Paradox (2009–2010): Season 1, Episode 2 - Episode #1.2 - full transcript

Do you recognise any of these images?
It was streamed live at 2.33am.

It looks as if
there's been an explosion.

- 10 hours from now.
- It hasn't even happened?

Yet.

Assuming King's put these images together,
what's he telling us?

How do we know he isn't
just watching us chase our tails?

The images don't make any sense!

The images are just images.

How is this happening?

It's not where it starts
that's important,

it's where it ends - under that bridge!



We saw the future burn
right in front of us.

What the hell is going on?

In the interests of national security,

anything relating to this incident

will come under the Official Secrets Act.

I love you.

I love you too.

But not enough. Not any more.

Um...

Keep them. For emergencies.

Morning.

- Have you washed?
- Yeah.

- Oh, good morning.
- Morning.

There's no electricity, stupid.
You'll have to have bread.



I hate bread!

Toast is bread.

Will you shut the door?
You're letting the cold out!

I'm having cereal, all right?

I need to confirm
these images predict the future.

If I don't involve DI Flint's team again,
would... whatever this is still happen?

What do the other security agencies think?

Nothing. We haven't told them.

The fewer people involved,
the more we can control secrecy.

I'm not sure DS Holt would want to be

part of an investigation team
if he saw this.

Then perhaps we shouldn't show it to him.

You OK, mate?

Yeah, I suppose so.

Get any sleep?

Not really. You?

No.

You all right?

Where were you yesterday?
We could have done with you.

Of course. Why?

Train explosion.

- You were called to the bridge?
- Half the Force were.

First reports said a bomb.
Someone called in a code red.

We're lying to our colleagues.

We're inviting DI Flint's team back in.

As far as the rest
of the building is concerned,

they're running a routine security check.

It was thought more sensitive
not to show them the image of DS Holt.

The MoD is our biggest client.

I wasn't really in a position...

- Obviously, they'll be monitoring...
- It's an experiment.

They're eliminating extraneous effect.

I understand.

Wait! Wait!

Oh, don't leave!

Bastard! He did that deliberately.

Fancy a lift, Jack?

Yeah! Cheers, Danny.

- Is that it?
- Yes.

Seven images, not eight.
One less than yesterday.

Is that as clean as you can get it?

I'm trying not to lose
resolution.

But as far as I can see there are
no bubbles on the surface of the water.

Victim's dead.

Any thoughts, Ben?

Male, I reckon.

Could be a school uniform
he's wearing. Teenage boy?

The images arrived at 22.45 last night.

No indication on them
as to when this might happen?

Well, it was 18 hours
from download to disaster yesterday.

If it follows the same timescale,
it'll be...

16.45 this afternoon. Thank you.

So whoever he is...

...he isn't dead yet.

Speed up in this puddle now.
Go! Accelerate!

Good work! Keep going,
keep going. Speed up now.

Kick it up the arse. Speed up!

All right, now, let's go.
Veer off to the left now, down here.

Last night,
OK, I was... persuaded...

But... But whoever...

Forget physics. When have you ever
heard of anyone seeing the future?

74 people died. They died!

It's got to have been
a massive coincidence.

You come into a crime scene,
you're convinced it's murder,

- you see evidence where it doesn't exist.
- The images led us to the explosion, Ben.

How?

Our job is not to find out why
it's happening, it's to prevent it.

All right. All right, suppose you buy
this is the future.

How can we change it?
We didn't yesterday.

We have to try!
We can save a boy's life.

This boy's life!

Doesn't it concern you?

Of course!

I mean, the images aren't random.

Well, they weren't yesterday.

It's like some being... is allowing us
a glimpse of what's to come.

God's talking to Manchester?

Think of the implications
if we do stop something.

Mess with things we don't understand.

You wouldn't say that
if we'd stopped the tanker.

Perhaps the tanker was meant to crash.

It wasn't our place to...

Save lives?

Change the future.

"314X WD."

Ring East Lancs Water,
see if they know where this is.

Maybe the victim's
going to drown in the drain.

It's happened before.

I know toast is bread.
I'm not stupid!

She's a girl, she gets away with it.

They look at me like... like everything's
gonna be totally messed up.

Like I'm the resident idiot.

It's because they don't understand you.

That's why they put you down.
My dad used to do that.

After he died, I worked it out -
it's fear.

We want to live our lives differently.
It threatens them.

Don't worry. You're not alone.

Thanks.

East Lancs Water are gonna
have to get back to me.

One of their waste-water plants
went offline after the power cut.

- They understand it's urgent?
- He wrote it down.

That's as clean as I can get it.

Is it a chemical sign?
Something you recognise?

No.

- I'm gonna deck that bastard.
- Yellow background, black letters.

Missing letters, numbers...

Yellow background -
rear number plate.

A partial. DA 64 Y.
Missing letter, missing number.

Could take time to trace.
We haven't a model.

Lettering isn't solid black.

It's got a grey pattern
running through it.

It's been personalised.

In which case, do the letters
represent a name?

Davy?

Danny?

You'll be OK. It's OK.

Ugh. Sorry, Danny.

Don't be silly - we're mates.
It's my fault, not yours.

Probably bad gear.

- Here.
- Thanks.

Why don't you have a kip in the car?

You'll feel better after a sleep.

Cheers.

- A drain cover, a pigeon...
- Racing pigeon. It's tagged.

Marble, granite...

- DC Gada.
- What's the connection?

OK...

Thanks. They've traced the car.
Not David - Daniel. Simpson.

Thornwell Street. No previous.
Self-employed electrician.

- Local.
- Me and Callum will go.

If you draw a blank, come straight back.

How could we stay away?

What exactly do we ask him?

Where he intends to be
at 16.45 this afternoon.

DS Holt. DC Gada.

- Are you Daniel Simpson?
- Yeah.

We've been, er, tipped off.

A gang of criminals may be targeting
properties in the area this afternoon.

Do you... know if you'll be in?

Er, late afternoon.

Yeah.

Is that your car?

Yeah.

Do you intend lending it
to anyone this afternoon?

No. Only my name
on the insurance policy.

Is it fitted with an alarm?

Yeah.

Great. Thanks.

Thank you, sir.

There's three possibilities -

he and the car will be here at 4.45,

he's lying, or the car gets stolen.

Well, what are we supposed to do?

We can't wait here for
the next 5 hours and 19 minutes.

We can't ask for surveillance
without explaining why.

"A gang of thieves
have been targeting the area"?

At least I said something.

...a warning
before the explosion happened.

Hello! What are you doing home?

Power surge or something.
Blew stuff up at school.

What's for lunch?

Where's Jack?

He never turned up.

Are you sure?

Yeah. I asked his mates.

That boy is in such trouble.

Oh!

DI Flint!

Didn't think you were allowed out
in sunlight.

- Why not?
- What do you want?

To come with you.

You don't know where I'm going.

They've identified the location
of the drain cover.

This isn't a spectator sport.
Someone might die this afternoon.

I know.

This isn't right.
What are they doing here?

Oh, no! It's too soon!
It's happened too soon!

- Stay back, sir.
- I'm with her.

Have you got a warrant card, sir?

No, I don't have a warrant card.

Then stay behind the tape.

What's the situation?

They've located a person - male.

- A teenager?
- No, middle-aged.

The drain cover had been removed,
apparently. He must have fallen in.

- Did he drown?
- No.

Are you sure?

Yeah.

They think he's hurt his spine.

We're going to pump the water out.

Get a medic to him
before we risk hoisting him out.

- So his injuries aren't life-threatening?
- I don't think so.

Do you have any indication
where the drain cover is?

Being melted down for scrap?
Ask one of your colleagues. I'm a fireman.

He isn't dead. The drain cover's missing.

16.45 is obviously wrong.
It's not following yesterday's timescale.

In five and a quarter hours' time,

that drain cover will still be
a drain cover, wherever it is.

- Meaning?
- The images are indicators. That's all.

They're a set of circumstances
at a particular time in the future.

You're saying that that's not the guy
that I'm meant to save?

Everything is not about you! All right?

These images didn't arrive so that
you could intervene and save a life.

That's a bonus.

You don't know what it is.
It certainly wasn't a bonus yesterday!

You know, maybe the future
is the future. We can't change it.

Oh, right.

And you, er, base this analysis
on what, one failed experiment?

Do you have a wife?

No.

- Girlfriend? Boyfriend?
- No. Why?

Trying to imagine the pillow talk.

So the objects don't necessarily have to
be in close proximity with each other.

Well done.

Thank you. Why don't you just pat me
on the head while you're at it?

Does Ben have a wife?

Girlfriend? Boyfriend?

No. Why the interest in Ben?

Isn't that what you're supposed to do?

Show an interest
in the people you're working with?

What are you doing?

Nothing. Nothing to do.

The drain cover?

Stolen. The freeze-dried food?

393 stockists.

Unless we can see the barcode,
we can't track it.

160 homing and racing pigeon clubs
in the Northwest region.

Oh, God.

Face it - this is going
the same way as yesterday.

How's it going?

Fine.

Do you have some indication
where the boy might be?

It's a process of elimination.

Has there been anything from
the scene investigators at the explosion?

Apparently the driver of the tanker

had been up all the previous night
talking to a woman on the internet.

It would appear he wasn't fit to drive.

Well, there you are, then.

What do you mean?

Well, you can stop beating yourself up.

The guy was obviously
an accident waiting to happen.

Forget God. Forget... aliens.

I was right. It was probably
just some terrible coincidence.

I don't need you here, Sergeant.

Your time would be much better served
at the station.

What am I being punished for?

Go and do some proper policing. Feel
a few collars, give yourself a hard-on.

What about the MoD?

Don't worry. It's my decision.
I'll say you're surplus to requirements.

Please, seriously, if you want to...

I'll ring around the local stockists,
see if they can help.

Thank you.

I'm not gonna apologise.

So why are you chasing after me?

Because I'm pissed off and frustrated.
I need your support.

You taught me
not to bring personal stuff to work.

I'm not the one having second thoughts
about last night.

I'm trying to save somebody's life here.

What life, Rebecca?

It wasn't your fault those people died.

Forget the ticking clock.

Forget... Take a moment out.

Or be absolutely certain
there isn't a more rational explanation.

You don't get it, do you?

You don't want to get it.

We're witnessing
something extraordinary here

and you want everything to stay the same -

straightforward, containable,
under your control.

And you're blindly chasing the future.

Why?

DS Holt and I are just, um...

I took another look at the marble.

What?

- I took another look at the...
- I heard. And?

I think it's foam.

Melamine-based foam. Not marble.

Melamine foam. What's it used for?

Fireproofing, soundproofing.

Danny?!

Danny!

Danny, where are you?!

There are six stockists
of the food packets

in a radius of 40 miles from
where the drain cover was taken.

But where's the drain cover now? Should
we be working the radius from there?

We should warn DS Holt.

If we intervene too soon,

we'll have no way of knowing
if yesterday's incident was unique.

- But if he dies...
- Simon, please.

We'll keep an eye on him.

We haven't asked ourselves,
why freeze-dried?

It's a specialist purchase.

Camping, mountaineering?

A soldier?

On manoeuvres round here?

Someone who can't get to the shops?

Sick, elderly, housebound?

Prisoner? Someone held captive?

Soundproofing!

Danny!

Danny, where are you?!

Maybe... Maybe Danny Simpson has...

intends to kidnap his victim.

We pull him in.

On what grounds?

Traffic offence.

And take him where?

Do we tape the interview?

What do we tell his solicitor?

No. No. In the name of...

I will put the pieces together,
but I'm not gonna break the law.

Who knows we're here?

Someone who says she's Defence Security.

As far as the paperwork is concerned,
this job doesn't exist.

Danny Simpson sues us for wrongful arrest,
then we're on our own.

3 hours and 19 minutes
and the boy in that image dies.

Which is how it's supposed to be.

What?

We change the future...

...then what?

I know the implications
are... extraordinary,

but if we just sit here
we condemn that boy to death.

Help!

What's going on?
Please! Danny! Anyone!

Simpson's car's gone.

What are you doing?

I'll ring the bell. If he doesn't answer,
I'll take a look around.

- I don't think that's a good idea.
- Can't see an alarm.

- That's breaking and entering.
- The boy could be dying in there.

Now, if you don't want to sit here, fine.

If you do, let me know if Simpson
or anyone comes to the house.

Help!

What's going on, Danny? Anyone!

I'm looking for Danny.
Do you know where he is?

- Did you ring the doorbell?
- Yeah.

Then he's out.

I didn't know he kept pigeons.

His dad died a few weeks back.

They were his.

Do you know when Danny released them?

Took them out in their baskets yesterday.

- Do you know where?
- No.

Thanks for your help.

Help!

Help! Get me out! Danny! Anyone!

Please! Just get me out!

Help!

Ben, hi.

Hi. Listen, I had Danny Simpson's
name flagged. It's just come up.

He's been knocked down.
He's on his way to St Margaret's hospital.

- What?! Well, what does that mean?
- I don't know.

Thanks. No, seriously, I'm grateful.

Any developments?

Um... Oh.

Sorry. Can't talk.

Excuse me? Hi.

- Do you know where Mason Avenue is?
- Hang on a minute.

I think the abducted boy
lives at 125 Thornwell.

Let's get a name.

Danny Simpson's been knocked down.

They're taking him to St Margaret's.

Phew!

I was just going through
first at scene at the explosion.

Guess whose names I came across.

Only the fragrant Rebecca and Callum.

Thought you were all on a course?

- We were.
- Those two obviously slipped out.

Probably shagging
when they felt the earth move.

Welcome.

This image came down at 22.45 last night.

This is an image of space
taken at the same time. Correct?

Correct.

What are you looking for?

Where are these images coming from,
Dr King?

All I know is they're being
transmitted via my satellite,

Prometheus 2.

The varying quality
of the individual images

suggests they came from
different sources.

Please make sure that image
is removed before the team returns.

Daniel Simpson. Dead on arrival.

The boy's name is Jack Barclay.

- If Simpson did abduct him...
- He'll never tell us.

Danny getting killed, maybe that means
the drowning won't happen.

Possibly.

Or maybe what's gonna happen
in two hours' time

is only happening
cos Danny Simpson's dead.

Help!

Please!

Danny!

Anybody, can you hear me?

OK. Well, if you see him,
tell him to get himself back here.

No-one's heard from him.

Why did you hit him?

He insulted a senior officer.

There's nothing unusual there.

This isn't exactly convenient.

I need to know
where Simpson was knocked down.

I want to see if his car's there,

look for any trace of the boy.

Er, Travers Street.

- And I didn't mean...
- I know. You're busy.

Maybe you should
go back to the laboratory.

No.

Right, if anything happens,

drive off, find out which station
they've taken me to,

tell them it's PTSD from yesterday.

You are in full view of two officers.

Exactly.

Who'd be stupid enough to break
into a car in front of police officers?

Please, God.

Who taught you to do that?

Ben.

No numbers for Daniel or Simpson.

Mum.

Jack, where the hell are you?

My name's DI Bentley. Is that Mrs Barclay?

Yes.

What are you doing with Jack's phone?
Is he all right?

Someone handed it in.
We're just trying to contact him.

Me too.

Well, if he's lost his phone,
that explains it.

- When did you last see him?
- Er, breakfast. 8.30.

Is it possible that he's with
your neighbour, Daniel Simpson?

Maybe there are places
they hang out together?

Daniel? No.

They chat about football.
Occasionally Daniel mows the...

Er, sorry.
I didn't catch your name. DI what?

Throw it in the gutter.

If she goes to her local police,
they may decide to track it.

How are things?

Calmer.

USGS, NOAA,
we all think we've seen the peak.

Any theories on the images,

now the storm isn't taking all your time?

Hmm. Several.

You're an employee
of Prometheus Innovation.

- Anything you're working on...
- Belongs to the shareholders.

Maybe you don't believe in God
cos you couldn't stand the competition.

I have no answers for you, Simon.

Well, when you do, you tell me first.

Now that DS Holt's off the case,
what action does the MOD intend to take?

They're keeping an eye on him, apparently.

Ask Ben.

It's OK for you. You're enjoying this.

Enjoying?

Look, he'd want to help.

Time's running out. We need him.

- Hi.
- It's me.

Yeah, I'm a detective. I got that bit.

It looks like Danny Simpson
abducted a Jack Barclay.

I broke into Simpson's house and car.

That's my girl.

No clue as to Jack's whereabouts.

Can you check whether
there's any other property

registered to Daniel Simpson?

Sure.

We could, er...

We could go for a drink.
I mean tonight. When all this is over.

Look forward to that.

Yes?

You need to come to the Control Room.

For God's sake!

Christian?

Dr King?

Yes?

Hi. No other property registered
to a Daniel Simpson.

OK. Thanks.

Does that mean you're back
to square one, then?

Yeah.

- Look, why don't I come over?
- No, I don't want you here.

- What? Don't be stupid.
- I offered you a drink. That's all.

I told you. You're no use to me, Ben.
No bloody imagination!

This is a hoax, right?

There were eight images.

- Why didn't you tell me?
- I just have.

What were you going to do?
Leave him to die?

Just to prove a theory?

That was not my intention.

- You have 30 minutes.
- How is Ben going to die?

I don't know.

- I should never have involved him.
- 30 minutes, Rebecca.

OK. OK. I have a pigeon.

A pigeon and a padlock. That's all.

Simpson's pigeons never came home.

Why would a pigeon not come home?

- Yesterday?
- Yeah.

The sun's biological effects
during a geomagnetic storm

could reduce its navigational skills.

As well as in-built magnetic compasses,

pigeons chart their routes
by familiar landmarks.

It's tired, it's disoriented.

It lands somewhere it recognises.

Simpson's pigeons were originally
owned by his father.

I need his last known address.

DCI Bower.

I want you to keep Ben at the station.
Say anything.

- You're too late.
- What do you mean too late?

I wasn't going to tell you till later.
He hit Rob.

There was quite a bit of bad feeling
in CID. I had to send Ben home.

Shit.

There was a Peter Simpson.

He used to live in the houses
backing on to the wasteland

where the drain cover was stolen.

Find Ben. At 16.45, keep him safe.
Safe, OK?

Jack! Are you in there, Jack?

I need to get into the garage next door.
Have you got a crowbar?

Danny Simpson, the guy who rents it.
He's caught up in some pretty heavy stuff.

What's happened here?

Some bastard nicked the drain cover.

A bloke fell in.
They had to pump the water out.

Must've gone into the underground stream.

Flooded the garage pit again.

Cheers.

Jack?

Jack?

Jack?

Any sign of Ben?

No, and he's not picking up.

He's probably in a pub somewhere.
I'm on my way to you.

No, no, no. You have to find him, Callum.

Callum?

What have you got?

I think Jack's
in the flooded pit in the garage.

I've got live wires in front of me.

Simpson was an electrician.
He knew what he was doing.

The only way through is to jump.

- How good a hurdler are you?
- Not bad.

Even if you touch the wires, you're fine,
as long as both feet are off the ground.

She's found the boy.

You have the scenario.
Now send the emergency services.

Lie. Tell them anything.

Simon!

Where's DS Holt?

We thought he was at the police station.

Send the emergency services!

Jack! You have to help me. Jack!

Rebecca.

Oh, no! Live wires. Stay where you are.

How'd you get over?

I jumped. If you touch the wire
and the floor at the same time...

Rebecca!

- Is he breathing?
- No.

Nothing.

Oh!

We've just changed the future.

- Need any help?
- NO!

Shit. That was close.

You should've told me earlier.

A thousandth of a second and...

Everything you and I did, we led Ben
to that garage. We were part of it.

Part of what?

Nothing.

I want the truth.

If by truth you mean certainty,
I can't help you.

She changed the future.

We changed the future.

How?

We intervened in a series of events.

In this image, Jack's dead.

The boy drowned.

Well, there's the "many worlds"
interpretation.

The universe splits
when you're faced with a choice.

In another universe, he died?

Yeah.

Right, so these images
are coming from this...

this what - this other future?

How?

A wormhole, maybe.

A corridor linking one time to another.

That's bullshit.

A lot of people might agree with you.

However, the theory of general relativity
allows such a singularity to exist.

Manchester, mate. We're talking
about pictures of Manchester.

And why... why now?

You're asking for certainties.

What, you don't know?

Two examples do not represent
a scientific trial.

- Einstein doesn't bloody know.
- Could it happen again?

- In theory.
- Oh, shut up.

Just shut up! You're talking bollocks.

- Ben...
- Everything's screwed. Our lives.

Everything.

He never learns
how close he came to dying.

We did it, didn't we?

We... we changed the future.

It was an interesting day.

Exciting.

Exciting.

It's not over.

That sounded like a certainty.

How do you know?

How do you know, Christian?

What are you hiding?

Another image of a dead Ben
or is it my turn to snuff it?

A woman is going to be savagely attacked,
probably raped.

What if it's my investigations
that are somehow triggering it?

Which is the bigger risk?

Do something or do nothing?

Here's a radical thought -
let's stop the process!

This isn't about solving crime
or about keeping people alive.

It's about your ego.

The images aren't random.

Both times they've led us
to a major event.

I was wrong. He's our man.