Nov. 5, 1955
"This evening, I have had a stunning revelation on the inner workings of time and space, a subject of longtime fascination to me. I have already written down the technical and rough mathematical requirements securely on the most nearby piece of paper while it was still fresh in my mind, but I also feel as though I need to record an explanation for them.
"The device is called the Temporal Flux Capacitor, since to understand it requires the perspective on the flow of time as through an understanding of circuitry. An ordinary capacitor is a means means to store charge, which increases the longer power flows through it, up until a maximum amount of electrons. My device will do the exact same thing, analogous to the flow of the timestream. Merely by existing within a consistent, linear time flow, it will gather and hold indefinitely a "time charge" until a controlled release may be triggered by the traveler. The excess release of temporal energy should be sufficient to break him from a linear causality and fling him to an entirely new era. It's convenient to consider time energy as an analogous particle to an electron, in this case.
"The key to triggering this energy release is a substitution of energy. No, power. If time is a form of energy, and energy over time is power, it would require a rate supplied within a very short span. Or, maybe a longer one. I haven't tested the effects of either yet, or, well, anything yet... -ahem- To discharge the capacitor of its stored temporal energy, an electrical circuit must be activated to charge it with electrons, rendering it an entirely ordinary capacitor. Ordinarily, you could discharge an electrical capacitor by shutting the circuit off, but since I have no way of 'switching off' time, this reaction must be induced directly. Built correctly, the capacitor will only be able to maintain a hold on one form of charge at a time, and release its' former charge to the surrounding area. The circuit input would require power supplied at a rate greater than or equal to the power supplied by the ordinary flow of time, which, as a previously unexplored form of energy, I have not been able to yet calculate the magnitude. The device would have to hold more charge than could be released all at once with this burst of energy, allowing the traveler to control exactly where he wishes to go by adjusting the flow of power. There may be a linear correlation between power and distance, but it's also possible that the initial burst will breach a kind of "Temporal Threshold", and require far less extra input to travel one year versus one hundred.
"Travel might also require some minimum relative velocity or gravitational effect, especially in the case of a Threshold, the slowing effects observed in relativity may decrease the necessary power input for travel.
"I'm not entirely sure which direction the capacitor would send a traveler when time energy is released, yet. It will require further experimentation and calculation. It's possible time may have a charge polarity, as in the 'positive/negative' case of electricity, allowing either 'backwards' or 'forwards' motion, and I can only hope that further study will reveal it."
And now, a note from the writer
Many thanks to my old Marty RP partner who got me rolling on this subject originally! :D Don't talk to physics students and highkey scifi nerds about fictional time travel, we won't be able to STOP and it's a mess.
I hope to maybe go into some more "time theory" and worldbuilding mechanics, preferably in character as either Doc or maybe Jules. I've already thought a lot about this kind of time travel for some old defunct writing projects, but it'd be fun to put it through the perspective of people who are only just trying to figure it out for themselves, and have continually changing views on it! There may be some tried and failed theories in the mix, like "the universe will explode if you meet yourself", which clearly never posed a problem for Doc or Jen aside from a good deal of shock in Part II, so you can cherry pick the pieces you prefer.
Lastly, I would like to say, any headcanons present here and out are free to use in your own fics, if they're helpful to you! Though credit, if possible, would be nice. Or, tell me where you used it! I'd love to see.
