Paycheck (2003) Movie Script
It's time to wake up...
...and get a life.
We live in a three-dimensional world.
Until now, the world of computing's
been flat,
consisting of two-dimensional
imagery.
Now, through the use of exclusive
breakthrough technology,
ARC has made it possible
for you to get a life.
A Life, where we can work and play
in a lifelike world
of three-dimensional reality.
A Life, the living monitor.
Impressed?
Yeah, I am.
Would you put one of those
in a box for me?
- Are you the lawyer?
- I'm Rita Dunne.
Obviously, no one from Nexim
could be here today.
- I'd invite you in, but...
- Good luck, Mr. Jennings.
- I'll see you in two months.
- Yeah.
Home sweet home.
What do you think?
This is the exact same technology?
Not the exact same technology, no.
Ultimately, I decided
to reconceive some of it.
I never liked the way
the monitor looked.
And then it occurred to me...
...who needs it?
Gentlemen,
I am the future of computing.
And I would like to present you
with Nexim's new Freedom Line
of display technology.
New from Nexim.
Freedom is in your future.
Launch this now.
ARC is not gonna last.
Who said 100 percent
market share's impossible?
Get me Marketing immediately.
This far exceeds our expectations.
Congratulations.
Well...
...thank you.
You understand, Mr. Jennings,
you've done in two months
what we've been trying
to do for three years.
Sometimes it's easier
if you work backwards.
Cheers.
You won't remember me, will you?
No.
That's too bad.
Marker reached.
OK.
We're now extracting his memory
from the marker forward
to the present.
Jesus, Rita.
Jesus Christ!
This is dangerous enough.
If this man's brain temp goes
one C above 43, he's a veg.
Come on, Mike.
Here we go.
It's all clean.
Good morning, sunshine.
Hey, how you doing, big guy?
- OK?
- Yeah.
All right. Thank you. Take it easy.
Slow, slow, slow.
There's no hurry, OK?
- That's it. Good?
- Yeah.
Good man. Hey, Mike, look at me.
Look at me. Right here.
What's the last date you remember?
- October 19.
- Very good.
Mike, what's the last thing
you remember?
The Red Sox made the playoffs.
OK. Let's get the legal
out of the way, shall we?
Mr. Michael Jennings, under the terms
of your non-disclosure agreement,
you are considered never
to have been an employee.
You also understand that all your work
is the intellectual property of Nexim...
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I never worked here. I never saw
anybody. I never was here. I got it.
Is my paycheck ready?
Alrighty.
- How you feeling, tiger?
- Good.
- Now let's hear you.
- All right.
- Ready?
- Yeah.
Go!
In order to zero the full eight weeks
I had to heat your brain to 42.5 C.
- I'm fine.
- I'm saying it's getting harder, Mike.
- I said, I'm fine.
- You're slowing down. Come on.
I'd be faster if you'd shut up.
Show me what you've got,
grasshopper.
That's it. That's more like it!
Yes! Go, go, go!
Go! Go!
Yes! Faster!
Beautiful!
Yes! One more! One more, Mikey!
See how you did that?
How you focused?
- Yeah. I focused on your face.
- You know you love me.
Come on. Don't be mean to the
one who does everything for you.
Do you realize you've never once
asked me what I see
when I erase your memory?
Basically, the last two months
just never happened for you.
What's to know?
20 hours a day in a clean room
ripping off a guy's idea for a computer,
selling it to somebody else.
What'd you do the last two months?
The last thing I remember is
driving in Spain in the Aston Martin,
learning to dive in Belize
with what's-her-name.
The seven-stadiums-in-seven-days
trip. It's great.
I mean, my memories
are basically highlights.
It's good. It's a good life.
The stuff you erase, it doesn't matter.
What is it with guys like Rethrick?
He's gotta have everything, huh?
Say what you want about Jimmy,
he started Allcom in his garage.
Wait, wait.
Don't you leave me alone.
What? You'll be fine. Talk. Mingle.
I don't want to mingle.
Hello.
I'm Michael.
I'm Rachel.
Rachel Porter.
Is that Miss or Mrs?
That would be Dr. Porter.
Doctor. Well, excuse me, doctor.
It's all right.
What kind of a doctor are you?
- I'm a biologist.
- Really?
Do you work for Jimmy?
It must be very top-secret
biology that you practice.
Oh, yes. Isn't everything?
Let's go.
Excuse me?
I mean, I'm happy
to continue blathering on,
trying helplessly to charm you,
but I thought maybe, you know,
cut to the chase and just,
you know, go somewhere.
I'll tell you what, Michael.
I'm gonna walk over there
and talk to a friend of mine.
If you get the urge
to have a real conversation,
you'll know where to find me.
OK. Fair enough.
It was nice to meet you.
Giving up so easily?
You don't believe in second chances,
now, do you?
In my experience, no, I don't.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Mike.
- Jimmy.
- How you doing?
- Good.
- Good to see you.
- You too.
- Thanks for coming.
- Thanks for having me.
- Come back this way.
- Sure.
Hey, Jimmy.
Now you're talking. Thank you.
Wait a second.
Isaac, disable fire protection, please.
Alarm disabled.
I don't think you'd look good covered
in foam. Even in that suit.
What's the pitch, Jimmy?
I know you're trying to sell me
something. What is it?
When there was a time
we were in school,
we wanted to change the world.
I thought we wanted
to save the world.
Well, that's semantics.
- What's the job, Jimmy?
- Can't tell you.
Other than to say
that it involves optics.
And you get stock options
for this one.
Get a real piece of the company.
What if it doesn't work?
I get a real piece of nothing.
I promise you, it won't fail.
How do you know that?
Is this a real crystal ball?
I wish. The point is, I'll guarantee
that you do eight figures.
- Minimum.
- What's the catch?
The job may require a little bit
more time than you're used to.
- How much more time?
- Two years. Maybe three.
- You're kidding.
- Deadly serious.
Jimmy, that's impossible.
You can't do it.
The longest ever is eight weeks.
It was me.
Assuming it were possible,
would you do it?
- Give up three years of my life?
- Not give up, trade.
Three years in return
for the rest of your life.
One big paycheck. You're done.
A lot can happen in three years.
You blink, it'll be over.
Two seconds.
A heartbeat, then snap, you're rich
beyond your wildest dreams.
One big paycheck. You're done.
Mr. Jennings. John Wolfe.
Welcome.
You won't be allowed
to leave the grounds.
You'll be assigned a residence
here on campus.
Your mail will be screened,
no phone calls.
Anything you receive
will have to be inspected.
OK.
I'll need your personal belongings.
Watch, wallet, anything else.
Nothing's allowed to be brought in.
These items will be returned to you
when you pick up your paycheck.
Sorry. Those too.
- Mike, hey, you made it.
- Yeah.
- Good to see you.
- You too.
- Everything OK?
- Yep.
Sit down.
I assume Mr. Wolfe
gave you all the fine print.
Yeah. He also took the last pair of
sunglasses I've managed not to lose.
I'm sorry.
What is this?
It's for your memory wipe.
We inject you with an isotope,
migrates to your brain
serves as a marker.
Another injection erases everything
back to the marker.
No barbaric cooking of the brain.
All right.
Wow.
- What have I gotten myself into?
- Let's go find out.
Initiating Blue Script directory.
Impressive.
This used to be our smallest unit.
Now it's our most profitable.
Mr. Rethrick, may I speak with you
for a moment?
- Have a look around. I'll be right back.
- OK.
Cycle complete.
Begin transmission of data.
All right! I give up! I give up.
Don't give up.
Dr. Porter. I guess I'm lucky you
didn't use thunder and lightning.
True.
OK, well, I won't question
your powers in the future.
Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.
I thought you said Marianne
was on a plane.
She was planning to make the
conference call from the plane, sir.
Look. I should probably apologize
for my behavior the other day.
I get like that sometimes,
and I shouldn't. I'm sorry.
Careful. You are in danger of sounding
like you want a second chance.
- Everything OK?
- Yeah.
- Say something else.
- Excuse me?
Say something nice.
Quick, otherwise I'll forget it.
Was that little breeze for our boy here?
Well, I owed him one. Now we're even.
Be nice, Mike's moving
into the neighborhood.
Oh.
- See you around.
- OK.
- You ready?
- Yeah. Let's go.
You can still back out.
No hard feelings.
No, I want to stay.
Michael Jennings, meet the other half
of your team, Dr. William Dekker.
- Nice to meet you.
- It's a pleasure.
Gentlemen. Let's have a look
at the next three years of your lives.
What happened?
Michael.
You're done.
- How long was it, Jimmy?
- It's been three years, Mike.
- How'd I do?
- You did good.
Your money's been transferred
to your account at Reddy Grant.
You've got an appointment
there at 1:00.
Just go home, do the paperwork.
When you feel up to it, give me a call.
We've got a lot of catching up to do.
Ninety-two million dollars.
Everyone at Reddy Grant
appreciates your business.
Well, not as much as I appreciate
my business, I promise you.
OK.
Just sign there.
- All right.
- Great.
- Your personal items.
- Yes.
You only needed four stamps.
Oh, well, guess I could afford
the extra 50 cents.
I don't think this is my stuff.
- It's not?
- No.
- I don't know what happened.
- It's all right. Don't worry about it.
It doesn't matter.
Let's talk about my shares.
What I'd like to do
is get some money now,
and, you know, put the rest away
for long term, to live off.
So how do we do that?
Mr. Jennings,
you forfeited your shares.
I beg your pardon? What?
Yeah, here. Dated four weeks ago.
You surrendered the shares
and stated to deliver
only the envelope of personals.
- Don't you remember doing that, sir?
- No.
I don't remember that,
because I didn't do that.
Why would I do that? I wouldn't
do that. It doesn't make sense.
A mistake has been made,
and it needs to be corrected.
- I agree. It's a strange thing you did...
- It's not strange.
Strange is a little out of the
ordinary, but still plausible.
Giving away $100 million in shares
in a Fortune 500 company
for some knickknacks isn't strange,
it's insane.
No one would do that.
Doesn't make sense.
Unless you think this is a $40-million
can of hair spray, which is pink.
What, this is a $100-million
book of matches?
I've been out of it a few years.
Is this back in style now?
Are these $100-million sunglasses?
I'll look into it, but it's gonna
take me some time.
This is crazy. I'm gonna make
some phone calls.
Mr. Rethrick's office.
- It's Michael Jennings. It's important.
- I'm sorry, he stepped away.
He won't be back until
this afternoon.
I can try him on his cell phone.
Just have him call me
as soon as he gets in. OK?
- OK.
- Thank you.
Listen, guys, a mistake
has been made here. All right?
- I'm not a traitor. I'm an engineer.
- A reverse engineer, right?
We know that you accepted payment
of classified government technology.
Mike, that's called treason. In this
country, people get fried for that one.
In this country when the FBI harasses
you, you also get an attorney.
Not today you don't.
What the hell is this?
The attorney general calls me
and says
that Michael Jennings' cooperation
is a matter of national security.
Look, first of all, that stuff
isn't mine, OK?
A mistake...
What is?
Perfect fit. You were saying?
Well, let me show you a few pieces
of the puzzle that we're solving.
William Dekker, government
physicist, weapons division.
Three years ago, his project
gets shelved.
He didn't like that, so he sold
his work. Classified work.
Showed it to several corporations.
We think Rethrick bought it.
Unfortunately, we can't link Rethrick
to the sale, because Dekker died.
Natural causes.
"Natural" being gravity after a 140-foot
fall out of his apartment building.
What does this
have to do with me?
Patent applications filed this month.
They show designs
based on Dekker's work.
Look whose signature is on
every one of those documents.
Get it?
It's your name on those patents!
Rethrick can claim he knows nothing
about Dekker or the design.
You need to tell us everything
you did for Rethrick.
- I can't.
- You'd rather spend your life
in prison protecting
your friend?
- Help us, and we can work with you.
- I can't. I can't!
He wiped my memory!
I don't remember!
I'll tell you whatever I know.
I was set up. Believe me.
I don't remember what I did
for the past three years!
What?
Wait a second!
Wait!
We figured Rethrick tried a wipe,
so we'll try an extraction.
You're not gonna see anything.
You're wasting your time.
We're getting something here.
Come on!
Come on!
Shit.
We got nothing.
Hold on a second.
I need a smoke.
Boss.
He won't mind.
- Smoke!
- Shit!
- Goddamn it!
- I can't see anything!
Secure the door!
Where the hell is he?
- He's loose!
- Don't worry, he can't go anywhere!
Cover the door!
I'll get the lights!
I can't see!
Get low to the ground!
Stay low to the ground!
Mitchell!
See anything?
- Is that him?
- Klein, where'd you go?
Al, shut the door!
What's going on?
Good night, Mikey.
Copy that.
- Watch it, coming through!
- Go! Go! Go!
- Coming through!
- Out of the way!
- See him?
- I see him!
- Out of the way, lady!
- There!
Move! Move! Move!
- Coming through!
- Let's go!
Excuse me.
Coming through!
- Out of the way! Open those gates!
- Watch it, man.
Come on! Come on!
Where did he go?
I'll get men at every stop!
He'll be long gone by then!
How the hell did he do that?
- Sorry.
- You all right?
- Yeah, yeah. I'm fine.
- Be careful.
Hey! Hey!
Watch it!
Hey! Hey!
Jane. Relax.
Everything's fine.
You talked to federal agents.
It's OK.
It's been worked out now.
I just need to find
out who sent these items.
Will you help me out?
- They were sent three years ago.
- No. There was a mix-up.
Somebody else sent these. I need
to find out who that is and talk to them.
Replacements were sent
a few weeks ago.
- Who sent it?
- Well, you did.
That's you right here.
See? Twenty items.
I'm gonna need all
your personal belongings.
Michael Jennings died
at three minutes after 3.
The government, left with no case,
closed its investigation of Allcom.
So you see,
it's impossible that he escaped
unless you changed something.
I didn't.
- What were you doing, exactly?
- I was eating pie.
He left the attorney's office
exactly when it predicted.
The Feds took him exactly
when it predicted...
But he didn't die like it predicted!
Michael Jennings
is not a super agent.
He's an engineer.
Yet somehow he managed
to escape from a double-Iocked room.
How? Was it fate?
No, fate was on our side.
That means someone changed
something. And it wasn't me.
And if it wasn't you, then who the?
Has anyone checked the machine
since Michael walked out of here?
Find him.
"If you only look
where you can't go,
"you will miss the riches below."
Yeah, I'm already missing my riches.
"17-44-4-26-37-40-22."
A combination? A code?
A password?
"New Liberty Savings."
New Liberty Savings Bank, please.
What does that mean?
You're saying the bank
doesn't exist?
That's comforting.
Who sent these items?
You did.
That's you right here.
See? Twenty items.
These are patent applications.
Look whose signature is
on every one of those documents!
A mistake has been made here.
I'm not a traitor!
Dekker died!
Rethrick can claim he knows
nothing about Dekker or the design.
Believe me! I don't remember
what I did for the past three years!
Michael.
Michael.
You're done.
Hello?
Jesus, Shorty.
You don't know how good it is
- to hear a familiar voice.
- Michael?
Listen, man.
I'm in a... I'm in a jam,
and I need you.
All right.
Meet me at Union Station at 9:00.
- I'll be there.
- OK, buddy.
Outbound local from Seattle
to Kent departing from track five.
Eastbound Spokane, gate ten.
Michael.
Say one word about this hat
and I'm out of here.
Oh, man!
Oh, my God.
I told you not to take that job, Mike.
- Come on, let's get a table.
- OK.
- Injections?
- Yeah.
You would have to do it
that way, I guess.
But, of course,
that's a chemical process.
So?
Well, you'd have
some latent memories.
Maybe that's what I'm seeing.
Most likely. Memories
that made it through the wash,
stirred up when the feds
went in your head.
Why would I have these things?
Explain this.
I sent myself this junk
instead of the money.
Oh, brother.
I don't know.
That's not the question
you should be asking.
- No?
- No. You should be asking yourself,
why did you give up
all that money?
That's the most bizarre part
of this whole thing.
Ninety million dollars. Nobody
changes that much in three years.
OK, all right, buddy.
I wanna figure out what you built.
All right, let's work backwards.
They told me I was working on
a design by someone named Dekker.
- Dekker?
- Yeah.
- William Dekker?
- I think so.
What I heard was, he was working
on something level five for the feds.
They came in,
shut him down.
- What was it?
- Well, the consensus was a laser.
- Why?
- Because Dekker's drawings
called for a mirror and a lens.
The only thing that uses those
is a laser or a satellite camera
to see things from far away.
Here comes the first number, 17.
Followed by 44.
- The lens required perfect optics.
- Four.
- The mirror...
- Twenty-six.
- So the capital outlay is huge.
- Thirty-seven.
- Word was it was gonna cost
- Forty.
- 500 billion dollars.
- And
the bonus number is 22.
Who's gonna spend 500 billion
dollars just to see something?
What?
No way I get out of that
extraction room without the cigarettes
and the glasses.
I would've never gotten
on the bus without the ticket.
If I didn't have the ring, I wouldn't
have followed that kid to Reddy Grant.
- Right.
- I gave up that money
just to make sure that I would pay
attention to these items.
Why?
Because I know what you'd
spend 500 billion dollars to see.
The future.
If you selected five numbers
and the bonus number,
you're a second-prize winner.
He used a virus.
The machine went down
at 3:03 this afternoon.
3:03.
Can you program around the virus?
No. It's not that kind of virus.
Come on, I'll show you.
It's not in the software.
It's in the hardware.
He put a circuit somewhere in here.
It's like a poison pill.
But you can find it, right?
Yeah, I can.
Then do it.
Slight change of plans.
According to Mr. Stevens,
we don't need Jennings.
Look, if we know anything, we know
that time travel's not possible.
Einstein proved that, right?
Time travel, yes.
Einstein was very clear
that he believed time viewing
- theoretically could be accomplished...
- Mike, Mike. Come on.
Maybe we should just find Dekker...
- I can't talk to Dekker.
- Why not?
- He had an accident.
- An accident?
Yeah, he...
He fell out
of his bedroom window.
Fell out of?
He fell out of his bedroom window!
I see. Sure.
That could happen.
Jesus. Wait a minute!
- We've gotta get out of here!
- Shorty, listen to me.
I think what happened
was I used this thing,
I saw my future.
And I saw what I needed to change it.
But all I could get out of Allcom
were these innocuous items.
Each item has to be used
at a specific time and place
to accomplish whatever
I needed to get done.
I mean, without the stuff in here,
I'd already be dead.
Yeah, well, it's too bad that you don't
know what the rest of them are for.
What?
Gotcha!
Hey!
Great seeing you again, Mike!
Jesus!
Those guys do not look like feds.
Here. Listen to me.
Take this.
This will get you through that door.
Close it behind you. Understand? Go!
- OK!
- Go! Go on!
Shit!
Go!
Oh, God, I hope that was
a good thing to do.
Shit.
Go.
Where's your gun?
He's got it.
So...
...how are you, Mike?
You?
Why?
Don't remember?
You brought this
on yourself, Mike.
So how does it feel
knowing you're going to die?
Shit.
He designed his own escape?
Mr. Attorney General, sir,
we have no explanation.
After looking at the evidence
the only logical,
albeit hard-to-accept conclusion,
is he was able to predict
what was going to happen to him.
These are memories extracted
from Jennings before he fled.
They don't seem to add up to anything.
Gladys.
That's all for today.
We knew Dekker was
trying to design something,
but when he sold his plans,
he wasn't even halfway done.
I don't understand.
Dekker was working at JPL
on a laser-enhanced lens.
He claimed the lens
was powerful enough
to see around the curvature
of the universe.
He believed if you could see
around a curve that went on forever
you would end up back
where you started,
looking at yourself.
Except you're not looking
at yourself now, in the present.
No, you are not.
You're looking at the future.
Imagine what will happen if Jennings
figures it out and tries to profit from it.
- Any nation will give a king's ransom.
- He won't do that.
I was this close. He never lied.
When he was accused
he was hurt and scared.
Bring him in,
I'll give him the Medal of Honor.
That's if Rethrick
doesn't find him first.
You think he really saw the future?
That would be something.
Cafe Michel?
My name is Michael Jennings.
And I can't remember if I made
a reservation there recently.
Would you check that out for me?
Thanks.
I did?
OK.
Right. How many is it for?
Oh, no, thank you.
No, I'll be there.
Thank you.
Hello, you two.
Did he feed you?
Rachel, it's Jimmy.
- You all right?
- Why?
You don't know?
No.
May I come in?
When was the last time
you saw Michael?
Yesterday morning.
He was pulling
an all nighter at his lab.
Rachel, I'm sorry to have to
be the one to tell you this.
Michael left Allcom yesterday.
Permanently.
- What?
- He finished his work.
- We erased his memory, and he...
- No.
- He left.
- No. He promised me.
He said he wasn't going
to go through with it.
He made a lot of money
on this one, Rachel.
He said he didn't care
about the money.
So she doesn't know anything.
He wouldn't leave without her.
It's Michael. He'd be smart.
We're missing something.
Soon as she leaves for work,
get in there.
Make sure she can't
go anywhere alone.
I want to know
what just happened.
Bye, guys.
Good morning, Dr. Porter.
Going somewhere?
Good morning.
Good morning.
I'm going to go up top.
Take my bag.
- You're gonna need this.
- Got it. Thanks.
Coming?
No, thanks.
I'd rather watch from down here.
Suit yourself.
We've been through the bathroom
and the rest of the apartment. Zero.
This is what I want you to do.
Go back in the bathroom.
OK, start turning left.
Tell me what you see.
The mirror.
We've got him.
She's supposed to meet him
at Cafe Michel, 1 p.m.
Well, let's make sure she does.
I'm here to meet someone.
Michael Jennings.
- Have a seat.
- Thanks.
Sit at that table right there.
In the seat,
with your back to the window.
Michael, thank God you're all right.
I thought I was never gonna
see you again.
Michael, it's me.
Rachel.
Look...
You can't remember me.
No. I'm sorry.
Cops. We can't go in.
I'll have to wait for a clear shot.
Maya, stall for time.
Tell him you thought
he'd remember something.
That you two were engaged.
I guess I thought
you'd remember something.
We've been together for three years.
I don't know what to say.
I'm really sorry.
I'm trying.
That's how he's doing this.
Listen to me very carefully, Maya.
This is what I want you to say.
Michael, I can see you still have
the envelope.
That means it's working.
I know you switched
the personal items. I helped.
- You left me a note on a mirror.
- You left me a note on a mirror.
I'm supposed to take something.
Something I can use
to get to Stevens.
- He's a man you worked with.
- He's a man you worked with.
He's trying to fix the machine.
Work backwards, Michael.
Yeah. Take the swipe card.
That's the swipe card for the campus.
You're supposed to give that to me.
Rachel wouldn't be hurt
if he hesitated, she'd be impatient.
Look, Michael,
if you can't trust me right now,
then we are lost. For good.
Nice.
OK.
I'd better get back.
They'll get suspicious soon.
Wait here.
I'll be back in half an hour.
And don't worry,
we end up together.
Michael...
I love you.
- What's my favorite baseball team?
- What?
What's my favorite baseball team?
Who cares?
That would be the Red Sox.
- I think maybe we should go.
- Wait!
Now we can leave.
Come on.
Wait! Hold on.
- You have a car?
- I might.
You might?
Look for a BMW!
You gotta be joking.
Shit! Shit!
- Let me see that key.
- Why?
You're in the wrong section.
Jennings bought the BMW
on the Internet.
He had the key mailed to him
four weeks ago.
- What's the color of his car?
- It isn't a car.
They just turned on Pine.
Intercept them on Sixth.
- How good am I on this thing?
- You're OK!
- Look, I just said you're OK, OK?
- OK.
Hang on!
- Report of shots. Southgate BMW.
- Got it.
Stop! I lost the envelope!
- I'll come back and get you.
- See you!
Got it!
Let's get out of here.
Take us down!
Mike, we can help you!
We know what's going on!
Let us bring you in!
He's headed for the tunnel!
Cut him off! Cut him off!
Duck!
Split!
You think Jennings foresaw that?
Maybe next time he'll see
a nice quiet stakeout.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
It's OK.
It's all for you anyway.
And I...
I brought you some clothes.
I thought you might need them.
I hope it's OK.
Thank you.
These are mine?
You don't remember?
No.
You don't remember me, do you?
Well...
These are for you.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
You're so sweet.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I just don't remember.
I shouldn't have left.
You're saying he sent himself
a different set of personal items
after using the machine,
and nothing our security would flag.
Everyday things
combined with the power of foresight
transform Michael from engineer
to escape artist.
I don't know about you,
but I'd like to return the favor.
Michael, are you OK?
I'm all right.
Michael, I don't know what you saw
in your machine,
but I remember, a few weeks ago,
you came back from your lab, pale.
You asked me the strangest question.
- What?
- If I knew it wouldn't work out
for you and I, before we were together,
would I have done it?
What did you say?
That I wouldn't trade our time
for anything.
That's all we are,
the sum of our experiences.
Besides,
some of the best things in life
are total mistakes.
- What?
- You know,
when I checked this envelope out,
they told me I signed in 20 items,
but there were only 19.
I don't understand.
What are these pictures of?
Michael, look at the rest
of the pictures.
Look at the last one.
Oh, my God. It's the future.
The machine predicts a war,
and we go to war to avert it.
It predicts a plague. We herd
all the sick together, create a plague.
Whatever future this predicts,
we make happen.
We give over control
of our lives completely.
I did this.
Seeing the future will destroy us.
If you show someone their future,
they have no future.
If you take away the mystery,
you take away hope.
I have to go back.
I have to destroy that machine.
It's impossible. The campus is huge.
There are hundreds of guards.
I wouldn't have given up the three
years we had unless I was sure
I could get us 50 more.
OK. So how do we get in?
- We don't.
- You said everything was happening
for a reason, and that includes
me being here.
So come on.
Hey, Rachel.
Another day at the most.
I don't have many places to look.
I guess you weren't as smart
as you thought, Stevens.
Hey, Jennings wouldn't find it any
faster unless he knew where to look.
We've got the feeds
from mass transit.
- He could be anywhere by now.
- Except
he's not running away.
He could've given himself a way
to disappear,
but look what he gave himself instead.
His Allcom security pass.
He's going back.
Get a warrant to tap phone
and data lines coming out of Allcom.
Put some bodies on that campus.
I want that machine!
Jennings and the girl were spotted.
What do you want me to do?
Nothing.
- Stay where you are.
- Nobody gets through!
- Sir!
- I didn't do anything!
Settle down!
All the metal detectors on level four
just went off. Ball bearings.
Just down the hall
from the metal detectors.
Pull the guards off the Jennings lab.
Let him slip in, think he's fooled us.
Once he's fixed the machine,
take him.
I built this.
This door shouldn't be open.
There's something wrong.
They're expecting us.
Better close this door behind us.
And keep it shut.
- He's in.
- Confirmed. He's in.
Once we confirm he's at the machine,
let's go after him.
I thought we were gonna wait for him
to come out.
I can't wait! Jennings
or the machine, I don't care,
as long as I get one. Let's go!
This will do. Watch out.
- What are you doing?
- Smashing the lock.
Hold on a second.
You can't just smash the thing.
They'll still be able to get in.
We gotta jam the outside reader.
Let's go.
Let's take a look at the future
before we destroy this thing.
I bugged it. I rigged it so Jimmy
wouldn't use it against me.
Then you can fix it, right?
Now, where would I have planted
that bug?
Maybe on one of the motherboards.
Whoa, whoa, whoa,
we won't be needing this, OK?
You're dangerous with that thing.
You must have given yourself
something to help you find it.
The only things left
are the bullet and... this.
- Crossword?
- Yeah.
Look at this.
Twelve down.
Maybe it's here.
Nine, ten, eleven, twelve.
Let's take a look.
Maybe it's a circuit diagram.
I wouldn't have put it
in the primary path.
Twelve down.
Take him.
OK, corridor three, sublevel A,
Jennings' lab.
All right, let's put this thing
to good use one last time.
Let's get us out of here.
That's in the lab.
It's the catwalk.
Look, I've changed my future before
using this thing. I can do it again.
Don't have time. Gotta
destroy this before they get it.
Reprogram the door
to Jennings' lab, please.
Now.
He must've done something
to the controller.
- How are we gonna get out of here?
- I don't know.
Clear!
- What are you doing?
- These are liquid hydrogen.
They're used to cool the machine.
They fire in order.
Number one just fired.
When it gets down to number six here,
that's all she wrote.
I'll see you when this goes off, Jimmy.
Come on!
You see?
You judge too soon.
They went out through the vent.
Spread out, find them.
Position three standing by.
Come on.
Freeze!
Look out.
Seal off all exits to the lab.
All right, Jennings,
let's see what you've been up to.
Rachel, go for the door, OK?
Drop the gun.
Drop the gun.
Looks like Michael's
got a date on the catwalks.
Let's make sure he makes it.
- Let's go.
- We can't take the catwalk.
I know. We won't, I promise.
Come on, let's go.
- Michael! What are you doing?
- Go. I'll distract them.
- Go, please.
- No!
Listen to me. This is my debt.
I built this machine.
- I have to pay for it.
- You come with me now!
You promised
you'd change your fate!
Please, we don't have time.
If you love me, if you care
about me, go. Have a good life.
Remember me.
Damn you.
Jimmy.
You want to kill me,
come do it yourself.
Here I am. You want me?
Come get me.
- Hi, Jimmy.
- Hi, Mike.
- Looks like this is it, huh?
- It is, Mike.
- You only have yourself to blame.
- That's a lie.
You can't change your fate.
You're gonna die today.
Maybe.
But you're not going to kill me.
That's right, Mike.
I've seen the future.
Still think you can
change your fate, Mike?
I am the future, Mike!
- Rethrick has Jennings.
- Retire him.
- What?
- We have the machine.
We can't risk its creator falling
into the wrong hands. Come on.
Don't blame me.
You and Michael would've lived
happily ever after, no memory wipe.
He saw something he didn't like.
He's the one who decided
he wanted to stop the program.
Look at it this way,
you did change the future, Michael.
Before you interfered
you both would've lived
and we would still be friends,
instead of ending up like this.
It wasn't meant to be.
Giving up so easy?
Don't you believe in second chances?
To tell you the truth, I do.
Go, go, go.
Rachel!
Let's go.
Look.
Any records? Any papers?
Explosion destroyed everything.
- Are we trying to salvage that or what?
- I guess we don't get the machine.
Any sign of Jennings?
No, I'm afraid he didn't make it.
What was Shorty thinking,
starting a nursery?
I mean, these plants
are on life-support.
What do you mean? Really?
He told me he had a green thumb.
Gangrene is more like it.
Lucky for Shorty, I'm a biologist.
Lucky for both of us,
since I failed biology,
- I'm no help to either one of you.
- So you say.
Too bad, though,
because I'm looking for a partner
- for a start-up company.
- Really? Doing what?
We're gonna save the world.
I don't think I'm your guy.
But would you settle for someone
who wants to help you change it?
- OK.
- Good.
So how does it end for us, Michael?
I mean, what's in our future?
You know, I don't know.
I kind of like it that way.
- I do know one thing.
- What's that?
I never want to forget anything
ever again.
Break it up, break it up.
The birdman cometh.
- Shorty.
- It's dinner.
- You found them.
- Yes, I did.
- Who does everything for everybody?
- You do.
- You're right.
- You're my hero.
Thank you very much.
- You hear that? I'm a hero.
- That's great.
I think I remember.
Are those our birds?
Yes, of course they are.
We bought them together.
You remember the birds? Well done.
You could see into the future
and all you remember
are Polly and Tweety there.
Why not remember something
that'd make us rich?
- Wait a second.
- What is it?
- I think there was something else.
- No, no, no.
The envelope's empty.
Don't worry about it.
Hold on. I'm working backward here.
"If you only look where you can't go,
you will miss the riches below."
I must've known you'd never
get rid of these birds.
Of course not. They're family.
So I knew this would be here.
What only looks where it can't go?
A caged bird.
"You will miss the riches below."
The riches below.
What is that?
Well, that's a $90-million
lottery ticket.
- Wait. Wait a minute.
- It's $90 million.
- Nice.
- Yes, I'm proud of it.
Wait a minute. No.
- Wait.
- What are you doing?
You know what?
I think now's a good time
to discuss my commission, 33%.
- I thought it was 5.
- No, 33.
- Thirty-three percent!
- He deserves it.
It was found on my premises.
I'll get back to you.
I'm gonna cash this in.
...and get a life.
We live in a three-dimensional world.
Until now, the world of computing's
been flat,
consisting of two-dimensional
imagery.
Now, through the use of exclusive
breakthrough technology,
ARC has made it possible
for you to get a life.
A Life, where we can work and play
in a lifelike world
of three-dimensional reality.
A Life, the living monitor.
Impressed?
Yeah, I am.
Would you put one of those
in a box for me?
- Are you the lawyer?
- I'm Rita Dunne.
Obviously, no one from Nexim
could be here today.
- I'd invite you in, but...
- Good luck, Mr. Jennings.
- I'll see you in two months.
- Yeah.
Home sweet home.
What do you think?
This is the exact same technology?
Not the exact same technology, no.
Ultimately, I decided
to reconceive some of it.
I never liked the way
the monitor looked.
And then it occurred to me...
...who needs it?
Gentlemen,
I am the future of computing.
And I would like to present you
with Nexim's new Freedom Line
of display technology.
New from Nexim.
Freedom is in your future.
Launch this now.
ARC is not gonna last.
Who said 100 percent
market share's impossible?
Get me Marketing immediately.
This far exceeds our expectations.
Congratulations.
Well...
...thank you.
You understand, Mr. Jennings,
you've done in two months
what we've been trying
to do for three years.
Sometimes it's easier
if you work backwards.
Cheers.
You won't remember me, will you?
No.
That's too bad.
Marker reached.
OK.
We're now extracting his memory
from the marker forward
to the present.
Jesus, Rita.
Jesus Christ!
This is dangerous enough.
If this man's brain temp goes
one C above 43, he's a veg.
Come on, Mike.
Here we go.
It's all clean.
Good morning, sunshine.
Hey, how you doing, big guy?
- OK?
- Yeah.
All right. Thank you. Take it easy.
Slow, slow, slow.
There's no hurry, OK?
- That's it. Good?
- Yeah.
Good man. Hey, Mike, look at me.
Look at me. Right here.
What's the last date you remember?
- October 19.
- Very good.
Mike, what's the last thing
you remember?
The Red Sox made the playoffs.
OK. Let's get the legal
out of the way, shall we?
Mr. Michael Jennings, under the terms
of your non-disclosure agreement,
you are considered never
to have been an employee.
You also understand that all your work
is the intellectual property of Nexim...
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I never worked here. I never saw
anybody. I never was here. I got it.
Is my paycheck ready?
Alrighty.
- How you feeling, tiger?
- Good.
- Now let's hear you.
- All right.
- Ready?
- Yeah.
Go!
In order to zero the full eight weeks
I had to heat your brain to 42.5 C.
- I'm fine.
- I'm saying it's getting harder, Mike.
- I said, I'm fine.
- You're slowing down. Come on.
I'd be faster if you'd shut up.
Show me what you've got,
grasshopper.
That's it. That's more like it!
Yes! Go, go, go!
Go! Go!
Yes! Faster!
Beautiful!
Yes! One more! One more, Mikey!
See how you did that?
How you focused?
- Yeah. I focused on your face.
- You know you love me.
Come on. Don't be mean to the
one who does everything for you.
Do you realize you've never once
asked me what I see
when I erase your memory?
Basically, the last two months
just never happened for you.
What's to know?
20 hours a day in a clean room
ripping off a guy's idea for a computer,
selling it to somebody else.
What'd you do the last two months?
The last thing I remember is
driving in Spain in the Aston Martin,
learning to dive in Belize
with what's-her-name.
The seven-stadiums-in-seven-days
trip. It's great.
I mean, my memories
are basically highlights.
It's good. It's a good life.
The stuff you erase, it doesn't matter.
What is it with guys like Rethrick?
He's gotta have everything, huh?
Say what you want about Jimmy,
he started Allcom in his garage.
Wait, wait.
Don't you leave me alone.
What? You'll be fine. Talk. Mingle.
I don't want to mingle.
Hello.
I'm Michael.
I'm Rachel.
Rachel Porter.
Is that Miss or Mrs?
That would be Dr. Porter.
Doctor. Well, excuse me, doctor.
It's all right.
What kind of a doctor are you?
- I'm a biologist.
- Really?
Do you work for Jimmy?
It must be very top-secret
biology that you practice.
Oh, yes. Isn't everything?
Let's go.
Excuse me?
I mean, I'm happy
to continue blathering on,
trying helplessly to charm you,
but I thought maybe, you know,
cut to the chase and just,
you know, go somewhere.
I'll tell you what, Michael.
I'm gonna walk over there
and talk to a friend of mine.
If you get the urge
to have a real conversation,
you'll know where to find me.
OK. Fair enough.
It was nice to meet you.
Giving up so easily?
You don't believe in second chances,
now, do you?
In my experience, no, I don't.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Mike.
- Jimmy.
- How you doing?
- Good.
- Good to see you.
- You too.
- Thanks for coming.
- Thanks for having me.
- Come back this way.
- Sure.
Hey, Jimmy.
Now you're talking. Thank you.
Wait a second.
Isaac, disable fire protection, please.
Alarm disabled.
I don't think you'd look good covered
in foam. Even in that suit.
What's the pitch, Jimmy?
I know you're trying to sell me
something. What is it?
When there was a time
we were in school,
we wanted to change the world.
I thought we wanted
to save the world.
Well, that's semantics.
- What's the job, Jimmy?
- Can't tell you.
Other than to say
that it involves optics.
And you get stock options
for this one.
Get a real piece of the company.
What if it doesn't work?
I get a real piece of nothing.
I promise you, it won't fail.
How do you know that?
Is this a real crystal ball?
I wish. The point is, I'll guarantee
that you do eight figures.
- Minimum.
- What's the catch?
The job may require a little bit
more time than you're used to.
- How much more time?
- Two years. Maybe three.
- You're kidding.
- Deadly serious.
Jimmy, that's impossible.
You can't do it.
The longest ever is eight weeks.
It was me.
Assuming it were possible,
would you do it?
- Give up three years of my life?
- Not give up, trade.
Three years in return
for the rest of your life.
One big paycheck. You're done.
A lot can happen in three years.
You blink, it'll be over.
Two seconds.
A heartbeat, then snap, you're rich
beyond your wildest dreams.
One big paycheck. You're done.
Mr. Jennings. John Wolfe.
Welcome.
You won't be allowed
to leave the grounds.
You'll be assigned a residence
here on campus.
Your mail will be screened,
no phone calls.
Anything you receive
will have to be inspected.
OK.
I'll need your personal belongings.
Watch, wallet, anything else.
Nothing's allowed to be brought in.
These items will be returned to you
when you pick up your paycheck.
Sorry. Those too.
- Mike, hey, you made it.
- Yeah.
- Good to see you.
- You too.
- Everything OK?
- Yep.
Sit down.
I assume Mr. Wolfe
gave you all the fine print.
Yeah. He also took the last pair of
sunglasses I've managed not to lose.
I'm sorry.
What is this?
It's for your memory wipe.
We inject you with an isotope,
migrates to your brain
serves as a marker.
Another injection erases everything
back to the marker.
No barbaric cooking of the brain.
All right.
Wow.
- What have I gotten myself into?
- Let's go find out.
Initiating Blue Script directory.
Impressive.
This used to be our smallest unit.
Now it's our most profitable.
Mr. Rethrick, may I speak with you
for a moment?
- Have a look around. I'll be right back.
- OK.
Cycle complete.
Begin transmission of data.
All right! I give up! I give up.
Don't give up.
Dr. Porter. I guess I'm lucky you
didn't use thunder and lightning.
True.
OK, well, I won't question
your powers in the future.
Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.
I thought you said Marianne
was on a plane.
She was planning to make the
conference call from the plane, sir.
Look. I should probably apologize
for my behavior the other day.
I get like that sometimes,
and I shouldn't. I'm sorry.
Careful. You are in danger of sounding
like you want a second chance.
- Everything OK?
- Yeah.
- Say something else.
- Excuse me?
Say something nice.
Quick, otherwise I'll forget it.
Was that little breeze for our boy here?
Well, I owed him one. Now we're even.
Be nice, Mike's moving
into the neighborhood.
Oh.
- See you around.
- OK.
- You ready?
- Yeah. Let's go.
You can still back out.
No hard feelings.
No, I want to stay.
Michael Jennings, meet the other half
of your team, Dr. William Dekker.
- Nice to meet you.
- It's a pleasure.
Gentlemen. Let's have a look
at the next three years of your lives.
What happened?
Michael.
You're done.
- How long was it, Jimmy?
- It's been three years, Mike.
- How'd I do?
- You did good.
Your money's been transferred
to your account at Reddy Grant.
You've got an appointment
there at 1:00.
Just go home, do the paperwork.
When you feel up to it, give me a call.
We've got a lot of catching up to do.
Ninety-two million dollars.
Everyone at Reddy Grant
appreciates your business.
Well, not as much as I appreciate
my business, I promise you.
OK.
Just sign there.
- All right.
- Great.
- Your personal items.
- Yes.
You only needed four stamps.
Oh, well, guess I could afford
the extra 50 cents.
I don't think this is my stuff.
- It's not?
- No.
- I don't know what happened.
- It's all right. Don't worry about it.
It doesn't matter.
Let's talk about my shares.
What I'd like to do
is get some money now,
and, you know, put the rest away
for long term, to live off.
So how do we do that?
Mr. Jennings,
you forfeited your shares.
I beg your pardon? What?
Yeah, here. Dated four weeks ago.
You surrendered the shares
and stated to deliver
only the envelope of personals.
- Don't you remember doing that, sir?
- No.
I don't remember that,
because I didn't do that.
Why would I do that? I wouldn't
do that. It doesn't make sense.
A mistake has been made,
and it needs to be corrected.
- I agree. It's a strange thing you did...
- It's not strange.
Strange is a little out of the
ordinary, but still plausible.
Giving away $100 million in shares
in a Fortune 500 company
for some knickknacks isn't strange,
it's insane.
No one would do that.
Doesn't make sense.
Unless you think this is a $40-million
can of hair spray, which is pink.
What, this is a $100-million
book of matches?
I've been out of it a few years.
Is this back in style now?
Are these $100-million sunglasses?
I'll look into it, but it's gonna
take me some time.
This is crazy. I'm gonna make
some phone calls.
Mr. Rethrick's office.
- It's Michael Jennings. It's important.
- I'm sorry, he stepped away.
He won't be back until
this afternoon.
I can try him on his cell phone.
Just have him call me
as soon as he gets in. OK?
- OK.
- Thank you.
Listen, guys, a mistake
has been made here. All right?
- I'm not a traitor. I'm an engineer.
- A reverse engineer, right?
We know that you accepted payment
of classified government technology.
Mike, that's called treason. In this
country, people get fried for that one.
In this country when the FBI harasses
you, you also get an attorney.
Not today you don't.
What the hell is this?
The attorney general calls me
and says
that Michael Jennings' cooperation
is a matter of national security.
Look, first of all, that stuff
isn't mine, OK?
A mistake...
What is?
Perfect fit. You were saying?
Well, let me show you a few pieces
of the puzzle that we're solving.
William Dekker, government
physicist, weapons division.
Three years ago, his project
gets shelved.
He didn't like that, so he sold
his work. Classified work.
Showed it to several corporations.
We think Rethrick bought it.
Unfortunately, we can't link Rethrick
to the sale, because Dekker died.
Natural causes.
"Natural" being gravity after a 140-foot
fall out of his apartment building.
What does this
have to do with me?
Patent applications filed this month.
They show designs
based on Dekker's work.
Look whose signature is on
every one of those documents.
Get it?
It's your name on those patents!
Rethrick can claim he knows nothing
about Dekker or the design.
You need to tell us everything
you did for Rethrick.
- I can't.
- You'd rather spend your life
in prison protecting
your friend?
- Help us, and we can work with you.
- I can't. I can't!
He wiped my memory!
I don't remember!
I'll tell you whatever I know.
I was set up. Believe me.
I don't remember what I did
for the past three years!
What?
Wait a second!
Wait!
We figured Rethrick tried a wipe,
so we'll try an extraction.
You're not gonna see anything.
You're wasting your time.
We're getting something here.
Come on!
Come on!
Shit.
We got nothing.
Hold on a second.
I need a smoke.
Boss.
He won't mind.
- Smoke!
- Shit!
- Goddamn it!
- I can't see anything!
Secure the door!
Where the hell is he?
- He's loose!
- Don't worry, he can't go anywhere!
Cover the door!
I'll get the lights!
I can't see!
Get low to the ground!
Stay low to the ground!
Mitchell!
See anything?
- Is that him?
- Klein, where'd you go?
Al, shut the door!
What's going on?
Good night, Mikey.
Copy that.
- Watch it, coming through!
- Go! Go! Go!
- Coming through!
- Out of the way!
- See him?
- I see him!
- Out of the way, lady!
- There!
Move! Move! Move!
- Coming through!
- Let's go!
Excuse me.
Coming through!
- Out of the way! Open those gates!
- Watch it, man.
Come on! Come on!
Where did he go?
I'll get men at every stop!
He'll be long gone by then!
How the hell did he do that?
- Sorry.
- You all right?
- Yeah, yeah. I'm fine.
- Be careful.
Hey! Hey!
Watch it!
Hey! Hey!
Jane. Relax.
Everything's fine.
You talked to federal agents.
It's OK.
It's been worked out now.
I just need to find
out who sent these items.
Will you help me out?
- They were sent three years ago.
- No. There was a mix-up.
Somebody else sent these. I need
to find out who that is and talk to them.
Replacements were sent
a few weeks ago.
- Who sent it?
- Well, you did.
That's you right here.
See? Twenty items.
I'm gonna need all
your personal belongings.
Michael Jennings died
at three minutes after 3.
The government, left with no case,
closed its investigation of Allcom.
So you see,
it's impossible that he escaped
unless you changed something.
I didn't.
- What were you doing, exactly?
- I was eating pie.
He left the attorney's office
exactly when it predicted.
The Feds took him exactly
when it predicted...
But he didn't die like it predicted!
Michael Jennings
is not a super agent.
He's an engineer.
Yet somehow he managed
to escape from a double-Iocked room.
How? Was it fate?
No, fate was on our side.
That means someone changed
something. And it wasn't me.
And if it wasn't you, then who the?
Has anyone checked the machine
since Michael walked out of here?
Find him.
"If you only look
where you can't go,
"you will miss the riches below."
Yeah, I'm already missing my riches.
"17-44-4-26-37-40-22."
A combination? A code?
A password?
"New Liberty Savings."
New Liberty Savings Bank, please.
What does that mean?
You're saying the bank
doesn't exist?
That's comforting.
Who sent these items?
You did.
That's you right here.
See? Twenty items.
These are patent applications.
Look whose signature is
on every one of those documents!
A mistake has been made here.
I'm not a traitor!
Dekker died!
Rethrick can claim he knows
nothing about Dekker or the design.
Believe me! I don't remember
what I did for the past three years!
Michael.
Michael.
You're done.
Hello?
Jesus, Shorty.
You don't know how good it is
- to hear a familiar voice.
- Michael?
Listen, man.
I'm in a... I'm in a jam,
and I need you.
All right.
Meet me at Union Station at 9:00.
- I'll be there.
- OK, buddy.
Outbound local from Seattle
to Kent departing from track five.
Eastbound Spokane, gate ten.
Michael.
Say one word about this hat
and I'm out of here.
Oh, man!
Oh, my God.
I told you not to take that job, Mike.
- Come on, let's get a table.
- OK.
- Injections?
- Yeah.
You would have to do it
that way, I guess.
But, of course,
that's a chemical process.
So?
Well, you'd have
some latent memories.
Maybe that's what I'm seeing.
Most likely. Memories
that made it through the wash,
stirred up when the feds
went in your head.
Why would I have these things?
Explain this.
I sent myself this junk
instead of the money.
Oh, brother.
I don't know.
That's not the question
you should be asking.
- No?
- No. You should be asking yourself,
why did you give up
all that money?
That's the most bizarre part
of this whole thing.
Ninety million dollars. Nobody
changes that much in three years.
OK, all right, buddy.
I wanna figure out what you built.
All right, let's work backwards.
They told me I was working on
a design by someone named Dekker.
- Dekker?
- Yeah.
- William Dekker?
- I think so.
What I heard was, he was working
on something level five for the feds.
They came in,
shut him down.
- What was it?
- Well, the consensus was a laser.
- Why?
- Because Dekker's drawings
called for a mirror and a lens.
The only thing that uses those
is a laser or a satellite camera
to see things from far away.
Here comes the first number, 17.
Followed by 44.
- The lens required perfect optics.
- Four.
- The mirror...
- Twenty-six.
- So the capital outlay is huge.
- Thirty-seven.
- Word was it was gonna cost
- Forty.
- 500 billion dollars.
- And
the bonus number is 22.
Who's gonna spend 500 billion
dollars just to see something?
What?
No way I get out of that
extraction room without the cigarettes
and the glasses.
I would've never gotten
on the bus without the ticket.
If I didn't have the ring, I wouldn't
have followed that kid to Reddy Grant.
- Right.
- I gave up that money
just to make sure that I would pay
attention to these items.
Why?
Because I know what you'd
spend 500 billion dollars to see.
The future.
If you selected five numbers
and the bonus number,
you're a second-prize winner.
He used a virus.
The machine went down
at 3:03 this afternoon.
3:03.
Can you program around the virus?
No. It's not that kind of virus.
Come on, I'll show you.
It's not in the software.
It's in the hardware.
He put a circuit somewhere in here.
It's like a poison pill.
But you can find it, right?
Yeah, I can.
Then do it.
Slight change of plans.
According to Mr. Stevens,
we don't need Jennings.
Look, if we know anything, we know
that time travel's not possible.
Einstein proved that, right?
Time travel, yes.
Einstein was very clear
that he believed time viewing
- theoretically could be accomplished...
- Mike, Mike. Come on.
Maybe we should just find Dekker...
- I can't talk to Dekker.
- Why not?
- He had an accident.
- An accident?
Yeah, he...
He fell out
of his bedroom window.
Fell out of?
He fell out of his bedroom window!
I see. Sure.
That could happen.
Jesus. Wait a minute!
- We've gotta get out of here!
- Shorty, listen to me.
I think what happened
was I used this thing,
I saw my future.
And I saw what I needed to change it.
But all I could get out of Allcom
were these innocuous items.
Each item has to be used
at a specific time and place
to accomplish whatever
I needed to get done.
I mean, without the stuff in here,
I'd already be dead.
Yeah, well, it's too bad that you don't
know what the rest of them are for.
What?
Gotcha!
Hey!
Great seeing you again, Mike!
Jesus!
Those guys do not look like feds.
Here. Listen to me.
Take this.
This will get you through that door.
Close it behind you. Understand? Go!
- OK!
- Go! Go on!
Shit!
Go!
Oh, God, I hope that was
a good thing to do.
Shit.
Go.
Where's your gun?
He's got it.
So...
...how are you, Mike?
You?
Why?
Don't remember?
You brought this
on yourself, Mike.
So how does it feel
knowing you're going to die?
Shit.
He designed his own escape?
Mr. Attorney General, sir,
we have no explanation.
After looking at the evidence
the only logical,
albeit hard-to-accept conclusion,
is he was able to predict
what was going to happen to him.
These are memories extracted
from Jennings before he fled.
They don't seem to add up to anything.
Gladys.
That's all for today.
We knew Dekker was
trying to design something,
but when he sold his plans,
he wasn't even halfway done.
I don't understand.
Dekker was working at JPL
on a laser-enhanced lens.
He claimed the lens
was powerful enough
to see around the curvature
of the universe.
He believed if you could see
around a curve that went on forever
you would end up back
where you started,
looking at yourself.
Except you're not looking
at yourself now, in the present.
No, you are not.
You're looking at the future.
Imagine what will happen if Jennings
figures it out and tries to profit from it.
- Any nation will give a king's ransom.
- He won't do that.
I was this close. He never lied.
When he was accused
he was hurt and scared.
Bring him in,
I'll give him the Medal of Honor.
That's if Rethrick
doesn't find him first.
You think he really saw the future?
That would be something.
Cafe Michel?
My name is Michael Jennings.
And I can't remember if I made
a reservation there recently.
Would you check that out for me?
Thanks.
I did?
OK.
Right. How many is it for?
Oh, no, thank you.
No, I'll be there.
Thank you.
Hello, you two.
Did he feed you?
Rachel, it's Jimmy.
- You all right?
- Why?
You don't know?
No.
May I come in?
When was the last time
you saw Michael?
Yesterday morning.
He was pulling
an all nighter at his lab.
Rachel, I'm sorry to have to
be the one to tell you this.
Michael left Allcom yesterday.
Permanently.
- What?
- He finished his work.
- We erased his memory, and he...
- No.
- He left.
- No. He promised me.
He said he wasn't going
to go through with it.
He made a lot of money
on this one, Rachel.
He said he didn't care
about the money.
So she doesn't know anything.
He wouldn't leave without her.
It's Michael. He'd be smart.
We're missing something.
Soon as she leaves for work,
get in there.
Make sure she can't
go anywhere alone.
I want to know
what just happened.
Bye, guys.
Good morning, Dr. Porter.
Going somewhere?
Good morning.
Good morning.
I'm going to go up top.
Take my bag.
- You're gonna need this.
- Got it. Thanks.
Coming?
No, thanks.
I'd rather watch from down here.
Suit yourself.
We've been through the bathroom
and the rest of the apartment. Zero.
This is what I want you to do.
Go back in the bathroom.
OK, start turning left.
Tell me what you see.
The mirror.
We've got him.
She's supposed to meet him
at Cafe Michel, 1 p.m.
Well, let's make sure she does.
I'm here to meet someone.
Michael Jennings.
- Have a seat.
- Thanks.
Sit at that table right there.
In the seat,
with your back to the window.
Michael, thank God you're all right.
I thought I was never gonna
see you again.
Michael, it's me.
Rachel.
Look...
You can't remember me.
No. I'm sorry.
Cops. We can't go in.
I'll have to wait for a clear shot.
Maya, stall for time.
Tell him you thought
he'd remember something.
That you two were engaged.
I guess I thought
you'd remember something.
We've been together for three years.
I don't know what to say.
I'm really sorry.
I'm trying.
That's how he's doing this.
Listen to me very carefully, Maya.
This is what I want you to say.
Michael, I can see you still have
the envelope.
That means it's working.
I know you switched
the personal items. I helped.
- You left me a note on a mirror.
- You left me a note on a mirror.
I'm supposed to take something.
Something I can use
to get to Stevens.
- He's a man you worked with.
- He's a man you worked with.
He's trying to fix the machine.
Work backwards, Michael.
Yeah. Take the swipe card.
That's the swipe card for the campus.
You're supposed to give that to me.
Rachel wouldn't be hurt
if he hesitated, she'd be impatient.
Look, Michael,
if you can't trust me right now,
then we are lost. For good.
Nice.
OK.
I'd better get back.
They'll get suspicious soon.
Wait here.
I'll be back in half an hour.
And don't worry,
we end up together.
Michael...
I love you.
- What's my favorite baseball team?
- What?
What's my favorite baseball team?
Who cares?
That would be the Red Sox.
- I think maybe we should go.
- Wait!
Now we can leave.
Come on.
Wait! Hold on.
- You have a car?
- I might.
You might?
Look for a BMW!
You gotta be joking.
Shit! Shit!
- Let me see that key.
- Why?
You're in the wrong section.
Jennings bought the BMW
on the Internet.
He had the key mailed to him
four weeks ago.
- What's the color of his car?
- It isn't a car.
They just turned on Pine.
Intercept them on Sixth.
- How good am I on this thing?
- You're OK!
- Look, I just said you're OK, OK?
- OK.
Hang on!
- Report of shots. Southgate BMW.
- Got it.
Stop! I lost the envelope!
- I'll come back and get you.
- See you!
Got it!
Let's get out of here.
Take us down!
Mike, we can help you!
We know what's going on!
Let us bring you in!
He's headed for the tunnel!
Cut him off! Cut him off!
Duck!
Split!
You think Jennings foresaw that?
Maybe next time he'll see
a nice quiet stakeout.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
It's OK.
It's all for you anyway.
And I...
I brought you some clothes.
I thought you might need them.
I hope it's OK.
Thank you.
These are mine?
You don't remember?
No.
You don't remember me, do you?
Well...
These are for you.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
You're so sweet.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I just don't remember.
I shouldn't have left.
You're saying he sent himself
a different set of personal items
after using the machine,
and nothing our security would flag.
Everyday things
combined with the power of foresight
transform Michael from engineer
to escape artist.
I don't know about you,
but I'd like to return the favor.
Michael, are you OK?
I'm all right.
Michael, I don't know what you saw
in your machine,
but I remember, a few weeks ago,
you came back from your lab, pale.
You asked me the strangest question.
- What?
- If I knew it wouldn't work out
for you and I, before we were together,
would I have done it?
What did you say?
That I wouldn't trade our time
for anything.
That's all we are,
the sum of our experiences.
Besides,
some of the best things in life
are total mistakes.
- What?
- You know,
when I checked this envelope out,
they told me I signed in 20 items,
but there were only 19.
I don't understand.
What are these pictures of?
Michael, look at the rest
of the pictures.
Look at the last one.
Oh, my God. It's the future.
The machine predicts a war,
and we go to war to avert it.
It predicts a plague. We herd
all the sick together, create a plague.
Whatever future this predicts,
we make happen.
We give over control
of our lives completely.
I did this.
Seeing the future will destroy us.
If you show someone their future,
they have no future.
If you take away the mystery,
you take away hope.
I have to go back.
I have to destroy that machine.
It's impossible. The campus is huge.
There are hundreds of guards.
I wouldn't have given up the three
years we had unless I was sure
I could get us 50 more.
OK. So how do we get in?
- We don't.
- You said everything was happening
for a reason, and that includes
me being here.
So come on.
Hey, Rachel.
Another day at the most.
I don't have many places to look.
I guess you weren't as smart
as you thought, Stevens.
Hey, Jennings wouldn't find it any
faster unless he knew where to look.
We've got the feeds
from mass transit.
- He could be anywhere by now.
- Except
he's not running away.
He could've given himself a way
to disappear,
but look what he gave himself instead.
His Allcom security pass.
He's going back.
Get a warrant to tap phone
and data lines coming out of Allcom.
Put some bodies on that campus.
I want that machine!
Jennings and the girl were spotted.
What do you want me to do?
Nothing.
- Stay where you are.
- Nobody gets through!
- Sir!
- I didn't do anything!
Settle down!
All the metal detectors on level four
just went off. Ball bearings.
Just down the hall
from the metal detectors.
Pull the guards off the Jennings lab.
Let him slip in, think he's fooled us.
Once he's fixed the machine,
take him.
I built this.
This door shouldn't be open.
There's something wrong.
They're expecting us.
Better close this door behind us.
And keep it shut.
- He's in.
- Confirmed. He's in.
Once we confirm he's at the machine,
let's go after him.
I thought we were gonna wait for him
to come out.
I can't wait! Jennings
or the machine, I don't care,
as long as I get one. Let's go!
This will do. Watch out.
- What are you doing?
- Smashing the lock.
Hold on a second.
You can't just smash the thing.
They'll still be able to get in.
We gotta jam the outside reader.
Let's go.
Let's take a look at the future
before we destroy this thing.
I bugged it. I rigged it so Jimmy
wouldn't use it against me.
Then you can fix it, right?
Now, where would I have planted
that bug?
Maybe on one of the motherboards.
Whoa, whoa, whoa,
we won't be needing this, OK?
You're dangerous with that thing.
You must have given yourself
something to help you find it.
The only things left
are the bullet and... this.
- Crossword?
- Yeah.
Look at this.
Twelve down.
Maybe it's here.
Nine, ten, eleven, twelve.
Let's take a look.
Maybe it's a circuit diagram.
I wouldn't have put it
in the primary path.
Twelve down.
Take him.
OK, corridor three, sublevel A,
Jennings' lab.
All right, let's put this thing
to good use one last time.
Let's get us out of here.
That's in the lab.
It's the catwalk.
Look, I've changed my future before
using this thing. I can do it again.
Don't have time. Gotta
destroy this before they get it.
Reprogram the door
to Jennings' lab, please.
Now.
He must've done something
to the controller.
- How are we gonna get out of here?
- I don't know.
Clear!
- What are you doing?
- These are liquid hydrogen.
They're used to cool the machine.
They fire in order.
Number one just fired.
When it gets down to number six here,
that's all she wrote.
I'll see you when this goes off, Jimmy.
Come on!
You see?
You judge too soon.
They went out through the vent.
Spread out, find them.
Position three standing by.
Come on.
Freeze!
Look out.
Seal off all exits to the lab.
All right, Jennings,
let's see what you've been up to.
Rachel, go for the door, OK?
Drop the gun.
Drop the gun.
Looks like Michael's
got a date on the catwalks.
Let's make sure he makes it.
- Let's go.
- We can't take the catwalk.
I know. We won't, I promise.
Come on, let's go.
- Michael! What are you doing?
- Go. I'll distract them.
- Go, please.
- No!
Listen to me. This is my debt.
I built this machine.
- I have to pay for it.
- You come with me now!
You promised
you'd change your fate!
Please, we don't have time.
If you love me, if you care
about me, go. Have a good life.
Remember me.
Damn you.
Jimmy.
You want to kill me,
come do it yourself.
Here I am. You want me?
Come get me.
- Hi, Jimmy.
- Hi, Mike.
- Looks like this is it, huh?
- It is, Mike.
- You only have yourself to blame.
- That's a lie.
You can't change your fate.
You're gonna die today.
Maybe.
But you're not going to kill me.
That's right, Mike.
I've seen the future.
Still think you can
change your fate, Mike?
I am the future, Mike!
- Rethrick has Jennings.
- Retire him.
- What?
- We have the machine.
We can't risk its creator falling
into the wrong hands. Come on.
Don't blame me.
You and Michael would've lived
happily ever after, no memory wipe.
He saw something he didn't like.
He's the one who decided
he wanted to stop the program.
Look at it this way,
you did change the future, Michael.
Before you interfered
you both would've lived
and we would still be friends,
instead of ending up like this.
It wasn't meant to be.
Giving up so easy?
Don't you believe in second chances?
To tell you the truth, I do.
Go, go, go.
Rachel!
Let's go.
Look.
Any records? Any papers?
Explosion destroyed everything.
- Are we trying to salvage that or what?
- I guess we don't get the machine.
Any sign of Jennings?
No, I'm afraid he didn't make it.
What was Shorty thinking,
starting a nursery?
I mean, these plants
are on life-support.
What do you mean? Really?
He told me he had a green thumb.
Gangrene is more like it.
Lucky for Shorty, I'm a biologist.
Lucky for both of us,
since I failed biology,
- I'm no help to either one of you.
- So you say.
Too bad, though,
because I'm looking for a partner
- for a start-up company.
- Really? Doing what?
We're gonna save the world.
I don't think I'm your guy.
But would you settle for someone
who wants to help you change it?
- OK.
- Good.
So how does it end for us, Michael?
I mean, what's in our future?
You know, I don't know.
I kind of like it that way.
- I do know one thing.
- What's that?
I never want to forget anything
ever again.
Break it up, break it up.
The birdman cometh.
- Shorty.
- It's dinner.
- You found them.
- Yes, I did.
- Who does everything for everybody?
- You do.
- You're right.
- You're my hero.
Thank you very much.
- You hear that? I'm a hero.
- That's great.
I think I remember.
Are those our birds?
Yes, of course they are.
We bought them together.
You remember the birds? Well done.
You could see into the future
and all you remember
are Polly and Tweety there.
Why not remember something
that'd make us rich?
- Wait a second.
- What is it?
- I think there was something else.
- No, no, no.
The envelope's empty.
Don't worry about it.
Hold on. I'm working backward here.
"If you only look where you can't go,
you will miss the riches below."
I must've known you'd never
get rid of these birds.
Of course not. They're family.
So I knew this would be here.
What only looks where it can't go?
A caged bird.
"You will miss the riches below."
The riches below.
What is that?
Well, that's a $90-million
lottery ticket.
- Wait. Wait a minute.
- It's $90 million.
- Nice.
- Yes, I'm proud of it.
Wait a minute. No.
- Wait.
- What are you doing?
You know what?
I think now's a good time
to discuss my commission, 33%.
- I thought it was 5.
- No, 33.
- Thirty-three percent!
- He deserves it.
It was found on my premises.
I'll get back to you.
I'm gonna cash this in.