Time Unlimited Campaign ======================= Author: Todd Montgomery "Want me to dial up Hell, huh?... OK, that should be right off the right arm of Armageddon, and a few major branches from Hades." - Rachel Warren Di' Marx, TechnoMagi, DI16 DZO "Oh, the places you will go and the _things_ you will see....!!!!" - Marcus Alixus Uowes, _Time Unlimited_ Board Governor MAOG Invocation Ceremony, 2214 AD Combining Parachonics with Geometrodynamics ------------------------------------------- What defines _the_ multiverse? ------------------------------ The multiverse is the name given to all the possible realities infinitely branching from the core reality (brought into being at the instant of the bing-bang). A reality line (more commonly known as a Causal Signature) is a sequence of appearingly almost infinite resolution (actually down to the local 3-geometry of Plank's length (1.6x10^-35 m)) that defines _uniquely_ a given reality. This signature is a set of value/time pairs that are distinct with the multiverse. A signature is constantly growing as time progresses along the multiverse. Since these pairs identify a reality and these pairs can be almost limitless in there individual values, there are effectively an infinite amount of possible realities. The passage of time can be thought of as the addition of more pairs onto the a current realities signature. It is possible, through very sophisticated techniques, to identify critical sections of the signature that have great impact on a reality. An example of this may be a slight deviation in the path of a projectile that, unknown to the shooter, did not kill its target, but instead merely grazed his ear. Such an action with the right shooter and/or target could have changed the face of reality from what we know it today. Travel among the Multiverse --------------------------- It is possible to synchronize a point in one reality to a different causal signature than its environment. When this is done, a "rift" in reality is created and a point in one reality is linked to another point in an alternate reality. Travel between the two realities is possible given some conditions: 1 - The traveller and equipment must be polarized to its destination. This can be done by "overlaying" another causal signature as a residual effect onto its own causal signature. This effect last only a short time as the overlayed signature is broken down and replaced by the natural signature. Nothing that is not polarized can travel between the realities, not any kind of weapon, nor any kind of radio/laser/etc. transmissions. The amount of deterioration in the overlay can reach a point where travel is very dangerous. This threshold is approximately 95% and is dependent on how powerful the overlay is. 2 - The longer the link is maintained, the more energy is required to maintain it. This is due to the fact that, _typically_, realities are always growing apart. However, sometimes they may grow closer. It is a power demanding process to align two causal signatures. The further the deviation, the more power it requires to establish a link and to maintain it. As signatures are constantly growing, and one realities signature can take on various values, travel into the future is easy. However, not very much certainty can be placed on if that future will be your future. For this reason, all travel between realities is done with no time difference. A traveller may travel to another reality, spend 3-4 days, and then come back to its home reality at the exact instant it left. If the traveller would happen to be killed, he/she effectively does not come back. The past may not be changed. This is because the reality you currently "live" in is only one of an inifite number of possible realities. By going back in time, doing something to change reality, you are only travelling down another "branch" of the reality tree and not having any effect on your own time signature. In this view, things such as paradoxes are nothing more than part of the whole entire multiverse. A traveller may travel back in time (or forward along a "likely" signature) and meet himself. When this occurs, nothing of note happens, Besides maybe startling himself to death. This situation is perfectly fine and easily explained by being aware that such an occurrence only makes that reality travel down a differing path. When a traveller travels to another reality, can he predict the outcome of events or influence them in a way to take advantage of a situation? The answer to this seemingly difficult question is, not with very much certainty. The reason for this is that the traveller can only predict new pairs to the signature if they can predict new events and determine how they effect the signature. In any reality the traveller will only be in control of an infintismally small number of elements that predicting what will happen with any kind of certainty is almost impossible. In the reality of 2321 AD, the only people with the ability to change a causal signature making multiversal travel possible are the TechnoMagi. TechnoMagi ---------- With the success of the 2193 AD FTL drive project, the previously known Void Engineers (GURPS Mage the Ascension) decided to branch out into new areas of reality. This time they chose a broader target. While the Sleepers (Humankind) enjoyed their new found abilities to travel to very distant worlds in seemingly no time, the Engineers put a grand scheme into effect. Unknown to the other Magi, the Engineers formed a new society called the TechnoMagi. This tradition was formed from some of the most powerful Void Engineers, Virtual Adepts, and renegade Technocrancy mages. Together this force started to play into politics with the Sleepers. In no time, the TechnoMagi became known as the forebearers of a new movement. This movement was the growing desire to, not just explore the reaches of space, but to travel inward and explore what "might have been" in order to better understand what humankind can do. Becoming so public, the TechnoMagi have taken a very large risk, however, it has paid off. In the early days and even now, other traditions and especially the Technocrancy seek to bring the TechnoMagi down. There have been set backs, but that has not effected the overall goal. Today, 2321 AD, the TechnoMagi are able to explore the bounds of reality in all its limitless possibilities and to take humankind along with them into a new enlighted age. Most humans think of the TechnoMagi as especially talented psychics with the ability to harnass unknown powers to bring realities into synch with one another so that travel between them is possible. Most do not know that the TechnoMagi are part of the still evolving Ascenssion War. TechnoMagi: GURPS Mage the Ascension Tradition. General Dictum: Use reality to change reality.... Sphere: Time Foci: Multiversal Gates (Time), Computers(as Virtual Adepts) Multiversal Gates ----------------- A Multiversal Gate is a Parachonic device invented by the TechnoMagi. It can be a myriad of shapes. However, mostly it takes on the shape of a circular portal about 12 feet in diameter. It demands a LOT of power to link itself to another gate or to another causal signature. The process of this can be time consuming (sometimes days). A gate that has the ability to change its causal signature is called an "Originator Gate" or "Dimension-Z-Originator" (DZO). Only two DZOs are known to exist on the 2321 AD reality. One is aboard the Space Station Draco-Indie 16 (DI16). The other is on Earth at a hidden location. Gates operate in two different modes. The first mode is free linking. This mode allows the gate to "dial" up a causal signature and link the gate to a specific area in that reality. Calculating this area is extremely difficult. The other mode is strict linking mode. This mode links two gates, one being a DZO, the other a destination gate (DZT - see below). This form of link is much easier to calculate and easier to maintain because both links expend power to maintain the link. After being broken, a free link is totally broken. Where as a strict link is maintained for a few nanoseconds for the travellers to come back. During this time, a Smaller "target" gates exist. These can even be the size of a a small fighter plane. They are also becoming much smaller. Projects exist to trim the size down to a backpack or smaller. These gates can not change their causal signatures, but they may be used as destination gates to link to. These gates are known also as "Dimmension-Z-Target" (DZTs). When a DZO links to a DZT, the link is maintained while the travellers cross between the realities. When the link is "broken", the DZT must spend time recharging and calculating the changing signature difference to within acceptible parameters for safe travel. After a set time, the DZT can reestablish the link and allow the travellers to travel home. The DZT is only allowed to do repeat this on a very acurate schedule that is dictated by the changing signatures involved. So, for the travellers going home right at this moment may not be at all possible. To the observers at the DZO, the travellers appear to vanish into the gate, the gate powers off, immediately powers up and the travellers appear. To the travellers, days, weeks, even years may have passed. Time Unlimited, Inc. -------------------- In 2212 AD, several TechnoMagi petitioned 27 large multi-galaxy coporations to begin research and activities into Parachronic travel. In exchange for the funds, the TehcnoMagi gave each corporartion a seat on the Steering Committee of the formed organization. The organization was called Time Unlimited, Inc, and was incorporated in 2214 AD. The TUSC, Time Unlimited Steering Committee, is composed of 27 large space corporations that together with the Board Governor (a TechnoMagi by the name of Marcus Alixus Uowes), have direct control over what missions TU performs and where TUs travellers go. TU is the only organization to legally be involved in reality travel. Other organizations wishing to use reality travel must petition the TUSC for approval. Where the request is carefully considered and a RRTF (Reality Reconnaisance Task Force) is assigned to work with the customer. An RRTF is a team of reality travellers that have been highly skilled to deal with almost any situation. These individuals have access to almost all of TUs equipment and/or support personel (except TechnoMagi). Typical backgrounds for TU teams are military or security training, infiltration and surveillance. TU has a standing stable of RRTF members that have a variety of realities as their home backgrounds. Among these are extra-dimensional creatures and some with native parachronic powers. Though some do not need to use the DZOs, they are required to by the bounds of TU. TU has access to mature TL 12 technology and is a _very_ powerful organization. A typical set of advantages and disdadvantages for an RRTF member is Patron: TU, Inc (15 pts) - Very powerful, out of contact on missions, vast equipment. Duty (TU Inc.). Note: Marcus Alixus Uowes is now (2321 AD) a living brain and is effectively an immortal. Missions -------- Typcial missions for RRTF teams involve recon, infiltration, and espionage into other realities for mostly the sake of knowledge and advancing TUs understanding of Parachronic travel. Although, sometimes TUSC members request missions to further their own goals, such as new technology. A growing number of strike missions have been seen as other reality travelling races have been encountered. Some have been friendly and willing to trade information, and others have been devistatingly menacing and deadly. Equipment --------- About anything from TL 12. DZO Gate: priceless, TL unknown DZT Gate: $10,000,000, TL 13 Polarization Unit: Large tank that is used to overlay a causal signature onto the natural causal signature of an object. Slowly degrades over time. Once it degrades enough, the objects causal signature changes to that of the current reality it is in. The larger the object, the more power it takes to overlay a signature. The more power an overlay is given, the longer it can be made to last without degrading noticably. Polarization Unit (up to 3 cf): $100,000, TL 12 Portable. Can be used to bring back things from other realities. This is the _only_ way this can be done. Enemies of Time Unlimited ------------------------- Rogue TechnoMagi - TechnoMagi corrupted by the Nephandi Nephandi - Demons, Devils, etc. Have very restrictive reality travel. TL is pretty meaningless. RGP - RoboGeonisys Project - Parachronic travelling robots/droids. Desire to overrun mankind. In their own reality, they are in a long running war against a loosing mankind. TL 10+ Other nameless, or unnamable, creatures.... Rifts ----- Some other reality travelling races use another similar travel technique. This involves establishing a permanent (or most permanent) gate between two realities. This gate is called a rift. A rift is a continually charged gate that connects the two realities by feeding the power released by the gate back into itself. Rifts may fluctuate wildly and incontrollably at times. Little is known by TU about how rifts come into existence or how they are set up. And in fact, the TehcnoMagi seem to think very little about rifts. They seem to be the anti-thesis of their own views on the multiverse. At times, TU sends RRTF teams to collapse rifts. TechnoMagi believe that rifts can permanently damage the multiverse in some way. Collapsing a rift is a matter of breaking the feedback of the rift. Several devices exist to do this.