| This is an explanation for the many discrepancies between the Homeline of Classic: Time Travel and the Homeline in GURPS Infinite Worlds |
The Classic Canon[]
This is the Homeline described in Classic: Time Travel and other Classic books and has enough differences from the 4e version that it can easily count as an close parallel of Homeline.
In canon, Homeline and Homeline-2 haven't discovered each other but they do have access to worlds that should have gained 12 years but haven't indicating 4e Homeline has either found echos of worlds Homeline-2 knew of in its 2015 or Homeline and Homeline-2 are visiting the same echos.
Centrum Beta-2 is of particular interest as not only is it another "smoking gun" (The other two being the Homeline years when Centrum and Homeline learned of each other) that this isn't a past version of 4e Homeline (being 15 years "ahead" of the Centrum Beta Homeline and Centrum are familiar with) but the world war of 1902-1912 Centrum had doesn't seem to have happened there.
Meeting yourself...kind of[]
This is like DC comics' Pre-Crisis Earth-One and Earth-Thirty-Two. They are similar but it is clear they can't be part of the same Homeline reality. As a result there will be a sense of things being "off"; it looks like Homeline in 2015 but there are some key differences, such as knowledge of Centrum and Centrum Beta-2 years, that show it can't be.
Discovery (suggestions)[]
Parachronic Research[]
Infinity's research into the duplicated shipment[3] revealed that the material from the first conveyor that had dates were at least 12 years old. Later a Fascinating Parachronic Disaster resulted in Homeline-2 agents arriving in Homeline proper. It was revealed that the return coordinates of their conveyor were close to what they should be but also "off". Using those coordinates resulted in the formal discovery of Homeline-2
Paradox-1 option[]
Homeline's first use of a ERB from Paradox-1 involved going back 12 years to what was supported to be their past.
At first it looked like they succeeded but then they started noticing that the years for many of the worlds known had the same year. Then they found out that this Homeline had learned of Centrum in 2006, 12 years before they did. The Centrum-Beta known showed this was actually on echo of Homeline itself as "Centrum-Beta-2" was 15 years ahead of the one they knew.
Relations[]
Homeline[]
Homeline-2 is in many ways spooky as it is disturbingly close to Homeline in 2015 with only the knowledge of Centrum and the 15 years difference in Centrum-Beta being the only telling signs this isn't Homeline's past. Infinity has no desire to effectively fight itself and so works with Infinity-2 but it is concerned with the Centrum and Reich-5 known to Infinity-2 as they appear to be echos of the ones they know.
Centrum[]
Centrum is deeply troubled by a "younger" Secundus and wonders if they can contact "Centrum-2" and enlist their aid as they think that Secundus-2 is far more aggressive about finding realities then the Infinity they are familiar with. (They are correct as with Secundus-2 discovering about 10 realities every year its total would be 60 more realities in its 2027 then Secundus-1 actually knows about.[4])
Centrum Beta-2 is a puzzle as neither Homeline makes any mention of there being a war going on making Centrum wonder if it has somehow avoided the devastating 1902-1912 war they had. This has made finding and gaining access to this reality a top priority as the feeling is it is existing on borrowed time.
References[]
- ↑ Classic: Time Travel p. 106
- ↑ Classic: Alternate Earths 2 pg 121
- ↑ Basic Set p. 532
- ↑ Known Realities
- Banestorming Infinity Unlimited (June 19, 1998)