Volume 6 timeline theory
I haven’t seen a lot of theory discussion on volume 6 just a lot of reviews and criticism but I have some theory about what’s happening. If you have your own theories or find holes in mine please let me know finding out the ins and outs of this series is my goal. I’ve seen theories that Adam let himself get captured by thatcher after the Noah and Amanda incident but I don’t believe that’s true. When thatcher finds Adam he is deteriorating and falling apart and wants to die. This is because his human form is actively failing him as his alternate side is coming out to take him over. Thatcher takes him to the station and interviews while he is actively falling apart. His mental state is falling apart as he describes being talked to by God which is Gabriel since he has control over all alternates. Adam is a boy who is falling apart and has no reason to lie anymore and with his own knowledge about how alternates work and how they kill and induce MAD as shown in cognitohazard and the information fed to him by Gabriel about alternates being above humans in the food chain he breaks Thatchers spirit saying how the fight against alternates is futile. The breaking of thatcher was likely intended by Gabriel and likely wasn’t intended by Adam since he was genuinely breaking down. Then something to address is some people say Adam left Alt-Ruth with thatcher at the station but there is zero evidence to support it no visual or audio hints of that only the fact that it somewhat makes sense thematically but there is still zero evidence to support it. If someone finds evidence to support it let me know. Back to Adam he escapes and peels off his human shell. Now how was the trap set this is where it gets more into theoretical assumptions without concrete evidence but I believe the Noah Amanda trap was set by the intruder. The intruder or possibly another alternate impersonated Adam to lure in Noah and Amanda and set up the house and mirrors as a trap. Since the intruder was stringing Adam along in its plan for years it knew Adam was breaking down. Adam likely never knew about the trap set at his house it was likely left by the intruder for Adam knowing that he was breaking down. Adam going full alternate and escaping the station likely went back to his home by default not knowing where else to go which explains why Julie calls Amanda to warn them about Adam and the live feed was likely put on by the intruder or another alternate to instill more fear into the victims. Adam not knowing about the trap makes sense on why he took so long so respond and him not being there explains why Amanda wasn’t attacked or affected by the mirror room because Adam wasn’t there. When Adam eventually returns and hears Noah he likely goes to the mirror room to lure Noah and based on his physical form and his voice and speech he is already fully an alternate and then he reaps the rewards of the trap set by the intruder as a surprise for him to find when he inevitably returns home. This fits in to the nature of the intruder and Adam’s role in its multi year sick twisted game. To address the timeline it would not make sense for the thatcher interview to take place after the trap. Why would Adam fully shed his shell assumingely kills his friends and magically gains his shell back to trick thatcher and break him down it just doesn’t make sense in the grand scheme of Adam’s character arc. Now if anyone has any more ideas or holes in my theory please let me know this is just my take on the events of the volume and finding out what actually happens is my goal.
EDIT
I was rewatching and figured something out. Right before Julie is getting on her computer we’re shown “2011” this is showing the time jump and what period we are in. Right before the interview continues with Adam and Thatcher we are shown 2009. This proves that the attack was after the interview but two years after not immediately after meaning the trap was likely set by Adam himself not 6 but the reason Adam’s humanity was breaking down was because Adam the human in his mind was experiencing MAD because of what Gabriel was telling him and Adam perfectly describes something a victim of MAD would be seeing and hearing. As Adam is breaking down the knowledge from his life and what he was told by 6 in the past he comes to the realization there is no one coming to save them and there is no solution it’s impossible. So to correct my theory the attack happens two years after the interview and was likely set by Adam and Adam not speaking in the house until Amanda left and why he never acted was because he was a true alternate cold and calculating to induce as much psychological trauma as possible. Now another thing I want to figure out is what was Julie seeing when she said Adam is with them inside the house. The house has no electricity and likely no cameras around it. If she was tapped into the camera that Amanda had at the time that doesn’t explain how she saw Adam and Amanda didn’t. Now bear with me here because of the supernatural abilities of alternates it is possible Julie was seeing a transmission of a mirror in the mirror room where Adam was. We know that 6 has this ability to broadcast seemingly impossible things on screens so he could’ve broadcasted the room itself or the mirrors themselves to show Adam and induce MAD to Julie from afar which also builds fear in Julie and her calling Amanda spilts up her and Noah to isolate Noah. Once Amanda left Adam waited and then responds to Noah and lures him into the mirror room where he was hiding. And whether Adam physically kills Noah and Amanda or not it does not matter because both of them saw the mirrors so no matter what they would develop MAD and go insane. It is highly likely Noah and Amanda were physically killed by the hands of Adam context clues suggest it but even if they got away their fates were already sealed. Another thing I want to mention is the ad for Mandela County which I believe to itself be an alternate or made by alternates to expose people and once they get to Mandela it’s all over and their fates are sealed to the alternates and more people are going to be lured to Mandela.