Chrono Cross Questions

[Shattered Rift]

I'm pretty sure this is the right forum for this. (By the way, I'm new here.)


I played through Cross some years back (sometime in '03, I think), and played through most of Trigger sometime either later that year or during the following year, but didn't finish it (made it to the point right before the end-game side-quests). I recently replayed/finished Trigger during Christmas week, and then followed it up by replaying Cross (which I finished last night).

This site's been an incredibly useful resource for both games, but there are still a few points I'm confused about, and was hoping to get some clarification. (Assuming there is a right answer to these questions.)


One, how do the two worlds exist simultaneously? Shouldn't the world where Serge was saved have overwritten the world where he died? (I know that Belthesar references the 50-50 chance of Serge surviving, but that only seems to give the foundation for the answer, rather than the answer itself.)

Two, how was Chronopolis (or Fate) aware of both worlds? Shouldn't it only have been aware of Another World? (This may or may not have been pointed out in the plotholes article, but I'm not sure.)

Three, and I'm pretty sure there's not a good answer to this one, but what was the Dead Sea? It struck me as 2300 AD(ish) from Trigger, but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere here that it also had parts of Chronopolis in it. Also, why was it flooded? Lastly on this point, was Leene Square (where Miguel was) part of the Dead Sea, or somewhere else entirely? (Was it a place outside of time?)


I know there are a few threads here discussing some of these already, and while they might contain answers, I'm hoping someone can explain things simply (at least, what can be explained) rather than requiring me to piece things together on my own.

[ZeaLitY]

One, how do the two worlds exist simultaneously?

There are infinite dimensions in existence, each with its own timeline that can be overwritten (and the discarded one goes to that dimension's Darkness Beyond Time). These dimensions apparently can't be crossed unless it's a situation like Home / Another, or unless the planet's involved (Dinopolis). But somehow, Belthasar / Kid's actions caused a separate dimension to branch off from Another World in 1010 A.D. with its own distinct timeline (but perhaps, still using the same Darkness Beyond Time).

Two, how was Chronopolis (or Fate) aware of both worlds?

Belthasar apparently provided for this with the record of FATE designs. But yes, the presence of monitoring equipment for both worlds in a facility designed for temporal experiments which only decided to create El Nido later is hard to believe. So Chronopolis's design is an inconsistency. FATE could still be aware of both worlds, but Chronopolis hasn't had a real staff since it released its workers to populate El Nido, so this means the World 01 and 02 monitoring stations were made before 2400 A.D.

what was the Dead Sea?

We don't know the specific mechanics of it. That paragraph in the encyclopedia reflects the full extent of our knowledge...

The Dead Sea is a temporal anomaly reflecting the ruinous future of Home World condensed to fit in the Sea of Eden. It was formed in 1010 A.D. after the dimensions split; the reason given is that since Home World's future is destroyed by Lavos, the Sea of Eden altered to reflect that state. The Ghost Children explained it as a timeline that was not supposed to have existed (one in which Lavos destroyed the world), but was somehow revived due to Serge. The nature of its existence is enigmatic; it contained several aspects of the future jammed together and frozen, including several city ruins. These consist of towers and broken hghways, and are littered with strange, ethereal phantoms that repeatedly walk defined paths. A building called the Tower of Geddon stood at the center. The architecture of this tower was a clongomeration of fused shards and pieces of other buildings; inside were the remains of a shopping mall and a theatre. Unsettling androids populated the area, and at the heart of the structure existed a strange distortion Gate. Beyond this lay a condensed Leene Square, frozen from the future; behind it sat the Frozen Flame of Home World.

[Shattered Rift]

I'm not sure whether to take those answers as they are or try asking for more clarification.

Since "standard" time travel was used to save Serge's life, shouldn't that have caused Another World to be overwritten the same way prior timelines were, rather than cause a branching dimension?

Wasn't Fate still managing Chronopolis, or was it shut off from the facility entirely? (I'd been under the impression it just lost access to the Flame.) I'm more bothered by the fact that it was aware and able to monitor both dimensions rather than the fact that the equipment was doing so.

I think part of my confusion with the Dead Sea was that I'd got it stuck in my head that Lavos was affected differently by time than the rest of us.

[ZeaLitY]

1. Yes, it should have. We have no idea how the actual split of the dimensions was mechanically carried out; Belthasar never truly reveals his method.

2. FATE seemed to retain some kind of power, considering it destroyed the Dead Sea and still sent Lynx out to do its bidding. It's not clarified what essential functions the Prometheus Circuit locked out FATE from, save from the fact that FATE can't monitor Home World (but whether this is because of its broken link with the Flame is not stated). Still, FATE would want to have access to such an incredibly powerful artifact, especially with Porre and other groups hunting for it. Why it wouldn't be safe inside all those defensive measures which keep even FATE out is beyond me, so the Prometheus Circuit really looks like an artificial cog in Belthasar's maniacal plan without clear specifics.

[Shattered Rift]

All right. Thanks. It's good knowing that I was rightfully confused about each of these.