Future Echoes - Plot

Plot

Lister (Craig Charles) has decided, much to the annoyance of Rimmer (Chris Barrie), to take the Cat (Danny John-Jules) with him as he spends the remainder of the journey back to Earth in stasis. As Lister is shaving in preparation for stasis the ship jolts. Holly (Norman Lovett) explains that after three million years of constant acceleration the ship has just broken the light barrier. Reassuring Lister that everything will be alright Holly goes back to navigating the ship. Lister however starts seeing odd occurrences in the mirror; his reflection reels back in pain as he cuts his chin with the razor. Lister feels his own chin and sees no blood. Carrying on regardless he then sees the reflection of Rimmer racing up behind him. He turns and sees no one there. Later, Lister goes to speak to Rimmer in the drive room, only to see him apparently talking to no-one and speaking gibberish. Rimmer walks out of the drive room, only for Lister to see another Rimmer immediately walk in the other side of the room, and in their subsequent conversation Rimmer says exactly the same things he did previously, this time making perfect sense. Finally, the Cat runs past Rimmer and Lister in the corridor shouting about how he lost a tooth, but Lister and Rimmer then find Cat in Lister's quarters, happily trying to eat Lister's robotic goldfish and with all his teeth intact. After discussing the occurrences with Holly it appears that they are experiencing "Future Echoes"; events that will occur in the future that can be seen in the present.

After the impact of an explosion rips through the corridors Rimmer tells Lister that he saw a vision of somebody die in an accident in the drive room. Due to the similar build and clothes he believes that it was Lister. Lister comes to believe that the Cat will break a tooth on one of the robotic goldfish, and that if he can prevent that, he can prevent his death. Unfortunately for Lister, he ends up knocking the Cat's tooth out himself during their struggle over the goldfish. Soon the drive room navicomp starts malfunctioning and Lister is the only person that can repair it. Lister boldly goes to the drive room to face his destiny the same way as he came into the world; kicking and screaming. Lister successfully repairs the navicomp system and there is no explosion. Rimmer doesn't understand it as he believes he saw Lister die.

Another "future echo" appears as Lister and Rimmer enter their sleeping quarters. There lying on the bunk is an old Lister with aged grey dreadlocks. The old Lister tells them that it was one of Lister's twin sons, Bexley, that Rimmer saw die, and then tells them to go to the medical unit with a camera. As they race to the medical unit Rimmer asks how Lister would get twin sons with no women on board. Lister doesn't know but insists that it's going to be a laugh finding out. The door to the medical unit slides open and another Lister, of similar age, walks out carrying two crying babies and poses for the camera.