Analyzing the strange things that exist beyond our Universe continues. In this second part, we will examine a few of places out there that seem a bit more rare. We'll also keep looking through their various predominant traits to help us better understand their mechanics.
I finished off Part One with a Special Note about Anti-Zones: a special extension of the Void that helps to protect our version of reality. Because they don't occur often, they should, perhaps, be listed here. But I decided that, since they also relate to the Void, I thought it might be better if I put them in the first part. However, there are a few more Special Notes that need to be listed about some other rare phenomenon that we see out there.
*A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT THE REALITY OF BATTLEFIELD
To all intents and purposes, it would seem that the beings who cross over into our dimension in the story Battlefield are from a parallel universe. One where the Arthurian Legends turn out to be true. Certainly, we hear this other dimension described in similar fashion to the way other parallel realities are described. Of particular note is the way the Doctor talks about how the distress call came from "sideways in time". Sounds quite a bit like the way the Doctor Three talks about being "slipped sideways in time" during Inferno.
I would contest, however, that this is not a parallel universe. Based primarily on the idea that a parallel reality is created by a choice. I'm not sure what sort of choice suddenly causes magic to exist. To me, this other dimension is a place inhabited by a humanoid species that is capable of using magic. It is not a reality that is the same as our own that broke off into a schism caused by a decision someone made within it. Magic is a genuine and accessible energy in this other dimension. The beings from this other reality can even bring some of that magical energy into our own universe and use it. But, since magic doesn't already exist in our dimension, I'm not sure how this could be a parallel universe.
*A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT SINGULARITY POINTS
Similar to the Void and anti-zones, the Singularity Point in The Three Doctors seems to be a special place existing between two universes that acts as a sort of buffer. In this case, it is a crossing zone between our universe and the universe of anti-matter. It's not quite in either of these universes, however. So this gets us to believe that it is another crossover point between the two.
In many ways, a Singularity Point fits this particular category. However, because such a place seems to require a strong willed being to sustain it, we might wonder if a Singularity Point might also be a pocket universe of sorts (we'll be learning about them in just a few short paragraphs). I would be more inclined to believe that this is a sort of hybrid dimension. A place outside our own universe that possesses the characteristics of two different types of realities.
PART TWO: THE LESS COMMON STUFF
With those Special Notes covered, let's now move on to some things out there that don't seem to occur that naturally...
POCKET UNIVERSES
While pocket dimensions only seem to receive that label in stories like Hide and The Doctor's Wife, we can assume that, like the Void, there have been examples in the Classic Series that just weren't given that name. I would think that the Celestial Toymaker's dimension (sometimes known as the Celestial Toyroom) and the Land of Fiction were also pocket universes.
It seems that one of the most predominant traits of a pocket universe is that they require a being of enormous will power to sustain them for any real amount of time. The "plughole universe" - as the Doctor calls it - in The Doctor's Wife is given a very short life expectancy once House has left it. Which leads us to believe that he was holding it together. The Celestial Toyroom depends even more greatly on this principal. It collapses the moment its Master is defeated in the Trilogic game. The pocket dimension in Hide is in the process of collapsing when the Doctor enters it. More than likely because there is no central will sustaining it. A special machine seems to have been built for the Land of Fiction, that can allow a normal human to be hooked up to it and have their will amplified to the point of holding reality together. Once the machine overloads, of course, the universe collapses.
One could even say that the Solitract is a sort of sentient pocket universe. It sustains itself through its own will power. A bit of a different process from the other examples we've listed but still similar enough in principal to lump it into this category.
Size: As the title implies, a pocket universe is much smaller in size than our own reality. Oftentimes, it appears as merely a tract of land made of very limited space. Probably the largest example we've seen was in The Doctor's Wife. House had grown into a small asteroid of junk that seemed to fit within the dimension. Everything else we've seen of these universes has been considerably smaller.
General Aesthetics: While existing on a smaller scale, pocket universes seem to resemble our own. The one in Hide, in fact, is sometimes referred to as an "echo dimension". Which implies, even more, a similar aesthetic to our own. To some extent, one must assume that the appearance of a pocket universe depends on what its Master chooses it to look like. Hence the Land of Fiction being a place that is inhabited by fictional characters and fairy-tale-like buildings and structures. Or the Celestial Toyroom being made up of characters and places that have an infantile aesthetic to them.
Entry Points: Pocket Universes seem to have, at least, one naturally-occurring rift that leads into them. The Land of Fiction and the Solitract do have buffer zones that help separate them from us. But, even within those zones, rifts seem to exist. Some of these rifts seem easier to pass through than others. But this does seem to be the only way into a pocket dimension.
Level of Incursion: With the exception of Hide, we spend a considerable amount of time in pocket universes whenever they are introduced into a story. Even in Hide, we get quite a few solid minutes within this special dimension. But most stories spend far more time within these realities than we see in Hide.
E-SPACE - THE GREATEST EXCEPTION TO ALL THE RULES
Finally, of course, there's E-Space. Easily, the most interesting of all places that exist beyond our Universe. Because we spend a total of twelve episodes in this other universe, a lot of details are given about it.
E-Space doesn't quite fit into any of the other categories we have discussed so far. And yet, it does seem to possess several of their traits. Most obvious is how it is mentioned several times that E-Space is considerably smaller than our reality. Which makes it seem like it might be a pocket dimension of sorts. We also get told that E-Space is negatively charged while we live in a positively charged universe. Which vaguely implies anti-matter. There's also quite a bit of jargon regarding "parallel coordinates" as they try to work out the problem with the image translator in Full Circle. The Doctor and Romana are meant to go to Gallifrrey. Instead, the end up on Alzarius. A planet in the exact same place where Gallifrey is meant to be. One almost wonders if there might be hints of a parallel universe going on here, too.
Regardless of all these similar characteristics, E-Space is still very much its own unique reality. We do wonder if there are other universes like it. We, apparently, inhabit N-Space. Could there be other dimensions of this nature with letters for names? We're never given any proper evidence, but it's an interesting theory to ponder....
Size: It is clearly stated in multiple instances that E-Space is much smaller than our universe. This, in fact, helps the Doctor to navigate through it more accurately and to accomplish "short hops" with better efficiency. As he does in State of Decay.
General Aesthetics: While life on its various planets seems quite different from ours, it still greatly resembles our universe. A human-like species does dwell on some of these worlds. We also see the TARDIS travelling through space in certain shots. While considerably smaller, E-Space is still large enough to have constellations. It is a very similar universe to our own.
Entry Points: To the best of our knowledge, the only way into E-Space is through artificially-created Charged Vacuum Embointments (CVEs, for short). The Doctor and Romana accidentally passed through one created by the Logopolitans. But my guess would be that other CVEs have been created over the years and that some exploration has been done in E-Space. Otherwise, how would the Doctor have as much knowledge as he does about this reality? It may not be him that's entered this universe before, but he has read up on the discoveries of other explorers who have.
Level Of Incursion; Full Circle spends almost all its time in E-Space. Its first few minutes are in N-Space and then they pass through the CVE and are stranded there for the rest of the story. State of Decay takes place entirely in E-Space. I'm led to believe, however, that Warrior's Gate takes place in the Void.
We have now itemized and analyzed every type of place that seems to exist outside of our Universe. Or, at least, I'm pretty sure we did. I try to be as thorough as possible but Doctor Who is a pretty long-running show. Lots of content to cover!
We're moving towards the end of the year, now. Which means another countdown from my BOOK OF LISTS will be on the way soon. I will, however, try to slip one more entry in that isn't so opinion-based before we get to the countdown. Not sure what I'll cover, yet. But I'll come up with something!
Here's Part One if you missed it:
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/10/analytical-going-beyond-guided-tour.html
Thursday, 31 October 2019
Friday, 18 October 2019
ANALYTICAL: GOING BEYOND - A GUIDED TOUR OUTSIDE OUR UNIVERSE
After a deliberate attempt to boost my new POINTS OF DEBATE topic (which seemed to do quite well as it sparked quite a bit of discussion - which is the whole point of the topic!), I've decided to do a two-part ANALYTICAL essay for the month of October. This is a topic I've been meaning to tackle for a while, now. It's something we've seen in both the Classic and New Series so it will enable me to do a lot of cross-comparison and other tasks of that nature that geeks so love to do!
OUTSIDE OF OUR UNIVERSE
The Universe is truly a mystery. It's meant to be infinite. We're told it's still expanding even as I write this. It seems to have a very definite beginning (Castrovalva) and a final end (Utopia). It's also come very close to being completely destroyed on several occasions (Logopolis, Terminus, Stolen Earth/Journey's End just to name a few). On those occasions, it's often been the Doctor that stopped the cataclysm from happening.
Part of what makes the Universe such a mystery (or more a conundrum) is the fact that such an infinite space also seems to have boundaries. It is possible to go beyond the Universe to places that exist past its confines. How it's able to be infinite but you're still able to go to places outside of it seems like a pretty big contradiction of terms. And yet, that seems to be the way the Universe works. At least, that's how it goes in Doctor Who reality.
According to various stories we have seen throughout the entire series, there are several different places lurking beyond the Universe's boundaries. Let's actually look at all of those different things that are out there and even quantify them a bit by cross-comparing them to each other.
PART ONE - SOME OF THE MORE NATURAL STUFF
Let's look at some things floating around just outside of our Universe that we've encountered in several stories over the years. The frequency of these encounters leads me to believe that they are a bit more "natural". They happen more often so they're less unusual.
In order to make categorization more easy, we'll analyze certain traits each of these places possess. We'll give a general description of these places and then analyze their more specific qualities.
THE ANTI-MATTER UNIVERSE
The Chancellor on Gallifrey probably described the Anti-Matter Universe best by stating it is "equal and opposite to our own". Which creates a very dangerous rule about the nature of anti-matter. Should it come into contact with anything in our universe, it results in a violent explosion. We see the best example of this with the second Doctor's recorder at the end of The Three Doctors. There seems to be a way of shielding anti-matter, though. Q-star alloy is one of the more popular materials that can do this - but it decays rapidly.
It also appears that the Anti-Matter Universe has a guardian of sorts that will protect its material should people from our universe try to steal energy from it. Having said this, though, we do seem to find a way to develop anti-matter generators. In stories like Earthshock and Tsuranga Conundrum, we see ships being powered by the substance.
Size: Since it is equal and opposite to our own universe, we can assume the Anti-Matter Universe is the same size as ours
General Aesthetics: Things appear very different in the Anti-Matter Universe. And yet, the same. Everything looks like it's been shot through an old fashioned film camera and we're looking at the negatives. Where things would be white, we see black. Which makes this particular reality a pretty dark-looking place.
Entry Points: For a place that is lethal to our own universe, it is surprisingly easy to enter. In fact, entrances seem to appear almost naturally. Certain types of Black Holes or Super Novas can take you into the Anti-Matter Universe. We even saw a portal that seemed to form naturally on the planet Zeta Minor. Although the fact that Zeta Minor seems to be located in the far reaches of the cosmos might have something to do with it. Perhaps because the planet is on the edge of our own universe, this might create a sort of instability which causes these sort of breaches to occur.
Level of Incursion: We've actually not seen much of the Anti-Matter Universe. More often than not, creatures from that reality come into out own. It's difficult to determine if we've actually seen anyone from our end fully enter anti-matter. The Singularity Point in The Three Doctors seems to be at the edge of the Anti-Matter Universe. I'm also lead to believe that when the Doctor falls into that pit and confronts the Guardian Creature during Planet of Evil , he's standing at the threshold of the universe rather than properly entering it. It's also interesting to note that we've yet to venture in or near the Anti-Matter Universe in the New Series. It's only been featured in Classic Who stories.
PARALLEL REALITIES
In some ways, it almost doesn't feel like we've left our universe when we step into a parallel reality. Everything looks so much the same as our own. But this is a completely separate universe. Somehow created by a choice someone in that reality made that was different from the option the same person in our universe took.. Which means there are an infinite number of parallel realities out there stacked up against our own version of things.
Like the Anti-Matter Universe, there is a certain level of danger involved with crossing over to parallel realities. During Inferno, the Doctor states it's catastrophic for the same person from two separate realities to encounter each other. We almost get the impression it's the same sort of scenario as a person from two different timelines meeting themselves (ie: the Brigadier from Mawdryn Undead). However, in Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel, we do see Mickey cross paths with Rickey - the alternative reality version of himself. Nothing particularly nasty seems to happen when they do come together. Nor does the Doctor make a big fuss about the matter when he sees that the two of them have met
It should be noted that there is a difference between a parallel reality and an aborted timeline. Parallel realities are fully formed places that are distinct from our universe. When you venture into an aborted timeline, I think you are still here. When the timeline, at last, resets itself - things return to normal. A parallel reality can be destroyed, of course.But when it does, it doesn't change back to our reality. It is just gone from existence. The two should not be confused.
Size: Since it is just a different version of our reality, a parallel universe is relatively the same size as our own.
General Aesthetics: As mentioned previously, a parallel universe looks very similar to our own. However, it is not a perfect copy. The schism created by the choice someone made in this different reality seems to have social implications that alter things. In Inferno, Britain appears to have become some sort fascist republic. In the reality the Doctor has nicknamed Pete's World, Britain has also appeared to have moved in more conservative directions. Technology seems different from ours, too. People use earbuds rather than cell phones to communicate. The Super Rich also appear to live in zeppelins. The wealth gap seems to be a bigger problem in Pete's World than in ours.
This seems the common trait in parallel realities. Society has evolved in a different way, but it is still very close to being identical to our own. Again, because this is a reality created out of choices, certain events can happen at a quicker or slower pace. In both Inverno and Pete's World, things seem to be moving a bit ahead of time to our own reality.
Entry Points: While these universes are near identical, passing from one to another does not seem that easy. Or, at the very least, it has consequences every time you do. TARDIS technology can facilitate this process. In both Inferno and Rise of the Cybermen, it's a malfunction of some sort in the Doctor's ship that transports him to this other universe. It is interesting to note that the Doctor claims in Rise that when the Time Lords were still around, crossing to these universes was a simpler thing. We've never seen any kind of evidence of that nature during the Classic Series so it's difficult to understand what that statement means.
We do start seeing other types of technology that make travelling between the two universes possible, but they seem to actually do damage to the realities when you use them. Denizens of Pete's World use dimension jumpers and Rose mentions a dimension canon during the Series Four finale. But crossing through parallel universes does not seem like an easy thing to accomplish. So far, it has only been done through technological means. There aren't natural portals like we see for anti-matter.
Of course, the Daleks' attempt to use their Reality Bomb caused the walls between all dimensions to dissolve for a bit and passing between parallel realities became much easier.
Level of Incursion: Unlike the anti-matter universe, quite a bit of any story involving parallel universes spends a considerable amount of time in them. There is usually some crossing back and forth between both realities, but we are exposed to the alternate one for an extended period of time. Particularly in Inferno and Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel. Other ventures into Pete's World in stories like Army of Ghosts/Doomsday and Stolen Earth/Journey's End are considerably shorter. But, again, this isn't like the Anti-Matter Universe, we still get considerable exposure to these other universes.
THE VOID (OR BUFFERS OF THAT NATURE)
Little is known of the Void. We've been given a few vague-but-eerie descriptions of it in a select number of stories in the New Series. It seems to act as a sort of natural boundary between what's in our Universe and what's beyond it. A sort of border crossing, if you will. In the process of passing through to what's out there, you have to also go through the Void. Which might be what makes leaving our reality so difficult. The Void seems to work as a bit of a shield - protecting us from what's out there. But that could go both ways. What's out there might be protected from us by the Void, as well.
If we go by dialogue alone, we've only heard of the Void in the New Series. It seems to only act as a shield between parallel realities. But, if we're willing to postulate a bit, we've seen the Void on several occasions during the Classic Series - it just wasn't given a name. It has also worked as a buffer for other things besides parallel dimensions.
Possible Void Examples In the Classic Series:
The Mind Robber: The white space the TARDIS crew are trapped in during all of Part One is,very much, in keeping with the descriptions given of the Void in New Who. In this case it is a very powerful buffer between our Universe and the Land of Fiction - which is probably a Pocket Universe (more about them in Part Two of this essay). It is such a strong buffer in this instance that it causes the TARDIS to, temporarily, break apart before it can pass through to the Land of Fiction.
Inferno: That brief moment in Part One where the Doctor goes all stretchy in that weird shadowy set is, most obviously, the Void. New Who already indicates that the Void exists between parallel realities and the Doctor was very close to crossing over to one in that instance. He obviously got stuck in the Void, instead.
Planet of Evil: Near the beginning of Part Three, the Doctor briefly visits a very dark shadowy place to speak with the Anti-Matter Monster. I think this is also the Void. Especially since matter and anti-matter can't really enter each others' universe. They used the Void as neutral territory.
Warrior's Gate: The entire story seems to take place in the Void. The Tharils have built portals from them to cross through to other universes. But this is, essentially, Void Land. It helps that it resembles the set of Mind Robber so much. It creates a nice sense of consistency. In this case, the Void acts as a buffer between our reality and E-Space (more about that place in Part Two of this essay, too!).
There might be one or two more examples of the Void in Classic Who - but these are the most prominent ones.
Size: The dimensions of the Void are a bit tricky. Width-wise, I imagine it's quite narrow. You could probably walk from one side of the Void to the other in about twenty minutes or so if you're only crossing the width. It's a bit of a hike - but not much. However, it is also my belief that the Void acts as a sort of envelope around our entire Universe. So, if you try to walk the length of the Void, it would take you forever. The Universe, after all, is meant to be infinite. So walking along its skin would take an eternity.
General Aesthetics: If we go by it's Classic Who appearances, the Void seems to take on two different forms. It is either a very dark shadowy dimension or a white-washed place of nothingness. It could be that different parts of the Void look different. Perhaps, where the Void needs to be stronger, it takes on a lighter tone. Or there might even be some sort of night and day in the Void.
Entry Points: Portals into Void seem to occur both naturally and artificially. Although, in most cases, some sort of technology is needed to cross through . TARDISes can access it but it seems like a fairly bumpy ride for them. Void ships have also been created - they might be powered by something known as a dimension vault (since the Cybermen stole a dimension vault from the Daleks when they were all trapped in the Void after Doomsday, I assume that was the Void ship's engine). The Tharils seemed to use a technology that resembles magic to enter the Void. Their ability to ride the Time Winds must grant them all sorts of special powers which they used to access the Void.
Level of Incursion: If we go by New Who alone, we never see inside the Void. It only gets talked about. But if we include the Classic Who references that never actually name the Void - we spend a whole lot more time there. In some stories, it's still quite brief. But then we also have Warrior's Gate - which, pretty much, spends its entire time there.
*A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT ANTI-ZONES
In some instances, the natural protection the Void provides is not enough against certain outside threats. On these occasions, the Universe will actually create something known as an anti-zone. The Solitract was, obviously one of those dangers that merited such action
An anti-zone seems to come with it's own terrain and eco-system. It is a very dark labyrinthine cave network that can even get a bity misty.. Living creatures also dwell there. We saw rats, birds and flesh-moths. And, of course, there was Ribbons of the Seven Stomachs. An actual sentient being that appears to have just been created when the anti-zone sprang into existence.
Regardless of the strength of the anti-zone, the Solitract was still able to create portals in it. The portals weren't actually big enough for the Solitract to pass through - but it still used them to lure other sentient beings into its reality and keep it company.
And so concludes Part One of our study into Things We Find Outside Our Universe. I purposely stuck to the dimensions that seem to occur more frequently or "naturally". In Part Two, we'll look at slightly rarer places....
OUTSIDE OF OUR UNIVERSE
The Universe is truly a mystery. It's meant to be infinite. We're told it's still expanding even as I write this. It seems to have a very definite beginning (Castrovalva) and a final end (Utopia). It's also come very close to being completely destroyed on several occasions (Logopolis, Terminus, Stolen Earth/Journey's End just to name a few). On those occasions, it's often been the Doctor that stopped the cataclysm from happening.
Part of what makes the Universe such a mystery (or more a conundrum) is the fact that such an infinite space also seems to have boundaries. It is possible to go beyond the Universe to places that exist past its confines. How it's able to be infinite but you're still able to go to places outside of it seems like a pretty big contradiction of terms. And yet, that seems to be the way the Universe works. At least, that's how it goes in Doctor Who reality.
According to various stories we have seen throughout the entire series, there are several different places lurking beyond the Universe's boundaries. Let's actually look at all of those different things that are out there and even quantify them a bit by cross-comparing them to each other.
PART ONE - SOME OF THE MORE NATURAL STUFF
Let's look at some things floating around just outside of our Universe that we've encountered in several stories over the years. The frequency of these encounters leads me to believe that they are a bit more "natural". They happen more often so they're less unusual.
In order to make categorization more easy, we'll analyze certain traits each of these places possess. We'll give a general description of these places and then analyze their more specific qualities.
THE ANTI-MATTER UNIVERSE
The Chancellor on Gallifrey probably described the Anti-Matter Universe best by stating it is "equal and opposite to our own". Which creates a very dangerous rule about the nature of anti-matter. Should it come into contact with anything in our universe, it results in a violent explosion. We see the best example of this with the second Doctor's recorder at the end of The Three Doctors. There seems to be a way of shielding anti-matter, though. Q-star alloy is one of the more popular materials that can do this - but it decays rapidly.
It also appears that the Anti-Matter Universe has a guardian of sorts that will protect its material should people from our universe try to steal energy from it. Having said this, though, we do seem to find a way to develop anti-matter generators. In stories like Earthshock and Tsuranga Conundrum, we see ships being powered by the substance.
Size: Since it is equal and opposite to our own universe, we can assume the Anti-Matter Universe is the same size as ours
General Aesthetics: Things appear very different in the Anti-Matter Universe. And yet, the same. Everything looks like it's been shot through an old fashioned film camera and we're looking at the negatives. Where things would be white, we see black. Which makes this particular reality a pretty dark-looking place.
Entry Points: For a place that is lethal to our own universe, it is surprisingly easy to enter. In fact, entrances seem to appear almost naturally. Certain types of Black Holes or Super Novas can take you into the Anti-Matter Universe. We even saw a portal that seemed to form naturally on the planet Zeta Minor. Although the fact that Zeta Minor seems to be located in the far reaches of the cosmos might have something to do with it. Perhaps because the planet is on the edge of our own universe, this might create a sort of instability which causes these sort of breaches to occur.
Level of Incursion: We've actually not seen much of the Anti-Matter Universe. More often than not, creatures from that reality come into out own. It's difficult to determine if we've actually seen anyone from our end fully enter anti-matter. The Singularity Point in The Three Doctors seems to be at the edge of the Anti-Matter Universe. I'm also lead to believe that when the Doctor falls into that pit and confronts the Guardian Creature during Planet of Evil , he's standing at the threshold of the universe rather than properly entering it. It's also interesting to note that we've yet to venture in or near the Anti-Matter Universe in the New Series. It's only been featured in Classic Who stories.
PARALLEL REALITIES
In some ways, it almost doesn't feel like we've left our universe when we step into a parallel reality. Everything looks so much the same as our own. But this is a completely separate universe. Somehow created by a choice someone in that reality made that was different from the option the same person in our universe took.. Which means there are an infinite number of parallel realities out there stacked up against our own version of things.
Like the Anti-Matter Universe, there is a certain level of danger involved with crossing over to parallel realities. During Inferno, the Doctor states it's catastrophic for the same person from two separate realities to encounter each other. We almost get the impression it's the same sort of scenario as a person from two different timelines meeting themselves (ie: the Brigadier from Mawdryn Undead). However, in Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel, we do see Mickey cross paths with Rickey - the alternative reality version of himself. Nothing particularly nasty seems to happen when they do come together. Nor does the Doctor make a big fuss about the matter when he sees that the two of them have met
It should be noted that there is a difference between a parallel reality and an aborted timeline. Parallel realities are fully formed places that are distinct from our universe. When you venture into an aborted timeline, I think you are still here. When the timeline, at last, resets itself - things return to normal. A parallel reality can be destroyed, of course.But when it does, it doesn't change back to our reality. It is just gone from existence. The two should not be confused.
Size: Since it is just a different version of our reality, a parallel universe is relatively the same size as our own.
General Aesthetics: As mentioned previously, a parallel universe looks very similar to our own. However, it is not a perfect copy. The schism created by the choice someone made in this different reality seems to have social implications that alter things. In Inferno, Britain appears to have become some sort fascist republic. In the reality the Doctor has nicknamed Pete's World, Britain has also appeared to have moved in more conservative directions. Technology seems different from ours, too. People use earbuds rather than cell phones to communicate. The Super Rich also appear to live in zeppelins. The wealth gap seems to be a bigger problem in Pete's World than in ours.
This seems the common trait in parallel realities. Society has evolved in a different way, but it is still very close to being identical to our own. Again, because this is a reality created out of choices, certain events can happen at a quicker or slower pace. In both Inverno and Pete's World, things seem to be moving a bit ahead of time to our own reality.
Entry Points: While these universes are near identical, passing from one to another does not seem that easy. Or, at the very least, it has consequences every time you do. TARDIS technology can facilitate this process. In both Inferno and Rise of the Cybermen, it's a malfunction of some sort in the Doctor's ship that transports him to this other universe. It is interesting to note that the Doctor claims in Rise that when the Time Lords were still around, crossing to these universes was a simpler thing. We've never seen any kind of evidence of that nature during the Classic Series so it's difficult to understand what that statement means.
We do start seeing other types of technology that make travelling between the two universes possible, but they seem to actually do damage to the realities when you use them. Denizens of Pete's World use dimension jumpers and Rose mentions a dimension canon during the Series Four finale. But crossing through parallel universes does not seem like an easy thing to accomplish. So far, it has only been done through technological means. There aren't natural portals like we see for anti-matter.
Of course, the Daleks' attempt to use their Reality Bomb caused the walls between all dimensions to dissolve for a bit and passing between parallel realities became much easier.
Level of Incursion: Unlike the anti-matter universe, quite a bit of any story involving parallel universes spends a considerable amount of time in them. There is usually some crossing back and forth between both realities, but we are exposed to the alternate one for an extended period of time. Particularly in Inferno and Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel. Other ventures into Pete's World in stories like Army of Ghosts/Doomsday and Stolen Earth/Journey's End are considerably shorter. But, again, this isn't like the Anti-Matter Universe, we still get considerable exposure to these other universes.
THE VOID (OR BUFFERS OF THAT NATURE)
Little is known of the Void. We've been given a few vague-but-eerie descriptions of it in a select number of stories in the New Series. It seems to act as a sort of natural boundary between what's in our Universe and what's beyond it. A sort of border crossing, if you will. In the process of passing through to what's out there, you have to also go through the Void. Which might be what makes leaving our reality so difficult. The Void seems to work as a bit of a shield - protecting us from what's out there. But that could go both ways. What's out there might be protected from us by the Void, as well.
If we go by dialogue alone, we've only heard of the Void in the New Series. It seems to only act as a shield between parallel realities. But, if we're willing to postulate a bit, we've seen the Void on several occasions during the Classic Series - it just wasn't given a name. It has also worked as a buffer for other things besides parallel dimensions.
Possible Void Examples In the Classic Series:
The Mind Robber: The white space the TARDIS crew are trapped in during all of Part One is,very much, in keeping with the descriptions given of the Void in New Who. In this case it is a very powerful buffer between our Universe and the Land of Fiction - which is probably a Pocket Universe (more about them in Part Two of this essay). It is such a strong buffer in this instance that it causes the TARDIS to, temporarily, break apart before it can pass through to the Land of Fiction.
Inferno: That brief moment in Part One where the Doctor goes all stretchy in that weird shadowy set is, most obviously, the Void. New Who already indicates that the Void exists between parallel realities and the Doctor was very close to crossing over to one in that instance. He obviously got stuck in the Void, instead.
Planet of Evil: Near the beginning of Part Three, the Doctor briefly visits a very dark shadowy place to speak with the Anti-Matter Monster. I think this is also the Void. Especially since matter and anti-matter can't really enter each others' universe. They used the Void as neutral territory.
Warrior's Gate: The entire story seems to take place in the Void. The Tharils have built portals from them to cross through to other universes. But this is, essentially, Void Land. It helps that it resembles the set of Mind Robber so much. It creates a nice sense of consistency. In this case, the Void acts as a buffer between our reality and E-Space (more about that place in Part Two of this essay, too!).
There might be one or two more examples of the Void in Classic Who - but these are the most prominent ones.
Size: The dimensions of the Void are a bit tricky. Width-wise, I imagine it's quite narrow. You could probably walk from one side of the Void to the other in about twenty minutes or so if you're only crossing the width. It's a bit of a hike - but not much. However, it is also my belief that the Void acts as a sort of envelope around our entire Universe. So, if you try to walk the length of the Void, it would take you forever. The Universe, after all, is meant to be infinite. So walking along its skin would take an eternity.
General Aesthetics: If we go by it's Classic Who appearances, the Void seems to take on two different forms. It is either a very dark shadowy dimension or a white-washed place of nothingness. It could be that different parts of the Void look different. Perhaps, where the Void needs to be stronger, it takes on a lighter tone. Or there might even be some sort of night and day in the Void.
Entry Points: Portals into Void seem to occur both naturally and artificially. Although, in most cases, some sort of technology is needed to cross through . TARDISes can access it but it seems like a fairly bumpy ride for them. Void ships have also been created - they might be powered by something known as a dimension vault (since the Cybermen stole a dimension vault from the Daleks when they were all trapped in the Void after Doomsday, I assume that was the Void ship's engine). The Tharils seemed to use a technology that resembles magic to enter the Void. Their ability to ride the Time Winds must grant them all sorts of special powers which they used to access the Void.
Level of Incursion: If we go by New Who alone, we never see inside the Void. It only gets talked about. But if we include the Classic Who references that never actually name the Void - we spend a whole lot more time there. In some stories, it's still quite brief. But then we also have Warrior's Gate - which, pretty much, spends its entire time there.
*A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT ANTI-ZONES
In some instances, the natural protection the Void provides is not enough against certain outside threats. On these occasions, the Universe will actually create something known as an anti-zone. The Solitract was, obviously one of those dangers that merited such action
An anti-zone seems to come with it's own terrain and eco-system. It is a very dark labyrinthine cave network that can even get a bity misty.. Living creatures also dwell there. We saw rats, birds and flesh-moths. And, of course, there was Ribbons of the Seven Stomachs. An actual sentient being that appears to have just been created when the anti-zone sprang into existence.
Regardless of the strength of the anti-zone, the Solitract was still able to create portals in it. The portals weren't actually big enough for the Solitract to pass through - but it still used them to lure other sentient beings into its reality and keep it company.
And so concludes Part One of our study into Things We Find Outside Our Universe. I purposely stuck to the dimensions that seem to occur more frequently or "naturally". In Part Two, we'll look at slightly rarer places....
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