The Outer Limits (1995) s07e15 Episode Script

Time to time

Sixties, huh? You a history major? A grad student? I could help you study.
I'm something of an expert on the sixties.
Oh, really? Go ahead.
You ask me a question.
First one i miss, i'll take off.
You'll never see me again.
Now go on.
The first 2gemini astronauts? Grissom and young.
1965.
President kennedy's secretary of state? Dean rusk.
Don't waste my time.
The johnson administration chairman of the joint chiefs? Maxwell taylor, replaced by earl wheeler in 1964.
Your turn.
losers, 1969 world series? The baltimore orioles.
Academy award winner, best supporting actress, 1965? Shelley winters.
A patch of blue.
Most popular country music song on the charts for 1967? Who cares about that? I don't listen to country music.
I don't hang out with johnson's joint chiefs of staff.
Can't stand losing, can you? Well, the only thing i'm losing by talking to you is time time that i need for my master's thesis, so you know, in the sixties, they'd say you were uptight.
Oh, really? And what would they say about you? They'd say i'm a glass-is-half-full kind of guy.
Oh.
Oh, my god.
I'm really oh, my god.
What did i do? Your ring cut me.
Oh, i'm sorry.
Can i get you a bandage? No, i'm fine.
Thank you.
I just i want you to leave me alone.
Ok, i'm ok.
Sorry.
Computer voice: Analyzing blood sample.
Target confirmed.
This is john riley in apartment 6.
I still don't have any hot water.
Will you please call the plumber already? Mom? Mom, did you call the plumber for mr.
Riley? Oh, i'll do it tomorrow.
You said that yesterday.
I've been managing this building for 20 years.
No one's gonna fire me.
That's not the point, mom.
You can't lay in bed all day.
I told you.
I've got a cold.
I talked to professor martin.
He said you could audit his class for free.
You just have to pay for the paints and brushes.
You shouldn't have bothered.
Mom, you used to love to paint.
It was a long time ago.
Yeah.
20 years.
I gotta go to work.
gonna be all next weekend.
Let's look at the live local calendar.
Keep yourselves aware tonight.
That storm is really starting to brew out there.
Looking out the window right now, and it is looking nasty.
There is nothing wrong with your television.
Do not attempt to adjust the picture.
We are now controlling the transmission.
We control the horizontal and the vertical.
We can deluge you with a thousand channels or expand one single image to crystal clarity and beyond.
We can shape your vision to anything our imagination can conceive.
For the next hour, we will control all that you see and hear.
you are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the deepest inner mind to It is said the moving finger of fate, having written, is indelible.
But what if destiny's trail could be erased and etched anew? Tea? Where am i? Not where when.
I'm afraid nothing will quite make sense until you find out what time it is.
Why? Because as odd as this is going to sound, it's 8:30 a.
m.
, august 3, 2059.
You're crazy.
Perhaps, but that doesn't change the fact that you leapt 70 years into the future that's what we do here.
Where's here? Chronautics.
Time travel for hire.
And, uh, highly miniaturized, as you can see.
You're telling me that that watch took me 70 years into the future? Your future.
Our present.
Glad you're awake.
What did you do? Did you drug me and kidnap me or something? Calm down.
No, you calm down, baldy! I'm gonna get out of here.
It's all right.
The first jump's always a little tough.
Why don't you hang here? Have some tea.
Prentice makes a mean cup of darjeeling.
I warned you about this one.
You know i have reservations.
Come on, prentice.
She's a slam dunk.
Don't worry about it.
Perfect candidate.
That remains to be seen.
What was that all about? He's not sure you're right.
Right for what? To join the team.
I think he wants me to take you home.
Oh, well, at least we agree on that.
I don't think you fully appreciate what that means.
I'd have to zero out the impact on the future.
Oh, right.
Of course you would.
I would have to take you back an instant before the events that were ordained.
You'll swerve to avoid that truck, and you'll die when your car goes off the cliff.
"Graduate student missing, presumed dead in auto accident.
" "Presumed dead.
" So where's my body? Right here if i don't take you back.
If i do, you swim with the fishes.
That's really cute.
You know, i have one at home that says that i walked on the moon.
Ok.
Come on.
Come on.
I bet you don't have one of these.
There are windows into the time stream.
Our technology allows us to see through these windows and sometimes even travel through them.
Of course, because you're time travelers.
Travis, satchko, i'd like you to meet somebody.
Uh, prentice, you've already had the pleasure.
This is our newest recruit, lorelle palmer.
Hi, i'm satchko watanabe.
You can call me satchie.
They recruited me from 2144.
Lorelle just came here from 1989.
That's one of our spanners working on a job in 1863.
You expect me to believe that that movie playing down there is actually happening.
Who are you people? Is this some giant practical joke? Another classic gavin recruit.
Lorelle, it's great to have you aboard.
They plucked me out of 2003.
I was just about to graduate summa cum laude from cornell school of hotel administration.
So if i need extra towels, i come to you? I warned you, gavin.
She's not a team player.
He's right.
I'm not a team player.
Shut up.
You are a team player.
I'm getting really tired of this.
Thank you for the tea, and thank you for the tour.
Good-bye.
Ok, so it's not exactly a slam dunk.
I'd love to stay and deal with this, hello? But i have an appointment in 1995.
Your window to 1989 closes in an hour.
If she's not aboard by then, take her back.
Lorelle, i know it's hard, but when they first recruited me i didn't believe any of this either, then somebody broke the rules and took me on a jump.
Looks like i'm gonna have to do the same.
I'm i really am i'm really tired of this.
If we wait 40 minutes, i can get us to 1680.
We don't have time for that.
Oh, hey, you're a sixties fan.
I can get you 6 minutes in 1969.
We're gonna time travel with an antique pocket watch? Ok.
Ok, i'll play.
What about the location? Your choice.
Berkeley, california, april 14.
I'll see what i can do.
I don't believe it.
Love that time-traveling head rush.
Can you believe they actually pay me for this? "Ban warmongering pigs from berkeley.
R.
o.
t.
c.
Petition drive, april 14.
" That's today.
Too bad we can't stick around for the festivities.
Hey, baby.
Want groovy.
I don't believe this.
We're in 1969.
I love the smell of 1969 in the morning.
How is any of this possible? You really want a physics lesson now?! You'll have plenty of time for that when we get back.
This is incredible.
Yeah.
You know, i have a trunk full of these posters under my bed.
They were my dad's.
Oh, he was so passionate about ending the war.
Yeah, i remember that from your file.
He planted a bomb in the r.
o.
t.
c.
Office.
He died when it went off prematurely.
Took me a long time to get over that.
My mother never did.
Gavin, my dad is still alive right now, isn't he? Of course.
The 14th april 14, 1969 that's the night your father was killed.
This is the most important day of my life.
Don't even think that you why not?! I can save him.
You can't just mess with the past.
It's not that simple.
We're gonna go back now.
You guys do it all the time.
Chronautics time travel for hire.
Every one of our missions is cleared by the council to make sure we don't mess up the future.
Our return window's only open for a couple of minutes.
So come on.
This was a mistake.
What is it? Oh! Lorelle! Damn it.
Yes? Can i help you? You're the manager? Yes.
Are you here to see the apartment? Uh, yes.
Oh, i'll just get the keys.
Come on in.
I'm angie palmer.
I'm lauren.
Oh, that's just a silly little hobby.
My husband keeps buying me canvasses hoping i'll turn into the next rauschenberg, so we can retire to the french riviera.
I'll get lunch off the stove, and i'll take you next door.
This is amazing.
Sorry? Um have you guys lived here long? No.
My husband and i just started managing the place while he's getting his master's.
You look really familiar.
Do you go to the school? Lorelle, you better not be jumping on that bed! I'm not, mommy.
That's lorelle, my 5-year-old tornado.
She's always looking for the next adventure.
Keeps me on my toes.
I'll be back in a few minutes, sweetheart.
Give me the next transport window, november 20, 2059? Great.
Midnight.
Next communication window? Next communications window, 1320 great.
You know tom palmer? I'm serving my country.
What is your problem here? Either of you guys know tom palmer? Why do you want to know? Oh, i'm just an old friend.
Yeah, i'll bet you are.
What was that all about? He thinks you're a cop or a fed.
You sure don't look like any friend of tom palmer.
You're not, are you? Come on.
You can tell me.
That big mouth palmer's been trying to get us kicked off this campus for a year.
Can i trust you? Yeah, sure.
I'm irs.
Yeah, palmer owes 2 years back taxes, leftist bastard.
Thinks he can get away with scamming uncle sam, i tell you, man, it really chaps my ass.
You got a problem there, susie? Those are his friends.
Hang out over there, he'll show up.
Thanks.
Hi, there.
R.
o.
t.
c.
? We seem to be getting some interference.
I'm picking up a reading on dx-27.
That's gavin's chronograph.
Where is he? What the hell is he doing in 1969? We'll have a communication window open in 14 seconds.
What the hell are you doing in 1969?! Is prentice there? No, but he's due back any minute.
All right, look, um, i was trying to convince the new recruit we're legit.
She took off on me.
You mean she's just running around '69?! Better get her back here fast.
This trip isn't authorized.
Yeah, um, l i'm working on it.
But, uh, i'm gonna need you guys to cover for me with prentice.
I don't think so.
I'm not making that mistake again.
Travis? Oh, no, no, no.
Come on, man.
You owe me.
I can't lie to prentice.
He'll know.
He sees right through me.
He's got those hawk eyes that bore right in, like your head's some kind of giant transparent melon.
Com's window is closing in 3 seconds.
Find her and get back here! Thanks.
Why didn't i think of that? I'm really glad you liked the place.
We're gonna need first month's rent, and $100 security deposit, but if you don't have the cash Excuse me.
Hello? Hello.
Hello.
Would you like to see my room? Yes, i would.
What a pretty room you have.
Oh, mr.
Noodles.
How did you know? Well, he looks just like a mr.
Noodles.
Do you know what? If your, um, if your aunt ever buys you a music box that matches this, don't leave it sitting on the edge of your table.
Huh? Just take my word for it.
That's my favorite picture in the whole world.
Your mommy painted that, didn't she? Does she know how much you like it? I guess.
No, i don't think she ever did.
Would you do something for me? Yup.
Would you tell your mommy how much you love that painting? Why? Well, because sometimes mommies need to hear things like that.
Especially when they're sad.
'K! Ok.
This is my monkey.
Window opening for prentice.
do this! You have to leave her! No! No! We're going now! We're going now! We're going! All right.
No! Go! Go! Go! Ok, honey.
I love you.
Oh, tom, i almost forgot.
I think we have a new tenant.
Her name's lauren.
Yeah, she's gonna take number 6.
She's here right now.
You wanna talk to her about anything? Oh, no.
Hurry.
No, no, no.
Go, go, go.
Don't miss it.
Ok.
Yup.
Bye.
I hope i didn't make him miss his bus.
He's heading over to the campus to organize some antl-r.
o.
t.
c.
Rally.
Really? You know, i'd really be interested in doing something like that.
Do you know what time he'll be home? Oh, not till late.
Sometimes i wish he wasn't so dedicated, but we all have to make sacrifices if we want to end the war.
Yeah, i guess so.
So where is the rally? They're organizing it at the campus by the quad.
It's too late.
I did what i had to do.
Of course you did.
It was all part of what i was paid to do save your sister.
Dad.
Huh? Dad.
There's someone i want you to meet.
My god in heaven for a minute i thought you see what old age does to you? Dad.
Look.
It's not possible.
It's not.
Seda? Neshomeleh! Neshomeleh! Looks like he's wrapping things up.
Incoming traveler.
Satchko: Another successful mission, sir.
Yes.
Well done.
Thank you.
It was very satisfying.
Where's gavin? Travis? I think he took the new recruit down to level 3 for some coffee.
Why isn't the viewing portal on? Saving energy.
Turn on the viewing portal, travis.
What is he doing in 1969?! This trip hasn't been vetted.
He was just trying to convince lorelle to join us.
Time stream instability.
Lorelle must have done something.
She has changed the time stream.
Scanning temporal integrity.
Checking historical database.
Prentice, she's gone! Searching database.
Person not found.
She doesn't exist anymore.
According to all the databanks, she was never born.
We need a full regression analysis on a time stream.
We've got to find out exactly what they did to change history.
I'm on it.
We need to talk to gavin.
Get me the next communication window.
It's not for another 2 hours.
Remember me? I'm not leaving until i do what i have to do.
Oh, yes, you are.
I just want 24 hours.
Yeah, and i want a chalet in lake geneva.
Guess who's got the better chance? What was the problem?! You are the problem right now.
I've gotta get you back through the window.
And when's that gonna be? 2300, 52 minutes that's 11:52 civilian time.
So if we miss it, then we'll just take the next one.
You just don't get it.
It could be months.
It could be years.
This is getting real old.
Oh, i'm i'm really sorry.
You ok? It's ok.
I'm fine.
I didn't see you there.
I'm ok.
Tom, why are you so late? Look, i gotta talk to you, man, ok? Now.
Look, something's going down.
James, i missed my bus.
Can we talk after the speech? Thomas! Yeah.
Do i know you? Hi, i'm lauren.
I came to your apartment building and i looked at an apartment there.
Oh, yeah, my wife told me about you.
Something wrong? Something familiar about you.
Have we met? Come on! Where's the speaker?! Speech! Listen, i, uh, i gotta do my thing here.
Maybe we can talk afterward? Yeah.
Great.
Thomas hey, after after, man.
You were about to snitch to thomas, weren't you? Oh, hell, no, man.
Don't lie to me, you bastard.
Look, i told you i'm in, ok? Listen up! Listen up! Can i have your attention, everyone?! Everyone, look, first of all, i want to thank you all for coming out and showing your support today.
What's going on in southeast asia may seem a world away, but we can no longer afford to be silent to acquiesce to allow the slaughter of innocents to be carried out in the name of some hollow truisms Words As they are spoken You've got to understand What i'm telling you Let's try to see what i mean Try to see what i'm telling you Hey, mister Let your mind go Flying, flying Is it fair It's better than high Richard, did you see james? He wanted to talk to me.
I think he split.
That was a great speech.
You in school? Um, i'm kind of on leave right now.
Give up your education, you give up the power to change things.
Doesn't sound like someone who's trying to bring down the system.
Yeah, well, you know, i'm not much of a revolutionary.
Try to fix things, we break them.
Then why would you why would i what? Nothing.
I just wish i knew how i could help.
Listen, seeing how we're about to be neighbors, would you like to have dinner with me tonight you and angie? My treat.
Um sure.
Sure.
That'd be great, but why don't you come over to our place? Can't really afford sitters for lorelle.
7:00 all right? It's great.
Ok, then.
See you then.
I have to find my friend james.
Ok, so you had a little face time with dad.
Happy now? Not yet.
You know, i never would have picked you if i knew you were gonna be such a pain.
Why did you pick me, anyway? We had our reasons.
Is it because i scored so high on my iq test in psychology? Not exactly.
I speak 4 languages.
I'm athletic.
Actually, i guess it is an honor, if i think about it, you chose me out of the billions of people that you could have chosen.
Well, actually, it wasn't billions that we had to choose from.
What do you mean? Well, not everyone can survive time travel.
It takes a rare, physiological condition involving especially dense cellular composition.
About one in 50 million people have the right makeup.
"Dense cellular composition" this is why you chose me? No, i mean, the other things you mentioned were a definite plus, and since we always snatch people in their last seconds of life, we also wanted somebody who died really young.
Oh, well, gee.
This is all really flattering.
Of course, there is one other qualification for being a spanner, and, uh, frankly, it's the reason prentice has his doubts about you.
Oh, and what is this grand qualification? Character selflessness the ability to put the greater good ahead of your own personal interests.
Who are you people to judge me? We have to judge you.
In time travel, there's too much at stake for us to risk adding the wrong person to our team.
But you know what? You can keep your team, because i'm not interested in joining.
What are you doing? I'm taking you where your father isn't.
Let go of me.
Not a chance.
Don't you remember in my file it talks about my kick-boxing experience? Nice try.
You took 2 classes and bagged it.
I didn't need more than 2 classes to learn that.
Communication window open to 2059.
Look, i know i shouldn't have brought her here.
I promise i'll get her back before she does anything stupid.
She already changed the time stream.
Lorelle's presence at her parents' house caused her father to miss his bus, and made him late to a rally at the park.
As a result, a man named james williams was unable to tell him about a key meeting with the activists responsible for the bombing.
In the new timeline, thomas palmer no longer dies in the bombing, but thousands of others will eventually die who would have lived.
And their descendants will never be born including our friend satchko.
You've got to restore the time stream.
You've got to make sure thomas palmer finds out about that meeting tonight.
3, 2, 1 blast off! Hide and go seek! One mississippi 2 mississippi 3 mississippi 4 mississippi.
You're ruining my count.
Start over.
Don't come in yet.
I'm not ready! I'm still counting.
24 mississippi.
25 mississippi.
I met our new tenant at the rally today.
She's sweet, isn't she? She reminds me of someone.
Yeah, i can't place her.
Maybe a sitcom actress or something.
What are we serving our guest for dinner tonight? My mother's new recipe semolina surprise.
Salmonella surprise? That must be the victim now.
Daddy! Here i come, rascal! Mmm.
I love semolina surprise.
I haven't had it in years.
You said this was your mother's original recipe.
Well, she exaggerates a little sometimes.
Thomas: Did james call? Not while i was here.
Strange, you know? He was all gung-ho to talk to me at the rally today, then he starts talking to richard.
I never saw him after that.
Thomas tells me you're a history student.
You picked the right place to visit.
History's being made right here right now.
Tell me about it.
Mom, can i go watch tv in your room? Ok.
It'ssmothers brothers night.
I'll get the rice pudding.
You really have a great family.
I hope you appreciate them.
That's why i'm working to make the world a better place it's for them, not me.
I just violence isn't the answer.
I don't think violence is the answer.
Although i sometimes have trouble convincing my friends in the movement.
They don't think of the consequences of their action? The consequences of their actions on their families? Well, i try and tell them.
Sorry, i just i got caught up there.
All that talk at the rally about fighting back and sacrifice got me a little carried away.
Hello? Hey, listen, i'm a friend of james williams.
He said he was trying to get a message to you before, but he didn't get the chance.
That's right.
Yeah, well, everyone's meeting at richard's tonight, so get over there as soon as you can.
And you're a friend of james? What did you say your name was? Luke luke skywalker.
Luke skywalker ok, thanks, man.
Peace.
Yeah, um, may the force be with you.
Where are you going? I got a meeting.
I'll go.
Can i come? I'm sorry.
You can't.
Are you you know, maybe that was one of the feds you were telling me about.
Maybe you shouldn't go, thomas.
I'll be back soon.
I promise.
Are you sure i can't come with you? Ah, hey, you can't.
Really.
It's private.
I'm sorry.
It's thomas.
Go ahead.
Let him in.
I didn't expect you here.
I only just heard you were meeting.
And who told you that? I didn't tell him, man.
I swear.
Doesn't matter who told me.
What the hell is going on?! Very simple, tom.
The time for talk is over.
Meaning? Meaning tonight we will enter mcclanahan hall and leave a little token of our esteem in the r.
o.
t.
c.
Headquarters.
For god's sake, we are not going to stoop to the tactics of the people we are fighting! Don't be naive.
You knew this was coming.
It's time we sent a message.
You're gonna plant a bomb?! Better than that.
We're gonna put it on a timer.
You're gonna wait till that building is full?! How many vietnamese were murdered today? How many children?! You think you can stop one atrocity with another?! You can say you did everything you could to stop us.
Your conscience will be clear.
We're wasting time here.
You're destroying everything we're working for! Tom power to the people, tom.
Tie him up.
Tie him up! So where is this meeting tonight? Why? Because something's gonna happen tonight.
Something terrible.
What are you talking about? I can't explain it to you, but thomas is in real danger.
Please trust me.
I do trust you.
I don't know why, but i do.
Do you know where the meeting is? Uh, at richard's pad.
He lives in a condemned building across from the campus.
There's no phone and no electricity.
I'll take you.
No.
No, no.
You have your little girl.
You stay here.
It's hard to find.
I'll get you directions.
Thomas! Who did this to you?! Richard and the others are planting a bomb at the school.
Hurry.
Untie me.
You mean you weren't you weren't involved in that?! I don't believe in violence.
But if you weren't planting the bomb, then cut me loose! I have to get to the r.
o.
t.
c.
Building.
You weren't planting the bomb.
You were trying to remove it.
What? I grew up thinking you died trying to hurt people.
And now i finally know the truth.
I can have you back.
What are you talking about?! Untie me! No, i can't.
If i do, you'll die tonight trying to disarm the bomb.
You're crazy, you know that? I won't lose you again.
I'll run across to the campus, and i'll call the police, and i'll stop the bombing myself.
Wait.
Wait! No, wait! Operator, get me the police.
She's a friend of tom's.
What is she doing here? I don't know.
Let's get out of here.
Thomas! I snuck away when they left me as a lookout.
Richard's gone crazy.
What are we gonna do? We gotta get over there.
Not me, man.
I'm done with all this.
Lorelle? Ok.
Easy.
Where's my father? He went to dismantle the bomb as he was meant to.
Ok.
We still have 2 minutes.
I can stop him.
Lorelle, listen to me.
When your father inadvertently sets off that bomb tonight, he saves 12 people from dying in that blast tomorrow.
One of them goes on to have a child.
That child becomes a famous researcher.
He discovers the cure for aids.
He saves thousands of lives as well as their descendants.
Your father made a choice to save lives.
Would you choose any less? There's still time.
I can save him.
Yes, there is.
I told you everything i know, lorelle.
It's in your hands.
It's your call, lorelle.
Forgive me, father.
Good to have you back.
Good to be back.
I should bring you up in front of the council for what you did.
I know.
Although i did learn my recruiting tactic from somebody.
Well, the council is backlogged this month, so it might be best to wait.
That was a very brave thing you did.
What my father did was brave.
Letting him die that's something i'll have to live with for the rest of my life.
He placed the greater good above his own welfare.
You learned from his example.
Perhaps the most important quality we look for.
So i can't go back to my own time? Unfortunately, no.
In that time stream, you really are dead.
But i can't leave my mother.
She's too weak.
She won't make it without me.
You saved thousands of people with your difficult decision, but you saved one other with the simplest of words.
Your mother.
I don't understand.
It was your conversation with your 5-year-old self.
It was her encouragement yourencouragement which inspired your mother after your father died.
Will i be able to see her again? Perhaps.
One never knows what time will bring.
As our scientific knowledge expands, so do the borders of our explorations, ultimately moving beyond the bounds of 3 dimensions.

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