"My name is H.G. Wells." "I discovered that my friend John is Jack the Ripper." "He's escaped from 1893 in my time machine, and I'm the only one who can catch him." "I'm obliged to take you back to Scotland Yard." "I'm not going anywhere." "I've yet to begin in this age." "Jane Walker, assistant curator." "So, really, who are you?" "I'm certain you won't believe the answer to that question." "What if I can prove to you that I'm telling the truth?" " Are you really H.G. Wells?" " Flesh and blood." "I find you, Jane Walker, particularly special." "I must find my friend." "He's killed many women in London, and now he's killed again." "He wants the key... this key." " You don't belong in this time." " Do it." "Do it!" "Jane?" "Jane?" "_" "Hello, Mr. Wells." "I'm Vanessa." "I'm your great-great-granddaughter." "How can I possibly be related to you?" "I've never met you before in my life." "But I've met you in my life." "That's impossible." "So is time travel, but here you are." "I have to find John." "He will kill her." "He would have done that already." "He wants something." "What is it, Mr. Wells?" "Is it the key?" "How do you know about the key?" "Please." "They're gone." "Come with me and I will help you find them." "What are you doing?" " Stop." " Get off me." "Get off me!" "You can't do this." " Get back here." " Wait, stop it." "Stop." "He will kill her." "I must find Jane." "Vanessa will be right with you." "You said you would help me find Jane." "How?" " You've been hurt." "You should sit down." " No, no, I'm fine." "Jane is all I care about right now." "Please, let me look at that." "We are wasting time." "You can't do anything if you bleed to death." "Let me help you." "You don't want this to get infected." "Searched Jane Walker's apartment." "I have her laptop, purse, and cellphone." " And your things." " Why do you have her belongings?" "He'll want to make contact." "This will be his easiest route." "Did you find the key?" "No." "It's in my possession." "Where it will stay." "And that controls the time machine?" "It controls who has the time machine." "I designed it for safety." "The machine always returns to the starting date of each voyage unless you have this key to override it." "So if he gets the key in the time machine, he can go anywhere and kill anyone." "And I will never be able to find him." "Is the time machine safe?" "It's being guarded at the museum." "Please, he will kill her." "No, not if he wants the key." "How do you know me?" "You said that we were related." "How is that possible?" "I was hoping you might have some answers." "I've traced my genealogy, but I can't find a genetic connection." "You said that we've met before." "My freshman year in college," "I was walking on campus." "You came running up to me, out of breath, in a hurry, and said that you were H.G. Wells." "I thought you were crazy." "The whole thing sounds crazy." "But then you said you were my great-great-grandfather." "It was insane." "You were rambling." "You told me about the time machine, Jack the Ripper." "You spoke of the key and a woman in danger." "None of this makes any sense." "That's what I said." "Then you handed me a letter." "You... said for me to find the time machine." "I wrote you a letter?" "No, you wrote you a letter." "You knew you wouldn't believe you either." "It's my handwriting." ""It's true, H.G., don't be daft." ""Believe it." "H.G."" "I wrote this, but..." "This symbol, what does it mean?" "I've researched it, but there's no record of it." "Why didn't I write more?" "And where did John take Jane?" "Details would be very handy right now." "I have to find her." "Don't worry, we will." "Going somewhere, dear?" "Sit you back down over here, shall we?" "You feisty little bugger." "Right." "What is your telephone number?" "Why?" "Because I need to have a little at with your new beau." "I don't..." "Herbert George Wells, remember him?" "He has something that I want, and I have something that he wants." "I need your telephone number." "How do you know he has my phone?" "Well, he's naive and pathetic." "He's not stupid." "Your number." "I'm not gonna help you." "Thought that's what you might say." "I'd like you to meet our very gracious hostess," "Julia Milton." "Her friends call her Jules." "28, single, from Richmond, Virginia, currently working as a fashion consultant with Macy's where she makes a staggering" "$165,000 a year." "Isn't that mad?" "Did you know this apartment costs $8,000 a month?" "I mean, th-th-the economics of this period are just absurd." "Now, I really, really think it's time you made that call, don't you?" "Blocked caller." "This could be him." "Now, you need to talk to him, but don't mention us." "He doesn't know you have help." "It's our best weapon against him." "Hello?" "You don't have to shout, H.G." "You can speak at a decent room level." "Where's Jane?" "She's right here." "Go on, say hello." "I'm here." "I'm fine." "If you harm her in any way..." "Dear God, H.G., the role of hero's really not in your arsenal, is it?" " I mean it, John." " Yes, of course you do." "Now, I want the key to the time machine." "Meet me at the bridge in Central Park tomorrow at noon." "Key gets you Jane." "Where is Central Park?" "Oh, you're a clever bunny, you'll figure it out." "No police, just you." "Alone." "Key or Jane dies." "Ahh!" "_" "It's okay." " We have to hurry." " Where is he?" "I hit him over the head." "He's unconscious." "Come on." "He's gonna wake up." "Stop, he's gonna wake up." "No, no, no." "Shh." "Okay, okay, come on past." "Please don't wake up." "The stairs will be faster." " Come here!" " Ahh!" "Ah, ah, I wouldn't do that." "Walk out that door, and she's dead." "Please." "Are you sure you want to know?" "They're my books." "Yeah, but you haven't written them yet." "If you read them now, won't it affect what you write?" "Or will it inform what I write?" "Hell if I know." "Me neither, I'm afraid." "Has there been any word on Jane Walker's whereabouts?" "John was calling from a burner phone, which makes it harder to trace." "I have no idea what that means." "It means it will take more time to find his location." "Right." "And where is Central Park?" "We still have some time." "Let me get Ms. Anders for you." " Hey, Carl, how you doing?" " All right." "Hello, there." "I'm Griffin Monroe." "Herbert George Wells." "Pleasure." "I'm sorry... what did you say your name was again?" "Hey." "Honey." " Hi." " Good morning." "Has there been any news regarding Ms. Walker?" "Nothing yet." " Doug?" " Right this way." " Hi." " Hi." " Who's that?" " You didn't get my message?" " When did you send the message?" " I texted you this morning." "Is there a problem?" "Not everyone knows you're H.G. Wells." " We need to keep it on the down low." " I see, of course." "He said he was H.G. Wells." " What?" "That's impossible." " No, it's exactly what he said." "Well, he's not." "He's..." "George Wells, a descendant of H.G. Wells." " A descendant?" " Yes." "I met him in London, years ago, when I found the time machine and I was having it restored." "Yeah." "He's in town just for the exhibit at the museum." "You didn't mention he was coming." " Oh, it's been a crazy week." " Oh." "Ah." "Remember we have lunch with Stuart." "God, I'm so sorry." "I have to cancel." " Please don't hate me." " We can reschedule." "No, it's about your campaign, and I totally screwed up." "It's really not a big deal." " Thank you, Senator." " Oh, not yet." "You've been granted a reprieve due to the feisty little vixen in the next room." "Now, now, don't get too cozy." "Well, it is... that is soft, isn't it?" "Oh, it's like a cloud." "They really have figured some of these things out, haven't they?" "Let her go." "You don't need her." "You have me." "I have her to keep you in line." "I hurt my arm." "I need to clean it." "I wouldn't worry about a little scrape on your arm." "You'll be dead soon enough." "You're not gonna kill me." "What makes you think that?" "You would have done it by now." "Besides, you need access to the time machine once you have the key." "Well, aren't you the clever one." "Take a seat." "Convenient." "Come on, let's have a look at your arm." "Come on, I'm a doctor." "Prestigious surgeon, in fact." "So why do you kill?" "Do you like playing God?" "Deciding who lives and who dies?" "You're a bold one with your questions." "Why prostitutes?" "Do you have something against women or just sex?" "Be careful with your tongue." "I do not allow women to speak to me this way." "Well, when you get in that time machine, make sure you go backwards." "Won't get any better for you in the future where women are concerned." "And how do you know so much about me?" "Everyone knows who you are." "You're Jack the Ripper." "You're famous." "I'm famous?" "Most famous killer in the world." "You didn't know?" "Figured you would have learned how to Google yourself by now." "Tell me more." "There's a laptop over there." "I can show you." "Once I've secured Jane's safety," "I will need to take John directly to the time machine." "Can I ask a question?" "Why can't you simply go back in time and reverse this entire series of events?" "Can't you go back to the moment just before the Ripper escapes in your time machine and stop him?" "One must be careful not to disrupt the very fabric of time." "It is my theory... every time we travel to the past or future, you prick the fabric of time." "If you go too close to any one time repeatedly... it can cause... a hole in time." "What happens then?" "I'm not sure." "We melt, implode, cease to exist." "I prefer not to find out." "But that is why time travel is dangerous." "In the wrong hands, it could, quite frankly, destroy the world." "Okay, then." "We're better off with you meeting him in the park at noon." "You'll go to the bridge where my men and I will surprise him." "Well, he specifically said to come alone." "He'll have no idea we're there." "We'll grab him." "Isn't that what you want?" "I want the safe return of Jane Walker." " That is my first priority." " Can't we do both?" "I have known John Stevenson for years." "He is shrewd and cunning." "He is not easily foiled." "He may be Jack the Ripper, but he's still from 1893." "His little knives won't come close to my 9 millimeter Glock." "Does everyone in this era carry a firearm?" " Pretty much." " Let Doug come with you." "It's too dangerous." "The more people I involve, the more I risk altering time." "There's no telling the damage I've caused thus far." "I must do this alone." "That is final." "Very well." "You will go alone." ""Five prostitutes were killed." ""The murders were misogynistic in nature," ""suggesting a hatred for women."" "No." "That is simply inaccurate." "I mean, I killed prostitutes because of the opportunity." "They troll alleyways." "They make it easy." "I also killed vagrants and street urchins in equal measure." "It says here I was never identified." "I don't even get credit for it?" "Did I not mention... you're famous for being an anonymous killer?" "What are you talking about?" "No one knows my name?" "Wells is famous." "He accomplished something that endured, something good." "Don't be ridiculous." "I'm a decorated surgeon, highly regarded all over London." "No, you're Jack the Ripper, a faceless dark cloud on humanity." "You want to know why I kill?" "Because the only thing more fulfilling than saving a life is taking one." "The instant sensation, the release it brings... that slakes my thirst." "You're gonna go right through that entrance, follow the path, you can't miss the bridge." "Very well." "I'll be off." "You're not gonna give him the key, are you?" "That's not my intention." "And when John realizes he's being played?" "All I care about is the safe return of Ms. Walker." "All right." "We'll be here, waiting." "For every step society takes forward, we take two steps back." "We invent new technologies only to use them as weapons against one another." " We strive for equality - _" " yet we're more divided than ever." " _" "Look around you." "Nations are at war." "Violence runs rampant." "Our days on this planet are numbered." "Prepare yourself." "The end is near." "We are on the verge of all-out nuclear war." "My word." "Did your grandmother dress you this morning?" "Hello, old friend." "We are anything but friends." "Oh, come on." "That's not true." "We have a long history together." "A few days in the future can't change that." " Where's Jane?" " Where's the key?" "When Jane is safe, I'll give you the key." "There you go again, trying to negotiate as if you had the upper hand." "It's bloody awful, isn't it, this world?" "Everybody's so loud and angry about everything." "Yelling, pushing, shoving..." "I mean, it's a battlefield to get an afternoon tea." "Enough, John." "I have the key." "Where is Jane?" "Do you really want to take me back to 1893?" "You must pay for your crimes." "Well, a quick history lesson for you, H.G...." "I'm never caught." "You can look it up." "You can Google it, in fact." "So, this little power struggle will not yield you anything." " I never return to London." " Well, maybe it's because you die." "By your cowardly hands?" "I think not." "Don't worry." "She's not far." "Give me the key, and I'll tell you where to find her." "What are you looking at?" "Where's Jane?" "Where is Jane?" "Come on, give me the key." "I'll tell you where to find her." "Come on." "You can trust me." "No, no, no, no, no, don't." "I had this under control." "Hey, stop!" "Kids!" "Let's go." "Move." " Let's go." " Let's get out of here." "You weren't supposed to be here." "And now she's dead." "You've killed her." "Ohhh." "You lied to me." "I am so sorry." "I thought it was the right call." "I couldn't let you go alone." "We should have something soon on the phone trace." "You sealed her fate." "She's dead." "I apologize, sir." "I saw you give him the key, I gave the word to Carl to move in." "Her death is on your head." "But she is his only leverage over you." "Why would he kill her?" "Because he's a madman, and we've angered him." "He could lose all reasoning." "We will find her." "No, you don't understand." "When I arrived, I was helpless, lost." "She was the one person who showed me kindness." "He will kill her just to get back at me." "I know him." "I'm done here." " If you'll excuse me." " Where are you going?" "I wish to leave." "Kindly step aside." "You came to me all those years ago, and I've waited a long time to understand my role in this." "Let me fix this." "I can help you." "Am I a prisoner here?" "Of course not." "I insist you not follow me." "I will not follow you." "Are you serious?" " Ooh!" " Oof." " I am so sorry." " Eyes up, dude." "My apologies, sir." "Please forgive me." "I'll just..." " What the hell, man?" " I am so sorry." "Uh, do you know which way downtown is?" "Thank you so much." "Are you following me?" "What?" "Did Vanessa send you to follow me?" "Man, I don't know you." "I'm just walking." "Freak." "Where did Wells get help?" "Who are they?" "I want out of this bloody time." "Then go." "Just leave, disappear." "To hell with it." "I don't need the key." "The time machine still works." "I can go anywhere I bloody want." "I'll disappear into another time." "No." "You don't have to kill her!" "I know that." "I want to." "There's no reason to, just leave!" "Start over." "You have an opportunity here." "You can change." "You can be someone new." "Your legacy is that of a killer that nobody knows." "What are you rambling about?" "Somewhere inside, I know you hate it because I saw it in your face." "You hate being Jack the Ripper, so why don't you just stop this right here, right now?" "Now I see why H.G.'s so taken with you." "You're both full of the same idealistic rubbish." "I am exactly who I want to be." "No!" "It's okay." "You're safe now." " Do you know where he went?" " I couldn't hear." "Did he kill her?" "The trace came through." "We got an address." "We're there now." " Where's Jane?" " John took her." "They left about half an hour ago." "Witness says he was pretty unhinged." "Where would they go?" "The museum will be closing in 10 minutes." "Please proceed to the exits." "The museum will be closing in 10 minutes." "Please proceed to the exits." "Hey, Jane." "The exhibit's closed." "Yeah, I have, uh, an end-of-day report for Vanessa Anders." "I won't be long." "Hurry up before they figure me out." "Just go wherever you're going." "Go!" "What?" "You didn't think I was gonna go alone now, did you?" "No." "No!" "Let her go, John." "I thought I might see you here." "And here we are again." "This isn't about her." "This is about you and me." "Oh, like it was you and me in the park?" "You must think I'm a fool." "There's no one else here." "I came completely alone." "Well, then you're the fool." "Perhaps I am." "But I am also in possession of the one thing that you want." "I'd say that makes the two of us." "The key." "Slide it to me." "Oops." "John, John." "John!" "John, you mustn't do this." "No, no, no, no, John, John." "John." "John." "John, look at me." "Don't do this." "John!" "John, you're making a huge mistake." " John!" " Come on." "Can you stop him?" "Come on." "Come on." "Come on, come on." "Come on, come on." "Come on, you." "Ah!" "Ugh!" "Ah!" " You all right?" " Yes." "Is he gone?" "Hey!" "Did you kill him?" "It's a stun gun." "He'll be fine." "Are you okay?" "I am now." "No, no, no, I wouldn't." "Let's move out!" "Move!" "The Wells exhibit!" "Move!" "Damn it, Wells." "On the radio." "Down here!" "Call it in." "We got a security officer down." " Got it?" " Yes, ma'am." "We spoke to the police." "It's being written up as vandalism." "Museum's on board with keeping it quiet." "Great." "Let's wrap it up and get out of here." "Can it be fixed?" "Oh, never mind this." "I'm more concerned with you." "Are you okay?" "I'm not gonna lie..." "I was pretty scared." "It's your phone." "Hello?" "I'm gonna make this short and sweet." "I'm going to kill one person every day until I get the time machine with the key." "Do I make myself clear?" "Yes, but..." "Was that him?" "Yes." "He still wants the key." "How are you, Miss Walker?" "I've been better." "You've been through quite an ordeal." "You and that other woman are lucky to be alive." "The woman from the apartment," " Jules, she's alive?" " Yes." "She's shaken, but she's okay." "She didn't hear or see much." "She's with the police now." "We're monitoring her." "I thought he killed her." "He said he killed her." "Let's get out of here." "Yeah." "Thank you." "Any time." "Why so sad?" "Appears I was... bested today." "Let's cheer you up." "Hey." "This guy needs a drink." "I told Jane she could stay here for the night." "It's..." "It's safe here." "I'm really sorry about the park... and lying to you." "It won't happen again." "Thank you." "I appreciate your apology, but the fact remains the time machine is still broken." "Let me help you fix it." "I have the resources." "May I ask what you do to have such resources?" "I'm the C.E.O. of Anders Enterprises, a biotech company founded by my parents." "Biotech, as in biotechnology?" "Yes." "With a focus on neuroscience and genetic engineering." "I can only imagine the advancements." "How incredibly impressive." "My parents were impressive." "I'm just the daughter who inherited it." "I always believed that technology would be the cure to society's ills... that it would be the path to peace." "Your utopia." "And I couldn't have been more wrong." "My parents died when I was a little girl." "They were all I had." "No siblings, no extended family." "There is no one else." "Why are you telling me this?" "I took the shirt you were wearing when you first arrived, and had a genealogy test done from the blood and DNA on it." "The preliminary results are back, and I'm not really sure how, but... you and I... we're family." "I wish I could offer you more." "Some form of insight into how we're related." "When you showed up in my life all those years ago," "I didn't believe you." "But I did what you said." "I looked for the time machine." "And I finally found it in your basement at 10 Mornington Lane." " Camden Town." " Yes." "And I had it restored." "And a part of me has always been waiting... hoping." "I'm just happy you're here." "Get some rest." "It's been a long day." "Thank you, Vanessa, for your kindness." "Good night." "Oh, hello again." "Oh, hello, uh..." " It's Griffin." " Yes, Griffin." "And you're George..." "Wells." " Yes." " Have you seen Vanessa?" "She's in her office." " Care for a drink?" " Oh, it's... it's late." " Perhaps another time, though." " Sure." "Sorry, Vanessa mentioned... that you're a descendant of the real H.G. Wells." " Yes, that's correct." " How so?" "I beg your pardon?" "A direct descendant?" "Um, was he your great-great-grandfather, a distant cousin?" " Oh, it's a complicated lineage." " Ah." "Um, how long are you staying?" "Oh, I'm not sure exactly." " Is there a problem?" " No." "No, no." "Just... making conversation." "If there's anything you need while you're in the city, just let me know." "Thank you." "That's very kind." "All right, it's late." " I'll be off." " Sure." " Have a good night, George." " You too." "May I?" "Come in." "This place is insane." "Are you sure it's okay that I stay here?" "I think it's a good idea, at least until we find John." "It's safe here." "Vanessa has some very large men guarding her." "Vanessa's one of the richest women in the world." "She might be even wealthier than Oprah." "What is an Oprah?" "Never mind." "How does she know you?" "It's okay." "You can sit." "Right." "Uh, well... it appears that Vanessa and I are related." "Apparently, I visited her years ago, and I gave her this." "It's how she knew to find me." "You traveled to the past and gave this to her?" "Well, actually, her past, my future, it's... that's how she knew she would see me again." "Okay, that makes my head spin." "Mine, too." "What does this emblem mean?" "I don't know." "It's something from my future, I assume." "Why didn't you write more in this letter?" "Trust me, I've been racking my brain." "Clearly, I needed to convince myself to trust Vanessa, but there is a danger to knowing your future." "You would be tempted to alter it." "Maybe the future you was scared you might do that." "Which implies that something must happen that would tempt me." "What if you don't find John?" "I will find John, and he will pay for what he did to you." "I promise you." "It's okay." "I'm tougher than I look." "Right." "You're from Texas." "Good memory." "It's nice to see you smile." "You have a very pretty smile." "I am terribly sorry for bringing such mayhem into your life." "I moved to this city to have this big life." "And I have a good life." "You being here is a very big deal, huge, so please don't be sorry." "You truly are a ray of light, Ms. Walker." "You got to start calling me Jane." "Right." "Very well." "I'll start tomorrow." "Until then." "So, what has you so glum tonight?" "Do you believe people have the power to change?" "Truly change who they are?" "Wow." "So heady with your whiskey." "Well, yes, I think people can change." "They have the ability, but I don't think they do, not really." "People hate change." "It's too hard." "Yes." "It does seem overwhelming." "What do you say we, uh, take this somewhere a little quieter and have ourselves a... proper drink?" "Well, that's more like it." "_" "_" "_"