"What if I could put him in front of you?" "The man that ruined your life?" "If I could guarantee that you'd get away with it would you kill him?" "The Blackmore Cross." "I understand it's your second." "Congratulations." "You have served honorably." "So that's it?" "The order from the board will come through shortly." "The final order?" "Yes." "And the Bomber?" "It's not your problem anymore." "I don't need to remind you of the critical nature of your final mission." "So please rest." "Every suspect educates us." "Makes us better at what we do." "No more than this elusive sociopath." "He's efficient." "Precise with his timings." "The press have dubbed him the Fizzle Bomber." "We stopped him this time." "But this was only a small attack." "This is his grand plan." "March 1975." "He keeps changing the day." "The explosion will level 10 blocks of New York and leave over 11,000 dead." "Everything we've done to stop him has failed." "But I was close this time." "Just one more try." "Grafts have taken." "The reconstructive transplant is stable." "But you understand you will look different to what you remember." "Eyes will heal." "You should recover well for this final mission." "And then I'll be decommissioned." "It's not just the physical injuries." "You've logged more field hours than any of the other agents I've been assigned to." "The risks are real." "The scars have begun to heal nicely." "Your vocal cord damage has reduced but will not regrow exactly the same way." "There goes my singing career." "It will take some getting used to." "I've changed so much that I doubt my own mother would recognize me." "The order finally came through today." "I guess it was inevitable." "By the time you listen to this seven years will have passed." "Our first mission is just as important as our last." "Each one getting us closer to our final destination." "Sir, please raise your right hand." "Do you solemnly swear to uphold the rules and regulations" " set forth by T.B.R. Code 7286?" " I do." "Do you accept that any diversion from your mission parameters will result in immediate court martial?" "And if convicted death by lethal injection." "I do." "Thank you, sir." "Thank you." "Time." "It catches up with us all." "Even those in our line of work." "I guess you could say we're gifted." "God, Jesus, it sounds arrogant saying that out loud." "All right." "I'll put it a better way." "I guess you could say we were born into this job." "Hey, look at this freak." "There you go, Derek." "What can I get you?" "Old Underwear." "Old Underwear." "Straight up?" "Leave the bottle." "From the look of you I'm guessing you're not celebrating." "From the look of me?" "What do I look like?" "Just making conversation." "Jesus." "He's down!" "Hey, bud, two more." "Chaser, right?" "You're new." "Yeah, I've been working here a couple of weeks." "Yeah?" "How's it working out?" "It's been quiet." "People staying home." "Because of the big, bad Fizzle Bomber?" "Yeah, I guess." "Love it." "Like hiding makes you any safer." "Doesn't scare you?" "Worrying about every freak show on the subway won't change things." "That is true." "Haven't seen you around." "You come here often?" "What are you, a faggot?" "What's your problem?" "Hey!" "I was joking man." "Jesus." "Yeah, well, that's not funny." "Tell me a good one then." " What, a joke?" " Yeah, come on." "You know, a free shot." "Come on." "No, no, I don't know any." "You work in a bar for Chrissakes." "Surely you know a joke." "No, I'm terrible with jokes." "Never remember them." "One joke?" "All right, I know one." "But it's not funny." "I'm all ears." "All right, well, a guy walks into a bar, right?" " Jesus, man." " Just kidding." "No, no, no." "I got a good one." "I got a good one." "What comes first, the chicken or the egg?" "The rooster." "Oh, shit, see?" "I'm terrible." "That's the best you got?" " Yeah, well..." " That's not funny." "I told you it wasn't." "You ever think about that, though?" "About what?" "You know, about what comes first." "What do I care?" " I got more important shit to worry about." " All right." "Well, you're a big deal, you know." "You got important things to do, right?" "What do you do?" "Whatever I have to." "Yeah, well it's tough making a living, that's for sure." "What do you know about tough?" "As much as the next guy, I guess." "How about as much as an unmarried mother?" "What does that mean?" "Four cents a word, I write confession stories." ""The Unmarried Mother" is my pen name." "Are you serious?" "Yeah." "Right." "Right!" "How's business?" "Business is okay." "I have a weekly column." "I write them, they print them, I eat." "Right?" " What, you read my work?" " Yeah, yeah." "Does that surprise you?" " Yeah, a little." " Why?" "You don't fit the demo." "The demo?" " The demographic." " Right." "Right." "You know, broken women who want to feel better about their pitiful lives by reading hard luck stories of heartbreak and betrayal spewed across the glossy pages of 25 cent pulp sludge." "Yeah, exactly." "Yeah, well you're being a little hard on yourself, don't you think?" "It's garbage." "I thought I had some talent telling stories but who am I kidding?" "I mean, you tell me." "You've read them." "I have to admit I've had a few dark nights when I've looked to you for a little insight into the feminine mind." "You know, it seems to me you've got a real hit on the woman's angle." " Woman's angle?" " Yeah." "Yeah, I know the woman's angle." "I should." "Why, you married?" "You got sisters?" "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." "The one thing that this job has taught me is that truth is stranger than fiction." "I have heard some incredible shit." "Nothing astonishes me anymore." "You don't know what incredible means." "Yeah?" "Well, try me." "Here you go." "I got that." "Forget it, man." "I'm not telling you." "You're scared it's not good enough." " You think that'll work?" " Yeah." "What are we, 12?" "Come on." "Bet you the rest of that bottle I got the best story you ever heard." "Bet you a full bottle." "What do you say?" "If I lose?" "Just add a 20 to the tip." "Why not?" "Hey, man." " Two Buds, bud." " Right." "Mayor Davidson, how do you respond to the fact that many New Yorkers are leaving the city in fear of a fifth attack by the Fizzle Bomber?" "We've got extra police patrols on 24 hour shifts around the city." "We've created a joint task force with the Federal Bomb Squad and the FBI in order to track down the suspect." "What a stupid name." ""Fizzle Bomber."" "The guy makes compressed RDX-based explosive compounds." "That's not easy." ""Fizzle Bomber" is easier to remember." "I hate that name." "Makes it sound like his bombs just fizzle." "Like they don't do any real damage." "I don't think anybody's doubting how dangerous this asshole is." "Well, there's a lot of selfish assholes out there needing a good shake up." "They should be afraid." "Well, he's killed 112 people already." "Some people just gotta go." "Stops the gene pool right in its tracks." "Yeah." "Maybe he's doing the city a favor." "Better be careful who hears you say that." "What, you think I'm wrong?" "I'm just saying that kind of talk can get you in trouble." "No worse than I've already been through." "Now listen, you keep promising the best story of my life." "But I'm not hearing anything." "All right." "Guess I'll start at the beginning." "When I was a little girl..." "What?" "What, you want me to tell my story?" "No, I just, I thought..." "I'm sorry." "Yeah, sure." "Go on, go on." "When I was a little girl..." "You ever hear of Christine Jorgensen?" "Roberta Cowell?" "Yeah, yeah, they had sex change." "So you..." "Don't interrupt." "It was September 13th, 1945." "I was a foundling." "A newborn left on an orphanage doorstep." "City of Cleveland Orphanage." "That's a good girl." "Well, there's no signs of trauma or exposure." "The child appears healthy." "If she shows any signs of infection or excessive coughing, she should be taken to the hospital for a thorough examination." "Yes, Doctor." "She got a name?" "Jane." "Jane will have to do for now." "I'll be back to check on Jane in a week." "I look forward to it." "Don't worry, sweetheart." "We'll take good care of you now." "I was just one of a dozen babies who had no past." "But that was all we had in common." "I was never sick, not one day." "So I was never taken to a hospital." "Not until later in my life." "Slow down." "One chocolate ice cream" " for the cute little lady." " Thank you." "When I was little, I envied kids with parents." "I always wondered what it would be like." "Stupid kid!" "Get off the damn street!" "Little shit!" "Jane!" "Come here now." "Son of a bitch!" "I never understood why my parents abandoned me." "What had I done that was so wrong?" "But as I got older, I knew something was different about me." "Sex confused me, you know?" "The way it works, the way everything fits." "I felt different." "And even back then, I knew that I was going to be different from all the other girls." "I made a solemn vow that any kid of mine would have both a mom and a pop." "A real family." "It kept me pure." "Away from temptation." "So I focused my attention on more important things." "Like learning how to fight." "Fight!" "Fight!" " Come on, Lucy, go!" " Come on!" "What'd you call me?" "Pinky, four-eyed, little bitch..." "I was tough." "Much stronger than any of the other kids." "Even the boys." "All right, break it up!" " Jane, come with me!" " Let go!" " What's wrong with you?" " I didn't do anything!" "And I was smart too." "Top of the class." "Equals..." "Jane!" "Jane." "How do you ever expect to learn anything if you never..." "Fifteen." "Math and physics were my favorite subjects." " That's correct." " It all came easy for me." "Retard." "Enough!" "When I got older," "I realized I stood little chance of getting married for the same reason I hadn't been adopted." "I was different." "A freak." "A goddamn loser." "I stopped looking in the mirror." "I hated what I saw." "I have no photos of myself as a young girl." "I don't even remember what I looked like." "It's just more of a feeling now." "Well, you look better than I do." "Who cares how a barkeep looks?" "Or a writer for that matter." "But you know how it is." "People want to adopt a little golden-haired moron." "And later on, the boys, they want big tits and pouty lips." "You know, perfect accessory." "I couldn't compete." "Jane," "Mr. Robertson has made a special effort to talk to some of our graduating girls today." "You will do him the courtesy of listening to what he has to say." "Jane, I work for a new organization seeking young women, like yourself, to train in a career in government service." "We are what you might call progressive." "I hear you're interested in space travel." "Well, they say that girls can't be astronauts." "That's true." "We're seeking young ladies who show great promise in the fields of mathematics and science, as well as strong physical abilities." "I hear you're a bit of a backyard brawler." "This was around the time the suits finally admitted you can't send men into space for months or years and not do something to relieve the tension." "They were looking for respectable types, preferably virgins." "They liked to train them from scratch." "Above average mentally and stable emotionally." "But most of the volunteers were hookers or neurotics who would crack up 10 days off Earth." "They weren't special." "Just relax, Jane." "Some of the ladies before you got a little nervous a little lost in thought." "Perhaps that's because to them a thought is unfamiliar territory." "Do you see this as some kind of joke?" "No, sir." "We've had some of these Women's Lib types in here causing a big fuss." "But that's not you, is it Jane?" "No, sir." "Please take your glasses off." "I see you've had some disciplinary problems in the past." "I've had nothing but straight As in all my classes since the first grade." "Yes." "Have you ever been with a man?" "Have you?" "You understand what this employment will require of you?" "Will I get to travel into space?" "If selected, yes." "No," "I haven't been with a man." "How do you see your role on this journey?" "My role?" "Well, many of the girls we've interviewed see this as a paid vacation." "A chance to live the good life and meet the man of their dreams." "Do you see yourself as a tourist or a participant?" "I've excelled in advanced physics, biology and astronomy." "A tourist is someone who travels across the ocean only to be photographed sitting next to their boat." "I have no intention of being a tourist." "If they accepted me they'd teach me how to walk and dance and, you know, how to listen to a man pleasingly." "Plus training for the prime duties." "Nothing's too good for our boys, right?" "They made sure that you didn't get pregnant during your enlistment." "You were almost certain to marry at the end of your hitch." "Same way today's Flight Angels marry Spacers." "Well, they talk the same language." "Right." "They gave me contact lenses." "I'd never seen the world so clearly before." "They tested our endurance." "Made sure we were fit for space travel." "Many of the girls struggled." "Not me." "How often do you think about sex?" "A, not at all." "B, rarely." "C, sometimes." "D, often." "E, all the time?" "C, sometimes." "D, often." "The testing went on for months." "They tested us on everything." "Many girls failed." "Not me." "Highest numbers we've ever seen." "Do you ever feel depressed?" " What do you mean?" " Sad." "Empty at times." "Sometimes..." "I guess I feel like there's something out of balance." "Like I'm living in somebody else's body." "I don't know how to describe it." "And none of the girls here like me." "You'll just need to give it some time." "They'll come round." "Get her back!" " Come on!" " Go, Marcy!" "Come on!" "Come on, Marcy!" " Throw her down!" " Hit her back!" " Hey!" " Hey get off her!" " Get off!" " Stop!" "We have performed a more detailed physical examination of the patient." "I see." "You do know that this will disqualify her." "You've not told the recruit?" " No." " Don't." "I'll take care of it." "I don't get it." "I was just defending myself." "What was I supposed to do?" "I know." "Believe me, it's not over yet." "I'll go to the Board of Appeals." "I'll do everything to get you reenlisted." "I promise." "Trust me, Jane." "And that was it." "Because of a stupid fight I was done." "I had to support myself." "I couldn't rely on Mr. Robertson's promise to see me through." " You're a witch?" " That's what I've been trying to tell you." "To earn money I worked as a mother's helper." "This family simply wanted a cheap servant." "That was when I first discovered confession stories." "I didn't care if they were real or fake." "It was a great way to pass the time." "I did housework during the day and went to school at night." "When eating in formal situations, rest your knife and your fork on the plate between mouthfuls or to talk." "Charm class was a way of proving to the Appeals Board that I was working on my decorum." "If you're finished with your meal..." "It was the first time I wasn't good at something." "And when I wasn't expecting it," "I met him." "I'm so sorry." "There he was." "Are you lost?" "He told me he was waiting for someone." "Well, you know what they say about good things happening to those who wait." ""But only the things left behind by those who hustle", he said." "I couldn't believe it." "It was a quote by Abraham Lincoln" " and I was thinking the exact same thing." " I was thinking the exact same thing." "What are the odds?" "He was handsome, rich." "He treated me with a kindness that I'd never experienced before." "You know, he actually had wads of $100 bills in his pocket." "More money than I'd seen in my whole life." "He told me he'd take care of me." "All show, right?" " Do you shoot pool?" " Yeah." "With the Fizzle Bomber attacks becoming larger and larger, many New Yorkers fear a bombing of mass scale is inevitable." "Over 10,000 have already evacuated upstate into surrounding counties..." "He was different." "I liked him." "He was the first man who was nice to me without playing games." "I was young and in love." "Famous last words." "Haven't you ever done something stupid for love?" "Once." "So you understand." "I do." "I never thought it would happen." "Falling for someone." "All my little rules about being pure went out the window." "It was the happiest time of my life but it didn't last long." "One night, he sat me down." "Told me to wait for a moment." "Where are you going?" "He told me he'd be right back." "And then?" "And then nothing." "I never saw him again." "He never came back." "Well, maybe he had a good reason." "Okay." "I didn't deserve it." "Somehow I'd managed to convince myself that it had been all for the best." "I hadn't really loved him." "It was just a fling." "I was more eager than ever to rejoin Space Corp." "I'd been let down in my life so many times why should I have gotten my hopes up, right?" "Then sometimes people surprise you." "I hadn't been entirely truthful with you, Jane." "About what, sir?" "In order to protect our nation's citizens, it's important we keep certain government operations confidential." "Wouldn't you agree?" "Yes, sir." "I work for an organization whose primary purpose is not space travel." "It's reshaping wrongdoings." "We use Space Corp, among others, as a means of finding people who are special." "They are what you might call a recruitment agency." "I don't understand." "A recruitment agency for what?" "For people with exceptional abilities." "People like yourself." "People without families." "Without husbands and wives and children." "No past." "No ties to the future." "You see, the work we do is complicated and it requires employees with advanced motor skills, remarkable memories." "It's a job for the best and the brightest." "For the elite." "The elite?" "I couldn't believe it." "Seemed like I had a bright future ahead of me." "I didn't really understand what the job meant." "They were very covert and secretive but" "I knew it would change my life for the better." "And they didn't insist on virgins." "They were different to Space Corp." "It wasn't until my skirts got tight that I realized my future was over." "You were pregnant?" "Yeah, wouldn't you know it?" "My mystery man had left me with more than just a broken heart." "So that bright future, that girl who was elite?" "She was gone." "And I never saw Mr. Robertson again." "With nowhere to go I landed in a charity ward surrounded by other big bellies and trotted bedpans until my time came." "I never felt so alone." "One night I found myself on an operating table with a nurse saying..." "Relax, Jane." "Relax." "Now breathe deeply." "How do you feel?" "Tired." "That's natural." "A cesarean can be difficult." "You pulled through fine." "A cesarean?" "Doctor, is my baby okay?" "Your baby's fine." "Is it a boy or a girl?" "It's a healthy little girl." "Seven pounds three ounces." "You know it's something to have made a baby." "I remember thinking I would tack on the admission form "Mrs."" "Let her think her papa was dead." "No orphanage for my kid." "But then the surgeon kept talking." "What is it, Doctor?" "Have you ever had a thorough examination before?" "Yes." "What'd the doctors tell you?" "Nothing." "I thought everything was fine." "So no doctor's ever told you that your internal set up was different than most?" "No." "What are you talking about?" "Why?" "Did you ever hear about that Scottish physician?" "She lived as a female till she was 35, and then she had surgery and became legally and medically a man?" "She got married." "Everything was okay." "What's that got to do with me?" "When we performed your operation we found something very unique." "One of a kind, actually." "After I successfully removed your baby I called for the Chief of Surgery." "We held consultation and we worked for hours to reconstruct you the best we could." "Reconstruct?" "You had two full sets of organs, Jane." "Female and male." "Both immature but the female set well enough developed for you to have a baby." "But I'm afraid, my dear, the excessive bleeding from the birth forced us to perform a hysterectomy." "We had to remove your ovaries and uterus." "What are you saying?" "But the reconstruction allowed us to create a male urinary tract." "Further surgeries will be required." "To become a man?" "Is this some kind of joke?" "I'm afraid it's not." "You're young." "Your bones will readjust." "We'll watch your hormonal balance." "It's not a death sentence." "Your life can continue." "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." "Have you thought of a name yet?" "Well, I was thinking of Jane, after her mother." "I guess it was a way of keeping the name in the family." "After all, I knew eventually I would have to change mine." "That's a good name." "My feelings changed to cold determination." "I had to do right by my baby Jane." "But two weeks later that didn't mean anything." "Why?" "She was snatched." " Snatched?" " Yeah." "What do you mean "snatched"?" "Kidnapped." "Stolen from the goddamn hospital nursery." "I mean how's that for taking the last a man's got to live for?" "When the nurse had her back turned, someone walked in and walked out with her." "Were there any clues?" "Any description?" "Just a man." "With a face-shaped face." "Like yours or mine." "No!" "No!" "Could have been the baby's father." "The nurse swore it was an older man but who else would swipe my baby?" "What'd you do?" "Filed a missing person's report." "Checked adoption agencies, orphanages." "You name it, I did it." "But nothing." "It's like she vanished." "And they never found the guy?" "Never." "But then my other little problem began to take center stage." "Jane, I want you to count backwards from 10 for me." "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four..." "I spent 11 months in that fucked-up place and had three major operations." "I started taking testosterone, which deepened my voice a little bit but not enough." "So I started practicing talking like a man." "Hi." "Hi." "Hi." "Hey." "Hi, nice to meet you." "Hi, nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you." "It's a lovely day." "Hi, nice to meet you." "It's a lovely day." "I never could get it right, though." "Hi." "My name is Jane." "My name is Jane." "Hi, it's nice to meet you." "My name is Jane." "My name is..." "I was always afraid to look in the mirror and see the person looking back at me." "I held off as long as I could." "Now, it didn't matter anymore." "The person I knew was truly gone." "Strange." "Every time I looked at my new appearance" "I was reminded of that bastard that ruined my life." "That's some messed up irony I guess." "The funny thing was the nurses," "they thought I was quite handsome." "Yeah, a fucking catch." "Right, right, right." "I guess I also knew what women wanted to hear." "Compliments, right?" "Right." "Well, it seems to me you came out okay." "Came out okay?" "Well, you know, I just mean you just seem like a, you know, a normal man." "Yeah." "More normal than ever now." "How so?" "What's that mean?" "Well, I just found out this morning that" "I'm not shooting blanks anymore." "Well, all right." "Doctor's prognosis, I'm a fully fertile male specimen." "Well, let me be the first to congratulate you." "Welcome to the tribe." "You know, sometimes" "I think this world deserves the shit storm that it gets." "I know." "I mean, let's face it." "Nobody's innocent." "Everybody just uses everybody else to get what they want." "Maybe." "Maybe not." "You ever hear the expression "a ruined woman"?" "Of course." "Well, I was as ruined as a woman could be." "I was no longer a woman and I did not know how to be a man." "Well, it does take some getting used to." "You have no idea." "I don't mean learning how to dress or talk." "Or not walking into the wrong bathroom." "You know, how could I live?" "What job could I get?" "I didn't know a trade." "Couldn't drive a car." "I hate that bastard for ripping out my heart and ruining my life." "He deserves to die." "So I thought I'd reenlist in Space Corp." "This time to become an astronaut." "It was ridiculous, I know." "They had my records." "I couldn't lie." "One look at me and I was marked unfit for basic training." "I think the doctor spent time on me just from curiosity." "He'd read about my case." "I was desperate." "I was looking for a way back in." "You know, I've been called a freak my whole life." "Now I really was." "Just a lab rat to be experimented on." "I'm so sorry." " Yeah, right." " I am." "I've had a lot of people tell me how sorry they are for what happened to me." "I don't want to hear it anymore." "Then what do you want?" "What does anyone want?" "Love." "Fuck love." "A purpose." "A purpose?" "You don't have that?" "I'm working on it." "Why can't love be a purpose?" "Hippy bullshit." "It's easier to hate than to love, right?" "Yeah." "It's easier to destroy something." "Kill somebody." "You think you could do that?" "Maybe." "I see it in your eyes, too." "That bitterness." "It can take over." "It can." "Well, you know if you don't move forward you fall backwards into a river of shit." "So anyway, rather than getting angry and pissing away my entire future" "I knew I just had to get on with my life." "So" "I changed my name and came to New York." "I got by as a fry cook but the hours were long and the money was horseshit." "So I bought a typewriter and set myself up as a public stenographer." "What a laugh." "In four months I typed six letters and one manuscript." "The manuscript was for Real Life Tales and a total waste of paper." "But the jerk who wrote it, sold it." "Which gave me an idea." "I bought a stack of confession magazines and studied them." "The words came easy." "The Unmarried Mother was born." "So, now you know how I get the authentic woman's angle on an Unmarried Mother story." "Through the only version I haven't sold." "The true one." "So, do I win the bottle?" "Not bad." "Not bad." "So, is that it?" "Story's over?" "Yeah, afraid so." "The man that ruined my life is a ghost and so is my daughter." "I guess at some point you just gotta let things go." "And have you?" "Fuck no." "What if I could put him in front of you?" "The man that ruined your life." "And if I could guarantee you that you'd get away with it." "Would you kill him?" "In a heartbeat." "I know where he is." "Yeah, of course you do." "No bullshit." "And how the hell do you know that?" "There are records." "Hospital records, orphanage records, medical records..." "Been there, done that." "Beth Fetherage." "Wasn't that the name of your caretaker at the orphanage?" "Beth?" "You son of a bitch." "Have you been following me?" "Son of a bitch." "That's funny." "No." "Your name, as a woman, was Jane, right?" "You told me that." "You didn't tell me your name as a man." "John." "Which is not terribly original, by the way." "What are you, a cop or something?" "I can put this guy in your lap." "You can do whatever you want and I guarantee you you'll get away with it." "All right, where is he?" "I do something for you and you do something for me." "Fuck you." "Okay, well, enjoy your prize." "What do I have to do?" "You like your job?" "Hell, no." "Nobody's ever given you a break, right?" "Did you listen to my story?" "Yeah, and you excelled during your service training." "Excelled." "You have skills you've never had the chance to use and I can give you that chance." "Let me put it this way." "I hand him to you, you do whatever you like." "And when you're done, you try my job." "You don't like it, you walk away." "You're not talking about bartending are you?" "I'm not talking about bartending." "What is it?" "I'll show you." "No." "Fuck that, no." "Stop playing games." "Just tell me right now." "Look, Robertson explains it so much better than I do." "Don't mess with me." "What, you're working with Robertson?" "Yes, I am, and he wants me to help you." "You're part of Robertson's little secret society?" "Yes." "Tell me what it's all about then." "First things first." "Jerry!" "I'm going on a break." "Oh, fuck." "Where is he?" "What, is he down there?" "Listen, you're just going to have to trust me, all right?" "Now I must be drunk." "You better not be fucking with me." "You think I might be the Fizzle Bomber?" "Maybe." "What if you're the Fizzle Bomber?" "What if I am?" "Well, come on." "This is what you wanted, right?" "Come on." "I'm my own grandpa" "Here we go." "All right." "Follow me right in here." "Can't be too cautious these days." "What are you doing?" "Killing somebody's not easy, you know." "No matter how much hate and anger you may have in your heart, when it comes time to pull the trigger most people can't do it." "You speaking from experience?" "I'm just telling you the truth." "Well, I'm not afraid." "You bring him to me and I won't hesitate." "All right, that's good." "So, where is he?" "Hold your horses." "What, are you going to play for me?" "No, no." "I'm going to play you the past." "This is a USFF Coordinates Transformer Field Kit." "No moving parts." "It weighs approximately six kilos, fully charged." "I've adjusted it to support our body mass." "It will calculate a discreet arrival location and avoid any materialization collisions." "So, what is it?" "It's a device that creates a temporal wake." "A what?" "It's a time machine." "You gotta be shitting me." "No, I am not." "Look, don't be alarmed, all right?" "You have to stand closer." "You have to be within three feet." "What have you got two guns for?" "Don't worry." "I've done this a lot." "Seriously, pal, you need to stop playing games with me." "Stand still, okay?" "Take a deep breath and hold this." "Hold it." "It's okay." "Here you go." "Now, you just have to close your eyes." "Why do I need to close my eyes..." " God, what was that?" " Yeah." "The time distortion field." " You're going to be fine." " What?" "Just take some deep breaths, all right?" "What is this?" "Just take some deep breaths." "The first few jumps can really knock you around." " Jumps?" " Yeah." "We're in Cleveland, Ohio, April 3rd, 1963." "What?" "That's impossible." "I know." "Look, in this job you can't afford to make any mistakes." "Timing is essential." "I've got some money for you." "The Temporal Bureau doesn't care how much money you spend." "It doesn't matter to them." "What they don't like is any unnecessary anachronisms." "The Temporal Bureau?" "Is that the company you work for?" "That's right." "The one you almost worked for." "So, where's Robertson?" "He's in 1985." "What?" "At Bureau headquarters." "So what, you're a cop?" "I'm a Temporal Agent, one of 11." "We prevent crime before it takes place." "Here." "Here's some clothes." "Put them on." "Well, how did you know the clothes would be there?" "Doesn't matter." "We just need to start blending in." "What, have you been here before?" "It's complicated, all right?" "Yeah, no shit." "Look, our time disruption footprint needs to be extremely small." "The Bureau allows for slight variations but ultimately the parameters are extremely strict." "Any deviation from our mission results in termination." "Termination of your job?" "Termination of your life." "That's why you want to keep your conversations to people in this time period to an absolute minimum." "This time period." "Okay." "So how far can you travel, then?" "Travel beyond 53 years of zero point, either direction, will result in the temporal wake disintegrating." "Zero point?" "The invention of time travel." "And when's that?" "It will be in 1981." "Right." "I can't believe this." "And so," "I get to be one of these, you know, a Temporal Agent?" "If you prove yourself." "Right." "So what's this guy to you?" "Well, I'm starting to suspect that he might be the Fizzle Bomber." "All right?" "But all that's clear is he's the main obstacle that's held you back." "So, I kill him you take me to Robertson and you show me everything." "Agreed." "Right." "Okay, so where is he?" "Okay." "Hey, hey." "Are you all right?" "Yeah." "All right, he's at Cleveland College, five blocks from here." "You remember?" "He's on his way to meet Jane." "You." "The 1963 you." "Yeah, I remember." "Okay, great." "So, I can do this?" "I can change my past?" "Yes, you can." "Have you ever thought about changing yours?" "I never deviate from the mission." " Never?" " Never." "Look, I'll pick you up when you're done, all right?" "No." "Whoa, where are you going?" "Don't worry." "I'll be around, trust me." "Do I..." "Do I have a choice?" "Of course." "You always have a choice." "Yeah, but sometimes don't you think that things are just inevitable?" "Yes, the thought has crossed my mind." "This life." "Is it Ionely?" "No family." "No." "But, you do have a purpose." "Right." "Oh, I'm so sorry." "Are you lost?" "No, I'm looking for someone." "Thanks, I'll just wait." "Well, you know what they say about good things happening to those who wait." "But only the things left behind by those who hustle." "I was thinking the exact same thing." "What are the odds?" "What are the odds." "Are you okay?" "You're not how I imagined you'd look." "Do I know you?" "You're beautiful." "Someone should have told you that." "Well, you just did." "If you ever want to stop the Fizzle Bomber you'll never get another chance." "Come on, come on." "Sometimes don't you think that things are just inevitable?" "Yes, the thought has crossed my mind." "Time travel can be disorienting." "Even short jumps can knock you around a bit." "Don't ever exceed the jump limit." "It can be problematic." "Deep breaths." "They always help." "I don't get out and meet a lot of new people." "Why not?" "I don't know." "I just don't." "Are you nervous?" "Oh, yeah." "Don't forget to buy a hat, gloves and a jacket." "It's cold this time of year, back in '64." "This is a job, all right?" "Remember that." "It's unlike any other, but you still have tasks to perform deadlines to meet." "Some days those tasks are easier than others but it's imperative that you succeed." "You always knew this day would come." "You can do this." "Why don't you meet new people?" "I'm not very good in social situations." "Some people just don't like me, I guess." "Why is that, do you think?" "I don't know." "Perhaps it's because you think you're better than them." "Excuse me?" "Well, you think you're superior." "Who the hell are you to..." "You don't even know me." "Am I wrong?" "Takes one to know one." "True." "So, what makes you so superior?" "I can read minds." "Oh, really?" "Yeah, absolutely." "All right, what am I thinking right now?" "You're thinking," ""Charm class isn't helping this situation."" "Wow." "Amazing." "You're thinking," ""Why does everyone always get what they want and I get nothing?" ""That I'm tired of being tough all the time."" "Everyone thinks that." "You pretend like love doesn't matter to you, when the truth is it's all you ever think about." "That's not true." "Okay." "What, you don't believe me?" "You've known me for a whole hour." "You've never been in love." "That's none of your business." "That's not an answer." "What makes you think you deserve one?" "You're right." "I'm sorry for being so direct." "You said that I'm not how you imagined." "Have we met before?" "No, I..." "I don't know why I said that." "Because I feel like we have." "Things haven't been easy for you, have they?" "Everyone's got problems." "Yeah." "We all trip up along the way." "But you and I, perhaps over the same things." "Mr. Robertson, it's good to see you again." "It's been a while." "Yes." "From your perspective, I suppose it has." "I didn't think you jumped anymore." "Only on special occasions." "I have a piece of the Fizzle Bomber's timer." "You made an illegal jump." "That's a serious offense." "It doesn't matter anymore." "I had to try again." "And did you apprehend him?" "No." "The fragments of matter you leave behind after each jump we can only repair so much." "The onset of psychosis, dementia." "It can be serious." "I'm fine." "How many illegal jumps have you made?" "Just one." "I'll accept the punishment." "The parameters set by the Bureau are strict for a reason." "They exist for our protection." "However," "I've always thought we could accomplish so much more without the constant bureaucratic control of the board." "An Agent operating from the outside." "She'll endure so much pain because of what I do." "That's the way it has to be." "That's the way it's always been." "You should understand that better than anyone." "The snake that eats its own tail, forever and ever." "You are here to create history and influence what is to come." "I don't think I can do it." "Understand you are more than an Agent." "You're a gift given to the world through a" "Predestination Paradox." "You're the only one free from history, ancestry." "The rooster." "But you must complete your mission." "You must lay the seeds for the future." "We're counting on you." "And what happens when that day comes, when I have no knowledge of my future?" "Well, then, like everyone else you're just going to have to take it one day at a time." "You have a long journey ahead of you." "They say that the journey of a thousand miles starts right at your feet." "And my feet sure could use a rest." "All right, just going to cover up your eyes just to be safe, okay?" "Jumping back almost 20 years can be rough." "Hold the baby tight." "You ready?" "And remember, deep breaths." "Preparation is the key to successful, inconspicuous time travel." "Luck is the residue of design." "Earlier, I had registered as Gregory Johnson," "Warren, Ohio." "Keep it simple." "Blend in." "Safe journey, Jane." "Stay strong, John." "You have a bright future ahead." "City of Cleveland Orphanage." "Stay here." "Where are you going?" "Don't worry." "I'll be right back." "You sick fuck." "You tricked me." "The choice was yours." "What choice?" "I'm not going to leave her." "That's the way that it is." "It's the way it always has been." "I'm sorry if you feel deceived." "But it's a mistake to think that we can change certain events." "Just like you said, some things are inevitable." " But I love her." " I know." "I know that." "And now that you've found her you know who she is." "And you understand who you are." "And now maybe you're ready to understand who I am." "Now, listen to me." "Listen to me." "The shock will wear off but you can take comfort in knowing that these events are happening in the correct order." "The path you're on will take you to your destination." "Where is that?" "You let me take you to Robertson and he'll show you everything." "I don't want to leave her." "You're not." "I never wanted to hurt her." "I know." "And now she knows too." "John." "Listen to me, all right?" "You're home." "Your troubles are over." "You're going to save millions of lives." "You're about to embark on the most important job a man has ever had." "And you're going to do great." "I know." "All right, he's forward jumped 22 years." "He's not used to this kind of distance." "John had to want this." "His life had to be fouled up." "He had to have nothing in order to achieve so much." "A hundred horrible crimes didn't go as planned, because of him." "Because of the work you've done." "But the Fizzle Bomber's still out there." "I failed." "He made you a better Agent." "We've all learned things from him." "He's made us better at our jobs." "This organization wouldn't have grown if it wasn't for the Fizzle Bomber." "You sound as if you admire him." "He's a terrorist." "Nothing's that simple." "I wish that it were." "What's this?" "It's the timer." "Got some new leads." "When you reach your final destination your Field Kit will decommission..." "As per regulation." "You sure you want to retire to New York so close to the date of the blast?" "Yes, sir." "You take care of yourself." "Yes, sir." "I'm my own grandpa" "I'm my own grandpa" "Jesus H. Christ, Conner!" "Here, look, I'll refund your goddamn money." "I don't want a refund." "Just let me play the damn song!" "Yeah, come on, Jerry." "Let him play the damn song." "And by the way, I quit." "So, this is it." "Home." "The order finally came through today." "I guess it was inevitable." "By the time you listen to this seven years will have passed." "Our first mission is just as important as our last." "Each one getting us closer to our final destination." "See, you'll find out that time has a very different meaning to people like us." "Time catches up with us all even those in our line of work." "I guess you could say we're gifted." "God, Jesus, that sounds arrogant saying it out loud." "All right, I'll put it a better way." "I guess you could say we were born into this job." "You don't see a lot of guys using these anymore." " Is that okay?" " Yeah." "It's just that..." "I get kind of sentimental about the past." "That's cool." "Me too." "I see." "So, you're a writer?" "I used to be, I guess." "And you're thinking of taking it up again?" "I was thinking about it." " Right on." " Yeah." "What kind of things do you write?" "Oh, just confession stories." "What, kind of like those scorned women stories?" "You know, passion, heartbreak, jealousy." "No, not kinda like, exactly like." " Seriously?" " Yeah, seriously." "You don't look like the type of guy that'd be into that." "What do I look like I would be into?" "That's a big question." "Well, you're interested in this gorgeous '40 Royal Portable." "I am." "Tool of choice for Hemingway, Kerouac, Fleming." "And taking into account I've known you for a whole 30 seconds..." "I'm thinking you're into adventure." "Suspense." "Maybe a touch of romance." "And definitely a big splash of murder." " That's stupid, right?" " No, it's not." "It's never too late to be who you might have been." "It's not just the physical injuries." "You've logged more field hours than any of the other Agents I've been assigned to." "The risks are real." "The fragments of matter you leave behind after each jump we can only repair so much." "The onset of psychosis, dementia." "That can be serious." "I'm fine." "Time travel can be disorienting." "Don't ever exceed the jump limit." "It can be problematic." "The snake that eats its own tail forever and ever." "I know where I come from." "But where do all you zombies come from?" "Oh, my God." "You look good." "I missed you." "You're the Fizzle Bomber?" "We always hated that name, remember?" "You're a murderer." "No, no, no." "See, I've saved lives, more than I ever could have from inside the bureau." "No, you kill innocent people." "Innocent people." "No, no, no." "I have clippings from the future." "Clippings from futures that never happened because I prevented them." "More tragedies prevented, lives saved." "You see this?" " Saved?" " Yeah, yeah." "Look." "Look. 1974, Chicago chemical spill." "That driver never made it to work in the morning." "Now, 324 lives saved." "Look, look." "What's next?" "What's next?" "Right, well we have..." "We have 1991, April 3rd, Hamburg, Germany." "1,861 lives saved." "The Hardshaw Weapons Factory Heist, 1968." "You know, the terrorists never came in the building because I blew it the fuck up." "3,027 lives I saved." "Do you keep count of all the civilians you killed as well?" "Your next attack will kill 10,000 more." "You're disappointed in me, right?" "I remember that, I do." "But when the dust settles" "I think you'll see that we did the right thing." "I will never become you." "No, I'm curious." "Did you report that your decommissioned Field Kit didn't decommission?" "Right?" "Some people say that it's fate." "But you and I, we know some things are predestined." "I made you who you are." "You made me who I am." "It's a paradox, right?" "But it can't be paradoctored." "Right?" "I had so much fun at preempting you, I did." "And now you're free and you found me and we can be together." "I'll never become you." "Don't say that." "Don't say that." "We're just puppets." "We are Robertson." "He set the whole thing up." "He played us for fools." "He's laying out the dominoes." "You know, we're just watching it fall." "I will never become you and I will not let you kill those people." "Wait, wait, wait." "What, you're gonna live a regular life with that bitch, Alice, from the antique store?" "She has a stupid cat, she has a disgusting birthmark on her left hip." "She's a lousy fucking cook." "Okay, trust me." "She can't handle our secrets." "She can't, trust me." "She's not right for us." "You have no idea what is right for me." "Okay, okay, okay, all we have is each other." "It is all we've ever had." "Now if you shoot me you'll become me." "You get it?" "That's how it happens." "If you want to break the chain you have to not kill me" "but try to love me, again." "What if I put him in front of you, the man who ruined your life..." "Forget all that." "We can have a future together." "Would you kill him to save thousands?" "You wanna know what we're gonna do tomorrow?" "No." "Here you are at the beginning of your new life." "It can be overwhelming knowing the future you're about to create." "Knowing the purpose of that life." "You know who she is." "And you understand who you are." "And now maybe you're ready to understand who I am." "You see I love her, too." "You'll have to make tough choices." "You'll influence the past." "Can we change our futures?" "I don't know." "The only thing that I know for sure is that you are the best thing that's ever happened to me." "I miss you dreadfully."