Ante-Hoc Material-Contract Temporal Correction

The Use of Temporal Manipulation
To Utilize Future Preparedness in Present Adversity

A work by Zitto Shevat,
Doctoral Candidate of the Matrix Research Institute
Prepared in Satisfaction of Fellowship Requirements,
and for submission in the Taroch Symposium of 415 CoE
at the Institutional Society of Hallifax

With gratitude to
Primus Vivet Pavok,
Lord-Librarian Portius Windwhisper,
And the Sentinel Company of Temporal Anomalies

Index
  Page 1 - Index
  Page 2 - Introduction
  Page 3 - Theory
  Page 4 - Experimental Design
  Page 5 - Results
  Page 6 - Conclusions
  Page 7 - Summary
  Page 8 - Future Directions
  Page 9 - Supplementary Information A - Sources and Relevant Literature
  Page 10 - Supplementary Information B - Correspondence
  Page 11 - Supplementary Information C - Incident Log

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Introduction

While the Institutional Society of Hallifax for the Improvement of Temporal Knowledge stands at the forefront of scientific inquiry in every field of academic interest, the study of aeonic manipulation remains the definitive speciality of the Institute. Even the least practised of those who study the aeonic arts are capable of impressive feats of temporal manipulation. Some of these abilities are well known to the Basin at large primarily as a result of their dread utility in combat. The most famous techniques of this sort are the manipulation of aeonic fields to disrupt a foe's perception of time and the ability to send information forward or backward in time to avoid mishaps and correct mistakes. Despite their effectiveness, these are only the simplest temporal feats, as they must be able to be performed in the midst of battle, where one is simultaneously managing harmonic crystals and avoiding the cruel weapons and magic of the enemy.

More complex manipulation of the time stream is possible when single-minded focus, elaborate preparation, and appropriate resources are available, as is the case in studies within the facilities of the Institute. Under such conditions, the myriad range of possible past and future time lines can be observed and the relationship between time and matter can be adjusted. While the study of aeonics allows one to interact with the past or future, it is dangerous to alter the time line without careful forethought and only under carefully prescribed conditions. Interaction with the past to improve the present is a post-hoc technique, meaning it takes place after an event.

If a Researcher modifies the past in such a way as to make their own intervention unnecessary, their new future self will have no impetus to make the same modification to the past and so will not do so. This results in an unstable change or paradox. Time has a tendency towards self-correction and consequently most paradoxes are scrubbed from the time line. In the previous example, the time line would resolve in such a way that no intervention into the past was attempted. In practice, a Researcher avoids this difficulty by sending corrective instructions to themselves in the past so they their past self takes appropriate intervention in the future to complete a closed loop of time manipulation. Such a manoeuvre is stable and the practitioner retains knowledge of both the previous and corrected time lines. There are limitations to this approach in that they only allow an aeonicist to correct an error after it happens. This is of no consolation in preventing a future mishap and no correction is possible from a lethal mistake as there is no future researcher to correct the error. Likewise, attempting to glimpse the future to see how a problem was solved can be damning if one gazes forward to see themselves failing to overcome a problem or else already dead.

All productive interaction with time represents a sort of contract with causality wherein one accepts the necessity of maintaining a consistent time line. Typical ante-hoc correction, the solving of a problem prior to its occurrence, is usually complicated by a problem previously mentioned. If one looks into the future for a solution to their current difficulties and sees that they failed to overcome their obstacle, the consistency of time obligates them to fail in their current endeavour regardless of whether success is possible. In this case, because the aeonicist looked forward for information, the casual contract requires a consistency of events. As an alternative, it is proposed that ante-hoc correction should look for material assistance rather than information from the future. By striving to be forwarned of the future but not obligated to comply in a certain way, one might strive to be forearmed by the future and obligated only to repay the same material debt.
 
The author admits the rather abstract nature of the previous explanation so provides examples to illustrate the contrasting approaches. Imagine a Researcher is obligated to travel through a dark alley in a foreign city. Anticipating possible danger, the Researcher has two ways to utilize their aeonic powers.

(1) The Researcher peers into the future to see whether or not an ambush awaits in the alley. They observe that in the future they are ambushed by several members of the wretched and detestable Illuminati who overpower and kill the Researcher. This vision of the future traps the Researcher, as their knowledge of this time line depends on its eventual occurrence. Consequently, the Researcher can neither avoid the alley nor prevent their own death and so must perish in the alley to prevent a paradox. If they do attempt to walk away from the alley to avoid this inevitable future, time corrects itself in the simplest way possible by rearranging events in such a way that the Researcher neglects to consult with the future, walks down the alley anyway, and subsequently is brutally murdered by the vile be-tentacled cultists therein.
 
(2) The Researcher seeks material aide from the future. Reaching into a pouch designed specifically for this purpose, they pull out an object sent to them from the future. It may be a collection of charged gems which they use to overcome their ambushers, or it may be a set of instructions informing them to flee the alley with all haste. In any case, it is universally the correct tool for the job. What is more, the laws of causality now work in their favour, as they must survive into the future to send the object back to themselves. Rather than a temporal contract to maintain a consistent stream of events, their obligations now lie in sending the appropriate object back to themselves.
 
This example demonstrates the theoretical advantages to attempting to utilize material from the future rather than information from the future owing to the implicit cost of each. Which Researchers routinely employ post-hoc event-contract approaches in the form of the past-glimpse technique and ante-hoc event-contract techniques in the form of the future-sight ability, no prior efforts have been made to utilize material-contract techniques of either ante- or post-hoc variety.

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Theory

Ante-Hoc Material-Contract Temporal Correction (AMC) is the use of aeonic techniques to receive a physical object or objects from one's future self in order to address a challenge in the present or immediate future. It works under similar principles as information-based corrective measures in that it is a necessary part of a stable or 'closed' time loop in which causality is not violated. As such, we can reasonably deduce certain properties about the technique and identify cases under which it is likely to fail or behave erratically.

In an ideal performance of AMC, a Researcher encounters a difficulty and receives a tool from their future self to address it. Subsequently, they must make arrangements in their own future to provide the same tool for their past self in order to prevent a paradox. With the equipment in the Matrix Research Facility, such arrangements are trivial, while outside them, considerable time, effort, and focus are required to move an object through time. We can imagine a number of ways for the process to fail, though testing will be essential in determining the actual effects of failure. It is important that an aeonic process be completely understood before it is utilized in the field. Practitioners of the aeonic sciences can insulate themselves from the reversion of time and along with the various temporal stabilization mechanisms of the Institute, this can allow trained individuals to recall the events of a time line terminated by paradox-induced reversion.

The most obvious point of failure is a failure to send back the appropriate material. Such a result could occur either because an individual simply declines to do or because they are in some way restrained from doing so. This will induce a paradox and it is expected that under normal circumstances the self-restorative forces of time would result in a time line in which no attempt at AMC was made.

Similarly, the trafficking of something besides the object received into the past creates an obvious paradox. It is unclear how such a discrepancy might be resolved.

A more subtle inconsistency might be introduced by sending the received instance of the material back through time. It is unclear whether the integrity of time is threatened directly by a self-begotten object but wear and tear inflicted on any material sent back in time are sufficient to illustrate fundamental problems with this approach. Any such object would be subject to an infinite period of ageing and mechanical stress. It is unclear how temporal pressures would resolve such a paradox.

It is possible that intent may play a part in what is received when one solicits the future for assistance. A study in which subjects will have a pool of objects to select from with inducement to choose a specific object was planned to evaluate whether one might will a particular outcome a result of a AMC exercise.  Unfortunately, certain circumstances prohibited the completion of this aspect of the experiment.

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Experimental Design

A total of ten research subjects were acquired from such members of the indentured class that demonstrated sufficient literacy and intellectual ability as to receive a cursory education in aeonic theory. For the sake of consistency, though race in not expected to be a significant factor, all ten subjects were chosen from among the furrikin population of the indentured class. Because age can be a significant factor in the behaviour of temporal mechanics, only participants precisely eighteen years of age were considered and all potential subjects who could not verify their date of birth were disqualified. The participation of the research subjects was induced by an immediate payment and a guarantee of future employment in the Matrix Research Institute which would offer compensation well above that typically offered to indentured servants.
 
The subjects received technical training sufficient to operate aeonic instrumentation and a preliminary education in the basics of temporal theory, though care was taken to specifically and categorically avoid any education involving the consequences of misapplication of aeonic techniques. For the obvious reasons of security and compliance, the subjects were not informed of the potential consequences of paradox induction. All experiments were supervised by at least one of a group of three bachelors of science at the Institute, while security and oversight was provided by two members of the Sentinel Company.

Six distinct studies were conducted. All six studies bear certain similarities which will be discussed here. In all experiments, a subject was instructed to activate the receiving function of a temporal displacement apparatus,* inspect the containment chamber of the device, and to take anything within the device. After being allowed to take and inspect anything within the chamber, subjects were instructed to complete a task specific to the experiment and the results recorded. Finally, in most tests, the subjects were then instructed to place an object within the temporal displacement apparatus and follow an activation process in which they had previously been trained in. The activation procedure transports the device backwards in the time line prior to the experiment. The testing areas were temporally dampened** to permit the observation of short-term consequences of each experiment. Each testing area housed five temporal displacement devices, arranged in a circle in the centre of the room.

The first experiment was conducted to demonstrate the general viability of the AMC technique. All subjects were informed that they would be activating a temporal displacement device after orienting it towards future time and examining a piece of correspondence which would provide clear instructions, after which they would be asked to open one of two boxes distinguished by colour with the understanding that one box contained a hundred gold sovereigns while the other was empty. All subjects were permitted to take an object from the temporal displacement apparatus and examine it. Following this, they were asked identify the box they would prefer to open and were permitted to do so. Following this, they were instructed to reproduce on a new sheet of parchment the instructions they had seen previously, place the parchment in the temporal displacement device, and activate the device.

A second experiment was conducted identically to the first, save that subjects were instructed to open the opposite box as indicated by their received instructions, with the understanding that they would be compensated twice over if they complied with these instructions and found nothing within the box. As in the previous experiment, they then reproduced the instructions and utilized the displacement device.

The third experiment was intended to demonstrate the outcome of failure to complete the temporal contract. Subjects were given identical instructions to experiment one but told to omit the step in which they prepare a piece of parchment and activate the device. In this way, the temporal contract would not be honoured. Subjects were explicitly aware of the function of the device and the consequences of failing to activate it with a prepared parchment. One subject was non-compliant; for details of this incident, refer to Supplementary Information Section C.

The fourth experiment tested how compliant causality would be in enabling the completion of a AMC. A protocol identical to the first was followed, but the members of the Sentinel company were instructed to prevent all attempts to place a new piece of parchment in the device. The subjects were made aware that the Sentinels would be attempting to prevent their use of the temporal displacement devices. For this experiment, the subjects were divided into two groups. While the first group performed the experiment with actual temporal displacement devices, the second group was provided with dummy devices preloaded with letters bearing an accurate indication of which of the two coloured containers held gold sovereigns. The outcome of this experiment necessitated changes to subsequent experimental protocols as a result of injury to one of the Sentinels. An account of the particular incident is included in Supplementary Information Section C.

Following the results of the fourth experiment, alterations were made to the testing protocol. The device interface and containment chamber mechanism were both modified to require activation by a logic crystal operated by one of the research staff. A researcher would activate the interface to allow the subject to activate the device. Following activation, the subject's arms would be shackled by a member of the Sentinel staff. The shackles were sufficiently tight to prevent repositioning of the arms by any means short of dislocation of the shoulder. A researcher would lock the interface and unlock the interface chamber and a Sentinel would inspect it. After the contents of the chamber were confirmed to be safe, the subject would be unshackled and permitted to reach into the chamber. Afterwards, the chamber and interference were locked. This protocol was followed in reverse when subjects were to load the device.

For the fifth experiment, the consequences of breaking the AMC were further explored. A protocol identical to experiment one was followed, but subjects were instructed to prepare their own parchment to indicate the opposite of what the parchment they had received indicated. This experiment results in the loss of one subject and the injury of a member of the Sentinel company; for details of this incident, refer to Supplementary Information Section C.

The sixth experiment explored the consequences of forcing an object into an endless loop through time. The original protocol was followed with one exception: subjects were instructed to place the parchment they received within the device rather than recopying it on another piece of parchment. This experiment resulted in the destruction of the temporal dampeners associated with the test chamber, one of the temporal displacement devices used in the experiment, the death of four subjects, the derangement of one member of the researcher staff, and the grievous injury of one member of the Sentinel company. For additional details, please refer to Supplementary Information Section C.

Owing to the consequences of the seventh experiment, further research on the subject of AMC has been indefinitely suspended.

*For the benefit of the layman reading this work, this is a general term for any aeonic instrument which moves an object in time. The transportation of matter is typically more problematic and less useful than the transportation of information, and such devices are typically useful only for exploring the principles of aeonic science rather than possessing any practical application. Sending matter forward in time is only rarely useful, as the matter will arrive quite naturally to the future in due course anyway, while sending matter backwards in time invites troublesome paradox unless conditions are tightly controlled. In all cases, the device is operated by indicating an orientation (towards the future or towards the past), after which the device will exchange its contents with the same contents it holds when activated next or previously with the opposing orientation. I.E., a device oriented towards future time and activated will exchange with the same device in the future oriented towards past time, while a device oriented towards past time will exchange with a device that had been tuned towards the future previously.

**Again for the benefit of the layman, this refers to the use of various mechanisms and enchantments which together partially isolate an area in time and space from the greater flow of causality. While a temporal paradox is never stable and always poses certain risks, dampening allows them to be studied in a metastable condition. In this way, the consequences of paradox may be observed without consequence to the integrity of our own time line. Of particular interest, the power consumed by a temporal dampener is indicative of the strain induced upon causality by the events within the dampened area. High power consumption indicates an 'improbable' series of events, and typically corresponds to temporal manipulation that would not be possible without dampening or else would require extraordinary talent and attention on the part of a Researcher.

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Results

The following results represent the synthesis of observations made by the researcher staff and the primary investigator, interviews with the attendant Sentinels and test subjects, observations of various instrumental logs, and in some cases forensic investigation of the test facility.                                                              

Experiment One - Proof of Concept

In this experiment, subjects were instructed to follow directions they received through activation of a temporal displacement device to choose between two sealed boxes, after which they prepared a new copy of their own directions and placed them within the same device for transmission backwards through time. Subjects demonstrated unerring accuracy in determining the container which held gold sovereigns. Neither the attendant Sentinels nor the research staff reported anything outside the expected function of the devices consistent with their training and education in temporal theory. The temporal dampening units did not indicate an unusual power draw, indicating that the operation of temporal displacement under these circumstances is entirely consistent with paradox-free aeonic manipulation.                                 

Experiment Two - Independence of Action

In this experiment, subjects were instructed to deliberately defy directions they received through activation of a temporal displacement device to choose between two sealed boxes, after which they prepared a new copy of their own directions and placed them within the same device for transmission backwards through time. Subjects demonstrated unerring accuracy in determining the container which did not hold gold sovereigns. Neither the attendant Sentinels nor the research staff reported anything outside the expected function of the devices consistent with their training and education in temporal theory. The temporal dampening units did not indicate an unusual power draw, indicating that the operation of temporal displacement under these circumstances is entirely consistent with paradox-free aeonic manipulation.                                                          

Experiment Three - Contract Contingency

In this experiment, subjects were instructed to follow directions they received through activation of a temporal displacement device, but instructed not to replace the instructions afterwards. Nine subjects received no instructions from their activation of the displacement device, while one did. Six subjects, including the one who received instructions, correctly identified a box containing sovereigns. The subject receiving instructions through the displacement device demanded he be allowed to replace a copy of the instructions. When the Sentinels and Researchers informed the subject that this was forbidden, the subject became increasingly agitated and vocal. In the face of protracted and substantial argument, and without sufficient instruction to the contrary, the staff eventually permitted the subject to place a document within the temporal displacement apparatus. Sentinels and research staff alike indicated a sense of profound discomfort during the latter portion of this experiment, while temporal dampening units consumed marginally more power than is required for their operation in maintenance mode. Further details about this exchange irrelevant to the scientific aspect of this work are available in Supplementary Information Section C.

Experiment Four - Compliant Causality

Split into two groups, subjects were informed that while they would receive directions from the displacement devices as in previous experiments after which they would select a box to open, the attendant members of the Sentinel Company would attempt to prevent them, using non-lethal detainment techniques, from utilizing the displacement devices to return their instructions. One group was allowed to use active displacement devices while a second control group used, unknown to themselves, deactivated displacement devices which had contained prepared instructions in imitation of their own handwriting. Both groups demonstrated total success in identifying boxes containing gold sovereigns. The control group was unable to overcome the trained and armoured Sentinels and were summarily bound and escorted from the test chamber with little difficulty. The experimental group proved considerably harder to subdue, with all five subjects managing to load and activate their displacement devices after protracted struggle with the Sentinels. During testing of the experimental group the temporal dampeners consumed three times their maintenance power requirements, indicative of substantial temporal distortion. This experiment resulted in the injury of a member of the Sentinel company. Further details about this incident irrelevant to the scientific aspect of this work are available in Supplementary Information Section C.

Experiment Five - Contradictory Causality

In this experiment, subjects were instructed to follow directions they received through activation of a temporal displacement device to choose between two sealed boxes. Upon selecting a box, subjects prepared a new copy of their own directions that was purposefully falsified to indicate the opposite of their received directions, to be placed within the displacement device for transmission backwards through time. Subjects showed a 70% success rate in correctly identifying the box containing gold sovereigns. Observation of the chamber by outside observers, while complicated by the geometry and bustle of the experimental chamber, indicated that at least three, and possibly more, subjects did not comply with instructions and chose to record their original instructions. At least one such forger also selected the wrong box, possibly deliberately. Sentinels and research staff once again indicated a sense of profound discomfort during this experiment, while temporal dampening units consumed two and a half times their maintenance power requirements, indicative of substantial temporal distortion. The completion of this experiment resulted in the death of one test subject and injury to one member of the Sentinel Company. Further details about this irrelevant to the scientific aspect of this work incident are available in Supplementary Information Section C.                      

Experiment Six - Endless Loop

Subjects were instructed to activate temporal displacement devices and follow instructions they received from them in order to choose between two sealed boxes. Subjects selected boxes containing gold sovereigns with total accuracy. Unlike previous experiments, the subjects were instructed to place the original document they received within the displacement device before activating the apparatus. The activation of the device resulted in an immediate and growing increase of the power demanded by the temporal dampeners. This trend continued until, seventeen seconds later, the channelling apparatuses connecting the dampeners to the generators of Hallifax overloaded, causing one dampener to fail catastrophically while the others deactivated immediately thereafter. Upon the failure of the dampening field, the activated temporal displacement device also failed catastrophically. As a  consequence of these series of events, four of the subjects perished, a Sentinel received wounds which later proved lethal, and a Researcher was permanently left deranged. No readings of power consumption were possible, for obvious reasons, though it is estimated that the conductive systems and dampeners are stable at loads beyond five times the maintenance level. Investigation of the facilities following the incident indicate the failure of the devices released tremendous amounts of energy, explaining the substantial physical damage inflicted upon the contents of the testing chamber. Aeonic analysis indicated lingering temporal disturbances within the room consistent with that which has historically been reported during substantial temporal upheaval. Subjects, Sentinels, and Researchers alike retain no memory of the events that transpired within the chamber, though the principle researcher, observing from outside the chamber, was physically and mentally unaffected by the incident, presumably as a result of superior aeonic proficiency supported by the formidable security provided by the dampening systems and other protective countermeasures within the research facility. Further details about this incident irrelevant to the scientific aspect of this work are available in Supplementary Information Section C.

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Conclusions

Prior to the unfortunate destruction of the majority of the research equipment, a great deal of observational data was collected from which it is possible to infer a great deal about the viability, limitations, and properties of AMC temporal manipulation. From the results of the first experiment, it is possible to conclude that AMC transactions are demonstrably possible, allowing one to receive information from the perspective of the future. While the direct transmission of information has long been possible using the techniques of the aeonic sciences, doing so by material transmission rather than by direct observation by the senses is unprecedented. The readings of the various monitoring instruments indicate that this is not a particularly demanding feat, and presumably there should be little trouble implementing similar manoeuvres in the field once the finer details of such a technique are  worked out. It is also worth noting that there do not to be intrinsic causal complications in the performance of a AMC, and so there is no reason to believe temporal dampening equipment is required so long as the procedure is performed correctly and without complications.

Equally compelling, the second experiment indicates that, unlike the transmission of sensory information, material transfer of information does not constrain a time line. It was adequately demonstrated that, so long as the future demands of the AMC are completed, an individual has no obligation to comply with information of the future. Because information is transmitted without context, the nature of the time line is not fixed. Since the communicated information is intended by the transmitter to help themselves it is always likely to be useful, but the transmitted information is under no obligation to be factual. For these reasons, material transfer avoids the dilemma of a 'doomed' personal time line, wherein one peers into the future for insight, observes themselves suffering a personal misfortune, and is then unable to avoid the inevitable negative outcome. Instructions from the future transmitted materially can be arbitrarily precise without any aspect of inevitability. While the converse consequence of this fact is that such instructions lack the absolute certainty, this is hardly a concern when one is corresponding with their future self, an individual who will for obvious reasons has their past self's best interests at heart. These results only serve to further highlight the potential utility of AMC techniques in the field.

The results of the experiment demonstrate the contractual nature of a AMC event. Most subjects did not receive instructions from their future selves when they were instructed not to return the instructions at a later time. The one exceptional case is particularly notable. It is unclear why one subject received instructions but the effects are striking, as the results suggest the necessity of completing the contract influenced the mindset of not only the subject but the attendants as well. As speculated, it appears there are certain advantages (and dangers!) to committing oneself to a contract of causality. It is unclear why one subject received instructions, but it seems likely that mindset plays a substantial role in the outcome of a AMC. Further testing may be appropriate to elucidate whether success is contingent on an intent to complete the AMC cycle or the expectation that the process will succeed. It would obviously have fascinating implications across the temporal sciences if it can be demonstrated that mental state can affect the outcome of aeonic manipulations.

The contractual nature of the AMC operation is further demonstrated by the fourth experiment. We observe the marked contrast in success experienced by those using activated displacement devices in contrast to those who used dummy devices. The intense power drain by the dampeners provides obvious confirmation that the success of the experimental group was not a statistical anomaly but instead a result of temporal distortion of probability. On one hand, the dramatic success the experimental group enjoyed is compelling, but in contrast to this group a Researcher in the field will likely not have the advantages of temporal dampening fields and the generators of Hallifax to support their operations. It is therefore likely that a researcher would have to expend considerably more effort and attention to 'sustain' a AMC when subjected to conditions which complicate the completion of a closed AMC loop.

The dangers and complications of using AMC without appropriate precautions were growing increasingly evident by the time of the fifth experiment. A number of subjects were unwilling to falsify records, though it is unclear whether this was a result of their own (limited) understanding of the potential consequences, or a psychological effect arising from strain on the time line. Certainly, previous observations in the third experiment suggest there can be psychological pressures induced as a result of the need to maintain the coherence of a time. In fact, the possible manifestations of temporal pressure on physical matter and biology would make for a fascinating and substantial study on their own for which this work is insufficient to address. The reported discomfort of the staff and the considerable power draw by the temporal dampeners suggests that keeping the time line coherent through attempts to deliberately subvert it are quite demanding and presumably entirely inappropriate for field applications. While it is outside the scope of this experiment, it would be interesting to explore whether intent, which seems to have an effect on the outcome of temporal manipulation, might have on the stability of the time stream, i.e. whether intending to violate the AMC is sufficient to cause temporal instability.

The results of the final experiment demonstrate the lethal consequences of abuse of the flow of linear time. It seems obvious that the catastrophic failure of the experiment stems directly from the 're-use' of an object for AMC purposes. One can infer that re-use would present certain issues, primarily wear and tear upon the article during the process of its endless procession through its loop in the time stream. The rapid growth in power demand to stabilize this situation indicates that such a configuration cannot be brought to equilibrium without an infinite supply of energy (though perhaps a sufficiently large source of power could stabilize a similar situation long enough for some specific agenda). There are still other implications of the outcome of this experiment. Under the right circumstances, this very approach could be utilized to deliberately create a temporal paradox and subject the temporally and spatially proximate region to the associated destructive consequences. While it is unlikely that the individual responsible for
the paradox would survive, it is easy to see how such a technique could serve either as an option of last resort or as a tool for selfless patriots who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of the Nation. Still, due caution must be shown in using tools and approaches of such a nature: not only do they so closely resemble the irrational nature of the enemy, but we can never forget the consequence of aeonic misapplication left unchecked which were embodied most notably in the outcome of Project Crucible! The Basin has already been deprived of the valuable influence of Hallifax once, and such an event cannot be allowed to reoccur!

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Summary

As the combined results indicate, the AMC technique is certainly viable, especially in controlled situations. Performed carefully, a researcher should have no trouble using this technique in the field. Only a minimal quantity of power and a few moments of focus should be required to utilize the technique when needed, with the majority of the investment being deferred until the situation allows the completion of the contract. While further methodology development remains before such a technique is ready for wider use and inclusion in the Institute curriculum, it is clear that it is well within the grasp of our current understanding of aeonic sciences. It remains evident that temporal paradox is the largest and most fundamental obstacle to unrestricted temporal manipulation, though evidence, such as the wheel of the Goloths and other evidence of interaction between time lines suggest that means may exist to eventually overcome even this challenge. It may be possible to exchange material goods between time lines, dramatically loosening the demands of the contract and the conditions which might satisfy its completion. One may be able to respond to the receipt of documents or goods through a AMC by returning Matrix energy or gold to one's alternate time-line self! While such a technique will by no means be trivial to develop or perform, it could be invaluable in certain deployment situations.

The limitations of the AMC technique have also been highlighted. Certainly it is clear that the greatest burden in enacting such a process is not the demand for power or even technical skill in aeonic manipulation, but in appreciating the potential complications and accounting for them when engaging such a process. Negative outcomes as simple but potentially dangerous as excessive consumption of personal power to as strenuous as explosive destruction of the environment are possible consequences of poorly controlled implementation, and there is substantial reason to believe mental derangement is as possible outcome of poorly performed AMC operations. There is a very real risk of the death of the practitioner if they are ignorant or neglectful of AMC theory.

A variety of other potential applications and limitations of aeonic manipulation are suggested by the results of the experiment. Careful analysis of the energy consumption of the dampeners and finer consideration of the raw data may reveal a wealth of knowledge about the fundamental principles of aeonic theory. Certainly, variations on the AMC technique are worth investigating. Finally, it is noted that a single experiment never justifies firm belief, and all of the observations here would benefit from confirmation by independent researchers either by repetition of these same experiments or through the testing of similar principles by different means.

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Future Directions

A variety of interesting areas for future investigation are suggested by the results of these experiments.  Based on the observations seen here, the following are all potential areas of further research as time and funding permit, though some are admittedly more feasible than others:

Only a facile examination of the types of objects and information transferable by AMC have been explored here.  While there is no obvious reason to suspect it would be more difficult to transfer other matter under the same principles, it is extraordinarily unscientific to make such an assumption without further research.  Experiments ought to be conducted regarding the power requirements necessary to receive a variety of small, useful objects from the future in the 'blind' style of the AMC contract.  There is a great deal of potential value in a researcher being able to secure just the potion, herb, or charged gem required in their time of need.  While the complexity of displacement makes it extremely difficult to arrange an AMC exchange without a fixed reference point, it is certainly possible to use some geological landmark as a reference, thereby allowing one to pull an object of need from the hollow of a tree or from under a stone, knowing they will be able to identify the point to which they must return when completing the future portion of the exchange.  It is also possible to take advantage of a known location of an object prior to its location when the AMC object was received: So long as a researcher knows the exact location of his robes at some point prior to the time of need (such as in a very much fixed wardrobe which held the outfit prior to the researcher's garbing themselves) they may use this fixed point instead, placing the object somewhat 'early' in the time stream.

It also remains a matter of interest as to what sort of information might be transmitted through an AMC exchange.  Receiving certain objects may make implications about the nature of future events without obligating the receiver to face particular consequences.  For example, if one receives a charged beryl stone from the future rather than a charged emerald, this information may be valuable in predicting the difficulties a researcher is about to encounter.  Information can even be communicated by a lack of content: one's future self declining to send supplies hints that they were unable to do so, and while peering into the future might necessarily obligate one to perish in accordance with the timeline's demands, simply interpreting the failure of an AMC as an indication of the unfavourable outcome of standing firm may allow a researcher to escape the danger.

It may also be possible to encode data through more efficient means than written text.  By altering the magnitude and frequency of vibration in charged gems, it may be possible to encode a message that could be sent with the gemstone through time.  As such modulations are considerably faster for a Researcher than the time spent writing a message, such an approach could make AMC style communication considerably more efficient.  While the means by which messages may be encoded in gems will not be further discussed in this work, the text "An Introduction to Numeric Symbolism" by University of Cosmic Understanding Professor Pejat Onz'Verheu describes a variety of ways by which such information might be encoded.

The affects of intent on the outcome of temporal manipulation are worth investigating.  It is unclear whether one's desire for or expectation of a certain outcome influences the result of the manipulation, though it is certainly an interesting prospect.  The variation in temporal behaviour seen throughout the experiments has not been exhaustively explained; the mental state of the participants is one possible source of this variance.  Designing an experiment that explores the potential effects intent and expectation may have could produce a more nuanced understanding of the elasticity or lack thereof of the time stream.  Certainly, the psychic arts provide ample evidence that thought alone can have an effect on the world, and there is no reason to believe such effects are strictly limited to such arts.

Operations in the opposite direction, the influence of time manipulation on the mind, are certainly also compelling.  Previous research by Lord-Professor Windwhisper, as well as certain anomalous behaviours observed during this study, suggest that the temporal pressures of potential paradox and improbability may have an effect on the psychology of individuals subjected to them.  Further studies in which subjects are compelled to behave in manners entirely inconsistent with their nature in order to preserve the linearity of time could be designed to test whether such pressures compel cooperation psychologically or whether the unusual behaviour observed is a statistical artefact.  Ultimately, means of exerting mental control by aeonic techniques may potentially be valuable tools in the Hallifaxian arsenal.  As no other state commands the formidable knowledge, infrastructure, or refined Matrix energy necessary for aeonic manipulation on this scale, such an understanding would represent an unanswerable technological superiority over all other nations in military, cultural, and scientific understanding.

The ultimate achievement in aeonic sciences would be the stabilization of a temporal paradox.  While dampening allows small-scale and transient stabilization of temporal distortions, it is far more effective at supporting the improbable over the impossible.  The ability to fundamentally separate portions of space time and manipulate them without concern for past or future would have nearly limitless potential.  Such an act seems beyond the scope of even the heights of aeonic power alone, but it is perhaps possible that with other sources of power contributing such an act would be possible.  Certainly, the tragic events of the Taint Wars remind us that it is possible to detach an object from the normal flow of space and time by using Matrix and Flame power in tandem rather than at odds, it may be possible to cleanly control such a process.  Sadly, any real experimentation in this direction will have to wait until such a time as Gaudiguch is rightfully subjected to military control by the Beacon, as the Dracnari and their associates can hardly be trusted with even simple scientific operations, much less something as complicated as synchronizing the energy of two nexi of power.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Supplementary Information A - Sources and Relevant Literature

Temporal Elasticity Theory: An Examination,
by Professor Ileein Shevat

In this text, the fundamental theories of aeonic manipulation are laid out. While historic events conclusively demonstrate that multiple time lines exist, no comprehensive study has ever been conducted which demonstrates the independence, permanence, and stability of an individual time line (primarily because doing so endangers one's time line). Dr. Shevat's text, rather than trying to conclusively elucidate the properties a time-line possesses has exhaustively described all possible configurations which they might possess. A time-line might be elastic, semi-elastic, or inelastic, and each configuration would have different implications on the ability of a time line to endure manipulation and the consequences of subjecting a time-line to such strain. While the general consensus is that many aeonic techniques which are employed by the Institute would be meaningful only in a semi-elastic time line, the matter remains frustrating resistant to either logical derivation or empirical proof. None the less, Professor Shevat's theories provide the cornerstone for the design of new aeonic techniques and familiarity with this work has been essential in designing the AMC

Project Chronometer Final Report,
by Professor Ileein Shevat

Typically, the constancy of space and time are taking for granted by the layman. After all, fifteen minutes in the future is no more likely to move forwards or backwards relative to the present than Mount Avechna is likely to relocate itself south of the Inner Sea. For an individual who manipulates the flow of time, however, such certainties fade immediately. This work is essential to establishing a scale to track the differences between chronological time and aeonic time. The former is that time which passes to an observer, i.e. a layman's time, while the latter is the time an object or person is subjected to as a result of transit through time by aeonic manipulation. An understanding of these distinctions and a means to measure the discrepancy, as provided by Professor Shevat's work, are absolutely essential to any work that involves displacement, tracking, or stabilization through temporal manipulations.

An Examination of Theoretical Temporal Coordinate Systems,
by Professor Ileein Shevat

Similarly to the previous work, this reference book, also by the esteemed professor Shevat, is a valuable reference for any experiment involving temporal displacement. As the Basin fundamentally shifts through creation over time, it is essential to have a notation which accounts for this in order to interconnect two points in space and time. The coordinate system is essential to the operation of a temporal displacement device and ensures that the device remains linked with itself across time. While any properly defined system to describe relative position will do, Professor Shevat's is quite accessible and extremely convenient for such simple operations as temporal displacement. This work is insufficient for more complex manipulation, and scholars exploring temporal displacement of objects to a moving target (or across planes) will find that work remains to be done before such operations are trivially calculable. The application of polar coordinates, which has contributed substantially to our understanding of certain fields of mathematics, may be ideal for applications such as these.

Temporal Power Equations,
by Professor Lawliet Letara

No analysis of temporal stability would be possible without an understanding of the power required to perform various temporal manipulations. Professor Letara's work quantifies the energy necessary to transmit information through time and serves as the basis for means to predict the power consumption of devices like temporal dampeners. While such an operation would seem simple, the power consumption of a dampener is more complex than a function of area and duration dampened, as the effectively covered region of time and space can be distorted by aeonic processes. The background affects on power consumption resulting from these distortions must be accounted for in measuring the operating power of a temporal dampener in order to measure the indirect effects such manipulations may cause. In this way, temporal strain induced by potential paradox may be calculated independently from the strain produced by deliberate distortion. The analysis of power consumption by the dampeners was performed using the understandings derived from this text.

On Temporal Beekeeping,
by Lord-Professor Portius Windwhisper

This work by Lord-Professor Portius Windwhisper describes the affects of aeonic manipulation on living beings, particularly by highlighting the changes of behaviour observed when ageing is induced. The particular value this work contributes to the volume is in understanding that aeonic manipulation affects the psychology and biology of a subject. There is reason to believe that this relationship is not simply confined to a single direction and that likewise, the chronological age accumulated by an organism affects the ways in which it is affected by temporal manipulation. These theories, while not conclusively demonstrated, remain a concern as a potential source of uncontrolled variables in all temporal studies. It is for this reason that subjects of very similar age are preferred during experimentation. Further in the realm of speculation, it is theorized that the functional age of an individual who practices the aeonic sciences may not strictly correspond to their chronological age as a result of frequent interaction with and revision to their own time stream. While no particular aspect of these theories was thought to be an overwhelming concern for this experiment, they provide the justification for the Primus's request for identically aged subjects and establish a good practice for all temporal experiments.

An Introduction to Numeric Symbolism,
by Professor (UCU) Pejat Onz'Verheu

While not utilized in the preparation of these experiments, The Symphonist's guide to symbolic representations of information provides the understanding which would be necessary to communicate data through means such as charged gems rather than by parchment.  Any manner of relay involving 'blind' communication in the AMC format will necessarily rely on some manner of encoding, for which this text provides an ample starting place.

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Supplementary Information B - Correspondence

Experimental Materials Requisition
To: Primus Vivet Pavok
From: Zitto Shevat
****************************************************************************************************
To Vivet Pavok
Temporal Primus of the Institutional Society of Hallifax for the Improvement of Temporal Knowledge
 and
Countess of the Board of Directors of the Grand Dominion of Hallifax, the Beacon of Harmony
****************************************************************************************************
I am presently pursuing research in the manipulation of cause and effect with the aim of improving efficiency of certain aeonic techniques and methods.  If successful, such research may someday allow an aeonicist to utilize their techniques in high-stress environments such as a battlefield in a manner consistent with the performance under ideal circumstances in an Institute laboratory.  Pertinent to this intended research and with an awareness of the following:

That advancing the understanding of the temporal sciences is the primary agenda of the Institute and
That research into principles not fully understood entails certain risk of harm and
That the loss to injury, death, or mental harm of a trained Researcher represents an undesirable loss of the Institute's investments and
Acknowledging that duty to the collective requires sacrifice (or risk thereof) for the greater good

I request authorization of the following:

(A) Authorization to conduct research which may endanger sentient participants
(B) Authorization to conduct research which may destroy tested materials which may include Institute property.
(C) Authorization to conduct research which may result in mild and localized temporal paradox
(D) Authorization to train individuals in the basic principles of aeonic manipulation

and requestion rights to the following for a time not to exceed one month:

(A) Ten (10) indentured servants to serve as experimental and control samples, participation compelled
(B) Three (3) Institute Bachelors of Science to serve as aides, to be selected from volunteers
(C) Two (2) Sentinels to supervise servant behaviour and to contain unexpected results.
(D) Use of the Laboratory of the Void for its containment functions, and rights to relocate materials from the Laboratory of the Temporal Continuum to the same
(E) Sundry aeonic and harmonic materials not to exceed 50,000 sovereigns in value
(F) Future employment contracts with the Institute and/or the Sentinels for up to ten (10) indentured servants

It is of course understood that all research should try to minimize the risk of harm to individuals whenever possible.  Most intended protocols are expected to be entirely safe and if any protocol is found to be unduly dangerous it will be discontinued.  It is expected that no more than minor injury should come to participants, and that most or all will be alive and well after their participation. 

A basic education in aeonic techniques will be necessary for participants to be of use, as they will need to operate (if not full understand) prepared aeonic mechanisms.  Owing to the Institute's proprietary claim to temporal techniques, I feel it is inappropriate to allow participants to return to their prior occupation following the study.  I recommend  that the indenture contracts of participants be purchased by the Institute and that participants be engaged as general work staff following the experimentation.  Certainly they will prove at least as useful as any of the other servants in the Institute's employ and they may be particularly valuable for future experiments or even for training as laboratory technicians.
****************************************************************************************************
Respectfully,
Zitto Shevat
Doctoral Candidate, Amanuensis, and Regulatory Affairs Consultant of the Institutional Society of Hallifax for the Improvement of Temporal Knowledge
****************************************************************************************************

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************************************************************************
To Zitto Shevat
Doctoral Candidate, Amanuensis, and Regulatory Affairs Consultant of
the Institutional Society of Hallifax for the Improvement of Temporal
Knowledge

************************************************************************
Your requisitions and clearances are approved on condition of an extra set of addendums.

You are to determine, at minimum, a specific race and age (with no greater variance than one year) from which to draw your pool of indentured servants.

This is to minimise the potential of experimental error and to assist in assuring that your methods and procedure are more easily replicable in the event that other students and fellows may wish to run the same experiment series, or a variation in case of seeking differences in the variables of race and age. Different races are known to resist bodily degradation to variable forces to a wide range of degrees, and this should not be discounted when considering military applications for a given energy source. The same can be said for age, especially when the manipulation of aeonic energies is at hand.  If, after some thought, you determine other variables which you wish to ensure are static across the test subjects, you are free to do so and emphasize them by your own volition.

I would recommend drawing subjects from the City's orphaned population, within the young adult range. These subjects would not only be the most populous, but also the most likely to exhibit resistance and  recovery to volatile energies. This would also ensure that any issue with their permanent positions within the Institute are utterly minimal, and that we can extract the most benefit from their service so long as their condition remains optimal.

Contact me imminently if there are other processes in need of attention.

The seal of Primus Vivet Pavok is stamped onto the page: The initials "V.P." have been superimposed over an intricate latticework globe in brilliant scarlet. Hairline traces of ink radiate from the block letters as minute lightning bolts, discernible only with close inspection.

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Classification Inquiry
To: Primus Vivet Pavok
From: Zitto Shevat

****************************************************************************************************
To Vivet Pavok
Temporal Primus of the Institutional Society of Hallifax for the Improvement of Temporal Knowledge
 and
Countess of the Board of Directors of the Grand Dominion of Hallifax, the Beacon of Harmony
****************************************************************************************************

I propose this research study, titled "Ante-Hoc Material-Contract Temporal Correction," be published unclassified and unredacted save for those modifications which are necessary for a censorship discussion.  My proposal is based on the following points:

(A) The work makes no mention to the [Redacted] of [Redacted] or any of the [Redacted] research or technology related to it.  This work therefore does not fall under Institute Internal classified status
(B) No information is revealed about nor is it possible to infer the existence or properties of [Redacted] from the information discussed.  This work does not fall under 1-H classified status.
(C) While the procedures described are reproducible within the laboratories of the Matrix Research Institute, few to no individuals outside of the Institute possess the technical knowledge of aeonics required to repeat this experiments on their own.  Moreover, there is no other facility in the First World which possesses instrumentation sufficient to enable reproduction of these experiments.  Finally, these experiments do not contain information sufficient to inform enemies of the Institute or the Commonwealth as to the limits, liabilities, or weaknesses of the current best practices in aeonic science.  It is in no way possible to deduce the fundamentals of aeonic techniques from this work.

For these reasons, I request that the work be published unredacted to demonstrate the scientific superiority of our Institute to the Basin at large.

****************************************************************************************************
Respectfully,
Zitto Shevat
Doctoral Candidate, Amanuensis, and Regulatory Affairs Coordinator of the Institutional Society of Hallifax for the Improvement of Temporal Knowledge
****************************************************************************************************

------------------------------------------------------------------------

************************************************************************
To Zitto Shevat
Doctoral Candidate, Amanuensis, and Regulatory Affairs Consultant of
the Institutional Society of Hallifax for the Improvement of Temporal
Knowledge
************************************************************************

The research study, "Ante-Hoc Material-Contract Temporal Correction," is given clearance to be published unclassified and unredacted.

Have a nice day.

The seal of Primus Vivet Pavok is stamped onto the page: The initials "V.P." have been superimposed over an intricate latticework globe in brilliant scarlet. Hairline traces of ink radiate from the block letters as minute lightning bolts, discernible only with close inspection.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conclusion of Experiment
To: Primus Vivet Pavok
From: Zitto Shevat
****************************************************************************************************
To Vivet Pavok
Temporal Primus of the Institutional Society of Hallifax for the Improvement of Temporal Knowledge
 and
Countess of the Board of Directors of the Grand Dominion of Hallifax, the Beacon of Harmony
****************************************************************************************************
Initial experiments exploring the previously-described Ante-Hoc Material-Contract Temporal Correction process are now complete.  The experiment is largely a success, and new metaphorical ground has definitely been broken in the field of aeonic techniques.  The full text of my work is presently under review by the Lord-Librarian.  When it revisions are complete, I will have a copy of the text prepared for the Institute's own records and for examination at your leisure.  I expect this will occur within two months, at which time I shall also be submitting the work to you for the Taroch Symposium.  I wish to once again express my gratitude for your indulgence in the use of Institute resources in this study.

It is worth noting that during the course of investigations, certain losses of material occurred.  The temporal dampeners and displacement devices of the aeonics laboratory are unfortunately damaged beyond repair.  Five of the ten experimental subjects did not survive the experimental process.  One of the attendant Sentinels died in service; a letter of gratitude for his service and condolences on his loss has been dispatched to his next of kin, as has an appropriate dispensation.   One of the bachelors of science has been rendered catatonic as a result of an aeonic experiment; we remain optimistic about the student's eventual recovery of mental faculty.  Arrangements have been made with facilities services to repair the damage and replacement instrumentation is under commission.  The total cost of the experimental process has somewhat exceeded the allocated funds, with the deficit being covered by a portion of my personal research stipend.  I appreciate your, and the Institute's, understanding during the brief period of time during which the laboratory is out of operating.
****************************************************************************************************
Respectfully,
Zitto Shevat
Doctoral Candidate, Amanuensis, and Regulatory Affairs Coordinator of the Institutional Society of Hallifax for the Improvement of Temporal Knowledge
****************************************************************************************************

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Supplementary Information C - Incident Log

Experiment Three
 
During the process of the third experiment, one subject became extremely belligerent with the scientific staff when they attempted to prevent him from activating a displacement device.  This subject was the only one to have been able to successfully receive a note from the temporal displacement apparatus and was extremely insistent that he must complete the AMC loop.  Although the staff had been instructed not to allow any subject to utilize the AMC devices, they too became agitated as the confrontation escalated.  While members of the Sentinel Company are well trained models of professionalism and discipline, both stationed Sentinels were extremely slow to react when the subject shoved a member of the research staff out of their way.  Their attempt to intervene was completely halted when another member of the staff indicated to them that they should stand down.  The general reluctance of the staff to act, given the variety of non-lethal options available to the Sentinels and the understanding of their duty is considered extremely unusual.  When interviewed following the experiment, the subject could not explain his motivations in forcing his way past the staff, while the staff reported a sensation of anxiety and a sense of 'impending disaster' but could not otherwise justify their actions.

Experiment Four

During the division of the subjects into control and experiment groups to test the effects of AMC on temporal integrity, a member of the Sentinel Company was badly injured.  In attempting to avoid detainment by the Sentinels during this test, the experiment group exhibited exceptional manoeuvrability, situational awareness, and positional advantages when compared to the control group.  The experimental subjects also exhibited substantially more aggression, attempting to shove, trip, and otherwise hamper the efforts of the Sentinels.  During the experiment, one of the test subjects was able to bring down one of the Sentinels by means of a body tackle, causing a collision with a portion of the harmonic array responsible for powering the temporal dampeners.  Although the mechanisms were unharmed, the fall inflicted several light puncture wounds in the Sentinel's torso, requiring medical intervention.  While the subject's actions were considered to be reasonable within the scope of the experiment and the given instructions, this prompted a change in procedure in the following experiments.

Experiment Five

While subjects spent the majority of the testing period partially restrained by the Sentinels, one subject, upon completing the displacement process, became incredibly agitated.  It is unclear how he acquired the keys to his shackles, but upon shedding them he promptly assaulted the nearby Sentinel.  After managing to wrest away a knife strapped to the leggings of the Sentinel, he promptly employing the weapon to deliver a crippling blow to the knee of Sentinel it was taken from.  As the Sentinel dropped to the ground, the subject, screaming loudly, moved to deliver another blow, but at this time further actions on the subject's part were arrested by Lord Portius Windwhisper who was visiting the laboratory on unrelated matters.  Lord Windwhisper responded to the aggression of the test subject with little fanfare, promptly employing the void blaster he had brought to be examined by Investigator Zitto Shevat.  The subject immediately perished.  It is noted that the Sentinel's wound seemed at the time likely to recover as a result of appropriate treatment.  It is duly noted that Lord Windwhisper chastised the principle investigator of the experiment extensively for his failure to control his test subjects and environment.

Experiment Six

As described in the experimental section, a sudden sharp rise in the power demands for the dampeners caused them to overload, causing total failure to contain the temporal distortions within the chamber.  The failure of the dampeners led to secondary failure in the form of sudden combustion originating from one of the temporal displacement devices within the test chamber.  A sudden burst of energy was released, and the injury it, and the crystalline shards propelled by it, inflicted was tremendous.  The Sentinel previously injured in experiment five was supervising the subject closest to the displacement device.  The subject appeared to perish instantly, while the Sentinel, superior in vigour, protective gear, and temporal grounding was grievously wounded but lingered for several days.  Three other subjects sustained lethal injuries from the crystal shards flung about the room.  Although none of the research staff were close enough to the device to be injured, one proximate researcher entered a state of shock upon observing the event.  Disorientation gradually gave way to catatonia from which the researcher has not recovered.  Damage to the laboratory space was total; with all equipment reduced to unrecoverable condition.  At this point mounting costs, increasing apprehension by the research staff, and diminishing scientific returns compelled the Institute to temporarily discontinue this line of research until superior dampening technology can be developed or theories which less severely strain causality can be prepared for testing.