Aporia

Grief-stricken and emotionally strained after the death of her husband Malcolm, Sophie spirals into depression while navigating the ethical minefield of time manipulation. She becomes the moral center of the group, balancing hope with fear as changes ripple through the family. Her evolving relationship with Riley and her care for Kara and Aggie drive her toward self-sacrifice for the greater good.

A physicist and Malcolm’s best friend who helps build the time machine at his house. He is driven by scientific curiosity and personal grief, proposing drastic uses for the device that could erase atrocities or alter history. His pragmatic outlook clashes with the emotional concerns of Sophie and Malcolm, highlighting the ethics of changing lives.

Sophie’s husband, killed in the accident that shatters the family. In the altered timeline, he appears alive again, raising questions about memory and identity as the trio experiments with the machine. He becomes entangled in the consequences of their actions and the moral weight of bringing him back at what cost.

The drunk driver whose crash triggers the central conflict. His death sets the original narrative in motion and his widow Kara’s struggle provides a human stakes counterpoint to the science. His role underscores the real-world harm that motivates the attempt to alter time.

Darby’s widow, left destitute and fighting for medical care for Aggie. She forms a fragile bond with Sophie as the trio contemplates helping them, later benefiting from the timeline changes when Kara and Aggie start a bakery together. Her experiences anchor the human cost of altering history.

Darby and Kara’s daughter, who battles multiple sclerosis. Aggie’s condition is a key factor driving the ethical debate, and her welfare influences the decisions of Sophie, Jabir, and Malcolm. In the altered timeline, Aggie’s life shapes the new family dynamics and public-facing outcomes like the bakery.

Sophie and Malcolm’s daughter, whose presence in the original timeline contrasts with the new timeline where she no longer exists. Her fate underscores the personal stakes of changing history and the pain of potential loss for the family. Riley’s absence in the altered timeline amplifies the ethical stakes of the time-travel decisions.