[Scenario/Character idea] The Left Behind

[Catsmate]

I was musing recently on the subject of quantum mechanics, the idea of 'plastic' time and how they'd relate to time travel. This rapidly went into some weird places (which I may post here when I've got a handle on them) involving why Ephemerals (people native to a time period) might not notice time travel related oddities^[1], why it could be very difficult to actually visit certain historical periods^[2], how history might be able to correct for minor alterations (plastic time with a variable degree of rigidity) and why going to the assistance of your probably dead friend is actually dead might be a Very Bad Idea^[4].

But what happens if you do alter^[4] history? Specifically what happens to the people whose entire timeline has been erased. Now most of they are probably gone, back into the quantum foam that separates the universes. But some of them might be time travellers or otherwise time active and infused with Artron energy, perhaps enough to survive while their universe collapses around them and they're left there^[6].
Most would probably die quickly, not fitting into society, accident or suicide. But some would survive.

And seek revenge... Or at least to 'fix' history.






[1] The Masquerade Effect. Still no excuse for Sixie's coat though.

[2] The Limelight Effect or just how many people can fit into Lincoln's box at Ford's Theatre?

[3] Which would be necessary for time travel in a universe, unless time travel is deterministic. Otherwise merely being there would start a chaotic cascade of changes.

[4] The Observer Effect. The more you know about an event the less you can do to alter it. Like coming back later with a transmat and a cloned body.

[5] Or fix history. The difference would seem to be purely perceptual and semantic, rather like "terrorist", "rebel" and "freedom fighter".

[6] I'm deliberately avoiding Faction Paradox, though the concept is similar.

[Hedgewick]

Mar 6, 2018 11:24:08 GMT Catsmate said:

But what happens if you do alter^[4] history? Specifically what happens to the people whose entire timeline has been erased. Now most of they are probably gone, back into the quantum foam that separates the universes. But some of them might be time travellers or otherwise time active and infused with Artron energy, perhaps enough to survive while their universe collapses around them and they're left there^[6].
Most would probably die quickly, not fitting into society, accident or suicide. But some would survive.

And seek revenge... Or at least to 'fix' history.

This is a tantalizing concept, one with great dramatic potential. In a simplistic sort of way, we've been exploring this sort of thing throughout our campaign. The chief villains of our campaign, the Divinity, are a race that has survived the Doctor's efforts to erase them from the timeline. Now, they're responding in kind, altering the timeline to bring about their revenge.

[olegrand]

Yup. Interesting concept - and one that can be explored in multiple, quite different ways.

In my campaign, I've introduced the concept of "déplacé temporel" - "the temporally displaced", referring to people who should have been erased from history by such timeline tweakings but somehow were NOT, either thanks to the actions of some time traveler or interferer / interloper or through more freakish "quantic" (a useful catch-all term, that incident or phenomenon...

The planet of Avalon (the homebase of Lady Penelope, the Doctor and a few other Time Lord renegades) has become a safe haven for such people, turning the "temporally displaced" into, well, "temporal refugees"

But the wider concept could also be tied to some of the enigmatic entities mentioned by the Doctor à propos the Last Great Time War - you know the "army of Meanwhiles and Neverweres"...

Vengeful, mad NPCs... yeah... but when you think of it, it could also be turned into a really fascinating concept for a player-character - you know, the "man who shouldn't be", the "woman who never was" etc.

[Catsmate]

Mar 8, 2018 16:41:06 GMT Hedgewick said:

Mar 6, 2018 11:24:08 GMT Catsmate said:

But what happens if you do alter^[4] history? Specifically what happens to the people whose entire timeline has been erased. Now most of they are probably gone, back into the quantum foam that separates the universes. But some of them might be time travellers or otherwise time active and infused with Artron energy, perhaps enough to survive while their universe collapses around them and they're left there^[6].
Most would probably die quickly, not fitting into society, accident or suicide. But some would survive.

And seek revenge... Or at least to 'fix' history.

This is a tantalizing concept, one with great dramatic potential. In a simplistic sort of way, we've been exploring this sort of thing throughout our campaign. The chief villains of our campaign, the Divinity, are a race that has survived the Doctor's efforts to erase them from the timeline. Now, they're responding in kind, altering the timeline to bring about their revenge.

I like this. A bit like the alternate history cycle within the New Adventures where the Doctor is attacked through his past.

[Catsmate]

Mar 8, 2018 20:59:58 GMT olegrand said:

Yup. Interesting concept - and one that can be explored in multiple, quite different ways.

In my campaign, I've introduced the concept of "déplacé temporel" - "the temporally displaced", referring to people who should have been erased from history by such timeline tweakings but somehow were NOT, either thanks to the actions of some time traveler or interferer / interloper or through more freakish "quantic" (a useful catch-all term, that incident or phenomenon...

The planet of Avalon (the homebase of Lady Penelope, the Doctor and a few other Time Lord renegades) has become a safe haven for such people, turning the "temporally displaced" into, well, "temporal refugees"

But the wider concept could also be tied to some of the enigmatic entities mentioned by the Doctor à propos the Last Great Time War - you know the "army of Meanwhiles and Neverweres"...

Vengeful, mad NPCs... yeah... but when you think of it, it could also be turned into a really fascinating concept for a player-character - you know, the "man who shouldn't be", the "woman who never was" etc.

Interesting concepts (and rather topical). It's an interesting idea, people and places 'left over' from erased timelines. One of my recurring NPCs. Gandalf (PDF), has a similar origin. A slight flicker in history caused by two time travellers erased him, his mother, siblings and other relatives and descendants from time. One of the consequences is that he 'smells wrong' to those with Feel The Turn of the Universe.


Or the The Never-Queen and her Court of Wasn’t Borns.

[imajica]

My Google-fu is failing me here. There was a TV show with Stephen Tompkinson and Dervla Kirwan where they appeared to be ghosts. Can't remember what it was called, or any details beyond that they could interact with people and things, but the second they broke eye contact, they were forgotten. Could be an interested effect of this temporal displacement...

[Catsmate]

Mar 16, 2018 11:06:06 GMT imajica said:

My Google-fu is failing me here. There was a TV show with Stephen Tompkinson and Deirdre Donnelly where they appeared to be ghosts. Can't remember what it was called, or any details beyond that they could interact with people and things, but the second they broke eye contact, they were forgotten. Could be an interested effect of this temporal displacement...

Hereafter aka Shades. Never broadcast in the UK.

[imajica]

Mar 16, 2018 17:44:30 GMT Catsmate said:

Mar 16, 2018 11:06:06 GMT imajica said:

My Google-fu is failing me here. There was a TV show with Stephen Tompkinson and Dervla Kirwan where they appeared to be ghosts. Can't remember what it was called, or any details beyond that they could interact with people and things, but the second they broke eye contact, they were forgotten. Could be an interested effect of this temporal displacement...

Hereafter aka Shades. Never broadcast in the UK.

Never broadcast in the UK? Weird! Wonder how I got to see it.

But thanks!

[Catsmate]

Mar 20, 2018 13:29:08 GMT imajica said:

Mar 16, 2018 17:44:30 GMT Catsmate said:

Hereafter aka Shades. Never broadcast in the UK.

Never broadcast in the UK? Weird! Wonder how I got to see it.

But thanks!

DVD maybe?

[imajica]

Mar 21, 2018 10:24:36 GMT Catsmate said:

DVD maybe?

2001... June that year I was in the US for a few weeks on a software testing project for the Kent company I worked for. Chances are I caught it then. That and Six Feet Under...

[missyfan45]

thought this was on the book series left behind still a good read though