Chapter 11

Thursday, February 20th, 1986

Hill Valley

9: 02 P. M.

Doc ran his eye along the machine sitting before him. His experienced vampire senses detected nothing out of the ordinary. He got in and ran a crude diagnostic test, switching on and off various parts and testing them. He was very pleased to find that everything checked out. It was time. The DeLorean was ready for testing.

The rest of his family admired the sleek car. "Emmett, it's wonderful," Josephine whispered, stroking the line of the trunk. "I think the time travel parts actually enhance the car's looks."

"It's rather crude compared to what I saw in 1955," Doc admitted. "I had to improvise some of the parts that weren't built due to Biff's influence. Thank God I got the microchip before I got committed."

"Who cares if it's crude?" Jennifer said, scratching Edison's head. Over the past two weeks, she had managed to accept Doc and Marty as members of her new family. In fact, she had some interesting feelings when it came to Marty, which the teen shared back. "As long as it gets us out of here, it could be a refrigerator for all I care."

"To tell the truth, one of my prototype designs was just that," Doc laughed.

"How are we gonna test it, Doc.?" Marty inquired. "We gonna use Edison like other you used Einstein?"

Doc shook his head, hopping out. "If that thing malfunctions, I don't want anyone that I care about in it. Nope, inanimate objects get the pleasure this time." He pulled off his left wrist watch, verified the time against his right and the time circuits, then placed it on the front seat. He set the time circuits for 2 minutes in the future, then retrieved a very clunky-looking remote from behind the seat. "There," he said, closing up the gull-wing door. "If the machine functions correctly, my watch inside the car should skip over roughly 2 minutes of time." He used the remote to start the DeLorean. "Fingers crossed."

"When did you build that monster?" Josephine asked as Doc steered the DeLorean out of the cave.

"The remote? I had these designs to go along with my time machine plans. Granted, it's crude, but it works." He maneuvered the DeLorean onto a nearby dirt road and hit the accelerator switch. The car zoomed down the road, picking up speed. "45 - 55 - 65 - 75 - 85 -88!"

The coils on the sides of the car began to glow bright blue. A flux generator on top of the roof began sending out flashes of light. The group watched in amazement as a shield of what seemed to be light formed in front of the "nose". Then, with a brilliant flash and a sonic burst of sound, it vanished, leaving behind a pair of fire trails.

Euphoric could not have described Doc's state. "IT WORKS! IT WORKS!" he screamed, pulling everyone else into a bone-crushing hug. "It really really works! I observed all of that back in 1955! Yippee!" He happily jumped up and down for a bit, then checked his watch and did a quick mental calculation. "It left at exactly 9: 06: 00, so it should be returning at 9: 08: 00."

"But didn't you set the time circuits at 9: 05?" Jennifer asked in confusion.

"Yeah, Doc, I saw the present time," Marty added. "So it should be coming at 9: 07, shouldn't it?"

"Hmm. . . . Didn't think about that. I suppose you're right. Maybe I could add something for short hops like this -- like an automatic time adjuster."

Josie literally leapt into Doc's arms for joy. "Oh, Emmett, this is wonderful! We can finally get out of here!" She looked back at the scorched earth left behind after the flaming trails had burned off. "But why did it leave fire trails?"

"A lot of energy is expended in the reaction, and I assume it heats up the car to the point where--" He glanced at his watch on a sudden gut feeling. "Great Scott! Incoming! Sorry, Josie, you have to get down."

Josie hopped down as, with a triple sonic boom, the DeLorean reappeared. Doc used the brake control to slow it down and turn it until it was stopped only a few feet from them. To everyone's surprise, the car was now iced over. Marty cautiously touched the handle and yelped in pain. "Shit! That thing is cold! Ouch. . . ."

"The heat energy must have been used up in transit," Doc mused, opening the door with his foot. He picked up his watch and compared the times. "Yes! Look!" He showed them the 2 watches. The one that had been in the car was exactly 2 minutes slow. "The machine works! We're free!"

Everyone happily piled into a big group hug. "So, where to, Emmett?" Josephine inquired. "Or, more accurately, when to?"

"I don't know. What's a time period you've always wanted to see?"

"Why don't we go to the 50s?" Marty suggested. "I'm curious to see my other self there."

"Marty, that could be rather dangerous," Doc warned. "Your other self had quite a mess to fix back in 1955. If we interfere, it could be disastrous to the space-time continuum!"

"I know it could be dangerous, but I really want to see him. He's a lucky bastard, even if he did have to date Mom. Come on, Doc. I want to see my parents before Biff screwed everything up for them."

"I'd like to see if I could find my mom and dad too," Jennifer added, giving Doc puppy dog eyes. "From before all this shit happened. I miss them a lot."

"We don't have to stay in Hill Valley, Emmett," Josie reminded him. "We could move."

"We'd have no choice," Doc sighed, grinning. "You all seem to forget a younger me is living in said past. But I do miss those good times back in 1955. They were what kept me going in Southdale before Josephine entered my life. But I don't want to do anything that would possibly destroy all I care about."

Both Marty and Jennifer tried to look persuasively cute. "Please, Doc?" they said in unison.

"Oh, go ahead. They won't stop pestering you otherwise."

Doc capitulated. "All right, all right. But we go to the last day other Marty was there. And there will be no talking to anyone or doing of anything that might interfere with what my younger self and other Marty will be doing. Also, no interaction with parents."

"That takes all the fun out of it," Jennifer pouted.

"You don't understand the risks."

"Neither do you," Jennifer pointed out. "You never actually used that machine other you built. And this one's brand new and it might not work a second time."

"Don't say that, Jen," Marty said, shivering.

"That may be true, but I did interact with a time traveler. That gives me greater experience in this area than any of you. Trust me, I know the consequences of messing with time. In fact, we all do. We're living in a world due to it."

Nobody could argue with that. Doc readied the DeLorean for her next trip, dumping in some cheap nuclear waste he'd stolen from one of Biff's factories. Even though, as a vampire, he didn't have to worry about radiation poisoning, he used gloves to load it anyway. He loaded the extra in a lead-lined case and their suitcases into the trunk, then ordered everyone into the car.

"Uh -- Doc? I don't think we're all gonna fit," Marty pointed out. "Why don't we go in shifts instead?"

"I don't want to take the chance of leaving any of you behind in this horrible place." Doc studied the car. "Edison can fit behind the seats. If we compress ourselves so we take up less space, we should all fit in the 2 front seats."

"That'll be an awful tight squeeze, Emmett," Josephine noted.

"Well, unless somebody thinks they can sit in the back with the dog. . . ."

"Maybe I can, Doc," Marty offered. "I'm kinda used to squeezing into tight places. The cupboard in the bar was the best place to hide." He climbed in and squished himself into the back. Kneeling with his knees pulled in tight and his arms by his sides, he just barely fit.

Jennifer frowned. "That doesn't look comfortable at all."

"Neither would having both of you wedged into the front seats with us," Josephine pointed out. "How is it, Marty?"

The teen squirmed out. "Uncomfortable, but I think I could stand it for a quick time hop."

"You sure?" Doc probed, not wanting his unofficial son to be in pain.

"Positive. I want to get out of here as soon as possible."

"All right then, if you're sure. Everyone in then."

Everyone smashed themselves in somehow. "Please tell me time travel is instantaneous," Jennifer begged, wedged onto Josephine's lap. The others nodded desperately, obviously jealous of Doc's unencumbered position.

"From what I observed, it is." He typed into the time circuits:

NOVEMBER 12, 1955, 6: 18 P. M.

"There. Now we don't run the risk of me falling asleep at the wheel." The passengers all gave him a look. "All right, everyone. Prepare yourselves for temporal displacement!" He turned on the car and hit the gas. All watched eagerly as the speedometer climbed. 55--65--66--75--77--85--88--

With a loud burst of temporal energy, the DeLorean vanished, never to be seen in Biff's world again.

Saturday, November 12th, 1955

Hill Valley

6: 38 P. M.

As Doc and company arrived in the past, the car suddenly shook violently; Distracted by being rudely shaken, no one noticed the ripple of flux energy running through their bodies. They had just double refluxed with another time machine, and were now in for the surprise of their lives.

Doc managed to stabilize the car. Jennifer looked around the group cautiously. "What the hell was that?"

Doc shrugged. "Temporal turbulence or something like that. We'll have to watch out for it if we ever time travel again." He stopped the car, checked the time circuits, then grinned. "But we made it! Welcome to the 50s, everyone!"

Jennifer and Marty gawked out the windows. What had been in 1986 a dirty and polluted place was now quite peaceful and pleasant. "Holy shit," Marty murmured. "Actual grass. Actual green grass."

"The sky's -- oh, wow," Jennifer breathed, looking at the beginning of sunset. "That's beautiful. Simply gorgeous."

Josephine unrolled her window and took a deep breath. "Ahhh. . . . I'd forgotten what pure air smelled like. This place looks beautiful, Emmett. Even the cemetery."

"This is like paradise," Marty said happily.

"Oh, only 'like'," Doc said, pretending to be hurt. "We'll have to find a safe place to hide the car. I don't want to risk anyone stealing it."

"In this time?" Jennifer asked in surprise.

"It may be better than the Biff-ruled 80s, but not all was roses now. A few punks might be out looking for a joy ride." He drove slowly in a circle, thinking.

"Uh, Doc? My legs are beginning to cramp up," Marty admitted.

"Oh, sorry." He stopped and let his family out. "A-ha! I know of the perfect place. There's a cave over near the drive-in, and it's not too far from here. I'll go there and meet you - at the top of the clock tower. I don't arrive until 7: 55 tonight, so we'll be safe. But stay out of sight anyway, my memory has probably been damaged by electro-convulsive--" He closed his eyes, unable to go on. Even months later, those words gave him a chill.

"Don't worry, Emmett," Josie said, giving him a kiss and a hug. "We'll be careful." The two teens joined in, promising Doc they wouldn't do anything rash. "See you in a little while."

"Right," Doc nodded, having regained control of his emotions. "Have fun." He drove off. Josie and the teens took to the air. Marty and Jennifer were astonished by what they saw below. Hill Valley looked pristine. There were no chalk outlines of murder sites or empty beer bottles littering the streets. The houses were neat and clean. Kids seemed able to actually play in their yards. "Holy shit," Marty repeated. "I can't believe Hill Valley was once like this."

"I know," Josephine said, admiring it. "I've missed this Hill Valley. Want to see the Town Square non-Biff?"

"Sure!" They made their way to the center of town. The Town Square was even nicer. The shops were open, selling things other than sex and porno. People freely roamed the streets, without fear of being shot. There was a park in the middle of the square, with some old war tanks on it. And, best of all, the clock tower was untouched, complete with a working clock. The 3 vampires settled themselves on the roof and began to people-watch.

Doc joined them as a Packard convertible pulled into the square. Even from their position, they could hear everything as the 2 figures inside got out. "How's the suit, Marty?"

"It's okay. A little itchy around the collar."

Marty turned dead white. "Weird. Really damn weird," he said quietly, staring at Marty55 who was helping Doc unload their tools. "I don't look half-bad in a suit."

Doc shook his head. "My God. I can remember doing all that, but actually seeing it from a whole different perspective. . . ." He shook his head. "Simply amazing."

"Aww, you're cute at any age," Josie grinned, making Doc blush. "Look at that curly hair. You're adorable now, but you're adorable now too." She blinked. "Did that make sense?"

"To a time traveler, it did. Let's go before my younger self comes to the clock tower." They took off. "So, where to from here?" he asked as they flew around randomly.

"How about your house, Doc?" Jennifer suggested. "Nobody's there right now."

"Hmm, I do miss the old place. . . . But actually, I think we're closer to George McFly's home. Why don't we visit him first?"

Marty nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely! Boy, seeing Dad my age. . . . It's gonna be heavy." He zoomed off, barely waiting for Doc to show him the way. Laughing, the other 3 followed in his wake.

They got there shortly before George headed for the dance. Marty sat on the roof, waiting impatiently for a glimpse of his father. Even though Doc had made a wonderful replacement, the teen couldn't help but miss his real dad. "Come on, shake a leg," he mumbled.

Finally, the teen appeared on the doorstep, in a white suit. An older gray-haired woman followed him out, smiling. She kissed him on the cheek and straightened his collar. "Be careful, Georgie. And have fun tonight."

"I will Ma, I will," George said, smiling brightly. As soon as she had closed the door, his expression turned to one of terror. He walked out to the family car, shaking like a leaf. "Calvin, Marty, whatever your name is, I should have never let you talk me into this," he grumbled. "I'm gonna screw it up, I just know it. He's having some cheap laughs at me, I'm positive." His breathing became labored. "I'm not gonna be able to do it. . . ."

He approached the car, then paused, thinking. He walked up to it, threw open the door, and snapped, "Hey you, get your damn hands off her!" He paused again, then sighed and pushed back his cowlick. "This ain't gonna work," he said, getting in.

Marty's jaw hung open as he watched George pull away. "He's -- Dad's -- George is a geek! A geek, Doc!"

"I hate to break it to you, but until he punches out Biff, he's going to stay like that."

"But the dad I remember is cool and confident?! How the hell did he go from nerd to popular guy!"

"Simple. He beat the crap out of Tannen," Jennifer said. "But how did he get up the nerve to do it?"

"It was actually thanks to other Marty," Doc admitted. "It was supposed to be that George would catch Marty -- er -- how do I say this--"

Jennifer made a face. "Like some of the bastards who groped me half-drunk?"

Marty had to lean back against the side of the upper story. "Jesus, my own mother. . . ."

"That's exactly how other Marty felt about it, as he told me. Of course, I didn't quite understand what you were saying at the time," Doc blushed.

"Emmett!" Josie exclaimed, surprised.

"No, not like that! I misunderstood some of the slang he was using to explain his nervousness. For example, he was worried he'd be gay when he got back, and I told him--" Doc swallowed and blushed deeper "--'Why shouldn't you be happy?'"

His family promptly cracked up. "Oh, that's priceless," Jennifer murmured, wiping her eyes.

"It's embarrassing," Doc snapped.

"But funny," Marty chuckled.

Josie, smiling, draped an arm around his shoulders. Before she could speak, though, Marty's grandmother's voice came up through the roof. "Arthur, did you hear all that snickering?"

The vampires looked at each other. We'd best stick with mental communications from now on, Doc thought as they beat it out of there before anyone could see them. We'll fly by my place, then what say we buzz Biff. Even if we can't take his almanac, we can at least give him a major fright. Soften him up a bit for George. Marty, Jennifer and Josephine promptly agreed to this plan, and after a quick spin by Doc's former mansion (which everyone thought was wonderful), they headed over to Biff's.

Once again, their timing was impeccable. It was 7: 23, and Biff was just leaving for the dance, in a gray suit and dark shirt. Well, he doesn't look too different, Marty mentally growled as they settled themselves on the roof of the garage.

An aged female voice yelled from inside, "Biff! Where are you going now?!"

Biff glared back at the house. "I told you Grandma, I'm going to the dance!" he yelled back. Grandma Tannen yelled some stuff back at him, which he ignored. Instead he headed for the garage the vampires were sitting on. Marty nearly went after him, but Doc held him back. When he gets his car out. He just had the thing fixed, and if we can get him into a fender-bender, he'll go ballistic.

Biff emerged a moment later in his black Ford '46. Jennifer recognized the car immediately. Hey, isn't that the same car the egotist has in his museum?

Never mind that, is that Gray's Sports Almanac on the dashboard? Josephine grinned, looking mischievous.

Never mind that, is that me in the backseat?! Marty mentally gasped, spotting a figure in black huddled back there. A quick sniff confirmed it was Marty all right. The vampires looked at each other in confusion. How had Marty made it to Biff's garage and managed to change his clothes? And what was his purpose there in the first place?

They were further confounded a moment later, as the car drove away. A man on a bicycle rode up as Biff drove off rather carelessly. A man with a very familiar face and smell. Doc's eyes bulged he saw himself again -- only this time as a 64-year-old! Sure, his face looked younger than Doc's, and lacked a certain scar, but it was definitely a 1985/86 version of him. What the hell is going on?

Doc 2 rode up to the now open garage, a puzzled expression on his face. "Marty? Marty?" he called softly, glancing around. He coasted into the garage, and looked hard. "Maarr-tty?" he asked, stretching the name out. Receiving no reply, he turned and rapidly walked the bike back out. "Marty?? Marty!" He looked around once more in frustration, then snatched a dangling price tag off his hat. "Damn, where is that kid?!"

Marty looked at Doc as Doc 2 pedaled off. You never told us a you from 1985 or something was here as well!

I didn't know about this other me either. There was only supposed to be one me and one you! No surplus!

Do you think we should follow them? Jennifer thought. Cause I'm getting the feeling something is seriously wrong here with everything.

Maybe we should. Jennifer and Josie, could you take the spare Marty? We'll follow this extraneous Doc.

We're on it, Emmett. Where should we meet to regroup, or in case of emergency?

Hmm. The best place I can think of is the roof of the Hill Valley High gym. If anyone sees us up there, they'll just think we're custodians or people like that. Besides, who would be up there?

Okay. We'll see you later. Keep us posted on the other Doc. Josie gave Doc a goodbye kiss, then the two girls took off in pursuit of Biff's car. The two guys launched themselves into the air and picked up Doc 2's trail. Something was wrong with the past, and they intended to find out what.