After finishing the sixth episode in season 2 of Raised by Wolves – The Tree, I have some theories on what might be going one. So far everything has been a collection of mysteries and exploration. But, after seeing how the sea creatures interacted with Tempest and her baby, the result of contact with a tree seed, and the conversation between the Father and Grandmother androids I think this is what has happened and is happening:

The human civilization on Kepler-22B had created androids; a war had ensued between the two species, not unlike the one on Earth between the Mithraic and atheists. The humans were losing so they acidified the oceans to prevent the androids from following. In addition, the humans also created a bio-mutagen which enabled them to transform into the sea creatures we have been seeing. Opposite that the androids created a bio-mutagen weapon of their own, in the form of plant seeds, which transformed humans into environment purifying trees. Quick footnote – this all reminds me of the Matrix where the humans darkened the skies and hid underground, while the android started to use the human body as a power source.

• How do we know that the sea creatures used to be humans? The first clue was in episode 5 – King, when Marcus was in the cave off the shaft. There he came across a humanoid dead soldier, which once revived it morphed into a sea creature. In episode 6 we saw the creature which emerged from the water morph legs and it was concerned for the baby and wanted to protect it – assuming to keep it safe from androids and tree seeds.
• We know that the androids do not like humans based on the revelation that the Mithraic language is the language of the androids, and the obvious disdain for the human language expressed by Grandmother and her reaction during the conversation with Father. It is the Mithraic cult/religion that uses necromancer androids, like Mother, against other humans on Earth.
• The war between the androids and the humans might have begun due to climate changes. It would explain why the seeds transform humans into trees, and why they are locked in boxes and why the metal cards warn against them. It is both a punishment for what they had done and a way for the androids to restore balance. It is possible that an AI, not unlike the Trust, which was tasked with helping recover the planet, concluded that humans are the problem and as long as they existed recovery would not be possible.
• The various shafts we have seen are how the humans hid/escaped; are used for air; and are a path between the surface and their underworld.

Questions which needs to be answered:

1. How did the Mithraic knowledge make it to Earth? Was 22B a long-forgotten colony, from which the androids sent back some sort of a capsule?
2. What is the purpose of Number 7 – the serpent? Is it an emissary between the androids and the sea creatures or a weapon? My guess would be that it is a weapon created by the androids! Clue to it is also in the fifth episode – the cave which was barricaded with bones from the inside. Yes, it is herbivore, but it is also an infant. It is an herbivore, because there is no meat on dry land, and it is hurt by the sea, because it must be by design – until it matures. Once it has matured it will become immune to the acidic sea and will be able to enter it and go after the creatures. This would also explain why we have seen skeletons of other serpents in the shafts. Let’s not forget the cave paintings at the end of season 1.
3. What is the signal? I would guess it is a type of a sonic weapon which stimulates specific neural connections in the human brain to trick humans to interact with the tree seeds.
4. What can the Grandmother android do? What is its purpose? Maybe it is the apocalyptic AI which targeted the human inhabitants of Kepler-22B!

We will see if the next episode or two are going to confirm or contradict my theories.