Girl Genius' Europa in the Infinite Worlds?

[johndallman]

"Well, it took you long enough to find your way back out of that custom universe and report back. What do you think of it? We did save a lot of effort by only having a solar system, and no larger galaxy."

"You aren't Karl? You look like him. Oh, dear. What was the date where you came from? Oops ... small mathematics error. Scribble, scribble. I'm afraid all of your time since we started the experiment - 1895 in your timeline - has taken about three months here."

[quarkstomper]

The very first Heterodyne Boys story, a "Munden's Bar" back-up in the comic book GRIM JACK from the 1980s, touched on this subject. Barry & Bill Heterodyne, (or rather their Ur-versions, as the characters changed a bit when the Foglios began writing GIRL GENIUS), find themselves in Cynosure, a city existing as a nexus between myriad alternate worlds. And by their presence, Barry and Bill threaten the city's very existence.

Bill and Barry: The Heterodyne Boys!

[scc]

Sparks are probably reality warpers of some form, so their powers and gadgets should work in other timelines.

[Michael Cule]

Originally Posted by LeslieSmoro

Kind of trivial, but on page 29, the verb tenses seem mismatched:

"She soon shoved Othar off the airship for reasons that would be obvious to anyone who has to spend time with him."

Would "has had to spend time with him" be better?

No.

Though the first part of the sentence is past tense, in the present (of the GIRL GENIUS universe) the reasons are still active. Othat is still alive and still intensely annoying.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Michael Cule

No.

Though the first part of the sentence is past tense, in the present (of the GIRL GENIUS universe) the reasons are still active. Othat is still alive and still intensely annoying.

Yes, but if the obviousness is in the present the experience it is based on must be in the past. So it’s either “reasons obvious to anyone who has spent time with him” or “reasons that will become obvious to anyone who spends time with him”. And in either case it’s people who spend time with Othar whether they have to or not.

Perhaps it would be best to abandon the complex tenses and write “for obvious reasons”. Or say what the reasons are. Or, if the reasons really are obvious, then it should be possible not to say anything about them. “She soon shoved Othar off the airship.”

[Inky]

I'm not sure whether the original version is right, but "for reasons that will be obvious to anyone who has had to spend time with him" definitely is, and therefore probably preferable. ("Who has spent time with him" is also definitely right, but the "to" suggests that the former is what the authors had in mind).

More on-topic, this is a question that has been copied from the Girl Genius Errata thread for some reason and possibly wasn't meant to be here at all.

[ProfessorDetective]

So, best to file this line under 'time bombs', then. Anyway:

Heterodyne/Wulfenbach; 1880s-1890s

Current Affairs: The Wulfenbach empire continues it's slow conquest of Europa while the recently ignited Agatha Clay/Heterodyne begins making her mark.

Divergence: Uncertain, likely 5000s BCE or earlier.
TL: 5+3/4/5
Quantum: Homeline+1.
Mana: Normal to High.
Interaction Protocol: Seal the bottle with wax and glue and lock it in a safe.

[cptbutton]

Originally Posted by ProfessorDetective

So, best to file this line under 'time bombs', then. Anyway:

Heterodyne/Wulfenbach; 1880s-1890s

Current Affairs: The Wulfenbach empire continues it's slow conquest of Europa while the recently ignited Agatha Clay/Heterodyne begins making her mark.

Divergence: Uncertain, likely 5000s BCE or earlier.
TL: 5+3/4/5
Quantum: Homeline+1.
Mana: Normal to High.
Interaction Protocol: Seal the bottle with wax and glue and lock it in a safe.

Do we know enough to list civilizations?

Europa of course has 2-3 empires at present, and many small states.

There is a Iron Caliphate in Egypt.

The Americas are mostly unknown but there was "Thundering Engine Woman" a fake Native American in the circus, based on a real person. Which doesn't really tell us much.

There is some contact with China and India, but I don't think we have many details about them.

[Phantasm]

The major civilizations at this time appear to be:

The Wulfenbach Empire, centered in Eastern Europe;

The Confederacy of the Fifty Families, in Western Europe, which is basically the Holy Roman Empire by another name;

The British Empire, which may include India; and

The Great Cetaceans.

It appears that there is a Caliphate or something akin to the Ottoman Empire in the Near East, and Russia seems to be under the control of the Polar Lords. We have insufficient information on how the spark has affected Indochina, China, Korea, Mongolia, Japan, or Australia. The two Indian women we've seen (Bang and Seffie(?)'s bodyguard) seem to share an appreciation for fighting, but it's hard to say from a sample of two how India really is.

And there may be someone living in the canals on Mars?

[Inky]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

The two Indian women we've seen (Bang and Seffie(?)'s bodyguard) seem to share an appreciation for fighting, but it's hard to say from a sample of two how India really is.

Don't forget Trelawney Thorpe. (At least, she looks Indian, at least by descent.) (She certainly doesn't mind a fight, but then few Sparks do.)