The true exploration that awaits you, is not studying the world around you, but thinking of the unknown possibilities of existence.

Running Out Of Time
Chapter 1
Parts on the Tracks

November 2, 1985
Train Commuter Parking Lot
Hill Valley, CA

10:37 P.M.

As a California State Trooper checks the parking lot, the headlights of his patrol car flash across the Railroad tracks. His lights reflect something in the ditch, by the tracks. The police car stops, as the trooper takes his spotlight, and shines it into the ditch. The light reflects off a large piece of what looks like stainless steel.

The state trooper steps out of his car, and walks over to the tracks. He took his flashlight, shined it onto the tracks, to find parts of a car all over the tracks. He stepped over various parts, tripped over the back bumper of the car-once-to-be, and looked at the inscription on the back...

Trooper: DeLorean? Oh, shit!

The trooper then ran back to his car, and grabbed the radio off the hook. He tried to speak, but he stuttered as he did...

Trooper:: In radio:: Ba... Ba... Base? This is car R7! I, uh, found a De... Delor... DeLorean! It looks like it go... go.. got hit by a train! Over?

Base: Repeat, that, R7.

Trooper: The DeLorean that was seen on the tracks a couple of days ago is laying in ruins on the side of the railroad here in Hill Valley! I need assistance, over?

Base: Roger, R7. Base out.

The Trooper walked back over to the dismantled auto, and looked at the destruction. He saw a half of a picture on the ground. It looked like an old-time black and white photograph. There was white-haired man standing next to the old Courtroom Clock before the courtroom was built.

The bottom of the picture only read, "SEPTEMBER 5, 1885". He dropped the picture back onto the rubble, walked back to his car, and waited for the other troopers to arrive.

***

November 4, 1985
Commuter Parking Lot
4:56 P.M.

On the final day of the clean up effort, 2 men in suits, with cards that read "FBI", are behind the truck that all of the parts are being loaded on. They're standing there, making sure all parts of the dismantled DeLorean were properly placed on the flatbed truck.

Research teams search the dirt and gravel around the tracks, looking for more computer chips, resisters, transistors, and other electronic components. The police officer that filed the DeLorean report, talked to the feds...

Trooper: You see, sir, this is the same DeLorean that was seen rolling across the tracks about 8 days ago. The witnesses said there were 3 sonic booms, and then the DeLorean appeared over the Eastwood Ravine Bridge.

Fed 1: Did they see the "Driver" of the vehicle?

Trooper: They saw a guy in a Clint Eastwood costume jump out before the train hit, and ran away. We have no positive I.D. of who it is.

Fed 2: There's only one way we're going to find out. We're going to need to put this thing back together. Call the old man, and tell him to prep the electronics lab in Silicon Valley.

Just then, one of the researchers ran up to one of the Feds...

Researcher: Sir! We found something you need to see!

The trooper, and both F.B.I. agents followed the researcher to the tracks. The researcher pointed to a large, metal box with a cracked glass window. It was connected to a LED number panel. It flickered with light, and then stopped. It then came back on, and started to make a fluxing motion. It did that for some time, and then stopped altogether.

Fed 2: Is this some kind of joke?

Researcher: When it was flashing before, one my men got shocked. He's fine, but this is a very high-powered device, if I've ever seen one...

The trooper walked closer, to get a better look, when the Researcher held him back...

Researcher: It also gives off a small radioactive pulse. It's about 3.7 Rads. I would advise you not to get too close to it.

Fed 1: Alright, call a containment team, and tell them to put that device in a lead box, until we know what do with it.

====================

15 Years later...

====================

September 12, 2000
Ghostbusters HQ, New York
11:55 A.M.

It was around noon, and the firehouse was, in a sense, dead. Eduardo and Garret were in the lounge playing Playstation, Egon was in the basement making checks on the Containment Unit, Dan and Roland were on the 3rd floor, making adjustments to the equipment, and Kylie was in the bunk room, reading.

Janine sat at her desk, and was reading a magazine, when the phone rang. She looked at the caller I.D., and picked up the phone...

Janine: Ghostbusters... Hold on, I'll get him.

She hit the hold button, and walked to the basement door. She walked in, and yelled to Egon...

Janine: Egon, call on line 3!

Egon: Thank you, Janine. I'll get it here!

Janine walked out, and shut the door behind her. Egon picked up the phone, and hit the line 3 button.

Egon: Hello... Yes, this is Dr. Spengler... Oh, I'm afraid I can't do that at the time... I have a conference I have to attend. I'm the guest speaker... In Salt Lake City... Just send it here, and my team will take care of it... No, it doesn't sound normal... yes... That's completely understood... Yes, I understand. Top priority... You'll have your test results as soon as it arrives... Thank you... Bye.

Egon hung up the phone. The basement door opened. Dan walked in, and walked down the stairs...

Dan: Who was that?

Egon: Uh, just the airport. They wanted to confirm my plane tickets to Utah.

Dan shook his head, and looked at Egon...

Dan: It was the Government, wasn't it?

Egon: How did you know?

Dan: Egon, I'm the master of lying. You can't beat the master. Besides, Janine told me. What did they want?

Egon: The government wants us to test a new piece of equipment they just built. They're going to ship it here from Silicon Valley while I'm at the conference.

Dan: Did they say what it was?

Egon: No. They were afraid the line was insecure, so they didn't say.

Dan: Ok, I can understand that. Why are they making us test it?

Egon: When they tried to test it, something unusual was happening to it as it accelerated.

Dan: That doesn't make any sense.

Egon: No, it doesn't. I have no further information on what the device is, or what it's suppose to do.

Dan: "As it accelerated," what does that mean? Are they testing some kind of new aircraft, or something?

Egon: We'll only know when it arrives.