Fight The Future
by Flaming Trails
A Back To The Future Story
Disclaimer: I don't own BTTF. If I did, Elisbeth Shue might be out of a job.
Chapter 1
Wednesday, June 4th, 1986
Hill Valley, California
6: 32 P. M.
"Come on, Emmett! We're going to be late!"
"We won't be late. It's only 6: 32 and16 seconds. The ceremonies don't start until 7: 15. And I wouldn't be late to an event like this."
"I know, I was just thinking about the drive to Hill Valley High. The roads will probably be congested with proud parents."
Doc emerged from the bathroom, doing up his tie. "Relax, Mystie," he grinned. "We won't get there late. And even if we do, the first few minutes of graduation from high school is the same boring speeches they've made for a hundred years. I nearly fell asleep at my own graduation listening to them. Of course, that could be partly due to the fact I was only 14 at the time."
"Emmett, I don't want to disappoint Marty and Jennifer by showing up late. Besides, I haven't heard any of these speeches. I never attended a proper high school because my family was poor and I was a girl."
Doc looked at his panicking fiancee. "They're not even our kids, Mysteria!"
"This from you," Mystie retorted, brushing her dark hair. "A man who, when I first met him, was unaware of a 47-year age difference between him and his best friend."
"Touche," Doc admitted, taking a second brush to his unruly mop. "Although I would call it more simply not noticing it. If you're that worried, call Jennifer on the telepathic connection."
"I did. She told me we'd get there on time. I can't help it, Emmett. Whenever I get excited, I fall to pieces. I'll be horrible when we get married."
"I doubt I'll be much better," Doc soothed his girlfriend. "For me, it will probably be like reliving our first date. And we both know what a disaster that was."
Mysteria playfully swatted him. "You bad boy." Then her eyes lit up. "Hey, wait a minute! Why don't we-"
"Mystie, you know I can't fly the DeLorean over there for the same reason we can't fly over there."
"I was thinking of a short time hop backwards," she told him. "I know it would be too dangerous to fly the car to Hill Valley High."
"If the roads are congested, it wouldn't make much difference. In addition, we could attract some attention by time-traveling. Besides, what if you accidentally met yourself before we could leave?"
Mystie had to concede the point. "It's just that we never use the time machine anymore."
"Sure we do! Last week we went to 1855 to see Hill Valley founded. And we've taken other pleasure trips these past few months."
Mysteria smiled at him. "I know we make time trips. But all of them are so short and - well, I guess if I had built a time machine, I'd be hopping all over the space-time continuum."
"My experience in the future and Marty's experience in the past was enough to cure me of that urge. Time travel can be very dangerous, especially if used improperly. That's why all our time hops are short. We can't have too much of an effect on the space-time continuum if we're only there for 10 minutes or so. Better to use the DeLorean sparingly for pleasure and education than to get lost in a time that isn't your own."
Mystie kissed him. "I know you know what you're doing. Now come on! Maybe we'll hit a lull in traffic." Doc shook his head and allowed himself to be dragged off to the van.
30 minutes later, at 7: 35, they arrived with no problems at Hill Valley High School. The ceremonies were still being prepared, and many of the students were milling around on the athletic field. The McFlys and Parkers were already there and were easily spotted by Doc and Mystie. "Greetings!" Doc called as they walked over.
Marty and Jennifer grinned at their vampire friends. Jennifer looked set in a very pretty purple dress, much like she'd worn to the earlier prom that year, but Marty was sweating hard in a suit that resembled the one he'd had to wear as 'Calvin Klein'. "Hey, Doc! Get Mom to let me take this jacket off. I'm dying!"
"He does look very hot, Lorraine," Doc commented, giving Marty a hug. He could smell the sweat very easily, making him wrinkle his nose. "You should let him take off his jacket."
"I want him to look nice for his special day," Lorraine protested, fixing Marty's collar. "He's finished 4 years of high school, after all. And he's won an award, too."
"He told me through our link," Doc said, smiling proudly. "I nearly didn't believe him, though. Who would have thought?"
"It's because of you I got an award in science," Marty insisted, blushing a little. "I was getting mostly Cs in science before Fred Jacobson flung me into your trash cans. And I still needed you to explain homework to me sometimes."
"True, but you've shown quite an improvement in the subject. You do just fine whether I help you or not. Must be osmosis. My scientific knowledge is diffusing into your brain.
"What do you get out of it?" Linda inquired.
"A companion." Doc lightly squeezed Marty's shoulders. "No amount of knowledge is worth having no friends."
George arrived on the scene, holding the McFly video camera and narrating the movie he was creating. "Here's Marty, looking miserable in this hot weather. . . ."
"Sure, take his side," Lorraine jokingly said, acting hurt.
"And my sarcastic wife, and close friends Doc Brown and Mysteria Jones, soon to become Brown. Tell me, how are you guys doing?" Leaning in, he added in a quieter voice, "Especially since the sun's still up?"
"We're all right, George, don't worry," Doc assured him. "We're extremely happy we made it to graduation on time."
"You have heard Marty's won an award in science?"
"Who hasn't?" Mysteria joked, ignoring Lorraine's exasperated look.
"When do you think the world will end?"
"Dad!" Marty protested, although he couldn't help laughing.
"George, that wasn't very nice," Lorraine scolded. "Marty worked very hard for that certificate."
"I know, but I couldn't help it. I expected any awards our kid to get to be in music. After all, he's got a fairly popular band."
"The Pinheads are working on breaking into the business," Marty smiled. "We've sent a bunch of audition tapes off to different studios. One of them gotta see something in our music. Meanwhile we still have the occasional gig at Future Fest or Darkness Falls."
"If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything," Doc and George nodded in unison. They looked at each other, then chuckled. "I'm glad to see you're making progress with your band, son. I'm sure you have a very happy future ahead of you."
That reminded Doc of what he had brought to celebrate. "Oh, Marty, Jennifer, Mysteria and I got you some gifts for your graduation." He pulled two small boxes from his pocket. "Here you go. From the both of us."
"Thanks, Doc and Mystie." The teens eagerly opened the boxes. "Oh, figures," Jennifer laughed, lifting out of hers a silver watch. "It's all about time with you two." She immediately put it on and set the time.
"You give this to me after I'm all done with math class," Marty joked, strapping on his new calculator watch.
"Trust me, you'll be grateful for it once you get into college math," Doc told him, patting him on the shoulder. Mentally, he added, "I also want to let you know what your birthday present is, seeing as that is coming up only 5 days after this."
"Doc, I don't want to know what you got me," Marty complained. "I like being surprised. And anyway, nothing you could get me could ever match the amp."
"Oh, no?" Doc thought, amused. "It's just that you're getting 3 presents. There will be 2 decoys from Mystie and me for your parents to see, then your actual birthday present."
"Decoys? Why - Hold on, does my real gift have to do with time-travel?"
"Yes. I'm taking you and Jennifer to the future."
Marty's eyes grew wide. "What? Oh, this is heavy-duty, Doc! Intense! We're actually going to the future? How far?"
"I'm letting you decide that. But, remember, do not look yourself up. If I find out that you have, I'll wipe your memory clean of the trip."
"I won't, Doc. Not intentionally." He looked excitedly at Jennifer as Mysteria relayed the news to her. She looked back just as excitedly. "Doc, this is great. You're the best."
Vice-Principal Steven Strickland and Principal Harold Bacture came up to the families. "Excuse me, we need your son and daughter on stage now," Strickland said, casting a look of contempt at Marty. He considered all McFlys slackers, and Marty, with his reputation of being tardy, was no exception. "We'll be starting in 5 minutes."
"Okay. See you in a minute, guys." Marty allowed his mother to fuss over him a minute more, then joined his friends J. J., Spydo, and Rick on stage.
Jennifer kissed her father. "Bye, Dad." She followed Marty, shivering with anticipation. Her father looked after her fondly.
"She looks just like her mother," he whispered. "It's so horrible that Jane can't share this moment with us." He looked up at the sky with a sigh, recalling how, 7 years ago, his wife had been killed by a drunk driver. "Well, I'm sure she's watching from heaven."
"I'm sure too, Robert," George said, feeling sorry for his good friend.
Strickland coolly watched Marty and his friends mess around on stage. "Such a slacker. I wonder what he had to do to get that award," he mumbled, redirecting his gaze to the small stack of special awards sitting on the podium.
"The word 'study' comes to mind," George said, a little bitterly. He remembered Strickland as a principal who usually punished the recipient of bullying, not the bullies. All throughout high school, he had endured being called a 'slacker' after having his books dropped or some other prank pulled on him. He was determined to get some respect for his son. "Marty has worked very hard to earn that certificate. He is a good student."
"You mean, Dr. Brown worked hard to earn that certificate," Mr. Strickland accused, with a venomous look at Doc. There was no love lost between them either. Strickland was actually older than Doc, and had taught him Social Studies in high school. Doc had embarrassed him in class by correcting his mistakes, and he had never forgiven him.
"Marty has become a diligent student, if not a prompt one," Doc snapped. "He studied like crazy to earn that certificate of merit. He did not get a free ride from me. I wouldn't have let him get one."
Strickland simply harrumphed and went off in search of other stray students. Principal Bacture smiled at the McFlys. "He's caught in his ancient ways of thinking. I know your son is a fine student, and he'll most likely do well in college. But teach him to be on time for things. He'll never survive in the work world if he's always late."
"He'll learn that quick enough," Dave said. "He's got a summer job at the music store as a part-time clerk. If he's late, he's fired." Bacture nodded, pleased, and followed Strickland. As soon as he was out of earshot, Dave added, "I can't believe he lets Strickland stay at the school. He's constantly doing things the principal wouldn't like."
"Marty caught him drinking his freshman year here," Linda agreed, glaring at the bald head of the ultimate disciplinarian.
"I know. He complained of being slapped with a detention for asking directions to the bathroom," Lorraine recalled. "I'm still amazed that nothing was done to him."
"C'est la vie," Doc shrugged. "That's life. Let's find some seats."
Wednesday, June 4th
9: 42 P. M.
Doc breathed in the scented air. He was enjoying one of his favorite activities, a walk in the woods. It would have been better if Mysteria had decided to join him, but she had wanted to stay home and check future clothes. So it was just Doc and his thoughts, enjoying the sensations that came with being a vampire.
His mind strayed to the graduation he had just witnessed. His heart swelled with pride as he recalled Marty receiving his high school diploma and his award in science. With no children of his own, and none foreseeable in the future, Marty had taken on the role of an unofficial son to him. It had been wonderful to see the kid he had tutored and shared his joy of science with starting down the path to a bright future. Jennifer, too, had done well, with honors in history, ironically enough. Doc couldn't wait to see how their lives turned out.
And there was more to make Doc feel pleased. There hadn't been a single soulless attack on Hill Valley citizens since January. Although they had been suspicious of this complete lack of activity at first, they had eventually just rolled with it. The souled vampires were living peacefully, frequenting Darkness Falls and enjoying the night life. Magnus "Matt" Carpenter had even gotten a job at the club as a bartender, leaving Joey, the owner, free to do other things. Louis Drayven and Serena Lloyd remained madly in love, living together in Knight Apartments. Jay Wallace and Natalie de Brabant's ardor had cooled somewhat, but they remained close friends. James Curdala was ironically working for the blood bank. And Chris and Tina Smith, non-vampire blood players, were designing a vampire role-playing game for their unChanged pals in the club. Everything in Hill Valley was going right for the vampires.
That's exactly when Doc felt it. The presence of a soulless vampire.
Doc froze, monitoring the progress of the vampire through the woods. His mind flashed back to January and his fight against Biff's soulless army. It had all begun on a walk through the woods like this one. Had Biff managed to expand his empire again, enough for a second attack? The scientist hoped not. He hadn't liked the person he had become during that fight. He felt it had unleashed the dark side of his vampire nature, something he preferred to keep caged.
The soulless vampire drew closer. Doc let his fangs extend, preparing himself for what seemed to be an inevitable battle. His hand slipped into his pocket and closed around his sleep-inducer. "Please let this be over quickly. The last thing I need right now is a repeat of the beginning of this year."
The vampire stumbled into view, his clothes tattered and mildewy. Doc's jaw dropped as he saw the face. "Joel!" he gasped, stunned. His fellow scientist and teacher, Dr. Joel Michael Nelrobin, had vanished a month earlier. The police were still looking for him. Now Doc could understand why his usually happy-go-lucky former co-worker hadn't been found.
Joel looked at him, eyes glowing with need. For a moment, he snarled, looking like the typical soulless vampire Doc was famous for staking. Then, suddenly, he lurched forward and snatched the collar of Doc's lab coat, a frightened, pained look on his face. "Emmett. . .Kill me. . . Please. . .Before it can control me again. . . ."
"Great Scott, he's actually managing to fight his urges!" Doc thought. He hadn't thought it was possible for a soulless vampire to resist his craving for blood. "Joel, what happened? How did they get you?"
"Attacked. . .woman. . .Biff. . .Made me into a monster. . .Killed someone. . .forced to help him. . .heard about you. . .Kill me, before. . .before I lose control. . .Before it takes over for good. . . ."
Doc hesitated. Was it possible to help Joel without killing him? He did seem to be having some luck in fighting the evil within him. And Doc really didn't want to have to kill again.
"PLEASE!" gasped Joel, his grip tightening. "It's fighting! I'll kill again, I know it! It's killing me, Emmett! Soon you'll have no choice. Soon I'll be like the rest of them. Do it now!"
Doc sadly nodded his assent. He could see it in Joel's eyes that his former co-worker wasn't kidding. He pulled out his sleep-inducer and held it before Joel's eyes. "This will put you into a deep sleep," he explained. "Then I'll stake and burn you."
"Thank you," Joel said, managing a weak smile. "But - before you - before you burn me, check - check - check my - check my pockets!" As he spoke, the began snarling again. The soulless part was reasserting itself. "Quickly! Before I lose all control!"
Doc turned on his sleep-inducer full power just as the change was complete. Joel's mind went promptly blank after staring into it for a minute. As he turned it off, Joel fell like a stone to the ground. Depressed that someone who had actually seen some merit in his science had met such a fate, Doc snapped a branch off a tree and thrust it into the other scientist's heart. Then, as per Joel's instructions, he searched his pockets.
He found nothing of interest in the left one. However, the right one contained a number of scientific notes and blueprints. His curiosity sparked, Doc examined them closely.
Marty was celebrating his freedom from school by practicing guitar when Doc frantically burst into his mind. "Marty! Marty, come quick! My house, 10 minutes! Tell Jennifer!"
"Whoa, whoa, Doc, calm down!" Marty thought back. He could feel Doc's anxiety, and it was off the scale for the scientist. It reminded him of how he felt whenever he came within range of a soulless vampire. "What's wrong? Your heart's beating so fast I think it's gonna explode! Why the emergency meeting?"
Doc thought back something that made the teen's blood run cold. "Biff's got a time machine."