“I let my past go too fast
No time to pause
If I could slow it all down
Like some captain whose ship runs aground
I can wait until the tide comes around”
-Rush, “Time Stands Still”
Though in Pale Blue Scratch there isn’t any time-travel—or is there?—the idea of a machine that allows for traveling time is the catalyst for much of what happens in the story.
There’s plenty of media out there that deal with actual time travel and the different avenues of possibility. From books to films and…video games. Everyone can easily rattle off 2 or 3 titles easily that use time travel as a major plot point.
As a matter of coincidence, the past week celebrated the 20th anniversary of one of my favorite video games of all time, Chrono Trigger. You can read all about it on its Wikipedia page, but for those of you who are unacquainted and are currently Wiki-averse or in a tl;dr mood, Chrono Trigger can easily place in the top 10 video games of all time in a lot of people’s lists, and this is due in no small part to the story, which involves heavy use of time travel.
Why am I mentioning a decades-old game in this email? Well. mild gaming enthusiast that I am, in honor of its 20th anniversary I put a reference to Chrono Trigger in Pale Blue Scratch. It’s not obscure but it’s easily passed over if one isn’t looking for it. No decoder ring or calculators are needed, but basic knowledge of the game and a keen eye will help.