Oh, god.
- World War I, the start.
- 1914.
When that australian guy
got shot dead.
Says austrian here.
- Uh, stock market crash of...
- 1929, october.
Yeah.
Scopes trial.
1925, Tennessee.
- Can you see through these?
- No!
- Are you sure?
- Yes.
Uh-huh. All right.
Okay. What happened
december 7, 1941?
- Bombing of Pearl Harbor.
- Uh-huh. Right again.
Mm-hmm.
January 3, 1959?
Alaska becomes the 49th state.
July 6, 1954.
July 6, 1954.
- You should know this one, Hillary.
- Don't tell me.
- Uh, something about... McCarthy.
- No.
No.
Uhh.
- Polio vaccine!
- No.
- What? Tell me!
- It's my birthday.
Like I'm very sure that's
gonna be on the test.
Just very sure.
- And you must be Mr. Wilson.
- That's right.
I'd like just a minute
of your time.
Who's she?
Hello?
How many bedrooms?
About five.
Who are you?
- Iovine. Madame Iovine.
- All on the second floor?
- One on the third.
- Ah.
Not much storage,
is there?
Oh, not criticizing,
just commenting.
Let's see
what we have up here.
Let's just start all over again.
What do you want?
Lodging.
This is an inn, isn't it?
Wait a minute. Are you the one
who talked to Sue Appleton
at the hotel with...
Obliging woman,
isn't she?
- Didn't she tell you
that we're not open yet?
- Yes, she did.
And how are we set
for lavatories?
- My, what a handsome child. Yours?
- Uh... Yeah.
Going to be
a heartbreaker, this one.
Just give him a few years.
- This is Hillary.
- His daughter.
Ohhh. Well, don't you worry,
child. The chest will be along
any time now.
Oh, and what do
we have here?
Well, I must say,
I wasn't overly impressed
with the rest of it,
But this is... Grand.
- Simply... Grand.
- Listen, madame.
- Iovine. How much for three nights?
- Yeah.
Take a look over here.
See that hole where a door
normally goes,
All that sawdust
out in the hall?
We're not open yet.
You're gonna have to make
other arrangements.
What about the hotel in town?
Oh, no.
No, no, no.
Not the hotel.
- Well, I don't know
what to tell you.
- You can tell me...
How much?
Three nights.
Five rooms.
- Name your price.
- Uh, you know, dad,
I could just...
Sweep up all this sawdust.
So, what's the story?
Do we unload or don't we?
Your price,
Mr. Wilson?
You're going to have to do
without some of the usual
amenities, all right?
Grand.
Simply grand.
Okeydoke! Every man
for him... self.
Kleph, Tod...
I think that you'll find
this is suitable.
Chiron, Andar...
I believe that
you will be comfortable...
Right over here.
And, uh, Jana, Spall... please.
Reeve? Reeve...
You and Omerie,
over here.
All righty.
Every man for himself.
We're here, Mr. Oscar.
Upstairs.
Ohh.
For the love of Michael.
Yeah.
Getcha a new bulb.
Ben, uh, by the way.
Ben Wilson.
Spall.
Spall.
So, you folks,
you been on the road long?
Our tour began
some time ago.
Ah. Where you all...
where you all from?
- South California.
- Southern California?
Not there, Mr. Oscar.
Up here on the third floor.
Come on. Hurry.
Maybe they haven't started yet.
- Still got paint in my hair.
- What are you doin'?
Just pull your hair up!
So everyone will think
I'm a handsome little boy?
- Forget you, Charlie.
- Come on. Come on.
[ "wedding march" playing ]
Oh, no!
They already started.
- It's okay. It's perfect.
- Perfect?
Yeah, we'll be the first ones
at the reception. Come on.
I don't know. Those church bells
haven't rung in 10, 12 years now.
Someone said 18...
Storm of '73?
Regardless, they got to be
rusted out pretty good.
Climbed the belfry yesterday,
first time.
- It's quite a mess I inherited.
- Yeah. No-no doubt.
Um, excuse me
just a second.
- Can I help you, miss?
- Give me some money.
- Okay. Yeah. Okay.
- Quick.
- Come on. Come on.
It's for the dollar dance.
- Gonna dance with uncle Doug?
- Here's 20. All I got...
- Thank you.
Hillary, I'm sure
he's got change.
I understand
you used to be a contractor?
- Yeah. Yeah. Still am.
- Stop by for a look, Ben.
Maybe what we need
is someone like you...
Local citizen,
man good with his hands.
What if the rest of him
were as good as those hands?
Ben. Ben. Ben. I never
expected to see you here.
What are you doing drinking
that skunk piss? Come on.
Look at this.
You're after the good stuff.
- I've got ten cases of Heineken here.
- No, I'm all set. Thanks.
Oh, that's right.
I heard you had a little trouble
with the hooch lately.
Well, you've tried
the hors d'oeuvres,
haven't ya?
Good. Good.
Oh, that cake. You got to
have a piece of that.
Take some of it
home with you, Ben.
I paid for half
of everything here, Ben,
and what's mine is yours.
Right? It's all in the family.
Right, Ben?
I didn't know
you two were related.
I was married to
the judge's daughter, Carolyn.
She's passed away.
- I'm sorry.
- Not nearly as sorry
as some of us.
Why did you even come here?
- Well, see, I got this invitation.
- You got an announcement.
Good night, reverend.
I didn't actually see
the accident myself, reverend.
but other people did,
and they say...
Why don't you just leave
bad enough alone, all right?
Aww, that's right, Ben.
You just leave.
Because what you
do best, isn't it?
that girl deserves
a better father, reverend.
What kind of man can
run away while his wife dies?
What kind of man, Ben?
You tell me that, huh?
Would you just let it go?
Would just please stop?
Hmph. Every day...
More and more like
your mother every day.
Hillary!
- Ooh, dad! Did you see that?
- Ooh, yeah.
- Oh, and another! Look it! Look it!
- Yeah, it's a meteor shower.
- It's, uh...
- Wow.
Perseid or something.
No, no. No, no, no, no.
That's-that's August.
This is another one.
What's that tune?
What?
The one from piano class?
The one mom
used to play.
What's it called?
You know.
# Na-na, na-na, na
na-na, na-na... #
I just have
this picture of her...
sitting at the piano
playing that one song.
That stuff your grandfather
was saying tonight...
Oh, that.
I know
it's a bunch of garbage.
Doesn't he want to sleep inside?
Sh-sh, shh.
Guess not.
Should we ask him?
Uhh, I don't want to
wake him up. Come on.
- Well, he can't sleep like that.
- Well, apparently he can. Let's go.
Now, it might get
kind of cold tonight, so...
you need a blanket
or anything?
Mmm.
- Mm, just that.
- Just that.
Okay, get some sleep.
Okay?
- Good night.
- Good night.
- "Fur Elise".
- Hm?
The song your mother
used to play.
# Bum-bum, bum-bum
bum-bum, bum bum-bum... #
"Fur Elise".
"Fur Elise".
[ piano: "Fur Elise" ]
It's one of the grandest
springtimes in recorded history.
Retropologist.
You'll see.
He'll miss it, you'll see.
After all of my careful planning,
he will actually miss the spectacle!
Andar, would you please
check once again?
- Hi.
- Hi.
I just... I was just...
I was making sure that...
I just thought I sell...
smelled something.
I was just
making sure that...
What sort of smell,
Mr. Wilson?
Huh, smokey.
Sweet. Kind of smokey.
- Tea. Just tea.
- Oh.
Ahh.
Mmm.
Ahh... Mmm.
Mmm...
Mmm.
Mmm...
I know what you're thinking.
Oh, look. There it is.
They used to call them
"kissing bridges".
Because?
Because, in the old days
when kids would go out
on a hayride,
They'd stop
under the bridge to kiss...
Where no one
could see them.
Mm.
Mmm.
Are you sure they called them
"kissing bridges"?
- Nothing else?
- Mm.
Five minutes.
We'll be home
in five minutes.
Time me.
Oh, god!
I'll get it.
Thank you very much.
Late again, Mr. Quish.
Well, come in.
Come in!
Your things are all
waiting for you upstairs.
Oh, yeah... Good example.
Mm-hm.
Post-gothic ersatz, isn't it?
- Queen Anne, actually.
- Mr. Quish.
Mr. Wilson.
He owns this house.
- And he's staying here with us.
- Really?
How uncommon.
So nice of you to join us.
And how was your ride?
- My ride?
- Mm-hm.
Oh, yes.
Thank you. Fine.
My ride here
was no trouble whatsoever.
Uh, come up, Mr. Quish.
Come along. I'm sure that you'll
want to bathe and change,
And I know that Mr. Wilson
would like to retire.
Come on.
Ash?
Mrs. Beecher.
I know... I know you didn't
expect to work till june, but...
Oh, no bother at all.
Morning.
Mornin'.
- How'd you sleep?
- You kiddin'?
- That's the rolls-royce
of motor coaches.
- Good. Great.
- How do you take your coffee?
- Black and sassy.
- Tourists up?
- Yeah, I heard stirrin's up there.
- Supposed to do
some sightseein' today.
- Yeah?
- Where they headed?
- Well, here as far as I know.
- Green Glen?
- Yeah.
Dandy little town.
- Must be nice
if you're city types.
- Mm.
- What city they from?
- I don't believe they mentioned it.
- Where'd you hook up with 'em?
- Oh, about ten miles
this side of Middleton.
Ah.
There isn't anything ten miles
this side of Middleton.
Which is where I found 'em.
Just standin' dead center to nowhere
and bags piled upside the road.
Huh.
That's a little odd.
- What a beautiful day.
- Hello.
- Very bright, isn't it?
- Here we are.
- I believe it's oak.
- Humpft.
I heard one of them say
somethin' about "the spectacle"?
What's that?
- "Spectacle"?
- Yeah.
Sure it wasn't "festival"?
'Cause there's that River Days Festival
over there in Galley county.
No, I don't think so.
No.
Rutabaga festival
over in Cloverdale.
No. This was
"the spectacle".
Well, I tell ya what I did find
just a taste odd.
- I mean, they're supposed
to be tourists, right?
- Yeah?
I haven't seen one of 'em
with a camera.
Not a one.
Oh, grand morning, isn't it?
Shaping up
pretty interesting.
Never seen so many thin people
in one room before.
- Treaty of Versailles?
- 1919.
- Tennessee valley authority?
- 1933.
- My birthday?
- 1954.
Don't you forget it!
- It's the wrong day!
- What?
It's not Sadie Hawkins Day!
Oh, my kid the genius.
- Okay. Good luck!
- Dad, come back. I got to change!
On this side.
All right.
- Bye!
- Yoo-hoo!
Well, I don't see the logic
in replacing these bells.
And they're solid bronze.
They're gonna outlive
you and me both.
The rest
of this stuff though...
- It's pretty bad, you know?
- Yeah. Yeah, see?
Rusted clear through.
It's got to be rebuilt, all of it.
Is it somethin' you could do?
Uh, I don't know.
It's a pretty big job.
Maybe you should talk to
somebody who specializes
in this kind of thing.
There's one company
up in Columbus.
I don't even want to tell ya
what they'd charge us.
- Uh-huh.
- Maybe you could...
Get started once
the inn is up and running?
Well, it could be summer,
late summer.
Bells haven't rung in 18 years.
What's a few more months?
Uh-huh.
I take this job, I don't have
to fix this thing too, do I?
This is miracle.
It still works.
It's a little fast,
but it works.
Oh, boy. This is
a piece of engineering,
this is. Whoo!
Whew!
I found some old, uh,
newspapers up here.
And there was a story
about the, uh...
The sleigh and the, uh,
the horse.
It's terrible how it happened.
and I didn't know Carolyn,
of course, but, uh,
I couldn't help
but feel for her.
- For you both.
- It's done with, reverend, okay?
Didn't seem like
the judge thought so,
Not the other night
at the reception, huh?
Then why don't you just
take it up with him?
'Cause, trust me,
he's the only one that wants
to talk about it anymore.
Howdy.
Barry, why don't you
turn the car around?
Hey! Are you all right?
What happened?
- Is he all right?
- Did he cut his head?
No, I'm fine, really.
- You want me to call somebody?
- I got him.
Okay.
Whoa!
Here, just put him
in the truck. Right in there.
Friend of yours, Ben?
Well... n-no, no.
He's just staying with us
up at the inn.
That's a lateral view, Ben.
No fractures.
Nothing unusual.
Frontal view.
- See it?
- Uh-uh.
It doesn't show up
in the lateral photo.
It's that thin.
And it's perfectly centered
behind the optic nerves.
- What is it?
- That's what I asked him.
- And?
- He wouldn't say.
Wouldn't say a thing.
- Truck's over there.
- I'll walk. Thank you.
Dangerous habit
you have, walkin'.
Besides, we still have to
talk about the x ray.
An abnormality
of the photographic process,
that's all it was.
We needn't attach
any significance to it.
None whatsoever.
San Mateo county,
California, 1906.
Lakehurst,
New Jersey, 1937.
- Spirit Lake, Washington, 1980.
- How did you...
Funny. You know... It looks like
a regular passport on the outside.
- But on the inside...
- I'd like that back, please.
And on the inside it's got
all these weird stamps.
Now at first
I wasted a lot of time
trying to figure out,
"Why would someone
need a passport to travel around
inside the country?"
Please, we're supposed to
keep those with us all the time.
And then, I got started
on the dates.
Now, how could anybody
have been to all those places,
all those years...
Give it back!
Tell me somethin', Mr. Quish.
What year are you from?
Okay.
All right.
Tell me this.
Why the inn?
Why my place?
Hey! You want it back
or not? Talk to me!
I'll say one thing,
Mr. Wilson,
And believe me when I tell you
it is more than I should say.
Leave. Today.
Take your family and do not
come back until you're absolutely
certain it is safe for you to do so.
All right. Single file.
- Oh, Sue. Hi.
- Oh, hi, Ben. How did it
work out with those tourists?
Fine.
Have you seen Hillary?
She usually waits for me over
by the bike rack when I'm late.
- No, I haven't. Sorry.
- She left.
She le... you saw her?
She wasn't walkin' home, was she?
- She left with some man.
- Man?
Some ma... what man?
Mr. Talbert. Excuse me.
Uh, Ben Wilson.
Somebody just said that
my daughter left with some man.
- Hillary?
- Yeah.
- I thought you knew.
- Knew what?
- He told me it was all arranged.
- Who did?
- Her Grandfather, the judge.
- Her...
They aren't here, Ben.
They-they really aren't.
She's all right, Ben.
I know that isn't
very consoling right now,
But please try not
to make things any worse
than they already are.
Can I help you?
He took my daughter.
I want to file a complaint,
and then I want you...
to go out there and you
get that son of a bitch.
And you haul his ass in.
It's a writ
of temporary custody, Ben.
Signed this day, may 2,
by the honorable Albert T. Riskin,
and executed in the county seat.
Riskin. Who is he, one of your
country club buddies or something?
What the hell did you say about...
I can't believe this!
Single-parent, Ben... Financially
unstable, alcoholic tendencies,
Wife who died under
questionable circumstances.
- It was a hard sell, Ben.
- She's my daughter!
Yes! But in time we're hoping
she'll overcome that handicap.
- Hey, hey, hey!
- Where's she at?
Where you got her?
- I'm not an unreasonable man, Ben.
- I'm fine. I'm fine. Back off.
Let him alone.
You...
- He can't do this!
He cannot do this to me...
- Shut up.
- It's your call, judge.
- You go near that girl in
the next 72 hours,
And this son of a bitch is gonna
slam you in jail so fast...
You're gonna make
a sonic boom!
Now you get him
the hell out of here.
He took my daughter!
He just took her
away from me!
How's it feel, Ben?
Oh, how does it feel?
Leaving us, Mr. Wilson?
Just runnin'
to the goodwill.
Can I carry something?
Got it.
Thanks.
You haven't seen
Oscar around, have you?
He mentioned something about
going to do some business
with the charter office,
But he should be back soon.
Why not wait?
Not that important.
Heads up.
Perhaps you'd like to leave him
a note. I'd be happy to see
that he gets it.
Thanks anyway.
I understand there was
a mishap with Mr. Quish this morning,
and you came to his assistance.
A bunch of people did.
Well, we certainly
appreciate the fact that you did.
As I'm sure he did.
Did you have
a chance to talk some,
you and Mr. Quish?
What did he...
Oscar... Oscar...
I don't know his last name.
He's one of
your bus drivers.
Listen. Would you just
tell him to call Ben Wilson over
at the Appleton hotel.
Right.
The Appleton hotel.
Yes.
Thank you. Bye.
- Looks like it's number five.
- Okay. Here. Sue.
- Don't even think about it.
No. No, no, no.
We're getting ready
to sit down to supper.
You want to join us?
- Australia...
- no, I got it covered.
"California, 1906."
Should know this one.
Hillary, you should know
this one. Come on.
Oh, Jesus.
What are you doin'?
So,
Why did you move out, Ben?
Hey. You only miss 'em
when they're gone, right?
I never asked you to leave.
Yeah. Well, that's because
you never talked to me.
Well, maybe
I was waiting for you.
Maybe I wasn't allowed
to speak first.
So, how do you like
your tea, Ben?
Strong, I bet.
She sent you, didn't she?
Madame Iovine, to find out
if I know, right?
We know you know, Ben.
That's obvious.
Question is, what are you
going to do about it?
- No.
- It really is tea.
Mildly euphoric,
but it is.
And better than what
you were drinking before.
Ahh... We're just tourists, Ben.
That's all.
We're not going
to harm you or anyone.
- So why did Quish
tell me to leave?
- Mmm.
He shouldn't have.
It's against all the rules.
What rules?
Rules that say
we can't talk about the rules.
Oh, well. Okay.
Let's talk about you,
Reeve...
Who you are
and who you aren't.
Well...
Who aren't we, Ben?
Who do you think...
I'm sick of it, all right? I'm sick
of your whole damn act.
Now, if you came up here
to drum up some tea party,
I ain't interested.
But if you came up here to
convince me not to talk, not to tell
people what little I do know,
Then you damn well better start
talkin' and start talkin' to me.
And I do not mean
in circles.
I want you
to imagine something.
I want you to think
of a very different place
that doesn't even exist.
In this imaginary world,
all is grand.
You don't need to work.
You're never sick.
You're never hungry.
You're never cold nor hot.
You're healthy and safe
from the day you're born.
And until the day you die,
nothing ever goes wrong.
It's a grand world, Ben.
Most perfect.
And that's its one flaw.
So, I told you
what I imagine, Ben.
Now you tell me
what you imagine.
Of the future?
Of when you were
watching at my door.
Tell me
what you imagine, Ben?
And then let me show you
what we can really do.
Well, well, well.
Quite a little party
we seemed to have had.
All right,
what did he say?
He knows
where we're from.
But he doesn't
understand much else.
Oh, these bygoners just
can't handle their tea, can they?
- We'll have to report quish...
- Oh!
- to the undersecretary.
- We'll do nothing of the kind.
- [ Indistinct ]
- Clearly a violation, agreed?
One incident like this
can shut down the entire tour.
Is that what you want,
any of you? Go back right now?
Well, what does it matter,
even if he knows about us?
The spectacle is tonight.
A few more hours
and it will be done.
Poor thing. What about him?
We can't just leave.
Come along, Reeve.
You mustn't be late
for the spectacle.
Shit!
- What is this shit?
- Just water, thank your lucky stars.
Oh, god, I hurt.
- Well, that's good.
- That's good?
Well, proves you're alive.
Couldn't tell by your pulse.
Oh, I can't remember
what happened.
It has to do
with something...
Something with... Reeve.
Tourist gal?
Why can't I remember
what they were talking...
They were talkin'
about a special...
Spectacle!
Spec... Oscar!
Oscar!
Oscar,
what happened tonight?
Well, you tell me.
Juicy part first.
No! No! No, tonight.
What happened? What time is it?
Uh, a quarter to 11:00.
Where are they?
Where are the tourists?
Are they here?
Why, in the hotel?
I didn't see 'em.
- No, in town! Are they still in town?
- Well, they're up at the inn,
as far as I know.
- What's that smell?
- Shh-shh.
I'll see... I can't tell you
how relieved I am.
Nothing that we really
couldn't handle after all.
This is the moment that makes
everything worthwhile.
Didn't I tell you this is
the perfect location? Didn't I?
- It's not a meteor shower.
- They fixed the light.
That's your big spectacle, Ben.
No, they're from the future, Oscar.
They're here for somethin' else,
somethin' bad.
"Future". Why?
Look, I was in the doctor's office
when that other tourist... Quish...
came in. He got x-rayed.
- You hang around
the doctor's office a lot?
- No, I'm serious.
Look. They got... they got passports.
They carry these passports.
And in them
they got these dates.
Dates and places
where they go to. Look.
- I'm gonna go for a little snooze.
- No, no. I'm serious.
- I'm tired.
- Listen, listen...
Hey, Ben, they're harmless.
They're just tourists.
They're not aliens.
They're not anything else.
They're just completely...
Har-harmless.
Whoa.
What is it?
What have you done?
What a magnificent sighting.
Grand!
Simply grand.
Hillary.
Ben, what is it?
What the hell is it?
[ man on radio ]
...the possible cause of the
explosion over in Green Glen.
One caller to the station,
an eyewitness apparently,
says it looked like a big ball
of fire falling out of the sky.
But we have no official
confirmation as of yet.
- Get me out of here!
- It's a go.
Hillary!
- Hillar... Where's Hillary?
- What's happening, Ben?
- We woke up to this
hellacious noise!
- Where's Hillary?
- And there was
that god-awful crash!
- Where is she?
- Dad!
- Hillary!
Come on. Come... oh.
It's gonna be okay.
It's okay. It's okay.
It's okay. It's okay.
It's okay.
It's okay. It's okay.
It's okay.
Come on. Come on.
That's it!
Up there!
We didn't know where to go.
Remember to turn off the gas?
Could you find him?
You're gonna be okay.
Where's...
where's the hotel?
And... and the cafe?
The sheriff's station?
That's why...
That's why
they wouldn't stay there.
The school! They're setting up
a shelter at the school!
If you don't have a place,
anybody who can't find your family,
go to the school!
Meteorite.
That's what somebody said.
What are the chances?
Where's Rafferty?
- Doesn't he live over there?
- Yeah, over there. Behind the...
No, no... [ indistinct ]
All right, look.
I'll go find out for sure. You...
Look at that.
- Take my daughter.
- No, wait! I'm staying with you!
Get into the shelter.
You'll be okay.
Let's see what we can do.
Come on.
Let's stay together everyone.
Careful!
- No one...
- Hey-hey!
- It's so beautiful.
- Oh, Ben, not now.
There's just
too much to see.
- So much damage.
- Watch your step.
Please,
watch your step.
I tried to tell you.
- I did try.
- California, 1906.
That was the earthquake.
Washington, 1980... That's why
you had ash on your shoes.
You'd just come from
mount Saint Helens. What else?
We got New Jersey, 1937.
What was that? Was that a flood,
tornado? What?
- Mishap with a dirigible.
- Oh, yeah. Hindenburg, course. Yeah.
You do it all over the place, don't you?
You're on a tour of these things.
I have work here...
retropology.
I study the past first hand,
how things worked.
- Artifacts, architecture,
technical systems...
- Tell me something, quish.
You got some good shots
in your head?
You got some good pictures
stored away up there, huh?
Tell me. Tell me!
My psychographs
are for historical purposes,
nothing else.
If there is a fotomat back home
running a two-for-one deal,
send me a set!
Glossy finish. Because I just want
a little keepsake for all this death
and destruction!
We cannot become involved.
Rule number one of the travel code:
- "No contamination of native..."
- One more word out of you, Mr. Quish,
And you'll be doing your research
out of... dusty old books.
We'll be moving on soon,
leaving your time. Your town.
As far as any of us
are concerned, you're just
a bright young bygoner...
Who happened to make some
rather astute assumptions.
I'm willing to let it go at that.
If you are.
Coming, Quish?
Grand, isn't it?
Hey, kids!
Hey, hey. Come on!
You better get away from here!
Come on. It's not safe up here.
- Let's get out of here!
- Hey. Hey!
Your name, please?
What was you reaction when you
first heard the sound?
Can you describe
the sound for us?
Did you know any of the deceased?
Were there any fatalities in your family?
Please.
Try to talk to us.
All right. Come on, Come on now.
We can't allow the news media inside.
- A hundred dollars.
- Hey. Already taken.
I will give you a hundred dollars
for this cot.
Well, you can lay there...
For a second.
Thank you.
So where have you been?
Fighting fires, saving lives,
being a hero.
Come here.
[ man chattering
over P.A. System ]
Mmm. You feel like
headin' back home?
I want to stay here
and help.
- If that's okay.
- All right.
- I'll stay too.
- Just go home and sleep, dad.
And get yourself cleaned up.
You stink.
- Come back for me later.
- Okay.
- You sure?
- Yeah. Maybe in a couple of hours?
Okay. All right.
[ piano: "Fur Elise" ]
[ Discordant notes ]
Is that my ears
or your fingers?
I never was any good.
Carolyn tried
to teach me, but...
Got to hand it to ya.
You had 'em pegged...
Those tourists.
The future, who would've thunk it?
Not me.
I just... not me.
I mean, they...
they look just like you or me.
Well, better-lookin',
of course, but still...
I think that was the point, Oscar.
That they were you and me.
What, how you figure that?
Doesn't matter. They're gone.
We're not.
- It's over.
- Nearly.
Huh?
They aren't gone.
What are you talkin'...
Rooms are empty.
The beds are even made.
Well, did you come in
the front or the back?
- Oscar...
- Yeah?
If they're still here...
I'll follow ya in the bus!
The grain mill, it's been
shut down for years.
Well, I was by here just
the other day with the tourists.
Well, I didn't think a thing of it.
They just stopped and looked around.
- Didn't I see binoculars
on your bus?
- Yeah.
Go get 'em.
Well?
I got to get in there,
see what they're seeing.
Christ.
Oh, Christ.
Sorry, Mr. Wilson.
Move.
No.
Stop him!
Stop him!
Don't let him get away!
Stop the man!
Faster!
Just you can't go any faster?
Come, Andar!
Hey-hey.
Stop him! Stop him
before he interferes!
Oh.
- What is it, stuck?
- Yeah.
Let me.
- What the hell?
- Broke. Oh, no.
Get outside!
Go on! Hurry!
- Tommy, help me.
- Yeah.
- Hey! Go! Everybody leave!
- Sir, could you give us
some information?
No, just leave!
Everybody... everybody leave!
Please! Get out of here!
Get away from this place!
Hillary!
Hillary!
Hillary! Hillary!
Don't inside!
Don't go inside. Don't go inside.
Don't go... inside!
They're all upstairs.
I tried to listen but...
Couldn't hear what they were saying.
I just figure
they're gonna kill us.
Door's locked.
And so, clearly, it was
the doings of Mr. Quish that...
resulted in the actual
contamination.
It was he who violated
the travel code.
And it was Quish who chose to
take lodging with bygoners?
That was his decision?
That was the result of an
unlikely set of circumstances...
- Whose decision was it?
- Mine.
The decision was mine.
Hillary?
Hillary!
- You let my daughter die.
- Ooh. Easy, boy. Easy.
Your daughter perished,
but you survived.
That much, at least,
is as it should be.
The rest of this is an
unexpected termitation.
This is not as
serious as it seems.
We've recovered the remains.
What other evidence is there?
We leave behind only
innuendo, stories.
And dead bodies.
What...
I don't believe this. You could
have done something. You just...
You just... you watched.
- Done something?
- Yeah, like warned us,
for chrissake.
I'm not going to get into this
too deeply with you, Mr. Wilson,
But seeing as how you're
already contaminated,
Listen closely and
try to understand.
We do not alter the past.
That would destabilize our timescape,
and we won't allow that because...
Because it's
a perfect world, right?
Because we enjoy things
as they are.
Yet we found in early dabbling
that time was not the fragile thing
that many assumed that it would be.
It was quite resilient, really.
That's why it is that we can
allow these tours, but...
What we cannot allow is
involvement in issues of life and death.
Now, these are things
that we can only watch as
they sort themselves out.
You understand?
Is that why you left me
in the hotel?
You went there of free will.
You had me drugged to make sure
I'd stay there. Uh-huh?
What was I? Somebody
you just did a folk dance with?
Maybe I wasn't even that.
Maybe I was just some face
in some old photograph, or, some
painting on a museum wall.
No, I never meant to leave
you there. I... I didn't...
Oh, hey-hey nobody cares...
Nobody cares what happens to us.
We're just bygoners, right?
Rottin' away in our graves
before you were even born.
Well, let me... I got news for you.
In this timescape,
We're alive and you are
the ones that are dead.
You're dead because you don't feel.
You're dead because you're so goddamn
bored with your own world...
that you gotta come to ours
to be disaster groupies.
Spectacle.
You're just...
You're sad.
You are just s...
Passports, please. Moving
ahead to February 12, 1999.
Moving on, moving on.
Now, you must remember that
the Mardi Gras fire takes place
in New Orleans.
So we all have to be
up-up-up-up-up! Yes?
A little laughter,
a little laughter...
Remember now, everyone happy.
Good girl. Life is grand.
Moving on, moving on. Practice,
practice, practice, practice.
All right, everyone,
moving on, moving on.
Ben, I know it seems
so... Fixed.
So unalterable, but there are
really only two things anyone must
do in life and that's die.
And live until you die.
The rest is up to you.
I'll try not
to forget you.
It's hard, but I'll try.
Reeve?
Come along, Reeve.
Spooky, how they do that.
She slipped it to me.
Huh?
What you got there?
Passport.
Quish's passport.
What's that?
- Oh, my, looky there.
- Ah, see, it's really a machine.
Question is: how do
we get it to work?
Question is:
why do you care?
You don't wanna go where
those fruit loops went.
Gotta read
the date somehow.
Now, does it feel the imprint
when it gets stamped, maybe,
Then turns the imprint
into... instructions?
Don't fuss with it.
Where'd it get stamped?
Where'd it get stamped?
Where'd it get stamped?
What's the date?
Th...
Okay...
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Now,
that is nothin' like what they used.
That had to cost all of 2.39
at the dime store.
"May 2"?
That's yesterday.
That's right.
And secondly, all of these pages
have destinations.
- Now, you... you got a stamp
for that too?
- I'm at my destination.
- Ben, this is not goin' to work.
- So why are you stoppin' me?
All right.
That phone workin'?
I should've checked in
a while ago.
Maybe I'm...
Maybe I'm...
I'm not holdin' it... I won't... I think
I'm not holdin' it right, that's all.
She wouldn't give me
something that didn't work.
Come on. Come on.
Somebody be there.
Say, Ben?
Ben?
Ben?
Oscar?
Oscar?
Yesterday.
Oh no? Then why was he packing?
Why did he rush away like that?
You're asking me to explain
the actions of bygoners?
Oh, I knew it.
When the boy told me a retropologist
would be coming, I knew that there
would be trouble.
Always a step behind, you people.
Always psychographing the most...
the most ludicrous things.
Spall! Omerie!
You warned him.
I know that you did, and
now we have to find him before
he destabilizes everything!
Go into town.
Find his vehicle and hurry.
Go. Quickly, go!
We haven't long before
the spectacle. Hurry!
Dad?
Dad!
- Dad?
- Come here!
- What happened to your face
and... and your clothes?
- Just come here.
Now, jump.
- Onto what?
- Onto me. Come on. Jump.
You? Do you know
how much I weigh now?
- A lot more than when
we used to play...
- I said just please jump!
Okay. Come on... Come on.
What are you waitin' for?
Local constabulary, Ben.
From the sound of things,
we won't be long.
No, wait, wait
a second. I'm not...
I'm not... I'm not tryin'
to take her back. I'm tryin' to
get her away from here. We...
Anyone at the station
can... baby-sit tonight?
Sheriff's station?
Ah!
- Hey! Let him go!
- No, wait, wait.
You can't take me there.
I mean, just not there,
not tonight.
Leave him alone!
Leave him alone!
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute!
I told you this afternoon what
would happen if you showed your face
around here again, Ben.
Please, let me explain.
Please, please.
All right, let him
have his say.
In a few hours,
there won't be any police station
and there won't be any hotel.
- There's not gonna be
anything at all.
- And why is that?
A meteorite is gonna bury
the west half of main street
just after 11:00 tonight.
- A meteorite?
- Don't ask me how I know.
I wouldn't dream of it.
It's-it's gonna
happen! It will!
Yeah, come on.
Less mouth, more feet.
- Dad!
- Hillary!
- Get away from here.
Get away from this place.
- Hillary?
- What did he mean?
- You go back inside now.
- What did he mean by that?
- It's over.
It's all over.
Oh, god, we are not going to
spend the whole night here, are we?
No.
- We're not?
- I get off at midnight.
Oh...
Ow.
You never gave me a phone call.
I get one phone call.
I get one phone call, right?
Lawyer's not gonna help you,
not this time of night.
I want the phone! Now!
Yeah?
Hello?
You gotta do
something for me.
Who is this, Oscar?
I'm a...
I'm across the street.
The sheriff's station.
Talk to me, Ben.
I've gotta talk to you.
Warn you. Tonight.
- Ben, are you
listening to me?
- Please talk to me.
Yeah, I'm... Yeah, I'm listening,
I'm listening. I just don't...
I don't know who you are.
You just gotta get over here.
Just get over here right now.
I can't explain, but
you gotta trust me.
- Ben?
- Yeah, yeah, I'll see
what I can do.
No. No, you don't "see"
about anything.
You... Don't drink the tea, either.
There's... she's making you tea, Ben.
Don't... please don't drink the tea.
Don't drink the tea.
Just get out of there.
Just get your keys... just get
the keys to the truck...
Just get out,
walk out of there,
And just get your ass over here
before your daughter has to die
all over again.
You got that?
Ben!
I'm on my way.
Forty-five, six,
seven, eight,
nine,
Fifty.
Okay, what can
I do for...
What dog shit
is this?
You tell me. Somebody called me,
said they wanted to talk to me
about my daughter.
- Don't move.
- What?
Who moved? I turned.
I just... I was here, I stand over...
- Just don't move.
- I'm... uh...
- Still here.
- All right, Houdini.
I don't know how you got out
of there, but I do know how you're
goin' back in.
- Come on. Come on.
- What is this? This Caldwell?
- Caldwell do this or did
you dream this up?
- All right.
You got a problem with
the presidential suite?
move on to
the honeymoon.
What the...
Get the keys.
The keys, the keys,
the keys, the keys!
Get 'em!
Now open the door.
Go down and open the door.
Tell me what's
goin' on here.
We're breaking out
of jail, Ben! Come on!
Why do you look like me?
Aw, christ, just think
about it for two seconds and
then you'll figure it out.
But go, unlock the door
while you're thinkin', okay?
Tourists... this... Wait a minute.
This has something to do with...
Remember their passports? I used one
to come back, so I'm you, you're me and
this guy is tougher than he looks.
Don't help.
Whatever you do, don't help.
How come we can both be
in the same place at the same...
Fuck the physics, Ben!
By the time you figure out
whether it's possible or not...
We're gonna be dead. Twice.
Now, let's get
the hell out of here!
Great.
Now get the truck.
Sheesh.
Hurry up.
Let's go.
- I'll drive, all right?
- All right, go ahead. You drive.
It's my truck.
A meteor.
That's it?
That's the spectacle?
Yeah, 11:07.
That's when it hits.
- So what are we doin'?
- We're gettin' Hillary.
What about
everybody else?
Stop right here.
This is far enough.
You're better off here.
Trust me.
Okay, let's go.
Caldwell's.
You never answered me.
- About what?
- How many people are gonna die?
Five? Fifty? Come on...
- What am I, a census taker?
The whole west end of town was hit.
- The whole west...
You gonna drive?
So we just grab Hillary and run.
We don't tell anyone else?
I tried to talk to Caldwell...
And wound up in a cozy little
room at ground zero, all right?
Wait, let's... let's just
think this through first.
Nothing happens to Hillary tonight,
it's tomorrow that...
- Wrong. We worry now, tonight.
- But if it's the gas explosion at the...
You haven't seen what I've seen.
You haven't seen a goddamned thing yet,
And if you had, you wouldn't
be takin' chances with her life.
- Who said about taking chances?
- Just pull over. I'm drivin'.
Where, straight to Caldwell's
then straight out of town?
You don't have the guts
to do it? Huh? I do. Pull over.
I'm not sayin' we shouldn't
go get her. I didn't say that.
I'm just sayin' that you...
Wait a minute, are you
callin' me a coward?
Oh, what, you gonna deny it?
Huh? You gonna deny it to me?
Oh, yeah. Beautiful. Listen
to the guy who bailed out
on his dying wife.
Oh, you...
I was goin' for help.
You were runnin', man.
Town was north, you ran south,
and they saw.
And now it's happenin' all
over again. Well, this time
it's not gonna happen.
It's not gonna happen 'cause
you're gonna stick it out to the end.
You got that?
The end.
All the way, Benny.
- Ah!
- Ahhh...
This is the most fucked-up
thing I've ever done.
All right, you got a better idea,
some brilliant plan to save everybody?
Let's hear it.
- No, I don't.
- I knew you didn't.
I don't know what
to do about it.
Oh, man.
But whatever we do,
better do it
pretty damn fast.
- Caldwell.
- Look, I'm down here at the station.
Deputy's M.I.A.
and so is Wilson.
Ju-just a minute.
Just a minute.
- He escaped?
- Unless they went out for
skittles and beer, yeah.
Oh, Christ.
Ben.
- How long ago?
- It's hard to say.
Could be headed up your way.
You want me to come up?
Don't bother.
We won't be here.
Get Hillary.
Come on.
Come on, come on.
Now, what in the name
of god is that?
- I don't know. Let's find out.
- I never heard them before.
- Yeah. Come on.
- Wait for me.
Bells.
All right.
Now, go inside. Wait for me inside.
I'm gonna see what's happening.
[ bells: "Fur Elise" ]
Sue?
Mrs. Appleton?
[ "Fur Elise" continues ]
Hello?
Hillary! Hillary!
[ ringing "Fur Elise" ]
Come on. We're all
goin' up to the church.
Hillary?
Hillary!
Who is that?
Who's up there?
That's what we're
tryin' to find out.
- You got keys?
- It's not locked. It never is.
- Who's up there?
- Probably some animals or something.
Kind of nice
hearin' them bells...
What is it, little darlin'?
What the devil's
going on here anyway?
Well, we got their attention.
Hillary. Go.
[ door slams ]
[ reverend ]
Ben!
What in the world are you d...
Gonna give me that thing?
- Let's wait.
- For what? Somebody to get hurt?
For just another minute.
Yeah, let's all just
wait right here.
Get out of my way.
Get out of my way! Let me up here.
Let her through.
Let her... just let her...
- Dad! Dad!
- Is that what this is all about?
- Your daughter and the judge?
- Let me through.
- Will you let me through!
- Upsy-daisy.
All right, Ben.
It's all right.
What the hell is
goin' on up here now?
Oh, God.
Well, you were my second guess,
right after Quasimodo.
- Stay here. Stay right here.
- So, what's it all about, Ben?
You got a grievance?
Air it.
Hell, there's no reason
to wait till next week.
We could have our hearing
right now, Ben, huh?
Now, tell us something, Ben,
otherwise we're all going back to bed.
It's gonna be loud.
It's gonna be scary.
It's gonna sound like
the end of everything we know.
I mean, you got a joke? A story?
Hey, I know.
Tell us the one
about your premonition.
You remember that, don't you, huh?
The one where the sky is falling?
It seems that Ben here thinks
we're gonna be visited by calamity.
What was it, an asteroid, Ben?
No, no, no, no, no.
"Meteorite".
Yea, it shall fall from the heaven
and smite this very spot.
Oscar, what time you got?
It's time to settle, Ben.
You're here, I'm here,
a jury of our peers...
Hell, jury of half the
goddamned county.
Just what is it
you want to say?
Hold on.
You just hold on.
You just hold on to me.
You just hold on to me.
We're gonna make it.
Everybody just...
Just hold on.
Tell 'em, not the school.
Anywhere but the school.
They will listen to you now.
Over here!
Ben.
God almighty.
Did you see?
The hotel...
It's-it's
just not there.
Good to see you, Sue.
Real good to see you.
Mr. Wilson.
There were still deaths,
Mr. Wilson.
I figured there
had to be... Some.
So where are they,
all your... all your pals?
Well, the tour
has been cancelled.
- In fact, all tours have been
suspended pending a decision.
- On?
On whether or not to destabilize
this destabilization.
Did it occur to you that we can
correct all this, that...
That we can go back
to yesterday and do this
all again if we choose?
If we find that this has changed
our world, we can... paint right
over this timescape.
We can make it
never happen.
- But you won't.
- No?
Would we be standing here
talking about it if it never happened?
Here's another one
for you to chew on.
Maybe we did change
your world tonight.
Maybe we made it
a little less perfect,
a little less...
Grand.
And maybe...
just maybe...
You liked it
a little bit more.
Remarkable thought.
Not bad for a bygoner.
Mr. Wilson...
Why don't you come along
with me and I'll take you back
where you belong?
- Tomorrow.
- You worried I'll screw
somethin' else up?
There is a purpose to time,
you know.
Keeps everything from
happening all at once.
So that's two days,
three nights and two rooms?
Now all we need is a $50 deposit
refundable up to 48 hours prior to arrival
and we'll be set.
Check or charge?
Thanks.
All right!
Honeymooners.
First week of october,
hooked and booked.
You know, I was thinking,
maybe we can have some kind
of practice week...
Where we call up people we know,
make 'em stay here...
So we can, like,
screw up on them.
What are friends for, right?
Bet Oscar would come. Maybe
he'd even stay inside this time.
Dad?
Dad.
[ piano: "Fur Elise" ]
Mom?