Sliders s03e16 Episode Script
The Exodus (1)
[Explosion.]
[Computer beeping.]
Yes.
Dr.
Jariabek? (Jariabek) Speaking.
Yes, I'm sorry to be calling so late, sir, but the SAT 7 satellite has picked up an unusual reading.
Can you be a little more specific, Lieutenant? It's showing an unusual declination for an object that's just penetrated the outer plane of our system.
It could only be the pulsar.
But that doesn't make any sense.
Well, yes, sir.
Well, I know it doesn't make any sense.
Maybe you'd better come down here and see for Lieutenant.
Lieutenant! (Jariabek) Lt.
Eastman? Hello.
Are you there? Lieutenant! I'm coming down.
(Quinn) What if you found a portal to a parallel universe? What if you could slide into a thousand different worlds where it's the same year, and you're the same person, but everything else is different? And what if you can't find your way home? (voice) Sliders.
[Siren wailing.]
[Whooshing.]
[Grunts.]
(Professor) I'm coming! I don't think they were paying retail.
Nothing like an air raid to bring out the looters.
Does it bother anybody else that we're all alone here? Not entirely, Mr.
Brown.
(Quinn) Hey, man! Hey! Hey, man.
Where is everyone? [Coughs.]
Gone.
All gone.
Bomb shelters.
[Panting.]
I like it that way.
See, they think they're fooling me by blaming the Russians.
But let me tell you something, I know better.
(tramp) See? Because it's all right here.
I got this when I was working for President North.
And I told Ollie not to get in their face, but he wouldn't listen to me.
And now it's too late.
The commies, they're gonna push the button and then Ka-boom! [Car approaching.]
Look out! [Car tires screeching.]
He's hurt bad.
I'm gonna try to find some help.
You must warn them.
[Mumbling.]
Pulsar! [Panting.]
In English, please, Doctor.
[Breathing heavily.]
Pulsar Trajectory (Rembrandt) You know this guy? Yes, I do.
He was Dr.
Vladimir Jariabek.
A highly respected cosmologist.
I, uh, I attended many of his lectures.
Yeah, well, you won't anymore.
He's been shot.
[Tires screeching.]
Step away from the suspect.
Now! He's dead.
Was he still alive when you got here? Barely.
Did you hear him say anything before he died? Mostly gibberish.
Did you hear him say anything? Sorry.
He was bleeding too loud.
I can see you people need a little motivation.
Get them in the car.
All right.
He didn't tell us anything, but he gave us this.
Slowly.
What is that? [Grunts.]
[Groaning.]
Get her gun.
Now it's time for us to ask some questions.
We're wasting time here, Q-Ball.
Let's just go before they signal the all clear, huh? (Quinn) Remmy, cuff those two.
Wade, pop the trunk.
You really screwed up.
Yeah? Then how come you're the one being locked in a trunk? I will find you.
I never forget a face.
Come on.
By the way, there's a name that goes with the face.
It's Mallory.
Quinn Mallory.
(announcer) Attention, citizens.
The Civil Defense Test has ended.
You may return to your normal activities.
I repeat, the test has ended.
Return to your normal activities.
You must have one heck of a good reason why we didn't tell the truth.
A brilliant scientist is dead, Mr.
Brown.
And I believe, killed by these people.
Sufficient grounds, I think, for not telling them anything.
He said something about a pulsar.
Yes, a pulsar.
Also known as a neutron star.
It's an old star that's collapsed in on itself.
(Professor) It spins very rapidly.
As it spins, it emits an immense burst of electromagnetic radiation or a pulse of radiation, if you like.
Hence the word pulsar.
Well, they must not be into theory on this world.
We have to warn someone about them.
Yeah.
Now we just have to figure out who to tell.
Good bet it's not the military.
You know, on our world, Dr.
Jariabek did consult with the military, but he had an office at Cal Tech.
I've always wanted to visit Cal Tech.
(Rickman) I want hourly updates on the trajectory of that pulsar.
I did not ask how difficult it is.
Just do it.
You wanted to see me, sir? No, Captain, I did not.
But you've given me no choice.
You've handled this whole incident with Dr.
Jariabek very poorly.
Airman Cooper said you gave him orders to shoot Jariabek on sight.
Now, how the hell am I supposed to command a squad when I don't know what's going on, sir? I don't recall giving you permission to speak freely, Captain.
Arrogance may be admired in a fighter pilot but not in an intelligence officer.
Which is what you are now.
Don't you forget it.
Yes, sir.
I want you to find those people who escaped, Captain.
They may be Russian agents working with Jariabek.
But Jariabek defected over 20 years ago, sir.
He was still a Russian.
If he has succeeded in getting word to Moscow the security of the entire SAT 7 program would have been breached.
So, it's better 300 million Russians die instead.
You are entitled to your opinion, Captain, but not when you're wearing that uniform.
Sweep Jariabek's office clean.
And keep me informed on the search for the suspects.
Yes, sir.
Dr.
Jariabek was definitely tracking a pulsar.
Now, these readings would indicate that it's due to pass through the outer planes of our solar system.
Is that reason enough to kill the man? Now, these coordinates here suggest a trajectory of 87 degrees, 13 minutes.
If it was 86 degrees, Good heavens.
It would put the pulsar in a position to irradiate part of the Earth.
(Rembrandt) Irradiate? Like a nuclear bomb? (Professor) Same effect, different cause.
Um, think of a lighthouse.
Now, the beam is on all the time but you only see it as it passes through your field of vision.
(Quinn) Pulsars have a similar narrow beam, only their ejecta is radiation, not light.
Now, if that radiation touches the Earth, even for a millisecond the area that it covers will be devastated.
Structures will survive, but any living thing, plant or animal, will effectively be melted.
Like a neutron bomb.
I guess that's worth killing for.
If you don't want anybody to know.
Professor, that map, can it tell you when and where the pulsar will hit? Yes, it would.
Here.
Russia.
Within the next 24 hours.
Hey, it's Mallory, right? Quinn Mallory.
If you expect to ever get out of here, Quinn Mallory, you're gonna have to give me a little more information than just your name.
I wasn't born yesterday.
And, Captain, I don't expect you to ever let me out of here.
The survival of this country is at stake.
And it is obvious you're not willing to cooperate so I'm going to assume you're a Russian operative.
Since pulsars are about to nuke a million innocent lives and you're not doing a damn thing about it, I'm gonna have to assume you're a cold-hearted killer.
This is not about me.
And you couldn't be more wrong.
You denying that you blew Jariabek away? Yes, I'm denying it! Sorry, Captain.
Did I hit a sensitive button? This is not a game.
And the loser doesn't just pick up his marbles and go home.
[Thunder clapping.]
Where are my friends? In another room.
Captain? I'm getting nowhere, sir.
That's because there's nowhere to get.
And since you have the guns, the ball's in your court.
Well, then, let's play a different game.
Tell us about this.
Answer him.
It's called a timer.
It has to do with parallel dimensions.
Does it open the gateway to other worlds? Yes.
You know about sliding? I'm Dr.
Jensen.
I've spent the past three years trying to develop equipment to access parallel worlds.
Are you from a parallel dimension? Yeah.
We arrived just before Jariabek died.
Hope I haven't disappointed you.
Col.
Rickman.
[Thunder rumbling.]
As I'm sure Capt.
Beckett has informed you, we are at full military alert.
And your interaction with Dr.
Jariabek borders on espionage.
But I just told you, I'm not from this world.
Yes.
Which makes your case rather unique and open to negotiation.
I've had some problems with the development of my sliding.
What happens if I decide not to help you? This must be counting down for a reason.
If you want it back It's your only way out.
I've gotten past you once, and believe me, it was not difficult.
How do I know you'll let us slide in three days? You have my word.
As an officer and a gentleman.
You got anything more convincing? The penalty for espionage is death by firing squad.
(Rickman) You will be confined to this base but you have the freedom to move around at will.
Just don't do anything foolish.
Carry on, Captain.
Your quarters are ready.
And Dr.
Jensen is waiting for both of you.
He's right this way.
There's something about that girl I don't like.
No, make that everything about that girl I don't like.
You trust these people? No, but we don't have a choice.
I've been on enough bases to know that there's always a way to sneak off.
I'm gonna try to find us a back door out of here.
How you doing? This is truly remarkable.
You say that Dr.
Jariabek designed this system? (Maggie) That's correct.
Jariabek's work is the reason we're so far ahead of the Russians.
So you thank him by killing him.
I would've thought a more appropriate reward might've been a Presidential Commendation and a pay raise.
Just because I wear this uniform doesn't mean I agree with everything we do.
On my world, an officer would resign rather than perform a dishonorable act.
Then, I suppose it's different here.
[People chattering.]
(Quinn) You've got the ability to track wormholes and store the coordinates in every world you slide to.
That's something I wish I had.
A few worlds I'd like to go back to.
Yeah, well, anything I send into the vortex corrupts the integrity of the wormhole and drops out into oblivion.
Yeah, that is a problem.
Look, I know you can stall me.
So I'll make you a deal better than Rickman's.
You give me the ability to transport humans and I'll give you the ability to imprint parallel Earth coordinates and track wormholes.
That might help you get home someday.
All right.
First we see if my power chip is compatible with your timer.
Agreed.
(Malcolm) Don't touch that! (Rembrandt) Hey! How you doing? How come you're not in school? How come you're out of uniform? Well, I'm just visiting.
Who? The rats? This is good stuff.
You know, when I was a kid, I had a place where I would go.
A secret place that nobody else knew about.
Why don't you go there now? [Sighs.]
I dreamed about being a singer one day.
See, I wasn't very good.
So I would go to this place and I would just practice and practice.
And I would sing as loud and off-key as I wanted.
Because I knew that nobody else would hear or make fun of me.
Did you ever get any better? I've got five gold records that say so.
But I don't think my singing was as good as your drawings.
Why are you trying to sneak out? I have my reasons.
What I don't have is a clue.
The only thing that way is a bad smell.
Come on.
Your folks know that you're skipping school? My dad is in Texas.
My stepmom, well, she doesn't know anything right now.
I don't follow.
The doctors say she went into a coma last night.
They don't know why.
But it can't be too good.
They're bringing my dad in tonight.
I'm sorry.
This is it.
The guards never guard it anymore.
Just go across and you're out of here.
All right.
Well, thanks a lot.
It's Malcolm, right? I'm Remmy.
[Screaming.]
Remmy! You okay? Yeah.
This never happened before.
You got to believe me! [Panting.]
I believe you.
It's okay.
I believe you.
[People chattering.]
So, Maggie was a fighter pilot? Yeah.
She gave it up last year.
That must have lowered flight morale.
She's a good-looking lady.
Has a good heart, too.
She came to see me every day in rehab.
What happened? Severed a neurotransmitter.
I was hot-dogging on a ski trip with Maggie.
I'm sorry.
Don't be.
They've developed a treatment to reconnect it using donor brain tissue, but because of protests from some bleeding hearts, they're unable to use it.
I'll ski again one day.
So, you guys are still dating? No.
We're married.
I'm sorry.
I didn't know.
I know you didn't.
She kept her maiden name.
Maggie's father was a general.
She was an only child.
She didn't want his name to die with him.
Any progress, Doctor? We're about to test the viability of Mallory's chip in our equipment.
All right, it's in.
Let's see if this thing works.
Now all we do is build a clone of his chip.
Colonel.
SAT 7 just picked up a globular cluster of pulsars approaching our solar system.
That pulsar that's about to hit the Russians, it's only the lead piece from a collapsing galaxy.
On the same trajectory? (Professor) Yes.
Transit will take approximately 43 hours.
In which time, the Earth will have made almost two full rotations.
And what does that mean? It means by the time the cluster passes by, every inch of the Earth will be saturated with massive amounts of radiation.
I'll call the Pentagon.
Mr.
Mallory.
All life will be extinguished from this planet before we're due to leave.
(Rembrandt) Wade.
What is it? The Professor spotted more pulsars.
Enough to destroy everything.
Meaning that this world is coming to an end? It already has for Russia.
Holy Mary.
I have just spoken to the President.
He wants us to start to prepare to transport people to a parallel world.
As I understand it, with his chip in your device, we have the ability to go and come back at will.
Yeah, but we can't just go to any world.
A lot of them are uninhabitable.
That's why you and I are going to scout them.
Whoa, whoa, wait.
Don't I get a say in this? Sure.
You volunteered.
Hey, Q-Ball, I'm going with you.
Yeah, me, too.
W-we're a good team.
We know each other's moves.
No.
I want you here to help me.
And you I don't trust.
It's all right, guys.
I'll be fine.
I will stay here with Dr.
Jensen and continue to develop a power chip that will transport as many people as possible.
Of course, you do realize that we will have to accompany you to your new world and slide from there.
(Quinn) All right, let's do this.
[Electronic beeping.]
I'm setting it to return us in 30 minutes in case it's a hostile environment.
Let's hope the first one's a charm.
[Whooshing.]
[Whooshing.]
[Quinn yelling.]
[Maggie screaming.]
Wow.
That was some ride.
They always are.
This doesn't look like L.
A.
It may not be.
Your husband's geographic spectrum stabilizer is the same as mine.
It has a 500-mile radius.
Well, it looks good so far.
Maybe.
Let's see if we can find some signs of civilization.
What the hell is that? (man) Hey, pal, hole's over here.
Don't miss the fairway again.
Earthquake.
In here.
(Wade) I understand defending yourself from an attack, but not giving civilians a chance to escape isn't war.
It's slaughter.
(Rickman) Warning the Russians would have revealed our Star Wars technology to the Chinese.
Which, in the bigger picture, would have put American lives at stake.
And American lives are what I'm trying to save now.
But I need your help.
What for? I need to compile a list of people who will be transported to the new world.
I understand you're computer savvy.
I can't trust one of my own people to do it.
They may not make the cut.
Choosing who lives and who dies? I don't want that on me.
Listen, if you don't help me, I may not get the job done in time and then no one will be saved.
What would you want me to do? I need you to compile a list of the top people on this base weighting it by their performance evaluations.
Those people have earned it.
Wait a minute.
What about the President? All those people in Washington? [Sighs.]
I never spoke with the President.
What? All we'd end up doing will be taking his friends.
Politicians.
People with no usable skills.
No value to anyone.
This is the most egalitarian method I could think of.
[Birds chirping.]
Okay.
Where do I start? Hey, Remmy! I've been looking for you.
What have you got? Something I drew.
Do you like it? She looks right at me, but she can't see me.
Do you think it's any good? Yeah.
Yeah.
It's, uh, it's very powerful.
You're lying.
I can tell by your face.
Malcolm.
Malcolm.
Hold up.
Wait a minute.
Listen to me.
Now, first of all, I don't lie.
And second, you have to stop waiting for other people to believe in you before you believe in yourself.
How do you know what I believe? You don't even know me.
Look, I know you better than you think.
Someone once told you that you weren't good enough.
That you didn't have any talent.
Guess what, man? They were wrong.
You hear me, Malcolm? They were wrong.
Thanks.
I got to go.
See you later.
Yeah.
What do you think this is? An abandoned well? Let's just hope it isn't an ant tunnel.
So, how do you like sliding so far? I've been through worse.
Ah, yes, of course, the big, tough fighter pilot.
I can hear your brass clanging.
So, why did they ground you? I wasn't grounded.
It was voluntary.
Because of your husband.
His accident made me evaluate my priorities.
We weren't spending enough time together.
I realized I had to change that.
So, what about you? Are you and Wade a couple? No, no, no.
We're just friends.
I'm just your basic physicist.
Yeah, right.
There's nothing basic about you guys.
And how would you know that? I married one.
[Thudding.]
(Quinn) Damn.
At least we know what this place is.
I had a horse that size once.
We've still got a minute.
I would not do that.
(Maggie) It's just a rabbit, Mallory.
Things aren't always the same as they are on your own world.
I would not move closer.
Let's get one thing straight.
If anybody's giving orders, it'll be me.
You obviously don't know the first thing about sliding.
That would not be very smart.
Back off.
[Snarling.]
Open the vortex! [Whooshing.]
After you, Captain! Steven, it was incredible.
You have to try it.
Any luck? Sure, if you like the land of giants and man-eating rabbits.
It was inhospitable, sir.
How soon can you get back there? Right away, but we'll cover more worlds if we don't come back here after each one.
Whatever it takes.
Carry on.
How's everything coming with the power chip? It's coming fine.
Come on, Mallory.
Let's go! [Whooshing.]
It's like sliding with Patton.
[Laughing.]
[Whooshing.]
[Moaning.]
Why does every landing have to be so hard? I've been asking myself that for three years.
What happened? I thought we weren't going to slide back home.
We didn't.
One of the quirks about sliding is that some worlds are almost identical to your own.
Well, then maybe this is the world we've been looking for.
Don't move! Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
[Glass breaking.]
(Malcolm) I've been telling my dad about you.
He can't wait to meet you.
Dad? Dad? Dad! Hey, Dad.
What's wrong with him? Answer me.
Dad? I brought you some coffee.
Thanks.
What were you doing here in the first place? I was going to tell Malcolm's dad about the pulsars.
You didn't want him going anywhere, huh? Yeah, the only solace might be with your loved ones when it's time.
Now it looks like Malcolm won't even have that little bit of comfort.
I've just been reading the statement you made.
You told the MPs you saw no one outside Cpl.
Eastman's quarters.
Is that correct? That's right, but someone deliberately broke that porch light.
Malcolm's father was suckered out here because somebody wanted him in the dark.
Are you saying he was attacked? We have no proof of that.
Just that you've had within the past three months.
Now, I don't think that a smart man could just write it off as a coincidence.
Remmy.
I don't know whether you've noticed, but I've got a full plate full of problems and I have not got time to waste on a hunch.
Yeah, but if I am right and the person who's responsible for these comas gets on your approved list, you'll be taking a whole lot of trouble with you when you slide! Then you'd better join me in praying you're wrong.
Thanks for the coffee.
Suddenly, I'm having a hard time swallowing.
You can't just ignore it if there's some psycho out there attacking people.
Look, it's my problem, not yours.
Now, I've been looking through this preliminary list that you've prepared.
We need to narrow it down to people most valuable in establishing a new colony.
Doctors, engineers, that kind of thing.
I don't wanna be the one to cross people's names off the list.
I know it's difficult, but we must take the brightest and the best.
What about the children? Your new world will need a future.
We'll take as many as we can.
Think of the ones we're saving, Wade.
That's where you need to focus.
We slide in 20 minutes.
What happens if we don't make it? Then we're stuck here for 29 years.
[Sighs.]
Okay, so what's the procedure in a situation like this? There is no procedure.
Come on.
You must have been in situations like this before.
Oh, yeah, I've broken out of guarded rooms, snuck across a military base and gotten my timer back from armed intelligence officers I'd say, at least a dozen times.
Piece of cake.
Hey, you're the experienced slider.
I just assumed there'd be specific strategies in case of capture.
That's not what it's about.
Sliding means improvising.
Great.
Do doubles share the same personality traits? Sometimes.
Sometimes not.
But let's say this one does think like you.
How would you be fooled into letting two intruders escape? I wouldn't.
Everybody's got vulnerabilities.
Captain.
Your ego is running out of time.
She's logical.
To the point of myopia.
She'd never think that there's a chance for escape.
So, if we can get her in here, her defenses will be down.
Then what? Then you flatter her.
You tell her how impressed you are with her decisiveness, her strength.
She'll like hearing that from a man.
Especially someone like you.
Really? Only because you intrigue her.
She thinks you're bold, dangerous.
You'd have to be to do something this daring.
But, lucky for us, she doesn't know the real you.
Or maybe she does and it scares her.
[Knocking on door.]
Guard! Tell your captain we're ready to talk.
Any word on Quinn? No.
I think they're still looking.
They won't let me have an outside line.
Rickman's sealed off the entire base.
Yeah.
I was, uh, trying to reach Malcolm's birth mother.
At least that way, he wouldn't have to die alone.
Hey, you've done all you can.
Yeah.
Now it's up to you.
I want you to put Malcolm's name on that list of people that's going to the new world.
Wade.
It is his only chance.
Rickman has ordered that only people with O-negative blood be taken.
Look, Remmy, Malcolm's not in that group.
Oh, dear Lord.
Professor.
What is it? The first pulsar beam has just hit the Eastern Seaboard.
How long do we have? The next wave of radiation will arrive in 22 hours.
Yeah, but the new chip should be up and running well before then.
We calculate it will be powerful enough to transport 300 people for at least one slide.
Well, if Quinn finds the right world, then they'll only need one.
Three minutes.
One minute less than the last time you told me.
Well, where the hell is she? Maybe she doesn't think like I do.
You wouldn't keep your prisoners waiting? [Door opening.]
I hear you're ready to talk.
You've given us no choice.
I have to admit we've never been captured before.
So, you admit, then, that you're spies.
I underwent plastic surgery with the hope of infiltrating the base using your identity.
If we could have duplicated your mind, we would have been smart enough not to get caught.
What is this for? I'll hang on to it.
(Quinn) Of course.
That's the smart thing.
But really, if we wanted to, how could we escape? What happens when this thing reaches zero? It signals one of our satellites.
What happens when this hits zero? Can't you tell? Come on.
The answer's right in front of you.
[Grunting.]
[Electronic beeping.]
[Whooshing.]
Let's go! (announcer) Reports out of Atlanta indicate the destruction in that region is widespread.
Emergency crews have been swamped with calls and local hospitals are reporting [banging.]
Severe shortage of critical supplies.
Causalities at this time in Fulton County area alone were estimated at [whooshing.]
[Both grunting.]
[Coughs.]
We're running out of time to find a new world, Mallory.
Thank you for the update.
Hey, that's my house! This must be San Francisco.
So we're in your home world? I don't know.
We've been down this road before and it's always been a disappointment.
[Coughing.]
This gate has been squeaking since I was a kid.
But worlds can be very similar.
That's still no guarantee.
Even if this isn't your home world, it looks like it could fit what we need.
You smell that? It's Mrs.
Randall's chicken soup.
[Coughing.]
You okay? Yeah, I'm fine.
Oh, my God! Quinn! Mom.
Quinn! Oh, I never thought I'd hold you again.
Quinn, what's wrong? Quinn, what's wrong? I thought I'd been home so many times only to find it was you on another world.
What? [Wheezing.]
Where did you get that? I found it under your mattress about a year after you left.
Wrapped in silver paper? Yes.
I was going to give it to you for your birthday the day I slid.
I can't believe it.
I'm really home.
[Moaning.]
[Gasping.]
Mom, you've got to meet Are you all right? Hey, Maggie! Can't breathe.
[Gasping.]
Open the vortex! I can't! We've still got 20 minutes.
Mom, she's gonna die.
Call 911.
[Ambulance siren wailing.]
We can't get anything.
Is she on medication? I don't know.
She started coughing and then collapsed.
Cyanotic.
Excessive muscle usage.
Help, here! Please step outside.
No! Intubate her.
She's closing up.
One milligram IV, push.
Quinn! Damn it, I can't get it in.
Get me a trache set, I've got to cut.
There's no time! No time? What are you talking about? (Quinn) I've got to go.
I've got to get her out of here or she's gonna die.
You see this? This is what took me away, and this is what will bring me back.
No, please.
I beg you.
I swear I'll be back.
(Doctor) What the hell are you doing? It's called sliding! What are you doing? [Grunts.]
Oh, my God.
[Whooshing.]
[Crying.]
I love you.
[Crying.]
Quinn!
[Computer beeping.]
Yes.
Dr.
Jariabek? (Jariabek) Speaking.
Yes, I'm sorry to be calling so late, sir, but the SAT 7 satellite has picked up an unusual reading.
Can you be a little more specific, Lieutenant? It's showing an unusual declination for an object that's just penetrated the outer plane of our system.
It could only be the pulsar.
But that doesn't make any sense.
Well, yes, sir.
Well, I know it doesn't make any sense.
Maybe you'd better come down here and see for Lieutenant.
Lieutenant! (Jariabek) Lt.
Eastman? Hello.
Are you there? Lieutenant! I'm coming down.
(Quinn) What if you found a portal to a parallel universe? What if you could slide into a thousand different worlds where it's the same year, and you're the same person, but everything else is different? And what if you can't find your way home? (voice) Sliders.
[Siren wailing.]
[Whooshing.]
[Grunts.]
(Professor) I'm coming! I don't think they were paying retail.
Nothing like an air raid to bring out the looters.
Does it bother anybody else that we're all alone here? Not entirely, Mr.
Brown.
(Quinn) Hey, man! Hey! Hey, man.
Where is everyone? [Coughs.]
Gone.
All gone.
Bomb shelters.
[Panting.]
I like it that way.
See, they think they're fooling me by blaming the Russians.
But let me tell you something, I know better.
(tramp) See? Because it's all right here.
I got this when I was working for President North.
And I told Ollie not to get in their face, but he wouldn't listen to me.
And now it's too late.
The commies, they're gonna push the button and then Ka-boom! [Car approaching.]
Look out! [Car tires screeching.]
He's hurt bad.
I'm gonna try to find some help.
You must warn them.
[Mumbling.]
Pulsar! [Panting.]
In English, please, Doctor.
[Breathing heavily.]
Pulsar Trajectory (Rembrandt) You know this guy? Yes, I do.
He was Dr.
Vladimir Jariabek.
A highly respected cosmologist.
I, uh, I attended many of his lectures.
Yeah, well, you won't anymore.
He's been shot.
[Tires screeching.]
Step away from the suspect.
Now! He's dead.
Was he still alive when you got here? Barely.
Did you hear him say anything before he died? Mostly gibberish.
Did you hear him say anything? Sorry.
He was bleeding too loud.
I can see you people need a little motivation.
Get them in the car.
All right.
He didn't tell us anything, but he gave us this.
Slowly.
What is that? [Grunts.]
[Groaning.]
Get her gun.
Now it's time for us to ask some questions.
We're wasting time here, Q-Ball.
Let's just go before they signal the all clear, huh? (Quinn) Remmy, cuff those two.
Wade, pop the trunk.
You really screwed up.
Yeah? Then how come you're the one being locked in a trunk? I will find you.
I never forget a face.
Come on.
By the way, there's a name that goes with the face.
It's Mallory.
Quinn Mallory.
(announcer) Attention, citizens.
The Civil Defense Test has ended.
You may return to your normal activities.
I repeat, the test has ended.
Return to your normal activities.
You must have one heck of a good reason why we didn't tell the truth.
A brilliant scientist is dead, Mr.
Brown.
And I believe, killed by these people.
Sufficient grounds, I think, for not telling them anything.
He said something about a pulsar.
Yes, a pulsar.
Also known as a neutron star.
It's an old star that's collapsed in on itself.
(Professor) It spins very rapidly.
As it spins, it emits an immense burst of electromagnetic radiation or a pulse of radiation, if you like.
Hence the word pulsar.
Well, they must not be into theory on this world.
We have to warn someone about them.
Yeah.
Now we just have to figure out who to tell.
Good bet it's not the military.
You know, on our world, Dr.
Jariabek did consult with the military, but he had an office at Cal Tech.
I've always wanted to visit Cal Tech.
(Rickman) I want hourly updates on the trajectory of that pulsar.
I did not ask how difficult it is.
Just do it.
You wanted to see me, sir? No, Captain, I did not.
But you've given me no choice.
You've handled this whole incident with Dr.
Jariabek very poorly.
Airman Cooper said you gave him orders to shoot Jariabek on sight.
Now, how the hell am I supposed to command a squad when I don't know what's going on, sir? I don't recall giving you permission to speak freely, Captain.
Arrogance may be admired in a fighter pilot but not in an intelligence officer.
Which is what you are now.
Don't you forget it.
Yes, sir.
I want you to find those people who escaped, Captain.
They may be Russian agents working with Jariabek.
But Jariabek defected over 20 years ago, sir.
He was still a Russian.
If he has succeeded in getting word to Moscow the security of the entire SAT 7 program would have been breached.
So, it's better 300 million Russians die instead.
You are entitled to your opinion, Captain, but not when you're wearing that uniform.
Sweep Jariabek's office clean.
And keep me informed on the search for the suspects.
Yes, sir.
Dr.
Jariabek was definitely tracking a pulsar.
Now, these readings would indicate that it's due to pass through the outer planes of our solar system.
Is that reason enough to kill the man? Now, these coordinates here suggest a trajectory of 87 degrees, 13 minutes.
If it was 86 degrees, Good heavens.
It would put the pulsar in a position to irradiate part of the Earth.
(Rembrandt) Irradiate? Like a nuclear bomb? (Professor) Same effect, different cause.
Um, think of a lighthouse.
Now, the beam is on all the time but you only see it as it passes through your field of vision.
(Quinn) Pulsars have a similar narrow beam, only their ejecta is radiation, not light.
Now, if that radiation touches the Earth, even for a millisecond the area that it covers will be devastated.
Structures will survive, but any living thing, plant or animal, will effectively be melted.
Like a neutron bomb.
I guess that's worth killing for.
If you don't want anybody to know.
Professor, that map, can it tell you when and where the pulsar will hit? Yes, it would.
Here.
Russia.
Within the next 24 hours.
Hey, it's Mallory, right? Quinn Mallory.
If you expect to ever get out of here, Quinn Mallory, you're gonna have to give me a little more information than just your name.
I wasn't born yesterday.
And, Captain, I don't expect you to ever let me out of here.
The survival of this country is at stake.
And it is obvious you're not willing to cooperate so I'm going to assume you're a Russian operative.
Since pulsars are about to nuke a million innocent lives and you're not doing a damn thing about it, I'm gonna have to assume you're a cold-hearted killer.
This is not about me.
And you couldn't be more wrong.
You denying that you blew Jariabek away? Yes, I'm denying it! Sorry, Captain.
Did I hit a sensitive button? This is not a game.
And the loser doesn't just pick up his marbles and go home.
[Thunder clapping.]
Where are my friends? In another room.
Captain? I'm getting nowhere, sir.
That's because there's nowhere to get.
And since you have the guns, the ball's in your court.
Well, then, let's play a different game.
Tell us about this.
Answer him.
It's called a timer.
It has to do with parallel dimensions.
Does it open the gateway to other worlds? Yes.
You know about sliding? I'm Dr.
Jensen.
I've spent the past three years trying to develop equipment to access parallel worlds.
Are you from a parallel dimension? Yeah.
We arrived just before Jariabek died.
Hope I haven't disappointed you.
Col.
Rickman.
[Thunder rumbling.]
As I'm sure Capt.
Beckett has informed you, we are at full military alert.
And your interaction with Dr.
Jariabek borders on espionage.
But I just told you, I'm not from this world.
Yes.
Which makes your case rather unique and open to negotiation.
I've had some problems with the development of my sliding.
What happens if I decide not to help you? This must be counting down for a reason.
If you want it back It's your only way out.
I've gotten past you once, and believe me, it was not difficult.
How do I know you'll let us slide in three days? You have my word.
As an officer and a gentleman.
You got anything more convincing? The penalty for espionage is death by firing squad.
(Rickman) You will be confined to this base but you have the freedom to move around at will.
Just don't do anything foolish.
Carry on, Captain.
Your quarters are ready.
And Dr.
Jensen is waiting for both of you.
He's right this way.
There's something about that girl I don't like.
No, make that everything about that girl I don't like.
You trust these people? No, but we don't have a choice.
I've been on enough bases to know that there's always a way to sneak off.
I'm gonna try to find us a back door out of here.
How you doing? This is truly remarkable.
You say that Dr.
Jariabek designed this system? (Maggie) That's correct.
Jariabek's work is the reason we're so far ahead of the Russians.
So you thank him by killing him.
I would've thought a more appropriate reward might've been a Presidential Commendation and a pay raise.
Just because I wear this uniform doesn't mean I agree with everything we do.
On my world, an officer would resign rather than perform a dishonorable act.
Then, I suppose it's different here.
[People chattering.]
(Quinn) You've got the ability to track wormholes and store the coordinates in every world you slide to.
That's something I wish I had.
A few worlds I'd like to go back to.
Yeah, well, anything I send into the vortex corrupts the integrity of the wormhole and drops out into oblivion.
Yeah, that is a problem.
Look, I know you can stall me.
So I'll make you a deal better than Rickman's.
You give me the ability to transport humans and I'll give you the ability to imprint parallel Earth coordinates and track wormholes.
That might help you get home someday.
All right.
First we see if my power chip is compatible with your timer.
Agreed.
(Malcolm) Don't touch that! (Rembrandt) Hey! How you doing? How come you're not in school? How come you're out of uniform? Well, I'm just visiting.
Who? The rats? This is good stuff.
You know, when I was a kid, I had a place where I would go.
A secret place that nobody else knew about.
Why don't you go there now? [Sighs.]
I dreamed about being a singer one day.
See, I wasn't very good.
So I would go to this place and I would just practice and practice.
And I would sing as loud and off-key as I wanted.
Because I knew that nobody else would hear or make fun of me.
Did you ever get any better? I've got five gold records that say so.
But I don't think my singing was as good as your drawings.
Why are you trying to sneak out? I have my reasons.
What I don't have is a clue.
The only thing that way is a bad smell.
Come on.
Your folks know that you're skipping school? My dad is in Texas.
My stepmom, well, she doesn't know anything right now.
I don't follow.
The doctors say she went into a coma last night.
They don't know why.
But it can't be too good.
They're bringing my dad in tonight.
I'm sorry.
This is it.
The guards never guard it anymore.
Just go across and you're out of here.
All right.
Well, thanks a lot.
It's Malcolm, right? I'm Remmy.
[Screaming.]
Remmy! You okay? Yeah.
This never happened before.
You got to believe me! [Panting.]
I believe you.
It's okay.
I believe you.
[People chattering.]
So, Maggie was a fighter pilot? Yeah.
She gave it up last year.
That must have lowered flight morale.
She's a good-looking lady.
Has a good heart, too.
She came to see me every day in rehab.
What happened? Severed a neurotransmitter.
I was hot-dogging on a ski trip with Maggie.
I'm sorry.
Don't be.
They've developed a treatment to reconnect it using donor brain tissue, but because of protests from some bleeding hearts, they're unable to use it.
I'll ski again one day.
So, you guys are still dating? No.
We're married.
I'm sorry.
I didn't know.
I know you didn't.
She kept her maiden name.
Maggie's father was a general.
She was an only child.
She didn't want his name to die with him.
Any progress, Doctor? We're about to test the viability of Mallory's chip in our equipment.
All right, it's in.
Let's see if this thing works.
Now all we do is build a clone of his chip.
Colonel.
SAT 7 just picked up a globular cluster of pulsars approaching our solar system.
That pulsar that's about to hit the Russians, it's only the lead piece from a collapsing galaxy.
On the same trajectory? (Professor) Yes.
Transit will take approximately 43 hours.
In which time, the Earth will have made almost two full rotations.
And what does that mean? It means by the time the cluster passes by, every inch of the Earth will be saturated with massive amounts of radiation.
I'll call the Pentagon.
Mr.
Mallory.
All life will be extinguished from this planet before we're due to leave.
(Rembrandt) Wade.
What is it? The Professor spotted more pulsars.
Enough to destroy everything.
Meaning that this world is coming to an end? It already has for Russia.
Holy Mary.
I have just spoken to the President.
He wants us to start to prepare to transport people to a parallel world.
As I understand it, with his chip in your device, we have the ability to go and come back at will.
Yeah, but we can't just go to any world.
A lot of them are uninhabitable.
That's why you and I are going to scout them.
Whoa, whoa, wait.
Don't I get a say in this? Sure.
You volunteered.
Hey, Q-Ball, I'm going with you.
Yeah, me, too.
W-we're a good team.
We know each other's moves.
No.
I want you here to help me.
And you I don't trust.
It's all right, guys.
I'll be fine.
I will stay here with Dr.
Jensen and continue to develop a power chip that will transport as many people as possible.
Of course, you do realize that we will have to accompany you to your new world and slide from there.
(Quinn) All right, let's do this.
[Electronic beeping.]
I'm setting it to return us in 30 minutes in case it's a hostile environment.
Let's hope the first one's a charm.
[Whooshing.]
[Whooshing.]
[Quinn yelling.]
[Maggie screaming.]
Wow.
That was some ride.
They always are.
This doesn't look like L.
A.
It may not be.
Your husband's geographic spectrum stabilizer is the same as mine.
It has a 500-mile radius.
Well, it looks good so far.
Maybe.
Let's see if we can find some signs of civilization.
What the hell is that? (man) Hey, pal, hole's over here.
Don't miss the fairway again.
Earthquake.
In here.
(Wade) I understand defending yourself from an attack, but not giving civilians a chance to escape isn't war.
It's slaughter.
(Rickman) Warning the Russians would have revealed our Star Wars technology to the Chinese.
Which, in the bigger picture, would have put American lives at stake.
And American lives are what I'm trying to save now.
But I need your help.
What for? I need to compile a list of people who will be transported to the new world.
I understand you're computer savvy.
I can't trust one of my own people to do it.
They may not make the cut.
Choosing who lives and who dies? I don't want that on me.
Listen, if you don't help me, I may not get the job done in time and then no one will be saved.
What would you want me to do? I need you to compile a list of the top people on this base weighting it by their performance evaluations.
Those people have earned it.
Wait a minute.
What about the President? All those people in Washington? [Sighs.]
I never spoke with the President.
What? All we'd end up doing will be taking his friends.
Politicians.
People with no usable skills.
No value to anyone.
This is the most egalitarian method I could think of.
[Birds chirping.]
Okay.
Where do I start? Hey, Remmy! I've been looking for you.
What have you got? Something I drew.
Do you like it? She looks right at me, but she can't see me.
Do you think it's any good? Yeah.
Yeah.
It's, uh, it's very powerful.
You're lying.
I can tell by your face.
Malcolm.
Malcolm.
Hold up.
Wait a minute.
Listen to me.
Now, first of all, I don't lie.
And second, you have to stop waiting for other people to believe in you before you believe in yourself.
How do you know what I believe? You don't even know me.
Look, I know you better than you think.
Someone once told you that you weren't good enough.
That you didn't have any talent.
Guess what, man? They were wrong.
You hear me, Malcolm? They were wrong.
Thanks.
I got to go.
See you later.
Yeah.
What do you think this is? An abandoned well? Let's just hope it isn't an ant tunnel.
So, how do you like sliding so far? I've been through worse.
Ah, yes, of course, the big, tough fighter pilot.
I can hear your brass clanging.
So, why did they ground you? I wasn't grounded.
It was voluntary.
Because of your husband.
His accident made me evaluate my priorities.
We weren't spending enough time together.
I realized I had to change that.
So, what about you? Are you and Wade a couple? No, no, no.
We're just friends.
I'm just your basic physicist.
Yeah, right.
There's nothing basic about you guys.
And how would you know that? I married one.
[Thudding.]
(Quinn) Damn.
At least we know what this place is.
I had a horse that size once.
We've still got a minute.
I would not do that.
(Maggie) It's just a rabbit, Mallory.
Things aren't always the same as they are on your own world.
I would not move closer.
Let's get one thing straight.
If anybody's giving orders, it'll be me.
You obviously don't know the first thing about sliding.
That would not be very smart.
Back off.
[Snarling.]
Open the vortex! [Whooshing.]
After you, Captain! Steven, it was incredible.
You have to try it.
Any luck? Sure, if you like the land of giants and man-eating rabbits.
It was inhospitable, sir.
How soon can you get back there? Right away, but we'll cover more worlds if we don't come back here after each one.
Whatever it takes.
Carry on.
How's everything coming with the power chip? It's coming fine.
Come on, Mallory.
Let's go! [Whooshing.]
It's like sliding with Patton.
[Laughing.]
[Whooshing.]
[Moaning.]
Why does every landing have to be so hard? I've been asking myself that for three years.
What happened? I thought we weren't going to slide back home.
We didn't.
One of the quirks about sliding is that some worlds are almost identical to your own.
Well, then maybe this is the world we've been looking for.
Don't move! Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
[Glass breaking.]
(Malcolm) I've been telling my dad about you.
He can't wait to meet you.
Dad? Dad? Dad! Hey, Dad.
What's wrong with him? Answer me.
Dad? I brought you some coffee.
Thanks.
What were you doing here in the first place? I was going to tell Malcolm's dad about the pulsars.
You didn't want him going anywhere, huh? Yeah, the only solace might be with your loved ones when it's time.
Now it looks like Malcolm won't even have that little bit of comfort.
I've just been reading the statement you made.
You told the MPs you saw no one outside Cpl.
Eastman's quarters.
Is that correct? That's right, but someone deliberately broke that porch light.
Malcolm's father was suckered out here because somebody wanted him in the dark.
Are you saying he was attacked? We have no proof of that.
Just that you've had within the past three months.
Now, I don't think that a smart man could just write it off as a coincidence.
Remmy.
I don't know whether you've noticed, but I've got a full plate full of problems and I have not got time to waste on a hunch.
Yeah, but if I am right and the person who's responsible for these comas gets on your approved list, you'll be taking a whole lot of trouble with you when you slide! Then you'd better join me in praying you're wrong.
Thanks for the coffee.
Suddenly, I'm having a hard time swallowing.
You can't just ignore it if there's some psycho out there attacking people.
Look, it's my problem, not yours.
Now, I've been looking through this preliminary list that you've prepared.
We need to narrow it down to people most valuable in establishing a new colony.
Doctors, engineers, that kind of thing.
I don't wanna be the one to cross people's names off the list.
I know it's difficult, but we must take the brightest and the best.
What about the children? Your new world will need a future.
We'll take as many as we can.
Think of the ones we're saving, Wade.
That's where you need to focus.
We slide in 20 minutes.
What happens if we don't make it? Then we're stuck here for 29 years.
[Sighs.]
Okay, so what's the procedure in a situation like this? There is no procedure.
Come on.
You must have been in situations like this before.
Oh, yeah, I've broken out of guarded rooms, snuck across a military base and gotten my timer back from armed intelligence officers I'd say, at least a dozen times.
Piece of cake.
Hey, you're the experienced slider.
I just assumed there'd be specific strategies in case of capture.
That's not what it's about.
Sliding means improvising.
Great.
Do doubles share the same personality traits? Sometimes.
Sometimes not.
But let's say this one does think like you.
How would you be fooled into letting two intruders escape? I wouldn't.
Everybody's got vulnerabilities.
Captain.
Your ego is running out of time.
She's logical.
To the point of myopia.
She'd never think that there's a chance for escape.
So, if we can get her in here, her defenses will be down.
Then what? Then you flatter her.
You tell her how impressed you are with her decisiveness, her strength.
She'll like hearing that from a man.
Especially someone like you.
Really? Only because you intrigue her.
She thinks you're bold, dangerous.
You'd have to be to do something this daring.
But, lucky for us, she doesn't know the real you.
Or maybe she does and it scares her.
[Knocking on door.]
Guard! Tell your captain we're ready to talk.
Any word on Quinn? No.
I think they're still looking.
They won't let me have an outside line.
Rickman's sealed off the entire base.
Yeah.
I was, uh, trying to reach Malcolm's birth mother.
At least that way, he wouldn't have to die alone.
Hey, you've done all you can.
Yeah.
Now it's up to you.
I want you to put Malcolm's name on that list of people that's going to the new world.
Wade.
It is his only chance.
Rickman has ordered that only people with O-negative blood be taken.
Look, Remmy, Malcolm's not in that group.
Oh, dear Lord.
Professor.
What is it? The first pulsar beam has just hit the Eastern Seaboard.
How long do we have? The next wave of radiation will arrive in 22 hours.
Yeah, but the new chip should be up and running well before then.
We calculate it will be powerful enough to transport 300 people for at least one slide.
Well, if Quinn finds the right world, then they'll only need one.
Three minutes.
One minute less than the last time you told me.
Well, where the hell is she? Maybe she doesn't think like I do.
You wouldn't keep your prisoners waiting? [Door opening.]
I hear you're ready to talk.
You've given us no choice.
I have to admit we've never been captured before.
So, you admit, then, that you're spies.
I underwent plastic surgery with the hope of infiltrating the base using your identity.
If we could have duplicated your mind, we would have been smart enough not to get caught.
What is this for? I'll hang on to it.
(Quinn) Of course.
That's the smart thing.
But really, if we wanted to, how could we escape? What happens when this thing reaches zero? It signals one of our satellites.
What happens when this hits zero? Can't you tell? Come on.
The answer's right in front of you.
[Grunting.]
[Electronic beeping.]
[Whooshing.]
Let's go! (announcer) Reports out of Atlanta indicate the destruction in that region is widespread.
Emergency crews have been swamped with calls and local hospitals are reporting [banging.]
Severe shortage of critical supplies.
Causalities at this time in Fulton County area alone were estimated at [whooshing.]
[Both grunting.]
[Coughs.]
We're running out of time to find a new world, Mallory.
Thank you for the update.
Hey, that's my house! This must be San Francisco.
So we're in your home world? I don't know.
We've been down this road before and it's always been a disappointment.
[Coughing.]
This gate has been squeaking since I was a kid.
But worlds can be very similar.
That's still no guarantee.
Even if this isn't your home world, it looks like it could fit what we need.
You smell that? It's Mrs.
Randall's chicken soup.
[Coughing.]
You okay? Yeah, I'm fine.
Oh, my God! Quinn! Mom.
Quinn! Oh, I never thought I'd hold you again.
Quinn, what's wrong? Quinn, what's wrong? I thought I'd been home so many times only to find it was you on another world.
What? [Wheezing.]
Where did you get that? I found it under your mattress about a year after you left.
Wrapped in silver paper? Yes.
I was going to give it to you for your birthday the day I slid.
I can't believe it.
I'm really home.
[Moaning.]
[Gasping.]
Mom, you've got to meet Are you all right? Hey, Maggie! Can't breathe.
[Gasping.]
Open the vortex! I can't! We've still got 20 minutes.
Mom, she's gonna die.
Call 911.
[Ambulance siren wailing.]
We can't get anything.
Is she on medication? I don't know.
She started coughing and then collapsed.
Cyanotic.
Excessive muscle usage.
Help, here! Please step outside.
No! Intubate her.
She's closing up.
One milligram IV, push.
Quinn! Damn it, I can't get it in.
Get me a trache set, I've got to cut.
There's no time! No time? What are you talking about? (Quinn) I've got to go.
I've got to get her out of here or she's gonna die.
You see this? This is what took me away, and this is what will bring me back.
No, please.
I beg you.
I swear I'll be back.
(Doctor) What the hell are you doing? It's called sliding! What are you doing? [Grunts.]
Oh, my God.
[Whooshing.]
[Crying.]
I love you.
[Crying.]
Quinn!