Creepy FTL idea

[Joose]

I've just been reading a book called Old Mans War. It's a very good read, I can definately recommend it.

Specifically, I've just read a bit where one of the characters describes how the FTL in it (called Skip drives) work. Instead of actually moving faster than light, which remains impossible, they actually jump into a parallel world that is almost identical to their original one, only they arrive in a different place to where they start. He explains that the "them" in that universe will have just left on the exact same jump, and so on and so on. Although the parallel world won't be identical to the one they leave the odds are astronomical that the difference will be more than something like a subatomic partial being over here rather than over there, or some other similarly insignificant difference.

It's a neat way of solving FTL travel, even though it does then raise the question of how the balls are they moving spaceships into other dimensions. The reason I mention it here is that it occurs to me that could be an awesome plot hook for an RPG. The players meet their contact who has just travelled in by some new FTL, and there is something not quite right about him. Or even worse, the players travel by FTL and now there is something subtly wrong with EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE!

Just thought it was a fun idea.

[Dog Pants]

Noted. I have several types of FTL drive in Wild Black Yonder, one of which are jump drives. That always assumes it would be the same people coming back out of the other place, so this is a nice variation.

[Roman Totale]

I foresee a Philip K Dick-esque nightmare, where you're never quite certain what is out of place - you or the other person. If it were a film or TV series, it would end with the main character being driven mad by the complete strangeness of those around him, only to find that...DUN DUN DUN!...he'd been back in his own universe for some time.

Or maybe even some sort of Prestige style scenario - whenever you jump into one universe you effectively tele-frag your alternate. Every jump you make you erase a version of yourself from existence, perhaps even acquiring all their thoughts and experiences along the way.

[buzzmong]

"Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast".



In all seriousness, sounds like a fun concept. Especially for an RPG. It's also very Event Horizon.

[FatherJack]

whenever you jump into one universe you effectively tele-frag your alternate. Every jump you make you erase a version of yourself from existence, perhaps even acquiring all their thoughts and experiences along the way.

Some think that's kind of what happens every time you or I make a decision - all alternate versions of ourselves are extinguished from the timeline we now perceive, but we don't even notice as we become the new versions of ourselves, never knowing if our memories are our own, or those of whom we replaced. Some think there is a certain level of entropy which will always push events in a more deterministic direction.

The relativity thing is more crucial here than in the orbiting planets question, as without the ability of any us to perceive anything outside this particular timeline it's impossible for us to know, and therefore easier to subscribe to the second theory. Donnie Darko, The Butterfly Effect and Bioshock Infinite all use the third-party viewpoint to demonstrate this.