- Arnold Rimmer
The Quantum Anomaly displayed on the navicomp in the Science Room of Red Dwarf
The Quantum Anomaly, also called a Dimensional Lesion, was a phenomena in Deep Space, accidentally created by Kryten's experimentation with the Quantum Skipper device.
History[]
When Red Dwarf passed by an abandoned quantum research station, the boys from the Dwarf salvaged some tech from it, although it was all broken. A month later, unbeknown to the others, Kryten was still attempting to repair and experiment with the tech, resulting in a handheld device which could theoretically allow the user to "skip" into the bodies of their own counterparts in a parallel dimension, and therefore explore The Multiverse.
However, shortly before Kryten had finished this device - the Quantum Skipper - he miscalculated the settings and tore a lesion or cut into the space-time continuum with it, creating the Quantum Anomaly. After the anomaly entered into their universe, it was on a direct collision course with Red Dwarf. As it got closer to the ship, it caused a number of ship-quakes, although the structural integrity of the ship held.
The most interesting effect of the anomaly as it got closer to Red Dwarf was that it caused the crew to undertake the opposite action of any they said out loud they wanted to do. His theory was proved correct when he attempted to get a print out from the damage report machine in the Science Room, but then the machine said that he had not requested one. When Rimmer said they should leave the damage report, the machine suddenly did a print out. Rimmer said that they shouldn't tell the others until they had figured it out, but Kryten suddenly materialised on the microphone asking the others to come to the Science Room. Kryten then wished to prove his theory, and further demonstrated the effects of the anomaly by asking Arnold Rimmer what fruit he would like - Rimmer said he would like an apple and Kryten thew one to him, but when Rimmer caught it, it has transformed into an orange.
In the sleeping quarters on A Deck, Dave Lister quickly realised what the effects of the phenomena were and used them to manipulate the normally very selfish Cat. This included getting Cat to cook him breakfast, make him coffee, and clean his bunk and his boots - since, of course, Cat very vocally refused to do all those things. However, when Lister and Cat attempted to go down 229 floors to the Science Room on G Deck and rendezvous with the others, they kept ending up back in the sleeping quarters. When Cat said they should take an elevator, they instead ended up on the stairs. Lister tried to help Cat understand that he had to say the opposite of what he wanted to do. When they eventually joined with the others in the Science Room, Cat messed up by saying that they should stay in the Science Room, causing them all to materialise back in the sleeping quarters.
Eventually, Kryten was able to tweak the settings on the Quantum Skipper to fix the anomaly. With their own universe returned to normal, Rimmer, who had feeling despondent recently, decided to use the handheld device to search The Multiverse for a different life where he was not such a failure. ("Skipper", Series XII)
Gallery[]
Background information[]
- The original title of this episode was "Star Knot"[1], referring to the Quantum Anomaly which was initially referred to as such.