Endings
The game ends with one choice the two of you make together at the Theta Splice: stabilise Rift Zero or close it. Each choice plays its own film and unlocks its own achievement. Everything below gives the ending away.
How the choice is made
How the choice is made7-5
The machine has two pull chains: one moves the needle toward closing the rift, the other toward stabilising it. To lock in a side you press the two console buttons together, three times. A 10-minute timer runs: when it ends, the side the needle is on counts, or a random one if neither is selected. The puzzle page has the exact timing.
What is at stake
What is at stake7-5
Dr Murray's last recording, heard at the machine, sets out the choice as the game puts it:
I don't know if anyone will hear this. I don't know if... If you've turned the machine on then you understand. Stabilise the rift, save the Earth... ...but kill this world. Or close the rift forever. Earth will continue to suffer, to starve, its people, our people... ...but this world will live! I don't know what I'd do if it was me. And I don't think I'll get the chance to find out.
Stabilise Rift Zero
Show this endingStory spoiler
While you confirm
Moving the needle toward a side for the first time, and each of the three confirmations, plays a line: Rama and the Director answer in turn.
What is happening? Machine sings pain! Making pain!
I can see it! It's starting to stabilise! You beautiful mushed-brained clones, you did it! Just a little bit more!
Stop! You are hurting us! You are hurting world!
It's stabilising, I did it! I mean, you were there too, I suppose - I've saved the whole flipping world!
The ending film
The Theta Splice fires its beam through the rift, and the creatures around it are swallowed by a white sphere. On Channel 13 News the Director speaks from a podium: "Rejoice! Power flows back into grids around the world", then "Energy crisis solved! Norček becomes world's first energy supply monopoly". The last shot shows the two of you on a sofa in a base room, watching the broadcast.
Spoken in the film
What did you do? What did you do!? Rage. Rage. Death. Death! Death! Are you worried about the end of the world? Cataclysmic energy crisis? Tears in the fabric of time and space? Well trouble yourselves no more, Norček Industries are here to save the day.
Achievement
Dawn of Tomorrow
Secured Rift Zero
At the final choice, let it end on Stabilize Rift. If time runs out, the side selected at that moment counts.
Guide: Beyond the RiftWalkthrough 7-5: The Fate of Two Worlds
Close Rift Zero
Show this endingStory spoiler
While you confirm
Moving the needle toward a side for the first time, and each of the three confirmations, plays a line: Rama and the Director answer in turn.
I don't know if you can hear me. I don't know if anyone can. Whatever you’ve seen, whatever you've heard, we did it for Earth. People dying. Starving. We did it to save them, to give them a future, to save you.
The machine is working! Close tear, we will sing together as one!
No - stop! It's not too late. It's not too late to turn back. The suffering, people are dying here, the whole world, YOUR world… Your world is dying!
We knew you were sentient! See beyond many/too few limbs! Choose life!
The ending film
The film shows the machine and the world beyond the rift, where a huge creature rises. In her office, under red alarm lights, the Director watches Channel 13 News: "Disappointment! Norček fails to deliver on promises", then "There is hope! Norček unveils… Energy Plants". Her printer prints "You're fired!" and she slumps over her desk. The two of you stand together in the coral world beyond the rift as the picture fades to white.
Spoken in the film
Thank you! We told others we shouldn’t eat you! The tear is closing now. You live here. We are together! You are us - we are you! [ERROR]
Achievement
Tomorrow May Never Come
Closed Rift Zero
At the final choice, let it end on Close Rift. If time runs out, the side selected at that moment counts.
Guide: Beyond the RiftWalkthrough 7-5: The Fate of Two Worlds
Each ending has its own achievement, so the final choice has to be played once for each side to get both. The checkpoint menu leads straight back to it: 7-5 The Fate of Two Worlds.
The film descriptions come from the two ending videos in the game files, watched frame by frame; the spoken lines are the game's subtitles.