The Fourcasters at the University of Chicago have made the necessary repairs to the SPORE following the shutdown that occurred after the final transmission of World 3, during which the device was activated in 2049 by the third Anchor, Darling. Having anticipated the crash this time around, the Fourcaster team was able to mitigate most of the damage. The SPORE device is thus up and running within a few days. 

In this new timeline, also in 2049, the world has been ravaged by overpopulation. As such, there are many potential Anchors in the bunker. An unidentified, robotic voice — presumably a version of TERI — acts as a gameshow host, directing the many potential Anchors through questions that determine their eligibility. Participants in 2019 must select which Anchor to cast from the bunker.