History Fridge / ZeroTimeDilemma

* Odds, probability, and manipulating the odds is the theme of ''Zero Time Dilemma'' due to Zero's obsession with ForWantOfANail, and shows up several times:

** Also each team has it's own Zero. C-team: First Zero, Akane. Q-team: Second Zero, Q/Delta. D-team: Third Zero, Sigma.
*** Also each one is presented in chronological order

* Why does Mira go insane in the Radical-6 injection route? Zero is, as seen many times in this game, a lying bastard... Q himself theorizes he MADE UP FBR. Mira is infected with Radical-6... which causes side effects including insanity.

* On top of VLR, Sigma has also been killed by this current Zero as a result of the Decision Game. With the reveal that Zero is his son, he has literally been killed by all of his children- robotic or otherwise. Luna left him to die (admittedly with cause), Zero Jr activated his bracelets. Delta and Kyle have also killed him in the Nonary Games, while Phi was nearly considering leaving him in Rhizome 9. On top of that, he's also seen them kill others, and also be killed. Ouch. Not to mention Diana is also forced to kill him. Not to mention the reason that all this happens is because of his own failures. Nothing tops AdultFear like your children becoming murderers because of your own mistakes.

* After escaping the rec room by rolling three ones, or more specifically after the versions of them that escaped the reactor room did so after SHIFTing into that timeline's bodies, Junpei proposes to Akane, but he's so nervous that he puts the ring on her right hand. Akane says they'll switch it once this is all over. Then they enter the temporally locked X-passes and end up having to use the transporter to escape the spare Sean body trying to penalize them, and wind up in the timeline that leads to VLR. If you look at Old Akane's model in VLR, you'll notice that she's wearing that same ring on her right hand.
* In the Triangle episode, you have a Mexican duel between Q-team members, each aiming at one another with a weapon. There are four outcomes, and the last one is not revealed until the very end, since it neeeds you to learn Delta's name. But in greek, triangle is the letter Delta! The game hints you the fourth option from the beginning of the episode.

* Why does Mira willingly turn herself in and marry Eric in the Golden Ending? She SHIFTed. Building on the Dummy terminal analogy form the first game, SHIFTing most likely restored the damaged connection she had. Meaning that she was no longer TheSociopath. That combined with the memories from the other timelines most likely made her TheAtoner.

* Sigma mentions that he died at least three times during his childhood. If the transporter works by sending data back through time regardless of a BootstrapParadox, and thus Delta's 'birth' and resonance abilities remain the same, there could still be timelines where Delta becomes 'divinely inspired' and releases Radical-6. And that means that there'd be no one to stop him.

* Upon learning that Q Team got executed, Junpei mentions how merciless it is was to kill someone who couldn't see or hear what was going on, indicating Delta's presence on the team.

* In D-END: 1, the one that leads to the second game, D-Team has one last chance to succeed at their mission. Diana is too compassionate and soft-hearted to kill Phi in cold blood and burn the body, leading to six billion deaths. Her virtue is rewarded with ''VirtuesLastReward''.

* The AB Game segment in the Reactor Room contains some brilliance: If you (as Carlos) select Ally, Junpei will pick Betray. He'll mention that it was a 'defensive move' and that he expected Carlos to choose Betray. It's likely that he expected Carlos to choose 'Betray' because he shifted in from the timeline where you chose Betray (since Junpei chose Ally in that timeline and was shocked at your betrayal). It's similar to a scenario from VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward, where Phi chooses the opposite result from Sigma in response to his actions in another timeline.

** [[spoiler: Delta's entire Radical-6 plan is a gamble, infecting several billion people in the hope that it would kill the person who would kill everyone.]]

* Sigma calls Junpei “Tenmyouji” when the game first starts. This makes perfect sense when one considers that the first time he met Junpei, that was the only name he went by.
** Also during this scene, take note of [[spoiler: the names D Team calls out through the X-Door. Mira, Eric, Tenmyouji, Carlos and Akane. But not Q, because as far as they know, Q is deaf anyway.]]

** Going on from this, [[spoiler: the real Q also follows the same pattern as his true name is Delta, the 4th letter in the Greek alphabet, and he is the real participant #4]].

** Also each team has it's own [[spoiler: Zero]]. C-team: [[spoiler: First Zero, Akane]]. Q-team:[[spoiler: Second Zero, Q/Delta]]. D-team: [[spoiler: Third Zero, Sigma]].

* The use of the CQD letters, [[spoiler: the former distress signal before SOS became an international standard]] makes a ''whole'' lot of sense when you realize it ties with Zero's ''Snail'' analogy. [[spoiler: One story about the Titanic was that a helmsman used the then-new SOS signal to try and call for help from another, nearby boat but the other ship didn't respond because they didn't realize that SOS was a distress signal, as they still used CQD on their ship. The other ship's helmsman, refusing to learn the new international standard at the time, is responsible for the deaths of those who perished on the Titanic. Now, what was the [[VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors Gigantic]] a sister ship to?]]
* In the final ending, [[spoiler: removing control for Carlos' final choice implies that every decision across the entire series was Delta taking control for an instant. It's more likely to be "?"/the Player from VLR than Delta as Delta would not be able to control them in the far future and past...]]
* Why does Carlos realize Zero's identity in ending CQD-1? [[spoiler:Because Delta (AKA Q) is the only member of the Dcom team not present. In the decision game, he never realizes this due to thinking Delta is on Q team.]]
* The code for [[spoiler: Q's helmet]], [[spoiler: 6140-4091]] is probably [[spoiler: the date to which Phi and Delta were sent back in reverse. We don't know the exact day they went back to, but we learn that it was in April 1904.]]
* ZTD keeps the tradition of [[spoiler: the player being Zero all along.]]
** [[spoiler: In 999 you played as Young Akane who was observing potential timelines through Junpei.]]
** [[spoiler: In VLR it's revealed that Sigma was the one who took the role of Zero and planned the AB Project in the future.]]
** [[spoiler: In ZTD you see events from Delta's point of view and the player's control over the game's decisions is him using his Mind Hack ability.]]
* Name of the game is Zero Time Dilemma. [[SignificantAnagram Move these letters around]] and what we got is [[spoiler: Me, I'm Zero. I'm Delta.]]
* The fact that [[spoiler: the 3 teams are operating at different times]] is foreshadowed during [[spoiler: the Decontamination Room Votes. Rather than being parallel to each-other on the timeline, they happen sequentially.]]
* Upon learning that Q Team got executed, Junpei mentions how merciless it is was to kill someone who couldn't see or hear what was going on, indicating [[spoiler:Delta's presence on the team.]]
* Sigma and Diana's rather apathetic response to Q being the only person still alive barring them seems odd. [[spoiler:Although it makes more sense when you consider the fact that the only person still alive is a wheelchair bound old man who can't see, hear or talk.]]
* In C-End 1, you learn that Q is still alive. At the the same time the anagram is revealed as "Together with me, we are ten". By this point you've likely already gotten the D Team End 1, during which "Q" is shown to be [[spoiler:seemingly dead. This indicates that the "Q" spoken of throughout the game doesn't refer to the young boy.]]
* In D-END: 1, the one that [[spoiler: leads to the second game]], D-Team has one last chance to succeed at their mission. [[spoiler: Diana is too compassionate and soft-hearted to kill Phi in cold blood and burn the body, leading to six billion deaths. Her virtue is rewarded with ''VirtuesLastReward''.]]
* Why did Maria happen to contact Carlos morphogenetically while he's fighting off [[spoiler:Q's puppet]]? Because he recently unlocked his own esper abilities, and all 'natural' espers are siblings. It seems likely, therefore, that espers need to anchor each other to prevent one from being overwhelmed by the field (as Carlos' sister is)- so, now that Maria's brother is 'active', she can focus enough to actually send him coherent messages.
* Akane is foolishly quick to assume that all Carlos' talk of unity was just a facade [[spoiler:to help him ambush Junpei]]. Of course she is- that was the same tactic she used against her victims, and Ace used against his.

** Last is Q. Him being a Matryoshka doll should have obvious connotations the second you see it (a mystery concealing more mysteries, More to him that first appears, etc.), but what ISN'T obvious is why this isn't his symbol on the status screen. [[spoiler: That's because it isn't Q's doll, it's Sean's. But that doesn't mean there isn't a doll for Q. Do you remember what was on the card in the pod room escape? That's right, a doll of Zero II, the missing doll from the cast!]]
* It seems implausible for two people to survive on nothing but half a can of food a day, let alone less than half as Sigma and Diana do in one route, but... [[spoiler: Delta knew what would happen even before the facility was built. Putting his own parents in danger of starving wouldn't have been a smart move on his part, and he needed Diana to be healthy enough to give birth to healthy twins. Most likely those cans were less "food" and more of a high-density nutrient gruel. All the ''regular'' food was in the pantry.]]
* While the most obvious hint of [[spoiler: Phi being Sigma and Diana's daughter]] being the fact [[spoiler: she's a natural redhead with obvious red eyebrows]], there's another, much more subtle hint of this connection. Pay close attention to Phi's eye color: while her eyes are blue [[spoiler: her model has her eyes rendered in a way that has a very noticeable amount of gray...]]
* At least in the English version, [[Creator/LauraBailey Luna]] and [[Creator/EdenRiegel Diana]] are voiced by different actresses and thus have distinct voices. This inconsistency can be explained as Sigma mentions to Diana [[spoiler: in the D-1 ending path]] he couldn't exactly replicate everything about Diana to Luna, and likely, her voice was one of those things.
** Another explanation is that Sigma purposely gave Luna a different voice from Diana, since he tells Diana he grew to love Luna like a daughter, making it also likely he subconsciously designed Luna to be the child he and Diana never had [[spoiler: in this timeline]].
** Also, in ''Virtue's Last Reward'', where we do in fact hear [[spoiler: Diana's voice from a recording of her taking responsibility for the release of Radical-6]], her voice done by Luna's actress. Seeing as it's mentioned the reason Sigma [[spoiler:didn't realize the recording of Zero Sr. had the same voice as his was due to how voices sound different in recording]], the same idea (along with the fact Sigma doesn't know about what happened at DCOM) might hint he didn't recognize [[spoiler:the woman speaking as Diana at any point during the development of the AB Project]]. Either way, Sigma very likely used this different sounding recording as the basis for Luna's voice and how Diana sounds in ''Zero Time Dilemma'' is supposed to be her real voice.
* There's a good few hints about Q's identity [[spoiler: and how it's separate from Sean]]:
** During the opening of the game, Eric and Mira freak out when they discover their leader is Q. [[spoiler: Having a blind, deaf and crippled leader would put them at a serious disadvantage.]]
** There's also Eric's hostility towards the kid. [[spoiler: Zero didn't address him so there's no reason for Sean to be in Q-Ward.]]
* Carlos could have passed his secret to Junpei and Akane in any number of ways -- why choose that particular one? [[spoiler: He's still got Back to the Future in his head after they talked about it earlier. A similar "defend the girl from the bully" scenario just might help bring these two together!]]
* Why does [[spoiler: Mira]] go insane in the Radical-6 injection route? [[spoiler: Zero is, as seen many times in this game, a lying bastard... Q himself theorizes he MADE UP FBR. Mira is infected with Radical-6... which causes side effects including insanity.]]
* Another thing is, why Zero has the '90 minute active time limit'... [[spoiler:Since his psychic powers are MUCH more limited...and he has to work through recordings... this lets him prepare everything MUCH easier. Also, it limits the amount of variables he has to work with.]]
* According to the [[VisualNovel/NineHoursNinePersonsNineDoors first game]], Espers are born in Transmitter-Receiver pairs, with Transmitters being better at uploading information to the Morphogenetic Field, while Receivers being better at downloading information. [=SHIFTers=] are Trans-receivers, meaning they can do both. [[spoiler: So of course, Delta and Phi's powers make sense - Phi's a [=SHIFTer=] while Delta can issue MindControl (Upload) and {{Telepathy}} (Download).]]
* Junpei is [[PassiveAggressiveKombat relatively]], incredibly accepting of Akane's actions in ''999'' [[spoiler:because they were mindlinked]] during her FreudianExcuse. Circumstances essentially forced him to empathize with her ([[spoiler:and the several timelines Junpei had lived in which he, too, was murdered]] probably also contributed). Akane being recalcitrant in ''ZTD'' despite knowing that Junpei knows why [[spoiler:she killed all those people]] makes her look like she's [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope planning to do something worse]], which is why he treats her differently despite the situations being similar.
* A possible explanation for the team composition in this game: [[spoiler: The way espers resonate with each other, they'd be able to notice each others' presence. That may explain why Q/Delta put himself on the team without any espers; even if his powers work differently, Akane or Sigma might be able to detect something odd about the old man.]]

* The AB Game segment in the Reactor Room contains some brilliance: [[spoiler:If you (as Carlos) select Ally, Junpei will pick Betray. He'll mention that it was a 'defensive move' and that he expected Carlos to choose Betray. It's likely that he expected Carlos to choose 'Betray' because he shifted in from the timeline where you chose Betray (since Junpei chose Ally in that timeline and was shocked at your betrayal). It's similar to a scenario from VisualNovel/VirtuesLastReward, where Phi chooses the opposite result from Sigma in response to his actions in another timeline.]]
* In hindsight, the previews of the game contained some brilliance. All nine participants in the Decision Game were revealed, except for #4. [[spoiler:This was probably done to hide the fact that the masked child was not the real Q/Participant #4.]]
* Why does Akane [[spoiler:wipe Junpei's memories of her and the entire Decision Game in C-End: 1, even though he offers to help her?]] Because, as with the Second Nonary Game, she follows precisely what she sees in her visions. [[spoiler:She likely saw that Junpei goes to the moon in [=VLR=] in pursuit of her, and his presence helps Phi and Sigma develop their Esper powers. To that end, she wants to make sure everything leading up to the Ambidex Game goes precisely the way she envisioned.]]
** To [[spoiler:keep everything as she saw. Junpei didn't remember meeting her in the AB Game, so she wipes his memory.]]
* In the Triangle episode, you have a Mexican duel between Q-team members, each aiming at one another with a weapon. There are four outcomes, and the last one is not revealed until the very end, since [[spoiler:it neeeds you to learn Delta's name]]. But in greek, [[spoiler:triangle is the letter Delta]]! The game hints you the fourth option from the beginning of the episode.
* The deadly game in this installment is called the Decision Game rather than the Nonary Game, since it's different from the previous games. [[spoiler:In hindsight, the name of the game is a hint toward there being ten participants instead of nine; "Deci" is the Latin root for the number 10, as opposed to "nona" for nine. As mentioned in a earlier fridge logic statement, the escape door is marked with a X instead of a 9; the Roman numeral for ten.]]

* If Q-Team injects themselves with Radical-6, [[spoiler:Mira kills Eric and D-Team and escapes. Not only is the SerialKiller on the loose, but she will inevitably cause the pandemic seen in VLR... except this time, there's no Sigma, Phi, or Akane to try to stop it.]]

* In the D-2 end, [[spoiler: Gab, Diana, Sigma, and baby Phi and Delta all starve to death. Despite sending the copies to another time, they only send the copy.]]
** What makes it even worse is that [[spoiler: the Sigma and Diana of the true ending presumably still have those memories.]]
* If you didn't figure it out or were at least skeptical before, when the other teams find [[spoiler: Junpei's dismembered body in the pods, it's apparent he's not wearing the same clothes he usually wears. They're the clothes the limbs from the pantry had. Despite what Carlos and Akane were trying to tell themselves, the limbs were real, and they were ''Junpei's''.]]
** There might be another reason [[spoiler:the body is wearing different clothes. If there was blood on the chest(indicating that the heart was removed), it would have been too easy to deduce his true killer. Zero probably wouldn't want the participants to figure out the secret of moving between the wards too soon.]]

* If you thought D-END 2 was a TearJerker before, another thing to bear in mind: [[spoiler:There is a pantry full of food in the complex that is seen on one of the other paths. Diana and Sigma just never see it because it isn't "in their ward". If Diana had her realization about the matching-up of the wards at any point during that 10 months, she and Sigma could have been saved. On one occasion, Diana throws an object at the door of the lounge. If only it had hit the wall instead..]]
** The Headscratchers page notes that [[spoiler:it would be impossible for everyone to survive Diana delivering two healthy babies according to Sigma's calculations. It's possible that at some point, Diana and Sigma stumbled upon the pantry and found enough food to buy themselves more time.]]

* Sigma mentions that he died at least three times during his childhood. If [[spoiler:the transporter works by sending data back through time regardless of a BootstrapParadox, and thus Delta's 'birth' and resonance abilities remain the same, there could still be timelines where Delta becomes 'divinely inspired' and releases Radical-6. And that means that there'd be no one to stop him.]]

* When Carlos discusses the fire that killed his family, he never mentions that the arsonist is caught. Given that this fire also [[spoiler: activated his resonance abilities]] it seems more than likely [[spoiler: the arsonist is Delta, given that Carlos' abilities is an integral part of his plan, and his ruthlessness in achieving said plans.]]
** Also, as mentioned above Sigma's [[spoiler: jumping abilities were likely augmented by those accidents he suffered in his childhood. He specifically mentions that, when he fell off the roof of a building, that he had no idea why. Delta could have forced him to walk off with his Mind Hack abilities.]]
* Zero often says "Life is simply unfair" many times, accompanied by a story about how, due to a string of events, 6 people died, including a child, due to a surgeon being unable to perform surgery necessary for the child's survival. It's also revealed [[spoiler: Delta was friends with this child. The 6 deaths also lead to the timeline where Delta is born. Basically, to ensure his birth, Delta is forced to enact events that kill Sean.]] It gives the phrase an even darker meaning.
* At first it seems like after six people die, the rest will be able to escape as long as they get through the X doors in time. But then you realize [[spoiler:all the wards are connected, and there's only one X door. Since only one team is awake at a time, this means only one team will be able to escape, and anyone left alive on the other teams is SOL. When you think about it, it's a reversal of the situation in 999. In that game, it appeared that there was only one "9" door, and not everyone would be able to get out. But then it was revealed that there were two "9" doors, allowing everyone to escape (provided everyone was still alive).]]
* On top of VLR, Sigma has also been killed by this current Zero as a result of the Decision Game. With the reveal that Zero [[spoiler: is his son, he has literally been killed by all of his children- robotic or otherwise. Luna left him to die (admittedly with cause), Zero Jr activated his bracelets. Delta and Kyle have also killed him in the Nonary Games, while Phi was nearly considering leaving him in Rhizome 9. On top of that, he's also seen them kill others, and also be killed. Ouch. Not to mention Diana is also forced to kill him. Not to mention the reason that all this happens is because of his own failures. Nothing tops AdultFear like your children becoming murderers because of your own mistakes.]]