The Time Sweepers are anthropomorphic cats that reside in the Time Factory, a corporation that produces time and sends it to all worlds​. The weapons they use are dynamic vacuums called sweepers that are able to suck and hold various items to later be used as ammunition, not to be confused with the job title. They can also use Time Controls to manipulate time by using their sweeper to tap into their energy.

The Time Sweepers' main objective is to oversee and protect the flow of time; and if there are any glitches in time, the Time Factory dispatches time sweepers to travel to different worlds and fix the glitches before they cause any harm to time itself. The main enemies of Time Sweepers are time monsters and the Tom Tom Gang.

Description

Time Sweepers, although appearing as anthropomorphised cats, are known as "fairies of time" and/or cat-siths (a fairy creature from Celtic mythology). They do not handle the production of time, but rather perform field work in worlds that have experienced glitches in time, often resulting in hazardous environments containing time monsters. They are the most highly trained workers in the Time Factory, though many other positions hold higher authority.

Food and laundry services at the Time Factory shop suggest that Time Sweepers live at their place of work. A Time Workers Union also exists, monitoring the wellbeing of employees at the Time Factory including Time Sweepers, reporting that no major accident took place for 7347 years prior to the World B1Q64 incident. Although no Sweepers were harmed during that incident, the Big Crystal incident likely ended this record.

Despite their intimate knowledge of the universe, including the nature of time itself and the universe's origins with the Goddesses, the Time Sweepers (and Time Factory as a whole) share little of this information, leaving even highly-advanced civilizations such as the Tom Toms ignorant. As living beings disappear when glitches in time occur, Time Sweepers seldom interact with the inhabitants of the worlds they maintain, furthering this secrecy.

Appearance

Blinx 2 Credits: Prize 8

Time Sweepers, like all other workers at the Time Factory, are feline. All Sweepers wear similar uniforms with minor differences in design. They wear long-sleeved jackets with large neckbands (completely covering the neck), long pants, boots, and gloves, leaving only the head uncovered. The jacket and pants are made of a particularly resistant material, withstanding very high temperatures (to the point of scorching without the wearer being incapacitated) and very difficult to tear beyond the outermost layer, revealing a dark grey mesh underneath. Despite the thermal protection offered, however, Sweepers often experience discomfort in very hot or cold conditions regardless due to the lack of head coverage.

A Sweeper's boots are also steel-toed for additional protection. Sweepers wear tinted goggles, usually resting above the eyes for easy access when not in use (though some wear them around the neck), which are used for protection when submerged in water and other situations hazardous to eyes or eyesight, such as looking directly at flames while using the TS-2000 Flame. ​ Finally, all Sweepers are equipped with a wrist-mounted communication device in order to contact each other and the Time Factory while out on the field. The device is equipped with a small screen and microphone, usually worn on the left wrist.

Sweepers may operate individually or in teams often named after their leaders (wearing an arm band with the team emblem). All members of a team wear uniforms of the same design with the team emblem on the back of the jacket, chosen by the Sweepers themselves, while also bearing a custom-designed flag containing the team's emblem. Teams traditionally have four members, though some exceptions exist (such as Blinx's team or the Retrieval Team during the Big Crystal incident). A team of Sweepers must be organized and registered prior to any of its members taking the exam, resulting in all members having graduated together, though members may leave or join a given team after graduation as well.

Training and Abilities

A Time Sweeper's training is exceptionally extensive, ranging from combat situations with various weapons to time manipulation and problem-solving to piloting of a wide range of vehicles including boats, helicopters, and jets. A significant portion of this training takes place before officially becoming a Time Sweeper (marked by passing the Time Sweeper Graduation Exam), though training continues beyond entry into the Time Sweepers as well (from Rank 1 to 5 (Master), each marked by a star on the Sweeper's badge). A Sweeper will not be allowed to use certain functionalities of their time sweepers, including certain time controls and time control combos, until receiving the proper training to do so.

​Although Sweepers are proficient in the use of firearms and a small number of melee weapons (improvised or trained) against time monsters and intelligent opponents such as Tom Toms, they specialize in wielding sweepers (note the capitalization), ranged weapons produced by the Time Factory capable of manipulating time when used in combination with time crystals, which result from the same glitches in time that Sweepers often investigate.

Along with a Time Sweeper's training, these weapons serve a very significant role in a Sweeper's effectiveness in work, allowing for otherwise-impossible navigation of hazardous terrain and termination of threats, even rewinding time to revive the user after incapacitation. The functionalities of time sweepers are expanded upon in the time sweeper section. A given Sweeper may possess multiple sweepers at a time, though most show a preference for a single model. Sweepers may purchase different models at the Time Factory shop along with other resources, including additional ammunition, food, clothing, and laundry services, with their income alongside any additional gold from time crystals and junk exchanged at the Time Factory. The majority of Time Sweepers wield their weapons right-handed but display proficiency with both hands, presumably being trained to do so.

Trivia

  • Time Sweepers have employee ID cards. Blinx's ID is 01712.

Gallery

References

Last updated on 05 Feb 2023