing backwards. The evidence is in EP6 where he seems to start not feeling well inside the taxi. In EP 19 where Shiqing was killed previously, he looks ok during that loop.
From this I gathered, the "safety condition" as follows:
A) Noone on Shiqing's Bus 45 can die ; as all the passengers on Mengmeng's bus are still alive (including Heyun as the molestor is still alive)
B) Noone can alight the bus before solving the loop ; as all the passengers are on board before Mengmeng was killed (and the loop)
C) Officer Zhang cannot die in Loop 24 ; as Officer Qin is still alive
D) Death or Reset need to occur ; as Mengmeng is already dead and she is inside her video loop.
With these restrictions, the protagonist has to find switchable variables, alter them such that they satisfy Conditions A)~D). "Reset" arranged c) for Officer Zhang to take over the investigation for A) Molestor while only relying Shiqing to inform him while on the bus B) is really brilliant. Luckily, the police did not attempt to defuse the bomb violating D), instead they allow it to explode in the river killing few fishes in the process.
A interesting point, if Shiqing had chosen Happyone Bro, he might not have failing health as the tech savvy guy corresponds to Liyao
and she alighted the bus as well.
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The Ripple Effect:
click to show/hide spoilers
Why does the wake up time shift backwards? Why does it stop when CA board?
The reverse of time in "Reset" is similar to the movie "Memento" metaphorically. It exposes information slowly to the audience during the process binding pawns to the Loop. It stopped when all available information that supposed to be known on board Bus45 is revealed. It is also analogous to curiosity or mere survival that prompt Shiqing to investigate the truth. Ironically, this had led to more people being entangled. If she would have just close her eyes and accept death, the entanglement resulting would not have started.
Of course, we wouldnt have this brilliant show - Reset.
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