GURPS - 4th Edition - Infinite Worlds

INFINITE WORLDS . . .
INFINITE ADVENTURE!

The good news is, there are other Earths.
Maybe an infinite number. The bad news is,
somebody out there doesn't like us.

Welcome to the core setting of GURPS Fourth
Edition! Every other GURPS setting is on one of
the Infinite Worlds timelines . . . whether they
know it or not! GMs can use this to create a whole
meta-campaign, or just as an excuse to move char-
acters between worlds when the plot requires it.

Compiled by Kenneth Hite, the master of alternate
histories, GURPS Infinite Worlds combines and
updates material from GURPS Time Travel, GURPS
Alternate Earths, and GURPS Alternate Earths 2
into one volume, and has dozens of new worlds to
explore as well! This is the complete genre book on
both alternative-world gaming and time travel. It
also provides a wide variety of suitable threats and
hazards -- from evil cross-time Nazis and cosmic
conspiracies to "ordinary" monsters and disasters.

Whether you're playing accidental travelers or the
hardened troops of the Infinity Patrol, this book is
your gateway to adventure. Infinite adventure.

This PDF is an electronic copy of the first print-
ed edition of GURPS Infinite Worlds. All
known errata to that edition have been corrected,
as of the publication date of March 10, 2006.

GURPS, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks DOWNLOAD.
of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid, GURPS Infinite Worlds, and PRINT.
the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are PLAY.
registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or
used under license. All rights reserved. GURPS Infinite Worlds is copyright © e23

2004, 2006 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. STEVE JACKSON GAMES TM

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this material via the Internet or e23.sjgames.com
via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and pun-
ishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not
participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your

support of the authors’ rights is appreciated.

STEVE JACKSON GAMES

e23.sjgames.com

Stock #82-0128 Version 1.0 March 10, 2006



Written by KENNETH HITE, STEVE JACKSON, and JOHN M. FORD
Edited by ANDREW HACKARD

Cover Art by ABRAR AJMAL, GUY BURCHAK, ALAN GUTIERREZ, TONY PARKER,
ROWENA, BOB STEVLIC, ROGÉRIO VILELA, and BOB WALTERS

Illustrated by ABRAR AJMAL, BRENT CHUMLEY, JOHN MORIARTY, TONY PARKER,
DOUGLAS SHULER, BOB STEVLIC, and EVA WIDERMANN

ISBN 1-55634-734-0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

STEVE JACKSON GAMES

CONTENTS
WELCOME TO 2. ENEMIES Echoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
ANYWHEN . . . . . . . . 4 EVERYWHEN . . . . . . 45 Putting a Little English on It . . . . . . . . 87
Parallels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 CENTRUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Technology Variants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Challenge Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
1. INFINITY UNLIMITED . . . 5 Centrum Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Unusual Civilizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Centrum World Classification . . . . . . . 51 HISTORY, ALREADY IN PROGRESS . . . . . . . . 96
Infinite Worlds Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Centrum Parachronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
THE INFINITY PATROL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 The Interworld Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Decision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Centrum Plots to Foil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Alternate Greats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
The Mission and the Mindset . . . . . . . . 8 Centrum Campaigns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Plagues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Human Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Alternate Infinite Wars . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Headquarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Centrum Dark, Centrum Light . . . . . . . 56 Generational Cycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Intervention Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Civilization as Biology . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Infinite Justice, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 REICH-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 ALTERING WORLDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Cover Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Timeline Shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Penetration Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Geopolitik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Try to Change the World . . . . . . . . . . 105
Recon Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Technology on Reich-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Miracle Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Outtime Discoveries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 4. WORLDS
ISWAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 SS Raven Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 ENOUGH . . . . . . . 107
PARACHRONIC LABORATORIES . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Glorious Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 ARMADA-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Further Infinities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 THE CABAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 ATTILA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Truth and Lies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Personal Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 The Cabal in the Campaign . . . . . . . . . 69 Other Mongol Conquests . . . . . . . . . . 111
Homeline TL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 AZOTH-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Projectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 LESSER THREATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Standard Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Organized Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Other Azoths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Conveyors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Swagmen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 BONAPARTE-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
In the Cube . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Freelance Criminals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Conveyor Loadout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Where Are the Starships? . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Other Bonapartes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
THE UNITED NATIONS BRITANNICA-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
INTERWORLD COUNCIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 PARACHRONOZOIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Infinity Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Spoor and Stigmata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Other Britannicas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Alternate Outcomes, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 31 CALIPH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Crosstime Colonies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 OTHER HAZARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
“Eternity’s Rangers” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 The Spaces Between . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Other Muslim Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
CORPORATE STRUCTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Banestorms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 CAMPBELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Infinite Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Reality Quakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 CENTRUM BETA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Mathematical Bafflegab . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 DIXIE-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Cliodyne Research Group . . . . . . . . . . 37 Going Elsewhere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Consolidated Mines, Unltd. . . . . . . . . . 37 Reality Quakes in the Game . . . . . . . . 78 Other Dixies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Time Tours, Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Gates of Thoth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 EZCALLI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Johnson Crosstime Incorporated . . . . . 38 Shiftrealms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 FRIEDRICH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Time Tours in the Time Campaign . . . . 39 GALLATIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Our Corporate Rivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 3. PRESENT AT THE GERNSBACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
White Star Trading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 CREATION . . . . . . . 81 HELL WORLDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
THE PUBLIC SECTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
The United Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 TYPES OF ALTERNATE WORLDS . . . . . . . . . . 82 Ariane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
National Governments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Empty Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 The Gotha Parallels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Israel and the Alternity Exodus . . . . . . 43 Infinity’s World Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Lenin-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Non-Governmental Organizations . . . . 44 Dinosaur Hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Leviathan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Rogue States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Madland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Taft-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
JOHNSON’S ROME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
LENIN-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Other Communist Worlds . . . . . . . . . . 132
LUCIFER-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

GURPS System Design ❚ STEVE JACKSON Prepress Checkers ❚ MONICA STEPHENS
Managing Editor ❚ ANDREW HACKARD
GURPS Line Editor ❚ SEAN PUNCH and WIL UPCHURCH
Production Manager ❚ WIL UPCHURCH Print Buyer ❚ MONICA STEPHENS
Art Director ❚ STEVE JACKSON Marketing Director ❚ PAUL CHAPMAN
Page Design ❚ PHILIP REED
Sales Manager ❚ ROSS JEPSON
Production Artists ❚ JUSTIN DE WITT and ALEX FERNANDEZ Errata Coordinator ❚ ANDY VETROMILE
GURPS FAQ Maintainer ❚ STÉPHANE THÉRIAULT

Playtesters: James L. Cambias, Paul Chapman, Mark Cogan, Devin Ganger, Bob Gilson, Steve Kenson, Phil Masters,
Kenneth Peters, Bob Schroeck, William H. Stoddard, Chad Underkoffler, and Jeff Wilson

Additional Material: Steve Kenson, Craig Neumeier, Kenneth Peters, David L. Pulver, and Michael S. Schiffer

GURPS, Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Pyramid and the names
of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated,
or used under license. GURPS Infinite Worlds is copyright © 2004 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal,
and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage
the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

2 CONTENTS

Other Lucifers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Reich-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 8. ALTERNATE
MERLIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Other Opposition . . . . . . 195 INFINITIES . . . . . . . 212
Bystanders . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Other Merlins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Locals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 THE ORDER OF THE HOURGLASS . . . . . . . . 212
MYTH PARALLELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 WEAPONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Villains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 The Great Work of Time . . . . . . . . . . 215
Burton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Hollow History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Camelot Parallels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 7. INFINITE Campaign Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Mandeville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 CAMPAIGNS . . . . . 201
Nottingham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 THE TIME CORPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Sherlock Parallels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 CAMPAIGN ASSUMPTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Agent Slang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
NERGAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 The Hardware Dilemma and Mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
NOSTRADAMUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 the Software Mismatch . . . . . . . . . 202 Time Agents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
ORICHALCUM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 The Enemy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
PUZZLE WORLDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Adding Worlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Time Agent Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Blip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Paraphysics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Visitors From the Future . . . . . . . . . . 223
Enigma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Detecting Interventions . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Microworld . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Genre and Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Gross Changes: A Bad Idea . . . . . . . . 225
Möbius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Changing History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Rustic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 CAMPAIGN ELEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Campaign Assumption . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Vanish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Through the Rabbit Hole . . . . . . . . . . 206 Operation Archduke:
Wyvern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Visiting the World Next Door . . . . . . 206 A Typical Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
REICH-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Things to Invent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Other Reichs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Black Powder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 THE HORATIO CLUB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
ROMA AETERNA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 The Bad Old Good Old Days . . . . . . 210 Campaign Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Other Romes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 Mission Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
SHIKAKU-MON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 The Time Is Out of Joint . . . . . . . . . . 211 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . 232
UNITED STATES OF LIZARDIA . . . . . . . . . . . 148
YRTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Other Fantasy Parallels . . . . . . . . . . . 151

5. . . . AND TIME . . . . 152 About GURPS

TEMPORAL PHYSICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support of the GURPS sys-
The Physical Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 tem. Our address is SJ Games, Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please
Can of Infinite Worms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you write us!
Paradoxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 We can also be reached by e-mail: [email protected]. Resources include:
Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Chronobabble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyramid/). Our online magazine
Other Useful Postulates . . . . . . . . . . . 156 includes new GURPS rules and articles. It also covers the d20 system,
Talking to Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Ars Magica, BESM, Call of Cthulhu, and many more top games – and
Communication and Observation . . . 158 other Steve Jackson Games releases like Illuminati, Car Wars,
We Will Have Warned You Transhuman Space, and more. Pyramid subscribers also get opportu-
in the Past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 nities to playtest new GURPS books!
The Observer Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Time Viewers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 New supplements and adventures. GURPS continues to grow, and
Time Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 we’ll be happy to let you know what’s new. For a current catalog, send
Dangers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 us a legal-sized or 9”¥12” SASE – please use two stamps! – or just visit
Staying in Period Character . . . . . . . 164 www.warehouse23.com.

PSIONIC TIME TRAVEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 e23. Our e-publishing division offers GURPS adventures, play aids, and
Physical Projection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 support not available anywhere else! Just head over to e23.sjgames.com.
Mental Projection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Attunement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us – but we do our best
to fix our errors. Up-to-date errata sheets for all GURPS releases,
THE FUTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 including this book, are available on our website – see below.
Getting There Faster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Physics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at www.sjgames.com for
errata, updates, Q&A, free webforums, and much more. The GURPS
6. INFINITE Infinite Worlds web page is www.sjgames.com/gurps/books/
CHARACTERS . . . . 171 infiniteworlds/.

ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES, Bibliographies. Many of our books have extensive bibliographies, and
AND SKILLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 we’re putting them online – with links to let you buy the books that inter-
Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 est you! Go to the book’s web page and look for the “Bibliography” link.
Disadvantages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Wealth, Status, and Reputation . . . . . 178 GURPSnet. This e-mail list hosts much of the online discussion of
Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 GURPS. To join, point your web browser to mail.sjgames.com/
Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 mailman/listinfo/gurpsnet-l/.

ALTERNATE HUMANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for the GURPS
CHARACTER TEMPLATES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 Basic Set, Fourth Edition. Page references that begin with B refer to
that book, not this one.
Infinity Unlimited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
UNIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
The Private Sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Centrum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

CONTENTS 3

WELCOME TO
ANYWHEN
This book describes the Infinite
Worlds, the “standard setting” for History is not merely what happened: it is
GURPS Fourth Edition. Here, history what happened in the context of what might
varied on other Earths; the Union Jack have happened. Therefore it must incorporate,
flutters over America, Mongol ponies as a necessary element, the alternatives, the
graze in Britain, and zeppelins float might-have-beens.
unperturbed everywhere. The heroic
Infinity Patrol, licensed by the corpo- – Sir Hugh Trevor-Roper,
ration that discovered parachronic “History and Imagination”
travel, keeps Homeline safe and
improves life where it can. Between ABOUT THE John M. Ford
crosstime plagues, samurai with force AUTHORS
swords, and unpredictable storms that John M. Ford is the author of nine
blow people to other worlds, its work Kenneth Hite novels (so far), including the alternate
never ends. history The Dragon Waiting. On the
On a close parallel Earth, Kenneth gaming front, he has done work for
Any kind of campaign, on any kind Hite’s first RPG publication credit was GDW, West End Games, and Steve
of world, fits here – in fact, it’s already GURPS Alternate Earths. In all Jackson Games. If he survives to finish
here somewhere! You don’t have to Earths he can access, he co-wrote that his next novel, he’ll probably write an
play the Patrol or even obey them. You book and its sequel for Steve Jackson opera. With roleplaying in it. Some-
can steal alternate Monets, hunt were- Games, as well as writing GURPS body has to be the first.
wolves in medieval Germany, or seek Cabal and the third edition of GURPS
the Holy Grail across the worlds. You Horror, and compiling and co-author- PUBLICATION
can treat this book like your own per- ing GURPS WWII: Weird War Two. HISTORY
sonal alternate Spanish Main and loot His “Suppressed Transmission” col-
it for goodies and excitement to carry umn covers high strangeness for Much of the background in this
back to your own game world. You can Pyramid magazine; on some Earths it book was drawn from the Third
even build a game world – an infinity is called “Thirteen O’Clock High.” On Edition books GURPS Time Travel
of them – from scratch, using this the most terrifying worldlines, it has and the two volumes of GURPS
book’s alternate Earth design systems been collected in two volumes to date. Alternate Earths.
and advice.
He lives with his wife Sheila in The Origins Award-winning Time
It’s only a short jump (as it were) Chicago, the center of all worlds worth Travel was a collaboration between
from alternate histories to time travel. visiting. In no Earth has his M.A. in Steve Jackson and Mike Ford. Steve
Time travel stories often become alter- International Relations proved at all sketched out a parallel-world setting
nate Earth stories, as the plucky travel- useful, but one never knows. that owes a great deal to the works of
er wrenches history from its appointed H. Beam Piper. Mike fleshed it out with
course to save his adopted hometown Steve Jackson high-quality rubber science and added
in the past. Hence, this book also con- the whole “Time Corps” background,
tains complete guidelines for time trav- Steve Jackson has been devouring cut from whole cloth woven on the
el games, from using time machines to time-travel and parallel-world science loom of Fritz Leiber. They respectfully
how to get away with killing your fiction since he was about seven years acknowledge Those Who Went Before,
grandfather in the past. This book pro- old, and jumped at the chance to inflict and only wish they could go back and
vides two different time-travel cam- his own contribution on the field. shake their hands.
paign frames for people who don’t
want to go world-hopping . . . and He is the founder and editor-in- David Pulver recast the material in
allows the combination of time travel chief of Steve Jackson Games, but, as Time Travel and other GURPS books
and parallel worlds for infinite possi- shown by the present book, still gets to for Fourth Edition, after which
bilities, including some in the Infinite write something once in a while. He Kenneth Hite added yet more back-
Worlds setting. hopes to do it again someday. ground, rearranged all the puzzle
pieces, and fit the entire assemblage
Add mutants, magicians, and Steve lives in Austin. He enjoys SF between two covers.
world-hopping Nazis – you will need conventions, gardening, the Web, trop-
another Earth just to fit it all in. ical fish, Lego, and – oh, yes – gaming.

So get to it – time’s a-wasting.
– Kenneth Hite

4 WELCOME TO ANYWHEN

CHAPTER ONE

INFINITY
UNLIMITED

“. . . to preserve and defend The not staying in our atmosphere, then,” no, four fellow Patrolmen – changing
Secret with my last breath.” he responded. “And I’m glad to see into their own uniforms. She knew
your dossier accurately reported your Dave Pownall and Tranh Sui from her
As Angela finished the oath, she felt aeronautical skills, since you’ll be fly- Variant French classes, and had met
something – just the weight of all ing it for us.” Roger Giancarlo on the aerobatics
those histories – settle on her shoul- range.
ders. Before she could absorb the feel- Angela found herself clambering
ing, it was gone, jarred loose by a man into the pilot’s seat and slapping the “So we have two other scouts and a
shaking her elbow. “Agent Polk,” he oddly familiar slats and busbars into backup pilot,” she said. ’Carlo replied,
began, Angela unconsciously looked the Lift configuration; she felt a stab “And apparently, we’re not going to
around to see whom he was talking to, of relief when she heard the whhrrrrm Haussman-2 for the dancing, since
but then realized that as of 30 seconds of a concealed ducted fan engage, Suleiman here was number one in our
ago, she was “Agent Polk,” and would almost blanketed by the increasingly class in bladed weapons.” The Turk
be until, she supposed, her “last rapid crump-crump-crump of the (so she didn’t recognize flashed her a
breath.” far purely decorative) wings. Her quick smile and went back to adjust-
hijacker emerged from the back of the ing his boots.
“Agent Polk,” he said again, “let’s vehicle, wearing the (perfectly fitted)
walk and talk.” “But my family – damask cape and riding boots of an Nobody smiled for the next five
they’re here to see the ceremony . . .” Aerocorps Imperiale officer. He settled minutes, as the ornithopter jolted and
“And they did see it, and it was lovely, into the copilot’s bench and slotted a shuddered sickeningly. “Parachronic
and your mother cried. And now card into what seemed to be an ornate transition – the wings just caught
you’re on Patrol time, and your first bomb-sight. “There’s a uniform for hold,” ’Carlo said. More jolts banged
leave isn’t until 2028, so let’s jump.” you in the back,” he said, as he tapped the craft around, and Tranh began “I
With almost no pressure on her arm, on a concealed keyboard that had don’t think that’s just the wings –” just
he had somehow steered her away folded out of the “bomb-sight’s” eye- as a bullet-hole appeared in the hull
from the crowds of new-minted piece. “Go change and I’ll keep her above Suleiman’s head.
Academy graduates, toward a bronze- level – and when you get back, let’s
colored, ungainly aircraft. “That’s a hope the wings work.” Angela and ’Carlo dove for the
tiltrotor – Hell, that’s a Haussman-2 cockpit; even as the craft slopped into
ornithopter! Those don’t even fly in Pushing into the rear compart- a dive, they kept their balance where
our atmosphere!” “Good thing we’re ment, Angela saw four fellow cadets – the other three rolled and spun with
the deck. Angela was first by a fraction
and grabbed the yoke, wrestling the
’thopter back into level flight. ’Carlo
was yammering something in her ear,
but she was too busy keeping them
from crashing to pay attention. Only
after the aircraft had juddered back to
something like normal did she look
around and notice the dead man on
the bench beside her. “I wonder what
our mission was supposed to – ”
Angela began, but ’Carlo cut her off. “I
think,” he said tightly, “we’re about to
find out.”

Three more ornithopters – these
painted an ominous gray – appeared
in the windscreen, and the flashes
from their muzzles started the ship
jolting and tilting again, spiraling
down toward the parallel Lake
Superior below them.

INFINITY UNLIMITED 5

Thirty years ago, former We’re jugglers . . . trying to keep our traders
Dartmouth physicist Paul Van Zandt and sociological observers and tourists
changed the world. Actually, he and plain idiots like the late Gavran Sarn
changed hundreds of them. He invent- out of trouble; trying to prevent panics and
ed a parachronic projector, a machine disturbances and dislocations of local
that could send matter into another economies as a result of our operations; trying
dimension – another timeline. The to keep out of out-time politics – and, at all
first world he discovered was “Earth- times, at all costs and hazards, by all means,
Beta,” almost identical to his own guarding the secret of paratime transposition.
world, which he dubbed “Homeline.”
But as he improved his technology – H. Beam Piper, Police Operation
and his survey techniques, he began to
discover worlds where Rome never parachronic travel to the public, and “Infinity” by the media). Van Zandt
fell, or where America was a feudal revealed a secret to the U.N. Security became CEO of Infinity, and UNIC
kingdom. Some worlds – those on the Council. Whatever the secret was added its own bureaucrats to the
same “quantum level” as Homeline, (p. B525), it halted demands for his board. The Interworld Treaty, which
Quantum 5 (Q5) – were easy to reach. technology to be nationalized, milita- chartered Infinity, required that
Others, on Q4 and Q6, were slightly rized, or destroyed. Instead, the Infinity work to “better the lot” of the
harder; Quantum 3 and Quantum 7 Security Council established the other worlds it explored and exploited.
were downright difficult. However, United Nations Interworld Council To that end – and possibly to counter
Van Zandt persevered, and built up a (UNIC) from its own membership, the threat Van Zandt revealed to the
small team of daring assistants who which chartered a new corporation, Security Council – Van Zandt created
helped him map 23 more universes. Infinity Unlimited (often shortened to the Infinity Patrol.

He funded further research with
profits from trading between worlds,
an undertaking he formalized with
White Star Trading. In 1998, Van
Zandt revealed his discovery of

Infinite Worlds Glossary

alternate: Any timeline except the original Earth. Also Cabal, the: A secret organization of magicians and
“alternate world.” monsters using magical dimension travel.

anchor: An echo that does not experience a quantum Centrum: A rival civilization with the ability to travel
shift when “history is changed.” between worlds. A “Centran” is a native or agent of
Centrum.
Armanen Order: The secret order in Reich-5’s SS that
has discovered parachronics. cliodynamics: The scientific study of historical change,
especially useful for altering histories in a desired
autochrones: Natives of a timeline, as opposed to out- direction.
time visitors or colonists; called “’chrones” and
“locals” in Patrol slang. conveyor: A self-propelled device for traveling between
alternate worlds.
banestorm: A natural phenomenon that moves living
beings between worlds. Continued on next page . . .

6 INFINITY UNLIMITED

Infinite Worlds Glossary (Continued)

Coventry: An alternate world maintained by the parachronozoid: A creature with a natural world-
Infinity Patrol as a prison for those – both jumping ability.
Homeliners and outtimers – who Know Too Much.
parallel: An alternate world that differs from ours only
dimensional highway: A road between worlds, natu- in that its history has been different (some are very
ral, magical, or artificial. different). A “close parallel” is different as the result
of one identifiable historical change.
echo: An alternate world which is – or appears to
be – identical to ours, but at an earlier point in its Pile, the: Patrol Headquarters.
history. portal dimension: A location that connects to many

Eraser: A memory-affecting drug used by I-Cops and (or even all) alternate worlds or dimensions.
others to keep The Secret of parachronic travel. projector: A device that can send a conveyor across

Eyes, the: Patrol slang for Internal Affairs. quanta.
hell parallel: A worldline mostly or entirely emptied of quantum: An “energy level” in 8-dimensional space

humanity by a disaster or holocaust. that contains many alternate timelines. Quantum
homeboy: In Patrol slang, anybody from one’s own levels are often abbreviated; e.g., Q7 for Quantum 7.
quantum sargasso: A worldline that cannot be left
world of origin. using parachronics.
Homeline: The original Earth of Paul Van Zandt and reality quake: A parachronic upheaval that buries
some or all of an alternate’s history beneath a new
the Infinity Patrol. one.
I-Cop: An agent of the Infinity Patrol’s Intervention reality shard: A fragment of a previous past thrown up
by a reality quake.
Service. Reality Vanish: The worldline that supposedly “eats”
Infinity Patrol: The paramilitary arm of Infinity vanished probes and missions.
Scout: An agent of the Infinity Patrol’s Penetration
Unlimited. Service.
Infinity Unlimited: Often just “Infinity”; private corpo- The Secret: The fact that technological crossworld
travel is possible. Outtimers are not supposed to
ration that controls parachronic technology as a learn this, unless recruited by Infinity. Interworld
monopoly and governs access to alternate timelines. doesn’t bother keeping The Secret on primitive
Interworld Service: Also I.S., or “Interworld,” the worlds.
Centran equivalent to the Infinity Patrol. shiftrealm: A location that travels between worldlines,
Kern: From the German for “kernel,” a safe-house used from “ghost ships” to whole forests or islands.
by Armanen Order operatives. Plural: Kerne. skerry: A collection of nearby timelines sharing a com-
local: In Patrol slang, native to the timeline. mon element (i.e., an ongoing WWII, a basis in the
memetics: The study of ideas and their transmission fiction of Robert Heinlein).
and change, a back-formation from “genetics.” Not swagman: A member of a loose fraternity of crosstime
yet fully accepted as a science. grifters.
Mule: Armanen Order slang for a world-jumper, espe- timeline: Another term for an alternate world.
cially one created artificially by Nazi science. trod: A magical dimensional highway, usually used by
Nexer: A Patrol agent from the Nexus Oversight faeries. Most trods run between forests.
Division. UNIC: United Nations Interworld Council, the U.N.
nexus portal: A “natural” path between alternate body officially charged with overseeing parachron-
worlds. ics and Infinity.
oneliner: Someone who never leaves his home time- vanish it: Literally, “send it to a nonexistent reality”;
line, especially a Homeline “civilian.” Patrol slang expression meaning, roughly, “to Hell
Outstairs: Patrol slang for Homeline higher-ups. with it.”
“Those dimwits Outstairs expect us to stop the weird parallel: An alternate world that has many sim-
Visigoths with nothing but Scotch tape and puppet ilarities to our own, but also has differences that
shows.” make these similarities seem unbelievable (such as
outtime: A world other than the speaker’s own; usually the world where intelligent reptiles speak English).
means any other world besides Homeline. zero point: The term for a location that has been
outtimer: Anyone from a different world from the “zeroed” – properly calibrated – for a safe conveyor
speaker; hence, a Patrol agent is an “outtimer” on jump between two specific dimensions.
Caliph, but a citizen of Caliph would be an “out-
timer” on Homeline.
parachronics: The study of alternate worlds. More
specifically, the study of why alternate worlds exist,
and how travel between them is possible.

INFINITY UNLIMITED 7

THE INFINITY PATROL

The Infinity Patrol, like all of across the worlds. Fortunately, ernments, secretive corporations, and
Infinity, is specifically chartered by the Centrum was on Quantum 8; it could fuzzy-minded academics screaming
U.N. Security Council. It has a unified not reach Homeline and neither could about every imagined slight or mis-
command with an existence inde- Homeline reach Centrum. The quanta step, the Patrol’s job is never easy.
pendent of any given mission, and so between became battlegrounds, espe-
resembles a private security force cially the Q6 “echoes,” worlds that Dealing with Homeliners, whether
more than a multinational peacekeep- mirrored Homeline history exactly. aggrieved innocents or furtive dia-
ing task force. In practice, the Patrol is Centrum could, and did, shift many of mond smugglers, requires good
a supranational paramilitary agency those echoes out of Quantum 6 and relations with Homeline institutions
under Infinity’s control, dedicated to into quanta inaccessible to Homeline! combined with an appearance of
protecting Homeline, The Secret, The infinity war had begun, and the complete impartiality to Homeline
Infinity, and the unknowing innocents Patrol had a new set of missions. conflicts. This is a difficult tightrope
of other worlds, in roughly that order. to walk under the best of circum-
Patrol facilities, like all Infinity prop- THE MISSION stances. The Patrol does very active
erty, are considered “U.N. soil,” and liaison work with Homeline govern-
cannot be searched or seized without AND THE ment agencies and Interpol, turns a
violating international law. By its blind eye to the occasional MI6 or
charter, it must “keep the peace, and MINDSET FSB operation, and hopes for the
preserve the smooth operation of best. Infinity contributes vast sums to
interdimensional travel for the good of Technically, all parachronic equip- recognized global charities (and re-
all mankind.” This translates, for ment in existence is the property of election campaigns) even while Patrol
Infinity Unlimited and the Patrol Infinity Unlimited, and the Infinity officers and agents stay ruthlessly
alike, as “ride herd on everyone else Patrol has the right (and duty) to apolitical. Infinity doesn’t have
with a conveyor, keep Homeline prob- supervise its use. In theory, every con- anything quite so crude as a quota
lems on Homeline, and do well by veyor from a two-ton “tramp trader” to system, but it maintains an aggressive
doing good in the meantime.” a stealthed CIA insertion capsule falls outreach program to enlist non-
under the Patrol’s jurisdiction, and the Americans. Although Infinity
This was hard enough when the Patrol can ask to see its hardwired Unlimited acts like a typical American
Patrol thought itself alone in the con- service record (giving the time and multinational corporation regardless
tinuum, but nine years ago, Corporate parachronic coordinates of every jump of breezy “global” marketing cam-
Security captured an intruder in a a unit makes) without cause or reason. paigns, the Patrol emphasizes its
secret Infinity facility on the Quantum If something doesn’t smell right, it can multinationality – or even its transna-
6 world Turkana. He turned out to be investigate – and if the investigation tionality – as befits a U.N. force. Many
from another cross-dimensional para- warrants, Infinity can revoke a Patrolmen even renounce their own
military organization, the Interworld parachronic license or even confiscate citizenship for U.N. passports as the
Service, of a crosstime civilization and destroy equipment. With conveyor Patrol Oath explicitly forswears all
called Centrum. Centrum was aggres- and projector traffic approaching tens other allegiances.
sive, competent, and devoted to or even hundreds of thousands of trips
spreading its own hierarchical system per day, and with jealous national gov- That makes the Patrol’s only
loyalty to itself. At best, the Patrol sees
With conveyor and projector traffic itself as the “thin blue and black line”
approaching tens or even hundreds of supporting all Homeline – all human-
thousands of trips per day, and with ity – against the dangers from other
jealous national governments, secretive worlds. At worst, some Patrolmen
corporations, and fuzzy-minded have internalized an “us vs. them”
academics screaming about every attitude, not only to outtimers (who
imagined slight or misstep, the Patrol’s don’t get the benefit of Infinity’s care-
job is never easy. ful neutrality), but also to Homeline
oneliners. Even innocent tourists
trapped behind the lines at Alesia
sometimes grate on professional
dimensional police, to say nothing of
nickel-dime Homeline hoods dealing
heroin in a parallel Renaissance Italy.
Such missions don’t always help
Patrolmen keep a broad perspective.
And the missions never end; world
after world must be surveyed,
checked for plagues, searched for

8 INFINITY UNLIMITED

magic, classified, watched over, nur- placing a carefully worded classified possible. Ironically, the weakest spot
tured, exploited, saved, defended, sab- ad in the Gazette Californien or the in the coverage is, necessarily, the
otaged, and covertly policed. New Amsterdam Tribune; in others, incoming parachronic transits, which
“adoption by a remote monastery” or could theoretically bring anyone, from
HUMAN “assignment overseas” can cover an anywhere, with any agenda or
RESOURCES extraction. One old standby is disaster weapons. Fortunately, the Canadian
recruitment – a local who shows prairies are fairly isolated places on
These ever-expanding tasks strain pluck, resource, and skill during a vol- most timelines, so the Patrol can keep
Infinity’s time and attention more canic eruption or cataclysmic battle security squads camped out on most
than its pocketbook. Between off-the- can often “disappear in the wreckage” parallel headquarters locations with-
books Consisting of Patrol slush funds without endangering The Secret. out endangering The Secret.
(many kept in outtime banks), the vast Clever or daring Patrolmen can
scale of parachronic operations, and manipulate prison or POW camp Besides guarding its own existence,
lucrative Homeline sublicenses, records, hire mercenaries, or simply Headquarters serves as command cen-
Infinity’s finances are, for all practical buy slaves (although this remains very ter, university, arsenal, motor pool,
purposes, unlimited. However, Infinity controversial with Infinity higher-ups) library, repair yard, and rear office for
management still only has 24 hours in to get prime Patrol recruits out of their all Patrol divisions. Most importantly,
every day to attend to and supervise dangerous native worldlines and onto however, it serves as a true home base
events on hundreds of worlds. Expert the Infinity payroll. for Patrolmen isolated from both the
systems, streamlined decision mak- timelines they protect and the
ing, and ruthless policy triage only go HEADQUARTERS Homeline they enrich. Even more
so far. Infinity has to allow Patrol than cops or soldiers, Patrolmen can
agents broad discretion – they simply New recruits almost always start only talk meaningfully to each other
don’t have the time to second-guess their service with an induction cere- and nobody else on a thousand
Patrolmen or make tactical decisions mony at Patrol headquarters. While Earths. Dormitories, recreation and
upstairs. The same time pressures Infinity Unlimited runs its corporate sports facilities, cafeterias, and stables
work on the Patrol’s 60,000 personnel empire from a skyscraper in Chicago are all available to any Patrolman
(10,000 of whom are full-time field (just far enough from the New York without charge. Whether it’s relaxing
agents), forcing the Patrol to prize ini- and Washington mindsets to discour- in Harry’s Crosstime Bar (run by a
tiative, creativity, and independent age overzealous oversight), the Patrol Patrolman who lost both legs keeping
problem-solving over all other factors. works from an unassuming glass-and- Napoleon out of a parallel Moscow) or
This irreducible fact of Infinity’s ferrocrete complex outside Calgary in meditating at the Patrol Cemetery on
parachronic operations makes Patrol western Canada, well off the radar of the slopes of Mt. Eisenhower, every
service very attractive to ex-military even Infinity corporate bigwigs. Patrolman needs somewhere to con-
and ex-police servicemen. From nect to. Infinity fosters such connec-
armies and police forces drowning in That low-profile complex spreads tions by deliberately intermingling
red tape and bureaucratic procedure, over several hundred acres, including agents and rear-echelon staff from
Patrol recruits enter a “sink or swim” firing ranges, proving grounds, both Patrol branches, the Penetration
world where one decision can save airstrips, projector and conveyor Service (colloquially, the “Time
millions (even billions) of lives or dol- barns, a small but secure prison facili- Scouts” or just “Scouts”) and the
lars. Only true catastrophes result in ty, the fusion plant, and rooms full of Intervention Service (the explicitly
active oversight – and disasters usual- molecular-memory supercomputers paramilitary “I-Cops”), in Headquart-
ly kill Patrolmen who make stupid devoted to Patrol archives and analy- ers assignments.
decisions. sis. (A backup facility exists at the
same location on Smother, an unin- Infinity encourages a similar mix
But even with the incentive of ini- habited Quantum 5 worldline where of experiences in its individual
tiative, staffing remains an ongoing Earth’s atmosphere never oxygenat- Patrolmen. Corporate policy favors
problem for the Patrol. In the rich and ed.) The main headquarters building Patrolmen with a broad, multi-
comfortable Homeline created by (five stories of institutional blandness) branch background over “time-
Infinity Unlimited, not a lot of people is only slightly more imposing, and servers” and “stair-climbers” who
volunteer to risk their lives . . . much informal Patrol policy considers it a move up the ranks in a single branch,
less spend years on end in backwater defeat if “the Pile” ever shows up on or even a single service. Infinity’s
parallels without fusion power or den- the evening news. (Patrolmen tradi- board refuses to consider candidates
tistry, even for a fairly handsome pay- tionally make press statements from for Patrol Director, or any executive
check. Increasingly, Infinity turns to the headquarters of whatever agency rank, without several years’ experi-
outworld recruiting on those timelines or police force they worked with on a ence in both the Scouts and the
where they can manage it without given mission, or from the Infinity I-Cops. Although this creates discon-
revealing The Secret. Outtimers, after Tower in Chicago.) The whole area tinuities and duplication of effort, it
all, are used to crummy working con- (including several miles of under- prevents (or at least mitigates)
ditions, danger, and filth – they live ground tunnels and laboratories) rests bureaucratic empire-building and
there. In some worlds, it’s as simple as under the most comprehensive radar, encourages well-rounded, lateral
satellite, and physical surveillance thinking at all levels of the Patrol.

INFINITY UNLIMITED 9

INTERVENTION play intramural sports from a wide best cadet teams in the Academy. The
SERVICE variety of worldlines, with winning last week is “Finals,” during which the
teams getting better chow and other graduates prepare a lengthy, specific
The “I-Cops” enforce the rules and minor privileges. The unofficial line report analyzing shortcomings in the
keep out hostile strangers all over the between “basic” and “advanced” train- Academy and their training. No cadet
continuum. They are the sword and ing is Sleepout: an unannounced mid- can be flunked for his report – the only
shield of Homeline. The Intervention night alert that picks up four to seven failing grade is for turning in nothing.
Service favors reliability over inspira- cadets at a time (depending on class On Graduation Day, the cadets parade
tion, resolution over communication, size) and drops them a couple of hun- in formation for the last time, receive
and speed over spread. Identify the dred miles away from the Academy to their commissions and duty assign-
task, overcome the obstacles, and find their way back through saber- ments, and ship out into the multi-
accomplish the mission – don’t get dis- tooth country. With only what they verse, entitled to wear the blue and
tracted saving other worlds before were wearing and carrying five min- black of the Patrol. A week later, the
you’ve saved your own first. An I-Cop utes after waking up. In December. In new class comes in.
makes his own luck by not sticking an Ice Age.
around waiting for lightning to strike. A year at the Academy makes an
They throw the lightning themselves, The Academy rewards survivors excellent introductory mini-cam-
and jump before the thunder stops with a week around New Year’s (uni- paign, abstracting as much or as little
rolling. versally called “Spring Break” despite of the drills and sports as the group
the timing) to do what they like in wants. Such an introduction probably
The Intervention Service has 10 Johnson’s Rome or another freewheel- works best if each player takes two or
divisions, the first of which may be the ing but primitive world – which is three cadets as characters. The GM
most important in the entire Patrol. another test. Cadets who can’t adjust can then wash out PC cadets without
to other cultural mores, who treat out- worrying about wrecking the cam-
The Academy timers with contempt or condescen- paign – and the leftover graduates can
sion, who reveal high-tech devices, or show up later as NPCs, or be backup
Located on the shores of the glacial who are stupid enough to fall for the characters in case a player’s primary
Lake Agassiz (in the equivalent of badger game get weeded out of the Patrolman gets vaporized by Nazi
Homeline South Dakota), in the Academy upon their return. If a cadet maser fire in Atlanta or crippled by
Pleistocene parallel Mammut-1, the makes it past Sleepout and Spring toppling sarsens at Stonehenge.
Infinity Academy trains every new Break, he is considered a Patrolman.
agent accepted into the Patrol. Each Perhaps not an agent yet – but some- Customs and Inspection
year’s class begins in mid-September one worth investing more time and
with about 650 cadets (although the money in. The Customs and Inspection
Academy has facilities for 1,000 stu- Division officially guards every
dents if necessary); the rigors of train- The rest of the winter is more phys- parachronic projector on Homeline,
ing whittle the average graduating ical training – long marches across the and has global authority to enter and
class down to about 400. This is bare- glacier, mammoth hunts with equip- search any location emitting
ly enough to stay ahead of the current ment from a variety of tech levels, detectable parachronic energies. Their
death, retirement, injury, and disap- pressure suit training and zero-gravity thankless task is to keep things out of
pearance rate of existing Patrolmen, combat – interspersed with applied Homeline that don’t belong there,
but Commandant al-Wahid (a Special parachronics, the care and feeding of from dangerous plagues to smuggled
Ops veteran who lost her right arm to conveyors, and still more history and Tyrian pendants to fanatical terrorists.
a dragon) refuses to ease up on the language courses. Weapons drill gets Their second priority is to keep such
Academy regimen. The Academy more complex, and there are “practice things from going from Homeline out
trains both Intervention and surveys” of mostly mapped (and most- into the unpoliceable void of the infi-
Penetration Service agents, and ly harmless) worldlines. The work nite worlds. Screens at projector bays
although it is officially a division of keeps piling on, and the team sports and conveyor havens continuously
Intervention, its faculty remains rigor- take a break. scan for fissionables, toxins, viruses,
ously neutral in any turf wars between nanobots, and anything else the para-
the services. In the spring, “aptitude training” noid minds at Customs can suspect.
begins; the Patrol needs too many (The sign in most projector bays is as
All cadets begin with a three- skills from too few people to build accurate as it is concise: “Rule One:
month “basic training” program complete generalists. (This is part of Declare Everything.”) Customs and
emphasizing stamina, decision-mak- why Patrol training emphasizes team- Inspection tries desperately to get first
ing while fatigued or stressed, and work so much.) Infinity can hire the priority on telepathic personnel, with
basic Patrol combat and weapons foremost experts on any topic: aikijut- sadly mixed success. Reliable
drills. (These emphasize surprise, sub- su, wine tasting, archery, or dance. telepaths can write their own ticket in
tlety, and teamwork.) After dinner, Team sports come back with the warm the Patrol, and few of them covet bor-
coursework on the basics of (well, warm for the Ice Age) weather, ing jobs reading the minds of people
parachronics, languages, and global too – the traditional final blowout is coming back from vacation with “a
history fills a cadet’s time until lights “Homecoming” in early September, a souvenir hardly worth mentioning.”
out. In their scanty free time, cadets showdown game of ollamalitzli (the
brutal Aztec ball game) between the

10 INFINITY UNLIMITED

Patrolmen themselves delight in than Customs and Inspection, if such involving Infinity personnel or
smuggling – usually low-key contra- a thing is possible. IA roots out property. (Command of overlapping
band like wine and knives, although Homeline corruption and favoritism investigations goes to the team with
the Patrol team that managed to in Infinity where it can, which earns priority on the case – initiative gets
smuggle an entire hover-panzer back the Division no friends in the UNIC results.) By one interpretation of the
from Reich-4 is still the topic of awed bureaucracy or Infinity’s boardroom. Interworld Treaty, this gives the
legend. This does little to endear “C & However, Internal Affairs is always Justice Division jurisdiction over any
I-Cops” (or C & I duty) to other agents. happy to look into reports about what crime on Homeline involving an out-
some bureaucrat’s rival is up to, which timer or an Infinity employee, or
Although a team of Inspection helps IA play political hardball when occurring in a parachronic facility of
agents tasked to investigate unli- necessary. Every Patrolman who has any kind, as well as any crime involv-
censed parachronic emissions on ever been left twisting in the wind by a ing a Homeliner on any other Earth.
Homeline probably has one of the rear-echelon type taking a bribe or “Crimes,” in this context, include
most tense and nail-biting jobs in the abetting a coverup – and then seen the genocide, mass slavery, environmen-
Patrol, actually playing such a cam- malefactor dispatched to count neu- tal neglect, arms smuggling, and sub-
paign would be a little too much like trons on Taft-3 – has to admit that IA version, as well as old standbys like
playing air traffic controllers. A roving may (just barely) be justified. theft, fraud, and murder. Like the FBI
Inspection team checking security on or Scotland Yard, sometimes their
nearby Quantum 5 worlds might Internal Affairs officers might involvement is requested, and some-
uncover plenty of exciting trouble, appear as the “bad guys” in either a times it’s resented, and sometimes
though, without even trying. For freewheeling game of maverick I-Cops both at once. Unsurprisingly, neither
mixed parties, an individual Customs who just don’t play by the rules, or in the FBI nor Scotland Yard particular-
agent is a very plausible addition to a tense, shades-of-gray game in which ly welcomes nosy I-Cops horning into
any Patrol team heading into a world Infinity higher-ups might not always their own problems, nor do they usu-
with valuables, or dangerous items, or be the white hats. Internal Affairs PCs ally appreciate the irony of the situa-
suspicious outtime activity – which is might tag along on one or two mis- tion. Worse, despite lavish funding for
to say, any of them. sions, but are unlikely to fit well into facilities and top-flight training for its
an ongoing I-Cops campaign. Unless, agents, the Justice Division doesn’t
Internal Affairs of course, all the players take the really have the institutional memory,
role of IA officers, and play out the staff, or the footprint of a truly
Internal Affairs are the Patrolmen “Infinite Ellroy” L.A. Confidential-style major criminal investigation depart-
who patrol the Patrol. They hunt stories uncovering corruption and ment. Hence, Justice agents have to
through currency records looking for malfeasance inside Infinity itself. get by on intuition, flair, and a deep
bulging offworld accounts, check up understanding of the “offworld
on “friends from Bonaparte-4” with Justice angle,” whatever it may be.
suspicious last names, and bring
down the hammer on anyone, any Where Internal Affairs tracks A Crime Scene: Infinity campaign
time. This makes “the Eyes” even less down corruption inside the Patrol, centered on the Justice Division might
popular among their fellow Patrolmen the Justice Division solves crimes be very entertaining, but over a longer
term it might tax the GM’s creativity
(or the players’ patience) to unravel
mystery after mystery. However, a sin-
gle mystery makes a good “prologue”
adventure, and a meaty crime can
draw in agents from any other divi-
sion as needed, as witnesses, experts,
or even suspects. Then, if the real
criminal escapes to another world (or
is in cahoots with some larger con-
spiracy), the game is afoot, and a
mixed team can set off on a campaign
that (every so often) gets its man. An
insidious GM might run a twist on this
setup – draw agents in from various
divisions, set up the mystery teams,
and frame the PCs for the crime!
Suddenly, they have to flee Homeline,
and chase down the real criminals –
it’s the Infinite Fugitive, and they’re
chasing the one-armed Nazi across
the continuum.

INFINITY UNLIMITED 11

Infinite Justice, Inc. own work across the timelines. The
Patrol actively headhunts former
Headquartered in an obsolete steel mill in Gary, Indiana, Infinite Mounties for responsible postings,
Justice, Inc., the largest bail bond, repossession, and “personnel reacqui- and the RCMP is the only Homeline
sition” agency licensed for crosstime operations, doesn’t spend a lot on outfit routinely invited on “ride-
office furniture or fancy wall screens. Infinite Justice, Inc., sells itself to alongs” to other timelines when
its clients with its record (a success rate over 80%) and its personnel (95% I-Cops need backup fast. RCMP
with extensive outworld experience before joining the firm, mostly with characters can add an interesting
the Infinity Patrol, Mounties, or other law enforcement agencies). dimension to an I-Cop campaign,
Infinity Unlimited offers a minimum $500,000 reward, payable to any serving as pipelines to the wider world
licensed crosstime bounty hunter, for the return of any Homeliner hiding of Homeline or merely lending
out on an alternate Earth; every one of these burglars, runaways, mob- another perspective.
sters, and adulterers endangers The Secret. IJI leases its conveyors from
Infinity on an extremely affordable plan, letting it mount more Logistics
parachronic missions than most Homeline governments.
The unglamorous task of keeping
The hunt for a single fugitive may be one adventure long, or extend conveyors fueled and ammunition
across an entire campaign, with a posse of bounty hunters (along with sorted both by caliber and by world of
their pilot, “face man,” and so forth) involving themselves voluntarily or origin falls to the Logistics Division.
involuntarily in local problems from world to world along the trail of These hard-working perfectionists
their quarry. The posse could also chase down different fugitives across handle repairs, vehicles, supply, and
the quanta from week to week and occasionally get sucked into the maintenance for the entire Patrol.
fringes of larger crises. Alternatively, a bounty hunter can be a recur- This includes supplies, fuel, ammuni-
ring NPC (or a PC) who provides investigative skills, contacts, or mus- tion, and spare parts for any outtime
cle for Patrol missions “as a favor to the old outfit” while borrowing an equipment in storage or rotation;
“off-duty” I-Cop squad for his tougher jobs. (The large number of for- Logistics Division works closely with
mer Patrolmen in Infinite Justice helps smooth out any quibbles about the Penetration Service’s Technical
regulations.) Analysis Division (p. 17). One of
Logistics’ key tasks is to keep track of
The stereotypical bounty hunter mission is to track down a wanted every single parachronic device in
fugitive, apprehend him, and turn him in to the authorities for a reward. Infinity’s inventory; if a conveyor (or,
The mission can, of course, go haywire anywhere along this path. For more subtly, a coordinate disk or spare
example, the fugitive might be falsely accused, or a Centrum agent, or set of field circuits) goes missing, they
hiding out on Merlin-1, or have powerful friends in UNIC. The authori- alert the closest Patrol team to its last
ties might be corrupt, brutal, mistaken, or otherwise distracted. The known position. Often, that team is
reward might be too small, or so big that it attracts a lot of freelance tal- then ordered to drop whatever it was
ent hunting the criminal “on spec.” And, of course, the reward might not doing and chase down the missing
get paid at all, depending on the suspect’s condition, legal status, or polit- dingus – everyone in the Patrol shares
ical protection. Fortunately, there’s this slave trader with a price on his Logistics Division’s concern about
head who just happened to stumble across your path . . . vanishing equipment. After all, next
week it could be bringing a division of
Liaison PCs in a campaign centered around a fanatical Jamahiriya secularists from
Homeline group such as the FBI’s Caliph or slavering berserkers from
The Liaison Division handles rela- Parachronic Field Team or France’s Gotha-19 down on them.
tionships with other Homeline law- Légion d’Outretemps.
enforcement agencies or military Although essential for the smooth
units, especially those with para- I-Cop Liaison agents have a partic- operation of the Patrol, Logistics offi-
chronic investigation responsibilities. ularly warm relationship with the cers are not particularly essential for
With the Patrol’s chronic shortage of Royal Canadian Mounted Police the exciting operation of a game. They
time and manpower, unless an investi- (RCMP), who technically “host” any I- serve as information dumps, and as
gation truly endangers Infinity inter- Cop operations on Homeline run out the source of weird equipment and
ests, the I-Cops are always happy to of Patrol Headquarters in Calgary. The urgent requests. A quintessential rear-
turn over work to outsiders. Liaison Mounties’ traditions of integrity, self- area, support-staff NPC, a Logistics
agents follow up information sharing, sufficiency, professionalism, and agent might enter the adventure with
keep Homeliners in the loop on out- determination resonate strongly with a one-time need to recover a particu-
time investigations, and smooth any Patrolmen, and the Patrol seeks to larly sensitive item. Once attached to a
ruffled bureaucratic feathers. Liaison emulate the best of the RCMP experi- Patrol team, of course, his skill at
agents make likely NPCs in an I-Cop ence – bringing order without cruelty repair and access to restricted or
campaign, but might make interesting or destruction to a vast frontier – in its strange equipment could make him so
valuable that he stays on for a series of
adventures. A team of Logistics per-
sonnel might be tasked to establish a

12 INFINITY UNLIMITED

maintenance and supply base on some role of team leader on another world, single licensee of parachronic tech-
almost-hospitable parallel, setting up or plays “face man” for a team of nology, and on every outtimer known
a long-term series of adventures in a Patrolmen. A Morale team assigned to to have dealt with Homeliners in any
continuing setting. Having the bring down some horrible govern- capacity. Getting this information is
prototypical paper-pushers save the ment or end a war could be an inter- the job of Security’s “runners,” who
universe (perhaps in spite of the con- esting group to play. The result might keep strings of informers and agents
descending “real I-Cops”) could be an resemble either Ocean’s 11 or A Fistful in both the security agencies of many
amusing running gag in a light (or of Dollars, depending on the tone of parallels (they essentially command
even a silly) campaign. the game. the Vigiles on Johnson’s Rome, for
example) and inside every criminal
Morale Nexus Oversight or political group known to have
a crossworld interest. Security
Morale in the Patrol is actually bet- Nexus Oversight, the “Highway Division works closely with the
ter than in most police or military Patrol” of the I-Cops, guards and Penetration Service’s Intelligence
forces, although Infinity’s staff psy- charts known dimensional highways, Division to monitor all other time-
chologists, chaplains, and bartenders nexus portals, and so forth. Relatively lines for breaches of The Secret, or of
all earn their stipends. The Morale few such unconventional routes lead domestic parachronic research. On
Division doesn’t actually concern itself to Homeline proper, and Infinity paper, Intelligence does the monitor-
with Patrol morale very much, bought up most of them (along with ing, and Security makes any “adjust-
although that’s what all the job all the land for several miles around, ments” necessary to fix things. In
descriptions in the unit seem to where possible) long ago. However, practice, this means that Security
imply in faultless 21st-century buzz- the Patrol can’t depend on Infinity’s agents are usually tasked with
word-speak. Its actual duties are parachronic monopoly to keep the “secret improvements” on other par-
propaganda, memetics, and psycho- continuum safe. Moving along the allels as well: ending slave trades,
logical warfare – both on other worlds back roads of the continuum, infiltra- preventing global wars, derailing
(convincing dictators to stand down, tors, smugglers, or terrorists could atomic research programs in dicta-
or the citizens to vote out Centrum wreak havoc in realities across the torships, and so forth. Security
puppets) and on Homeline. That last quanta, even if Homeline is (mostly) Division runs the “prison parallel”
job is the most sensitive of all, but Van secure. And there are always tourists Coventry (p. B524), as well as a few
Zandt really didn’t want world opinion to gently redirect, squabbles over even more obscure detention facili-
to shift and take Infinity away from access to sort out, and the occasional ties on remote worlds. Security
him. So a goodly chunk of Infinity’s ghastly crisis to avert. Nexus also works closely with Logistics,
money goes into conventional adver- Oversight also tries to keep track of following their lead when tracking
tising, public relations, and political known banestorms, and its agents missing conveyors, and with Liasion
contributions handled by Infinity’s keep their hands in by killing anything Division, partnering up with Home-
corporate P.R. offices and their lobby- nasty a banestorm leaves behind. In line security agencies (especially the
ists. A bigger, but far more carefully practice, Nexus Oversight sometimes FBI, Shin Bet, and MI5) when track-
concealed, amount goes into carefully serves as the I-Cops’ own in-house ing crosstime threats against nation-
conceived messages to play up the Scout service; the “Nexers” love to find al targets. The Security Division also
good things from Infinity (cheap out what’s over the next quantum bar- maintains a low-simmering irritation
fusion power, safety from Time Nazis) rier and who’s been driving tanks with Infinity Unlimited’s Corporate
and dismiss the bad (toying with the down the ley lines. Security Branch, which is theoreti-
lives of billions). It’s an exaggeration cally in charge of Homeline threats
to say that Infinity guards that secret A roving Nexus Oversight team of to Infinity operations; with
more assiduously than they guard The this sort makes an ideal player group. Homeliners who travel crosstime,
Secret of parachronics – but Van Even if the worlds they’re patrolling jurisdiction gets blurry.
Zandt and his successors on the board are quiet now, anybody or anything
seem to think that the one depends on could come out of the portal during A Security team is another ideal
the other. the next new moon and stir things up. player group. Every mission can be
A single Nexer could fall in with any different, from smash-and-grab raids
Morale works closely with the team anywhere in the continuum – an on Islamic Jihad cells on Homeline to
Scouts as well, helping craft messages excellent way to bring in a new player following a string of clues to run down
(verbal and heraldic) of peace and or replacement character. a plutonium smuggler across six or
friendship (or at least “enemy of your seven worldlines. The broad scope of
enemy”) for first contact discussions Security Security missions means that
and meetings, often accompanying Patrolmen from almost any other divi-
Scouts into the field. On outworld Security Division monitors and sion can join up for a single operation,
operations, negotiation and commu- prevents crosstime infiltration of or help staff a full cross-divisional task
nication is the Morale Division way, Homeline. Working very closely with force to monitor some developing
although often with the aim of more the Intelligence Division of the (campaign-long) crisis.
thoroughly eliminating an opponent. Scouts, they maintain frightening
A Morale officer frequently acts in the amounts of information on every

INFINITY UNLIMITED 13

Cover Stories course, project to Quantum 3 or 4 if
need be.) Their bases (in Canada on
Given the conflicting imperatives of keeping The Secret and influenc- Homeline and Hideaway; in tropical
ing outtime locals, much thought and effort goes into providing Infinity Kenya on Habakkuk) have immense
agents with solid cover while on operations in parallel worlds. Necessary fuel-cracking stations, full support
documents, travel passes, forged currency, and so forth are the responsi- facilities, massive parachronic detec-
bility of the Document Section of the Penetration Service (a cross-divi- tor nets, and backups of most Patrol
sional unit staffed by the Intelligence, Records and Research, and records of Interworld activity. Support
Technical Analysis divisions). Planting actual identities in offworld data staff (about 2,000 per base) usually
banks, maintaining safe houses and bank accounts, and other local jobs consists of disabled Patrolmen from
fall to whichever Service runs the main Infinity station on the parallel (if other divisions, civilian contractors, or
the Scouts, usually the Intelligence Division; if the I-Cops, usually specialists from Intelligence, Logis-
Security Division). tics, and Security.

The actual nature of the cover varies by milieu and TL. In low-TL soci- A Special Operations Divison cam-
eties, up to TL2 or 3, agents can pass themselves off as travelers from a paign resembles a normal military
faraway kingdom, as magicians (this is harder on worlds where magic “special ops” campaign, focusing on
actually works), or as emissaries from the gods. Some of these stories raids and assaults. Patrolmen from
also work in post-disaster milieus. In societies at TL4 or 5, Patrol per- other divisions usually come along on
sonnel have to either invent secret societies to belong to, or suborn exist- specific missions only to lend specific
ing guilds, orders, or groups (or at least individual lodges or churches). knowledge or expertise; they aren’t
Once nation-states have monopolized power, usually by TL5, Homeline likely to join a SpecOps squad on a
agents have to begin the careful game of claiming to be spies or agents full-time basis. If the GM and players
from different nations, hoping to avoid close cross-checking. This, how- can come up with enough variations
ever, makes getting the cooperation of a local government more difficult, on the model to keep the game from
and often forces Patrolmen to work through less-than-ideal local cutouts. getting stale, well and good.
Impersonating the home government’s spies or secret police is the best Otherwise, it may be necessary to mix
possible cover, but is fraught with danger. things up. Players might have a “back-
up SpecOps PC.” Every so often, if the
In very bureaucratic governments (which began by TL2 in China and regular PCs uncover something that
Rome), Patrolmen can often claim to be from another government really needs a smackdown, the game
department or a far province . . . or from the capital, if they are operat- can switch to “SpecOps mode” and the
ing in a far province. If they can present the right credentials, and use the players can bring in their backup PC
right tone of voice, this is often sufficient for short-term operations. Over squad to deliver it. Or the GM can
a longer term, such a cover is always in danger of collapsing. In some insert a small SpecOps unit into an
cases, it might be possible to claim to be time travelers, or even aliens – anchor, or a shifted echo, for a long-
presenting advanced Homeline technology as “proof.” term campaign against Centrum on
that world. Covert high-tech warfare
Special Operations ready to launch its own initiative. against Centrum while keeping The
Special Operations has about 200 Secret, rescuing other Patrolmen
The mission of Special Operations agents in three companies stationed (who might become PCs themselves),
Division is the counterpunch. on Homeline, Hideaway (a top-secret and recruiting local forces to the side
SpecOps (or SOD, to the less- Quantum 6 “manor world” used exclu- of Homeline presents enough differ-
impressed Patrolmen of other divi- sively by Infinity retirees and execu- ent challenges to keep the game fresh
sions) exists to drop onto a Centrum tives), and Habakkuk (a similarly for some time.
(or, increasingly, SS Raven Division) secret Quantum 7 world where the
operation when subtlety is no longer Laurentide cooling snapped the Earth PENETRATION
an option. They train in crosstime back into another Ice Age around SERVICE
assault tactics, doing the most damage 6000 B.C.). The company on
with the least equipment possible in Hideaway is double-strength, since The “Time Scouts” survey and
the shortest period of time. Special more Centrum operations occur in open new timelines, and keep the
Operations does not (officially, any- Quantum 6 than the other two. Their flow of parachronic traffic running
way) launch operations against enemy conveyors are hardened subquantum smoothly. The Scouts favor adapt-
targets; it is the “cavalry” called in to models built into armored TL9 Icarus ability over discipline, openness over
end a fight, not the “marines” sent in suborbital VTOL gunships each capa- judgment, and breadth over depth. A
to start one. Of course, many rescues ble of carrying up to three squads (15- modicum of knowledge and accept-
or counterstrikes require the tactical 24 Patrolmen) of SpecOps anywhere ance on 10 worlds is better than a
offensive, and sometimes that creeps on the Earths within four hours of an doctorate on (or initiation into) one
up to “pre-emptive defense” against an alert. (The Homeline company can, of subculture – although Scouts will
Interworld task force that looks almost pump the professor (or initiate) for
the three key details they need to find

14 INFINITY UNLIMITED

a missing tourist in Nineveh or pass a more primitive Earths), making too potential and TL of an echo, a given
message to a Patrol contact at the overt a contact could shift the entire world might have one team (based in
Reichschancellery. timeline! To make things even dicier, 1873 Liverpool, monitoring shipping
The Secret is never closer to exposure news and telegraph cables for any
The Penetration Service has eight than in the first few months of contact microscopic divergence from Home-
divisions. with a new timeline. Agents don’t yet line records), a few teams (one in each
know what clothing, behavior, or tech- major capital in 1942), or more. Most
Communications nology marks them as not just echoes really ought to have a global
strangers but weird outsiders, and network of agents communicating by
Whether it’s riding camels across a can’t find out without wandering ultrawave – keeping tabs, for instance,
parallel Mojave or burrowing a Trojan around risking death or worse. on every minor kingdom and caravan
Horse into a Sinhalaraj submarine stop from Chichen Itza to Chang’an
comm net, Communications gets the All this makes a Contact team a and back again in 800 A.D. – but have
word out and the message through. perfect PC group. Every new timeline to make do with overworked “circuit
Communications Division shares is a new set of challenges, the GM can riders” who travel the Silk Road and
responsibility with Intelligence for tailor adventures (and whole worlds) other trade routes with a cargo of
cryptanalysis, and encodes even rou- to meet (or play with) player expecta- spices and an eye for the uncanny.
tine messages to the hilt. However, too tions, and the flavor can vary as wide-
many mysterious, unbreakable codes ly or as little as desired. A Contact An Echo Surveillance team is
in a suspicious age themselves endan- team often includes Scouts from other most suitable for long-running cam-
ger The Secret, so often Communi- divisions, and even I-Cops if they pro- paigns set in a single echo. The
cations has to encode the real message vide specific skills (or warm bodies to agents can deal with local crises from
inside an enciphered cover message fill mission requirements right now). wars to plagues to suspicious
intended to be broken. It’s headaches This offers an excellent mix of starting Inquisitors, chasing down every
like this that make courier duty seem characters, and return trips to HQ rumor of sorcery or angels that
like a positive relief; all you have to do between missions even let players sounds like a Centrum cover.
is get from Paris to Peking and dodge trade out crippled or dead Scouts for Eventually, of course, one of those
the Khaghan’s All-Seeing Eyes along brash new replacements. rumors will pan out, and the game
the way. becomes one of cat-and-mouse as the
Echo Surveillance two sides choose their pawns and
Communications agents can open begin the contest in earnest. On an
the door to any kind of adventure – and Once a parallel has been classified echo with a lot of potential diver-
may not even know what’s in the mes- as an echo – an exact duplicate of gence points set close together in
sage that causes everyone to hunt them Homeline history vulnerable to time- time or space (1453, 1789, or 1917,
down. A long-running game centered line shifting – the Patrol turns it over for example), the missions still have
on the Communications Division can to Echo Surveillance Division. This plenty of variety. For more variety
center on multiworld couriers, who division has the unenviable task of still, the players can take the roles of
“ride circuit” through a number of sta- monitoring all potential crisis points a “flying squad” of Echo Surveillance
tions and parallels to pick up messages in the echo’s current affairs for signs of agents spot-checking comfortably
that can’t be sent any other way. This Centrum involvement, or for other remote or stable echoes and solving
provides plenty of setting variety, and changes that might shift the echo out any crises there as rapidly and
each stop no doubt holds its own crisis of place. Depending on the change silently as possible.
that in some way threatens the delivery
of the next message.

Contact

In many ways, Contact Division
has the most difficult, delicate job in
the entire Patrol. Once the Scouts dis-
cover a new timeline, a Contact field
team has to learn its geopolitical, cul-
tural, economic, and technical situa-
tion in as much detail and as little
time as possible. All of this, of course,
while checking for magic, psionics, or
other potentially threatening anom-
alies in the local physics, establishing
some sort of plausible cover for future
Patrol missions, and keeping an eye
out for Centrum or other outtime
troublemakers. If the new timeline is
an echo (which the Patrol can’t always
discern right away, especially with

INFINITY UNLIMITED 15

Intelligence Patrolmen even outside Intel Division, game appeals to everyone. A Records
or someone who can add hair-raising Division NPC makes a useful support-
Intelligence Division monitors complications (or life-saving hints) to ing player, however, always available
every known world (including a few a seemingly conventional mission to feed a clue or plot point to the per-
that aren’t very well known at all) for briefing. The Intelligence mission can plexed I-Cops. On some missions,
any threat to Homeline, Infinity, or turn out to be a red herring, an excuse however (such as those to an unburnt
The Secret. Contrary to the romantic for the real adventure, or one more Library of Alexandria, or hunting an
image of Intel Scouts infiltrating round in a taut game of thrust and eldritch tome through the bibliophile
Reich-5 deployment bases or stealing counterthrust against Centrum’s underground of Merlin-2’s London), a
Centrum coordinate files, most Interworld Service. Records and Research agent PC can
Intelligence work involves combing bring a glittering eye and a head full of
facts to the game.

the records of every other Patrol sec- Records and Research Search and Rescue
tion. Intelligence Division agents have
clearance to see any report from any This Division maintains every bit When a researcher goes missing in
division of Infinity, and through of data recovered or discovered on Tenochtitlán, or a party of skiers gets
UNIC, can request intelligence data every mission, as well as the personnel trapped by raiding Helvetii, Search
from most of the Homeline spy agen- jackets for the Infinity Patrol, dossiers and Rescue Division gets them out.
cies as well. Although Intelligence on anyone ever encountered by the Search and Rescue teams, usually
Division gives lip service to compart- Patrol in any capacity, and the most mounted on special conveyors with
mentalization of information, there complete historical database in the full ambulance and paramedical mod-
are too many crises, too much data, known worlds. Most of this material is ules, remain on call in a number of
too little time, and too few Intel per- fully computerized on molecular stor- Infinity stations around Homeline and
sonnel for that approach to be practi- age media, but Records and Research on major tourist parallels. They can be
cal. Intelligence assigns field agents on is always behind on transfers from scrambled and outbound within 20
“open-eyes” missions (which consist more primitive sources, especially minutes of getting a go-code, although
of visiting a seldom-seen world and those from outtime. Thus, the Stacks most dispatches are triggered by “fail-
looking for trouble) to scare up still (as the Division archives are called) ures to report in on time” or returning
more data, and many Intelligence also hold several million hardcopy parties (or escaping survivors) bearing
Division Scouts visit 10 or 12 worlds books, miles upon miles of film and bad news rather than actual distress
in a single “circuit” looking for pat- recording tape, and a few floors of calls. Many conveyors have a sub-
terns that don’t show up in the on-site unclassified stone tablets, cylinder quantum “black box” drone that
reports. seals, and oil paintings. This division jumps to the closest S&R station on
also handles the administrative duties each quantum in an emergency, but
An Intelligence Division agent can for the Intervention Service; only the this is hit-or-miss at best. Search and
get added to any Patrol mission at the most cynical I-Cops really believe that Rescue has the primary “first
last minute, simply because someone their requests always take two weeks response” task for any conveyor or
wanted more information or thought longer to file than Scout paperwork civilian missing on a “non-threat”
that trouble might be brewing some- ever seems to. Everyone knows that worldline (in general, those not
where. Full Intelligence Division field the best way to get a form approved is classed Z; see Infinity’s World Classes,
teams go on (slightly) more organized to submit it wrapped around a CD- p. 83). They do not mount paramili-
survey, scouting, and investigation ROM, papyrus scroll, or leatherbound tary or police missions – conveyors
missions to various timelines as well. folio that doesn’t already appear in the gone missing on the Reich parallels
Intelligence Division PCs can there- Stacks. draw a response from Special
fore “solo” with a team of Patrolmen Operations, for example. Unfortu-
from other divisions, or make up an With the best will in the world, it nately, the Search and Rescue team
entire adventuring group. An may be difficult to set a campaign sometimes winds up being the first
Intelligence NPC makes an excellent entirely in the musty world of Records Patrolmen to discover that a mostly
“mission director” for a group of and Research, unless a somewhat harmless worldline has suddenly
outré “adventures in the Warehouse” become a deadly threat. Hence,
Search and Rescue agents have to be
able to take care of themselves in all
kinds of situations, while saving lives
and keeping an eye out for the next
disaster.

A Search and Rescue team makes
an excellent PC group for fast-paced
adventures flickering between many
different settings. Search and Rescue
teams have to have a mix of
specialists, ready for anything from

16 INFINITY UNLIMITED

vampire bites to maser burns to flint require on-site human inspection. a Survey team that gets lost or cut off
arrow wounds, moving fast and stay- Survey Division field agents are from Homeline (perhaps because the
ing ahead of the locals – or, worse, trained in camouflage, stealth, and worldline shifted), and has to make its
other dimension-travelers. A single covert surveillance, as well as various way in the new world regardless of
Search and Rescue agent is unlikely to scientific disciplines, rather than procedure would be an excellent PC
join a cross-disciplinary team, unless social interaction skills (those fall group for a medium- or long-term
he has specialized knowledge (of a under Contact Division’s purview). An adventure set in a single worldline.
world, a danger, or a technique) need- ideal Survey mission, from the per- Also, playing the initial Survey team
ed for a mission. However, a tour in spective of many agents, is a long as “guest star PCs” who scope out the
Search and Rescue makes an excellent camping trip in the Appalachians situation first-hand and then turn the
background for a player character spent monitoring radio broadcasts or mission over to the regular heroes has
“medic” in any other division. tapping into computer cables without much more immediacy and reward
meeting a local. Unfortunately, as with going for it than another GM briefing
Survey any other Patrol division, no mission about “what Survey Division has
is ever ideal, and many Survey agents determined.” In mixed groups, Survey
A Survey agent is what the average have to extract themselves from the agents bring useful talents to the table,
Homeliner thinks of when he thinks of clutches of local guards, double-talk and any given mission can add “the
the Scouts. Survey Division plans, their way past suspicious nomads, or first agent to set foot on this world-
organizes, and carries out “first in” personally discover monsters or magic line” to the team.
missions to new worldlines, after as on a seemingly normal worldline.
thorough a robotic reconnaissance as Technical Analysis
possible (see Recon Procedures, Since Survey Division teams are
below). Drones can provide a surpris- expected to stay out of the way of the Technical Analysis Division exists
ing amount of hard data about a new locals, such a team might not seem to help Patrolmen blend in with, rec-
world, but there are always strange like an ideal role for an active player ognize, utilize, and if necessary count-
holes and mysterious quirks that group. Unless something goes wrong – er technologies from other alternates.
Their specific mission is to examine
Recon Procedures and evaluate, and ideally be able to
duplicate, any and every technological
Before Survey Division teams ever enter a worldline, standard proce- artifact from any timeline, from
dure calls for thorough robotic reconnaissance, using multiple drones, sharpened bones to bioscanners. Tech
ideally in multiple locations around the world in question. Odd results at Division works closely with Records
any stage prompt the insertion of more drones at other locations for and Research, and also prints forged
cross-checking and correlation of the data; dangerous results prompt a currency, manufactures inconspicu-
reassessment by the Penetration Service as a whole. ous or fashionable clothing, and cre-
ates “pocket fillers” (keys, small idols,
First, Survey pops a small floating drone into the mid-Atlantic to eating knives, roach clips, etc.) to help
check the atmosphere, radiation, gravity, salinity, plankton count, and Patrolmen blend into any worldline
other major environmental metrics on the parallel. If that survey comes they might have to enter. Although
back successfully (and informatively), a larger drone enters on land to regulations discourage the inclusion
monitor the electromagnetic spectrum for radio, television, or other sig- of “secret agent” devices in costumes
nals, and to sniff the atmosphere and test the soil for pollutants and com- and personal items in case of loss,
plex chemicals. This drone also checks the night sky, and determines the theft, or accidental discovery, Tech
parallel’s local present date from the star patterns. (This usually happens Division loves to add cameras, micro-
in the Chilean Andes, to maximize seeing and minimize witnesses.) From phones, cutting saws, and similar
these reports, Survey Division estimates the world’s TL. “mission enhancers” to anything they
build. They usually tell the agent who
On lines lower than TL7, a high-flying stealthed reconnaissance drone carries the item about such extras.
enters and takes aerial photos for several hundred miles around; where
possible, multiple airphoto missions provide good coverage for key areas Like their kindred spirits in
like the Mediterranean, the Chinese coastline, and eastern North Records and Research, Technical
America. If possible (or vital), Infinity orbits a stealthed satellite or two Analysis Division agents are not ideal
for surveillance and communications. On timelines TL7 or higher, sub- PCs, being quintessential rear-area
marine drones crawl up the shore in busy dockyards (disguised as wreck- personnel. A team of Tech agents
age or flotsam) and attempt to tap into local wireless computer networks, would be hard-pressed to justify many
phone signals, or any other medium they can subtly sift for information. outworld missions, except perhaps to
Any drone sent into a TL5 or higher worldline is equipped with a ther- worlds with a lot of very strange tech-
mite self-destruct system that activates if it is tampered with, if it is intru- nology. However, adding a Technical
sively scanned, or if it misses its recall window. Analysis expert to a given mission is
far easier to justify, whether the world-
line runs on immense analytical
engines, bizarre Tesla devices, or
dwarven steam boilers.

INFINITY UNLIMITED 17

Miracle Workers are probably fewer than 100 five-to-
seven-man squads on the active duty
Miracle Workers, the “do-gooder” nonprofit wing of Infinity, has a list) are outtimers from all walks of
simple enough mission: save and improve lives across the Infinite life.
Worlds. This encompasses famine relief, disaster recovery and repair,
sanitation and health improvements, nutrition and agricultural sup- Some of them, like Skorzeny, are
port, control of plagues, and (in the direst situations) refugee reloca- “résumé recruits” picked based on
tion. Often, Miracle Workers teams show up to keep civilian locals safe their parallel selves’ skills. Some are
(and safely out of the way) in case of a Centrum attack, reality quake, locals who come to the notice of
or other parachronic incident. Although their tents and vehicles usu- Patrolmen in some way, usually
ally display the red cross, caduceus, pelican, or other local “neutral involving meritorious service or aston-
healer” emblem, Miracle Workers personnel (except for those in deep ishing ability. A few are outtimers who
cover) wear the dove-and-raven flash of their organization on their stumble onto ISWAT operations and
clothing or as jewelry. manage to find their way to Homeline,
or to one of the covert financial, mili-
Miracle Workers operations vary depending on the type of worldline tary, or technical facilities ISWAT
where they take place. On some depopulated parallels, where Infinity has maintains across the parallels. To
openly taken over (most Hell parallels, for example), Miracle Workers Skorzeny, such cleverness and drive
also operates openly. (On some mining parallels, Miracle Workers teams far outweighs any possible damage to
are introducing urban sanitation and the germ theory of disease to par- The Secret – anyone smart enough to
allel Sumerian cities.) On many parallels, Miracle Workers is a chartered, find his people is someone to be
licensed not-for-profit agency (just like White Star Trading is a legitimate recruited, not dumped on Coventry to
import-export group) that works under its own name with the local Red waste their skills forever.
Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Knights of St. John, or whomever. On
primitive worlds, they simply claim to be itinerant healers, priests of A solid cadre of ISWAT operatives
healing saints or gods, and so forth. Infinity looks the other way when are Patrolmen, of course – those with
Miracle Workers tries to spread medical techniques to the parallels – a record of toughness, creativity, flexi-
interference with parallels is allowed, as long as it doesn’t threaten The bility, and (most importantly) luck.
Secret. The major controversies involve worlds where the Patrol has Skorzeny is fond of saying “I can train
taken a side in a war or worked to destroy some empire – I-Cops don’t someone to do anything in the world –
appreciate seeing fellow Homeliners working to cure and stabilize the except be unlucky enough to find trou-
people they’re trying to defeat. Miracle Workers staff isn’t allowed onto ble, and lucky enough to survive it.”
echoes at all – the risk of some “humanitarian” intervention changing his- His record speaks for itself; ISWAT
tory is too great. operatives receive training compara-
ble to the most rigorous special ops
Playing a Miracle Workers team is a change from conventional units on Homeline – with the equiva-
Infinite Worlds gaming. Although the PCs would face their share of local lent of a doctorate or two in history or
warlords, outtime interference, and so on, many of the problems would anthropology on top of it. As it hap-
not have human solutions – or any solutions! In most games, the Miracle pens, a number of special ops soldiers,
Workers operation is just a setup that gets the PCs (Miracle Workers or and not a few history professors, also
otherwise) to the worldline just in time to coincidentally stop an entirely find their way to ISWAT’s roster. Patrol
unrelated Centrum scheme. rumor claims that ISWAT has gods,
sorcerers, vampires, aliens, super-
heroes, and angels in its ranks . . . but
that’s just barracks gossip. Probably.

ISWAT GURPS Alternate Earths 2 for fur- Missions and Training
ther details), ISWAT’s Skorzeny com-
Interworld Special Weapons and bines his parallel selves’ genius for ISWAT specializes in operations on
Tactics (ISWAT) doesn’t exist, at least small-unit tactics and leadership with closed worlds, weird parallels, and
officially. Its agents are all on the an astonishing degree of street-fight- pocket multiverses, and routinely per-
books as Patrolmen, assigned to vari- ing political guile in the service of forms high-priority but deniable mis-
ous out-of-the-way parallels, extended individual rights and opportunities. sions that can determine the fate of
training missions, or nebulous head- He has moved mountains to lift entire worlds. Many ISWAT operatives
quarters duties. Its Director isn’t even Infinity restrictions on outtime have magical, psionic, or other means
on the Infinity payroll, which is under- recruitment, at least for his own of traveling between worlds – they
standable – even a casual auditor teams, and they remain fiercely loyal don’t always like to announce them-
would notice a name like “Otto to him and ISWAT as a result. Well selves with a burst of parachronic
Skorzeny.” Recruited from a over half of ISWAT’s operatives (the energy. Some of the crises it faces are
Hapsburg prison camp on Aeolus (see total number is classified, but there urgent and overwhelming: rogue AIs
trying to undermine consensus reality,
amphichronous invasions from anti-
matter universes, kidnappers hijacking

18 INFINITY UNLIMITED

Charon’s boat and holding an entire lengthy and repeated exposures to fas- and goes off to do something else
Earth’s afterlives hostage, and sentient cism from the inside also have the impossibly dangerous off-screen. A
psychoses spreading themselves happy side effect of inspiring ISWAT mission to rescue a trapped (or
through parallel worlds in dreams. recruits into an appreciation for indi- besieged, or otherwise isolated)
Others are just plain strange. In the vidual freedom that they may not have ISWAT operative, however, can feature
intervals between cosmos-threatening had when they left their home parallel. the op as an on-screen NPC, and the
disasters, ISWAT takes on simpler use of his skills can be the “reward”
tasks like overthrowing corrupt This appreciation sometimes the heroes get for defeating the oppo-
empires, stealing or destroying irre- extends, a little too rowdily, into their sition. In a dire emergency, of course,
placeable evil magic artifacts, killing “shore leave.” ISWAT personnel offi- the GM can use ISWAT as a deus ex
immortals, and capturing invulnerable cers try to select cities and timelines
fortresses. When they’re not doing where a week-long melee might machina, dropping in from
that, they’re training. actually improve things the clouds and rescuing
locally – parallel Port the PCs when all looks
Training, where at all possible, Royals or Cripple Creeks, most grim – but ISWAT
happens in the field, on lower-priority for instance – and let an should be on their
“feel-good” missions. Skorzeny has a entire team take their leave way somewhere
particular love of sabotaging, subvert- together. Camaraderie forged else, and leave the
ing, or otherwise hampering Nazi on the battlefield is annealed in real protago-
Germanies everywhere in the continu- the barroom or brothel, and a nists of the
um. A fierce democrat and rugged minimum of harm is done to the story to tie up
individualist, the Director despises his peace-loving citizens of other par- plenty of loose
Nazi “twins” and what he calls their allels for whom ISWAT labors. ends.
“corrupt toadying cynicism,” and even Some teams prefer slightly more ele-
his “Teutonic efficiency” recoils at the vated shore leave policies; in general, Of course, an ISWAT team makes
inhuman waste that Nazi ideology initiative in selecting leave gets an ideal player character group, for
represents. Hence, he prefers “live rewarded. players with a yen for non-stop adven-
fire” training that just happens to take ture with a big splash of strangeness.
place on Reich-2 or any other world ISWAT in the Campaign ISWAT operatives should begin at
where “You five go destroy every vehi- 200-250 points at least; teams of
cle in that Nazi airbase, and kill any- For a conventional Patrol cam- 1,000-point characters are totally
one who tries to stop you” can be a paign, ISWAT should be a mysterious appropriate for ISWAT campaigns.
valid rule of engagement. Political cor- force in the background, always doing The GM should think big when
ruption, social engineering, economic something vital far away. A single designing ISWAT missions – major
manipulation, and any other dirty ISWAT operative can be an excellent historical changes, the fates of
trick Skorzeny or his brain trust can story trigger, but GMs should be care- empires, and immense reality quakes
come up with gets tested to destruc- ful about overshadowing the regular are all in a day’s work for ISWAT.
tion against totalitarian regimes PCs with this glamorous “guest star.” “Nazi turkey shoot” adventures should
across the parallels on training Ideally, the ISWAT op gives the Patrol be vacations for an ISWAT team; thugs
mission after training mission. These team their mission along with compli- with machine guns are trivialities to
ments about why they were chosen, such heroes.

PARACHRONIC LABORATORIES

Parachronic Laboratories, or sumptuously funded by Infinity Reserve Conveyor Fleet’s hangar is
“Paralabs,” serves as Infinity’s in- grants. The main Paralabs facilities there), and the “Wheel” on Turkana, a
house “pure research and develop- are in Geneva, Switzerland (as part of Quantum 6 world where the Earth’s
ment” arm. Paralabs is not related to CERN); Batavia, Illinois (associated magnetic poles are seriously offset
the “Patent Development Department” with the Argonne Labs accelerators); from the geographic ones. Here,
in Infinity Tower, which sifts other and Livermore, California. Paralabs Paralabs has built an accelerator
parallels’ scientific developments and shares its Geneva campus with UNIC, around the magnetic pole (in the Gobi
technologies for future operations, and its Livermore campus with the grassland) and drilled a hole into the
licensing, or theft. It concentrates on U.S. Department of Energy. Paralabs Earth’s mantle for power. The Wheel
the physics of the Infinite Worlds, the also has facilities on other worlds, team is universally considered the
nature of reality and physical law, and which it shares with nobody. The three craziest team in Paralabs; their
the practical mechanics of crossworld best-known are the “Clean Room” on rumored triumphs include artificial
travel. Smother (where it puts really danger- reality temblors, creating a banestorm
ous or mysterious objects and experi- inside a wind tunnel, and briefly alter-
Paralabs has research facilities all ments), the “Farm” on Mammut-1’s ing Turkana’s quantum level – and
over Homeline; almost every top- Madagascar (where Paralabs works number of moons.
flight university physics department on robotic conveyor design; the
has a Paralabs laboratory attached,

INFINITY UNLIMITED 19

THEORY parachronic traveler. And that, with second is much faster, but the “clock”
minor mathematical fillips, is where only started ticking a few million years
In 1957, Dr. Hugh Everett III came the theory remains even now, with ago. This divergence has been true on
up with the Many Worlds Inter- nobody satisfied, and with some radi- all worldlines for approximately 3.5
pretation of quantum mechanics, as a cal theorists proposing that a kind of billion years, roughly (and possibly
way to resolve the paradoxes of the Observer Effect (p. 159) holds for par- randomly) coinciding with the emer-
Privileged Observer and such thought- allel worlds, or that the expectations gence of organic life on Homeline.
experiments as Schrödinger’s Cat. The of the traveler have some effect on his
Privileged Observer (according to the destination. Theoretical paraphysics is split
rival Copenhagen Interpretation) is between two schools, the “gradual-
the observer who causes the quantum The Physics of Infinity ist” and the “catastrophist,” mirror-
wave function to “collapse” into parti- ing the intellectual divisions in the
cles with location and speed and other Precisely how the infinite worlds early history of geology and biology.
characteristics while under observa- vary and interrelate remains a tangle. In the gradualist or “naturalist” view,
tion. Schrödinger’s Cat is inside a box Most of the fundamental physical the alternate worlds were inevitable,
with a vial of deadly poison that will constants remain the same, but some or have always existed, or are a natu-
break when a given atom decays and differ wildly while somehow not ral outgrowth of the Big Bang, which
releases an alpha particle, killing the reducing the universe to quantum fog. emitted all the alternate universes
cat. Since quantum-mechanically, the It’s difficult to make valid crosstime along with all the matter and energy
atom might or might not release a par- theories work, in large part because in Homeline’s universe. Gradualist
ticle at the instant of decay, the cat is physical laws don’t seem to hold con- theory depends on the Many Worlds
famously half-alive and half-dead in stant across the continuum. Not only Interpretation of quantum mechan-
the Copenhagen Interpretation – until are there worlds where magic works, ics, in which quantum uncertainty is
the Privileged Observer opens the box or where the luminiferous ether exists, explained by postulating an infinity
and “collapses” the cat into either the of worlds existing simultaneously at
alive or dead state.
Which World Is Ours?
According to Everett’s interpreta-
tion, every quantum “choice” creates Homeline obviously isn’t “our” present-day world – our world doesn’t
two worlds, two timelines. In one, the have crosstime travel, for one thing. But Infinity has discovered a couple
observer sees a live cat. In the other, of early 21st-century Earths, just a couple of decades behind Homeline,
the observer sees a dead cat. There is which diverged by not inventing parachronics. There are certainly a few
no Privileged Observer, because both more out there. Since these worlds have technology only a few years
outcomes occurred – just not in the away from that of Homeline, the policy is covert observation. If the GM
same universe. Every single decision, wishes, any of these close parallels could be “our world, our time” – or at
every single atomic flow or switch, least one very close to it.
creates another worldline. Initially, the
Many Worlds Interpretation held that there are innumerable subtle varia- every decision point down to the
information (and therefore energy, tions down to the level of individual subatomic level. If this theory is true,
and therefore, matter) could never electrons. Other changes don’t seem to then any seeming irregularities in
pass between worlds. However, string make any real sense, or exist in isola- the continuum must be observation-
theory in the 1960s, and strange exper- tion when they should affect the entire al. What Infinity calls “parallels,” for
imental results showing seemingly system of physical constants. For instance, are merely clusters of his-
instantaneous “dipole communica- example, there are two worlds in torical or paraphysical probability;
tion” in the next decades, made it which the speed of light is measurably echoes are simply parallels with a
seem theoretically possible. greater by some half of a percent, and different charge, and once their
one in which it is less by almost a full proper quantum is fully observed (in
Van Zandt’s discoveries did not percent. faultless Heisenbergian fashion),
actually solve the question. Although they “move” into it.
he discovered many worlds, they The only universal difference is
weren’t of the infinite “one photon dis- that the second is nanofractionally The catastrophist or “chaotic”
placed” variety the orthodox Many slower on all known inhabited world- viewpoint is almost obtusely New-
Worlds Interpretation predicts. lines except three: Homeline, tonian in a way. Something smashed
Instead, they were like “knots” in the Centrum, and Shikaku-Mon. (This into the universe, probably about 3.5
superstring – places where the poten- implies that Shikaku-Mon could, if it billion years ago, and broke it into
tial fog of alternatives “collapses” into discovered the theory, build para- many pieces. The quanta remain
actual worlds. Further, these “knots” chronic projectors; see p. 146. This unstable, and entire physical realms
bunched up into different “energy does nothing for Security Division’s can simply wink out of – or into –
levels” that Van Zandt dubbed the peace of mind.) On Blip (p. 140), the existence. Something (or things)
quantum levels, or quanta.

Thus, parachronics actually man-
aged to combine Everett’s theory with
an empirical Privileged Observer – the

20 INFINITY UNLIMITED

occasionally tears through the contin- are psychic constructs existing in the explain myth parallels and the preva-
uum and disarranges it; even the word traveler’s mind. Belief, hope, and fear lence of “reality clumping” around
“continuum” is a misnomer. Reality drive the formation of the various par- events like the American Civil War,
quakes are an example of this process allels; as more and more Homeliners World War II, and so forth that played
occurring right now. Worlds change learned about parallel worlds, the a major role in the cultural back-
places, spin off alternates in inexplica- worlds encountered went from the ground of the first crosstime explor-
ble fashion, and shift quanta. fairly normal (Earth-Beta) to the ers. Exactly how this might work
Regardless of the “steady state” uni- extremely strange (Ezcalli). The requires further research, but
verse and smooth equations beloved Williams-Khor Hypothesis is one of Williams and Khor suggest that myth
of the naturalists, any Patrolman can the few parachronic theories to parallels and similar phenomena are
tell you that there are more changes, somehow “emergent properties” cre-
more exceptions, and more just plain ated by the intersection of Homeline
weirdness out in the infinite worlds and its echoes and close parallels
than are dreamt of in any philosophy. (which well outnumber the other
Even the laws of physics deform from worldlines). The traveler/observer
world to world; the notion of a unified simply “steps up” into the parallel that
theory, even a quantum-mechanical resonates with (or is congruent with)
one, is simply perverse. his own psychological geometry, in a
kind of “pantheistic solipsism.”
The Williams-Khor
Hypothesis Both Williams and Khor wound up
at the center of massive controversies
In 2019, after the discovery of after proposing their hypothesis. Khor
Sherlock-2, Professors Rena Williams was actually stripped of tenure by the
and Gregory Khor proposed a radical University of California in 2021 after a
explanation for the nature of worldine terrific fight featuring accusations of
formation. According to the Williams- forged research, academic witch-
Khor Hypothesis (called the Super- hunting, and embezzlement of grant
Copenhagen by its detractors), quanta funds. He announced his intention to
construct a “syllogismobile” that
Further Infinities would travel to any world he envi-
sioned from any worldline regardless
All of Infinity’s theories rest on Van Zandt’s original notion of an 8- of quantum level, emigrated to
dimensional superspace containing a single quantum “axis” and many, Lysander (p. 32), and has not been
many worlds. However, this may just be “locally true,” like Newtonian heard from since. Williams managed
physics. The topology of reality quakes (box, p. 75) presumes a 9-dimen- to stave off her inquisitors at
sional matrix, for example; the astral plane of the Cabalists (p. 68) also Cambridge, and has begun to research
somehow exists “outside” conventional 8-space. the nature of magic, which also deals
with altering reality in conformity
Rumors of completely alien travelers encountered during conveyor with the human will. She eagerly
mishaps, the infamous “frog error” (p. B532) that seems to knot 8-space assists with Patrol debriefings of
around on itself, and other weird empirical data such as the Möbius Cabalists wherever possible; unkind
(p. 141) worldline also cast doubt on the “limited infinity” notion. Every academic gossip hints that she has
so often, the parachronic detection antennae at Woomera pick up signals accepted Cabal membership.
and pings from impossibly distant quanta – for four minutes in 2025, the
computers all insisted that conveyors were arriving from Quantum 93!

Although Paralabs physicists have decided that echoes drift into the
accessible band from other quanta, there’s less than no evidence for this
thesis – there are no reports of echoes “passing through” Quanta 5 or 7,
for example. Some radical mathematicians believe that the echoes (and
possibly many high-inertia parallels such as Ezcalli) come from other
worldline axes outside or “perpendicular to” the quantum field as
understood.

Such axes may also intersect the Tree of Futures spoken of by some
precognitives and UFBs (Unidentified Futuristic Beings). This theory
holds that after a certain period, Homeline’s worldline will fracture (or
“blossom,” in the more upbeat reading) into a myriad of interlocking
futures, possibly joined by stargates or hyperspace.

INFINITY UNLIMITED 21

RESEARCH Magic efficiency, or the mechanics of spe-
cific spells. However, later explorers
Psi When the first Scouts returned discovered several worlds in which
with reports of worldlines where spells didn’t work well or at all, but
Unlike most Homeline researchers, magic worked, the evidence was dis- lengthy ritual procedures could pro-
Paralabs scientists never doubted the missed as local legend, or at best as duce subtle but far-reaching super-
existence of psionic powers. They fit misreported psi. Paralabs personnel natural effects. Paralabs generally
the existing string theory math on visited some of these timelines to per- classifies these worlds as having no
“instantaneous communication” too form psionic experimentation, and or low mana, but those researchers
well to rule out, and when other worlds’ accidentally wound up confirming who are prone to sloppy speculation
research began to pay off, Paralabs many of the original Scout reports. and the use of borrowed magical jar-
instantly moved the psi program to the Eventually, with the discovery of gon often speculate that they have
front burner. Although most Homeline enough different “magical” parallels, “radically aspected” mana which
psi phenomena are too weak to study Paralabs boffins and Infinity higher- responds to trained human will in
reliably, much less control, Paralabs ups alike grudgingly agreed that some completely different ways. (One
has adapted some psychotronic tech- “paranormal” faculty outside conven- curiosity is that such worlds often
nology from other worlds to create tional psi existed. have especially extensive infestations
“amplifier chambers” that boost the of conscious immaterial “spirits.”)
psionic signal to readable levels. Studying it, however, is a problem, The only silver lining is that many
and not least because using terms like Cabal members seem to have almost
Paralabs focuses on two main “magic” still raises eyebrows at as much trouble with the concept as
fields of psi research: security and psy- Paralabs. The current theory is a mod- does Paralabs.
choparachronics. Security covers all ified version of the crackpot (at least
types of mind reading, ESP, clairvoy- on Homeline) biochemist Rupert PERSONAL
ance, and anything else that might Sheldrake’s “morphogenetic field” con- EQUIPMENT
reveal The Secret to an outtimer. One cept. Every living thing (even whole
early success of the Paralabs ecologies like rivers or forests) possess- The GM should feel free to provide
researchers was the Tenser Method, a es an inherent, transdimensional ener- Patrol characters with any TL8 gear
subliminal, subvocal, subconscious gy field that interacts with the fields of, imaginable from any GURPS source-
system for masking the user’s and thus influences, similar beings or book. TL9 gear is also available, on an
thoughts. (This is the Mind Block skill objects all over the world. (And possi- experimental basis – primarily surveil-
from p. B210.) Psychotronic devices bly on parallel worlds as well, but the lance, communications, medical gear,
have also proven themselves on sever- theoretical work on that concept is still and body armor. Costs are for TL8
al worlds. In the wake of the Reich-5 in its infancy.) By altering, deforming, Homeline; not all equipment is avail-
breakout, the investigation of psionic damaging, or recharging the morpho- able outside the Patrol.
world-jumping, both innate and genetic field of some person, animal,
assisted, has taken center stage. plant, or place, a trained “morpho- Technically, Paralabs doesn’t pro-
Paralabs is probably farther along the- geneticist” can cause seemingly “unex- vide personal equipment for the Patrol
oretically than Reich-5’s Armanen plainable” phenomena at a distance in – that’s the I-Cops’ Logistics Division,
Order, but lacks the depth of empirical accordance with his intentions. Not all with support from the Scouts’
experience that hands-on surgeries Paralabs technicians in the “Sheldrake Technical Analysis Division. However,
and human experimentation have Section” buy the entire theory (some of some of the equipment design does
given the Nazis. them, very quietly, are beginning to originate in Paralabs computer mod-
believe in demons and spirits and, els, and it has become a Patrol truism
UNIC takes a very intrusive part in well, magic), but it’s the best one they that anything that breaks, or reveals
Paralabs psi studies, demanding can come up with. But since Homeline your position, or interferes with a
access to all labs and equipment, is (as far as anyone at Paralabs can jump, is Paralabs’ fault, so it goes in
maintaining its own archive of determine) a no-mana world, any this section anyhow.
Paralabs experimental data, and Infinity experiments in magic (or mor-
insisting on the maximum possible phogenetics) must occur in the field. All high-tech outtime equipment
oversight. Some of the permanent Unfortunately, no “magical” but contains fingerprint locks keyed to the
undersecretariat within the Crisis unpopulated world has yet been dis- Patrol team (they can be reset in the
Ministry (especially Moira van covered, so field research involves vis- field, but only by a pre-programmed
Deering, the Special Rapporteur for iting some parallel and asking the user). Attempting to open or use such
External Security) are lobbying for kinds of questions that can get careless devices without fingerprint access
UNIC to take over Paralabs’ psionics morphogeneticists burned at the stake. activates a self-destruct charge that
work itself. Until then, the Crisis implodes and slags the device. Patrol
Ministry funds duplicate research, To add to Infinity’s headaches, radios can also send a “slag now” sig-
headhunts promising parapsycholo- further research has made it clear nal to any or all devices; they destroy
gists, and keeps a close eye on that there are significant variations themselves automatically after 48
Paralabs results. It seems that Infinity in the way that magic actually works hours without a “keep alive” signal.
isn’t the only one worried about between various timelines. At first, Some equipment has even more
keeping its secrets secure. these seemed to be limited to stringent security, as noted in the
the extent to which innate human descriptions.
talent could influence spells’ energy

22 INFINITY UNLIMITED

Homeline TL Energy and Power

For game purposes, Homeline is a mature TL8 with a few TL9 Infinity Patrol facilities use stan-
pockets. (This means you can outfit Patrolmen with any TL9 gadget dardized fusion reactors for power
you’d like, but it can break or malfunction as entertainingly as possi- at their permanent facilities. Some
ble.) AIs, for example, remain purely theoretical, although several research stations use quantum
expert research systems exist to harvest, sort, and handle data. nucleonic or other cutting-edge
Homeline’s space program is static, devoted to mining Earth-grazing technologies.
asteroids rather than terraforming Mars or settling orbital space. Cars
are safer, faster, more energy-efficient and better looking than 1998 Power
models, but only their fuel cells (adapted from Lenin-3 models) are
TL9. Fusion power, microtech factories, and genetic therapy are all Sending large power plants with all
TL9 in effect, but a very “safetech” TL9 that hasn’t bled back into the Patrol operations is not a practical use
society at large outside the hospital. Whole-body cloning, artificial of conveyor resources, so agents must
wombs, designer babies, and even wide-scale bionics remain contro- often adapt local resources or rely on
versial and undeveloped. Organ and limb cloning, healing, and gener- smaller “portable” generators.
al medicine and trauma care can be considered TL9.
Fuel Cell: These electrochemical
Weapons are still mature TL8. Laser rifles have yet to reliably out- devices convert hydrogen and oxygen
perform the M-23 assault rifle in testing, balky and experimental bat- into water, producing electricity and
tlesuits are less practical than tanks, and the “smart spaceplane” heat in the process. For practical and
remains on the drawing board thanks to the trillion-dollar cost of safety reasons most use hydrocarbon
building the factories necessary to assemble its components. No or alcohol fuels, converted into hydro-
nation except the United States has the resources to refit an entire gen, in a replaceable cartridge. Fuel
military in the theoretical equipment used on other parallels, and the cell cartridges take three seconds to
United States seems happy to stand pat for now (although rumors of replace. A typical micro fuel cell used
TL9 weapons filter out from American special-forces bases and test- by Patrol agents generates 750 watts
ing grounds). In the basic sciences, with the exception of psionics and of power for 40 minutes before requir-
parachronics, Homeline remains comfortably TL8. ing a new fuel cartridge ($1, 0.25 lbs.).
$75, 1 lb.
Homeline Science
Solar Cells: The Patrol makes exten-
Technological development on Homeline diverged sharply from our sive use of TL9 flexible plastic photo-
own Earth when Van Zandt invented the parachronic transfer in 1998. voltaic cells that can be painted on
How sharp that divergence was, and whether there were any other pre- many surfaces, including clothing and
vious divergences, are unsolved questions. They will have to wait either equipment. Each square foot of cells
until Infinity discovers our world, or until our world reaches 2027. generates about 17 watts of power in
full daylight, but accounting for night-
What even many Homeliners don’t appreciate is the change made in time and weather they usually gener-
basic scientific progress by the accessibility of other timelines. Almost all ate an average of 3 watts. $15 and 0.01
the innovations a Homeliner thinks of as “parachronic spinoffs” – fusion lbs. per square foot.
plants, wrist-top weblinks, the leukemia cure, and even Mango Spredd –
are actually thefts (or, in the best cases, fraudulently obtained licenses) Energy
from other worlds’ scientific establishments. The brilliant cancer and
AIDS researchers of the 1990s, for example, took fat Infinity consulting The Patrol has adopted a commer-
contracts to vet other worlds’ cures, only sporadically attempting to inte- cially available nanocomposite battery
grate decades of parallel researches into Homeline’s own publications technology for most of its equipment
database. Similar effects occurred in almost every science; the sheer as an interim step until Homeline
magnitude of the task discourages many scientists from even trying to industry can begin mass-producing
master whole libraries of new scientific data, especially when other room-temperature superconductor
worlds may not quite have the same quantum setup Homeline does, so loops. To simplify an already onerous
their results may not be reproducible. Finally, why bother working 15 logistical burden, only two classes of
years to perfect a vaccine or algorithm when Infinity could bring it cells are in normal use, and both are
home, already licensed and commercially proven, next week? rechargeable.

Almost all the really innovative thinkers in the sciences, except for a C cell: These batteries are used to
few eccentrics, have followed the money to either parachronic research power most Patrol gear, and a smart
and quantum physics (and related fields like cosmology and paleontol- agent takes several backups “just in
ogy), or psionics research and brain-body biology. Here, at least, case.” $2, 0.1 lb. Stores 90 kJ (25 watt-
Homeline cannot harvest the poisoned honey of other worlds’ hours).
technology, and remains forced to pioneer its own.
D cell: This larger battery is used in
power-hungry electronics and sensors.
$20, 1 lb. Stores 900 kJ (250 watt-
hours).

INFINITY UNLIMITED 23

Communications and devices; failure means all data is projects full-color images directly
Information Gear erased (unrecoverable without super- onto the retina using lasers. The emit-
science technologies) and a tiny ter clips to the frame of any glasses or
All Infinity Patrol electronics have explosive charge destroys the most goggles. Provides the user +1 to
a short-range ultra-wideband micro- advanced computing and memory Piloting, Driving, and other skills that
communicator (100-yard range) for elements. Complexity 7, with 100 TB benefit from fast, hands-free display
passing information between them- of usable data storage. $200, 3 lbs, of information. $50, neg. weight.
selves and fellow Patrolmen. This can D/20W (12 hours).
be disabled if there are concerns about MicroNav: An atomic clock and
signal emissions. Storage Chip: These solid-state inertial navigation system the size of a
information storage devices are keyed small watch. It is built to operate even
Hideout Radio: A short-range to only function when connected to in the absence of global positioning
encrypted radio that fits in a small “approved” palmtops or the primary signals. Provides the benefit of
earpiece, with optional microfine Infinity Patrol systems. A typical Absolute Timing and +2 to Navigation.
antenna wires. A flesh-colored throat- example (about the size of a finger) $100, neg. weight.
mike patch picks up vibrations stores 10 TB and can survive all but
directly from the voice box, so a low the most horrible abuse. $10, 0.1 lb. Parachronic Detector: These devices
murmur or whisper is clearly trans- can detect incoming jumps within
mitted even when around heavy TacNet: This software helps a their range, as per p. B532. Only bare-
machinery, in the middle of combat, Patrolman by intelligently tracking ly man-portable, a detector requires a
etc. One-mile range. Can operate for and displaying his positions, firing separate generator for power. They
250 hours if sending and receiving arcs, blind spots, ammo counts, etc. have a base range of 1,000 yards.
voice and text messages, but sending The program gives a+2 bonus to Every doubling of range beyond that
large amounts of data (video, pro- Tactics if all parties are in communi- is at a cumulative -2 to skill. $560,000,
grams, etc.) significantly reduces bat- cation. Complexity 4. $480. 56 lbs., 560W.
tery life. $50, neg. weight.
Sensors and Parachronic Scanner: A “personal
Linguistic Prompt: The best avail- Recon Equipment chronoscan” has a base range of 100
able natural-language translation soft- yards. $56,000, 6 lbs., 4C/56W (2
ware provides three pre-programmed Most Patrol agents do not have the hours).
spoken languages at Broken proficien- benefit of well-developed surveillance
cy; the Patrol does not possess “uni- infrastructures such as orbital spy Quantum Analyzer: This device can
versal translators.” Complexity 7, satellites or high-altitude unmanned compare the local reality to its data-
$70,000. recon drones in their missions. base and see if there is a match
(used to verify a correct jump).
Mission Databases: Most Patrol Bug Detector: A specialized emis- Requires one day of readings to be col-
agents have an extensive set of data- sions scanner and ladar that can lected and a successful Electronics
bases and expert systems tailored for detect nanobugs, smart dust, and Operation/TL8^ (Sensors) roll. This
their missions. This is sufficient to other monitoring devices. Operation unit also detects major disturbances
allow the use of most IQ-based tech- requires a Quick Contest of in quantum flow (reality quakes,
nological skills (p. B168) that require Electronics Operation/TL8 (Security banestorms, unshielded nexus por-
software to function at full effective- Systems) against the bug’s TL. $500, tals) within 1,000 yards on a roll at -5
ness. For tasks of TL7 or less, the data- 1 lb. to skill. $200,000, 25 lbs., 5D/25W (50
bases provide enough information to hours).
cancel up to 3 points of TL modifiers Chemical Microsensor: A chemical
(p. B512). The historical and linguistic sensor the size of a thick credit card, Sidereal Chronolog: Instrumenta-
databases, geological survey maps, able to identify even trace amounts of tion package that can determine the
etc. programmed for each mission add any known airborne (aerosol or gas) exact local time and date relative to
+5 to relevant skill rolls, with a suc- chemical agents – including many Homeline based on specific astro-
cessful Research roll. Complexity 3. types of drugs and chemical explo- nomical data. The package contains a
$36. sives – without operator intervention central processor and database, plus
beyond removing it from its protective three 8-inch optical telescopes for
Palmtop: A rugged portable com- sleeve. Microsensors issued by clear nights, and 40 square yards of
puter with built-in digital camera, Homeline monitor for dangerous radio-sensitive array fabric (in sec-
voice recognition, pull-out floppy dis- chemical weapons and toxic industri- tions) for cloudy ones. The scopes (or
play screen, and augmented reality al gases. $100, 0.2 lb. the fabric sections) can be laid out in
compatibility. For security it incorpo- any position in line of sight with each
rates a fingerprint biometric scanner Homing Beacon: This small tracer other; only one scope or section needs
and a physical lock to deny unautho- (-11 to spot) can be set to activate to have line of sight with the CPU.
rized access. The computer uses a when it receives a coded signal, or Patrolmen usually spread the fabric
custom architecture to reduce the broadcast continuously. Provides a on rooftops, or better yet hillsides, in
possibility of infection by novel com- signal for one hour that can be picked five or six sections. Either unit
puter viruses or other electronic haz- up by radio emissions scanners up to requires at least one hour of observa-
ards. Opening the casing requires a 10 miles away. $40, neg. weight. tion. $15,000; each scope weighs 25
Traps-6 roll to disable the anti-tamper lbs., the fabric weighs 80 lbs., and the
MiniHUD: This heads-up display CPU weighs 1 lb.

24 INFINITY UNLIMITED

Tools and Supplies available for Counterfeiting, Forgery, Eraser: When outtimers see
Lockpicking, and Traps. $4,000, 10 visitors appear or disappear, or
Although every mission is differ- lbs. witness some use of Homeline
ent, the Patrol has standardized some technology, the preferred solution
equipment that can be easily dis- Crash Kit: A complete kit for treat- is to make them forget. “Eraser” is
guised or is simply too handy to be ing serious injuries with TL9 medi- a sedative and amnesic drug used
without. cine. +2 to First Aid skill and counts as by both Infinity and Centrum. A
improvised gear (-5) for Surgery. $100, recipient who fails a HT-3 roll
All-Purpose Treatment: A broad- 10 lbs. falls unconscious. On awakening,
spectrum series of drugs powerful his short-term memories – every-
enough to take on the toughest dis- Crediline: A psychoactive drug used thing in the last 5d+45 minutes –
eases in any of the hell parallels. for interrogations and other nefarious will be gone. Eraser comes in pill,
However, the last thing that Infinity purposes. The victim must roll HT-3 injection, and gas form. It
wants is even more drug-resistant or suffer Gullibility (9) for (25 - HT) appears to have no untoward side
super-diseases rampaging through its minutes. $240 per dose. LC2 on effects, even in massive overdos-
personnel and multiple timelines, so Homeline, restricted to psychiatric es. Eraser is not for sale on
medical staff attempt to track the professionals. Homeline or Centrum; it is LC2
long-term consequences of their use. on both worlds.
The user gains Resistant to Disease 3 Cufftape: Looks like duct tape, but
for a week. Each pill is $750. actually constructed of a memory Meal-in-a-Box: These ration
polymer that tightens if the prisoner packs come in dozens of variations,
Bandage Spray: A liquid spray-on, struggles. To break free, the prisoner with randomly selected main courses,
breathable, analgesic and antiseptic must win a Quick Contest of ST side dishes, and desserts. The meal
bandage. This reduces the time against the cufftape’s ST 20, or make packages are sealed and have an inte-
required for bandaging (p. B424) to 10 an Escape roll at -6. The first attempt gral heater or cooler as appropriate.
seconds. $15, 0.1 lb. takes one minute; further attempts Popular barter item on primitive
require 10 minutes’ struggle. Failure worlds. $5, 1 lb.
Biomonitor: Placed near the heart, causes 1 point of crushing damage to
this sensor can monitor vital medical each restrained limb. Cufftape has DR Nanofiber Rope: A long ribbon or
parameters such as cardiopulmonary 1; 6 points of cutting or fire damage chain of nanotubes, coated with a pro-
functions, blood-oxygen and nitrogen severs it. A 2’ strip is sufficient to tective polymer sheath. A 3/4” diame-
levels, body temperature, and respira- restrain arms or legs. $10, 0.5 lb. per ter rope supports 2 tons. $30, 2 lbs. per
tion rates. Can transmit medical infor- 100’ spool. 10 yards.
mation over the agent’s hideout radio,
allowing remote Diagnosis rolls with- Diving Gear: Closed-circuit breath- Pneumospray Hypo: Hand-held
out a penalty. $100, neg. weight. ing system, diving jacket and pneumatic-hypodermic instrument,
programmable swim fins. Oxygen is about the size of a penlight. The hypo
Climbing Gear: Three dozen recycled and mixed with inert gases, must be touching the patient to inject
“smart” memory-metal pitons and a allowing three hours of diving inde- its drug. It can penetrate DR 1 or nor-
tough biphase web harness that keeps pendent of depth (decompression is mal clothing. A pneumocharge car-
the wearer upright in the case of a fall. still required). The jacket can provide tridge holds one dose of a drug. $20,
+1 to Climbing skill if used with rope. 50 lbs. of flotation if the emergency 0.06 lbs.
$350, 5 lbs. inflation system is used, and the fins
give the user +2 to Swimming Move. Portable Laboratory: Basic field kits
Cracker Tools: Specialized tool kits $450, 13 lbs. and expert systems for most TL8 sci-
to aid in criminal enterprise. Sets are ence skills. Sets are available for
Biology, Chemistry, Diagnosis,
Forensics, Geology, Metallurgy,
Meteorology, and Pharmacy. $8,000,
10 lbs.

Portacam: Many agents smuggle
personal video systems into their mis-
sion gear. A Homeline pocketcam fits
in the palm of the hand, with a 50¥
digital zoom and a low-light mode
that cancels up to four points of
darkness penalties. Includes a pro-
grammable effects processor for
quick on-the-spot editing (treat as
inadequate tools for complicated
video production), preview screen,
and microphone with human-level
discrimination. Records on digital
media similar to storage chips (p. 24).
$100, 0.25 lbs, C/10W (2.5 hours).

INFINITY UNLIMITED 25

Quick Shelter: A pre-fabricated range) or radio communicator (10- in Homeline, these TL10 bioengi-
shelter system that can be “snapped mile range). Can fly at Move 10 for neered bacteria remove dirt, grime,
together” by four people in about six four hours on a few ounces of fuel. and organic waste products. Useful as
hours. Includes conduits for data $600, 2 lbs. a shampoo or detergent, the Patrol
cables and air conditioning,; simple uses it to clean up biological forensic
instructions are printed right on the Chameleon Suit: This is a bulky evidence such as bloodstains or skin
components. A set with enough com- full-body suit (can be worn over form- flakes. Areas treated with nan-
ponents to build a 30-person shelter, fitting armor) that uses dynamic ocleanser impose a -3 skill penalty on
complete with air conditioning and smart materials and electrochromic any Criminology or Forensic attempts
heating, is $2,000 and 2 tons. metals to adjust its coloration and to locate or analyze such evidence. A
spectral emissions to match the sur- spray bottle can treat up to 100 square
Sobriety Pill: This drug reduces the rounding environment. A chameleon feet. $100, 1 lb.
intoxicating effects of alcohol without systems adds +4 to Stealth skill when
nullifying its more pleasant sensa- perfectly still, or +2 if moving. Psi Shield: A network of charged
tions. The user gains +2 to all HT rolls Effective against normal vision, platinum-iridium wires covering the
related to drinking for (25 - HT)/4 Infravision, and Ultravision (and by scalp that “jams” mind-affecting
hours. Each pill is $10. extension, Hyperspectral Vision). psionics. Add +3 to the wearer’s IQ or
$12,800, 9 lbs., 2C/8W (6 hours). Will when resisting an effect with the
Surgical Instruments: Basic equip- Telepathy modifier (p. B257), or to
ment for TL9 surgery when attempting Disguise Kit: An elaborate set of avoid detection through psionic
to perform standard tasks: stabilizing prosthetic devices, skin tinting chemi- means. It also penalizes any Telepathic
mortal wounds (p. B423) or repairing cals, and hormone sprays for one per- abilities by the wearer, including Mind
lasting crippling injuries (p. B420). son. Many components incorporate Shield, by -3. The shield electronics
$1,250, 15 lbs., 4C/40W (2 hours). microelectromechanical systems that automatically warn the defender
can mimic muscle twitches, realistic (through a beeper or HUD) when a
Spy Gear limps, and other key characteristics. telepath fails to penetrate the shields,
Good quality equipment for the but provides no warning if he suc-
The Logistics Division keeps a Disguise skill (+1 to skill). $200, 10 lbs. ceeds. If built into a helmet or other
large number of surveillance and headgear, any damage that penetrates
counter-surveillance devices on hand, Nanobug: A tiny (-18 to spot) DR breaks the psi circuit and deacti-
ranging from magical amulets to recording device with human-level vates the shield. $3,000, 0.3 lb., 3W.
nanomorphic body stockings. hearing and vision. It can record what
However, Patrolmen usually make do it sees and hears (up to 40 minutes Armor
with conventional equipment, as worth of video) or transmit recorded
exotic devices rely on magical, data using short “burst” transmissions Patrolmen generally equip them-
psychotronic, or superscientific prin- up to a mile away using tiny radio selves with whatever they can con their
ciples that do not always hold true communicator (transmits about a respective logistics specialists into giv-
across the worlds. minute of recorded video every sec- ing them, plus gear they buy on the
ond). The bug can run constantly, be civilian market. Generally, the GM
Buzzbot: A small (-5 to spot) activated remotely, listen for a specific should allow them to carry anything
unmanned helicopter the size of a voice before recording, scan at specif- that would not blow The Secret right
seagull. It has two shrouded counter- ic times of day, or begin recording out of the water or get them shot on
rotating rotors powered by a hydro- when it detects light or motion nearby. sight.
carbon-burning turbine, a cluster of Patrol nanobugs erase themselves and
simple sensors, and one manipulator self-destruct either after 48 hours (if Armor and Uniforms
arm (ST 3). It has a Complexity 5 they do not receive periodic “keep
onboard computer and thermo- alive” signals) or when their batteries Agents rarely have the advantage of
graphic sensors with 4¥ zoom. fail (about 10 hours of recording and wearing the best armor available at
Communicates using a laser (50-mile transmission). $100, neg. weight. their TL.

Nanocleanser: Not widely available

Armor Table Location DR Cost Weight LC Notes

TL Armor torso, groin 50 $1,200 20 lbs. 2 [1, 2]
arms, torso, groin, legs 3 $240 1.6 lbs. 2 [1]
9 Armor Cuirass 12/6 $53 0.89 lbs. 4 [2]
9 Armored Uniform feet 20* $630 4.2 lbs. 4
9 Assault Boots torso, groin 20 $120 4 lbs. 1 [1, 2]
9 Ballistic Vest skull, neck 5 +$72 +0.24 lbs. 4
9 Combat Helmet eyes, face 4* $375 2.5 lbs. 4

+ Visor full suit
9 Mesh Cloth

Notes [2] It has a split DR: it gets full DR vs. piercing and
cutting attacks, but one-third DR (round up) against other
[1] Concealable as or under clothing. damage types.

26 INFINITY UNLIMITED

Armor Cuirass: A heavy set of Standard Issue
torso armor worn in high-threat
environments. Although every mission is different, the following gear can be con-
sidered “standard issue” for Penetration Service agents:
Assault Boots: Armored boots worn
by soldiers. • Leather pack and boots
• Neutral-color dark cloak and cap
Ballistic Vest: Lighter “bulletproof” • Leather waterskin (with microfiltration and decontamination in
vest that can sometimes be disguised
as a bulky jacket. inner surface)
• Firebox (flint and steel, supplemented with safety matches)
Combat Helmet: High-threat head- • Palmlight
gear. Includes attachments for a pull- • 20 yards of manila rope with braided aramid cable inside
down faceplate or optics and integral
bone mike (vibrates the skull to trans- (supports 1 ton)
mit sound). • Steel knife or survival tool
• Compass
Mesh Cloth: Layers of ballistic cloth • Silver ingots, 1 oz.
woven into normal clothes. • TL9 first aid kit in TL4 disguise
• Hideout radio
PROJECTORS • Palmtop with digital camera setting
• Mini-binoculars with night vision setting
A parachronic projector (p. B530) • Nanobugs (keyed to hideout radio and palmtop screen)
requires approximately 50 cubic yards • 10mm pistol and spare magazine
of equipment to project one ton across • 30 ampoules of Eraser and a spray hypo injector
the quanta. The equipment costs $50
million per ton of capacity (although The following items are standard Intervention Service gear, although
Infinity almost certainly pads those the more obvious equipment (rifles and helmets) usually has to be left in
costs), and weighs approximately one the conveyor for emergencies:
ton per ton of capacity. The largest
modern projectors can move up to 300 • Suitable clothing and weapons for the worldline, including
tons at once, and occupy most of a city gloves, lined with ballistic cloth if possible
block. An “average” projector requires
enough hardware to fill a small audito- • Helmet with night vision and zoom optics, disguised as local helmet
rium, and can move two tons. Energy if possible
comes from the public grid, but is no
more than a modern industrial plant • Flashlight
requires; parachronic shipments are • Climbing gear and 50 yards of rope
quite cost-effective, assuming they’re • Survival tool
even reasonably lucrative. • TL9 first aid kit in local disguise
• Hideout radio
Experimental Projectors • M-23 rifle and several spare magazines (grenade launcher if

Paralabs is always working to mission profile allows)
improve, or better yet revolutionize, • 2-4 grenades (gas, smoke, flash-bang, etc.)
parachronic technology. Infinity • Cufftape
understands all too well that • 30 ampoules of Eraser and a spray hypo injector
parachronics is Homeline’s only real
advantage over the other parallels. Services and divisions swap equipment all the time, to the despair of
When The Secret gets out (as it seems Logistics. The GM should allow Patrol characters to carry anything rea-
that it inevitably must), Infinity wants sonable without endangering The Secret unduly. All Homeline high-tech
to be well ahead of the pack. So far, equipment contains self-destruct thermite charges.
none of these methods has worked
well enough to go into production; These improvements may be as little although rumors persist of U.S.
some of them, although disastrous in as a year from implementation, and Defense Department experiments on
themselves, do open up avenues for certain design options may solve the the same technology at Sandia Labs.
further research. problem sooner than that.
The “Snatcher”: This very radical
Long-Distance Projectors: Infinity Wide-Field Projectors: By adjusting reworking of projector technology
suspects (correctly) that Centrum the geometry of the circuits as above, would be designed to detect and cap-
projectors can recall a conveyor at Paralabs also believes that it can drop ture any parachronic emitter entering
range (p. 52). Paralabs believes that conveyors across a wide field rather the quantum. With potentially revolu-
by modifying the circuit geometry of than lining them up at a point. This tionary security implications, Infinity
Infinity projectors, they can both primarily has military applications, is accelerating research on this project.
recall and transmit conveyors at line- and has a lower priority at Paralabs,
of-sight distance (10 miles or so).

INFINITY UNLIMITED 27

Open-Circuit Projectors: Rather The unpleasant part of the math indi- The operator cannot change these
than create the jump field around a cates that unlike a true projector, any settings. This type of conveyor is typ-
conveyor (a closed-circuit device), it worldline with sufficiently advanced ical of those available to most corpo-
should theoretically be possible to cre- parachronic technology (TL9^) would rations, private users, etc. who have
ate an “open-circuit jump field” that theoretically be able to build such a proper licenses. LC2.
simply rotates everything in the field portal.
across a hypercube into another Programmable: The conveyor can
worldline. This technology would CONVEYORS jump to any reality within its range. To
require massive power (to make up for accomplish this, the operator must
the absence of a conveyor power plant) Parachronic Field enter the coordinates into its guidance
and computer control (to modulate the Generator system manually. These units are
energies to avoid frying the passen- much more tightly controlled. LC0.
gers). Although no recall mechanism A conveyor’s generator may have
had yet been designed, Project subquantum, quantum, or two-quan- Jury-Rigged Recharge
Hypercube was promising enough that tum range. No one has yet developed a
Paralabs attempted a manned trial conveyor with greater range. Normally, a fuel cell charges the
translation between the Kerguelen pulsed power system in the conveyor.
Islands of Homeline and Hideaway The generator also has a mass This fuel cell replenishes the energy
about six months ago. It went very capacity: the maximum mass it can banks in the system in about 30 min-
badly wrong (see In the Cube, p. 29), transport. The mass of the conveyor utes – unless something goes wrong.
but opened up two other promising (including the generator) and its pay- Without a working fuel cell, a traveler
research leads, the paraviewer and the load cannot safely exceed this limit. must draw power from local energy
artificial nexus portal. sources. The contacts on the power
The capabilities of the generator system are remarkably robust, and all
Paraviewer: This device would largely determine the cost of the con- Patrol conveyors carry a backup elec-
allow observation of other timelines; it veyor, which is usually very high. This tric motor that can (with an
is essentially a projector that trans- isn’t all for the circuitry – much of the Electrician roll at the lower of TL8 or
mits or receives nothing but light. The cost is licensing fees! the power source TL) be hooked up to
first prototype could transmit only a almost any source of mechanical ener-
single burst – a photograph. Later Subquantum Conveyors: These can gy. An Engineer roll at the proper TL
ones sent many bursts a second, jump between destinations at the (and with the proper specialization)
allowing continuous (albeit silent) same quantum level. Base cost is $10 may be necessary to design and con-
viewing. The operator can adjust the million. Each ton of capacity adds $10 struct the machinery and the power
angle of view and move the point of million and 10 lbs. LC2. transmission system (pulleys, turbines,
view moved by a mile or so. Viewer pistons, etc.) to hook it up to the elec-
connections are fickle and unreliable. Quantum Conveyors: These can tric motor. At TL6 or higher, of course,
Any given viewer link breaks for 1d jump between destinations at the electrical power plants exist already –
hours at irregular intervals – but some same quantum level. With the help of hooking the motor up becomes a
links are better, and some are worse. a projector, they can jump to or from straight Electrician roll at either TL.
Links between worlds in the same adjacent quantum levels as well. Base
quantum are out an average of 9% of cost is $20 million. Each ton of capac- For each ton of conveyor mass, the
the time (when it’s important, roll 3d; ity adds $150 million and 10 lbs. LC1. bank needs 200 kWs of energy. The
on a 6 or less, the link is out). Those motor (a mature TL8 model) operates
between adjacent quanta are out 26% Two-Quantum Conveyors: These at 90% efficiency under most circum-
of the time (i.e., on an 8 or less). Those work like quantum conveyors, but can stances, but the power transmission
between worlds two quanta apart are jump up to two quantum levels with system varies widely. As a rule of
out 62% of the time – on an 11 or less! the aid of a projector. Two-quantum thumb, assume an efficiency equal to
Current paraviewer prototypes cannot jumps are always tricky! Base cost is TL¥5%: a TL1 rope pulley system
see across more than two quanta. $30 million. Each ton of capacity adds would have 5%, a TL2 screw would
Banestorms, reality quakes, and other $300 million and 30 lbs. LC0. have 10%, and so forth. Between the
disruptions can “feed back” into the motor and the transmission, then, for
viewer itself, slagging the components Power System each 100 kW generated by a TL2
and starting fires on Homeline. watermill, 9 kW (10% of 90% of 100
Paraviewers are not standard issue, A jump requires 200 kJ of energy kW) contributes to the charge, the rest
and Infinity only sporadically uses per ton of capacity – delivered in a sin- being waste heat or friction. (At the
them for scouting new worlds. gle pulse. A typical pulsed power sys- GM’s discretion, a critical success on
tem for the field generator costs $50 the Engineer roll can increase efficien-
Artificial Nexus Portals: This tech- and weighs 5 lbs. per kJ. cy to TL¥10%.)
nology remains very dubious, but in
theory it should be possible to open a Control System Typical power outputs for various
stable “quantum tunnel” between pre-electrical power sources (includ-
worlds – an artificial nexus portal, or A conveyor may have one of two ing some atypical ones) are as follows,
world-gate. (Reich-5 science has types of control system: along with the time needed to
developed such a thing! See p. 66.) recharge the energy banks of a 5-ton
Fixed: The conveyor can only conveyor (1,000 kWs, or .28 kWh):
jump between two specific realities,
whose coordinates are hardwired.

28 INFINITY UNLIMITED

Treadmill (TL1): Treader’s ST¥20 W; at TL3 efficiencies, a ST 25 horse-pow- trained oarsmen (and a Rube
a ST 10 treader will take 61.7 hours. A ered treadmill takes 4.1 hours. The 50 Goldberg machine capable of translat-
ST 27 ox will take 10.2 hours. Horses oarsmen of a TL2 penteconter ing angular oar momentum into torque
can turn treadmills efficiently at TL3 (p. B464) produce 6,000 W at a sprint; for the motor) could recharge his
with the invention of the horse-collar; a traveler lucky enough to have 50 energy bank in a little under an hour!

In the Cube

This campaign frame is a quintessential “lost in only 1d minutes (which could be a long time in the mid-
infinity” game. The PCs are the unfortunate lab assis- dle of a battle) and a successful Electronics Operation
tants (“the Wanderers”) flung hither and yon through roll. It takes a critical success, or a kindly GM, to bring
the worlds by Project Hypercube (p. 28). The Infinity the Wanderers home. At Level III, the Team can send
Base Team can see the Wanderers and their immediate up to 200 lbs. of matter to the Wanderers (shoving it
surroundings, and communicate with them (players through the Cube with a long stick) instead of trying to
might even have “backup” Team PCs), giving advice, jump them, with a successful Electronics Operation
research information, and even useful items. But the roll. Failure means the package is lost; critical failure
Team can only shift the Wanderers at random, hoping causes burnout and possibly drags more people into the
against hope to bring them all home alive. past (though at least the package goes too).

All these functions require a “fix” on the Wanderers. After each successful transfer, contact is lost for
Every time a transfer takes place, the fix is lost and 1d+1 hours.
must be reestablished. This requires a Electronics
Operation (Parachronic)/TL9^ roll by the Team. If the The power system is not stable. Critical failures may
roll succeeds, subtract the margin of success from 12; cause a burnout, dropping power to zero. This breaks
the result is the number of hours required to make con- communication and loses the temporal fix. There is
tact (minimum one hour). If the roll fails, another may also a chance, known only to the GM, that a burnout
be made in 12 hours. A critical failure requires an will duplicate the original accident, yanking more
immediate Electronics Repair (Parachronic)/TL9^ roll members of the Team into the quanta to join the
to avoid a burnout (see below). Wanderers!

Once the fix is established, the Team can see the Restoring power to Level I after a burnout takes 12
Wanderers as through a window. They may rotate the hours, plus or minus the result of an Electrical Repair
view, but not leave the characters; essentially, they can- roll. Then the Team must reestablish a fix in the usual
not see anything the Wanderers cannot see. They also fashion.
have two-way voice communications, and can hear
anything the Wanderers can hear. Due to a quirk of The other thing the Team does is look up useful
quantum flow, the Team’s messages come through very information for the Wanderers, as Mission Control
softly: under normal circumstances only the Wanderers (p. 210).
can hear them. This of course requires that the
Wanderers talk to the air when they need information, Campaign Parameters
which could be embarrassing if overheard; they can
also write notes, which the Team can read. Scale: By default, prosaic “survival scale.” Individual
adventures may have any stakes.
If the Wanderers split up, the portal view follows any
of them the Team wishes; to switch from one subgroup Scope: Varies by adventure or campaign; a Quantum
to another requires another Electronics Operation roll. Leap-style game might deal with small groups, while a
A failure requires 1d¥10 minutes before another Time Tunnel-style game might see major crises develop
attempt; critical failure requires an Electronics Repair around the PCs.
roll to avoid burnout. The Hypercube has three power
levels, set by the Team: Boundaries: Anywhere and anywhen. Keeping the
boundaries broad makes up for the narrow scope and
Level I: Fix and communications. Normal setting, prosaic scale.
can be maintained indefinitely.
Paraphysics: Either parallel-worlds or time travel
Level II: Preparation to transfer. It requires six hours with no paradoxes. Two-way voice communication,
to build up from Level I to II; Level II can be main- one-way visual communication; Linearity Principle
tained only for 2d¥5 minutes before dropping back to (p. 156) applies.
Level I. Faster power buildup, or extending the mainte-
nance time, require Engineer (Parachronic)/TL9^ rolls. Characters: 100-point (or lower) lab assistants, free
to interfere but traveling uncontrollably; no magic or
Level III: Transfer. To go from Level II to III, psi; TL variable.
transferring the Wanderers to another timeline, takes
Genre: Varies by adventure or campaign. Cinematic,
Hollywood history, and investigative (in a Quantum
Leap-type game) modes probably fit best.

See Chapter 7 for parameter explanations.

INFINITY UNLIMITED 29

Water wheel (TL2): A simple Conveyor Loadout
Roman vertical wheel produces 1,800
W; recharge would take 1.7 hours. The Although every mission is different, and conveyors have varying
cascade of 16 Roman watermills at cargo capacities, you can count on finding the following equipment in
Barbegal in Gaul produced 30 kW; the back of any Patrol conveyor:
recharge would take 6.2 minutes. The
most powerful watermill complex ever • One M-23 or electrolaser rifle for each Patrolman
built, at Greenock, Scotland in 1841 • One machete, broadsword, or axe for each Patrolman
(TL5), produced 1,500 kW; assuming • Shotgun
25% efficiency for TL5 turbines, it • One psi shield for each Patrolman
could recharge the energy bank in • Camping and climbing gear, including grapnel
about three seconds! • 1,000 yards of rope
• Binoculars with night vision enhancement
Windmill (TL3): A small Persian • Digital camcorder
windmill produces 30 W; it could • Handcuffs
recharge the energy bank in 68.6 • Disguise kit
hours. A TL4 German post windmill • Laptop
produces 6,500 W and recharges the • Sidereal chronolog
bank in 14.2 minutes; a large TL5 • Maps
Dutch windmill produces 12 kW, • Mixed gold and silver coins from many eras littering the floor
which would recharge the bank in 6.2 • Horseshoes
minutes. • Crash kit
• Small searchlight
Steam Engines (TL5): The very first • Grenades (2-4 flash-bang or tear gas per Patrolman)
steam engines, in the 1690s, produced • Tent or tents (enough for crew)
750 W at less than 1% efficiency. • Basic toolkit including bolt-cutters and sledgehammer
Newcomen’s engine in 1712 produced • Extra trail rations and meal packs
3.75 kW, but still wasted 99.3% of that • Jerrycans of water
energy. Watt’s improvements begin- • Bottle of bourbon or brandy
ning in the 1760s averaged 20 kW at • Flares, thermite, and other “sudden heat” devices, including
4% efficiency; such a steam engine
would recharge the bank in about 23 spare self-destruct tabs
minutes. (Watt’s largest steam engine, • Fire extinguisher
in 1800, produced 100 kW!) Once
Corliss invented the regulating valve At the GM’s discretion, a Scrounging roll may turn up small or easily
in 1849, steam efficiency could missed items left over from previous missions or teams.
increase to the 25% of our formula; a
late TL5 locomotive engine at full $400,000 and up per drone ($1.2 mil- failure. If you are the CEO of Infinity,
blast produces 850 kW, which replen- lion for a two-quantum jumper), even or one of the seven Paralabs scientists
ishes the energy bank in 5.2 seconds! Infinity doesn’t want to use too many who built the Alea, you hope those for-
of them! geries hold. The Alea is a conveyor that
And, of course, in an emergency, can make single-quantum hops with-
there’s always the possibility of Quantum Stealth: This technology out a projector. It can go from
spreading out a collection antenna, is intended to mask a parachronic sig- Homeline to a parallel in Quantum 4
tying it to a lightning rod, and waiting nature, allowing covert insertions to and from there to a worldline in
for a convenient thunderstorm . . . evade Centrum’s scarily efficient Quantum 3. Upon arriving at a world,
detectors. So far, the experimental sys- it must remain at rest for 1d days to
Variant Conveyors tems available penalize skill rolls to recalibrate itself from local quantum
detect the conveyor by -2, cost fields. In theory, it could cross the
Drones: Although one-way drone $500,000, and weigh 100 lbs. They “quantum barrier” at Q0, but nobody
jumps from Homeline to the field are also penalize the conveyor operator’s wants to risk the prototype on such
relatively easy, getting the drone back skill by -2, since the “quantum hash” a journey. Based on technology
is another matter. The AI needed to they kick up distorts the conveyor’s “borrowed” from several other time-
adjust quantum settings is finicky, and path as well! lines, with cutting-edge AI and
even for a 100-lb. drone, the parachronic detector systems, its
parachronic generator is 10-30 lbs. Paraconveyor: This experiment design is entirely revolutionary.
and the power system fills another 50 does not exist. If you have a high Hopefully nobody else is even close.
lbs., leaving only 20-40 lbs. for the enough clearance in UNIC or Infinity
drone, its engine (if any), and its sen- to know that it does exist, you can
sors. Although drones are standard read the detailed records of its total
“first look” recon tools (p. 17) where
possible, one in six drones doesn’t
return at all and is forced to slag itself
to avoid exposing The Secret. At

30 INFINITY UNLIMITED

THE UNITED NATIONS
INTERWORLD COUNCIL

If you ask Infinity, it’s a private have almost all the qualified or experi- ALTERNATE
company chartered by the U.N. enced personnel for the job. Infinity OUTCOMES, INC.
Security Council, with “understand- Unlimited also has formal representa-
able, and welcome, levels of interna- tion on the ID board. This actually For those special occasions where
tional government oversight.” If you gives the Commerce Minister some whole worlds need to be changed to fit
ask the U.N. Secretariat, Infinity plausible deniability when ID rejects a UNIC plans, the Council keeps its
Unlimited is “a valued U.N. office in particularly grandiose plan (or obvi- options open in the foggiest possible
the important work of peace and ous looting scheme) proposed by a double-blind deniability. Alternate
development.” Where those two world U.N. member nation or other group. It Outcomes, Incorporated is a merce-
views meet is the United Nations means more work for Infinity Public nary outfit based in Massawa, Eritrea,
Interworld Council, a special body Relations, but that’s why they draw with offices in New York, Budapest,
made up of five Special Repre- the big bonus. Singapore, and Panama City.
sentatives of the five permanent U.N. Although it takes a few of the dwin-
Security Council members: China, For Infinity Development to dling available Homeline jobs – elec-
France, Great Britain, Russia, and the approve a plan, the applicant needs to tion security in Zimbabwe, rooting
United States. The chairmanship of submit environmental, cultural, and out diehard Khmer Rouge from the
the Council rotates among the five population impact statements, securi- Cambodian border – it keeps its mar-
Councilors, but the real power lies ty waivers and regulations, threat ket niche by being the only mercenary
with the two Permanent Ministers of assessments, and business plans. To company licensed by Infinity for out-
UNIC: the Commerce Minister and submit a full plan package with all time operations. In actuality, Alternate
the Crisis Minister. Each is elected by required legal material, computer pro- Outcomes is a secret unit responsible
the Councilors for a staggered seven- files and models, and projections can only to the UNIC Crisis Minister,
year term. Usually, the United States cost millions of dollars. Since bribing tasked to interfere covertly – or, some-
and the United Kingdom vote togeth- the Commerce Ministry also costs mil- times, overtly – in wars on other
er, as do China and France, with lions of dollars, most applicants go the worlds.
Russia as the swing vote. This most legal route.
often results in a Commerce Minister
from an English-speaking country or
strong U.S. ally, and a Crisis Minister
from an Asian or African country
suspicious of the United States.

INFINITY
DEVELOPMENT

The Commerce Minister oversees
Infinity Development (ID), which
establishes economic and commercial
guidelines for trade, mining, coloniza-
tion, or other Homeline activity on
other Earths. When the Patrol opens a
new timeline for commercial exploita-
tion, interested parties must submit
bids for territories (or the whole
world) to ID. Cash is just one consid-
eration; bidders must also show how
they will protect the local environ-
ment and population, keep security,
and so forth. Outtime installations are
always subject to inspection by ID
bureaucrats, I-Cops, or both. Officially
under UNIC direction, Infinity
Development is almost entirely
Infinity-staffed; to begin with, they

INFINITY UNLIMITED 31

Crosstime Colonies

In legal theory, Infinity Unlimited holds all parallel intractable refugee populations unwanted by, or unable
worlds “in trust for the human race.” This high-mind- to return to, their homelands. Established as a stopgap
ed language means that when Infinity Development measure in 1999, its population has grown to over four
declares a world open to Homeline settlement, UNIC million in the last 30 years. Rumors of corruption, mis-
determines who settles there, and under what charter. treatment, and senseless squalor occasionally filter
Major crossworld colonies (all on Quantum 5 Earths) back to Homeline, but nobody ever seems interested
include: enough to intervene.

Communité: This experimental colony, sponsored Tebuguo: What Sanctuary accomplishes by neglect,
by the French government, proclaims itself a truly this parallel accomplishes by policy. China has char-
communist society, and has dedicated itself to using tered two entire Earths for “surplus populations.” One
the utmost in technical progress to create a classless of them, Dai Zhongguo, is a thriving colony with a pop-
utopia. Its 40,000 people are currently divided into two ulation just over two million. Tebuguo, however, is an
mutually hostile camps on either side of the Loire exile parallel, to which the Chinese government is
River. forcibly moving its entire Tibetan population, as well as
a number of dissidents and other minorities. Although
Bhuvarlok: Occupying the southeastern third of the the Chinese government restricts all access to Tebuguo,
Asian continent, Bhuvarlok is officially a territorial rumors leak out that it has offered other dictatorships
province of the Republic of India on Homeline. The “dumping rights” there for their own troublesome
Indian government encourages emigration to minorities.
Bhuvarlok with cash bonuses; its population is in the
hundreds of thousands and growing rapidly. Tecumseh: Located on the same Earth as
Bhuvarlok, Tecumseh is sponsored by the U.S.
Lysander: A libertarian utopia sponsored by a few Bureau of Indian Affairs, and occupies the North
eccentric American and British billionaires and char- American continent on that world. Only U.S. and
tered by both governments jointly, its population is Canadian citizens of provable American Indian
roughly 45,000 (although it loudly refuses to conduct a descent may travel to Tecumseh, but they may do so
census) scattered along the California coastline. A slow absolutely free of charge. So far, only a few thousand
trickle of writers, artists, and designers moves there people have settled there permanently, though
each year for the tax advantages, gradually eroding tourism to “the Big Rez” is quite popular.
Lysander’s ideological purity.
Uhuru: Established as a Black Nationalist colony by
New Colorado: This entire Earth is open to settle- African-American radicals, and initially sponsored by
ment by American citizens. It is theoretically adminis- the U.S. government, Uhuru allows anyone of “Black
tered from the territorial capital in Denver, but its African” descent, who can afford the conveyor trip, to
150,000 residents (who can vote in the elections of their settle there. Uhuru has two main population centers,
home state by absentee ballot) generally ignore the 25,000 in Ghana and 90,000 along the northern coast
local government or move farther away. New Colorado of the Gulf of Mexico. Uhuru’s Council of Chiefs
is the Earth most thoroughly exploited by mining com- declared the colony independent of the United States in
panies, and many of its settlements have quite a Wild a vote in 2016; Congress ratified the decision and
West boomtown feeling. abjured formal American sponsorship of the timeline.
Uhuru is a member state of the U.N., and the only one
Sanctuary: The U.N. High Commissioner for entirely based on an alternate Earth.
Refugees administers this Earth, using it to house

The Battalion squads make up each platoon. A orbital parachuting. Only Colonel
squad nominally has six men – four Singh, and probably Lieutenant
Its troopers never refer to them- privates, a corporal and a sergeant. Colonel Stafford, his executive officer,
selves as “Alternate Outcomes” – that’s This is flexible; some squads, at least know how many have magical or
marketing talk for civilians. They’re temporarily, have as many as nine psionic talents as well as their more
“the Battalion,” no other identifier men, or as few as four or five. obvious martial skills.
necessary. Colonel Singh commands Generally each squad has one
479 men and women (according to the attached specialist such as a sniper, an Missions and
T.O.), organized in nine regular com- engineer or heavy weapons expert, or Rules of Engagement
panies, each led by a captain. Under a scout. Many troopers are TL8
each captain are four platoons, each Homeliners, but a surprising number Missions can range from a single
led by a master sergeant. (There are are recruited from battlefields across squad to the whole Battalion, dis-
no lieutenants in the Battalion, which the alternate Earths, with skills rang- patched in one of the Alternative
most enlisted men agree is the single ing from Cro-Magnon axe-throwing to Outcomes conveyors. (Through UNIC
best thing about the outfit.) Two machinations, these trips never show

32 INFINITY UNLIMITED

up in conveyor use reports to Infinity.) There are no lieutenants in the Battalion,
The conveyors are fully modular, and which most enlisted men agree is the single best
can be inserted into any number of thing about the outfit.
“skins” from a sod hut to a C-135
cargo plane, depending on the mission (c) Use period equipment, plus escape by any means possible –
requirements. However, the unit sel- sonic stunners disguised as ordinary including giving his parole and break-
dom has anything in the way of air period weapons, and don’t kill any- ing it – in order to make pickup.
cover or vehicle support, unless they body – but stun anyone who witnesses Mission plans always include
steal it themselves at the destination – your arrival or otherwise detects an emergency rendezvous points.
the risk of getting a conveyor blown anachronism, and inject them with a
out of the sky or hulled by a land mine 24-hour knockout drug and Eraser Objectives
is too great. (p. 25).
Mission briefings emphasize spe-
The Colonel selects the teams. Leave No Man Behind cific objectives. Sometimes the
Some missions are harder than oth- instructions are very specific indeed:
ers, of course, and green troops get When the mission is finished, it’s “Kidnap Nobunaga and bring him
easy assignments – or careful supervi- not finished. The unit makes ren- back for pickup here by 0800 local
sion – until the Colonel is sure of dezvous at their stashed conveyor – time,” or “Enter the Wehrmacht head-
them. Some troopers retain loyalty, or emphasis on “the unit.” No survivor is quarters between 1900 and 2300
at least a feeling of fondness, for their ever left behind on an alternate world Wednesday, recover all the contents of
old nation or old unit. Any soldier in unless urgent military necessity the safe, and make pickup ASAP,” or
the outfit can turn down a mission demands it. This can mean prisoner even “Proceed immediately to coordi-
assignment that he’s not comfortable rescues, battlefield searches, and long nate Theta and join the Brazilian
with. The Colonel only rarely orders a stretcher hauls. (It can also mean eth- troops rendezvousing there; when you
trooper to go against a parallel of his ical decisions about shooting badly see two green flares, use your laser
original nation, at least within a cen- wounded comrades, but that’s a mat- weapons to kill everyone not in the
tury of his own time. Usually, when ter for the GM and players to work out Battalion, and bug out when you’re
this happens, it’s a relatively nonvio- among themselves.) If troops are gen- done.” This last job doesn’t make an
lent mission, such as a theft or a uinely MIA (missing in action), it’s up especially challenging adventure, but
prison break. to the ranking officer to decide when there are missions like that. There are
to give up and call for a pickup. a lot more that seem like turkey shoots
Briefings are as full and complete Leaving MIA behind is not good for until something goes wrong, which it
as the Colonel can make them – UNIC your chances of promotion, or for always does.
makes sure he has access to regular your reputation among your fellow
military intelligence on the worldlines troops. The Colonel’s very next mis- Very often the goal is simply “make
from the Patrol and any other recent sion is always “Go back there and get sure that side X wins this battle,” with
visitors. Of course, the fog of war is our guys,” and the unfortunate officer the team given considerable freedom
even foggier on parallel Earths. had better come back with them or die of action in making that happen. The
Briefings also provide the rules of trying. Dead soldiers may be aban- best way to tip the scales might be a
engagement for an operation, which doned and security maintained with a quick skirmish at a key point, or the
vary widely depending on UNIC’s thermite grenade or genetic liquefier, assassination of a commander (or a
competing needs for certainty, speed, but the troopers frown on it. messenger), or a precisely timed raid
subtlety, or power. Some typical sets of on a strongpoint. Note that the players
rules might be: As a general rule, the Battalion don’t have to be military geniuses to
doesn’t take prisoners, unless that’s a enjoy this. The GM should require
(a) Wear uniforms appropriate to specific mission objective. When mas- them to make the best plan they can,
the timeline; use weapons of the time- querading as local troops, of course, complete with maps and contingency
line; do nothing to reveal yourself as they follow local policy. That can be plans. But the leader’s Strategy or
intruders, and remove anyone who pretty brutal if they’re impersonating Tactics roll, made by the GM, deter-
witnesses an anachronistic act. (Using the Comanche, but it comes with the mines how good the leader’s plan real-
anachronistic tactics is a gray area in territory. Troopers are also expected ly is. The GM then adjusts the roll
such cases, but the Colonel usually not to be taken prisoner, because that from -3 to +3 based on the excellence
doesn’t enforce historically accurate means they miss pickup. A trooper of the players’ plan.
idiocy on troopers impersonating, say, taken by the enemy is expected to
French knights at Agincourt.)

(b) Wear whatever you want, carry
any weapon or other device up to TL9
black technology, and don’t worry
about witnesses. This always makes
the veterans nervous, because it
means the job is so urgent and dan-
gerous that everything has to be sacri-
ficed to overwhelming success.

INFINITY UNLIMITED 33

Limitations “Eternity’s Rangers”

The Battalion often uses advanced Alternate Outcomes can serve as the basis for an independent cam-
equipment – far more advanced than paign frame. Rather than UNIC and Homeline, mysterious Recruiters
that of its foes – and they often know (Aliens? Future men? Transhumans?) deploy the Battalion for their own
exactly who and what they are facing. unguessable purposes. The Battalion, “Eternity’s Rangers,” is stationed
This doesn’t mean that their adven- at “Port Shanghai,” a wooded stretch of what might be Sicily in what
tures are simple turkey shoots, where might be the year 3800 A.D., if the night sky is anything to go by.
PCs with automatic weapons mow
down Roman legionaries just for the Port Shanghai can regrow Rangers’ limbs and organs (“if you’re
heck of it. There are several other breathing and make pickup, you won’t be on sick call tomorrow”), pro-
points to keep the squad thinking in vide instant language training (although the Recruiters are stingy with
the field: that for some reason), and send the Rangers elsewhen to fight. The
Rangers enter a large empty hangar, a golden glow fills the room, and
Numbers: No matter how many they arrive at the drop zone. When the highest-ranking surviving Ranger
shots you can fire compared to your (but only him) bites down on his jaw implant, the golden glow comes
enemy, he still only has to hit once to back and brings every Ranger (and any prisoners in physical contact)
bring you down. Even in a “small” bat- back to Port Shanghai. Sometimes, the Rangers go on Leave – which is
tle, the local forces vastly outnumber usually hard on the locals chosen, as the rules of engagement are the
the troopers. While the burst from an same as any other mission: “Make pickup.” Port Royal in 1690 is popu-
M-60 would indeed startle lar, as are fourth-century Rome, 1950s Las Vegas, and Renaissance Italy.
Renaissance troops, and perhaps even
put the fear of magic into them, a For a professional soldier, the Rangers are a dream unit. Military dis-
determined or panicky charge could cipline and military honors; clear, simple orders; tough missions but not
still bring the gunner down. A brief impossible ones; good troops and good officers. Travel to strange places,
jam, or a fumble while changing mag- meet interesting people, and kill them. If you make pickup, you’ll be
azines, could be fatal. Should a PC for- healed to fight another day. It’s Valhalla with automatic weapons.
get that the local “primitives” outnum-
ber him by potentially millions to one, As a result, the Rangers have high morale, and don’t worry too much
the GM should deliver a painful about their mysterious employers. They don’t really fight for the
reminder. Recruiters; they fight for their Regiment.

Allies: Sometimes it’s possible to This is a frame for those who want to run commando adventures
get effective assistance from the army with historical (or parahistorical) backgrounds, but not worry about
the Battalion is supposedly helping. accuracy. The Rangers can be given any equipment the GM wishes, with-
Sometimes the rules of engagement out fear of upsetting the balance of the past – there isn’t any such bal-
make that impossible. But even under ance. Or perhaps there is – whatever the Rangers do to change history is
the best of conditions, dealing with undone by other time travelers or the “blind forces of history.” The point
local allies requires a little finesse. is not to worry about it; the Rangers don’t.
Men in the middle of a battle tend not
to be interested in crazy ideas, unless Campaign Parameters

Scale: Usually prosaic “foxhole” level; not knowing the true stakes
adds to the frisson and intended “world-weary soldier” feel.

Scope: Individual battles and missions.
Boundaries: Anywhere and anywhen. Keeping the boundaries broad
makes up for the narrow scope and prosaic scale.
Paraphysics: Either parallel-worlds or time travel with no paradoxes.
Limited forward communication (recall signals) and Linearity Principle
(p. 156) apply.
Characters: 200- to 250-point Rangers from any historical or alternate
era under military discipline. Magic or psi are rare; standard kit is TL8+.
Genre: Technothriller war stories; other modes can vary but likely
center near gritty action.
See Chapter 7 for parameter explanations.

they’re desperate, and sometimes not they have to rely on persuasiveness,
even then. It may be necessary for intimidation, good example and an
troopers to conceal their weapons, occasional discreet fragging.
their knowledge of the battle, and even
their objective, until the last moment. Pickup: And, again: The team hasn’t
If the rules of engagement specify done its job until it makes rendezvous
“don’t reveal yourselves as outsiders,” for pickup. Sometimes that’s the
biggest challenge of all.

34 INFINITY UNLIMITED

CORPORATE STRUCTURE

In the 30 years since Van Zandt’s include two U.S. senators and the tends to aim upper management’s
revelation, the sheer scope of its president of Stanford University), and political shenanigans outward,
work has ballooned Infinity’s payroll leave their day-to-day board duties to toward their theoretical overseers on
into hundreds of thousands of deputies and assistants. What this the board and at UNIC. Partisan
employees, despite a firm policy of means, specifically, is that Infinity empire-builders are rare – or get sent
outsourcing everything possible. upper management is free to go about off to build actual empires on a
This rapid growth has so far not tan- its day-to-day job while its theoretical parallel world for the benefit of the
gled the Table of Organization too overseers pad their résumés and pock- company! The fact that Van Zandt
badly. In most respects except size, etbooks and interfere only when a spe- hand-picked Carter and many of his
Infinity resembles a loose, early 21st- cific emergency or political agenda subordinates also helps unify senior
century multinational; if anything, (which is to say, the GM’s story line) managers around their chief.
its corporate structure seems more demands it.
transparent than those of its peers. Beneath senior management, the
Upper Management ranks of vice presidents fill top slots
CEO and Board in Infinity’s “conventional” depart-
Below the CEO are the other sen- ments. Accounting, sales and market-
Tadeshi Z. Carter is only the second ior officers such as the Chief ing, public relations, legal, personnel
CEO of Infinity, after Van Zandt Information Officer, Chief Financial and payroll, information systems,
retired a decade ago. Like most corpo- Officer, and so forth. In theory, like and so forth each have their own lit-
rate executives, he is answerable to the the CEO, they serve at the pleasure of tle fiefdom in the Infinity Tower’s 154
board of directors. Infinity’s board is the board; in reality, they are usually stories (Infinity headquarters occu-
half elected shareholder representa- picked by the CEO from within the pies the tallest building in Chicago,
tives – mostly American, European, company or from top corporations though not the world) or in the vari-
and Japanese business executives and around the world. In some compa- ous Infinity “corporate branch
white-shoe lawyers from other banks nies, these senior officers represent offices” in smaller skyscrapers in
and corporations – and half political factions within the corporation that London, Paris, Shanghai, and St.
appointees chosen by UNIC. Like the the CEO needs to placate or visibly Petersburg. These branches run like
shareholder representatives, many of support for internal political their equivalents in major corpora-
these appointees hold other jobs (the reasons. The strongly elitist, almost tions anywhere, although with a
U.S. representatives on the board tribal, corporate culture of Infinity much bigger budget and at least
some attempts made at “best
practices” management.

Corporate Security Cash Flow

The only major difference between Infinity and a “regular” mega- Infinity owns, and has the right to
corp like BP or Daewoo is the much more stringent security screening police, all parachronic equipment.
and testing procedure Infinity employees undergo. Infinity is painful- When others build such equipment,
ly aware that even a back-office drone in the accounting department they do so by permission. Any use of
can uncover a lot of secrets about (or even sabotage) outtime opera- projectors is under Infinity’s direct
tions. Nobody, least of all Infinity upper management, believes that supervision, and requires stiff licens-
screening keeps out every government spook (not all of them from our ing fees. Infinity has the power to
world!), corporate spy, would-be thief, or fixated monkeywrencher. confiscate or destroy any unautho-
But the damage such infiltrators cause can be – must be – kept to a rized conveyor or projector. In prac-
minimum by any means necessary. tice, this right is limited when the
device is in the hands of major
Office-based campaigns centering on Infinity Unlimited can chase powers operating on Homeline.
such spies through the warren of corporate politics and accounting Nonetheless, simply licensing
double-blinds – or task a group of player characters with spoofing parachronics, specialized cartage
Infinity security and “liberating” a parachronic conveyor (or a few bil- and travel services, and charging for
lion dollars) for their own ends. Infinity’s Corporate Security jump programs (from $500 for a pre-
Department is heavy-handed, but grimly efficient, in either scenario, plotted jump from a commercial,
even if the protagonists are CorpSec investigators themselves. No zeroed I-Port to $20 million for a
doubt CorpSec PCs are “dangerous mavericks who just don’t play by customized all-conditions departure
the book.” Infinity’s Corporate Security Department should not be program from specified coordinates)
confused with its rivals, the Security Division of the Infinity Patrol makes Infinity quite a lot of money.
(p. 13). Patents and spinoffs from Paralabs
research further fatten the bottom
line.

INFINITY UNLIMITED 35

The fortunes Infinity makes from Infinite Darkness
outtime technologies dwarf even that
hefty sum. Deuterium-fusion plants, Of course, nothing says that Infinity has to be the good guys. If power
room-temperature superconductors, corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, infinite power breeds
energy-efficient seawater desaliniza- infinite corruption. With all that money flowing through the ultimate
tion, hybrid pest-proof grains, cures “offshore” account, someone’s going to get greedy – and start killing to
for some cancers, and many other cover up his secret. With the potential to remake society to the whim of
minor technological miracles trawled outside sociologists immune to any bad effects (but wielding unstop-
from high-tech parallel worlds are pable technology), Infinity can create inhuman tyrannies accidentally –
only some of the higher earners. or on purpose. Rather than expose and overthrow their own creations,
Where possible, Infinity legally licens- they might sweep the victims under the rug and leave them to rot in
es outtime technology through a obscurity. Simple paternalistic neglect, even by a “good” Infinity Council,
dummy corporation. If outtime condi- can abet or create misery, starvation, and cruelty on unheard-of scales
tions prevent such actions (if licensing rivaling the Irish famines or the U.N.-backed suppression of Biafra.
would endanger The Secret, or if the
patent is held by an odious totalitarian Infinity can be a mysterious force in a conventional single-world
government), Infinity steals the tech- campaign, where the PCs don’t even know parachronic travel is possible.
nology and reverse-engineers it on Who shuts down the heroes’ schemes? Who kidnaps their patrons or
Homeline. In many nations, Infinity is steals their secrets? Who supplies their foes with advanced weaponry?
required to pay royalties to the inven- As a shadowy villain, Infinity can lurk in the background of a campaign,
tor’s (or corporation’s) Homeline advancing its own agenda without any concern for this world’s justice or
“twin” or his heirs. A Trenton food this world’s defenders.
chemist was startled to discover that
on Gallatin her parallel self had acci- Infinity can be the enemy, or at least the Other Side, in a multi-world
dentally created the most popular campaign using a different set of protagonists. A PC party of “swagmen”
snack spread in history, but delighted (p. 71) fighting for the freedom of all worlds to interact on a basis of
when the first million-dollar check equality would see even a “good” Infinity as the bureaucratic hand of
arrived. Similar rulings apply to art, legal repression. Recasting Centrum as an altruistic, evangelizing meri-
literature, and other cultural goods tocracy (such as “Centrum Light” on p. 56) might present even the
imported from other worlds and sold default Infinity as selfish, paranoid meddlers, and such a Centrum Light
on Homeline by Infinity or its licen- would even more sternly oppose a corrupt or incompetent “Infinity
sors. For example, Infinity is strictly Dark.” Infinity could similarly meddle in the affairs of another worthy
enjoined from simply pirating Francis crosstime organization.
Ford Coppola’s The Empire Strikes
Back, even though it’s not available on Finally, of course, Infinity can be the bad guys in an all-Infinity cam-
DVD yet on any Earth. Still, it’s a drop paign focusing on the massive potential for corruption, exploitation, and
in the bucket compared to the vast downright evil available to Infinity upper management. The PCs might
sums that such imports have earned be idealistic heroes, recruited to the Patrol to help chart the worldlines
for Infinity. or kill alternate Hitlers, who gradually discover the true nature of their
employer. Such a “hall of mirrors” campaign would combine the tricky
But it doesn’t stop there. Through turnabouts of a classic espionage story and the investigative thrills of a
UNIC and Infinity Development police procedural, on the infinite canvas of crossworld adventure. Do the
(p. 31), Infinity takes a share of all the Patrolmen defect to another, possibly equally dangerous, side in the
resources extracted from low-tech and struggle? Do they join an underground, working to subvert Infinity and
uninhabited Earths. Oceans of crude destroy it? Or do they rise in Infinity’s ranks, helping where they can and
oil pumped from parallel Texases, taking out the worst elements when they won’t get caught, hoping to
mountains of chromium mined from restore the dream of infinite possibilities that they swore to protect?
Africas where mankind never evolved,
acres of coffee harvested from The sheer amount of stuff a company
Jamaicas that have never known air can reap from even one empty Earth easily
pollution or pesticide runoff – even reaches the trillions of dollars.
given the bottlenecks of crossworld
shipping, the sheer amount of stuff a
company can reap from even one
empty Earth easily reaches the trillions
of dollars. Infinite worlds means infi-
nite wealth. Trade, tourism, and
research add yet more markets to the
balance sheet, although Infinity can
afford to take a stern line on Homeline
interactions with parallel societies
above the hunter-gatherer stage.

36 INFINITY UNLIMITED

OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS

Although technically separate CONSOLIDATED reaction from the U.N.’s African
from Infinity Unlimited, most of the MINES, UNLTD. members, Infinity offered him a hefty
major companies doing parachronic separation package and the presiden-
business turn out to have overlapping This is either the greatest idea cy of his own firm instead. Rhodes
boards of directors, substantial stock Infinity ever had, or the worst. The accepted with (perhaps feigned)
holdings, and even murkier financial constant problems with operating regret, and CMU became an inde-
strings tying them back to Van Zandt mines on the various parallels are pendent company with a convoluted
and his organization. Infinity finds it security and staff. How do you run a profit-sharing system in place.
hard to really let go of anything, and TL8 mining camp in the fourth centu- (Infinity has sole options and rights to
officially independent corporations ry B.C. Transvaal without attracting CMU’s mining and development tech-
provide useful deniability and “off undue attention? And how do you niques and consulting, as well.) Only
the books” resources. However, this make any money off the mines, if you in recent years has it dawned on
remote control also lets some of have to pay three crews of Homeliners Infinity upper management that they
Infinity’s “corporate partners” devel- TL8 salaries plus benefits and over- turned Cecil Rhodes loose on infinite
op their own agendas away from the time and hazard pay and outtime duty Africas with parachronic technology
prying eyes of the Patrol. bonuses and . . . ? Robotics can only and no close supervision – and contin-
solve so many staffing problems, and ue to pay him handsomely for the
CLIODYNE it makes security even worse. privilege.
RESEARCH
GROUP The answer came by serendipity: in TIME TOURS,
2019, a Scout team exploring Rustic LTD.
This select firm, based in an ele- (p. 141) via nexus portal wound up
gant Danish Modern campus in involved in a prison break from a The largest and most prestigious of
Orange County, California, began as Hessian concentration camp in South the crosstime tourist companies, Time
Infinity’s in-house historical consult- Africa. Among the escapees was that Tours, Limited (TTL) is big business;
ing team. The staff of historians, soci- worldline’s Cecil Rhodes, interned for Disney, Viacom, and other major
ologists, and communications theo- illegal mining activity on Hessian entertainment conglomerates come
rists developed marketing strategies claims. The Patrolmen brought him sniffing around for mergers every cou-
for White Star with an eye toward back with them, and rather than drop ple of years. Time Tours also runs
“minimum interference” in other him in Coventry, Infinity offered him a flourishing sidelines in costume
Earths. Gradually, the group brought job running outtime mining opera- design and location scouting (and sur-
cutting-edge memetics, population tions. (Nobody involved will discuss reptitious second-unit filming) for
and game theories, and macroeco- whose idea this was; it’s not impossi- movie studios, manor worlds (p. 85)
nomics into their analysis (along with ble that Rhodes came up with it and time-share and resorts, and colorful,
experts in all those fields). As sold his erstwhile jailers on it during “infotaining” docu-dramas (This Is . . .
crosstime travel expanded, other cor- his debriefing.) Rhodes brought his 1492!) for people who can’t afford the
porations needed the kinds of “cliody- substantial low-tech mining experi- trips. But the bottom line is the tourist
namic” (the word combines Clio, the ence and intimate knowledge of South experience. Infinity, of course, piles
Greek Muse of History, with dynam- Africa to bear; within a year, he had restrictions on Time Tours in the
ics, the study of motion and change) opened nine mines on nine parallels echoes, but trips to alternate worlds
analysis that only Infinity’s team could for less than one percent of their rated are where the big bucks are anyway.
provide. Infinity spun off the group cost, and with only a 50% loss in pro- The past, for better or worse, is a spe-
into a separate business for murky duction for low-tech methods. Rhodes cialty interest; the market for The Way
corporate reasons some time ago, but proved a fast study, rapidly developing Things Should Have Been is limitless.
Cliodyne clearly considers Infinity its methods of integrating covert high-
premier client. The Patrol has begun tech mining into low-tech frame-
developing its own in-house team for works, as well as rotating teams of
cliodynamics, recruiting from former foremen and straw bosses who could
psychological warfare experts and drop into the high veldt with five tons
intelligence analysts. of standard gear and have a platinum
mine in operation within two months.
In the corporate world, Cliodyne’s
major rivals are GeTS (Geschichte- Rhodes also brought his natural
TechnikStiftung), a German consor- gift for empire-building to bear;
tium of academic researchers, and Consolidated Mines, Unlimited soon
Tombak & Chang, a Singapore-based became a major Infinity division,
international marketing firm with a and Rhodes began to make noises
strong crosstime presence. about running for the Infinity corpo-
rate board. Panicked at the potential

INFINITY UNLIMITED 37

Scheduling and Fees Johnson Crosstime
Incorporated
Time Tours doesn’t accept reserva-
tions too far in advance, and charges The biggest of Time Tours’ competitors, Johnson Crosstime began as
what the market will bear. After all, another tourist outfit. Its founder, Alex A. Johnson, soon realized that he
even in the infinite worlds, there are could never compete with TTL in the tourist business, and decided to go
only so many times that Lincoln will into the resort business instead. One of his tour scouts found a likely
deliver the Gettysburg Address, or timeline in Rome-2, still cheerfully decadent and clearly “Roman” but
Bugsy Siegel will dedicate the with better food and less resin in the wine. Johnson amassed venture
Flamingo, or Star Wars will premiere capital, bought gold on a downswing in the market, and moved to Rome-
in the theater (starring Dirk 2 on an extremely poorly worded “business license” from Infinity. By the
Benedict!). Time Tours can’t re-run time the Patrol came around again, Johnson was procurator of
popular events, after all; they have to Pannonia and Numidia, and had bribed every member of the Roman
build demand for Renaissance trips bureaucracy, introduced fluoride toothpaste and telegraphs, and single-
during the 10 years the Medicis will handedly driven off a Pecheneg invasion.
rule a parallel Florence (and they have
been accused of committing the odd Realizing the situation was already unsalvageable, the Patrol let
knifing to keep the Medicis in power Johnson go ahead and salvage it. Infinity confirmed his title to his Rome-
long enough to sell all the tickets). 2 property (in exchange for a “supervisory share” of stock in Johnson
There are always more customers Crosstime), helped stabilize the inflation spiral he had unwittingly
than available slots; Infinity views the caused with his Homeline gold, and signed a lucrative conveyor leasing
tourist trade as a necessary evil, and agreement with him. Johnson opened “Johnson’s Rome” for business in
isn’t always generous with the travel 2016, and has drawn tens of thousands of tourists every year since.
permissions it grants Time Tours and Industry gossip whispers that Johnson has been increasingly absent
the other tour companies. Time Tours from his offices on Homeline and Rome-2 for the last two years – could
does have a “personal leisure consul- he have another timeline under development?
tancy” for very rich clients looking for
privacy and history, and caters to serious gripe can usually be bought to the guide. In general, a tourist who
almost any request, where possible – off – often by an extra-special extend- seems stable and competent is allowed
for the right customer. ed trip to one of the more sybaritic such a weapon if the world is one
timelines. where it might really be necessary for
If the cost of a tour ever matters self-defense, and not otherwise. And
in the specific campaign, the GM is But during a trip, the Guides have still, a few guides get stunned from
free to set it as he likes – even a short total authority. Time Tours will fire a behind every year, for reasons ranging
tour has a price in four figures. In a Guide for a total foul-up, and (in pub- from spiteful whim to international
continuing campaign, the PCs are lic) back them to the hilt on anything espionage.
likely to be Time Tours employees, less. Part of the Time Tours mystique
rather than tourists. In a one-shot is the supposed super-competence of Gadgets and gewgaws “for trade
adventure, they might be tourists, the Guides. “Do what you have to, and with the natives” are permitted, but
but Homeline wealth doesn’t really let Customer Relations sort it out” is they must be native-authentic and
matter in a one-shot. the motto. bought from TTL’s own supplies (at a
slight markup). A tourist can buy all
Rules and Regulations What Can We Take the cowrie shells he wants before visit-
On a Time Tour? ing 17th-century Tahiti, but he can’t
All Time Tours clients sign a very take a cigarette lighter to impress the
strict waiver before the trip. TTL does Anything you want, as long as it’s natives!
not guarantee to bring them back, let not obviously alien to the timeline
alone bring them back alive, and is not being visited. Time Tours does a big The rules are looser for a trip in
responsible for their health, sanity, or business in disguised cameras of all which no interaction with the natives
enjoyment of the trip. sorts, for instance. is expected. Time Tours does a regular
(and very expensive) business in trips
Time Tours also reserves the right Weapons regulations depend on to actual echoes, to observe historical
to do absolutely anything required in the trip. Hunting parties go loaded for battles of the 16th through 19th cen-
order to prevent “cultural contamina- dinosaur. Tourists in historical paral- turies. But all these observations are
tion” (i.e., telling The Secret) or to cor- lels can carry whatever weapons are made from a few thousand feet up, in
rect contamination once it has appropriate for their costumes. (If the stealthy sky-blue dirigibles. (If one of
occurred . . . up to and including a guide doesn’t trust them with those dirigibles ever goes down, an
complete abort of the trip. weapons, they don’t carry them – or immense troubleshooting mission will
they don’t come on the trip.) Disguised be needed!)
With that out of the way, note that stunners may be permitted; this is up
Time Tours bends over backward to
make sure that a trip goes well.
Satisfied customers are the best
advertisement; unsatisfied customers
are Bad Publicity. Someone who has a

38 INFINITY UNLIMITED

What Can We Time Tours in
Bring Back? the Time Campaign

Unless the trip is to a historical The GM of a time-traveling campaign may be tempted to include a
echo (and ordinary tourist trips aren’t, time-tour adventure. Go ahead . . . but if you’re playing with real
unless the echo becomes an anchor), history, Time Tours requires special attention to the mechanics of time
a little discreet collection of memen- travel. Ordinary tour agencies take their clients to popular places, but at
tos is perfectly all right. The Guides different times. TTL is offering a visit to an interesting moment in time.
do not permit outright thuggery, Sooner or later all those little groups of temporal visitors, plus the mul-
because it attracts attention and gives tiple copies of their guides, are going to add up, and perhaps outnumber
Time Tours a bad name on Homeline. the natives.
But tourists are given the opportunity
to buy native money at the beginning There are several ways to cope with this:
of their trip (at a healthy discount),
and they can spend it as they want. Ignore it. Tour groups just don’t run into each other, unless the GM
The I-Cops run an official “customs wants to do something interesting with the encounter. This lends itself
check” when each tour returns, but best to a comedy game – imagine two groups of tourists in the market-
unless the outtime world is known to place at Alexandria, haggling over the same souvenir, while their guides
contain some specific danger, it’s try to decide whether to intervene or sneak away for a drink.
mostly a formality.
Ignore it, but make some excuses. The tour groups are small, the world
However, any souvenir that could (and the past) is big, and TTL Mission Control makes elaborate plans for
be mistaken for a “real” Homeline traffic control. Not many people can crowd into the No. 10 Saloon in
antique, fossil, etc., is supposed to be Deadwood for the shooting of Wild Bill Hickok without attracting atten-
photographed for reference and tion; a dozen little groups, moving carefully, could probably hide out
marked in an inconspicuous way. around Gettysburg; the Normandy invasion might swallow hundreds.
These precautions don’t make later This is stretching the point, but gamers are used to that.
fraud, or scientific confusion, entirely
impossible – but at least it’s an The point can stretch farther if Time Tours Ltd. sends its clients to
attempt. general eras rather than specific important dates. Elizabethan London
or 1920s Chicago can no doubt absorb as many Time Tourists as the
Time Tours Company can send, meeting only when it’s dramatically useful. The
in the Campaign guides would be instructed to keep the tourists away from important
moments their presence might upset; naturally, it’s not possible to pre-
Played seriously, the dramatic con- dict what all those moments might be, and the tourists (who would prob-
flicts are going to be of the unplanned ably not be aware of the Not Too Much Excitement policy) might have
variety: the tour group stumbles to be kept away from trouble rather firmly.
across (or inadvertently creates) a sit-
uation not described on the website. Provide a mechanical solution. New Timelines (p. 156) works well
The party gets scattered, and must be here, since the main action involves running around in the historical
rounded up or rescued before going period, not changing it. In a comedy game, this works almost too well,
home; the big lizards prove to be not since the intruders may safely make any sorts of crazy changes they
such easy targets after all; a careless wish, up to and including a Marx Brothers bring-the-house-down finale
word or action threatens to reveal The (A Night at the Fall of Rome?). This may, of course, be exactly what the
Secret and the guides have to fix campaign needs.
things; there turns out to be a
crosstime war going on that the Light Brigade to get a good snapshot the historical figures are boobs being
Company doesn’t know about, or for the folks back home. These are prompted or bribed by the Guides,
maybe just a bit of industrial sabotage likely NPCs, though a player with a and any crosstime marauders look
from a competitor. talent for comedy can have a field and talk scary but couldn’t conquer a
day. The conveyors never work right, prairie dog village.
In such straight adventures, the
tourists should be at least normally
competent characters (with some dis-
advantages not usually found among
heroes, such as Cowardice); they may
even all be player characters.

Time Tours can also be played for
laughs. In this version, the tourists
are Innocents (or maybe Idiots)
Abroad: bumblers who can’t manage
the clothes or the language, but will
walk right into the Charge of the

INFINITY UNLIMITED 39

Our Corporate Rivals Star corporate higher-ups in Boston
do. Imposing any kind of “corporate
Yugorovsky Group: This Russian mining conglomerate has a reputa- culture” across such a system is worse
tion for being unscrupulous and deadly, and tied into both the Russian than useless, but White Star head-
Mafiya and the Russian government. Reports filter back of low-level quarters enforces some standards.
proxy wars between Yugorovsky and CMU on some primitive worlds. White Star merchants are expected to
The Russian councilor on UNIC protects the Group from full reprisals or give value for value, follow all local
formal Infinity sanction. laws (with a minimum of bribery),
and support good causes in their local
KMP Petroleum: Founded in a series of desperate mergers after the community. Beyond that, White Star
fusion economy cratered Homeline’s oil industry, KMP concentrates its follows general trade practices, hopes
efforts on filling the insatiable demand for oil on less-developed paral- for the best, and counts its mounting
lels. Their standard practice is to buy a “tapped out” field on such a profits.
worldline and ship oil from other timelines into it in conveyor tankers –
or build a pipeline through a nexus portal, if they are lucky enough to General Trade Practices
find one in an oil patch somewhere. They also practice mature TL8
petroleum engineering (and social engineering with recalcitrant sheikhs) White Star’s trade with other time-
to genuinely open fields closed to TL6-7 exploration. The Patrol worries lines, whether open or covert, tends to
that KMP’s wildcat, cowboy habits will endanger The Secret – and that follow broadly similar guidelines bro-
KMP has far too cozy a relationship to the CIA. ken down by the world’s degree of
technical, economic, and financial
Denarius Capital Holdings: Infinity initially founded this brokerage development. Wherever possible, the
group to keep the economy of Johnson’s Rome from collapsing under local operations of crossworld traders
outtime stresses by subtly introducing liquidity reforms. Denarius’ such as White Star double as purely
managers somehow wound up in control of the entire Roman gold local, profitable business operations
reserve, bought out their contract, and relocated their corporate head- with a share of the profits earmarked
quarters to Lysander. (They retain a Palau incorporation for Homeline to support the Infinity Patrol and
tax purposes.) Denarius Capital now runs large-scale financial and mar- other overhead. Given the distressing
ket operations on many, many worlds. (Denarius also gives rather gen- amount of smuggling carried on
erously to some Miracle Workers operations.) On some parallels, it through White Star outlets (perhaps
causes accidental runaway busts and booms – on others, it may cause as a consequence of the Infinity rake-
them on purpose. off), this section also addresses such
informal arrangements.
Duncorne Foundation: This secretive but influential academic foun-
dation funds archaeological and historical research on a wide variety of Uncivilized (TL0): Because bulk
parallels, especially those showing evidence of reality quakes or the resources come from uninhabited
supernatural. Its grants focus on the medieval period and earlier, with a worlds, White Star trades with these
strong emphasis on religion, history, and legendry. The Duncorne parallels mainly for curios. In some
Collections in New Haven and Oxford will always handsomely reward worlds, White Star exchanges low-
the copying, transcribing, and (according to rumor) theft of rare and lost tech bulk trinkets (e.g., gold from
books (of any era) from other worlds. It may also be a major player in uninhabited worlds, high-quality but
the gray market in crossworld art and antiquities smuggling – many local-TL weapons and tools, etc.) for
major museums and universities find Duncorne’s connections quite unskilled labor for the mass produc-
helpful in making that one crucial acquisition. tion of goods too high above the local
TL to be comprehensible. However,
WHITE STAR White Star offices only transship a few this practice is not widespread, as
TRADING hundred pounds of rarities; for exam- White Star is uncertain whether it is
ple, a carton of DVDs from Gallatin, or entirely safe or ethical, and it makes
White Star is the original crosstime a breeding pair of Tasmanian tigers. the Patrol jittery about endangering
import-export company – and still the Others ship hundreds of tons of cocoa The Secret. Smugglers often make use
largest. Van Zandt financed most of or chromium daily, loading the cargo of these worlds as bases and sources
his original development by trading onto barges that go out of sight of land of slave labor.
with a single parallel. Its offices now and then jump between worlds. All of
span hundreds of Earths ranging from them have the “sign of the White Star” Civilized, Pre-Scientific (TL1-4): In
mud-brick caravanserais in Attila’s somewhere in the corporate logo, or these worlds, traders often utilize a
Iran, to faultlessly legitimate venture hanging on a painted sign out front, as triangular trading method, exchang-
capital firms in Reich-2 America, to a suits their environment. ing gold and resources from uninhab-
movie studio in Campbell making a ited worlds for works of art and for
slowly increasing fortune by remaking Not even Infinity knows what labor-intensive or specialized agricul-
Homeline fantasy movies. Some small every branch of White Star is up to; tural products such as Falernian wine
it’s possible that not even the White or Incan blue potatoes. Smugglers
have been known to buy or steal

40 INFINITY UNLIMITED

duplicates of valuable Homeline art- The Alternate Best Sellers List
works. (One enterprising smuggler
bought several Raphael works for a The House of the Worm, by H.P. Lovecraft
case of child’s pastels.) One large spe- Target: Tokyo! A History of the Invasion, by Robert A. Heinlein, Adm.,
cialty market on these worlds is
books: hand-copied scrolls of USN (Ret.)
Aristophanes’ lost plays, or Mayan Campaigns of Alexander, by Ptolemy
codices burnt in Homeline’s inquisito- Hardraada in Vinland, by Snorri Sturlasson
rial bonfires, command substantial The Hauntings of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
sums from Homeline collectors and Summa Astrologia, by Isaac Newton
academics alike. Sanditon, by Jane Austen
Cuban Southpaw: My Life in the American League, by Fidel “Red”
Civilized, Scientific (TL5-8): The I-
Cops consider such worlds potentially Castro
dangerous should they get The Secret. Fear and Loathing in Tycho Crater, by Hunter S. Thompson
Permitted trade includes introducing The Gospel According to Peter
moderate technological improve- Hornblower at the Crisis, by C.S. Forester
ments and literary ideas, or exchang- The Complete Mystery of Edwin Drood, by Charles Dickens
ing small quantities of portable wealth
(e.g., gems or gold) for artworks and licensed to travel to them, White Star laws with similar care. If magic works,
curios. “Parallel works” are particular- uses every available method in these for instance, even a low-technology
ly prized: Shakespeare’s Historie of worlds to discover the principles upon world becomes a potential danger.
Robert the Bruce, Edmund Burke’s which these worlds’ higher technology GMs have to decide if items from such
Reflections on the American Uprising, is based, in order to patent and utilize worlds continue to function else-
and so forth. Homeline publishers it on Homeline. However, it is ham- where; if enchantments continue to
especially like the classics, because pered by the fact that these worlds function in non-magical worlds, it’s
they don’t have to pay royalties on usually have sophisticated identifica- hard to imagine any sanctions which
them (although Infinity usually holds tion and surveillance technologies, so keep smugglers out. Psis endanger
the copyright). Some worlds actually that a small misstep might imperil both The Secret and smugglers; every-
produce consumer goods that The Secret. Smuggling technology one avoids worlds with globally avail-
Homeline values, such as the stylish and artifacts from these worlds can able psionics. Worlds with supers pose
men’s fedoras available on Gernsback. carry lucrative rewards, but also similar problems; smugglers have
brings danger from both the alter- enough trouble dodging ordinary
Advanced, Scientific (TL9+): The nate’s local authorities and the Patrol. police without having to deal with
Infinity Patrol watches, most carefully, grim avengers of the night.
all worlds with science advanced Para-Scientific (any TL): Infinity
enough to reproduce parachronics, treats worlds with variant physical
and a single unauthorized incursion is
punishable by Coventry. If it is even

THE PUBLIC SECTOR

THE UNITED entire world to administer. It seldom does not proclaim the other Earths the
NATIONS works any better than the UNHCR’s property of Infinity, Homeline, or even
Sanctuary colony (p. 32). of mankind.
Outside UNIC, the U.N. has no
more control over crosstime opera- The Interworld Treaty 2. Infinity Unlimited receives a U.N.
tions than any other group, and less charter, and formal supranational sta-
than some. This irritates agencies like What ties the U.N.’s hands is, iron- tus: This article also sets up UNIC as
UNESCO, UNICEF, and so forth, who ically, the very document that seem- Infinity’s official governing agency,
throw up political obstacles for UNIC, ingly granted it sovereignty over the and restructures Infinity’s board to
and thus contribute further to their infinite worlds, the Interworld Treaty. add multinational control. In practice,
own marginalization. Infinity refuses The main articles of the Treaty (and this removes Infinity from any nation-
to take sides in such disputes, essen- their actual effects) are as follows: al jurisdiction or oversight, allowing it
tially passing the buck back to UNIC. to focus its bribery, pressure, or insti-
(The main exception is Miracle 1. Parallel Earths should be explored tutional capture on just UNIC instead
Workers’ close relationship with the for the good of mankind: In practice, of many different agencies.
World Health Organization.) Every so this lets Infinity Development reject
often, a U.N. agency gets a lead role in any proposed crosstime venture that 3. All parachronic technology
some crosstime development, or an doesn’t “improve conditions on remains the property of Infinity: This
Homeline and the parallel.” The treaty allows the Patrol to enter and inspect
any parachronic facility in the world.

INFINITY UNLIMITED 41

4. An Infinity (or UNIC) license is national government if it doesn’t wish Ranger Force Tau overthrew that
required for all parachronic travel: This something tracked. Patrol officials world’s Algerian government before it
is honored in the breach; Infinity assume that all five powers have one could deploy its nuclear missiles,
grants licenses for year-long terms (or or more completely “off-the-books” sending the entire Middle East on two
longer) to favored clients, prime sub- conveyors buried somewhere in the worlds into a year of turmoil.
sidiaries, and Security Council veto maze of records, transfers, and subli-
powers. It does, however, give Infinity censes that is the UNIC bureaucracy. The Russian Federation
legal recourse to sue national govern- Worse yet, sufficiently wealthy or
ments in the World Court if they skilled nations can build (and almost Russia concentrates its outtime
misuse the license to, say, conquer certainly have built) their own operations on two fronts: mining,
another world. parachronic equipment. and propping up the various off-
world Russias against their foes. As
5. Infinity must bear all costs of The United States one of the five permanent members
parachronic research and crosstime of the Security Council, Russia gets
security: This cleverly drafted article America is by far the leading one-fifth of the mining permits doled
makes Infinity entirely independent of nation in parachronic exploration and out by Infinity Development. Unlike
any Homeline control; it pays for its exploitation, both public and private. other nations, which either auction
own army, technology, and security With Infinity corporate headquarters them off or use them as diplomatic
rather than depending on national in Chicago, and a large base of experi- chips when bargaining with other
governments. This article also forms enced crosstime workers, American countries, the Russians simply take
the basis for Infinity’s claim on patents companies and government agencies the maximum allowed mining
derived from other Earths’ technology. can easily staff most “civilian” projects license and turn it over to a domestic
Japanese and American companies either with or without Infinity. With mining company such as the
have both challenged it successfully in the world’s largest economy and fore- Yugorovsky Group. Thus, even in the
some cases, and Infinity now pays most university system, America can cheap-mineral Homeline made pos-
generous license fees to keep the issue afford plenty of crosstime travel, and sible by crosstime exploration,
from coming up. has plenty of ideas for it. The CIA, FBI, Russia is able to manipulate spot
and even some state law-enforcement prices and keep its position as a lead-
Of the U.N.’s 197 members, all but agencies have standing crosstime task ing mineral exporter intact.
10 have ratified the Interworld Treaty. forces; the FBI keeps officers on duty
The holdouts are Afghanistan, Burma, on Johnson’s Rome and other popular Offworld operations usually
Iran, Iraq, Israel (which refuses to sur- parallels, and there is a U.S. Marshal’s involve Spetsnaz strikes on Nazi
render the right to crosstime opera- office on New Colorado. (or Kaiserene, or Bonapartist, or
tion in self-defense), Malawi, North Swedish) rear areas, logistics, and
Korea, Palau (a popular incorporation Although official policies vary
site for companies that want to dodge depending on the administration in communications centers. Such a live-
Infinity regulations), Palestine (which power, every President since Clinton fire “partisans from nowhere” exercise
refuses to sign until Israel does), and has sent U.S. forces into action on on another worldline is now a stan-
Turkmenistan. Venezuela threatens to other timelines, usually to protect dard part of Spetsnaz training, despite
“de-ratify” the treaty every so often to American citizens in danger. The most Infinity’s strong objections. (Evading
protest “Infinity neo-colonialism,” and controversial such exercise was the Patrol has, itself, become a stan-
one or two right-wing U.S. senators President McConnell’s pre-emptive dard part of such exercises.) A tacit
campaign to get the treaty junked as involvement on Gallatin in 2022. understanding with the Communist
“infringing American sovereignty.” Party opposition prevents the Kremlin
U.N. non-member Taiwan has signed
an “Agreement of Understanding”
with Infinity Unlimited, basically rec-
ognizing Infinity’s jurisdiction over
crosstime travel and development.

NATIONAL
GOVERNMENTS

One significant downside of UNIC
oversight of Infinity is that all five per-
manent Security Council powers can
theoretically “license” any amount of
Infinity’s parachronic technology to
themselves. Infinity tries to keep a
handle on the equipment, or at least
its location and licensing body, but it’s
very difficult to monitor an entire

42 INFINITY UNLIMITED

from using such strikes to intervene in companies like Universal Exports and to contribute personnel to crosstime
purely Russian civil wars on other Hari & Boyle can find markets and ventures; the Elysée Palace practice of
worlds, however. Although popular sources where even White Star plowing the profits into its crosstime
novels fill other timelines with SVR Trading fails. network of bribes and influence-
and GRU agents, Russia does relative- peddling somehow stays out of the
ly little pure espionage (aside from France coverage in Le Monde. The Légion
massive technology theft) on other d’Outretemps has racked up more
parallels. Although Britain is still part of the crosstime interventions (usually to
EU, it does not take any great role in overthrow some minor African or
The United Kingdom the ECCCP (European Common South American government) than
Cross-Chronal Project), which is dom- any other unit except the Spetsnaz. An
British crosstime travel is mostly inated by French planners. Germany attempt by the Légion to overthrow
academic. Infinity lavishly funds usually follows the French lead, but the government of South Carolina on
Oxford, Cambridge, and many smaller digs in its heels when France gets too Britannica-1 almost led to outright
universities’ history departments to carried away with la mission civila- conflict between French and U.S.
the extent that American history grad- trice. The official policy of the French special forces.
uate students have a better chance of government is that the timelines are
crosstime research at British universi- the common property of all mankind, China
ties than they do their own! (Perhaps and that Infinity has no particular
coincidentally, there is rather less aca- rights or control over their access, China, by contrast, appears to be
demic criticism of Infinity in Britain, which is exclusively a UNIC matter. a model of crosstime respectability.
and the British delegates can be The Patrol strongly suspects that the Its 3rd Special Warfare Group exists
counted on as strong supporters of the French government is trying to satelli- mostly on paper, having launched
Patrol.) However, Britain punches tize offworld governments (usually of only minor raids onto Reich-5 before
above its weight in crosstime military France, but not always) and build a the closing of that worldline in 2022.
and economic interventions. The kind of crossworld super-France capa- It leases much of its outtime
Special Conveyor Service is probably ble of independent action in any exploitation rights to other compa-
the most efficient crosstime special sphere without American or Infinity nies, especially Korean, Filipino, and
ops force, with a special mastery of “in involvement. France makes a great Thai firms, taking only reasonable
and out” attacks involving parachron- show of inviting other countries, both kickbacks and royalties. It alternate-
ic attacks on Homeline targets. British within Europe and in the Third World, ly blocks and cooperates with
American policy crosstime, but aside
Israel and the from its two colony worlds and con-
Alternity Exodus sular staff on popular Chinese tourist
parallels, has little outtime presence.
It is an open secret that Israel refuses to accept Infinity’s rules about This, of course, has the more para-
outtime immigration. Although the Israeli census ministry returns bland noid staff officers at the Pentagon
assurances to UNIC questioners, the standing policy of the Israeli gov- and the Pile certain that China is
ernment is to offer sanctuary on Homeline to any Jews threatened with planning some “Great Leap
death anywhere in the Infinite Worlds. Although they do leave echoes Outward” that will drastically
alone, Mossad shows little compunction about operations on any other rearrange the global (and crosstime)
parallel. Following a full Mossad reconnaissance, Sayeret Geburah balance of power.
troops drop into the parallel, kill any guards, and remove the Jewish
prisoners to Homeline. These operations run from small-scale rescues of Non-Veto Nations
prominent physicists or engineers, to “train robberies” hijacking a
deportation shipment, to full-blown liberations of whole concentration Of the non-veto nations, India and
camps or gulags. The largest such operation was the Kolyar Raid in Japan have the most active crosstime
2014, which seized control of a Silesian town on Cornwallis for six days, programs. India’s program closely
and removed 25,000 Jewish and Gypsy prisoners from a Prussian camp, resembles the American one, with
resettling them all in Homeline’s Israel and West Bank. (for more on substantial academic, corporate, and
Cornwallis, see GURPS Alternate Earths 2). intelligence operations crosstime.
India’s “White Cats” train with the
Arab governments complain that Israel is “artificially Judaizing” the SCS for “in and out” operations
region with “outtime illegals.” Since this accurately summarizes Israeli against Kashmiri and Tamil rebels
government policy, the Israelis simply issue bland denials and get on and terrorists. India’s “Bollywood”
with rescuing more victims. Domestic opinion in America is firmly movie studios also film on exotic out-
behind the “Alternity Exodus,” and the United States regularly vetoes time locations, and (according to
any U.N. condemnation of such rescues. rumor) recruit younger versions of
popular movie stars from close paral-
lels to replace stars who get too old or
too independent-minded.

INFINITY UNLIMITED 43

Japan’s crosstime operations are advocating such violent regime will he be Christ as well? Or does the
more like British ones, although the change, but some factions are begin- Church’s evangelizing mission call
IDF has only a token outtime capabil- ning to question whether “pacifism of upon it to teach those worldlines
ity. Japanese companies very success- the word” is enough. about Homeline’s Christ? Did
fully trade with parallel Japans, and Homeline’s Jesus die for the sins of all
are among the leading Homeline firms Greenpeace the Earths? The Curia has been work-
in incorporating their crosstime ver- ing on definitive answers to all of the
sions’ best practices and technologies. This environmental organization above questions since 1998, and
The result is that they can wind up indefatigably opposes crosstime min- Vatican speculation is that the next
patenting a superior version of some- ing operations, even on empty Earths, Pope will have to call a general church
thing Infinity stole a year ago and rap- as “ecological rapes of unsuspecting council on the topic.
idly take the lead in global market worlds.” Some members of Green-
share. peace go so far as to chain themselves In the interim, Jesuits and other
to projector doors, disrupt surveys, scholarly orders have contributed
NON- and sabotage mining equipment (usu- greatly to the study of reality physics,
GOVERNMENTAL ally before it’s shipped outtime). Their and Catholic mission groups work
ORGANIZATIONS support comes from college campuses closely with Miracle Workers, espe-
and (less openly) from corporations cially on worlds with an established
A vast panoply of other groups, frozen out of the crosstime bonanza Roman Church. The Pope calls on
from Boy Scout troops to whole reli- . . . especially Homeline oil companies. Infinity to “respect human dignity in
gions, have outtime activities – or all worlds,” and aligns the Vatican
opinions about outtime activities – The Vatican with reformist and progressive “out-
that they are seldom shy about timer rights” groups such as Amnesty
sharing. Some groups lease their own The official position of the Roman Unlimited. Some influential monsi-
conveyors and pursue their goals Catholic Church is that God’s plan gnors and orders have even called for
without pestering Infinity too much: applies to all Earths with human Infinity to abandon The Secret, and
the Nature Conservancy, for example, races. The devil, needless to say, is in “share the Truth with all mankind as
brings breeding stock for endangered the details: Are all the parallel Christs equals.” The Patrol becomes very
species on Homeline from other the same Christ, or did God have one nervous indeed when devotees of
worlds where the species are plentiful. son per Earth? Are worldlines in such philosophies travel to parallel
Others believe that pressuring Infinity, which there was no Jesus of Nazareth Earths, even for the ostensibly
or UNIC member governments, is the awaiting their own Messiah, and if so, saintliest purposes.
most efficient way to see their goals
realized. Rogue States

Amnesty Unlimited North Korea, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and Burma all reject the
international order to one extent or another. Such rogue nations support
A sister organization to Amnesty terrorism and international crime, foment revolution abroad, and try to
International, Amnesty Unlimited develop weapons of mass destruction and domestic parachronics. They
publicizes the fates of political prison- may have support from arms dealers and physicists overseas, working in
ers, slaves, and other unfortunates on parallel to build individual components that can get passed along the
other timelines. They pressure Infinity smugglers’ routes from Marseilles to Karachi to Rangoon until whole
(or, less often, Homeline govern- bombs or conveyors take shape in some terror camp in Afghanistan,
ments) to intervene on those world- Sudan, or Yemen.
lines to improve conditions, call for
White Star boycotts of odious Infinity’s great fear is that some rogue state will provide a conveyor
crosstime regimes, and work tirelessly (and possibly a nuclear weapon) to some terrorist organization. In the
to promote anti-slavery agitation on worst case scenario, this terror strike hits a technologically advanced
other Earths. parallel, which discovers parachronics in the most traumatic and horri-
fying way possible, and blames Homeline. In the second-worst case sce-
Every so often, an AU field team nario, the terrorists do an “in and out” attack on Homeline America,
travels to another world to try apply- killing thousands (or millions, if the nuke is big enough) and enrage the
ing their own leverage, but the results United States enough for it to pull out of UNIC, nationalize Infinity, and
have been spotty. The best result, strike out unilaterally across the worlds. The Intelligence Branch works
arguably, occurred when the Patrol overtime to infiltrate terror groups, using Patrol language and cultural
mounted a rescue mission that skills to blend into the terrorist ranks. So far, the Patrol agents have
snatched an AU observer team from a rolled up whole networks (with CIA or MI6 assistance) and beheaded
prison in Earth-Beta’s Iran and acci- such plans before they start, including an al-Qaeda plot in early 2001 –
dentally overthrew the theocratic gov- but they only have to fail once.
ernment there in the process. Amnesty
Unlimited usually draws the line at

44 INFINITY UNLIMITED

CHAPTER TWO

ENEMIES
EVERYWHEN

“Grade 3 “At ease, Chang.” The Popping the cartridge into the
Chang, reporting a duty officer, secure in her Records computer (there were some
message intercept, Sir!” The new exalted Grade 4 status, had regulations it didn’t do to ignore), the
entry’s uniform was creased and unbuttoned her own neck stock, and duty officer scanned the flimsy for a
pressed until it looked like a recruiting there was a distinct shininess to the few minutes, looking for anything
brochure. crimson cuffs of her midnight uni- out of the ordinary. Dinosaur smug-
form coat. Chang strode forward the glers – alchemical methods in
regulation four steps, came to atten- Argentine platinum mines – assassi-
tion again, and handed over a flimsy nation attempt on the King of North
and a data cartridge. Carolina – here it was, “Nazis” again.
“Infinity can’t get panicked enough
about these ‘Nazis,’ Chang.”

“Sir.” She looked up to see Chang
still at attention.

“I said ‘At ease,’ Chang.” The
younger officer marginally relaxed.
“I’d invite you to sit down, but there’s
only one chair in these confounded
bridges.”

“Isometric posture does not
require chairs, Sir.” Right out of the
book again. Still, she thought, I’d
better try, or this new kid is going to
drive me crazy.

“Chang, what’s your first name?”
“Mohammed, Sir.”
“That’s unusual for a Chinese,
isn’t it, Chang?”
“Sir, all names are Centrum
names. The Centrum embraces all
bloodlines.”
“Chang, I’m not trying to trap you
in Error, I’m trying to make conver-
sation so that you don’t hover there
like a constipated goshawk.”
Chang relaxed another breath.
“My family is from Tajikistan, Sir.
Lots of hybridity there, even before
the Centrum saved us.” The duty offi-
cer nodded; history wasn’t her strong
point, even Centrum history, but the
Central Asian tribes were traditional-
ly very grateful to the scientific elite
that had saved them from famine,
warlords, and plague.
“Understandable then, border
vigor and all that. Use those ances-
tral border skills, Chang, and see
what jumps out at you from this.”

ENEMIES EVERYWHEN 45

Chang took the flimsy and ran his Candide, amazed, terrified, confounded,
eyes down it. “Secundus – er, Infinity astonished, all bloody, and trembling from
– seems more worried about these head to foot, said to himself, “If this is the
‘Nazis’ than they do three other best of all possible worlds, what are the
threats on the same Wave that objec- others like?”
tively pose a far greater danger to
their operations. Sir.” – Voltaire, Candide

“My thoughts exactly. I’ve been “Sadly for us, Chang, the only nice ring to it, she told herself, and
monitoring Infinity transmissions ones with parachronics seem to be punched up her own stack of surveys
here for eight months, and despite out where we can’t go.” to sift.
four global wars and a Force Seven
reality quake, these ‘Nazis’ still draw “Unless we find a tunnel. It’s been Between cometary fallout, angry
18% of the decision band, when it known to happen, Sir.” Visigoths, and mutant smallpox, the
ought to be more like four. And infinite worlds hold enough danger
they’re not even on this bloody Wave! “Precisely. That’s what I want you to keep the Infinity Patrol infinitely
They’re way the Hell and gone out on to start sifting these surveys for. I busy. However, the Patrol has taken a
Wave Minus Five!” mean to find a tunnel to their Wave dark comfort from the fact that you
and start feeding these Nazis any- can’t save every world: they do what
“What did the Records say, Sir?” thing they want, as long as it will they can, where they can.
“Nothing useful; they were an keep Infinity busy.” Unfortunately, some of those worlds
Irrationalist sect in Bavaria in a – including Homeline – hold dangers
number of timelines; on Secundus “That could alter the whole com- that can spread to other worlds – also
they seem to have triggered a global plexion of the War, Sir. The Forum including Homeline. The Patrol can’t
war, and on one world on Wave will be handing out promotions like afford to sleep, or to take any com-
Minus Two, they won. Rum lot, but candy on Rebirth Day.” fort, no matter how dark, in just
not the foaming anarchists that doing what they can for those
you’d expect from Infinity’s para- “Well, we’re not supposed to think worlds. An “acceptable risk” when
noia. More orderly than bloody about our promotions, Chang. It’s it’s some barbarian parallel two
Infinity, that’s for sure. But accord- the good of the Service, and of quanta out becomes a deadly crisis
ing to Intercept Branch, Infinity has Centrum, that counts.” when it threatens your world and the
more agents, and more ongoing ideals you hold dear. You have to do
operations, on this ‘Reich-2’ than on “Of course, Sir. I’m sorry, Sir.” anything to stop such a danger, or die
any comparable parallel. Again, Chang, abashed, hunched over a trying.
despite greater threats, and much stack of surveys and avoided his
greater opportunities, on at least six superior’s eyes. Of course, on some of those
other worldlines I could name.” worlds, the Patrol – and Homeline –
“Sounds like a perfect opportuni- But doctrine aside, the duty offi- represent just such a danger . . .
ty for us, Sir. If we could somehow cer was thinking about promotions.
use them as a stalking horse, we She could easily make Grade 5 for
could distract the ruddy Patrol from something like this, or even higher, if
anything we did. We could have our it became a major Interworld priori-
run of the echoes, as long as we ty. Yes, “Grade 6 Goldstein” had a
could get some Nazis to pop up
somewhere else while we did it.”

Centrum is the only human time- CENTRUM Earth after a cataclysmic war,
line other than Homeline to independ- Centrum was poised for major
ently develop parachronic technology. worlds. Only in unity, Centrum changes even before the recent discov-
It is also Homeline’s fiercest enemy. believes, is there safety and order. ery of another world of parachronic
Centran agents intrigue against the travelers. Today, in 2027, the conflict
Infinity Patrol across the dimensions, The origin and focus of a paratem- with Secundus (which calls itself
and will settle for nothing less than poral empire, Centrum has spent the “Homeline”) is Centrum’s primary
total domination of the infinite last century sending explorers, spies, concern.
businessmen, and occasionally sol-
diers to dozens of parallel timelines.
Having rebuilt and re-unified its home

46 ENEMIES EVERYWHEN

The Language Barrier drawing all the noble families to the
fabulous imperial palace at
The official language of Centrum is English, which sounds like a Kensington. As merchants and
heavily accented version of Homeline English, with a rather larger num- industrialists rose to prominence,
ber of French loan-words. As part of the drive to global cultural unity, the they were encouraged to join the
Centrum deliberately wiped out all other languages (a project which had nobility by the crown practice of
begun, to some extent, under the old Imperial dynasty). If any families granting new titles associated with
have retained fluency, they have certainly learned to hide it. The only huge fiefs overseas – a practice that
exceptions are Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, still studied by classical schol- led to “freelance imperialism” legiti-
ars and theologians. Apart from such specialized cul-de-sacs, Centrum mated from London after the fact. By
never even developed a true science of linguistics – an omission that has the mid-19th century, the Empire
hampered Centrum operations almost as much as the lack of native encompassed the globe, and its liter-
speakers. ally unrivaled power and wealth dis-
guised internal divisions growing
Centrum is working on broadening its language base . . . indeed, that’s beneath the unified façade.
one of the main reasons for recruiting outtimers. The Education Service
has been dragging its feet, but many timelines know fairly effective tech- To Destruction
niques for teaching languages swiftly (usually based on immersion). It
shouldn’t be too long before the Interworld Service overcomes its preju- In 1902, it all went to hell.
dice against outtime ideas and starts to use them. For now, however, a Opinions are still split on how a bid
fluent Japanese speaker, for example, is probably not working for for full independence by a few provin-
Centrum . . . at least not directly. cial magnates could have spiraled so
thoroughly out of control. The atomic
Although their society encompass- To Unity destruction of London and a few
es settlements on many timelines, the dozen other cities paled in compari-
vast majority of Centrans still live on The Anglo-French Empire was per- son with the tailored bioweapons
their home line, also called Centrum. haps the strongest realm in Europe, unleashed against Asiatic peoples by
World and government are seldom but that barely allowed it to escape an imperial pretender. After ravaging
distinguished, and there is no distinc- conquest when the Mongols arrived, China and India, the plagues mutated,
tion between government and society. less than a century after its formation. turned back west, finished off the
The contemporary world-state is actu- Unable to expand into Mongol-domi- global economy, and depopulated
ally fairly recent, not much more than nated Central Europe, they turned to much of Eurasia.
a century old, but its roots go deep the reports of a far western country
into history. brought by a Norwegian princess, The only region left unscathed
sending ships across the Atlantic to was the southern continent of
HISTORY explore a vast New World, which they Terraustralis (much more densely
named Terranova. populated than our Australia), where
Centrum perceives itself as a radi- a military-technical cabal, “the
cal break with its past, and really cares The superior Asian technology Centrum,” took control. They used
about history only because of brought by the Mongols, combined their isolation to withdraw from the
parachronics – for which purpose the with the royal patronage of the early conflict, and imposed draconian
histories of other timelines matter at scientist Roger Bacon, enhanced the social controls to stop the spread of
least as much as its own. A typical brilliant culture of the High Middle disease and maintain food distribu-
Centran knows rather less about his Ages. Like its age of exploration, tion. By 1913, once their scientists
own history than a typical 21st-centu- Centrum’s scientific and industrial had devised protections against the
ry American (agents of the Interworld revolutions progressed more slowly bioweapons, they ventured out into a
Service are somewhat better than ours, but began so early that shattered world. They were appalled
informed, but only in the context of technology remained 100-150 years at what they saw: two-thirds of the
changing other histories). If they com- ahead down to the 20th century. Earth’s population was dead, and
pared textbooks, the two would even- pestilence ran rampant among the
tually discover that their worlds Anglo-French hegemony in survivors, killing one in every two
diverged in 1120, when the heir to the Europe took centuries to achieve. children. Nuclear and bioweapons
throne of England was or was not The Empire’s French subjects joined had shattered the ecosystem, espe-
drowned. Shifting royal marriages in the power politics of Europe, the cially in the fragile tropics; famines
and wars rapidly changed every detail English preferred to concentrate on and desertification threatened to
of history. The English monarchs the sea. After the War of Lily and starve anyone who the plagues did
made themselves masters of northern Rose nearly broke the Empire apart, not carry off. Technology was drop-
and western France before the the crown tried to bind together the ping back to pre-industrial levels
Hundred Years’ War could even begin. Empire’s disparate components everywhere, leading to filth and
using new techniques such as steam decay and warlord feudalism of the
transport, mass education, and worst kind.

ENEMIES EVERYWHEN 47

The Centrum resolved to rebuild, Secundus: Homeline as Centrum Sees It
and to prevent future wars, by impos-
ing a single, rational culture under a From Centrum’s perspective, Secundus is a chaotic, irrational mess
single authority. The Centrum knew of a world. So many groups have parachronic technology, and they
that disunity caused the war, and near- barely coordinate their efforts. Centrum cannot understand why the
ly destroyed mankind. Therefore, it United States and other leading nations aren’t fighting for dominance.
would bring unity: every surviving
human would speak English, go to the Centrum sees democracy as a primitive form of government associ-
same schools, get enough food, and ated with Greek and Italian city-states. Itself intensely Spartan, it keeps
become an equal part of the Centrum. trying to understand Secundus as a variation of Centrum, looking for
Most of Earth’s surviving inhabitants, the people who really run things. Infinity Unlimited was the major can-
starving and disease-ridden, were didate (Centrum is run more like a corporation in some ways than a
happy to accept the alternative the constitutional republic), until Centrum realized how small Infinity
Centrum offered – just as well, since was. Now it looks like a central power too weak to control Secundus’
they had no choice. struggling factions, and the apparent stability of the system bewilders
and frightens Centrum.
To Other Worlds
Secundus seems to be a group of dangerous amateurs not prepared
Linda Minott was the first Centran to confront the true implications of parachronics. Some Interworld
scientist to investigate anomalies in scientists even view them as a literal threat to the universe, arguing
exotic experiments with high energy that the echoes, reality quakes, and some of the anomalous timelines
densities (known since the previous around Secundus (especially the puzzle worlds, pp. 140-142) are signs
century). Her papers were published that Secundus’ parachronic technology damages the local fabric of the
in 1908 and languished for a time, but continuum. Ironically, Centrum sees Infinity’s policy on The Secret as
the potential was clear. By 1922, paranoia – it understands caution on advanced worldlines, but the idea
Centran scientists had built their first of protecting less-advanced cultures doesn’t really exist in its mental
conveyor and gone exploring. universe.
Parachronics gave the Centrum access
to the untapped resources of Earths their own Last War. Others believed inclination, to be promoted strictly by
where humanity had never evolved – continued expansion was needed for talent and achievement. Each adult
and, in the early years, the opportuni- Centrum’s own health, or were simply citizen belongs to one of seven grades,
ty to buy or steal goods from many ambitious for new fields of action. The corresponding to a specific rank with-
parallel cultures. The Centrum discovery of Secundus (which in his Service. Everyone starts as a
became as wealthy in its own way as Centrum sees as a dangerously dis- Grade 1 citizen, and nepotism is dis-
Infinity Unlimited – wealthier, united near-anarchy) in 2015 awoke couraged by common opinion (as well
because it had fewer scruples – but it deep-rooted fears and silenced the as being illegal); people are supposed
poured its wealth back into global objectors. to rise on their own merits.
reconstruction.
CENTRUM TODAY The Services have individual regu-
In 1934, after a few early mishaps, lations about the meanings of the dif-
the Centrum officially adopted the Modern Centrum has fulfilled the ferent grades: some are more overtly
Lockridge Protocols, a strict hands-off dreams of its founders. It is a self-con- hierarchical than others. Command
policy toward inhabited timelines sciously rational society that offers privileges never cross Service lines,
(almost all of which were technologi- every citizen a decent life and a but lower-grade citizens generally
cally primitive, anyway), and concen- chance to fulfill a useful function. defer to higher ones socially. (The
trated on mining and colonizing the Everyone can rise as high as their tal- exception: any Grade 7 can command
empty worlds. It had more than ents and drive take them, regardless of someone not of his Service as though
enough to do on its own Earth: curing race, gender, or ancestry. On the other he were a Grade 5 in that Service.) All
the war plagues, halting the famines, hand, Centrum does not place a high citizens must display a badge giving
deposing the local warlords, and value on notions of liberty or human their name, grade, Service, and per-
generally forestalling a descent into rights, which it tends to consider sonal ID number. Most Services also
barbarism. superstitions. Society may exist for the have a uniform their members wear
sake of individuals, but no individual while on duty; Interworld’s are crim-
After completing the reclamation matters much in comparison with it. son and midnight blue.
of its Earth, Centrum (which dropped
the “the” in 1958 after formally com- Politics There are hundreds of Services,
pleting global reunification) has some of which employ only a few hun-
reconsidered its attitude toward other Centrum is a regimented meritoc- dred thousand people. The most pow-
timelines. Some wanted to spread the racy: all citizens enter the Service for erful Services are Agriculture,
benefits of their civilization, bringing which they have most aptitude and Education, Energy, Health, Interworld,
superior technology and organization Justice, and Logistics. The Military
to less-developed timelines and saving
the advanced ones from suffering

48 ENEMIES EVERYWHEN