Original subtitles

We have a device that can allow us to send one human being back in time.

Let's do it again.

Pentagon is spending less on new weapons than any time in the past 40 years.

In my opinion, that leaves us vulnerable.

Vulnerable to what? The Soviet Union collapse,

Lionel. The Cold War's over. We're having you hurt.

It's still a dangerous world. I hate that woman.

Take off your rose-colored glasses. Maybe

you'll see the potential for hostile action.

Not these two again. You're gonna rot your brain with this stuff.

You gotta stick around, hotshot. This guy Lionel's

got a lot on the ball. He might learn something.

I got better things to do than listen to a

couple of overpaid hacks talk about nothing.

Interrupt this program to bring you the following CZN special report.

Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States.

My fellow Americans, it is my solemn duty to inform you that

earlier today, at approximately 12.40 p.m. Eastern Standard Time,

the People's Republic of China launched an unprecedented

military assault against its neighbor, the island of Taiwan.

What the hell? Are you kidding me?

In the space of a few short hours, land, air, and sea forces

of the People's Liberation Army crossed over into Taiwan.

and attacked nearly all of that country's major military installations.

Son of a bitch. I knew the Chinese would show their true colors sooner or later.

I'll be meeting with the Secretary of Defense and the

Joint Chiefs of Staff to outline an appropriate response.

Oh, great. Outline an appropriate response.

Why don't you just admit it, Mr. President? They

caught you with your pants down again, didn't they?

It's all his fault, you know.

Yeah, how's that?

He's been kowtowing to the Chinese for over a year now.

Guess me, he's nothing more than a weak sister. Worse, a pacifist.

Still the commander in chief. Love him or hate him, he's still the boss.

Yeah, some boss. We haven't had a decent president since Eisenhower.

The People's Liberation Army.

Go, go!

It's a nuke! Damn thing's a nuke! Where'd it come from?

You let us worry about that. Just do your job.

Oh, man, this thing is booby-trapped up the yin-yang.

Make a decision, even if it's the wrong one.

The People's Liberation Army.

I'd rather be a big turtle than a little angel.

General, the message on the bomb is an old Chinese

proverb. The translators are working on it now.

I said to hold my calls.

It's someone saying they're responsible for the nuke in L.A., sir.

It sounds authentic. They knew the wiring scheme for the detonator.

Put a trace on it, now.

Yes, sir.

This is General Cole. Who's this?

Let's just say John Wayne.

Have you received your update on what happened

at the Federal Building in Los Angeles?

Yes.

Well, the bomb wasn't Chinese. It was American.

Placed on the building by American patriots,

who demand to take a man during this time of crisis

because of your criminally weak, traitorous handling of the Chinese situation.

Oh, my God.

I've hidden a second nuclear warhead within a 300-mile radius of Los Angeles.

To detonate it, all I have to do is press a button.

I want the President's resignation and your resignation.

All of the Joint Chiefs' resignations by 1800 Wednesday, Eastern Standard Time.

If you haven't turned the government and the military over to me by then,

I will detonate the second warhead.

This time, for real.

Did you get a trace on that?

Just a second, sir.

No, sir. I'm sorry. The call was routed through at least a dozen cities.

Very well.

What have you been able to find out? Anything?

You're right. Someone has placed a hidden code into the documents you sent me.

I knew it.

Yeah. It took me a while to figure out the pattern.

To identify the randomized variables.

Isaac, you're a saint.

Not to mention the smartest person I know, but I'm not interested in how.

Just tell me what you found.

What's your opinion of General Starker?

Starker? He's a wacko.

The kind of guy that holds a .45 to your head to make sure you

finish your apple pie and thanks your mom when you're done. Why?

Well, from what I can tell, he seems to be the hub of whatever's going on.

The code has been laid into memos he has written,

or into memos written by a certain group of officers to him.

Where is Starker these days?

I can't remember. He's not here in Washington, I know that.

Oh yeah, there's something else I found, an acronym. PROCINC. P-R-O-C-I-N-C.

Never heard of it. CINC, of course, stands

for Commander-in-Chief. PRO could be anything.

Yeah, well, with any luck I can break this code by

morning and figure out what Starker's up to. If anything.

Don't talk to anyone about this, Isaac. Not until we figure out what's going on.

Understood. We'll be in touch.

I think...

Oh, man.

Worked for Einstein.

Mendo here.

Isaac, it's me.

Claire, what's wrong?

I'm with some men, some soldiers.

What soldiers?

They came to the house. They said you were injured in an accident of some sort.

Claire, where are you?

Claire!

I wouldn't be bothering you if I didn't have strong feelings about this.

You still think Parker's a menace?

He can't be trusted, sir. He has no respect for

authority, and he always has his own agenda.

After you, Doctor.

Thank you, Captain.

Hey, sugar before spice.

Beauty before the beast.

All right, I give up. Why is everybody in such a good mood this morning?

Any reason we shouldn't be?

Well, I can think of one. We're about to go to war with Red China.

Over Taiwan? I don't think so.

Yeah, that's it. Let's start the day off talking politics.

Then we'll be certain to be in a good mood later.

Do you think the situation in the Far East will necessitate a backstep?

I haven't received any word that a backstep is to

be called upon. We are, however, on alert, people.

Which means that everyone is confined to base until further notice.

Big deal. I'm always confined to base. Not that I'm

complaining, mind you. Can I have the race form?

Where's Doctor Mentner?

Good question. Let's find him.

Damn, we're gonna have beautiful babies.

Ramsey here. Get me a twenty on Doctor Mentner.

If we ever get married.

Doctor Mentner checked out of the complex at 0550 this morning.

Try his cell phone. Tell him he needs to return to base immediately.

A suggestion has been made that it would be wise

for Mr. Parker's alternate, Captain Donovan,

to make the next backstep if these events in Asia warrant it.

The thinking is it would be beneficial for Craig to log

some real time experience with the time travel process.

I'd like to hear everybody's thoughts.

Well, everybody's but Mentner's. Not answering his cell phone.

Well, that's not like Doctor Mentner to leave

without letting anyone know where he is.

I agree. Send a couple of men out to his house. See if they can locate him.

Right away.

Welcome to ProSync.

ProSync.com.

Isaac, how are you feeling?

Fine. A groggy breath.

And you, mate, are you alright?

I was too gullible to resist. They didn't lay a hand on me.

Well...

Doctor Mentner. I can't tell you how delighted I am you're here.

You know, of course, who I am.

Claire, have you met General Stark?

No, and I don't think I want to.

Your husband's been meddling in my affairs, Mrs. Mentner.

Doctor, did you or did you not break the code?

What code?

Captain Curry, remove your firearm. Aim it at Mrs. Mentner.

No.

No.

I did not break the code.

Good.

For the time being, you'll both be my guests here.

Until I figure out what to do with you.

By the way, Doctor, your friend in the Pentagon, Major Tobias?

The man who sent you the coded documents.

He seems to have disappeared.

Hit him.

I'm sorry to hear that, General Cole.

May God have mercy on us both.

The President, the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs...

have all refused to resign.

If they remain in office, China's aggression will proceed unchecked.

And I am not about to let that happen.

Activating warhead, sir.

We'll show them we're serious.

Gentlemen, the hour is at hand.

That's no earthquake.

Isaac, what was that?

What was that?

When was the last time we prayed together?

For those of you just tuning in, we have received

word that a nuclear bomb has exploded in Death Valley.

Radiation counts are at deadly levels.

Winds are blowing from the west in the southeast direction.

Las Vegas is being evacuated.

Experts from FEMA are on site.

Scientists from Caltech are ground zero.

The following is an address over the emergency broadcast system.

Here is General Wayne Starker.

By using a weapon of mass destruction on American soil...

our enemies have catapulted us into a situation we neither sought out nor desired.

Early reports indicate that those responsible for detonating this nuclear device...

are terrorists sympathetic to the People's Republic of China.

It is obvious that our government...

headed up by an intelligent but weak and indecisive president...

has failed to protect us in these disturbing and troubled times.

In other words, the president and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have done nothing.

Who is this person?

It's General Wayne Starker.

Real patriot.

Sounds like he's running for office.

...pushed their invasion into South Korea, into Japan and beyond.

I have absolutely no faith that the current government of the United States...

will protect our interests, the interests of

every God-fearing, peace-loving American... from this communist aggression.

This guy is right out of the 50s.

That's why I'm calling for the president to resign his office effective immediately...

along with the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The country needs to be under direct military supervision...

until this crisis in the Far East and on our own home territory is resolved.

Mr. President, I just got off the line with General Starker.

That's right, sir. He was John Wayne all along.

Well, sir, he informs us that he's emplaced a

third nuclear device in the city of Chicago.

If we don't give in to his demands and resign immediately...

Chicago goes the way of Death Valley.

Mr. President, this is the toughest decision you're ever going to have to make.

I understand, sir.

I'll await your call.

Yes, sir, understood.

Next step is a go, people.

What's our mission?

Twofold. To warn Washington of China's invasion of Taiwan...

and to determine who set off the nuclear explosion in Death Valley.

So it wasn't Chinese terrorists?

At the present time, we're not sure who's behind it.

The NSA is playing this one real close to the vest.

Intel and mission requirements will be arriving shortly.

In the meantime, we're switching to pre-jump mode as of now. Let's move.

Mr. Talmadge.

This crisis is too important to let Parker foul it up.

We need a disciplined, well-trained soldier like

Donovan for this back step, like I suggested.

If I were you, Nate, I'd quit worrying so much about Parker and find Dr. Mentenor.

Security base personnel is still your responsibility, isn't it?

What are you doing?

What's that?

Whatever Dr. Mentenor was working on, it looks

like it had something to do with General Starker.

Who the hell could read his handwriting? Can you?

Not very well, no.

But you know who could? Dr. Mentenor himself.

Maybe this is important.

Maybe Parker should take this back with him and

deliver it to Dr. Mentenor before he disappears again.

I can't make heads or tails of this.

Maybe this is the reason Dr. Mentenor disappeared. What do you think?

I think that maybe you should just do your job. Let me do mine.

Okay, now, this is the good part.

I'm in the process of making some modifications.

Always with the modifications.

Let's see what they are.

I'm boosting the anti-gravity generator output while

adding more electromagnetic stabilizers to the hull.

Couldn't boosting the anti-grav generator create a power

surge that would make this thing harder to control?

Well, not if the stabilizers do their job.

Increased power should actually provide a smoother ride. Isn't that right, John?

Uh-huh.

What about hull integrity?

What about it?

How would the power boost affect that?

Hull integrity shouldn't be compromised.

Oh, it shouldn't be compromised?

Well, there is less than a 1% chance the hull could split in

two during the trip, but it's hardly worth thinking about.

Yeah, it's hardly worth thinking about.

Oh, the possibility that the hull could split in two is hardly worth thinking about.

Look, Ballard knows what he's doing, don't you, Ballard?

Sure. Most of the time, anyway.

We're definitely a go.

Oh, I really need to complete my modifications.

There's no time. Our orders are to backstep immediately.

We're counting down to the invasion of Taiwan and the nuclear event.

We've already burned four days. It gives us

three days left on this side of the timeline.

Which one of us is going?

The agency says Frank is. The situation is

much too critical to try out a no-sphere pilot.

Well, three or four hours would be more than enough time for me to...

Stow it, lollipop man. Our orders are to go now.

If Dr. Ballard says we're not ready, we shouldn't go.

We have no choice.

Well, then excuse me. I have some last-minute adjustments to attend to.

Oh, watch out!

Here's the microchip. It contains all of the intel we

have on how the situation in the Far East escalated.

Now get that back to us on the other side of the timeline, pronto, so

that Washington can take effective measures to ward off the invasion.

The intel on the terrorist bombing in Death Valley

is in there, too, but it's much more sketchy.

The microchip also contains notes Dr. Mentor was making concerning General Starker.

Mentor was investigating Starker?

He may have been helping Starker.

We found several hundred Pentagon documents,

classified memorandums on Dr. Mentor's computer,

some of which were written by General Starker. Those documents are also on the chip.

Too bad you can't put me on this chip.

Explain to Dr. Mentor that on the morning of the

18th, this morning, he will mysteriously disappear,

given the notes that show in the documents.

If he already has the documents, the notes may

allow him to accelerate his investigations.

Or accelerate his research. He may have been doing research.

Get suited up. We'll go as soon as you're ready.

All sensors, all equals.

Negative 11 percent.

Nuclear forces remain at Defton 4.

Nuclear war with Chinatown could erupt at any moment.

Not to put any pressure on you.

Gee, thanks, fellas.

Hey, Ballard.

The sphere's not really in a split in two, is it?

I told you there's less than a three percent chance that could happen.

You said less than one percent chance.

Frank, it's hardly a split.

Secure the hatch.

Ballard, come back here!

Good luck, Frank.

You'll know about this.

Maybe we should have given Ballard more time.

There wasn't any more time.

Reactor to 70 percent.

Ballard, where are you?

I'm right here.

Did you finish modifying this thing or not?

Reactor to 80 percent.

I did what I could.

Always with the modifications.

Why couldn't you just leave Wellenup alone?

Eyes on the needles, Mr. Parker.

Reactor to 90 percent.

If I left Wellenup alone, Backstep wouldn't exist.

Backstep didn't exist?

My life would be a lot calmer, that's for sure.

A calm life is not what you want, Mr. Parker, and you know it.

Main reactor to 100 percent.

Engage.

No!

What a nightmare.

What the hell are you?

Who the hell are you?

Hey, I know who I am.

Yeah, I know who you are too. You're me.

No way, buddy. If anything, you're me.

Ballard, always with the modifications.

How the hell did this happen?

You must have come out of me somehow.

Well, maybe you came out of me.

If you want to live, you'll stop doing that.

Terrific. My phone's out. So is mine.

Oh, they're really gonna drop their drawers over this one.

What do you mean?

You kidding me? Two Frank Parkers? I can see their faces right now.

Ramsey's gonna have a baby.

I wonder what Olga's gonna think.

If you stay away from her, I'll kick your ass.

Yeah, well, that'd be like kicking your own ass, wouldn't it?

Very funny.

Why do I get the feeling you think you're smarter than me?

I'm just as smart as you, no more, no less.

You really know everything I know?

Try me.

Who was my... Our... Best friend back at the orphanage?

Johnny Margolis?

What was his nickname?

Johnny B. Goode?

You remember the time Johnny... You remember the time Johnny...

Look, I was doing just fine before you crawled out of that hatch back there.

If this thing is gonna have any chance of working, you gotta follow my lead.

Got it?

Come on, hurry up. We gotta find a phone and report in.

Tell them what the mission is.

Oh yeah, that's right, the mission. Let's talk about that for a minute.

What's to talk about?

I don't know.

What's your opinion of General Starker?

Don't you know already?

Humor me.

I think he's an opportunist.

He's using this China-Taiwan thing to make a grab for power.

Starker doesn't want to be president, he wants to be king.

Well, maybe that's what this country needs right now.

Look, if he wants to be the commander-in-chief,

he should run for office like everyone else.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.

What are you doing, playing devil's advocate?

No, look, China's gonna invade Taiwan, right?

Chinese terrorists are gonna nuke Death Valley.

We don't know it was Chinese terrorists.

That was never substantiated.

Well, who else could it be? How the hell would I know?

Look, if we get our butts back to the base, we hopefully

have enough intel to stop the invasion of Taiwan,

stop the nuking of Death Valley, and put some stink on Starker.

Enough so he won't be able to crown himself any time in the near future.

All right, it's about time.

Either direction must lead to our village somewhere.

Hey, I found a trail. If you pick up the pace a

little, we might even get back in time for dinner.

Come on, what are you waiting for?

What'd you do, twist your ankle?

Worse. I think I broke it.

You must be a more fragile version of me. Frank Parker liked.

Let me have a look at this. Maybe we can get you a desk job when we get back, huh?

Okay.

See it there?

Where's your stupid microphone, Jack?

Sergeant Bly here. How may I direct your call?

This is Conundrum. What day is it?

Wednesday, the 16th.

Seven days ago. Good. Connect me.

Right away. Hold on, Conundrum.

What do you mean there's no mission?

Exactly what I said. There's no mission.

I told him it doesn't make much sense. Who authorized the backstep?

The NSA. Dr. Mentner, Olga and Ballard here talked you into it.

They wanted to make a backstep for scientific purposes.

To test modifications made to the sphere.

I suppose it's not out of the question.

What modifications did we make to the sphere, Mr. Parker?

Something Ballard cooked up.

He boosted the anti-grav generator output and added stabilizers to the hull.

Actually, I have been thinking of doing exactly that.

Where's the microchip? The scientific data should be recorded on it.

He says it disappeared during the backstep.

Come on, Bradley. Think about it.

We would never have authorized a strictly scientific jump.

Why not? We've made a number of strictly scientific jumps in the past.

That was in the testing phase, not after we were up and running.

Parker, why don't you and I take a little walk?

How are you feeling? Fine. Why do you ask?

You're aware of the history of backstep?

The number of test subjects we went through before we were able to refine the process?

I know those guys didn't fare too well.

Time traveled us strange things to the body and the mind.

It's possible to become confused or disoriented

or to suffer from partial, even total amnesia.

Are you suggesting there is a mission and I've simply forgotten?

I'm not suggesting anything. I just think it's

important that we remain concerned for your well-being.

Thank you. I'm touched.

I want you to have a complete physical.

Not just your normal post-backstep physical.

I'm going to order a full slate of tests.

Biological, neurological, psychological. The whole works.

No problem.

Yours is a root beer, isn't it?

Never touched this stuff. Can't stand it.

Oh, that's right. You're a cola man.

You meant no harm.

Isaac. Nick Tobias.

Nick Tobias. I used to know a Nick Tobias.

Come on. It hasn't been that long since I last called.

How are you, Nick?

Or should I ask, what can I do for you?

Well, I think I've come across a hidden code in a

batch of otherwise run-of-the-mill inter-office memos.

Dating back, say, six months ago and running right up through yesterday.

Most unusual.

If there is a secret code in these documents,

then someone here in the Pentagon is using our internal

communications network as our own private post office.

It's a pretty big if.

There's a code, all right.

I just haven't been able to break it.

I've tried everything I know.

I'm pretty sure I haven't tried everything you know, however.

Gee, that was fun. Now what do we do?

I'll spend the next couple of hours writing up a report based on your test results.

Need some help?

I think I can handle it.

What?

Nothing.

Say what?

Let go of my arm, Mr. Parker.

Sorry, I don't know what came over me.

There were several items on the President's agenda for his visit to China last week,

not the least of which was nuclear de-targeting.

The United States and the Chinese have agreed

to de-target the strategic nuclear missiles

that each side currently has pointed at the other.

I guess the American public's too ignorant to realize that

those missiles can be re-targeted in a matter of minutes.

I hate to see an American president kowtowing to a foreign leader like that.

You and me both.

I'll tell you what, China's going to show its true colors one day.

I bet they're already eyeing South Korea and licking their chops.

Or Taiwan.

Or Tibet, not to mention what they've done in Tibet.

Yeah, their report card on human rights is about a D-right now.

A D-? I'd give them an F.

What about all those Chinese terrorist subordinate groups?

Tell me about it. They're proliferating like rabbits.

You got that right, buddy.

It's open.

Yep.

What you doing?

What you look like I'm doing.

Not what you're reading.

Ooh, catching up on your 20th century bad guys, huh?

Yeah, you could say that.

You want to get off the base for a couple hours, man?

Nail back a couple pitches of beer?

I'm tired. Think I'll pass.

You're tired?

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

All right.

Hmm.

DNA, blood type, fingerprints, his physical measurements, his athletic performance.

Am I interrupting something?

Come on in.

Every single test we did on him proves that it's Parker.

On the personal history and psychological exams,

he answered every question the same as before,

with a 3% margin of error, which is what you would normally expect.

What are you trying to get at?

I don't know.

It is Parker, and yet somehow it isn't.

Well, maybe he's just finally had some sense knocked into him.

I mean, I had the best conversation I've ever had with him this afternoon.

I just invited him into town to have a few beers with me.

He turned me down.

Okay, now that is not our Parker.

He would do anything to get away from the base, even if for a little while.

My fellow Americans,

it is my solemn duty to inform you that earlier today,

at approximately 12.40 p.m. Eastern Standard Time,

the People's Republic of China launched an

unprecedented military assault against its neighbor,

the island of Taiwan.

From what I can tell,

Starker seems to be the hub of whatever is going on.

The code has been laid into memos he has written,

or into memos written by a certain group of officers to him.

Oh, yeah, I came across something else, an acronym.

PROCINC.

P-R-O-C-I-N-C.

Never heard of it.

CINC, of course, stands for Commander-in-Chief.

PRO could be anything.

Yeah, well, with any luck, I'll be able to break this code

by morning, and we'll figure out what Starker's up to.

If anything...

Don't talk to anyone about this, Isaac, not until we figure out what's going on.

Understood.

We'll be in touch.

PROCIN.

Letnor here.

Isaac, it's me.

Claire, what's wrong?

What about this request of yours that Donovan take the next back step?

Well, maybe we should just file that away until sometime in the future.

So Parker isn't a menace now.

I really think he's starting to come around.

Morning, gentlemen.

Beauty before the beast.

You flatter one of us, I think.

All right, I give up.

Why is everybody in such a good mood this morning?

Yeah, how can you be in such a good mood

when we're about to go to war with Red China?

Over Taiwan? I don't think so.

That's it. Let's start the morning off talking politics.

We'll be certain to be in a good mood after that.

Do you think the situation in the Far East will necessitate a back step?

I haven't received any word that back step is to be called upon.

We are, however, on alert, people.

Which means that everyone is confined to base until further notice.

Where's Dr. Mintner?

Not to mention, where's Frank?

Parker, what are you doing?

Welcome to Procinct, Dr. Mintner.

You were told to come along.

Who the hell are you?

I've heard some pretty amazing stories in my time.

What you're telling me is damn near unbelievable.

Look, China's invaded Taiwan, right?

That's common knowledge.

Has Death Valley been nuked yet?

Now what makes you think the Chinese are going

to explode a nuclear device in Death Valley?

That's where I came from. It already happened.

Afterwards, you make an address on the emergency broadcasting system.

Demanding that the President, the Secretary

of Defense, and the Joint Chiefs all resign.

How do you know this?

You tell me the truth or so help me, I will strangle you myself.

I told you, I come from the future.

Ask Dr. Mintner.

He's the scientific head of the project.

What about this, Dr. Mintner?

Is there an Operation Backstep?

A secret government facility that deals specifically with time travel?

No, if there is, I've never heard of it.

This man is simply a subject of mine.

Part of a study I'm conducting with the patients from Hanson Island.

He's mentally unstable.

No, he's lying.

Believe me, I can take you there myself.

I can show you the whole thing.

I can prove to you that time travel exists.

Look, you don't understand.

I'm on your side.

Yes, we're on alert now, sir.

Yes, sir, I understand.

I'll inform the others.

Parker.

Miss me?

Where have you been?

Dr. Mintner and I went for a little drive this morning.

Oh, I brought some friends back with me.

Dr. Talmadge, Colonel Vickery, United States Army.

As of this moment, you and everyone working at this facility are now my prisoners.

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