Interdimensional Archives

The Archives in its defensive walking mode.

The Interdimensional Archives are a vast repository of knowledge created by the Lombaxes and located on the planet Savali of Rivet's dimension. The tribe of monks that have inhabited the backwater planet for generations took on the responsibility of maintaining and preserving them after the Lombaxes suddenly vanished many years ago. The contents of the Archives are located within a pocket dimension that is opened at the top of the large building structure. The Archives run on a Helix Generator that Ratchet can power by turning a boltcrank to stabilize a rift inside.

The monks themselves have also continuously added to the Archives all important knowledge worth being catalogued in the universe. The information stored inside them vary greatly from cross-dimensional scientific theories to best practices for maintaining your mustachio. The monks and Kit's outlook on this is that all knowledge is worth preserving. Two very notable occupants inside its vault are the blueprints for the Dimensionator and a copy of the Dimensional Map.

The Archives possess a self defense mechanism built into them by the Lombaxes; if it detects danger from attackers or a nearby interdimensional anomaly, it will enter it's defensive mode in which four huge robotic legs will protract from its base and it will walk itself away from the threat. The Lombax Mags; who created the Dimensional Map, seems to have been involved in the creation of the Archives or at the least it's security system as an automated recording of his voice will play aloud upon its defensive mode being activated.

History

Pre-Rift Apart

After the Great War with the Cragmites, the Lombaxes of Ratchet's dimension used their Dimensionator to begin exploring other dimensions and set up research outposts on planets in these other universes to further study the intricacies of the multiverse and interdimensional travel. In Rivet's dimension many years prior to either Ratchet's or Rivet's births, the Archives were created by the Lombaxes at their outpost on planet Savali and were left abandoned when they suddenly fled to their new dimension, until the Savali Monks took on the task of maintaining them.

The Plumber's son Gary; a lifelong student of the mysteries of the multiverse and a member of the Savali Monk tribe, remarks that the Archives are the greatest repository of dimensional knowledge he has ever seen. The greatly spiritually attuned Savali Monks studied this vast dimensional knowledge and with it gained special abilities, including being able to freely open rudimentary rifts in space, similar to the capabilities of the Dimensionator but to a far lesser degree. Gary was given the title of "Prophet" by the Savali Monks after he helped them decipher some of their Archives, this was done by him explaining to them what various miscellaneous things were; such as a Blargian phone book, Kerchu tooth or Terraklon love poem. When KT-7461 exiled herself to Savali, she joined the local Savali Monks. She became a trusted sister in their tribe and Gary saw much potential in her. Eventually she was appointed as his apprentice and worked often with him inside the Archives, preserving and building its contents together and being trained to learn the secrets of dimensionality and the multiverse, similar to how the Plumber had mentored Gary.

Rift Apart

When Clank meets Gary's astral form whilst repairing a dimensional anomaly on planet Saragasso, Gary tells him he resides on Savali, studying in the Archives and remarks on its incredible wealth of dimensional knowledge. Later at Zurkie's, Clank recounts this information and Ratchet volunteers to go to Savali to request Gary's help in building a new Dimensionator.

The stationary Archives next to Monktown.

Upon Ratchet meeting Gary on Savali, the prophet instructs him to find his apprentice at the Archives, located just beyond Monktown. However, the Nefarious Troopers have recently invaded the planet to intercept Ratchet's arrival. Once Ratchet repels the attacking Troopers in Monktown, he makes his way to the stationary Archives. Although upon approaching it, the Archives detect an interdimensional anomaly and raises itself up on its four robotic legs to walk itself through the Urfdah Mesa. When raising itself up, KT-7461 falls from the top and lands in front of Ratchet. The two of them decide to team up and work together to get back to the Achives and obtain the blueprints for the Dimensionator. To get back up to it however, they need help from the other monks, Gary's acolytes. The monks have been taken hostage inside force fields at their three temples by the invading troopers and need to be liberated. Upon them all being saved, Gary and the monks use their special abilities of opening rifts in space to create a path for Ratchet to boost through with his hoverboots and launch onto the top of the Archives. The Nefarious Troopers are already on the structure however and wish to plunder its contents to present to the Emperor and convert the structure into a war machine. Whilst fighting them off, KT-7461 frets that some of the Archive's contents are irreplacable and the troopers might damage them. Ratchet succeeds in destroying the attacking troopers and powers up the Helix Generator to open the rift inside the Archive's vault.

The Archives interior containing the Dimensionator blueprints and Dimensional Map.

Inside, KT-7461 is relieved that the Dimensional Map and the rest of the contents are safe. After scanning the Dimensionator blueprints and taking on the name Kit in lieu of KT-7461, several Nefarious Dropships begin bombing the Archives to destroy it, forcing her to very reluctantly transform into her aggressive Warbot form to ward off the attackers. Once the Archives are safe, Kit and Ratchet leave for planet Cordelion to use the Kedaro station's Rubion Forge to build a new Dimensionator.

A Lorb.

A Monk Scholar at an outpost on the Urfdah Mesa, had made a deal with Ratchet to find Lombax artefacts called Lorbs containing Mags' audio diary whilst creating the Dimensional Map in exchange for three Armor Pods. After Ratchet gave all twelve to him, the Scholar mused aloud if there was a section in the Archives to hold the Lorbs and after some thinking concluded; maybe.

After the Emperor's forces had departed from the planet, a Monk Scholar in Monktown informs Ratchet that restoration is well under way. He also expresses interest in designing everything to be spherical this time, perhaps an influence from the globular Lorbs Ratchet had collected for the monks. Whilst repairing a dimensional anomaly on planet Sargasso, Gary commends Kit on remembering the fundamentals of her training and remarks that she is doing work worthy of being catalogued in the Archives.

The wrecked Archives during Emperor Nefarious' invasion to steal the Dimensional Map.

Later in the story when Emperor Nefarious returns and steals the new Dimensionator, he decides to begin conquering other dimensions. To do this though he first requires the use of the Dimensional Map to obtain the coordinates for every dimension in existence, leading him to invade Savali himself and steal it from the Archives. The Emperor was already aware of the Map's existence but had no use for it until now. Before Ratchet, Clank, Rivet and Kit can reach the planet however, they find that the Emperor's forces have already destroyed the Archives and have left it in a smoking ruin. The Nefarious Troopers attempt to stop anyone from entering the Archives but Ratchet and Clank break through their forces and enter the rift into the inner vault. However inside they find that the Dimensional Map is already gone and inform Rivet and Kit, who then infiltrate the Emperor's flagship to get it back. Over the ship's loudspeaker, Dr. Nefarious expressed his interest in scouring the remaining Archives for information on everything from weapons of unimaginable power to lost episodes of Lance and Janice. The Emperor however deemed everything else in it as useless baubles that can be left to burn, with the Map being all they need. Rivet and Kit travel deeper into the ship but rather than the two Nefariouses, they instead find Gary being held prisoner. After freeing him, Gary informs them that he and the monks have hidden the Map inside a dimensional anomaly to keep it out of the Emperor's hands, but he will eventually find it unless Ratchet and Clank can get to it first. Rivet and Kit relay this information to Ratchet and Clank over their communicator, and the two leave the ruined Archives to find the anomaly in the planet's catacombs while Rivet and Kit get Gary to safety.

Ratchet and Clank looking through the Dimensional Map.

After the hard-fought defeat of Emperor Nefarious in Megalopolis during his attempted subjugation of Ratchet and Clank's dimension, the Dimensionator was recovered along with the Dimensional Map. In the ending credits of Rift Apart; Ratchet, Clank and Talwyn are seen together inside the Savali Archives where they return the Dimensional Map to it's pedestal. Earlier, whilst standing on a balcony in Monktown, Ratchet comments that he wishes Talwyn could be there to see Savali with him, and so he brings her to the planet here. Ratchet looks into one of the map's holographic viewscreens and sees the Archives' exterior, where Rivet and Kit are seen helping Gary and the monks in fixing the damages caused by the Emperor during his invasion. The Archives here are also shown to be thoroughly repaired and has regained it's defensive walking capability again after the Emperor's attacks disabled it.

Behind the scenes

Development Art