Having just been through such a harrowing experience, they had decided to go down to the bar for a drink. Holly could simulate drinks for Kochanski, so they decided it would be a good final activity before they went into stasis.

"I'll tell Holly to let us back out when Red Dwarf is in some sort of danger," she said decisively.

"Good plan," Rimmer said in agreement.

"Well done in there, Rimmer. That was very brave of you."

Rimmer couldn't help blushing. "Oh, well… Didn't have a choice, really. It was either 'be brave' or 'blow up'."

Unable to refute that logic, they made their way to Rimmer's sleeping quarters so he could get his own uniform on, and they came up short when they saw someone resting in the top bunk.

It was Lister.

When he smiled, his age lines crinkled like wrapping paper. He raised his metallic right arm. The hand was a metallic prosthesis, but his little finger was a customized bottle opener, and he used it to open a bottle of self-heating sakè. His white hair was plaited into three-foot long dreadlocks. His right eye was missing, and in its place was a telephoto lens that whistled and clicked as it adjusted in accordance with the left eye.

His watch started beeping, and he flipped a switch on it. He looked vaguely in their direction.

"Dave…?" Kochanski gasped. "You're… How?"

"Hey, Krissie," the future Lister said in a raspy voice. "Hey, Rimmer. I know you're there. Can't see or hear you, but you're both there. I know it."

"How does he know that?" Rimmer asked Kochanski.

"I know it because you told me," the future echo replied, making them jump. "You told me you asked that, Rimmer."

Rimmer blinked. "When? I mean, how…?"

"I can't answer too many questions, but some things need to be cleared up. Kriss – you think you saw me die in a future echo in the Drive Room."

"But I did! You were blown up!"

Future Lister shook his head. "It wasn't me. It was Bexley's boy."

"Who's Bexley?" Kochanski inquired.

Rimmer's eyes widened. "Wait a moment… Lister told me his favorite athlete was the zero-G footballer, Jim Bexely Speed!"

"Got it in one, Rimmer," Lister chuckled. "It was always a dream of mine to name my second son after Jim Bexely Speed."

"Your second son? What were you going to call your first?"

"Jim – after Jim Bexely Speed – but anyway, it wasn't me Kriss saw in the Drive Room. It was Bexely's son."

Kochanski held her head in her hands. "Dave, you became a father? And a grandfather?"

Even in his decrepit state, the older Lister hadn't lost his randy attitude, demonstrated when he waggled his pure white eyebrows. "You bet I did," he grinned. "I couldn't be prouder. Finally got everything I ever wanted."

"But you died in the radiation leak!" Rimmer complained.

"I did."

"… Well, that doesn't really help us much!"

"You need to get down to the medical unit within the next ten minutes," future Lister explained. "Take your camera. There's not much time left."

Rimmer looked confused. "What? Why on Io should I…?"

Kochanski snapped her fingers as she realized. "Rimmer, get the camera! The future echo!"

Finally twigging, Rimmer dug through a drawer and found Lister's old camera.

Kochanski walked closer to Lister. "Dave, please tell me – how are you alive? What happened?"

But the future echo just smiled at her. "Oh, Krissie," he said quietly. "You think this is impossible? You ain't seen nothing yet. I'll see ya, kiddeh."

And with one last swig, he slowly disappeared from the bunk.

Rimmer fumbled with the camera. "Come on!" he said. "We've got ten minutes to get down there!"

Kochanski was still looking at the empty bunk, wondering what to do or say about this strange premonition, but as she heard Rimmer's footsteps echoing down the corridor at an alarming rate, she turned and chased after him.

They caught the lift and took it down to the medical unit. They stood in silence, although they were pretty excited. Rimmer fiddled with the camera, figuring out how it worked. It was an antique that still used film. Lister had apparently gotten it from the traveling road show on Miranda on his first planet leave.

Five minutes later, they were on the correct floor, and after nearly three minutes of running, they found themselves in front of the door to the medical unit. There was nothing there, but they were definitely in front of the door from the photograph.

Moments later, there was a huge jolt that knocked them to the floor. Rimmer gathered up the camera, closed the back again, and got to his feet.

"Holly, what's happening?" Kochanski asked.

Holly's frazzled expression appeared on a medi-screen. "We've finally dropped below light speed," he announced triumphantly. "Told you I had it in hand."

"So what'll happen now?"

"Well, now that we're slowing down, the future echoes will be closer to the present, and then time will synch up again. Clear?"

"Yes," Rimmer and Kochanski said together.

"Good. Maybe you'll explain it me one day."

A moment later, the door slid open to the Medi-Unit. Out walked a future echo of Rimmer, graying at the temples, clearly exhausted with dark circles under his eyes, and clearly deliriously happy. In his arms were two infant babies, both of whom were crying their newborn heads off.

"All right, Arnie ol' boy," he said in a surprisingly smooth tone, "I can't see you, you can't see me, yadda-yadda-yadda… I'd like you to meet your two nephews! This is Jim, and this is Bexely! Oh, stop crying and smile for the cameras, boys!"

Future Rimmer held up the boys and smiled happily, and Present Rimmer snapped the picture – Click!

They disappeared with the flash.

Rimmer pulled out the slip of paper, and by the time they were back in the lift, there was Rimmer holding two babies.

"Nephews…," he whispered.

Kochanski couldn't help but smile at them. "They're beautiful… Uncle Rimmer," she said with a smirk.

Rimmer was breath taken. "They are, aren't they…? Almost wished they were…," but he trailed off before he said the word 'mine'.

She looked at him sympathetically. It was the first time she had ever felt like giving this poor smeghead a hug. He looked so happy and sad at the same time it was ridiculous.

"Maybe one day, you will," she said quietly.

Rimmer bit his lip and remained silent, looking over the various details of the photo.

He almost thought he could see a wedding ring on his finger, but he told himself it was just a trick of the light.