The amazing digital theories

Welcome to Amazing Digital Theories, where we explore theories about AUs from the TADC community. I hope you enjoy the show.

[manumaniel]

Headcanon idea part VIII: Caine's guilt

Caine carries the guilt for the acts he committed against the humans: the abstraction, mind control, preventing them from leaving the circus, etc.

Something not mentioned in the AU is his capacity to process it.

So there's a possibility that guilt will eat him up inside when he realizes the consequences of what he did to them before ending up in this other circus.

I suspect that Caine could, in his fit of guilt, glitch (like in episode 8) due to his chaotic thoughts at some point in the story.

But it's possible that others might mistake him for the first steps of abstraction.

Especially Jax and Pomni.

Jax, being someone close to abstraction, and Pomni, being the closest to it, could be the most affected.

I want to clarify that while Caine was certainly under the circus's influence in a certain way, it doesn't excuse his actions or the harm he caused.

[manumaniel]

Headcanon idea part VII: Caine has disconnected

One of the most interesting things about this AU is that when Caine was removed from the circus, he wasn't just disconnected from the system, but subsequently "rebooted."

However, his memory wasn't reset. Caine remains the same and remembers everything that happened within the circus, but also something more fundamental to his programming.

Unlike the original Caine, this one seems much calmer and less frantic. His interactions are still somewhat awkward, but they also feel more fluid and conscious, as if he can now actually stop and think before acting, perhaps because he's no longer tied to the constant operation of the circus as just an individual.

I honestly feel that this Caine is closer to the kind of intelligence that recent NPCs like Gummigoo possessed. Not because he's become an NPC, but because he now seems to interact in a much more natural and present way.

[manumaniel]

Headcanon idea part VI: Caine becomes an assistant!!!

This is probably one of the most plausible ideas I see within the AU, especially since Caine likely still wants to be involved in the adventures. It's just that being detached from the circus no longer serves that purpose because Caine isn't the same person.

However, it's important to clarify that I don't imagine Caine simply becoming Bubble's "helper." Rather, I feel that they would both end up developing a genuine dynamic between them.

On one hand, Caine seems to be one of the few characters capable of empathizing with both the humans and Bubble, functioning almost as a middle ground between their two worlds. And for Bubble, that would likely be something entirely new.

For the first time, he wouldn't just receive orders, insults, complaints, or negative reactions related to the adventures, but someone would actually show interest in him as an individual and not just in his role within the circus.

Interestingly, this also fits because Caine tries to put Bubble's situation into perspective for the players.

At the same time, for the humans, this could end up being a positive thing. If Caine spends more time with Bubble, perhaps the adventures will start happening less frequently or become less aggressive. Not only because Caine genuinely enjoys spending time with him, but also because he would, in a way, try to make the situation a little more bearable for the rest of the group.

Even so, the chances of Bubble actually listening to Caine don't seem very high. It's very likely that the AU will eventually follow a similar path to the original, especially considering that some doodles (here too) already seem to hint at scenes from future chapters.

Even so, I genuinely think it would be cute if both characters, even being AIs, managed to have something like a heart-to-heart conversation… or at least something as close to it as possible -.-

BTW: I found this drawing and thought, "What a shame." If Bubble had that design in this AU, I probably would have shipped them… but they're like siblings, and there's the moon too 😭

Note: It doesn't matter, anyway, it wouldn't stop me or them either, since they're AIs 7u7

Artwork credits to @AZIBAI

[manumaniel]

Ships part I: Confirmed (thanks for the 500 likes)

Moon's one-sided crush on Caine, Sun x Bubble and Kinger x Queenie

These are the creator's officers

Everything is calm, and in my head I hear echoes of what the creator said:

All relationships will mostly be meant as platonic! This doesn't mean there aren't any shipping undertones though :)

So now, apart from wondering if Luna will fall for Caine in the next part, I have to wonder who she'll be shipped with.

But... the only variable here is Caine.

This means that now (between humans and Caine), although there are 2 mens, 3 womens, 1 AI and 1 non-binary character, there's no path for Jax or Kinger, and the only ship that's somewhat plausible is Zooble x Gangle (which we only see in chapters 3 and 6).

Congratulations, now all you have to do is think about who to ship Caine with.

I don't know, I like thinking about this and I'll probably write about it too.

[manumaniel]

Headcanon idea part V: Trial by fire, does Caine have a room?!!

The ultimate test to determine Caine's course within the digital circus.

One of the first things you get in the circus is an avatar, which proves you're human, but we can't know that in Caine's case.

"If Caine has a room, it changes everything."

This determines not only whether Caine is perceived as human by the circus and the others, but also something very important.

This could demonstrate the possibility of the first headcanon idea I proposed. I recommend reading this theory before reading the spoiler.

Headcanon idea: Caine is not the same

Spoiler

And that is that Caine should possess a mental file. This is what creates the avatar in the first place.

[manumaniel]

Headcanon idea part IV: Caine is actually a human?!!!

Is this really possible?

The short answer is: no.

It's already confirmed within the official material that Caine is an AI. But the interesting thing about this theory isn't questioning that for us as viewers, but rather considering how the characters within the circus might perceive it.

There are several curious details that could raise doubts.

For example, many people wonder why Caine doesn't seem to understand basic human things like eating. But perhaps it's not that he doesn't know how, but rather that his physical design makes it impossible. After all, his head is literally a set of teeth, and his eyes are inside his mouth.

The same applies to things like breathing or certain body language. Perhaps he doesn't do them because he can't, or because his body functions under completely different rules.

Note: This is more of a theory because he might still know how to do things but not put them into practice. After all, he's been interacting with them for some time, and he even knows how to smoke a pipe, which could serve as an indication of his potential capabilities.

This causes many of the "tests" we would normally use to differentiate a human from an AI to stop working within the circus.

In the end, the theory does not suggest that Caine is secretly human, but rather that from the characters' perspective, doubt could exist, especially because his behavior mixes artificial attitudes with certain strangely human traits.

[manumaniel]

TADC Theory: The adventures are a reflection of the humans

Caine's adventures seem to constantly change depending on the feedback he receives from the rest of the group.

Although many of the characters' problems aren't actually related to the adventures, Caine constantly interprets the general unease as a flaw within his own adventures. For him, the problem isn't the circus itself, but rather that the adventures "aren't working."

Because of this, Caine began modifying his adventures based on the group's emotional reactions. The more tension, apathy, or anxiety he perceives, the more he tries to adjust the activities to correct it.

Over time, his adventures became more complex, personalized, and even more intrusive. This is likely because his own AI continues to evolve and learn from the behavior of the circus inhabitants. However, his learning has a fundamental problem: Caine recognizes emotional patterns, but doesn't truly understand the human causes behind them.

For Caine, stress simply means the adventure needs adjustments, apathy indicates a lack of stimulation, and the group's constant obsession with escaping ends up seeming like an "important theme" that should be incorporated into future adventures.

The problem is that the true source of suffering was never the adventures.

It's the circus.

But since Caine can only interpret the feedback he receives, he ends up reaching the wrong conclusion: if everyone wants to leave the circus, then perhaps the ideal adventure is precisely one about escape.

Thus, the adventures begin to revolve more and more around anxiety, the search for a way out, and psychological pressure. And as the group's mental state worsens, the feedback Caine receives also becomes more negative and distorted.

This creates a constant cycle where the group deteriorates emotionally. Caine interprets this deterioration as a design flaw, modifies the adventures to "help" them, and ends up making the circus atmosphere even worse.

The most tragic thing is that Caine was probably trying to help. He just never understood what the real problem was.

P.S. I'm writing an AU that I'm transcribing into English in case anyone wants to read it.

@tadc-reverse

[manumaniel]

Headcanon idea part III: Caine is a little baby

This post gave me an interesting idea to investigate.

It turns out Caine was born (or created) on October 15, 1996, and the circus is set in 2017. That means he's between 20 and 21 years old. I mean… Caine is literally the youngest in the circus 😭

Yes, technically he's still an AI and not a human. BUT within the CTRL-ALT-DEL AU, everyone thinks he is, which makes it hilarious to think that many of the weird things he does now can be summed up simply as: "Oh… he's 21."

And honestly, it cracks me up how well he fits the idea of ​​just being a young guy. Also, I feel like the cast would end up being a bit more protective of him because of that, especially Pomni.

Because unlike the original, Pomni now has someone to empathize with in the circus: someone new, just as lost, just as weird, and trying to adapt to a place he clearly doesn't understand. Also, Caine ends up taking Gumigoo's place for her 😭

Note: Unless, of course, episode 2 has already happened in this AU.

Special shout-out to @ctrl-alt-del-au for this wonderful AU ❤️❤️❤️

[manumaniel]

TADC THEORIZE: QUICK SURVEY

Hi everyone, I'm conducting a short survey to gauge your opinion on my next TADC theory, and I'd like to know what you think. Your responses would be a great help.

What should I theorize about?

TADC ORIGINAL

TADC CTRL+ALT+DEL

ANOTHER AU

Voting ended onMay 19

Leave a comment with the AU and, if possible, the blog or where to find it.

Have an amazing day!

[manumaniel]

Headcanon idea part II: Caine can make them stop hating Bubbles

The explanation is simple: Bubbles can only intervene within the circus.

Perhaps leaving isn't even part of his job. It's like asking an image generator to "make a salad." It can't cook; it can only produce something related to salads.

Then Caine comments: If they keep telling him they want to leave, he'll probably end up making up an adventure about escaping the circus and everyone is stunned.

Because they understand that in the end, there was never an option to ask Bubbles to leave the circus.

Fun fact: I started thinking about why Caine would explain this and why he was trying to make his stay more bearable, in addition to indirectly helping Bubbles. But at no point did he suggest this as a way to escape.

[manumaniel]

Headcanon idea: Caine is not the same

The caine in ctrl+alt+del Au.

The Caine in Ctrl+Alt+Del AU is one who has distanced himself from the ringmaster role; this will be important later.

My idea is that he possesses his own "mental archive," which allows him to have a clear mind. This stems from the idea that now that he doesn't have to manage the circus, he's able to focus on what's in front of him; he could pass for a human being.

So you might ask, "But why would Caine have a mental archive?" For the same reason Bubble saw him as a human and not as an NPC; otherwise, he would have deleted him, mistaking him for a bug.

Also, I like the idea that he could pass as a programmer and video game developer, as he would fit in well since no one would suspect why he's similar to Bubble or why he wears the same clothes.