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A Stepper Box is a device that can be used to step from one planet to the next in a chain of parallel worlds, such as the Long Earth.

Inexpensive and easy-to-build, it is made of a couple of wires, basic electronic components (easily found at any Radio Shack), a switch and a natural power supply (a potato for example). Stepper boxes are small and lightweight enough to be carried around easily, and are sometimes kept on people’s belts or in bags.

The Stepper Box (or just ‘stepper') has a three way switch on top of it, one position marked ‘West', one 'off' and one 'East'. 'West' and 'East' are the names given to the two directions of travel possible through the Long Earth - flicking the switch to either causes the user to be transported one world in that direction. When not held down to the East or West positions, the switch automatically returns to the off position.

A stepper box cannot be used by anyone who has not completed its construction. Most of the construction can be done via automation, but to make a stepper box work for you, you need to at least perform the two last steps in the process- to wind several coils of copper wire, and then to tune them.[1] It appears that the stepper box is not a machine that allows people to step, but a placebo which merely unlocks the ancestral human ability to step. The process of constructing the box, then, has been deliberately designed to trigger a meditative state which unlocks the stepping ability.[2]

Appearance[]

The boxes themselves can be made of almost any material- Willis Linsay makes his stepper boxes from clear plastic,[3][4] while Joshua Valienté made his first from varnished wood,[5] and American police officers use black plastic boxes which are resistant to gunshots.[6]

Inside are electronics, including capacitors, resistors, relays, coils, and copper wire, all things which can be easily bought from a local Radio Shack or scavenged from other electronics.[1][7] Iron can’t be used in stepper boxes, because iron can’t be transported between worlds.[8]

In the centre of the box is typically a potato, which is the box’s main power source.[1] On Mars, a type of local cactus is used instead[9]- presumably, any kind of conductive fruit or vegetable can be used in a stepper, but potatoes are a good choice for their easy growth and nutritional value in emergencies.[4]

Invention[]

The stepper box was invented by Willis Linsay. He was part of a large family of natural steppers, but he couldn’t step by himself; he had to be carried over into the other worlds by his family members who could. But he was a brilliant inventor, and he managed to create the stepper box in his spare time.

For years he kept his invention hidden, developing it further in secret. But his employer, Douglas Black, managed to find out about it, and trailed him as he changed states, jobs, and even names to get away. Lindsay didn’t want his invention to be owned or taxed by anyone, so in 2015, he finally uploaded the blueprints of the stepper box to the internet, causing Step Day.[10]

The Long Earth[]

The day Willis Linsay uploaded the circuit diagram for the Stepper Box on the internet is commonly known as Step Day. Kids from all around the world started building Steppers and disappeared.

The Long Mars[]

In The Long Mars, is it revealed that the Steppers also work on Mars. Compared to their Earth analogs, the Mars Steppers have to be powered by Martian cacti instead of a potato.

Media[]

The_Long_Earth_by_Terry_Pratchett_&_Stephen_Baxter_-_Willis_Linsay's_original_'Stepper'

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett & Stephen Baxter - Willis Linsay's original 'Stepper'

The High Meggas[]

In the universe of The High Meggas, the device that allows travel between versions of Earth is the belt. Belts were invented by Lider, and perfected by Larry Linsay. They are powered by "batteries". They require more power for larger people, and can transport any animal (not only sapient species) to parallel versions of Earth.[11]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Long Earth- page 38
  2. The Long Earth- page 199
  3. The Long Earth- page 37
  4. 4.0 4.1 The Long Earth- page 55
  5. The Long Earth- page 42
  6. The Long Earth- page 64
  7. The Long Earth- page 25
  8. The Long Earth- page 69
  9. The Long Mars- page 180
  10. The Long Earth- pages 179-182
  11. A Blink of the Screen: Collected Shorter Fiction - The High Meggas
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