Running Against Time

David Rhodes materializes on the roof of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, stepping into history as the gunshots are about to ring out. He intends to save Kennedy but quickly realizes his presence cannot simply rewrite the moment. The scene establishes his mission and the fragility of time travel in a world where one observer can alter events only subtly.

Oswald fires at Kennedy, and the tragedy unfolds before David's eyes. He witnesses the assassination from his anomalous vantage point, understanding that history is slipping away in unpredictable ways. The moment confirms the gravity of his interference.

David is charged with Kennedy's murder and cannot convince authorities of his true origin. He struggles as Oswald's life details slip out, making his supposed guilt seem plausible to investigators. The investigation tightens around him as he tries to explain what he is and where he came from.

Jack Ruby shoots David, erasing him from the timeline in a brutal act that mirrors the era's violence. The death triggers a cascade of confusion as newspapers recount the incident within a wider conspiracy narrative. The event underscores the danger of meddling with history.

Laura uses Koopman's research to jump back to the day before Kennedy's assassination. She hopes to avert the tragedy or influence events from the ground up. Her mission marks a second round of time travel, testing how future knowledge can reshape the past.

Laura is struck by a car and lands at Parkland Memorial Hospital for a day. The hospital stay interrupts her attempt to alter history but deepens her resolve to protect David. The incident illustrates the personal cost of time-travel interventions.

After recovering and leaving the hospital, Laura continues her efforts, but she still fails to prevent the assassination. Nevertheless, she manages to help David avoid capture in some fashion, showing that even in failure, their actions ripple through the moment. The failure underscores the paradoxes of changing time.

David learns that his younger self has slipped into a coma because his mind is split between two timelines. The younger body remains alive while the mind grapples with two different moments in time. This physical and psychological strain highlights the high stakes of their temporal meddling.

The time travelers locate 1963's Koopman and reveal they come from the future. Koopman processes a startling revelation about time and begins considering its implications for history. His cooperation becomes a pivotal factor in whether anyone can alter the past.

Using the future knowledge, Koopman warns President Lyndon B. Johnson about Vietnam, which paradoxically leads to a more brutal war. The alternate history outcome shows how even honest warnings can backfire in a complex chain of events. The escalation reshapes the political landscape of the era.

In the present day, Koopman travels back to intervene, aiming to prevent David and Laura from altering history. He seeks to restore the timeline by dissuading their interference. His intervention marks a key shift back toward the original flow of events.

Koopman explicitly convinces David and Laura not to interfere with the past, acknowledging the risks of changing history. The pair accepts a more cautious stance, choosing restraint over drastic action. The decision reframes their relationship and future plans.

After returning to the present, David makes a brief visit to his younger brother Chris, who is ill but alive. The exchange reveals a protective bond and a sense that Chris will be cared for. This moment hints that their choices might have spared Chris from the earlier fate.

David proposes to Laura, sealing a personal commitment after months of perilous travel. They reaffirm their bond in the wake of altered memories and shared danger. The moment crystallizes their hope for a future together.

A final glimpse shows Chris alive and well, attributing his survival to the choice not to enlist. The couple realizes that saving David and Laura's relationship also altered Chris's fate. The present ends on a hopeful note, with a life that could have been under different circumstances.