Linking Theory and the Apocalypse

Solstice · **Joined:** Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:37 am **Posts:** 65

As we all know, Ages are "possibilities" that exist in the infinite realm of alternate universes, and linking books let us go to those possibilities by making them part of our reality.

Now, as far as I understand it, time flows at the same rate through all Ages across all parallel universes, even though the Ages can be in either the past, present, or future compared to the time in which we're now living (Earth, 2010). If this is the case, what will happen when or if our universe comes to an end? Will other ages be destroyed before/last longer than Earth? Or will everything come to an end the instant that "our" universe does, even though the other Ages exist in different relative times?

Anna Catherine · **Posted:** Sat Jul 24, 2010 1:55 am

I would imagine that any Age would last as long as its own universe, since they have no physical connection to one another. Since there would probably be nothing about the end of Earth's universe that would cause the end of a different reality, I don't think they would be significantly negatively affected. (For example, the demise of Riven didn't destroy Earth; it was an unconnected event.)

What could end, is the ability to link. If the D'ni and the Bahro and any other species with this ability were wiped out, there would be no one to create new links, and books and stones don't last forever. So theoretically, linking might die out. But all that would mean is that one could no longer travel between the worlds. Severing a link doesn't destroy that world, it just makes travel impossible.

I don't think all Ages will end when Earth does, though, unless there was some kind of cataclysm that wiped them out simultaneously. I don't think it would be because the Earth ended, even if it was at the same time.

Solstice · **Joined:** Tue Feb 23, 2010 2:37 am **Posts:** 65

That's the thing...do you think that there would be an apocalypse that would affect all possible universes at once, or would it be determined by the alternate universes' own timelines? If the latter, then I wonder how that would affect linking...Riven's collapse only seems to have affected Riven itself (via the Fissure) and not the entire universe it was in, but I bet that the same static effect you see in the linking panel to the Riven book after the events of the game would appear in the panels to books that link to annihilated Ages. Actually, considering that Riven and Earth were connected by the Fissure, and others seem to be as well, would the destruction of the Fissure have an effect on all of the Ages it's attached to?

Anna Catherine · **Posted:** Sun Jul 25, 2010 12:47 am

Quote:

That's the thing...do you think that there would be an apocalypse that would affect all possible universes at once, or would it be determined by the alternate universes' own timelines?

I really think that would depend on the nature of the apocalypse. Exactly what caused it, what result, etc.

If something did happen that somehow destroyed all Ages simultaneously, they would perceive it as "current" regardless of their time progression relative to other worlds. However, if something happened that would destroy every Age individually when that Age reached a certain calendar date, it would happen at totally different times on different worlds.

So... it would depend.

Quote:

Actually, considering that Riven and Earth were connected by the Fissure, and others seem to be as well, would the destruction of the Fissure have an effect on all of the Ages it's attached to?

Probably... if the Fissure could be destroyed. I'm not sure if that's the case. I don't think we really know enough about it to say one way or the other.

Linking Theory and the Apocalypse

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