1640. A man attempts to flee from England, torn apart by religious unrest, to France. He is the philosopher and irreverent cynic Thomas Hobbes. But before he can reach the ship that will save him, civil war breaks out. The chaos inspires him to develop new philosophical theories. While writing his futuristic epic, he is assisted by a nobleman who accompanies him on his escape disguised as a servant. The futuristic epic that Hobbes invents is set in the present day. The main characters are a married couple who run a grocery store and try to compete with a supermarket.