5,031
edits
Web of Time: Difference between revisions
From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
→Flexibility and fixed points
| Line 15: | Line 15: | ||
The [[Eighth Doctor]] explained that the Web of Time was resilient. In some cases, [[event]]s could be reshaped; for instance, some people could safely have been made to die early if they led quiet, unobtrusive lives without any children. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Zygon Who Fell to Earth (audio story)|The Zygon Who Fell to Earth]]'') An example of this was [[Andrew Edwardson]], who lived a quiet life on his own, so his [[death]] could not disrupt causality. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[My Dinner with Andrew (audio story)|My Dinner with Andrew]]'') Removing such a person was a mere "hiccup" in causality, easily mended. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Neverland (audio story)|Neverland]]'') In legal terms, such people whose deaths would have little to no impact on the [[causal nexus]] were deemed "[[future-proof]]". ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Moving Target (audio story)|Moving Target]]'') | The [[Eighth Doctor]] explained that the Web of Time was resilient. In some cases, [[event]]s could be reshaped; for instance, some people could safely have been made to die early if they led quiet, unobtrusive lives without any children. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Zygon Who Fell to Earth (audio story)|The Zygon Who Fell to Earth]]'') An example of this was [[Andrew Edwardson]], who lived a quiet life on his own, so his [[death]] could not disrupt causality. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[My Dinner with Andrew (audio story)|My Dinner with Andrew]]'') Removing such a person was a mere "hiccup" in causality, easily mended. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Neverland (audio story)|Neverland]]'') In legal terms, such people whose deaths would have little to no impact on the [[causal nexus]] were deemed "[[future-proof]]". ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Moving Target (audio story)|Moving Target]]'') | ||
In other cases, when specific events were removed from the Web, analogous events would take their place. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Left-Handed Hummingbird (novel)|The Left-Handed Hummingbird]]'') The [[First Doctor]] often found that "things balance out in curious ways". ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Daybreak (audio story)|Daybreak]]'') For instance, if [[Adolf Hitler]] was prevented from rising to power, a different man would have taken control of the [[Nazi]] party and begun [[World War II]], though the War would've ended differently. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Timewyrm: Exodus (novel)|Timewyrm: Exodus]]'') | In other cases, when specific events were removed from the Web, analogous events would take their place. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Left-Handed Hummingbird (novel)|The Left-Handed Hummingbird]]'') The [[First Doctor]] often found that "things balance out in curious ways". ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Daybreak (audio story)|Daybreak]]'') For instance, if [[Adolf Hitler]] was prevented from rising to power, a different man would have taken control of the [[Nazi]] party and begun [[World War II]], though the War would've ended differently. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Timewyrm: Exodus (novel)|Timewyrm: Exodus]]'') Alternatively, [[Susan Foreman|Susan ]]explained that if [[Ian Chesterton|Ian ]]had written a letter to [[Napoléon Bonaparte]] and told him of the events that were to happen, Napoléon would've forgotten or lost it or believed it to be written by a mad man. [[Barbara Wright|Barbara ]]also speculated that if they fired a gun at Napoléon, the bullet would've missed. ([[TV]]: [[The Reign of Terror (TV story)|''The Reign of Terror'']]) | ||
However, some [[space-time event|events]] called [[fixed point in time|fixed points in time]] had effects so significant that they would cause significant disruption to the Web if changed. This could cause disastrous repercussions in every corner of the universe, killing billions, instantly disappearing major civilisations, and threatening the fabric of the universe itself. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Attack of the Cybermen (novelisation)|Attack of the Cybermen]]'') An early death for [[the Doctor]] would cause the [[star]]s to go out, ([[TV]]: ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]'', ''[[The Name of the Doctor (TV story)|The Name of the Doctor]]'', [[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Furies (audio story)|The Furies]]'') and when the fixed point of the [[Eleventh Doctor]]'s apparent death was altered, [[time]] itself began to fall apart. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Wedding of River Song (TV story)|The Wedding of River Song]]'') The [[Tenth Doctor]] explained to [[Donna Noble]] that only Time Lords could tell the difference between fixed points in time and events that were in flux. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Fires of Pompeii (TV story)|The Fires of Pompeii]]'') | However, some [[space-time event|events]] called [[fixed point in time|fixed points in time]] had effects so significant that they would cause significant disruption to the Web if changed. This could cause disastrous repercussions in every corner of the universe, killing billions, instantly disappearing major civilisations, and threatening the fabric of the universe itself. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Attack of the Cybermen (novelisation)|Attack of the Cybermen]]'') An early death for [[the Doctor]] would cause the [[star]]s to go out, ([[TV]]: ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]'', ''[[The Name of the Doctor (TV story)|The Name of the Doctor]]'', [[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Furies (audio story)|The Furies]]'') and when the fixed point of the [[Eleventh Doctor]]'s apparent death was altered, [[time]] itself began to fall apart. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Wedding of River Song (TV story)|The Wedding of River Song]]'') The [[Tenth Doctor]] explained to [[Donna Noble]] that only Time Lords could tell the difference between fixed points in time and events that were in flux. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Fires of Pompeii (TV story)|The Fires of Pompeii]]'') | ||
