A time distortion, also known as a temporal distortion (AUDIO: Faustian, WC: Death Comes to Time ^[+]Colin Meek, BBCi animations (BBCi, 2001-2002).) was a disturbance in space-time, sometimes caused by time travels, anachronisms or time fissures.

History[]

Temporal anomalies[]

The Fourth Doctor once suggested that the presence of time fissures caused time distortions, which humans described as haunted places. (TV: Image of the Fendahl)

[A time fissure is] a weakness in the fabric of space and time. Every haunted place has one, doesn't it? That's why they're haunted. It's a time distortion.Fourth Doctor (TV: Image of the Fendahl)

A time traveller's diary observed that, every year on 29 January, many humans complained that January seemed longer than other months, which was suggested to be the result of temporal distortion. (PROSE: Time Traveller's Diary)

Deliberate use[]

The Time Lords often used time distortions to project thoughts into other individuals across time. This was used once on Schmidt while the the Doctor was trapped on a German U-Boat. Commander Vansell used Schmidt to try and kill the Doctor. (AUDIO: The Sirens of Time)

TARDIS slipstreams[]

Some accounts suggested that benign "time distortions" were a natural effect of time travel, which could be detected to track TARDISes but had no major observable effects.

Cyber-Technology could detect the Doctor's TARDIS by registering the time distortion it created. (TV: Attack of the Cybermen) The Sixth Doctor had a tracking device for time distortions, which he was able to track the First Rani with. (TV: The Mark of the Rani)

Scrambled timelines[]

The Eleventh Doctor could not land the TARDIS in 1938 New York because of time distortions, due to massive presence of Weeping Angels. (TV: The Angels Take Manhattan)

The Twelfth Doctor was making and trying to use a "time distortion equaliser thingy" when he first met Grant in New York in the 1990s. As he explained to Grant, there was "a lot" of localised disruption there, which he blamed on himself, and that he intended for his device to calm it all down. He required the Hazandra to power the machine, but due to Grant swallowing the gem stone, he was unable to. (TV: The Return of Doctor Mysterio)

As a result of Time Lord misbehaviour[]

Some account suggested that temporal distortions were major phenomena which could occur in the fabric of time and space as a result of a Time Lord misusing their powers to alter the universe.

Reality became riddled with temporal distortions when the Minister fell into the habit of using his power to directly alter the universe for the better. These manifested in a number of stars degenerating into black holes at an accelerated race, and "corrupted Time" to a degree which concerned the Kingmaker and forced the Seventh Doctor to revoke the Minister's TARDIS as punishment. (WC: Death Comes to Time ^[+]Colin Meek, BBCi animations (BBCi, 2001-2002).) Similar "distortions" resulted from Rathen, a hybrid who had never learned to control their powers, beginning to use them in aid of military conquest on the planet Thea. The Minister, now repentant, noticed these distortions and initially blamed them on the Horseman, who in turn blamed them on the Minister; after clearing up the misunderstanding, they worked together to identify and stop the true culprit. (PROSE: The Minister of Chance ^[+]Dan Freeman, adapted from The Minister of Chance, The Minister of Chance (Arcbeatle Press, 2022).)

The Eighth Doctor rescueing Charley Pollard from the R101 creating "time distortion" in the Humanian Era, the Sensorian Era, and the Sumaran Era. (AUDIO: Neverland ^[+]Alan Barnes, Main Range (Big Finish Productions, 2002).)

Other uses of the term[]

The term was also used in the context of the theory of relativity to refer to a natural time-dilation effect: if one travelled faster than the speed of light, "time distortio"n would cause them to arrive at their destination before they'd left their starting point. (PROSE: The Stones of Blood)

Behind the scenes[]

Time distortions in the Time Vortex act as obstacles in the first and last levels of the online game Doctor In A Dash where, as with all levels, the Doctor's TARDIS (the player) races against a Dalek flying saucer, a Judoon rocket, and a Slitheen craft to find a Space-Time Manipulator.