Null Paradox
Null Paradox | Gertrude & Grace
When we first started our Null Paradox adventure, it was all about Gertrude & Grace~Blood Sisters from the day they met as children.
By the Love or Destiny music album, their relationship seemed to have ended, and Gertrude was left stumbling through the treacherous Glass Desert in search of answers.
A lot has changed for Gertrude.
When I first met Gertrude, she was a lost soul. I like to believe that her growth is due in part to our often contentious engagements. ~The Bully
Stumble no more. Gertrude is well on her way to discovering who she is as an individual.
Null Paradox | Deepest Hour
Deepest Hour is a love song to so many of us who have faced adversity and have found a way to climb out of a seemingly endless hole of despair.
Stream/Download
Apple (High Definition and Dolby Atmos)
Tidal (coming soon)
Lead vocals (Gertrude)~Lauren Zoeller
Backing vocals~Holly Turton
Guitars~Luis “Cancion” Calderon
Keyboards, organ, synth, bass~Tom Libertiny
Drums~Emily Dolan Davies
Music & Lyrics by Tom Libertiny
Produced by Tom Libertiny
Mixed and mastered by Luis “Cancion” Calderon
Vocals recorded by Dave Hagen, Dark Horse Studio
Cover models~Lauren Zoeller and Maddie Pfeiffer
Photography~Tom Libertiny
Lyrics
In the deepest hour of the night
I’m all alone, thoughts taking flight
Emotions flow like a river’s tide
Lost in a world I cannot hide
Searching for solace in your embrace
A love so pure, a saving grace
Melodies of passion fill the air in your touch
Your voice and all I can do is care
In the deepest hour, you’re my guiding light
Through the darkness, you’ll make everything right
With every word, and every touch, every vow
In the deepest hour, I’m yours right now
In the deepest hour. I’m yours right now
(continued after the image)
Null Paradox~Gertrude & Grace
Actor, Model, Singer~Lauren Zoeller & Maddie Pfeiffer
Concept & Photography~Tom Libertiny
Null Paradox | Physics
The nonlinearity of Gertrude’s grief leads us to the multiverse concept, which is the basis of worldbuilding within Null Paradox.
Physicists describe the multiverse as an object that contains all possible universes. At its core, the Null Paradox multiverse is the same, but how we navigate the infinite permutations of each universe within the multiverse is different.
Gertrude | Zero
To keep things understandable, the primary Gertrude is Gertrude Zero.
In Null Paradox, Gertrude’s life is a series of tiny hops from one universe to another stitched together to create the life she experiences. This is facilitated by a machine briefly described in the first book, which plays a more significant role in the second book.
But what do all the other Gertrudes do in the multiverse? Do they wait around until it’s their turn to play a fleeting part in Gertrude Zero’s life? Or do they have a life of their own that is briefly absconded by Gertrude Zero?
And how far do they, as people, stray from Gertrude Zero?
The answer to the last question~the essence of Gertrude, remains the same through all the possible permutations. But there are significant variabilities in their relationships and actions.
Unsurprisingly, what Gertrude looks like changes too.
Gertrude | One
Gertude Zero’s life started idyllically~her long days spent with Grace, her best friend. While Gertrude didn’t realize it, she had always been on the Autism Spectrum, which led to her focusing inward, much to Grace’s anger.
Their relationship was broken during their time in high school as their day-to-day interests diverged.
And then there was the seemingly random torment from The Bully.
Gertrude One is more aware of who she is. In her universe, she recognized that she plays a much more substantial role in what’s happening in her world. The repercussions of Gertrude One’s actions aren’t as different as you’d imagine from those experienced by Gertrude Zero. But, her understanding of her motivations doesn’t take as long as in Gertrude Zero’s universe.
If you linearly aligned their timelines, Gertrude One experienced things before Gertrude Zero. If only there was a way for them to communicate… Which brings us to a future story about The Bully.
Here’s the tricky part | Zero, One, and Two
The Gertrude, Grace, Victoria, and Seth that you read about are technically the primary ones. “Zero” is appended to their names to reduce confusion, as in Gertrude Zero. The adjacent universe has a Gertrude One. And so on, for all of them.