Piecing together: The current timeline in Reverse 1999
CN SPOILERS up to Chapter 5 and Interlude. Long post.
The new Chapter 5 and Interlude for Reverse 1999 has shed some light on the Storm and its timeline. With all the new info, I've tried to piece it together as accurately as possible. Here's the timeline I have put together:
Let me break down my findings.
First of all, let's look at the IDM Computer with 37's Mother's prediction.
37 mentions "From 1999 to 2007, the emanation has taken place seven times". Here's how I interpret what the years mean in the Phenomenal column. It's like calling the effect of the Storm: for the first row, the 1996 Storm reverses the era 1999 to 1996. So the "1996 Storm".
The IDM only shows 6 Storms, so the 7th is the Storm that reversed to 1929. I wonder why she didn't include the 8th Storm (1929->1913), but that could be because it was the anomaly 2-day emanation that ruined the model prediction.
Here's a table I have made attempting to fill in the blanks of the IDM computer.
Let's analyze it Storm by Storm.
The 1st Storm (1999 -> 1996)
When: 23:59. December 31, 1999
Reverses to: 1996
Many sources for this, from the IDM showing 1996 to Greta, the writer of the letters in the interlude, mentioning it in her letters.
The 2nd Storm (1996 -> 1985) [Original: 2000]
When: 1996-1997.
Logs don't explicitly say when, but from the IDM we know it takes place ~1 year after the first Storm.
Reverses to: 1985.
We know this from Greta.
"Things remained unclear until time was reversed again. This time, we all witnessed that rain in the 80s. That was 1985."
She was safe in the Headquarters, witnessing the Storm reverse.
The 3rd Storm (1987 -> 1976) [Original: 2003]
When: On a 27th evening, 1987.
Greta: "The Storm in 1987 was predicted. "…but the prediction was not accomplished by LAPLACE. The captive from Manus Vindictae names the precise date of that Storm."
In Chapter 3, we learn the Foundation captured a Manus Vindictae member who gave them the date of the next Storm. Greta also mentions a captive from Manus predicted it.
Thus, this is the Storm that took place in the breakaway incident, where Vertin was 12-years old and witnessed the Storm for the first time.
Reverses to: 1976
Greta: "Finally, I made up my mind to write to [37's mother]... ... ... She died. On the same day, the first and only timekeeper who just took office, the 12-year-old child returned alone from the Storm. She told us the time in the outside world at that point." "...The last two digits in the number of the year after that Storm were exactly her name and her number: 77".
This was a bit hard to understand. I concluded the year it reversed to was 1976, as Greta said "the year after the Storm" was 77.
Original Year: 2003
Two years has passed from the 2nd Storm (1985) as this Storm took place in 1987. This fits with the year 2003 in the IDM computer. Also, when Sophia talks to Sonetto at the geometry graveyard:
Sophia: "Four years ago, my father was restored to a geometric body on his way back to the island. So was 37's mother who was also on that ship".
We know (or can at least assume) 77 is 37's mother who perished in this Storm. The current time is 2007, so four years ago is 2003.
The 4th Storm (~1976 -> 1930s) [Original: 2004]
When: 1976~1977/78
Reverses to: Some year in the 1930s
Original year: 2004
37: "In the initial four years, the emanation [Storm] has a pattern. First it brought us back to the 90s, then the 80s, and then the 70s. After that it suddenly leapt to the 30s."
When is the initial 4 years? 1999-2003, and this fits with our current pattern thus far from 90s -> 80s -> 70s. So the 4th Storm takes us to the 30s.
Sophia: "We miscalculated the impact area of the emanation. We thought the ships would be safe in the [...] current."
This confirms the Storm has a limited area it affects, where places hit by the Storm reverses to that particular year. The timeline of R1999 isn't going backwards linearly. This opens a lot of possibilities and eras we could visit.
The 5th Storm (~1930s-> 1912s) [Original: 2006]
When: Sometime in the 1930s
Reverses to: 1912
Original: 2006
37: ".... After that it suddenly leapt to the 30s. In the subsequent 3 years, [the emanation] took place twice."
When are the three years? The Storm that took us to the 30s was 2004. So the subsequent 3 years 37 refers to are: 2005, 2006, 2007.
The IDM jumps from 2004 to 2006. You can (very vaguely) make out "1912" from the year 2006. At least I think it's 1912. So the 5th Storm takes us from the 30s to 1912.
The 6th Storm (~1912s-> 1966s) [Original: 2007]
Here's where it gets interesting, and where I start to theorize things because there isn't much info yet about this Storm.
When: Theorized: 1912~1914
Reverses to: 1966
Original year: 2007
In 2007, there is a 6th Storm. This is likely the Storm before the beginning of R1999, which takes us to 1966 where Vertin meets Regulus.
Here's why I think this Storm fits with the IDM model and happens in 1912~1914, more possibly 1914.
In Chapter 1, Vertin lists down people she has met to Regulus.
Regulus: "Huh? It's Lewis. I know him!" Vertin: "Yes. I took this photo several days ago. He was selling the Hoover Upright Vacuum Cleaners in the West End, and thought photos would help his business, so he gladly took this." Regulus: "Why did you take a photo of him? How's he..."
Vertin's response is to take a deep breath.
This interaction was very interesting. Why is Regulus so surprised Vertin took a picture of Lewis? "How's he..." How's he what? Alive?
Now I'm not very familiar with historical figures named Lewis, so I could be very (and hilariously) wrong, but after researching who could be related to a business involving Hoover Upright Vacuum Cleaners, I speculate Lewis is John Spedan Lewis. His father, John Lewis, founded John Lewis, a British brand of high-end department stores.
In 1914, John Lewis hands Spedan Lewis control of a store named Peter Jones. Where is Peter Jones located? Sloane Square, London, which is in King's Road.
Vertin: "Yes. I took this photo several days ago."
This fits with the London location and timeline we know so far. So a few days before Vertin met Regulus, she was in an area of 1914s where she met Spedan Lewis trying to get his store [Peter Jones] going.
Judging from her reaction, he got reversed by the Storm that took them to 1966. Spedan Lewis died in 1963, which is why Regulus is confused why Vertin has a picture of him taken several days ago, and why a wealthy Founder of high-end luxury stores needs a photo taken to help his business.
I thought this was a nice clue that Vertin was in ~1912s era before the 1966s, though this is all just speculation. Feel free to add your own theories who Lewis could be.
The 7th Storm (~1966s-> 1929s) [Original: 2007]
When: June 3rd, 1966.
Reverses to: February 14th, 1929.
Takes place in Chapter 0, where Vertin and Sonetto meets Regulus.
The 8th Storm (~1929s-> 1913s) [Original: 2007]
When: February 15th, 1929.
Reverses to: 1913
Takes place in Chapter 2, where Vertin meets Schneider, Druvis, and Sotheby. Manus Vindictae escalates the Great Depression to cause an earlier Storm. This era only lasts for two days.
These two Storms are straightforward since we witnessed them in game. I won't go into details about them. We're still in the year 2007 according to 37.
The Current Year in Ch 5: 1914 [2007]
Chapter 4 takes place from August 26th to October 10th 1913. The new Chapter 5 begins in 1914.
Eight storms have taken place thus far. Here's a summary with the timeline for reference:
1st Storm (1999 -> 1996)
2nd Storm (1996 -> 1985) [Original: 2000]
3rd Storm (1987 -> 1976) [Original: 2003]
4th Storm (~1976 -> 1930s) [Original: 2004]
5th Storm (~1930s -> 1912s) [Original: 2006]
6th Storm (~1912s -> 1966s) [Original: 2007]
7th Storm (~1966s -> 1929s) [Original: 2007]
8th Storm (~1929s -> 1913s) [Original: 2007]
The Current Year in Chapter 5: 1914 [2007]
Random thoughts:
I hope this post helped paint a clearer picture of the Storms and the possible timeline! Cause, whew, the reason I made this whole timeline was to make sense of it myself. So much lore was dropped in the new chapter.
A question that remains unanswered:
How do people predict the Storm? How can they tell the time in the outside world?
Moissan: "Since Timekeeper hasn't reported the time of this era to the Foundation, you two, as the Foundation investigators, shouldn't know what year this is."
We know 37's group predict them through patterns and math, but what about the Manus Vindictae and Vertin? Vertin just seems to... innately know through her pocket watch and Storm countdown timer on her bracer, perhaps related to her great sense of arcanum. I'm really curious about that.
Biggest Takeaways:
The Storm isn't going backwards linearly and it has a limited impact area. So that means some places not hit by the Storm remains untouched, while others get reversed to whatever era the Storm brings. The first Storm probably had the widest impact.
This means an era in the 1912, for example, could be "reversed" to 1966 if it was hit by the 1966 Storm. That's what I'm getting from all of this. Anyone in the Storm impact area just... poofs, and arcanists/humans in that time era spontaneously appear with the buildings and such. I really love this idea-story wise we could jump around eras.
Then we have places that are completely immune like the Headquarters, Suitcase, and 37's island. They are the only ones who can consistently keep track of time as they're unaffected like spectators viewing the outside world. For the Foundation, Vertin is their way of tracking time in eras: what era did a Storm reverse a place to.
Again, some of these are just speculations and my theories. If you noticed any information I missed out or a mistake, feel free to let me know whether through tags, reply, or even my asks if you're shy. Or if you would just like to talk theories or about Reverse 1999 I'm more than happy to :>
