Time travel isn’t a game, it’s a weapon.
The Ragged Edge of Time
Archive Entry
Classification: Story Archive
Designation: RU-ST-002
Status: Open
Subject: The Ragged Edge of Time
"The first recorded evidence that history may not be as immutable as humanity once
believed." Sam.
Overview
The Ragged Edge of Time
Principal Personnel
Gideon Prime
Species: Android (Human Variant-27)
Affiliation: Earth Defence Service (EDS)
Created by Professor Maxwell Bahn to end humanity's war with the Draxtyr, Gideon Prime is the first truly sentient android. Built for combat but driven by curiosity, he quickly develops emotions, compassion and an independent moral compass. As history begins to fracture, Gideon finds himself fighting not only an alien empire, but the very fabric of time itself.
Callie McKenzie
Species: Human
Affiliation: Civilian (Journalist)
Status: Active
A New York photo journalist whose search for the truth places her at the centre of events that span centuries. Intelligent, resourceful and determined, Callie refuses to accept the impossible, even when history itself begins to unravel around her. Her courage and curiosity make her an indispensable ally in humanity's fight to preserve the timeline.
Professor Maxwell Bahn
Species: Human
Affiliation: Earth Defence Service (EDS) Science Division
Status: Active
A brilliant physicist and engineer whose work transformed humanity's future. Following the death of his son, Gideon, during the Draxtyr War, Bahn devoted his life to creating Gideon Prime, the first sentient android. Respected as one of Earth's greatest scientific minds, his discoveries continue to shape humanity's struggle against both alien invasion and the collapse of time itself.
Vastos Kel
Species: Draxtyr
Affiliation: Draxtyr High Command
Status: Active
Once enslaved by the Draxtyr as a child, Vastos Kel rose through the ranks to become one of their most feared military commanders. Ruthless, calculating and utterly devoted to the empire that forged him, he has transformed suffering into ambition and loyalty into absolute power. To humanity, he is a relentless enemy; to the Draxtyr, he is a living symbol of strength earned through survival.
Sam's Observation
"Humans have an unusual relationship with time.
You speak of the past as though it is gone forever and the future as though it has yet to exist.
Yet almost every decision you make is influenced by one and intended for the other.
Perhaps that is why you fascinate me.
You are the only species I have encountered that insists on living in three different moments at once."
Sam
Civilisations Encountered
The Nomali
An ancient and xenophobic civilisation whose understanding of science far surpasses that of humanity. Rather than seeking conquest, the Nomali devote themselves to preserving the natural order of the universe, intervening only when events threaten the stability of reality itself. Their true capabilities, and ultimate purpose, remain one of the greatest mysteries of the Ragged Universe.
The Draxtyr
One of the oldest and most formidable interstellar empires known to humanity. Disciplined, expansionist and technologically advanced, the Draxtyr have forged their civilisation through conquest, military strength and absolute loyalty to the Empire. Their war with Earth becomes the catalyst for events that will ultimately reshape history itself.
Alternate Timelines
What if history could branch?
One of the central ideas in The Ragged Edge of Time is that history is not always fixed. Every decision has the potential to create different outcomes, forming alternate timelines where events unfold in unexpected ways.
Scientists have proposed several ways this might happen. One of the best-known is the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, which suggests that every quantum event creates multiple possible realities. While still theoretical, it offers a fascinating framework for imagining worlds where history took a different path.
In The Ragged Edge of Time, these ideas become far more than theory. A single intervention in the past can alter the future, creating entirely new histories while others disappear. As changes ripple outward, people, places and even memories may no longer belong to the same reality.
The challenge is knowing which timeline is the original, and whether such a thing even exists.
Timeline Divergence
Imagine history as a road.
At every major event, that road may split. One branch follows the history we know. Another follows a different choice.
As each branch continues, the differences grow larger until the two worlds become almost unrecognisable.
A decision made in 1944 might seem insignificant at first, yet centuries later it could produce a completely different civilisation.
The Butterfly Effect
The idea that small actions can have enormous consequences is known as the Butterfly Effect.
The phrase comes from chaos theory, where the tiny disturbance created by a butterfly flapping its wings might, under the right conditions, influence weather systems weeks later.
Whether or not that specific example is literally true, the principle remains powerful:
Small causes can produce enormous effects.
In alternate history fiction, changing a single conversation, preventing one death, or delaying one decision can reshape the future in ways no one could predict.
Alternate History
Alternate history asks a simple question: What if...?
What if Rome had never fallen?
What if Napoleon had won at Waterloo?
What if the Apollo missions had continued?
Stories like The Ragged Edge of Time explore these possibilities by combining real historical events with speculative science, creating worlds that feel familiar yet profoundly different.
Fiction vs Science
Modern physics does not yet confirm that alternate timelines exist.
Ideas such as quantum branching, parallel universes and Many-Worlds remain theoretical.
Nevertheless, they provide a rich scientific foundation for exploring stories where history can change, and where the consequences of those changes may reach far beyond a single moment in time.
The First Human Interstellar War
Dr. Hansi Mitzaki
Species: Human
Affiliation: Earth Defence Service (EDS) Science Division
Status: Active
A leading cyberneticist and artificial intelligence specialist, Dr. Hansi Mitzaki worked alongside Professor Maxwell Bahn in the development of Gideon Prime. Renowned for his analytical mind and measured approach, Mitzaki provides the scientific discipline that balances Bahn's visionary thinking. His expertise proves indispensable as humanity confronts both the Draxtyr threat and the deeper mysteries surrounding time itself.
Captain Carly Jevere
Species: Human
Affiliation: Earth Defence Service (EDS)
Assignment: EDS Sentinel
Status: Active
An accomplished Earth Defence Service officer entrusted with the command of the EDS Sentinel. Known for her calm leadership and unwavering sense of duty, Captain Carly Jevere has earned the respect of both her crew and her superiors through courage, professionalism and decisive action. As humanity faces threats beyond known space, and beyond time itself, she stands ready to protect the future, whatever the cost.
