Flashforward (2009–2010): Season 1, Episode 10 - A561984 - full transcript

Priority number one,
finding what caused this.

Priority number two is figuring out
whether or not it'll happen again.

Our experiment killed 20 million people.
We have to go public

and tell the world
we caused the blackout.

D. Gibbons was on
the phone during the blackout.

"He who foresees calamities,
suffers them twice over."

D Gibbons escaped.
We got his cell phone and a white queen.

I love you,
even if my parents don't.

I didn't have a flashforward
because I will be dead.

I know what I saw.
The beach. Our wedding. You were there.

You said you didn't wanna
give up hope. Don't.



Our wiretapping program intercepted
a phone call to a Bureau cell phone.

On March 15th, 2010,
you are going to be murdered.

You're not going to Hong Kong,
end of story.

We're going.

- Wedeck's gonna be pissed.
- He'll get over it.

I am here to warn you tonight

that there is yet a chance
and a hope of you escaping my fate,

a chance and a hope
of my securing, Ebenezer,

your freedom in the afterlife.
Tonight,

you will be haunted
by three spirits.

Is that the chance
and hope you mentioned?

It is.

Without their visits,

you cannot hope
to shun the path I've tread.



Expect the first tomorrow

when the bell tolls one.

Expect the second on the next night,

about the same hour.

Expect the third on the next night,

when the last stroke of 12
ceases to vibrate.

You think we can find
the woman who called me?

Linguists expect your caller is here,
specifically from Tehran.

London educated.

How many Persian speaking women
with that accent could be in Hong Kong?

We're gonna find her, Dem.
We're going all the way. Come on.

You really should answer your cell.

It's your boss calling.

Marshall Vogel, FBI office,
Hong Kong.

Did you think
you were gonna stroll in

without immigration flagging
your arrival?

- Mark Benford. This is...
- Agent Demetri Noh.

Badge number 4587,
born February 17th, 1977.

Potentially murdered,
March 15th, 2010.

I know about the mystery woman
and why you're looking.

This is a sovereign territory of
communist China,

a country that ours believes was
responsible for the blackout.

So you're here to offer help.

Go home, is what I'm saying.

If you catch the first flight back,
your jobs might still be there.

Unless you're willing to arrest us,
we'll take our chances.

- Hi, cupcake.
- What part of

"stay the hell out of Hong Kong"

did you two idiots not understand?

Al Gough did a half-gainer off
the building you're in

to prove the future can be changed.

- You two are disobeying a direct order!
- By the way,

I lied to Demetri. I told him
you changed your mind about us coming.

Merry Christmas.

- Why'd you tell him you lied to me?
- If things go south,

you're definitely gonna need to
keep carrying a gun.

We're live here in Palo Alto,
where sources are claiming

a major announcement will be made
concerning the causes of the blackout.

Thank you for attending
this press conference.

My name is Gordon Myhill.
I am the director

of the National Linear
Accelerator Project.

Today we have some important
information concerning the events

- of October 6th that we feel...
- They're gonna crucify us.

What's a little martyrdom
between friends?

Stick to the points we discussed.

Last thing we need is your conscience
dragging us further.

What does that mean?

You feel guilty because your wife died,
you have to take care of your son

I won't let you drag me down into
your shame

just because you're playing Mr Mum.
Understood?

I'd like to introduce you now to

our associate directors of the
Plasma-Wakefield Program,

Dr Lloyd Simcoe and Dr Simon Campos.

Good morning.

My name is Lloyd Simcoe.

As Dr Myhill indicated,
our speciality

is proton-driven plasma-Wakefield
acceleration.

What we're trying to do is
to reproduce the kind of energy levels

that existed just after the Big Bang,
on a more controllable scale.

We were conducting just such an
experiment here on...

October the 6th, at precisely

1100 hours Pacific Daylight Time.

Please, please!

If you could wait a moment,

I will take questions. Please.

I just need to get to
the heart of the matter.

We are here today

because we believe
that the global blackout

was precipitated by our experiment.

Please.
If you just give me a moment,

I will take questions in a minute.
Please, one moment...

Are you taking responsibility
for all the death

and damage caused by the blackout?

We admit that our experiment
does seem the most likely cause.

But we contend

there was no way to predict
anything like this

happening whatsoever.

This was utterly unforeseeable.

Scientists experiment all the time.

We cannot stop experiments

because we are not sure
of the results!

What does that mean for Mosaic?
Game over?

Maybe Simcoe caused the blackout...

Maybe he didn't.

Game's not over.

- With the work...
- ...releasing an official statement,

regarding this event.

We will be concluding this.
We will now be concluding...

Please.

Please believe me when I say
that our hearts go out to anyone

who was hurt or lost someone they
cared for. My own wife was killed.

And I would give anything
to have her back.

We understand people are scared
of another blackout.

There won't be.

Because we were the cause.

And we assure you,

we assure you that this could not
happen again

because of this moment,
all plasma-wakefield experiments

are on hold indefinitely.

You didn't even apologize!

You killed my family!

Idiot.

We talked about having suspicions,
our work contributing to a phenomenon.

- We needed to be more definitive.
- There's no we.

You made that clear.
You lost all objectivity.

You're ignoring the obvious
to save your own skin.

Of course, I am.
It's the scientific method.

It's about collecting
empirical evidence.

Until we can prove empirically
that we were the cause,

I'm not about to flush my life
down the toilets.

I do not think we were
to blame for this, you do.

If you won't see my line of reasoning,
it's war between us.

I want them in here yesterday.
I want to debrief them.

You and seven billion other people.

They both disappeared within ten minutes
of their announcement.

Simon Campos
is completely off our radar.

Lloyd Simcoe, he had a ticket
for a flight to DC

that left San Francisco
within an hour of his little speech.

- We found out he wasn't on the plane.
- Wait. Simcoe.

I knew I heard that name before.

How and why, Janice?

When I was in the hospital, I overheard
Olivia Benford talking about...

Dylan Simcoe.

He was a patient that they were
treating. He's Lloyd Simcoe's son.

Then you're going to wait for him
to check on his boy.

- We don't have any basis for an arrest.
- Right. This is you.

One agent reaching out. That's it.

We need to know what he knows.

Have you spoken to Mark or Demetri?

That's what happened to the TV.

You've reached the Nohs.
Leave a message

Mrs Noh. But this is it.

This will be the last time
I ask you.

You're the parents
of the man I love.

I want you at our wedding.

In the future that I saw,
you were there

and if you say you'll go,
it makes it real.

I'm supposed to marry Demetri

and I hope to God that this is
the message I'm supposed to send

so that you go.

I love your son more than
anything in this world and...

ma'am, he loves me. Can you
just please help us be together?

- You're early.
- Hi.

I'm trying to make
senior partner one day, too.

You going to the memorial tonight?
I know you didn't know Joyce well.

She was so friendly and so kind to me,
so of course. I wouldn't miss it.

- See you then.
- Yes.

This is it.

Audio forensics gave us
a three-mile radius

of where the call was placed.

But there are a bunch of good reasons
why we might find Eartha right here.

Eartha?

Well, she kind of sounds
like Eartha Kitt, don't you think?

What?

You know, the Batman TV show.
She played Catwoman.

You're right.
She does sound like Eartha Kitt.

A Persian,
well-educated Eartha Kitt.

There's only two news stands
within a block of here

that sell Persian newspapers.

This may be a stretch
but there's a place around the corner

that sells Iranian cigarettes.

That voice, you know, it's...

it's a pretty good bet she smokes.
What?

Madd O' Meh.

Farsi for the tide in the mist.

Persian woman, Persian food.

Yahtzee.

- Tomorrow?
- Tomorrow.

What?

I've just never been
surveilled before.

I'm not surveilling you.

It feels like I'm being surveilled.

Well, I could split, if you slide me
Lloyd Simcoe's phone number.

And what do I do after I get fired?

A girl's gotta try.

Dr Benford said that you came
in while I was away.

- How'd it go?
- She says I'm doing good.

Not good enough to have a baby yet.

- You wanna have a baby?
- I didn't...

But then the blackout happened
and I saw myself getting a sonogram.

I was pregnant. I was totally crazy.

It was like being in love
or something.

I don't know. Maybe I'll just listen
to the universe and...

and throw the towel in
on the whole thing.

Listen. In your flash forward,
you saw yourself pregnant.

If you were really listening
to the universe,

you'd be trying to have that baby.

Do you know how far along you were?

The sonographer said four months.

The beginning of January.

- If that's what you saw, that's...
- When I'm supposed to get pregnant.

You still wanna get pregnant?

Then don't, give up.

Hitler, Idi Ami, Suharto.

Simcoe and Campos killed more people
than all of those monsters combined.

There's a real good case
to be made here.

You've got the biggest mass
murderers in history.

- Why aren't they in jail?
- Wedeck.

- They haven't broken any laws.
- He's...

What about criminal negligence

- And no-one?
- leaving 20 million people...

Yes.

There needs to be a trial.

Simcoe went to Harvard, 1998.

He got his PhD.

So you're here to turn yourself in?

I'm not sure what we did
could be construed as a crime,

even if it were proven
we were responsible.

You probably shouldn't have stood up
in front of reporters and said you did.

Not my choice.

Lloyd Simcoe tends to let
his emotions run rampant.

I don't.

Any idea who is responsible then?

But if you allowed me access
to your Mosaic investigation,

I could divine the answer for you.

So you wanna be deputized.

I've served on three panels
with the National Science Foundation,

- I have security clearance.
- You're confusing me

with someone who gives a damn.
I'm up for giving you,

not a new career.

How long do you think Washington will
continue to fund an investigation

into what caused the blackout

when somebody has already stepped
forward and accepted the blame?

My guess is unless you come up with some
compelling evidence relatively soon,

you'll never find out what or who

caused the greatest global
catastrophe in human history.

Or if you can prevent it
from happening again.

How about this.

You come back tomorrow morning,
I'll have something to show you,

we make some progress.

I'll see what I can do
about an official role.

Because I do like you,

Assistant Director Wedeck.

I will accept
your disingenuous offer.

How dare he come in here.

He's here.

Did you charter a flight?

- Excuse me?
- I'm Agent Janis Hawk

with the Mosaic task force.

- Are you here to arrest me?
- Come in and talk to us.

We need information
and you need some protection.

I'm sorry. My son's safety
is my priority right now.

If you've connected me to him, it won't
be long before others do as well.

I have to get him out of here.

Let us help you. Please.

- This could be an opportunity...
- To be polite, I'm not interested.

Just leave us alone.

We're looking for a friend.
She works around here,

maybe eats at this restaurant.

We don't have a picture of her
but we have a recording.

Can you take a listen

and let us know if you recognize it.

Sure.

I am sorry, there is
no delicate way to say this,

but on March 15th 2010,

you are going to be murdered.

I'm sorry.

I would remember that voice
if I knew who it belonged to.

Now, how about some dessert?

Sure, thank you.

Yeah, I saw it. Stand outside.
Make sure no one comes in.

"Merry Christmas!"

Some faludeh.

- Thank you.
- Your friend?

Stepped outside.
Sit down, join me.

The woman we're looking for,
she has information we need.

It's a matter of life and death.

I'm so sorry.
I can't help you.

You have it backwards.

If you can't help,

you will be sorry.

You know that woman.

Not so long ago,

a hotel concierge
named Anush Harandi,

an Iranian man, much like yourself,

was taken from his home in Bangkok,
in the middle of the night

because my government believed
he had some small

piece of information.

His friends, his family,
no one knew what happened to him.

He spent two years
in secret detention.

My government's gotten
very good at that sort of thing.

- Her name is Nhadra Udaya.
- You got her name?

She comes here on the weekends
but almost every night,

she has a late dinner
at a dim sum place, two blocks down.

Now, we just have to get her to talk.
One way or another.

- Why didn't you want me in there?
- I'm trying to protect you, Dem.

If someone's hands are gonna get dirty,
let it be mine.

We've given these to our top-level
analysts.

They haven't been able to
tell us anything useful.

It's a good thing
I'm smarter than they are.

These are highly-classified images

so we've obscured anything that
indicates where they were taken.

Somalia.

The dip slopes
in the overlying limestone,

the orientation of the flora,
shallow waters...

Tell us what you see.

- Are you taking the piss?
- Tell us what you see.

Zoom in, please.

I designed that.

That is a specialised post laser
for a plasma afterburner.

It increases the rate of acceleration
for radio frequency machines.

The concept should win me a Nobel
in a couple of years.

I must say,

the modelling software
you guys use, is incredibly impressive.

The structure almost looks real.

That is a real structure.

And that is a real photograph.

That's not possible.
The technology doesn't exist yet.

We're still
running numerical simulations.

When did you come up with the idea?

'92. Why?

That photograph was taken in 1991.

That...

- doesn't make sense.
- Who could've come up with this idea?

No one.

Your unparalleled genius act
is wearing thin.

That's not what I mean.

You ask any great scientific mind
what they want to achieve

and the only honest answer
is immortality.

If you discover something that
changes the world, you live forever.

So whoever designed this
not only had to be brilliant but

didn't care about being famous.
Didn't want it.

Practically
fetishised their anonymity.

A recluse. A paranoid.

Exactly.

We believe this man was
somehow connected to the blackout.

This is a composite sketch,
made by our field agents

He was awake during the black out.

He may have been in contact
with another person who was awake.

We don't even know his real name.
He's using the alias "D Gibbons".

He's highly efficient
in computing equipment

and particle-physics simulation.

He's been hacking into
a number of high-tech facilities.

He also seems to have
a penchant for chess.

A techie, chess-playing,

social-misfit physicist.
That should narrow it down.

Have you ever seen him before,
at conferences or lectures?

But if he had anything to do
with the blackout, I'll do everything

to help him.

At least,
I'd like to give his testicles a squeeze

for shocking
my plasma-afterburner I designed.

I need to find somewhere
where my son can be safe.

Southland University Hospital.

That's less secure than here.
Maybe I'm not making myself clear.

You don't seem very good at that.

- I beg your pardon?
- The announcement, you said

you caused the blackout,

and then that you didn't mean to.

It was all kind of a jumble.

In my experience, innocent people
tend to speak in specifics.

No. I spoke in specifics,

I related a series of facts,
and now...

Southland University Hospital.

I can transfer your son.
I put it through?

I want...

I need you to find a secure facility

for my son.

Let's try Travers.

It's a private children's hospital,
in Glendale.

- I doubt they'll have beds.
- They will when I make a call.

Get that started, and I'll draw up
a transfer note. Be back in an hour.

I don't suppose I can expect anyone
to help me much in future.

You need help, I'll help you.

"And I, John, saw the Holy City,
New Jerusalem,

"coming down from God out of heaven,

"prepared as a bride
adorned for her husband."

We are here tonight
to say a final goodbye to Joyce.

You saw me there.

But I'm positive you were.

Joyce's death is a tragic loss.

We've lost a daughter, a wife,

a friend.

But what we must remember,
what we must hold in our hearts...

Looks like we found her.

- You shouldn't have come here.
- You called me, remember?

That was a mistake, clearly.

You being here now,

you'll set things in motion
that will end very badly for you.

Can we just skip over

the histrionic action-movie cliches?

Cause I'm way too jet-lagged to deal
with any of that right now.

Tell me who you are.

I can't.

Why'd you call me?

- I was trying to warn you.
- You don't know me.

- Why do you care if I live or die?
- Your death is the first

in a long line of dominos.

- I would rather not see fall down.
- So help us prevent it.

- I can't.
- You can.

By telling us.

If I tell you more,

the act of telling you may bring about
the unfortunate incident

we are all trying to avoid.

I'm willing to take that risk.

I said you would be shot
three times.

Shots at close range.

Which means
I probably know my killer.

In fact, you do.

He is sitting at this table
right now.

You, Agent Benford.

You will kill Agent Noh
on March 15th,

with the very gun I assume
you're carrying right now.

A SIG-Sauer model P226.

In the call you said you didn't know
who killed me. Now you do.

I lied because I didn't want
to bring about

the incident which I told you about.

How could you possibly know?

A,

5, 6,

1,

9,

8, 4.

And...

what is that?

The serial number of your gun.

It will be your gun, Agent Benford,

and you will pull the trigger.

And then again,

and then again.

You could a found the number
a different way.

You could have hacked
into the Bureau's gun registry.

How many times have you
interrogated a suspect?

Look into my eyes.

Your partner is going to kill you,
intentionally.

Why would I do that?

Why?

Presumably,
in the next few months,

a reason will present itself.

Now, you've got
what you've come for.

No, I have more questions.

I am done giving you answers.

It's time for you to leave.

Don't.

You're coming with us, right now!

Move, move!

- Move!
- What are we doing?

Cover me!

Down the stairs, now!
Down!

Come on, come on!

Trust me, I got it.

Back off, now!

This woman is a material witness

- to a murder.
- There has been no murder.

But there will be.
Will there, Agent Benford?

Let her go.

Nhadra, have your men
lower their guns.

Now.

All the way down!

- This isn't over.
- It never is.

Put your hands behind your back.

Mr Simcoe. Hey.

I have those transfer papers.

- Sorry for all the red tape.
- I appreciate it.

Especially after the inconvenience
I've caused you and your family.

You did nothing wrong.

Are you ready to get Dylan
checked out?

You really think there won't be
another blackout?

Not unless we recreate the exact
conditions of our experiment, no.

It was an incredibly
brave thing you did,

coming forward like that,
taking responsibility.

I think the line between brave
and stupid's a pretty blurry one.

I didn't say it wasn't stupid.

All the same, I'd like to think
I did it for the right reasons.

So, you went to Harvard in'98?

It was one of the best times of my life.
I was doing my doctorate.

I had this beautiful apartment
above a cigar shop.

- Levitt and Pierce?
- That's the one.

I was supposed to go
to Harvard in'98,

and I was gonna live
in the building next door.

- Why didn't you?
- Because Mark got his job.

He was gonna be transfered
to Los Angeles, so...

I decided to be with him instead.

My wife...

moved into that building.
That's how I met her.

So, if I had gone,
we probably would have met.

Have you heard
of the many-worlds interpretation?

It was coined by a physicist
called Hugh Everett in the'50s.

The idea is, anything that could
have happened in our past actually

did happen in some other universe.

All the alternate decisions
and choices you made

are still playing themselves out
in another world.

If you buy the theory, I suppose,
in some other universe, you...

did go to Harvard.

And we did meet.

Of course, that's not
the world we live in.

Thank you again for this.

Sure.

You're both very lucky men.

I saved your lives, helped you
avoid an international incident.

- Why are you keeping us from her?
- You don't need to know what she knows.

Let me get you on the flight.

Just a friendly service
Legats provides.

You're not Legats.

If you were Bureau, you never
would have let us off the plane.

And after what went down
in that alley,

this whole thing stinks
like a company job.

We prefer the term
"Central Intelligence Agency."

I hate to break it to you,
but Mosaic is bigger than you.

Bigger than the FBI. Bigger than
any intelligence organisation.

You're just a...

a tiny spec, Mark.

A flake of dandruff
on the nape of this thing's neck.

But if it will make you
feel better...

to take a swing at me,

then go right ahead.

It's not like you've got anything
else to lose.

That call, I would take.

You know what I'm staring at?

I'm watching the security camera feed
of your amazing foot screw

in Hong Kong.

Shut up!

It was sent to me by the damn
US Ambassador to China.

So I'm calling to congratulate you.

You've succeeded
in changing the future.

I got it.

Here.

Wedeck's orders.

Looks like we finally have
something in common.

Neither of us are FBI.

They have been following you ever
since you destroyed that doll factory.

Coming here was a mistake.

I can't protect you.

Then I just have to find
someone who can.

Mrs Noh, I think I understand
why you didn't want to talk to me

about our wedding.

- Zoey...
- We need to talk about this.

About what I saw.

You were there.

With Mr Noh.

I didn't see Demetri.

Then I realized something.

No matter how much I begged you,

you'd never come to our wedding.

But you wouldn't miss
your son's funeral.

Why didn't you tell us?

Talking about it with you,

with anyone,
that would make it real.

Maybe before all this,

we would have had difficulties
with you marrying our son,

but what I saw that day,

that moment,

the love you have for Demetri...

I want you to know,

we see things differently now,

and we'd be proud for you
to be a part of our family.

We wish that was the future.

We wish that more than anything.

We can do more than wish, Mrs Noh.

We can change the future.

Answer one question.

Are these the shadows of things
that will be, or that may be?

Spirit, hear me,
I am not the man I was.

Why show me this
if I am past of hope?

Assure me that I may yet change
these shadows you show me,

by an altered life.

I will live in the past,
the present and the future,

and not shut out
the lessons they teach.

But tell me that I will...

I'm sorry.

What are you sorry for?

It's my murder.

My problem.

Meanwhile, I'm sitting here
with your badge in my pocket.

I'm not gonna shoot you, Dem.

I'm not gonna let
this investigation kill you, either.

No matter what happens.

Smile, Bryce. Haven't you heard?
It's the most wonderful time of year.

What's this?

Open it and find out.

It's a lucky cat.
Maneki neko in Japanese.

Depending upon which paw is raised

promises different things
for your future.

What does the right paw indicate?

Luck in love.

Thanks, Nicole.

Don't worry,

you'll find her.

I gotta go.

I'm not surveilling you again,
I promise.

- I'm here on a personal matter, I swear.
- How can I help you?

Do you remember that whole...

not-giving-up thing
we were talking about earlier?

If I was to start trying now,
what exactly should I be doing?

First of all,

this is for a prenatal vitamin...

That's all great.

I need something
a little more basic.

I'm actually gonna be
doing this alone

and the whole...

penis thing is kind
of a problem for me

'cause I don't like them.

You're gay?

- I'm super gay.
- Super gay?

- And you need a sperm bank?
- Yeah.

I know of a good one.
Cubit Fertility Clinic,

there's a doctor
by the name of Jane Parker.

Just tell her I sent you.
She's great.

Thank you, Dr Varley.
I really appreciate it.

No problem.

I tell you, you're gonna
love the ambulance, Dylan.

Mr Simcoe, I'm John.

Partner is Reed, we'll be
transporting you and your son.

Thank you.

- All ready to go?
- Dr Benford.

I just came to see you off,
make sure everything went okay.

Are you ready, little man?

He's ready, he's just a little shy.

I'm not sure if you've had
your training, but Dylan's autistic.

- We've had training.
- OK. Good.

Sweetie, are you ready to get in the
ambulance with these guys and your dad?

Come on, let's do it.

There we go.

Yeah, it's gonna be fun.
I've got a secret for you.

Cool people call them ambos.

- Ambos?
- Ambos, that's right.

- Ambos.
- That's right.

You're gonna go for a ride
in the ambo.

Okay, all right.
No restraints, just on the legs.

It's alright, buddy.

Bye, Dylan.

I'll miss you, kiddo.

See you in a sec.

Thanks, guys.

So I guess this is the part
where we...

Wish each other a nice life.

Something like that.

Come here.

So, the many-worlds theory,
is that something you believe in?

Well, many physicists do these days.

You didn't answer the question.

And out of respect, I'm...

I'm not going to.

Thank you again, Olivia.

And goodbye.

Wait. Hang on there.
Easy. Hang on there.

- Just get his legs in.
- No ambo!

Let go of his arm!
You said you were trained.

We don't have time for this.
Come on lady, we're on a schedule.

Excuse me?
Bill, can you get down here?

I don't know
what's going on here, but...

- No, please, don't hurt her!
- Get in the van, Mr Simcoe.

- I'll come with you. Please.
- Get in the van!

Dylan, it's gonna be okay.

Dad! No, Dad!