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The transmission opens with the Anchor reporting a huge energy surge in the Terrarium, then asking whether TERI has any suggestions for the final code. Viewers supply the answer TOAD, which unlocks the final bag. The Anchor pulls out a plush dinosaur and informs us that it’s a character in the video game Braid.
The Anchor then explains why games and tests are necessary even at the end of the world, essentially calling them a testament to our attention and commitment and trust to the crucial and unprecedented stakes we face. Previous communication attempts failed precisely because the people that had been contacted didn’t take these issues seriously. He explains that 2049 chose games because they mattered a great deal as a cultural form in 2019.
The Anchor pulls out the final tile and displays it for the viewers: it shows a figure in a strange suit connecting itself to a tree-like structure via tubing. This image jogs the Anchor’s memory, and he reveals that he is supposed to activate the SPORE device. The final tile will open the door, behind which the SPORE device is operating, allowing for precisely these transmissions. However, once activated, the device changes the 2049 timeline, shifting it to an alternative future. The Anchor warns that he won’t be there in this new world. He struggles for a few seconds before announcing that he is going to put up the tile, but the broadcast cuts to black before he does.
