History Main / RandomTransportation

'''Ben:''' Yeah, well, make sure I back get by teatime Doctor. I've gotta get back to my ship by tonight.\\

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-507 SCP-507 ("Reluctant Dimension Hopper")]], one of the human [[SCPFoundation SCPs]] has this power, achieving teleportation by going through different dimensions with approximately the same landscape (moving from point A to B there will put him at B in the real world), but can't control when or where or how long he goes. Dimensions visited include one where there is complete darkness until you turn on a light and find yourself staring eye-to-eye with, basically, the Joker (twice), a GenderFlip dimension, one where plants scream telepathically if you eat them, one where the U.S. presidency is decided by KlingonPromotion, and another where he came back and refused to say anything but "So many spiders..."

* ''WesternAnimation/MegasXLR'' "Coop D'Etat" Coop accidentally sends Megas into a teleportation loop, causing them to transport to random place all over the universe one after another.

-->--'''''Series/DoctorWho''', "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E1TheSmugglers The Smugglers]]"''

* ''[[Anime/AbenobashiMahouShoutengai Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi]]'' features the characters jumping to various versions of their hometown's marketplace.

* ''Literature/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy:''
** The Infinite Improbability Drive causes the ship to "pass through every conceivable point in every conceivable universe almost simultaneously," meaning that you are "never sure where you'll end up or even what species you'll be when they get there" and "it's therefore important to dress accordingly".
** At one point, the space hitchhikers are stuck in a stunt-ship about to plunge into a sun (or, in the original radio version, a warship owned by an angry Haggunenon shape-shifter), and they discover a half-built teleporter which will allow them to leave but not to control where they go. (It sends Ford and Arthur back to prehistoric Earth.)
* In Gateway, the first novel of the ''Literature/HeecheeSaga'' humans have discovered an asteroid filled with small alien spaceships which may travel to an unknown destination when activated. While many never return, or take long enough that travellers have run out of supplies and died, the riches and fame to be gained from discovering important resources or alien technology mean there is no shortage of volunteers to fly them. Later in the series, it's revealed that they were placed with the intention of humans studying and learning from the technology, the Heechee never thought humans would be stupid enough to blindly launch themselves around the galaxy [[spoiler: and now we've alerted the aliens the Heechee were hiding from that we're here]].

[[folder: Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/QuantumLeap'' featured Sam Beckett leaping at various points in history to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong. He never knows what time period or into which person he'll Leap into next. A hint of this is almost always TheStinger for a given episode. The leaps generally occurred within the U.S. and stayed within Sam's lifetime. Though special circumstances have seen these rules broken at least once.

* ''Series/{{Sliders}}''
** The show has wormholes the characters can use to go from one alternate Earth to another. The catch is that they have no control over ''which'' worlds they go to. Their timer does gain a small upgrade to allow some control, enabling them to visit any world they have previously been to and track other wormhole users.
** Originally, the Sliders' timer worked within a specific radius so that no matter which alternate Earth they visited, they were always in the San Francisco area. One of their antagonists made an adjustment to the timer, increasing this radius to 400 miles; meaning the Sliders could now potentially wind up in San Francisco, Los Angeles, or anyplace in between.

** The First and Second Doctors had little to no control over where the TARDIS went in any given serial. Even later, when the Doctor did gain better control, it was often difficult to wind up exactly where he wanted to go. This was particularly troublesome for companions who wanted to go home (Ian & Barbara, Ben & Polly, Tegan).
** It's been stated in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E4TheDoctorsWife The Doctor's Wife]]" that the TARDIS itself chooses where to go based on where the Doctor is needed.
** The Fourth Doctor invoked this trope by installing a randomizer into the TARDIS in order to evade the Black Guardian following the Key to Time arc.
** The Tenth Doctor invoked the randomizer for fun in "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E3PlanetOfTheOod Planet of the Ood]]."
* This was the critical downside to a Leviathan's 'Starbrust' in ''Series/{{Farscape}}.'' For this reason it's most often used as an emergency escape rather than a regular mode of travel.
* In the ''Franchise/StarTrek'' {{Verse}} wormholes can be used ''in principle'' for very long distance interstellar travel, but in practice aren't because they're unstable and can land you at any random location in the galaxy with no guarantee that they'll open up again to bring you back.
** The wormhole in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' is notably stable, taking you from point X in the Alpha Quadrant to point Y in the Gamma Quadrant and back again every time; but that's because it was artificially created by the Prophets/wormhole aliens instead of being a natural phenomenon.
* ''{{Series/Battlestar Galactica|2003}}:'' as evidenced by the final episode, the jump drives could theoretically take you ''anywhere'' but the problem is one of navigation: beyond comparatively short distances the jump equations become "non-linear" and it becomes impossible to calculate an intended destination.
* In ''Series/{{Rentaghost}}'', Nadia Popov would randomly teleport whenever she sneezed, and suffered from allergies. In the novels, her powers (like those of many other ghosts) were actually activated by touching her own nose - but every time she sneezed she covered her nose and ended up triggering her power.

[[folder: Magazines]]

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' and Warp travel (a demon-infested alternate dimension that allows FTL travel, sped up or hampered by Warp currents). While ships have a Navigator that allows them to navigate the Warp currents, all too often they end up adrift, and when (if) they do return to realspace, it's only occasionally on target, when not in deep space. And then there's the fact that sometimes you don't even come back at the right ''time'', as one ork Waaaagh found when they ran into their future selves (that one ended in considerable confusion, as the future!warboss killed past!warboss in order to have two sets of his favorite gun).

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft:''
** The item "Scroll of Recall" could potentially have this effect. Normally it acts similar to a Hearthstone, sending you back to a previously set home point. If your level is too high for that particular level of scroll, however, the effect becomes more random.
** Also, the archeology artifact, The Last Relic of Argus, is a highly sought after item, because it is a teleporter that you can use during combat, with no casting time. The downside: ''it picks your destination point at random.'' At least the Last Relic takes three seconds to activate, so it's not instant, but it's a whole lot faster than a hearthstone/Astral Recall exit. Also, the destination is selected at random from a large list but you'll always end up at one of the locations. The benefit is that all possible destinations are safe.
** There is a Druid-only spell called One With Nature that functions a lot like the Last Relic of Argus, sending the Druid using it to a random location. In this case, they are all natural locations ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as the name implies]]) such as forests, glades, or jungles.
** Later engineer-built items open a wormhole that will take you to a zone you choose. The catch is that it'll send you to one of several places in the zone, and it's not uncommon to end up materializing 100 yards above the ground. Hope you have a Goblin Glider Kit or other slow-fall ability....
* In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'', Elizabeth and Booker make use of Elizabeth's ability to open "tears" between alternate universes first as a means to an end; they regularly open tears to universes where there are supplies stored in the immediate area when they need supplies, to universes with doors or platforms, etc. This trope comes into play because they insist on [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer using it as a cure-all]]; when they discover an essential contact has been tortured to death, they deliberately choose to do the ''opposite'' - travel to an alternate universe where the contact has ''not'' been executed... only to discover that ''every other aspect of that universe'' is up for grabs, resulting in an entirely different set of problems. And despite that, they do it again to ''move some machinery'', dropping them into a universe where those problems have become even worse. Only at the very end of the game does Elizabeth gain the ability to choose exactly which reality they enter. [[spoiler:They ultimately attempt to use it as a ResetButton - and [[GainaxEnding are left uncertain if it worked]]]].
* The old DOS game ''Laser Chess'' has one Hypercube piece on each side, plus the center square is also a Hypersquare. Moving one's piece onto the Hypercube or Hypersquare would cause it to reappear on a random empty square on the 9 by 9 board. The Hypercubes could also be moved to achieve the same effect.
* ''[[VideoGame/EscapeVelocity Escape Velocity: Nova]]'' has 20[[note]]Actually 21 but one doesn't work.[[/note]] [[OurWormholesAreDifferent wormhole]] ends that send ships instantly[[note]]In zero days just like Hypergates.[[/note]], but randomly, to other ends. By re-entering the wormholes it's possible to randomly cycle through them and end up the where you want.
* In {{Roguelike}}s teleportation is random by default. In some games the player can gain an item or ability to control the destination.
* In the Tanks game of [[Creator/MidwayGames Bally/Midway's]] arcade game {{VideoGame/TRON}}, a pink diamond in the middle of the maze is used to teleport the player's tank to a random location.
* In ''{{VideoGame/Asteroids}}'', hyperspace is used as an emergency escape, sometimes dropping you right in front of another asteroid.
* ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' 2 had a spell called Teleportation Field. When cast, it created a zone that would cause every enemy within it to be randomly teleported to another location within the zone each round. There was no saving throw and it ignored magic resistance. The spell was useless most of the time, except in a couple of duels, since you could cast the spell so that half the zone was inside the arena and half was out. If the enemy stayed in the zone long enough, they'd eventually be teleported outside the arena and you could turn the 1 on 1 fight into a 5 on 1 [[CurbStompBattle beatdown]].

* In ''Webcomic/EmergencyExit'', the main characters have a portal which transports them to random dimensions. Frequently used to start crossovers by having them transport to that comics dimension.
* In ''Webcomic/OnePieceGrandLine3Point5'', Zoro's NoSenseOfDirection is played in this manner. If Zoro needs to somewhere without a guide to help, his player has to roll a ''hundred-sided die'' to determine if he even gets there.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' had a time travel story arc where they lost the correct configuration for the crystal sculpture thingy and had to do this until they got back home, [[CutShort which unfortunately they never did]].

* The ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' item "Scroll of Recall" could potentially have this effect. Normally it acts similar to a Hearthstone, sending you back to a previously set home point. If your level is too high for that particular level of scroll, however, the effect becomes more random.

* ''{{Series/Battlestar Galactica|Reimagined}}:'' as evidenced by the final episode, the jump drives could theoretically take you ''anywhere'' but the problem is one of navigation: beyond comparatively short distances the jump equations become "non-linear" and it becomes impossible to calculate an intended destination.

* In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'', Elizabeth and Booker make use of Elizabeth's ability to open "tears" between alternate universes first as a means to an end; they regularly open tears to universes where there are supplies stored in the immediate area when they need supplies, to universes with doors or platforms, etc. This trope comes into play because they insist on [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer using it as a cure-all]]; when they discover an essential contact has been tortured to death, they deliberately choose to do the ''opposite' - travel to an alternate universe where the contact has ''not'' been executed... only to discover that ''every other aspect of that universe'' is up for grabs, resulting in an entirely different set of problems. And despite that, they do it again to ''move some machinery'', dropping them into a universe where those problems have become even worse. Only at the very end of the game does Elizabeth gain the ability to choose exactly which reality they enter. [[spoiler:They ultimately attempt to use it as a ResetButton - and [[GainaxEnding are left uncertain if it worked]]]].

* In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'', Elizabeth and Booker travel to alternate realities during the course of the story due to Elizabeth's ability to open "tears". This trope comes into play because they insist on [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer using it as a cure-all]]; they open a tear to a universe where there are supplies stored in the area when they need supplies, to universes with doors or platforms where they need them, etc. Then they deliberately choose to cross to a universe where an essential contact has ''not'' been executed... and it turns out ''every other aspect of that universe'' is up for grabs. And despite that, they do it again to ''move some machinery''. Only at the very end of the game does she gain the ability to choose exactly which reality they enter.

* ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'': Toward the climax of the movie, the thinning of the boundaries between the dimensions caused by [[WhenThePlanetsAlign the Nine Worlds aligning]] causes several random teleportations for Thor and Malekith, sending them through different Worlds before bringing them back at several spots around London.

* In ''Webcomic/OnePieceGrandLine3Point5'', Zoro's NoSenseOfDirection is played in this manner. If Zoro needs to somewhere without a guide to help, his player has to roll a ''hundred-sided die'' to determine if he even gets there.

!Examples

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

* The protagonists of ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' travel the multiverse in search of Princess Sakura's scattered memories--however, they rarely know what kind of world they will end up in next, just that there is a "memory feather" in it somewhere.

[[folder: Literature]]

[[folder: Video Games]]

[[folder: Webcomics]]

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

* In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'', Elizabeth and Booker travel to alternate realities during the course of the story due to Elizabeth's ability to open "tears". This trope comes into play because they insist on [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer using it as a cure-all]]; they open a tear to a universe where there are supplies stored in the area when they need supplies, to universes with doors or platforms where they need them, etc. Then they deliberately choose to cross to a universe where an essential contact has ''not'' been executed... and it turns out ''every other aspect of that universe'' is up for grabs. And despite that, they do it again to ''move some machinery'' and of course ItGotWorse. Only at the very end of the game does she gain the ability to choose exactly which reality they enter.

* In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'', Elizabeth and Booker travel to alternate realities during the course of the story due to Elizabeth's ability to open tears. It's implied, however, that she has no control over ''which'' reality the pair enters until near the end of the game.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' had a time travel story arc where they lost the correct configuration for the crystal sculpture thingy and had to do this until they got back home.

* ''WesternAnimatioin/TheSmurfs'' had a time travel story arc where they lost the correct configuration for the crystal sculpture thingy and had to do this until they got back home.

* In ''Webcomic/OnePieceGrandLine3point5'', Zoro's NoSenseOfDirection is played in this manner. If Zoro needs to somewhere without a guide to help, his player has to roll a ''hundred-sided die'' to determine if he even gets there.

** Also in ''Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'', depending on the medium, the space hitchhikers are either stuck in a stunt-ship meant to plunge into the Kakrafoon sun as a stage pyrotechnic for a Disaster Area gig. (novelisation and LP record), or they are escaping from angry Haggunenon shape-shifters (radio). They discover a half-built teleporter which will allow them to leave but not to control where they go. (It sends Ford and Arthur back to prehistoric Earth)

* The protagonists of ''Manga/TsubasaChronicle'' travel the multiverse in search of Princess Sakura's scattered memories--however, they rarely know what kind of world they will end up in next, just that there is a "memory feather" in it somewhere.

* ''[[Videogame/EscapeVelocity Escape Velocity: Nova]]'' has 20[[note]]Actually 21 but one doesn't work.[[/note]] [[OurWormholesAreDifferent wormhole]] ends that send ships instantly[[note]]In zero days just like Hypergates.[[/note]], but randomly, to other ends. By re-entering the wormholes it's possible to randomly cycle through them and end up the where you want.

[[/folder]]

->'''The Doctor:''' You are now traveling through time and space.\\
'''Ben:''' Yeah, well, make sure I back get by teatime Doctor. I've gotta get back to my ship by tonight.\\
'''The Doctor:''' Young man, it's going to be a long time before you see your ship again!\\
'''Ben:''' Aye?\\
'''Polly:''' Why? When are we going to land?\\
'''The Doctor:''' I don't know, and that's the cause of half my trouble through my journeys. I never know.\\
'''Polly:''' Why not?\\

-->'''''Series/DoctorWho''', "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS4E1TheSmugglers The Smugglers]]"''