Attractor Field
Larger-scale world lines where certain events are fixed points, destined to happen unless divergence is enough to lead to another world line.
Attractor Fields are a concept in the setting of Steins;Gate. On a greater scale is the idea of an attractor field, a larger scale version of a world line. One important fixed point in the story is Mayuri's death in 2010, which must happen in any time line belonging to the Alpha attractor field. To prevent Mayuri's death, Okabe needs to make a significant enough change to cause a shift from the Alpha attractor field to Beta, where instead Kurisu is destined to die in 2010 and in which time travel is not discovered. Between the Alpha and Beta attractor fields lies the Steins Gate world line, unaffected by their convergence points.
Quick Facts
- Variants
- Alpha, Beta Fields
- Measurement tool
- Divergence Meter
- Escape condition
- Steins;Gate World Line
- Key constraint
- Fixed Points in Time
Lore & Background
The Alpha attractor field is defined by the fixed point of Mayuri's death in 2010, which must happen in any time line belonging to that field. The Beta attractor field is defined by the fixed point of Kurisu's death in 2010, and in this field time travel is not discovered. Between these two fields lies the Steins Gate world line, which is unaffected by their convergence points. The divergence meter measures the difference of a new time line from its original, set to 0% when it was created. Time lines that are minor variations on a greater reality course are minor branches on what is called a world line, meaning certain events are fixed points destined to happen in all branch time lines, unless divergence is enough to lead to another world line.
Reader's Guide
The attractor field concept is explained through the setting of Steins;Gate. Time does not consist only of alternative time lines. Each time line is different, and the "unit measure" that defines this difference is called divergence. The detector to measure this is called a divergence meter which was set to 0% when it was created.
When it travels into another time line, it measures the divergence (difference) of this new time line from its original. Time lines that are minor variations on a greater "reality/history course" are minor branches on what is called a world line, basically a whole series of connected time lines. This means certain events are fixed points, destined to happen in all branch time lines, unless divergence is enough to lead to another world line. Some people can retain memories from the previous time lines after a shift, Okabe in particular possessing a very strong effect. He calls it Reading Steiner.
More in History & Meta-Lore
Elsewhere in Steins;Gate
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