Vulcan

I know this is an old thread, but I just enjoyed finishing my second game, and this time took time to linger a little bit about the ending and the Uber Ethereal speak. Then I came across this great interpretation! Now, I have been giving this theory some thinking, and I agree. Playing the last part again after reading this, paying specific attention to the speak (thank you NoXTheRoXStaR for the tip about subtitles!), I think it is evident that the Chosen One are called by something to touch the mystery device. It can't be the Uber Ethereal, since that one's dead (or at least disintegrated in this dimension). By "called", we might say "threatened into", because the Chosen One is attacked by images of the Earth going under - and even if the debate about the ship turning into a black hole which will consume the Earth "at this range" are taking place at the command center miles away - he/she seems to understand this. So to the mind of the Chosen One, I will hazard the guess, this "kicking teammates out of the door and commit suicide" is about saving the world and everything he/she holds dear. Now where that part is becoming crucially important to the aliens, we can only guess. Because their entire plan will fail, if the Chosen One is not behaving unselfish! Because I don't think the spaceship actually explodes in the final moments of the gameplay. It travels! Across dimensions. There have been talk about (I think it was Dr. Vahlen) cross dimensional travelling on the aliens behalf, and that was maybe a hint. So: My shot at a theoretical ending to the Hobbes Theory: The Ethereals are really "the ones who are cast out". They have been tried - and failed. Their punishment was to survive to surve a purpose: Finding the One who would be tried - and win. The Uber Ethereal says every time one of the xcom soldiers are hit (severely) "Weakness... I did not expect that". Now, with this logic, all 6 soldiers should go unharmed to the final meeting, kill the Uber without hesitation and be done with it. (that's how it went on first gameplay. I knew not what to expect, had a sniper right outside the final door, sent in a mind controlled beast, and the Uber never saw it coming. Everybody inside died when the Uber did, and off the ship went. I totally missed the speak!) This time, I took my time to let my squad get injured... Interesting! As I killed off the minor beasts and got some bruises, the Uber babbled on and on. And when I made the Chosen One do "the Rift" (all the remaining minors where huddling in the bottom of the chamber, and then they were no more), Uber was doing somersaults of happiness! I can tell you, he died with a smile on his face. That was the impression, I got. This makes sense, exactly if the entire thing was one big abduction scheme! All the "normal" abductions are only minor actions to terrorize the Earth, as mentioned by others. If you need a true fighter, you don't go catching him. You make him go looking for you, and then you give him an offer he can't refuse. Killing the Uber is only the key to the final trial: Taking the destiny of Earth in one's own hands. And by touching the "thing" with Good Will in the heart, the trap is sprung, and off the ship goes back to however is "the unknown" part of the game title. I can only say, I am so much looking forward to the sequel which I am confident will come! Maybe we will go battling the Elders on their hometurf. But actually I have a nasty feeling of something even more devious coming: We (humans) are becoming the Aliens. So to speak. Next time we won't be doing the defending part of the play, we will be the attackers! On entirely innocent worlds out in space. And this time, it will be with invasion in mind. That is: If Firaxis aren't planning for the third game, because then we will eventually be the mercenaries of the Elders, going after their Gods with whom they are taking afternoon tea and hence can't be seen to make a scene down in the streets...