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Countermeasure

William Joyce's Countermeasure acts as a field generator for Chronon in the Lifeboat Protocol in Monarch HQ.

"I know your brother built the one thing that can stop the Fracture. I know we're meant to find it. And I know Monarch doesn't want us to."
—Beth Wilder[1]

The Countermeasure[1], also known as the Chronon Field Regulator (or CFR), is a device created by William Joyce.[2] The Countermeasure is a Chronon repository that was designed to repair an anomaly known as a "Fracture" created in the Chronon field and prevent the event known as the End of Time.[3] The Countermeasure can be used to create a Stutterproof environment[4] and if used correctly, can create a positive feedback loop that stabilizes the universal Chronon field.

Mechanics[]

Original Use[]

William Joyce's, and by extension, Beth Wilder's, original intention for the Countermeasure was to repair the Chronon field following the creation of the Fracture at 4:15AM on October 9, 2016. William posited that the Chronon particles stored within the device would restore the linear flow of time and the Meyer-Joyce field could, theoretically, be repaired in the same span.[2][3]

If the Countermeasure was low on energy, it would require a recharge or "jolt" of consistent Chronon energy from an outside source.[3] When attached to a Stutter Anchor, used to stabilize the core of a time machine, the Countermeasure can properly distribute its Chronon energy to reestablish the Chronon field.[3]

Re-purpose[]

After the Countermeasure was stolen by Monarch Solutions (who, at the time, were struggling to reach the technological advances they desired), they used the Countermeasure as a jumping point for their Chronon technology.[5][6] Under the supervision of Doctor Henry Kim, the Countermeasure was renamed "The Chronon Field Regulator".[7]

Beyond knowing that it could manipulate Chronon particles and interact with the Chronon field, Monarch's Chronon department had no idea how exactly the device worked.[7] Dr. Kim was able to reverse engineer the technology to create Chronon tech that could establish localized Chronon fields instead of tapping directly into the field itself. This allowed Monarch's Chronon department to create stutterproof rooms in small and large environments, as well as portable devices that a single person could use.[5][8]

A major problem faced when harvesting and using Chronon particles, was the consumption rate stutterproofing systems used verses what they could save. When they learned that the Countermeasure reduced the use of Chronon consumed with stutterpoofing technology to 1%[9] the Countermeasure became the centerpiece of the Lifeboat Protocol, a plan established by Paul Serene to preserve three hundred Monarch personnel for a certain period, after the End of Time, until they could come up with a solution to fix the collapsed Meyer-Joyce field.

Known Side Effects[]

When Monarch Solutions attempted to co-opt the Countermeasure from William's Workshop in 2010, an alteration between Beth Wilder and Paul Serene led to the Countermeasure being damaged and "cracked open"[10][11]

The resulting damage altered the Chronon field in the Industrial Area in such a way that time was "broken", creating an environment where objects and people inside the effected area could disappear[12] and never be seen again.[13]

When non-Chronon and Chronon active individuals are exposed to the Chronon energy stored within the Countermeasure, their bodies absorb the radiation and are affected differently depending on the strength of the exposure. Chronon active individuals may develop a disease that creates an instability within their bodies and they are unable to remain within the linear flow of time. In another instance, a single concentrated exposure can transform a non-Chronon active individual into a Shifter.[14][15]

History[]

Creation[]

Following the events of February 28, 1999[16], where William was forewarned by Beth Wilder (from the year 2016) of what would happen with his research, she managed to convince William that he need to create a "Countermeasure" to prevent Fracture from bringing about the End of Time.[17]

During the process of moving his time machine to the Bradbury Swimming Hall, William chose to remain at his workshop to build the Countermeasure on account of the Industrial Area's strange relationship with the Chronon field.[18] During that time, Monarch Security monitored the workshop.[11] William purportedly used the rest of his grant to begin construction on the Countermeasure.[12]

Eleven years into construction and nearing completion, William eventually required more money to complete it. William sold his family's home without consulting his brother, Jack, in June of 2010 and used the money to finish building the Countermeasure.[19][20]

William completed the Countermeasure July 4th, 2010.[21]

Events of Quantum Break[]

Following eleven year construction of the Countermeasure, Monarch Solutions took the device after Beth Wilder and Jack Joyce failed to secure it in 2010. Monarch used the Countermeasure to create the technology that would allow them to harvest Chronon particles from the Ground Zero area in the Industrial Area and prepare for the End of Time with the Lifeboat Protocol.

Paul kept the Countermeasure under his personal guard.[22] Outside of himself and Sofia Amaral, only technicians appointed to maintaining the device were allowed access the Countermeasure.[23] Unauthorized access, attempted or otherwise, often resulted in the termination of a Monarch employee.[23]

Sometime in early 2016, William Joyce was recruited by Monarch to work on Project Promenade, a covert project Riverport University had been working on since as early as 2010.[24][25] When he realized that the project had made a grievous miscalculation in the design of the University time machine[26][27], he attempted and failed to halt the project and was removed from campus grounds altogether.

Beth Wilder, informed by her future self as a child[28], attempted to rescue William Joyce from Monarch Security, after the Fracture was created by the University's time machine.[29] She failed and he was presumed killed in conjunction with the destruction of the Riverport Library.[30]

Without William, she managed to convince to Jack that they needed his brother's Countermeasure to fix the Fracture in the present before it worsened.[1] When they were unable to locate the Countermeasure at the Bradbury Swimming Hall, Beth believed they had to travel back in 2010 to acquire it in order to use it in the present of 2016.[31]

Neither Jack or Beth considered that the Countermeasure was in the hands of Monarch until Jack traveled back to the year July 4th, 2010, and reunited with a 36-year old Beth (who was sent to the End of Time by Sofia Amaral) and subsequently failed to bring the Countermeasure to the present and prevent Beth's death at the hands of Paul Serene.[11]

Storming Monarch HQ, Jack fought his way through Monarch Security (and optionally, Liam Burke) and the building's security protocols (with the help of either Fiona Miller or Charlie Wincott) to take the Countermeasure back from Monarch Solutions.[22] Using the repaired time machine from Riverport University, Jack traveled back to October 9th, 2016 and rescued his brother from his presumed death with the intention of getting him to help him use the Countermeasure.[32]

Jack and William return to the present using William's time machine in the Bradbury Swimming Hall; Paul attempted to reclaim to Countermeasure --- either to destroy or restore the Lifeboat --- but ultimately fails when Jack kills him. With Jack's help, William is able to use the device to temporarily mend the Chronon field.[3]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Quantum Break (video game): Act 2, Part 3: Bradbury Swimming Pool
  2. 2.0 2.1 Quantum Break (video game): Act 1, Part 2: Campus Escape
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Quantum Break (video game): Act 5, Part 3: Final Moments
  4. Quantum Break (TV series): "Lifeboat Protocol"
  5. 5.0 5.1 Quantum Break (video game): Act 3, Part 1: Research Facility
  6. Monarch Technology Timeline
  7. 7.0 7.1 PERSONAL NOTES ON THE CFR
  8. Quantum Break (TV series): "Prisoner"
  9. CFR Briefing
  10. Quantum Break: The Secret History of Time Travel: "Chronon Technology", page 50
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Quantum Break (video game): Act 4, Part 4: Will's Workshop 2010
  12. 12.0 12.1 Quantum Break (video game): Act 2, Part 2: Ground Zero
  13. Sofia Amaral's Chronon Presentation
  14. Quantum Break (video game): Junction 2: Personal/Business
  15. What happened to Dr. Henry Kim
  16. Will Joyce Diary 3
  17. Quantum Break (video game): Act 4, Part 3: Swimming Pool 2010
  18. Beth's Journal
  19. Jack Joyce Diary 4
  20. Will's Journal
  21. RE: The Countermeasure
  22. 22.0 22.1 Quantum Break (video game): Act 5, Part 1: Monarch HQ
  23. 23.0 23.1 READ ME RIGHT NOW – CFR procedures
  24. Paul Serene Focus Article
  25. Quantum Break (video game): Act 1, Part 1: Riverport University Experiment
  26. RE: WILLIAM JOYCE CLEARANCE
  27. RE: PROJECT PROMENADE BETA TEST
  28. Beth's Notebook
  29. Beth Wilder Diary 1
  30. Quantum Break (video game): Act 1, Part 3: Library Chase
  31. Quantum Break (video game): Act 4, Part 2: Preparing the Time Machine
  32. Quantum Break (video game): Act 5, Part 2: Return to the University

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