Judgement Day

Marty was at the wheel of the DeLorean and watched what happened outside in stunned disbelieve.

Was that really happening? That was impossible. It couldn´t be. But it was. He saw it. It happened right in front of him and he wasn´t dreaming. Not anymore. This time he wouldn´t wake up, sweating and palpitating only to be released that it was just a dream. This time it would remain and the aftermath would be everlasting. God, he felt so helpless.

„Marty." Doc´s voice came over the radio. Marty couldn´t move.

„Marty, are you there?" Doc asked a little concerned now.

Marty pushed the button. „I´m here." he said with a throaty voice.

For a while none of them said a word. Marty could almost feel his friend watching the scene the same way he did.

„Sure there´s nothing we could do?" he finally asked, though he already knew the answer. It took a long time until he got a response and for some reason this deep silence was more answer than any word in the whole world could have been.

Doc said: „He already told us everything we need to know, Marty." His voice revealed his own regret about that.

Marty had to take a deep breath before he could respond. „Yeah." was all he could say.

His eyes were still locked on the sight before him. As much as he wanted it, he couldn´t look away. God knew he tried to. God, how hard he tried to look away.

„I don´t know, if I can accept that." he mumbled barely aware that he´d said it loud.

„Marty." the Doc said after a few seconds. He waited until Marty reacted on him.

„Yeah?"

„Do you remember what I used to say is the number one rule?" Doc asked.

Marty had to think about it. He searched in his head for the right memory. Then he found it.

„Don´t think you know all the answers." he said and began to understand while he was speaking.

„Don´t think you know all the answers." Doc agreed and after that there was nothing more to say.

He knew Doc was right. Of course he was right. There was nothing they could do. It was obvious that it was too late.

Marty sighed. Too late. How the hell could it be too late? They had had at least forty-eight years time.

Marty thought about it, though he´d never wanted to do it anymore. Yeah, it was exactly forty-eight years ago, since they´d learned it. For him it was only eighteen years of course. But for the Doc … 1955. The day he went back. It was so unbelievable.

He could remember that Doc once said that this day might be the temporal junction point of the entire space-time continuum. Now after all, Marty believed that he was right that day. What other explanation could be there?

The day when Doc invented time travel. The day when the End began to progress. T had told them about it. He´d told Doc in the future and Doc had told Marty. He´d never told him anything about the future before but in this case he´d done it. He did because he knew that otherwise Marty would have tried to prevent it from happening. He had had to convince him about the basic necessity of the event they were witnessing now. He´d told him and Marty had understood.

They´d learned too much about the consequences of disturbing the natural way of time to not to understand. But it was hard to watch it now, nevertheless. He almost couldn´t stand it.

Your future isn´t written yet, Doc had once told him and Jennifer. On that day he´d believed him. Now he wasn´t sure anymore. The lights beneath them were proving it wrong. Though Marty couldn´t understand how this was possible. How could it be wrong? It was Doc who had told him. Doc never failed. But he did. It happened. Right now.

Maybe the future was written and maybe they really couldn´t do anything. Nothing but to run. But how could he possibly run? He wasn´t even able to move.

„Marty?" Jennifer addressed him and finally he was able to look away. He turned to her and looked into two pleading green eyes. A soft hand fondled his head and remained at his neck. He reached over to her and hugged her closer than ever before. The children on the backseat came to them and joined the hug of their parents. Marty released Jennifer and hugged his son and daughter. He had to fight the tears. They shouldn´t see their daddy cry. Especially not now. He had to be strong for them.

At least he knew that his family was safe. His parents and siblings were in the train with Doc and his family. That was all they could do. All that was left for them.

„Marty, please come in." Doc called him over the radio. His voice was low. It was like he would know that he was interrupting the hug with his kids.

Marty released them and fondled the head of his son. The three year old probably didn´t even understand what was going on. Marlene on the other hand was seven and she understood everything. He could see it in her eyes.

„Everything will be all right." he promised her, then he turned around to the radio.

„Yeah, Doc." he answered his call, trying to keep his voice steady.

„It´s time to go, Marty." Doc said. „The radiation is getting too strong."

Marty nodded in agreement, though he knew Doc couldn´t see it.

„Right." he said. „Lead the way."

He switched off the radio. An answer wasn´t necessary. They both knew, there was nothing more to say. He grabbed the wheel tight, ready to go.

„Where we go, daddy?" little Martin asked excited. „Back to the future?"

Marty didn´t turn to him. He just shook his head, following the departing train with his eyes only to look down to earth one more time.

„No, Mart." he said. „Not this time. There´s nothing left for us in the future."

He gave Jennifer one last look, then he pushed the accelerator and followed the train.

I´ll be back, he promised himself. We can´t hide in the past forever. One day we´ll have to return. And then we´ll pick up the fight again.

The DeLorean reached 88 miles per hour just a few seconds after the train disappeared in front of them. They left a small pair of burning stripes in the air. The only evidence that somebody had watched Judgement Day and survived it.

Down on earth the bombs kept falling, performing their task to eliminate the entire human race. At the end of this day they should be almost successful. The End had just begun.