re:The concepts that Leonard Susskind is advocating seem interesting.
I grasp several parallel assumptions between his and the ones that I happened to obtain from the Bible.
Most notably the point where you describe:
Our universe existed, in a way, prior to the Big Bang; it just wasn't a viable universe. Once some random quantum fluctuation perturbed it, it started rolling, and that was the Big Bang.
Using different words the Bible describes the same condition.
According to the Bible; after the "heaven" (space) and "earth" (mass) was created, the (mass) in the universe had no "form" and it was "void," and there was no energy of any kind, until the "creator" caused a (quantum fluctuation) in that universe.
And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face
of the deep. and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
This described event was before the "Big Bang." The Big Bang event is described using the words:
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Thank you Robert for your intelligent input, this Zone can be "Habitable" if there is intelligent or humorous communication between the participants.