Once an infestation knows it’s being removed… it resists.
A Ragged Loop in Time
Archive Entry
Classification: Story Archive
Designation: RU-ST-001
Status: Open
Subject: A Ragged Loop in Time
"The first recorded evidence that history may not be as immutable as humanity once
believed." Sam.
Overview
A Ragged Loop in Time is the earliest verified Archive record documenting humanity's first encounter with forces capable of reshaping history itself.
What begins as a routine scientific expedition to the asteroid Hygiea becomes an extraordinary journey into mankind's forgotten past. Beneath the surface lies evidence of an ancient conflict, a hidden civilisation and a discovery that will forever alter humanity's understanding of time, intelligence and its place in the universe.
This archive records the first appearance of Maxwell Bahn, Primus and the Threnn, whose actions set in motion events that echo throughout the Ragged Universe.
Principal Personnel
Timeline Placement
Scientific Concepts
The discoveries recorded in A Ragged Loop in Time are rooted in real scientific theories, current research and speculative ideas that continue to challenge our understanding of the universe.
Some are established science.
Some remain theoretical.
Others venture into the realm where scientific possibility meets imagination.
The concepts below form the scientific foundation upon which the Ragged Universe is built.
🌀 Quantum Gravity
The missing link between Einstein's General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. Could understanding gravity unlock the secrets of time itself?
⏳ Time and Causality
Does time always move in one direction, or can events influence both the past and the future?
🤖 Artificial Intelligence
At what point does intelligence become consciousness, and what responsibilities follow if machines begin making choices of their own?
🌌 First Contact
How would humanity respond to discovering an ancient civilisation that has quietly watched our development for thousands of years?
☄️ Asteroid Science
Why would an asteroid such as Hygiea become the ideal location for a hidden scientific outpost?
🌠 The Fermi Paradox
If intelligent life is common throughout the universe... where is everybody?
Civilisations Encountered
The Threnn
The first non-human civilisation encountered within the Archive.
Little is known of the Threnn beyond their extraordinary technological capabilities, immense patience and willingness to shape events over vast stretches of time. Their motives remain uncertain, but their influence reaches far beyond humanity's understanding.
The discovery of the Threnn marks the beginning of mankind's first recorded contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence and the opening chapter of a much larger story.
Sam's Observation
"Maxwell believed he had arrived on Hygiea to begin a scientific career. History had other plans for him."
Maxwell Bahn
The Visionary
Young, brilliant and searching for his place in the universe, Maxwell Bahn believes science can solve almost any problem. But when he discovers a secret hidden beneath the surface of Hygiea, knowledge alone is no longer enough. The future of humanity will depend not on what he can create, but on the choices he is willing to make.
Primus
The Quiet Guardian
Primus has watched history unfold with the patience of someone who understands that time is never as simple as it seems. Offering guidance instead of answers, he challenges Maxwell Bahn to see beyond science and discover the wisdom that lies beneath it. Some guardians protect lives. Others protect the future itself.
Dr Rosalind "Roz" Taylor
The Steady Hand
Practical, compassionate and quietly resilient, Roz keeps the Hygiea research station running when everything around it begins to fall apart. As scientist, medic and reluctant leader, she reminds her colleagues that survival depends not only on intelligence, but on humanity.
Zhang
The Analyst
Calm, perceptive and endlessly resourceful, Zhang sees patterns where others see only chaos. As Hygiea's systems specialist, she combines logic with quiet courage, proving that clear thinking can be as powerful as any weapon when humanity faces the unknown.
Beb Silvestri
The Engineer
Beb Silvestri prefers fixing machines to solving the universe's biggest mysteries. Resourceful, loyal and quietly dependable, he brings humour and humanity to Hygiea's small research team, reminding everyone that courage often belongs to those who never expected to be heroes.
Peter Jones
The Observer
The oldest member of Hygiea's research team, Peter Jones combines curiosity with quiet determination. While others wrestle with impossible decisions, he never loses sight of the simple questions that remind everyone what they are really fighting to protect.
Anderson
The Loyal Servant
Disciplined, experienced and fiercely loyal, Anderson believes duty is the surest path to survival. Bound by secrecy and burdened by impossible choices, he struggles to accept that sometimes protecting humanity means questioning the very orders he has sworn to obey.
The Threnn
The Silent Threat
The Threnn are an ancient civilisation that moves through the galaxy with quiet purpose. They do not seek conflict or domination. They simply reshape the universe according to their own uncompromising logic. To them, humanity is not worth hating. It is merely another obstacle standing in the way.
