1
- Time's up.
- Wait.
Is the truck loaded?
Yes, ma'am.
Come on. I got a plane to catch.
Well, if you don't leave now
you're going to miss your flight
and then he's going to
be late for school.
Come on. Come on. Game's up.
Come on!
You got three days left to counter.
Wait.
You have to wait, you!
Wait. Wait. Wait.
Hey.
Your grand-dad gave me that.
I always use it when I travel.
Can I have it when you get back?
Yeah, man.
And we'll finish the game, okay?
Don't re-set it.
Okay. Ask Grandpa when he's
going to come and visit.
I will. I got to go.
I love you.
Okay. I got to get...
Got to go, got to go.
Call me when you land.
Will do. I love you.
I love you, too.
You okay?
Yeah.
Okay. See you on Friday.
Yeah.
- Say hi to dad.
- Will do.
Come on Honey.
Got to go. Got to go.
Morning, kiddo.
Yo.
You heard from daddy this morning?
No.
Still thinking?
Yeah.
I got to move, but I think I
can check mate him in three.
Oh, yeah?
Yeah.
What's the move?
First move pawn five to pawn three.
What is it?
You okay?
Hi, Mrs. Whyte.
Hey Grace.
Hey.
Did you grab the brownies I made?
Yeah.
Have a good day.
You too.
Hi. Leave a message.
Hey, it's me.
Haven't heard from
you since yesterday.
Hope the conference is going well.
We're going to see you tonight.
And making something special for
supper, so come home hungry.
Love you. Bye.
Look what I made.
It can go light speed
fast by forming a portal
through these generators.
One creates negative energy and
the other one creates positive.
That's nice.
Look. And there's room
for the both of us.
Let me see.
What's that?
For when they have a baby, but
they don't make Lego babies yet.
Um...
ls there milk in it?
Yeah.
Jere, you want a brownie?
Yes.
You're not having any?
Not if you aren't.
Hey. It's me.
We've been waiting for an hour.
Call me when you get this.
Bye.
Flight 767 from Newark,
have all the passengers
come off the flight yet?
Uh... Yeah.
Maintenance crews are on board.
We've been here for over an hour,
My husband's on that flight
and he hasn't come out yet.
Maybe he's stuck in customs.
This happens all the time.
Unfortunately, there's nothing
we can really do from here.
Okay.
Thank you.
Is he here?
No. Not yet, kiddo.
Empire Place.
Hi.
I'd like to enquire about
a client who's there
for the Relativistic
Dynamics conference.
His name's Gabriel Whyte.
W-h-y-t-e.
Yes, ma'am.
Can you tell me what
time he checked out?
Mr. Whyte is still checked in.
He is?
I'm dialling through.
There's no answer.
Would you do me a favour
and send somebody
to check that he's not there?
He was supposed to be
on a flight tonight
and I'm waiting for him at
the airport in Toronto.
Sure, I'll have someone
go to his room.
Shall I put you on hold?
- Yeah, sure.
- Thanks.
What happened?
Not sure. Daddy's late.
Housekeeping checked his room.
He's not there but his luggage is.
And he hasn't left any messages?
No ma'am.
Hello?
Hey, Dad...
Oh hi, sweetie.
Have you seen Gabe the
last couple of days?
'Cause I'm at Pearson and he was supposed
to come off the flight and he hasn't.
So I called the hotel and they
said that he's still checked in.
- But his phone's turned off and...
- I saw him right after he landed.
I took him to a work
space on campus
and just left him.
We were supposed to have
lunch the next day,
but he didn't answer his phone
so I figured he was busy.
Something's wrong.
He called me yesterday morning
and I haven't heard from him since.
Okay. I'll... I'll...
I'll see what I can find out
and I'll call you back.
Okay.
Tell Grandpa I said hi.
- Okay, I heard him.
- Hi, Erol.
He says hi.
- Bye, Dad.
- Thank you.
- Okay.
- Good bye.
Gabriel Whyte. Newark.
He left Wednesday morning.
- No.
- I haven't spoken to him to date.
The last time anyone spoke to
him was my father in Princeton.
Look, you're the police.
Aren't you supposed to
be doing something?
Hey, Joanne, it's me.
Hi.
Can I ask you a huge favour?
Would you watch Erol for a couple of
days for me while I go to Princeton?
He called after landing,
checked into his hotel,
came to my office,
then we came here.
Well, have the police
been here yet?
Not yet.
I didn't even know
this place existed.
He's the one who showed it to me.
I just gave him access and left.
He said he wanted a
quiet place to work.
This definitely was not here.
Whatever it is, it must be his.
Did he have those crates with him?
Shrink-wrapped, yeah.
Dad...
Yeah?
It's his wallet and his phone.
We need to get the
police here right away.
I want to maybe talk to people
that he knew on campus.
I don't know what to do.
Hey, Professor.
I pulled those boxes we were talking about.
Just let me know where you want them.
Okay. I'll catch up with you.
I need to get back.
Listen, we'll find him.
Dad, it's been three days.
The police are baffled and...
Marika, we'll figure it out.
Thanks, Dad.
Call me later.
Bye.
Hi.
Hi.
This place hasn't changed.
Yeah, it's my grand-dad's legacy.
We've kept it exactly
how he made it.
You want a coffee?
Uh, yeah.
Um, can I ask you a question?
Sure.
Sorry.
You haven't seen this guy in
here in the past couple of days?
Uh... No. Sorry.
Yes, coming right up.
Is that your report card?
Dad!
Hey, peanut.
Give us a look.
Can I see yours?
Yeah, all right.
Why were you away so much?
Because I never came home.
Erol?
You okay?
Yes. Strange dream.
This is Marika. Please
leave a message.
Hey, Mom. I'm just checking in.
Hope the lecture went well.
Have a safe flight.
Bye.
Was it about your mom?
No, I just forgot to
call her earlier.
Was it about how you haven't
studied for your finals?
No need to dream about reality.
Mom?
Mom?
Yeah?
Hey. Welcome back.
You just get in?
Yeah.
Want breakfast?
Thanks. That would be great.
Right. Come down whenever.
Okay.
Morning, kiddo.
Hey. Good morning.
Oh, thank you.
Didn't you have class today?
I cancelled. I was too tired.
Didn't sleep on the plane?
Not much lately.
There's another
letter here from MIT.
Have you accepted yet?
Told you, I'm just
not a Red Sox fan.
Oh, honey.
You can't let this go by.
We'll talk about this later.
By the way, there's a message from
Dr. Wong's office on the machine.
- Did you miss your appointment last week?
- I'm not seeing Dr. Wong anymore.
Why not?
Because I never blacked out
once from the medication
but he is keeping my
driver's license.
And I'm sick of taking the bus.
So you want to change medications?
Well, I'd like to stop altogether.
As in, you've already stopped?
Yep.
I'd like to feel like myself again.
You're not eating?
No.
I already did.
Let's talk about this later, okay?
Bye.
- Thank you.
- Welcome back.
Bye. Have a good day.
You too.
Okay.
Anyone.
It would take weeks to
even organize a work flow.
What if I gave you my approach?
Did it work?
No, no. You have to tell me.
Oh, Mr. Whyte.
Only two minutes left.
Why even bother?
Sorry, sir.
Well, since you obviously
don't need my instruction,
why don't you tell us the answer?
It... it's unsolvable.
You have one too many variables.
We need to know the
value of Z at least.
Okay.
That's good for today.
Mr. Whyte. Can I have a word?
I'm listening.
I'm sorry.
What was so important this time?
Is this Grandpa Sal
asking, or Professor Sal?
Uh, both.
I was helping Grace.
She has her thesis
defense coming up.
Sometimes I feel like you're
taking advantage of your sweet,
good-natured grandfather.
- Don't give me any special treatment.
- I... I'm not sure how to treat you.
You spend all your time
with your girlfriend.
You never hand in assignments,
half the time you don't even
show up And yet you ace
every one of my exams.
How did you see the problem
on the board so quickly?
- Just did.
- Well, how?
I don't know how.
I can see it like a
colour out of place.
You need to know Z
otherwise it's a dead end.
What about this?
Can you do it?
Yeah. Yeah, I can do this.
I'm going to need a few hours.
Great.
It took me a week.
And I'll bet you come up
with the same answer.
Erol, can I show you something?
It's in the lab.
You need a maid, Grandpa?
Okay.
All right, look, I need you
to listen very carefully
to what I'm going to say.
I...
I need you to be open to
the craziest possibilities.
Things you dreamed of as a child.
There are multiple universes
and we live in one of them,
one track, at one
point in space time.
Now, before your father
left for Princeton...
My father?
Just listen.
Before he left I believe
he found a way to move
back and forth on that track.
What?
He stabilized a
traversable wormhole,
moved the accelerated
end of that wormhole
into the past and
travelled through it.
It's an accelerator.
I found it in one of those
boxes in the storage room
at Princeton.
They were sitting there for
54 years when I found them.
This display had the
last coordinates
where I believe your father
arrived, stored in its memory.
GPS coordinates of exactly where
I found it minus 19,655 days
from when I found it.
I've... I've been trying to
make this work for years
but there were missing
parts and I... I...
- I don't have all your father's notes.
- You're saying that my father...
I'm saying your father
flew to Princeton...
put this together and went back
to the calendar year 1946.
Something must have
happened to him there
otherwise he would have returned
the instant he left and...
and we wouldn't have even
perceived his absence.
What happened to him?
I don't know.
How... how... how could
this be possible?
If I knew that exactly, I'd
have fixed this years ago.
But I'm not a specialist
in quantum mechanics.
I've had to learn about black
holes and cosmic strings
from scratch and I
still can't solve
some of these fundamental problems.
It says he created
negative energy, but I...
I have no idea how.
Why are you telling me this now?
What is this?
You have a gift, Erol.
More so, than your father even.
I didn't want to have
to ever tell you this,
I'd have much preferred
you just live your life.
I can't do this alone.
If you help me I think
we can figure it out.
There is no proof.
There is proof.
These were in one of the boxes.
If you want to test this against your
father's handwriting, be my guest.
This mold, the... the ink...
it's 67 years old.
And I've transcribed all of
your father's research notes.
It's... it's...
it's revolutionary,
never been done before.
And... and look at this!
I think he was planning
to meet with Einstein.
I... I know I'm asking a lot,
but the pay-off, Erol,
everything will be corrected.
- What do you mean "corrected"?
- I mean, we're living in a negative space.
Gabe should be here now.
Your mother, you, me, none of
us should be living this life.
Gabe disappeared in 2000.
Anyone who was affected
by that is living.
An alternate reality.
We fix this, we bring him back.
It'll all return to normal.
The last 12 years of
our lives will go back
to what they were supposed to be.
You really believe this?
Yes.
Grandpa, you know how much mom
struggles forgetting about him.
This is a fantasy.
Have you told any of this to her?
No. I've only told you.
I'm... I'm begging you
to keep it that way.
Erol...
You'll probably never
forgive yourself.
Hi. Sorry, I'm late.
It's okay. I just got here.
You okay?
Yeah. Did you talk to your Prof?
Presenting in two weeks.
Oh well, I'll... I'll help.
No, you've... you've done enough.
Just show up to the presentation.
I need a friendly face there.
Yeah, I'll be there.
We still on for tonight?
Yeah, if you want. You
seem kind of preoccupied.
No. No. I really had my
heart set on seeing...
what was it again?
A one-man show about
the Bhopal disaster.
Yes. Yes. Exactly
what I wanted to see.
Hi.
Hi. So... you want to
tell me what's up?
No. Tell me... tell me
what research you did.
Mostly just the details on the GNHs
of the three countries I'm studying.
Since it's a theoretical
model, the data has...
So what are you working
on now, Professor?
I take an old family photograph
and I paint a picture
of that image.
And then I make digital copies
of it over and over again,
each time removing elements to it.
And then I... I go back
to the original painting
and take the figures out
as if they weren't there
to begin with.
So you're altering your
own memory sources.
Something like that, yeah.
Hi, honey.
Hello.
Do you want to join us?
That's all right.
I got to get somewhere.
Here, let me take these for you.
You still going?
Yeah, in a second.
Thanks, honey.
Excuse me for one minute.
Would you mind if I checked
out your work station?
You don't have to say
anything, just listen.
I've spent years on this.
Everything I've done
is based on evidence
your father left behind.
Let me walk you
through his research.
Who's this?
My husband.
Is he...?
He's dead.
We should get going.
Just think about what
I've been saying, please.
Thank you, Professor.
Good night.
Thank you for coming.
They admire you so much.
I remember when you dreamed
of becoming an artist.
Now you're doing it.
That wasn't my dream, Pops.
You okay?
Yeah. Why?
You seem distant.
Just, you know, been
away these three days.
Marika, you work too hard.
Thanks for dinner.
It was takeout.
Yeah, but it was really
delicious takeout.
Erol, see you in class?
Yeah.
Good night.
Okay, I'll be late.
Do you ever think about your dad?
What?
We never talk about him.
We don't have to talk about him.
Please.
I'd like to.
Did Gramps say something
to you tonight?
About what?
Nothing.
So you've been thinking
about dad a lot.
Yeah.
It all came flooding back...
at the airport.
I remember we played chess.
Went to the movies twice a month.
On... on science nights
he'd teach me the concepts
using my toys.
He loved me.
It's weird, but I...
I don't remember what he
looked like, you know,
just photographs and stuff.
Do you ever get angry
about what happened?
Mom, I don't think about it.
Did I ever tell you how we met?
No, not really.
You know, it was when we were
still living in Princeton
and pops dragged me to some event
that I didn't want to go to.
I think...
I think mom had just died,
like a couple of months before
and he wanted to get
me out of the house.
Well, he introduced me
to his prize student.
It was love at first
sight, just like
when mom and dad got married.
And he asked me to marry him
a month later at this old diner
we used to go to.
I resisted at first 'cause
he was a workaholic
and wanted to change the world.
I thought he wouldn't
have time for a family.
But you know what he said?
What?
He could change the world and
be home for supper every night.
And he was.
He was so confident.
Do you remember?
Yeah.
Such a dreamer.
Nothing was impossible.
You know, I have this recurring
dream about the night
that he didn't come home,
where he calls and tells
me what happened.
What happened?
Well...
he fell in love.
Or he hit his head and had amnesia.
Or he just wanted a different
life, not with us.
Mom...
you can't do this.
You're off the medication,
it's putting you in a rut.
They're not helping.
I don't want to feel numb.
It's just that, you know, your dad,
he never broke a promise, ever.
And I just, I remember his
face at the airport so vividly
and the way that he looked at me.
- It just looked like he knew something.
- You can't... you can't do this again.
- But... You can't think like that.
- I just want to know!
It doesn't matter.
- It's... that's the only thing I want!
- It doesn't matter. You can't...
What difference does it make?
He's gone! He's dead.
This time I'm late.
I can't go.
What is it?
My mom...
Is she okay?
I shouldn't leave her alone.
Is that what you were
trying to tell me earlier?
You want to know why
I'm not going to MIT?
I can't leave her alone.
I wish it were different.
I'm sorry. I know we had plans.
Sometimes it's hard not to
take everything you do for me
for granted.
Of all people, you don't
have to apologize.
You know, I've been carrying
this around for weeks.
I was going to give it to
you after grad, but, I...
I just can't wait.
Have you had this all these years?
They still don't make them, but...
Is that a baby?
Let me know when you're
ready for the real thing.
Soon.
I...
I got to check on her. I'm sorry.
Do you want me to stay,
keep you company?
No, thanks.
I don't think she'd want
you to see her like this.
Careful.
But you... you go to the play
Not if you aren't.
I'll call you later, okay.
I'm sorry.
Come on, Mom.
You miss anymore classes you're
going to be worse than me.
Mom...
Mom.
Oh fuck!
Fuck.
Mom!
Mom?
I... I need an ambulance
at 1637 Sherwood Drive.
No!
My... my mom's not...
she's not breathing.
No, I can't. She's not breathing.
Oh, please.
Come on.
What do I do?
No, Mom, come on. Fuck! No. No.
No.
I said things to her
I shouldn't have.
I'll get some water.
Give me a minute.
I'll meet you at the car.
Okay.
Grandpa.
Is there any chance what
you were saying is true?
Walk me through the research.
By the way, my secretary
has access to the lab
but knows nothing of this and
I'd like to keep it that way.
Yeah, sure.
I suggest you follow suit.
Don't tell anyone.
Accounts for more than half
the increase last year
in the GNH of Ghana and the
source has been verified twice.
It's in the bibliography.
Well, that's excellent work.
Thank you.
How do you feel?
Relieved.
So are we celebrating or what?
Yeah, absolutely.
I just have to check on something
with gramps in the lab.
Everything okay?
Yeah. I'm just helping
him with something.
That's great. What?
Theoretical stuff.
Wormhole theories.
Science fiction?
Yeah, kind of.
Helps me relax, do something fun.
I'm glad.
So I'll call you later? Congrats.
Grandpa, if this is true,
why would he want to
meet with Einstein after
he invented the machine?
Well, read it.
Can't you just tell me?
I'm not entirely sure
what to tell you
but obviously it's important.
Okay. "The Lorentz Transformation"?
Yeah, yeah. Right here.
Your orders, gentlemen.
Coffee for the young man.
Thank you.
And Earl Grey for the Professor.
Thank you.
Uh, I'm done for the evening.
Need anything else?
Uh, no. No. Thank you.
Okay.
Gramps...?
Shut it.
Hey.
Hey. Where are you?
Uh, swamped. I don't
think I can make it.
Sorry.
Wow. Doesn't sound very relaxing.
Well, you know,
occupational hazard.
Well, don't work too hard.
Okay, I won't.
Bye.
So assume that in three
dimensions the X, Y and Z axis
are all parallel to their
respective counterparts.
And the relative velocity between the two
observers is V along the common x-axis.
So the two observers are using their own
Cartesian system to measure the intervals.
Exactly.
There's your negative energy.
This is so dangerous.
For a person to be inside this
while it travels
through a wormhole.
And even if it does work,
I mean, my father was killed.
Hey.
Hi.
What are you doing here?
What are you working on?
Experiment, actually.
It's kind of volatile.
Does it have something
to do with travelling
through a Wormhole into the past?
"Victim suffered a gunshot wound
and carried no identification.
Brands of clothing, unidentifiable.
The assailants left only his
pocket watch and his keys.
No witnesses, no suspects."
I... I think this is my father.
I have to stop this
from happening in 1946.
I know it's hard to believe.
That's why I didn't tell you.
And... and the chances
of us succeeding
and doing something
like this are... are...
are so small, but we have to try.
But the payoff, everything
will be different.
I'm sorry I didn't tell you.
You believe me, right?
I believe you believe it, but...
I know, it's crazy.
I felt the same way
as you, at first.
I have to get back to work.
Tonight, I'll make dinner.
You can ask me anything you want.
I'll... I'll explain
the science behind it.
Okay.
Why didn't you tell mom
what you were doing?
Because I wouldn't
sure I'd succeed.
I didn't want to
give her false hope.
She needed to move on,
try to enjoy her life
in whatever form she could.
Are you sure that was
the right choice?
No, but I couldn't help but think
that if she did latch onto
the possibility of
bringing your father back,
couple that with her depression...
You were already afraid that she
was going to take her own life.
Exactly.
Why suffer through
the waiting period
if it'll all be corrected.
You're not thinking
of telling Grace?
No.
No, of course not.
Like old times.
If this works and you bring
your father back to 2000
what will happen to our lives
for the past twelve years?
My parents will be alive.
I'll... I'll be a happier
person, be more confident.
I won't be acting out of fear
that I'll lose the
people around me.
We... we're only changing one thing
that shouldn't have happened.
And so I don't...
I don't see your life
path changing that much.
You know, you'd have the same interests,
you'd go into the same field.
And we'd have no
memory of this life?
Sounds perfect...
if we're together.
Why wouldn't we be together?
Well, nothing's guaranteed, right?
I mean, I could get hit by a bus
or you could meet some other
girl going to the movies with
your dad and ask her out to prom?
I'm not going to ask anyone
else out to the prom.
No, I'm serious.
You gravitated towards me as a child
partly because you were missing a parent.
That first time you stayed at my place
was when your mom went to Princeton.
We spent day and night together,
and that won't happen now.
None of this will exist.
And we won't even
know what this was.
What are the chances we repeat it?
We knew each other
well before 2000.
We were inseparable as children
before my father left.
We'll be together again.
I know it.
I'm sure of it.
I love you.
I love you too.
Wait. Wait. Wait. One second!
Erol.
Just one second.
Honey, it's just a
fucking chess board.
I just need some
things to motivate me.
Some things?
What?
It's everything.
It's just the chess board.
No, it's our life.
If you had the chance would you just
keep re-setting it 'til it was perfect?
This is coming from
an idealist who...
who spent the past two years studying
new economies for developing countries?
No, Erol, I'm a realist.
What's wrong with idealism?
What's wrong with wanting
a mother and a father
who aren't dead?
That's not fair. I didn't
choose any of this.
No, you didn't, but please...
please don't pretend
like you understand.
Grace...
We have a life here.
We talked about getting married,
said we were getting a new
place and start a family.
My father left unnaturally.
It had ripple effects...
- That we're dealing with!
- No, that I'm correcting.
Everyone that he might
have encountered,
- their lives have to revert back to...
- I'm pregnant!
How're you going to correct that?
How long?
Five weeks.
What do you want to do?
I don't know. I need time to think.
Stop working on this.
I don't know if I can.
Well, there's your answer then.
Is there any way to
make sure that Grace
and I will be together
in the new timeline?
You shouldn't be thinking about
messing with other elements.
The point here is
to correct things,
not create an ideal
world for yourself.
That is correct.
We're meant to be together.
So what, do you want to go back,
talk to yourself as a kid
and plant the idea
to woo her again?
I don't know.
The more attachments you make here,
the harder this will all be.
- How's the field stability?
- Terrible.
I've just been stuck for weeks.
Well, you're doing great.
Just keep at it, okay.
I got to go.
All right.
- You going to be okay?
- Yeah.
See you later.
All right, you're eight weeks in,
so it's still too early to tell.
But it looks good so far.
But I wouldn't tell your friends
for another month. Okay?
Okay.
All right.
No.
What?
It should be working.
The tangent vectors are correct,
I have D-S-squared defined,
but the accelerated end keeps
going off into who knows where?
Okay just... just calm down.
Uh... chalk?
Second drawer.
There's none left.
What difference does it make?
If I can't solve it,
how the hell can you?
Is he okay?
Yeah, he'll be fine.
Thanks, Mrs. Moore.
Are you all right?
Been a long time since
someone asked me that.
Well, I...
I've been meaning to ask you often.
I'm fine, thanks.
I've noticed, Professor,
that outside of the lab
you're always alone.
If... if you ever need
to talk, I'm here.
I wish I could.
Maybe someday you'll
tell me why you can't?
I hope to be able to do that.
Hello?
Grace, it's Sal.
Hi.
Do you have a minute?
Not sure, really.
I just wanted to ask, how
has Erol been lately?
I haven't really seen him.
I'm asleep when he gets home
and he's asleep when I leave.
I'm worried about him.
With all due respect, you put
this idea of "correcting"
everything into his head.
Why would you care how he is?
Hi.
Hey.
How are you feeling?
Okay.
I got you chocolate milk and bacon.
Thanks.
I'll be working in the
basement if you need me.
Can we talk about this?
Say something.
What do you want to hear?
Every day I'm afraid this will all disappear
because part of me knows you'll succeed.
But I want nothing more
than for you to fail.
Well, you might get your wish.
We've hit a snag.
Been stuck for weeks.
So you're stopping?
I can't stop until
I've tried everything.
You know that.
So what do you want?
What should I do?
Abort?
No!
Isn't that what you're doing?
No.
All of this will happen again.
It'll be better.
Do you ever think that maybe your
father was meant to die there?
That was his natural
course and this is ours?
Don't you see, Erol, despite
everything I like this life.
I like who I am.
And I fell in love with
you as you were here.
Grace, as I am, I'll
make a terrible father.
I don't want to pass
this down to our child.
- I want a clean slate.
- Nobody has a clean slate!
Because nobody gets the
chance to have one.
I can't live like this,
knowing our lives could end
- at any second and we have no say.
- Most people don't.
And most people don't sleep
with the Grim Reaper.
Can you look me in
the eye and tell me,
with absolute assurance,
that if you go through with this,
we'd be able to recreate...
the soul of this baby?
Yeah.
I'll stop.
I'll stop.
You're right.
There's no guarantee.
I can't lose you.
I'll tell Sal I'm not
doing this anymore.
Okay?
The first time your mother
tried to commit suicide,
it was just before I moved here.
My God, you were only 15 years old.
The night before that happened,
I tried to convince her to
go out with another man.
I wanted her to move on, but she
flat-out rejected the idea.
We argued.
I told her she was being foolish
for holding onto the memory
of your father for so long.
And the next day...
She never stopped loving him.
When your child's in distress...
This was never supposed
to be her life.
It's my child I have
to protect now.
I'm sorry.
As I said, it's four bedrooms.
I understand you're expecting.
We only need two.
Ah, four's better.
Really?
Yeah. You never know.
Easy for you to say.
And do.
So there's a large living area.
Perfect for a TV and
a sitting room.
Yeah.
TV right here.
I can have my recliner back here.
- No. I don't want our kid watching TV.
- What?
- But I was going to...
- What? You don't like TV either.
Yeah, but I could lie around on Sundays,
have my buddies over, drink some beers.
You don't have any buddies.
I'll make buddies.
And you'll hate every one of them.
Do you have a girlfriend?
Play it out.
I'm serious, play it out.
We can always just suck it up
and do the banquet hall thing.
Why don't we do it
at the new place?
There's room in the back yard.
We can just keep it to
close friends and family.
Small.
Erol...
What?
What is it?
How?
It's hard to pinpoint.
It was still early
in the pregnancy.
May not have been a
fully viable embryo.
Could it have been stress?
Could have been a factor, sure.
But sometimes it's...
it's just spontaneous.
I'm sorry.
I'll check in on her
again in an hour.
Hi.
I just heard. I'm so sorry.
I figured you might come here.
Is Grace still at the hospital?
This isn't it.
My dad doesn't get
shot in an alley,
mom doesn't take those pills.
My child does not spontaneously...
Every time I try to
commit to this life,
something tells me
that I shouldn't.
Sometimes I can see all the things that
were supposed to happen so clearly.
Grace comes to Cambridge
with me, we have a family.
It can all still happen.
It has to.
Well, it's up to you, kiddo.
You said we were close.
We are, it's just this
one problem with the...
Earthquakes.
What do you mean?
We want to leave from here and
land on this spot in 1946.
Now we know how the earth moves.
We know where it will
be in its solar orbit.
Our nutation calculations
were correct,
but in calculating the
rate of the earth's spin,
I completely forgot to account
for the seismic events
that alter the balance
of the earth's mass.
And, therefore, the rate of spin.
Thirty-one events since 1946
that significantly altered
the rate of rotation.
Last year's earthquake
in Japan, alone,
shortened the earth's day by
1.8 millionths of a second.
So we add that to the known
affects of ocean currents
and atmospheric winds...
Exactly where and when we want.
The computer was
calculating correctly,
I just wasn't feeding
it the right variables.
You've done it.
Now, a couple more weeks of tests
and I guess we'll never
know this happened.
Your father would, in
theory, be the only one
who'd remember any of this,
since his life would
be uninterrupted
from the moment we
intercepted him, onwards.
So now what's the plan?
Okay.
I meet him as soon as he
gets of the plane in Newark.
I think we should let as much of that
timeline occur before his disappearance.
- Gramps.
- What?
I'm going to go, not you.
No. If this doesn't work
you still have a life.
It won't matter.
This timeline will continue.
We'll test it and make
sure everything is safe.
But even if I don't succeed,
for whatever reason,
you'll know because
nothing changes.
And, at that point, you can do
whatever you think is necessary,
but I have to try it my way.
What is your way?
Well, talking to him at the
airport isn't going to be enough.
That depends on what we say.
He has to tell Marika.
That's the key.
She has to be aware
of his intentions,
then they can play
it out after that.
No. We have to ensure that
he doesn't do it again.
If we Ebenezer Scrooge
him here and now
we could cease to exist
because he would have already
avoided the mugging.
Our only asset is that we have
his memory in 2000 and 1946.
That's the only thing that's going
to survive after the correction.
In theory.
We have to show him
the damage he's done
without removing him
from his reality.
Just sign here.
Your instructor will be
with you in a few minutes.
It's not about correcting anymore.
I'm going to make sure this
doesn't happen to us again,
whatever it takes.
Next time we meet we'll have
our whole wonderful lives
ahead of us.
I promise.
What is this?
Instructions for your
father to make sure
I visit Professor Gale's
chemistry department
on May 15, 2012.
Why?
Mrs. Moore will be
there, if you must know.
Ready?
So if nothing happens in three days
it's up to you to do it right.
Understood.
You know, if this works I'll
never be able to thank you.
No, you won't.
And I won't know if you've been
incinerated for three days.
Well, the tests went fine.
I hope you'll visit
us more, Grandpa.
See you in another life, kiddo.
See you Friday.
Okay.
Say hi to dad.
Will do.
Hi.
Come on, honey.
We got to go. Got to go.
Got to go.
Hello?
Hey, Sal, how are you?
I'm great.
Good flight?
Yes, thanks.
I'm just getting out. I'll come
by after I check into the hotel.
Perfect. See you then.
He's just growing up so fast. He's
got the same love of science as me.
But it's like Marika's
artistic flare
kind of balances him out somehow.
He's probably a better critical
thinker than I ever was.
Perhaps another student for me?
So this is the place?
Yes, indeed.
It's a dead space.
You'll be lucky if you see a
janitor down here once a week.
Some things never change.
Can I ask what this is all about?
I'm sorry.
After your dissertation I
promised never to question you
again, I take it back.
No, I just...
I guess I want somewhere
quiet to work, that's all.
- You okay for light?
- Yeah. Yeah, I'm good.
Listen, I really appreciate this.
Thank you. Do you want to
meet up for lunch tomorrow?
Yeah, sure.
Just let's touch
base in the morning.
- If you need anything else let me know.
- I will do.
- It's good to see you, Gabe.
- Good to see you too.
Good luck.
Thanks.
Hello?
Hey, sleepy.
Hm.
What time is it?
Six thirty.
How's the conference?
I'm about to find out.
You need to get up.
Talk to you later, okay?
Oh.
Okay.
Bye, my darlin'.
Bye.
If you're looking
for the Professor,
he's on his Saturday morning walk.
- Do you know when he'll be back?
- No.
Why don't you people
go to his office?
What'll you have?
Johnny.
That's right.
Coffee?
Sure.
Make that two.
They're on me.
Oh no. That's not necessary.
No, please.
Where are you from?
Well, London, originally.
Great city.
Welcome to Jersey.
Thanks Thanks, Johnny.
So what brings you here?
Work.
What kind of work do you do?
I've had a very strange day.
I don't mean to be rude.
That's okay.
You new here?
Yeah.
A wild guess.
You're in research?
Takes one to know one.
Institute or university?
I can't really talk about it.
It's okay. I can't tell you
that I'm here on a theoretical
physics scholarship.
You're very young.
What are you working on?
I'm doing a paper on a
phenomenon called wormholes.
It's purely theoretical.
My mentor, Dr. Weyl's
the real expert.
I'm just learning about it.
My name's Erol.
My son's name's Erol.
Really?
Where's he?
At home.
How long you here for?
Not long.
Well, that's good.
One thing I found in travelling is
that you can't stay away
from home too long.
Not good for family life.
If I may ask, what angle are you
researching on wormhole theory?
What the implications of
a stable one would be.
Really? What have you found so far?
Do you love them?
What?
Your family. Do you love them?
Yeah, I love my work and my family.
That must be nice.
In my experience, one or
the other has to give.
Well, it's just a matter of
finding the right balance.
Do you mind if I ask you how
you found that balance?
I don't know.
Well, you're doing better than
I am. I got no wife, no kids.
Both my parents are dead.
I'm...
I'm sorry.
Yeah, you should be.
Oh, well, good luck
with your paper.
Actually, my father's not dead yet.
He left me when I was nine.
My mom and I dropped him
off at the airport.
He was going on a business
trip to Princeton
and he was supposed to
come back in a few days,
but he never did.
We waited a long time.
I mean, my mom did.
It was so long ago I don't
really remember him.
My mom went back to school
and became a professor.
And she was inspired in her work.
But she never got
over the confusion
of not knowing where
my father went.
I think she thought he ran
off with another woman.
She was devastated and
she took her own life.
Then my grandfather
came to me and he said
that we could find my father
if we worked together.
It would take time, maybe years
to figure out what he had done.
But we did it.
I haven't seen him in 12 years.
Erol?
Oh my God.
So tell me about Einstein.
That's why you're here, isn't it?
Huh? Yeah.
Why?
What... what could he possibly tell
you that you don't already know?
First tell me...
what happens to me?
Tonight you're mugged.
They kill you.
That's it.
All this work and some guys take
you for the money in your pocket.
What is this?
It's you.
It's your suit, it's
your description.
They left your pocket watch.
I don't know why.
You're wearing your keys
in your left pocket?
Yeah.
The basement wall?
This is everything you've
missed for 12 years.
You really were a good father.
I was a happy kid.
How did she die?
Pills.
It was her third try.
She couldn't bear not knowing
why the love of her life vanished.
And you...?
I lost everything.
And I rebuilt your dream.
It's all here.
All because you wouldn't tell
her what you were doing.
So you tell me, why?
I... I tried. I tried
so many times.
You never said the words,
"I'm building a..."
She didn't want to hear it.
She...
anything that would
change our life, she...
she... she wouldn't have it.
She's happy, you know.
I decided I... I can travel.
I can go, I can come back.
She'll never know.
Try and speak in the past tense.
It was a long time ago.
Mom didn't sign up for this.
Signed up?
Right.
This is the most important
discovery in history.
Imagine the good that
we can do with this.
No.
You have to choose.
It's one or the other.
Your family or this.
Well, then family.
Always family.
I never knew that
this would happen.
Okay.
It's really you.
You're a man.
And you...
What, it took you what, under a
year to do what took me decades.
Your mother was right.
You are a genius.
I'm not.
I'm not a genius.
I've been selfish and neglectful.
I had a child.
I had a life with Grace
and I fucked it up.
Little Grace, our neighbour?
You are the only one
who can fix this now.
I will.
I promise you.
I've missed you.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Okay.
Okay.
No, just give me a couple of
days and I'm going to go back
and I'm going to talk to your
mom. I'm going to tell her.
I'm going to make sure
there's no misunderstanding.
A couple of days?
Listen, I'll have to...
I have to finish my work here.
Einstein's going to help me set
up the parameters of its use.
I've finished the work he started.
That's why I'm here.
Create safeguards, okay, to prevent
this kind of thing from happening.
- That's what he did with the atomic bomb.
- You can't. There are no parameters!
Einstein spoke against
the use of the bomb.
Even... even with all my genius,
I couldn't begin to imagine
the chaos if even one
more person used this.
There are no exceptions.
Al would tell you the same thing.
You have to go back
now and destroy it.
There's nothing wrong with
the technology. Nothing.
Listen...
listen, I've been
very, very careless.
I realize that now. I've been
talking to strangers, even.
I'm going to stay down
here the entire time.
Mom died because of this. Does
that mean anything to you?
Of course it does! That's why I
will avoid the mugging this time.
Now you've given me what I need.
You can even stay here.
There's so many questions I want
to ask you. You've grown up.
We can make...
together we can make sure
that I get back safe.
I know you think you're being safe.
I know you think you're being careful,
but you have to look at the chart.
Look at it.
Look at it carefully.
Why didn't you intercept
me before I left?
Why risk coming back?
That's the question, isn't it?
I wanted to see this.
I wanted to see the
fruits of your labour.
The glorious unknown that
you gave up everything for.
I hoped you'd go back immediately
and you could erase the
last 4556 days of my life.
And I'd be a child,
looking up at you with wonder as
you came back from your trip.
And I will do.
The problem is I
know how you think.
You and I have lost
the same things.
But I had to feel those losses.
I had to watch a loved one die.
I had to create
safeguards to make sure
that this never happened again.
You say you love mom and me?
More than anything.
They love you too.
Go back now and remember
the man I became
because of your choices.
Fuck!
No.
Oh my God.
No.
Oh my God.
First move the pawn to pawn three.
Hi.
Honey, look who's here.
Dad.
Hi.
Hi, Mr. Whyte.
You're early.
What happened?