Divergent Timeline Theory
When it comes to time travel, there are three basic schools of thought.
Straight Line Theory says that there is one timeline, and it is immutable. History cannot be changed, once it has happened, it’s happened. Within the Strait Line school you’ll also find cyclical theory, in which, not precisely the same events, but equivalent events, happen periodically.
Revisionist Theory is similar to Straight Line, but with one all-important key difference: you can change history. You might be most familiar with Revisionist Theory from the Back to the Future movies.
Finally we have Many Worlds. The Many Worlds Theory posits that for every possible outcome, a new timeline is spawned, thus producing an infinite number of realities. This is the most fun to daydream about, but it can also lead to some absurd scenarios, like a universe in which flying doorknobs wear lime-green socks on their ears.
Now, the Author has proposed a new theory, called Temporal Divergence Theory. In the story, Jason Bur’I proposed it; but since the Author proposed him, the Author gets to take credit. In order to understand Temporal Divergence Theory, we must first imagine time as a straight line, moving from left to right along an infinitely long sheet of paper.
Now, Temporal Divergence Theory assumes there is one primary timeline, which is the only timeline that matters. This is the line moving perfectly level from left to right. We could incorporate 3D here, but for the sake of understanding, it will be easier to comprehend temporal divergence on a 2D plane.
Every event, every possibility within the main timeline produces a divergent timeline, much like in Many Worlds; but the Temporal Divergence has one primary never-ending timeline, while Many Worlds has infinite timelines, which might intersect or not, as chance dictates. A divergent timeline moves off at an angle away from the main timeline. Instead of spawning its own diverent lines, each event within the divergent line causes the angle to change. Events can bring a divergent timeline exactly parallel with the main line. They can also divert it directly back into the main line.
Things get interesting when events divert the line even further from the main. Because of the difference in angle of the divergent line, it covers more ‘ground’ in a shorter distance. It’s basic geometry: compared to the main timeline, the divergent timeline will go further. Thus, looking into these timelines can give viewers from the main timeline a ‘glimpse’ into the future.
When the angle of a divergent timeline becomes perfectly perpendicular to the main timeline (90 degrees), the divergent line collapses. As it does so, it releases a phenomenon known as Collapsing Probability Waves.
Did you ever find your wallet in the freezer? Are you ever curious where all those lost socks went? Have you ever found a book you were looking for in the library on a shelf you JUST checked? Did you ever see a dragon, in a world where they're not supposed to exist? Collapsing Probability Waves.
The impacts of Collapsing Probability Waves are nearly impossible to measure, and just as difficult to quantify. It could be a Collapsing Probability Wave, or it could just be a huge coincidence.
The impact of Collapsing Probability Waves is much greater on the divergent timelines, as they are further from the main. This can produce downright odd events within these lines, which of course no one will really notice because their line is well on the road to collapse.
