[He's a pretty sharp dude, but he's still from Ancient Fantasy China where the weirdest shit that happens is related to multiple worlds rather than timelines. He's very visibly mentally chewing on this new information.]

So what you're saying, then, is that in some other time - multiple other times, maybe? - the same situation played out to different ends, and we're just one in a set going through the same motions? Is that it - something like that?