The time tricycle slowly rose into the sky above Elwood City. Alan gazed down at his house, at the Sugar Bowl, at the neighborhood, and then at the city that he would never see again.

He had set the tricycle speed to its lowest setting; at this rate, it would take him about an hour to travel thirty years into the future. Maybe, just maybe, it would be enough time for him to think of another solution to the tragic dilemma he faced.

He reflected on the path he had chosen. Would he enjoy being his own son? Would Jason make a good brother? Would all the other kids at school be smarter than him? Would he be able to cope in the world of the future?

He had no choice. Far below him, a boy who was his exact duplicate in appearance and personality had assumed his role as Alan Powers. It was his own fault that the other Alan existed.

The time tricycle stopped rising and floated motionlessly. Alan watched as the sun and the moon chased each other through the sky.

He thought about the things Jason had told him about the future, and the things he hadn't told him. He wondered about Jason's mission--why did he travel to the past? Was it to prevent a reality in which there was one Alan and Francine was in a coma, from transforming into a reality in which there were two Alans and Francine was dead? There had to be more to it. Why had Jason returned to his own time after Francine's death? Because he had failed in his mission?

Alan thought about the moment he had discovered that he had a duplicate, and that Francine had died. He thought about the memorial service at Muffy's house, the failure of the doctors to determine a cause of death, the conversation with Fern over the phone...

...and then it hit him.

"No!" he exclaimed. "It can't be! It's unthinkable!"

But what if it was true? It would explain everything...Jason's mission... Francine's death...

He had to pursue it. Manipulating the controls on the time panel, Alan reversed course to go backwards in time...to the day that Francine died.

(If you've been paying close attention, there are enough clues in this story for you to figure out what happens next. If not, the revelation of the next chapter will SHOCK your socks off...)