Previously Unknown Lore

Talashar · **Joined:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 12:24 pm **Posts:** 91

Technically, time travel has always been possible! Linking books allow faster-than-light transportation, which is equivalent to time travel given a certain frame of reference. Of course, writing a new link into the past of your own Age (or rather, a quantum state indistinguishable from it), seems like it would require the kind of extremely fine control that only Yeesha has mastered.

Sirius · **Joined:** Sun Jan 18, 2015 10:41 am **Posts:** 82

Talashar wrote:

Linking books allow faster-than-light transportation, which is equivalent to time travel given a certain frame of reference.

Hmmm, one could argue Links might not transport you across our own universe, they might instead shift you to another universe overlapping our own. But how this multi-universe thing works is anyone's guess... Our own science has enough trouble understanding how a single universe works

TOOO wrote:

We already know...

[Reveal] Spoiler:

...from Myst V and Minkata that the bahro can control Time itself.

Yeah, it definitely sounds like it.
Wait... So Bahros can basically fastforward and rewind Time itself, and somehow use it to change climate and geothermal activities in any Age in the blink of an eye ? On top of being able to Link at will ? Golly. We're lucky they are somehow restrained by who knows what !

... Oh wait, they are freed ? And at war ? And some guy gave them the Tablet instead of destroying it ? Oh good. Yeesha, please keep your speeches about Bahros being nice and all to yourself. Don't say I didn't warn you when they decide to Write us out of existence and half the universe with it !

Artic_Wagon · **Joined:** Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:00 pm **Posts:** 4095

"Zaphod22 quote"
In light of the D'ni's knowledge of quantum theory as the mechanical basis for the "art" of writing “linking books,” it's very interesting that Zandi at the cleft is reading a book about quantum theory / mechanics. I just wouldn't have figured "him" for that.
viewtopic.php?p=395636#p395636

Talashar · **Joined:** Sun Dec 08, 2013 12:24 pm **Posts:** 91

Sirius wrote:

Talashar wrote:

Linking books allow faster-than-light transportation, which is equivalent to time travel given a certain frame of reference.

Hmmm, one could argue Links might not transport you across our own universe, they might instead shift you to another universe overlapping our own. But how this multi-universe thing works is anyone's guess... Our own science has enough trouble understanding how a single universe works

If the concept of distance between Earth and Myst isn't well-defined (like you say, it's anyone's guess), you could still link from Earth to Myst and then from Myst to Alpha Centauri. Though I suppose there could be a constraint such that a network of links needs to be local, and if you try writing a linking book on a planet around Alpha Centauri, it wouldn't work because it's too far from Earth...

Artic_Wagon wrote:

"Zaphod22 quote"
In light of the D'ni's knowledge of quantum theory as the mechanical basis for the "art" of writing “linking books,” it's very interesting that Zandi at the cleft is reading a book about quantum theory / mechanics. I just wouldn't have figured "him" for that.
viewtopic.php?p=395636#p395636

Well, that or Snow Crash.

Tweek · **Joined:** Tue May 09, 2006 12:11 am **Posts:** 2633

The Art would transport you across your universe if you happened to Write an Age that existed in the same universe as you. However given the nature of the Great Tree that possibility would be very very very small.

There has always been a factor of time travel when it comes to the Art in the sense that you Link to an Age that could exist 20 million years from now or 20 million years in the past. Of course this would likely be in a separate branch of the tree given my above commentary on the rarity of Linking to an Age that already exists in our universe.

Artic_Wagon · **Joined:** Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:00 pm **Posts:** 4095

On the cover of Zandi's book it seem it is about multi universes and inside about writing style.

[Reveal] Spoiler:

Sirius · **Joined:** Sun Jan 18, 2015 10:41 am **Posts:** 82

That book is more of an easter egg than anything, to be honest... Zandi reading books about quantum mechanics sounds plausible, but the rest is clearly not intended to be serious :lol:

Talashar wrote:

If the concept of distance between Earth and Myst isn't well-defined (like you say, it's anyone's guess), you could still link from Earth to Myst and then from Myst to Alpha Centauri. Though I suppose there could be a constraint such that a network of links needs to be local, and if you try writing a linking book on a planet around Alpha Centauri, it wouldn't work because it's too far from Earth...

Ah, a fair point, I hadn't thought of playing ping-pong between Ages, so to speak.
However now that I think about it, there is another issue that needs to be taken into account: you can't physically write a Link that transports you that far. The initial Link in the Descriptive book can end up anywhere, but ultimately, writing more Linking books require you to actually travel to the destination point and write them there. Like, we could write a Linking book to Earth's moon, but not much farther. So while faster-than-light transportation is theoretically possible, in practice it's unlikely to ever happen. Well, the Bahro might be able to do it though.
Makes me wonder how the D'ni wrote the Links to the various Pod Ages...

Tweek wrote:

The Art would transport you across your universe if you happened to Write an Age that existed in the same universe as you. However given the nature of the Great Tree that possibility would be very very very small.

Even assuming you're very very lucky and create a Book to your own universe, would that even work ? Regular Linking books can't link to the same Age you are in, right ? It's unclear whether that limit applies to the whole universe or simply the same planet.

Artic_Wagon · **Joined:** Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:00 pm **Posts:** 4095

In the film Jonathan Livingston Seagull it said (proposed) that "thought" can be faster than light.

The principle of "being" as opposed to "become" because "is" cannot/should not become and "becoming" cannot be".(eternity opposed to infinity)

Btw, I believe that karma is a quality of infinity. :lol:

korovev · **Posted:** Thu Nov 08, 2018 12:35 pm

Talashar wrote:

Though I suppose there could be a constraint such that a network of links needs to be local, and if you try writing a linking book on a planet around Alpha Centauri, it wouldn't work because it's too far from Earth...

I’d argue that Linking Books work regardless of where they’re written, they appear to latch on the closest major gravity well (otherwise a link to Earth would leave you floating in space most of the times).

It makes sense that Linking Books were developed before Descriptive Books, or experimenting with the Skill would’ve been... rather difficult. Maybe in the beginning they used wormholes, or were helped by the bahro. In any case, there are clues that Linking Books can be written without the physical presence of a corresponding Descriptive Book.

Now, inter-Age linking is possible if you include Yeesha’s style of writing. Normally it wouldn’t be possible, however the same universe in a very distant time (either in the past or the future) might count as a separate Age.

Sirius wrote:

Makes me wonder how the D'ni wrote the Links to the various Pod Ages...

They went to the place, built the pod, then a Writer wrote a Linking Book inside them

Why is this thread in the Spoiler-free section?

Sirius · **Joined:** Sun Jan 18, 2015 10:41 am **Posts:** 82

korovev wrote:

I’d argue that Linking Books work regardless of where they’re written, they appear to latch on the closest major gravity well (otherwise a link to Earth would leave you floating in space most of the times).

Yes, that's what I thought afterwards. Even a non-physical "object" like a Link must somehow latch on to the planet it's on...
After all, there are no motionless bodies in space, so both light speed and lack of speed are always expressed relative to other objects which are themselves in movement (hence time slowing down to avoid cumulative speed being faster than light speed, I guess ? Arrgh, space is interesting but so messed up...

)

Given the nature of the Art and how Linking books describe specific locations it would make more sense if the Link latched on to the group of objects near the destination, but Ahnonay and Gahreesen prove it's not possible, so I guess gravity is the best bet.

Oh, that also means Todelmer's pod Linking Book must have had a timer associated with it, like Gahreesen did ! Using the Pedestal to Link is really much more convenient...

korovev wrote:

It makes sense that Linking Books were developed before Descriptive Books, or experimenting with the Skill would’ve been... rather difficult.

Another brain melter if you ask me... You can't use a Linking Book to the same Age, yet Descriptive Books are essentially prisons without Linking Books back to your home Age. Looks a lot like the chicken and egg situation.
I'd say someone else taught the Art to the D'ni (or the Garternay's, more likely), someone who wasn't limited by Writing itself. The D'ni would say Yahvo taught them, but it could very well have been the Bahro, since Linking seems to be in their blood and they aren't as limited as Writers are. Or someone who had the Tablet at the time... Who knows. I wish we knew more about the Tablet and Slates than Myst V tells us...

korovev wrote:

They went to the place, built the pod, then a Writer wrote a Linking Book inside them

That must have been quite a trek ! But we're talking about the D'ni, so it's highly likely they had the means to do so. That and sending the Todelmer Pod into orbit...

Previously Unknown Lore

Who is online