Description
The titular Fraction Paradox.
Although incredibly ununderstood and enigmatic, Object 990 is believed to be a one-of-a-kind handheld device that facilitates a rudimentary and technical form of time travel. The fact that the tool has catalogued, archived, or discernible date of creation or origin is extremely troubling due to the object's mechanics, and to ensure it stays in our "timeline" the object is being safely stored at a location only the three Overseers are aware of.
While not strictly 'alien' in its design, the mix of antiquated aesthetic and non-typical design makes the object feel otherworldly. The base of its design is made of hollow copper, and is presumed to contain a variety of wires and electronics within it. Atop the base is a more complex component, with a front made of copper, glass, and a preserved human-like eye, its back is made of bronze, brass, tin, as well a steel. The backside contains a more modern LCD screen and number keypad, the former placed above the latter. Behind these components, presumably linking with components at the base, are assumedly more alien and strange electrical and mechanical parts. In fact, the only understood feature of the device is the gold sound horn on its left which relays whatever digits are plugged into the LCD screen.
Supposed mechanism
A rough explanation of how the Fraction Paradox operates, created after countless read-through's of the objects manual.
According to the instructions that the Fraction Paradox was found with, the device's "time travel" does not actually send one into the past in a traditional, expected sense. Instead, the device generates an identical duo-reality of both The Frontrooms and Backrooms, and places you within the requested year of that timeline.1 Any changes made to this divergent timeline supposedly affect its future, however in most cases those differences would be impossible to witness first hand.
When utilising the device a second time, one can still view the effects of their own tampering. Transporting oneself to the future creates a third divergent timeline where your actions of interference still occurred, which would become the timeline one gets teleported to. The version of you created, supposedly, will have all the memories and experiences you possess, but will still be a completely different entity. Creating a new timeline and stopping their interference obviously does not cause a paradox due to this, and instead will only shape that timeline's future to be influenced based off of your actions.
Not only is returning to your original timeline impossible once the device is utilised, but covering any tracks and making a divergent timeline identical to the original is just as unfeasible. While the butterfly effect caused by "interfering" in the divergent timeline's relative history is not random, even minute actions can have drastic effects on the relative future of both that timeline and the one visited next.