Back to the Future

Get Tannen!


SATURDAY

JUNE 13

1931


Doctor Emmett 'Doc' Brown had built a time machine out of a DeLorean. On its second trip it had inadvertently sent his friend, Marty McFly, to November 25, 1955. Marty had accidentally interfered with his parent's first meeting and had to correct the mistake with the help of Doc's 1955 counterpart. They also had to harness a lightning bolt to power the Flux Capacitor due to a lack of plutonium. They succeeded and Marty was sent back to 1985 only to have Doc come back and whisk him and his girlfriend, Jennifer, off to 2015 to prevent a chain reaction that would destroy the McFly family. The plan worked but a sports almanac, Old Biff, and the DeLorean was all it took for Biff to become the most powerful man in Hill Valley. The new mission was to go back to 1955 and get the almanac from Biff. Another success, but the DeLorean was struck by lightning and sent Doc to 1885. After digging the time machine out of a mine with 1955 Doc, the duo discovered that Doc was shot by Buford 'Mad Dog' Tannen. Marty traveled back to rescue his friend but ended up rupturing the gas tank, meaning he and Doc had to hijack a train to get it up to 88 miles per hour. This was another success but the DeLorean was destroyed soon after returning to 1985 and Doc had been left in 1885. Marty thought he'd never see his friend again until Doc returned in a time train. He rebuilt the DeLorean and continued to travel through time. After being absent for an extended period of time, the DeLorean returned with a tape player that led Marty to 1931, where Doc was in jail for being suspected of being the Speakeasy Arsonist. Marty helped Doc escape with the help of a rocket-powered drill built by 1931 Emmett.

Some might argue that the DeLorean was a dangerous piece of technology, having helped create a nightmare alternate reality Hill Valley ruled by Biff. But it was also arguable that the time machine did make things better. When Marty returned from his first trip to 1955, he found his family situation much improved. His parents were happy, his mom wasn't a drunk, and his dad finally had a backbone after knocking Biff out. But at the same time it was undeniable that the object in question was the cause of some damage, like it was for Marty right now.

"Doc! What's happening?"

"I don't know," replied the scientist as he watched his friend fade in and out of reality. "Unless- tomorrow's newspaper! Do you still have it?"

"Yeah…" Marty said as he pulled the paper out of his pocket and read the headline. "'Local Accountant Beaten, Left for Dead'."

Doc took the newspaper from Marty as he doubled over again and continued reading. "Local accountant Arthur McFly was severely beaten and left for dead on the steps of the Hill Valley courthouse last night-"

"They're gonna kill my grandpa?" exclaimed Marty through the pain.

"Tannen's goons, no doubt," Doc answered. "Probably in retaliation for Arthur answering that subpoena you delivered."

"What are we going to do?"

"I'm not sure what we can do. According to this, your grandfather was dumped on the doorsteps of the courthouse five minutes ago!"

While Doc was looking over the information Marty had taken out the picture of his dad and saw what he had feared. "My dad's picture is disappearing!"

"That's the time stream catching up with your grandfather's fatal wounds! Which means your father will never be born, and neither will you! Unless…" Doc stopped mid-sentence and both he and Marty looked at the DeLorean. "When did you last see your grandfather?"

"Four O'clock. In the town square," Marty informed as Doc turned on the time circuits and input the destination time.

"Let's give him enough time to make his deposition."

"Right," agreed Marty as he walked around to the back to fuel Mr. Fusion.

"We'll have to be careful not to run into ourselves," continued Doc.

"That shouldn't be a problem in your case. You were in jail."

"All right, let's get moving before the police find us-"

"Freeze!" came a voice.

"Ahh!" exclaimed Doc as he threw up his hands and found himself staring down the barrel of a police revolver.

Marty ducked behind the DeLorean as the cop issued some more orders. "Step out of the car with your hands up!"

Marty sneaked his way around to the passenger side as Doc got out the car.

"What was that?" the cop asked as Marty stopped moving.

"What was what?" asked Doc, seeming nonplussed.

"I heard something back there."

"Crap!" muttered Marty.

"I think your mistaken, officer," Doc tried to reason.

The cop advanced on Doc, making him back up to the rear of the DeLorean. As the cop looked around, Doc's face finally clicked in his mind. "Well! Looks like I caught me a fugitive! Carl Sagan, the Speakeasy Arsonist…"

"Alleged Speakeasy Arsonist if you don't mind," corrected Doc and dropped the car keys behind him as Marty inched his way to the open driver's door.

"What the heck kind of buggy is that?" the officer asked, indicating the DeLorean.

"Stay back! It's a prototype, still untested. Liable to blow up at any moment. Or suddenly take off without warning!"

"Is that so?" asked the officer with a disbelieving look before turning his head. "There it is again!"

"I think the night air's playing tricks on you, officer."

The cop forced Doc to walk around to the passenger side of the time machine before asking some more questions. "What is it, some kind of foreign job? German or something?"

"Not at all! This is solid American workmanship!"

While Doc was keeping the officer occupied, Marty finally made it to the bumper and picked up the keys from where Doc had dropped them.

"Ha!" he whispered as he pocketed them.

"Now I'm sure there's something back there," said the cop as he made Doc walk around to the front. "It looks like something out of Buck Rogers."

"A year from now, everyone will be driving these babies!"

At last Marty made it into the driver's seat, started the car and floored the pedal, being sure to keep his head down.

"Hey! Stop!" ordered the officer as the DeLorean skid around the billboard.

"Doc!" Marty called as he drove past the inventor.

"Go! Save your grandfather! I'll be fine until you get back!"

"You got it, Doc!"

The DeLorean accelerated up to 88 mph and disappeared in a flash of light leaving behind a pair of flaming tire trails and one confused police officer.

"What was that?" he asked himself, not quite believing what he had just seen.


A/N: Yes! First chapter in the next episode of my Back to the Future: The Game Novelization! Post a review telling me what you did or didn't like, just no flames or you'll all be left hanging for a year. Will Marty succeed in saving his grandpa from Tannen's men and by doing so save his own existence? Post a review to find out.

Me: Let's see what the dictionary definition of fanfiction is. Let's see, fanfiction, f-a-n... ah! Here we go! Fanfiction: a fictional account by a fan of a show, book, movie, or video game to explore themes that will not or cannot be explored via the originating medium. In Layman's terms... ALL YOU LAWYERS GET OUT OF MY HOUSE BEFORE I SUE FOR WRONGFUL PERSECUTION! I do not own Back to the Future: The Game. All rights belong to Telltale Games and Universal Studios.