[HEADING=2]Wibbly Wobbly, Timey Wimey[/HEADING]
Quick Note: I am aware that this article is more about Doctor Who than anything else. But no media that I could find has dealt with the uniqueness of Time Tracks and Time Friction so I wrote this anyway
I plan to make several threads regarding what I love reading and understanding about. Theorys on space/time travel, it's limitations and it's benefits.
[HEADING=1]Time Tracks/Time Friction [/HEADING]
[HEADING=2]Time Tracks[/HEADING]
Yet another analogy to explain the illusion of time and the higher-order mathematics which governs it. Time tracks separate time-streams, and generally provide some level of causality whilst time-travelling.
Cross-jumping Time Tracks
A technique used in flight, cross-jumping or side-stepping effectively moves the TARDIS into its past or future time-stream. Yes, it is an ontological absurdity.
Normally, an event wave always travels in its present, after all, this is the definition of the present.
Whilst travelling through the space-time vortex, it is possible to replace the inhabitants event waves into their own past or future. In theory this would enable them to re-write their past or create their own destiny. They would replace their former existence in the real universe with a new version. In practice, this is not possible, and if you cross-jump a time track during flight, the maneuver must be reversed before landing. Otherwise, time friction may occur.
There are a number of reasons a pilot may wish to cross-jump a time track, such as escaping another time-craft which is following the ship,
or to circum-navigate temporal barriers which normally prevent a time-ship from entering a particular time or place.
This screws around with the universe of Doctor Who so much so that it's relevance is completely ignored. To jump a time track and allow a TARDIS to enter a particular time or place by circum-navigates temporal barriers, basically says that if this were possible in the DW universe then the Doctor and anyone capable of time travel could re-enter the Time War by avoiding the Time Lock around it.
It is important to note that my reference material on the subject was written BEFORE the 2005 series of DW began, meaning that the Time War was not taken into consideration because it hadn't been written into the show yet.
HOWEVER, most of my reference material is written from old series DW directly. Meaning that RTD completely ignored this phenomenon until near the end of 2006 (New series 2) where the Doctor explains that travel between parallel world was possible until the destruction of the Time Lords whereupon the barriers between universes sealed shut.
This still does not entirely explain Time Tracks as they would add an extra dimension to the show that most viewers would find confusing unless David Tennant explained it all for us at high speed.
tl'dr? Screw you Russell T Davies
Now, where was I?
It is important to note that my reference material on the subject was written BEFORE the 2005 series of DW began, meaning that the Time War was not taken into consideration because it hadn't been written into the show yet.
HOWEVER, most of my reference material is written from old series DW directly. Meaning that RTD completely ignored this phenomenon until near the end of 2006 (New series 2) where the Doctor explains that travel between parallel world was possible until the destruction of the Time Lords whereupon the barriers between universes sealed shut.
This still does not entirely explain Time Tracks as they would add an extra dimension to the show that most viewers would find confusing unless David Tennant explained it all for us at high speed.
tl'dr? Screw you Russell T Davies
Now, where was I?
Some pilots also use the technique to perform short time-travel journeys by taking themselves out of space/time the same way you do when entering the Time Vortex. However, this method is ridiculously dangerous and can lead to the problems below.
[HEADING=2]Time Friction[/HEADING]
A very rare phenomenon, technically known as an accidental track jump.
This can occur either because of a technical fault during flight, an emergency forced rematerialisation, or as extremely poor piloting.
In theory, you should be either existing in your own past or future. In practice, you co-exists with your past or future. The combined reality is a less than the sum of its parts. The first indication of a time track jump is a loss of present. Literally, some present has passed by, which the victims will not be aware of.
The interior of the TARDIS is not immune to the effects of the track jump, as it not isolated from the exterior world. (Basically if the TARDIS door did not exist or was not connected to the TARDIS or vice versa then the TARDIS would be isolated in it's own dimension and unaffected by Time Friction)
Some objects inside the TARDIS, apparently from random, will appear to be from the future. This is quickly observable as they either will not be able to be touched, or will not be able to be interacted with (i.e. you can touch a glass but can't leave fingerprints on it). The same applies for the world outside the TARDIS. Here none of the world can be interacted with, and as before, some objects can only be seen but not touched. Worse still, the world is the personal future/past of the TARDIS's time travellers. You may see oneself going about Your life from a "third-person" perspective.
The situation will not revert itself until the event-waves (a minimal time stream created once entering the incorrect Time Track) of the time travellers are back within the correct time track.
The operation of a time dimension tracker circuit should perform this.
When this happens everything that the time travellers interacted with will suddenly happen. The glass which had no fingerprints after a touch will seemingly suddenly change, the fingerprints appearing. Worse still, although your positions remain the same, the future which was before your eyes has gone to be replaced with the "present". There is an element of fate here, as nothing has changed. Yours other self may still be observing the situation. If before you saw yourself die, this may happen now. However, as you have foreknowledge, this can actually be avoided.
The More You Know!
The Blinovitch Limitation Effect [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.201912-A-Discussion-about-Time-The-Blinovitch-Limitation-Effect] - Done
Time Streams/Illusion of Time [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.203130-A-Discussion-about-Time-The-Illusion-of-Time-Time-Streams] - Done
Travel to the Past [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.204135-A-Discussion-about-Time-Travel-to-the-Past] - Done
Travel to the Future [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.208546-A-Discussion-about-Time-Travel-to-the-Future] - Done
Time Tracks/Time Friction [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.218644-A-Discussion-about-Time-Time-Tracks-Time-Friction] - Done
Time-Loops [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.224218-A-Discussion-about-Time-Time-Loops] - Done
The Laws of Time!
Time Streams/Illusion of Time [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.203130-A-Discussion-about-Time-The-Illusion-of-Time-Time-Streams] - Done
Travel to the Past [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.204135-A-Discussion-about-Time-Travel-to-the-Past] - Done
Travel to the Future [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.208546-A-Discussion-about-Time-Travel-to-the-Future] - Done
Time Tracks/Time Friction [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.218644-A-Discussion-about-Time-Time-Tracks-Time-Friction] - Done
Time-Loops [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.224218-A-Discussion-about-Time-Time-Loops] - Done
The Laws of Time!
