The Timeline Map
Department of Analytical Science
Known Timelines of the Prime PPC
Theory of Time Travel
The study of time travel in the PPC is a fairly new field, for the simple reason that a number of agents already know everything about it. HQ's Time Lords - notably the ones making up the Continuity Council of Gallifrey-in-Exile - have been travelling the time vortex their whole lives. Depending on their age, they either hold that time is immutable, or that it can be changed in minor ways but not at certain fixed points. Both groups agree that there is one timeline, however much you twist it about.
This is not the case.
Time Lords travel by what we refer to as blue time travel (named for the iconic colour of the original TARDIS). Blue travel, and blue travellers, operate exactly as the Time Lords believe: the timeline remains fundamentally unchanged, no matter how many trips they may make.
Unfortunately for simplicity, a decade or so ago the PPC became aware of red time travel. Red travel, so named because the first known machine emits a red flash on use, can change history. There are at least two known instances of travel between alternate timelines, so it is presumed that these alternates exist alongside the Prime Timeline. Everything, it is said, happens somewhere.
The first known red travellers were the Illian-Sims family, and their associates in the Sheaf of Worlds. Other persons connected to the PPC have displayed the same ability, though whether they shared the same technology is unknown.
In the wake of Spark Theory finally explaining the origin of multiverses, an attempt was made to apply a similar theory to time travel. Unfortunately, it quickly emerged that many alternate timelines had no obvious red traveller presence at their point of divergence. It has been proposed that this is evidence of a third class of traveller: dark time travel, wherein the intrusion is undetectable except through its effect on the timeline. There is currently no model for how this could happen.
Based on this theory, timelines can described in terms of their origin: red travel, dark travel, or green travel, a convenient terms for timelines which are not created, but averted by a red time traveller. (The first known example of green travel is the "Black Cats Victorious" timeline: the red traveller Jasmine Sims prevented this timeline, and created the Prime Timeline instead.)
In addition to their origin (red or blue travel), timelines can be classed by their variation from the Prime Timeline. A Major Timeline is one in which the differences would be immediately apparent to a time-traveller: one where the situation of the PPC at large is very different. In some cases, these differences may only become obvious later in the timeline, but they are still sufficient to classify it as a Major. A minor timeline, in contrast, is different only for a few people or a brief period of time; an arrival would not necessarily immediately know they were in an alternate timeline.
Due to this feature of minor timelines, it is entirely possible that several of the identified minor timelines are in fact the same timeline; they just do not overlap far enough to be sure.
Known Timelines of the Prime PPC
Presented in approximate order of Points of Departure (PoDs).
Note: there are also many possible alternate timelines of the Sueniverse PPC - potentially up to one per PPC badfic - and of the Shipverse PPC. It is presumed, but not proven, that all timelines created during the Badfic Fest and Shipfest belong to these respective multiverses.
Multiverse Theory holds the possibility that some Multiverses are actually alternate timelines of one another: the TCDA and CPL are held up as examples of this, and Ye Olde Verse is considered a possible alternate past of the PPC.
All of these questions are outside the scope of this Map.
Prime Timeline
You are here.
The Arthurverse
Class: Major
Origin: Dark travel
PoD: 1999 - Tango Dioxide reveals the Suvian Factories, bringing down the DIS but leaving the Mysterious Somebody in charge.
Distinguishing features: Sunflower Official executed ca. 2004. Mysterious Somebody running the PPC.
PPCCUU
Class: Major
Origin: Dark travel
PoD: 2002 - OFUM not founded.
Distinguishing features: OFUM, Rina Dives' transformation into the Aviator, and the death of Dafydd Illian are roughly contemporary. The PPC is nearly, and actually, destroyed several times in the 2010s or early 2020s during the Multiverse Crisis.
Notes: Timeline looped back to merge with Prime Jan 2002.
Black Cats Victorious
Class: Major
Origin: Green travel [Jasmine Sims]
PoD: 2004 - Jasmine Sims does not arrive from the future to join the Black Cats.
Distinguishing features: PPC destroyed in 2006 during Crashing Down invasion.
Narto's World
Class: minor
Origin: Red travel [Agent Lou]
PoD: ca. 2005 - Narto Telyan is partnered with Agent Louise.
Distinguishing features: Narto & Lou partnered during the Crashing Down invasion.
Note: some evidence suggests the "Prime Timeline" scenario in which Narto was partnered with Selene is actually a memory charm placed on those close to him, and that this is simply the Prime Timeline unobfuscated.
Generic Surface
Class: minor
Origin: Dark travel
PoD: 2006 - Dafydd and Constance Illian-Sims do not retire prior to the Crashing Down invasion. Narto Telyan partnered with Lou.
Distinguishing features: partnerships as above.
Note: timeline collapsed by Prime Lou and folded into Prime Timeline. It may now take place earlier in the Prime Timeline, and thus constitute evidence of Lou's existence therein.
The Sundering
Class: Major, detectable from ca. 2030.
Origin: Green travel [Door from the Future]
PoD: 2012 - the Door from the Future does not open.
Distinguishing features: gradual rise of fascism in the PPC, including the Department of Efficiency, ultimately leading to the destruction of HQ in 2038. Remnant PPC takes on a new form centred on the House of Rhodes.
The Trouserverse
Class: Major
Origin: Green travel [Skeet and Amy]
PoD: 2012 - the Door from the Future incident occurs without intervention
Distinguishing features: formation of the Division of Active Recruitment and the Department of Time, Order, and Motion, assassination of the SO in 2028.
Mobius Double Reach-around
The Inevitable Mobius Double Reach-around
Class: in a class of its own
Origin: Red travel [Skeet and Amy]
PoD: 2012 - Agents Skeet and Amy attempt to avert the Sundering future.
Distinguishing features: many copies of Skeet and Amy running around.
Note: actually consists of a cluster of up to 20 Timelines, with specifics unknown.
Triple Prime
Class: Major
Origin: Green travel [Skeet and Amy]
PoD: 2012 - Skeet and Amy do not enlist Gaspard de Grasse to stabilise the timeline.
Distinguishing features: 'bloodbath' Sundering.
Note: may be identical to the Trouserverse.
Catastrophe Theory
Class: Major
Origin: Green travel [Oopart, presumed]
PoD: ca. 2013 - the Board of Flowers is assassinated.
Distinguishing features: PPC destroyed ca. 2023 by massive Suvian invasion.
Folded Time
Class: minor
Origin: Dark travel, but realistically the effect of a whole bunch of Time Lords mucking about
PoD: 2014 - the first meeting of the Continuity Council goes differently
Distinguishing features: a cluster of minor Timelines with few details.
Gallifrey Imminent
Class: Major
Origin: Green travel [Morgan et al]
PoD: 2014 - Agent Morgan decides to conquer the multiverse.
Distinguishing features: Gallifrey rules the multiverse, having defeated the PPC.
World Without Authors
Class: Major
Origin: Dark travel
PoD: 2014 - Prime Multiverse collapses into one Merged world.
Distinguishing features: see above
Note: classifying the WWA strictly as an alternate timeline is problematic, due to the appearance of PPC agents from multiple timezones.
Gravedigger
Class: minor
Origin: Dark travel
PoD: ca. 2016 - Christianne Shieh becomes a Time Lord.
Distinguishing features: as above.
Rita's Exposé
Class: minor
Origin: Dark travel
PoD: 2018 - Rita Skeeter joins the PPC
Distinguishing features: Rita Skeeter works at the Multiverse Monitor
World Without Suvians
Class: Major
Origin: Dark travel
PoD: 2022 - David Null wishes all Suvians out of existence
Distinguishing features: all Suvians, including PPC agents of Suvian origin, no longer exist.
The Timeline Map
A compact summary map of the timelines known at the time of writing, indicating where they branch off from the Prime Timeline, or where the Prime Timeline was diverted from them.
