NOTE: My stupid computer doesn't seem to want to recognize italics anymore. So, I've replaced them with boldface. I've got no idea why that works.
Monday, October 26th, 2010.
6 AM.
Three sonic booms sounded alongside Route 395 on the edge of suburban Hill Valley, as Emmett Brown broke the time barrier.
In an instant, Doc saw something change, so he knew he had successfully traveled through time. I've done it, he thought, still sweating a bit, nervous of the Libyan situation that had brought him here. The light hadn't changed much – dawn was only very barely breaking – but something else had. There were now housing developments alongside the road.
It looked as if 395 still headed into the Northern California mountains from this point, but the edge of town was clearly extended by at least a couple miles. Since it was a Monday morning, and Doc figured people still worked at this time in the future, he worried more than a few residents or motorists might hear his arrival. As he slowed his speed quickly, to an average 30, something hit him as odd, though.
I hardly can notice anybody traveling in land vehicles at this typically busy hour. Does the average workday begin at a later time, perhaps 11 O'clock, instead of 9? Did I just encounter an incredible stroke of luck?
He heard some noises from above, however, they didn't sound like airplanes or helicopters. Curiously, he pulled over, exited the DeLorean and looked up, gasping as he saw something he never expected.
Flying automobiles on a skybound highway. Unbelievable.
The airbound highway didn't look extremely advanced. In fact, it looked to be unfinished and a bit undeveloped, such as lane markers not all set up. However, it was evidentially safe enough for light traffic.
Before he attracted attention from somewhere, especially with a now almost 30 year-old car, he decided to make a U-turn and head in the direction of town. He had to admit, he really wondered what his hometown would look like a quarter century later. Things had changed noticeably in between 1960 and 1985. Besides, technology was getting more advanced by the minute, so the scientist assumed 2010 would look even more different.
He had planned to check on a few things, such as history, medical advances, household stuff. Maybe the advancement of movies, sports, and especially rock music, for his young friend, Marty.
Great Scott! Marty! I was supposed to check up on that kid! I nearly forgot in all the events in my past few minutes. Should I just go try to find him at this moment? He should remember, precisely, because we had that conversation before my departure. Than again, it's a possibility it slipped from his memory.
Before arriving in central Hill Valley – where the Courthouse Square was – he would pass Lyon Estates, and he assumed at least Marty's parents would still live there, as they had since 1963. Well, he hoped Marty himself wouldn't still live there at 42 years old! However, it would be hard to look at the house and not think of Marty, nonetheless.
Within minutes, he came upon the Twin Pines Mall, the site of this experiment, one in which already seemed like quite a while ago. He could clearly see the trademark JC Penney still there, he even could make out the general location of the experiment he had just done. Well, at least to him, he had just done it.
He saw lights on and a lot of activity going on. The building now was 3 stories tall, and looked easily that many times bigger as it did in 1985. The road in the air he had just seen also had several ramps that spilled in and out of a huge parking garage that essentially served as the 4th level of the mall. It was combined with old-fashioned road vehicles, but even those looked fairly new to the time traveler. In fact, he thought he might've seen only one or two cars that could've been from the 80's, and even those were rare, and probably came from closer to the early 90's.
Something else caught his attention. The reason the mall was so crowded is that it was open on a Monday morning. This was confirmed by a large, glowing sign out front.
Twin Pines Mall. Grand re-opening. Now open 24 hours. Hill County's busiest shopping center since 2006.
I don't believe it! When Marty said it would be open 24 hours, surely he was halfway joking, but the kid was right.
After looking around at the outside, he noticed he was getting a few stares from shoppers. "Hey, yo! Got a tight car there, old dude!" shouted a young man walking on the street, who was probably in his teens or early 20s.
Doc didn't completely understand the futuristic slang, but knew enough of it to tell it was a compliment on the car. He said a quick thanks and waved, as he sped off, heading west on 395, toward Marty's house.
In 1985, there had been many shops on this street, and most of it was built up, but now even that seemed pretty deserted compared to now. Many of the same places were still there, but just with expansions. There were quite a few new shopping centers too. One place, called Best Buy appeared to sell electronics, but Emmett had never heard of it before. Before he could even ask the question, it was answered for him. A half mile down, there was a Circuit City in a brand new parking lot, so he knew they didn't replace the other electronics places. In 1985, this had been an empty space across the street from Lyon Estates, right near Jennifer Parker's housing development.
As Doc turned right, into Marty's neighborhood, that was still immediately recognizable. There was more noise in the area, newer cars on the street and in driveways, additions onto houses, but there were houses that you could look at and not have any idea you weren't still in the 1980's.
The scientist's heart beat a little faster as he pulled into the McFly's driveway, which seemed pretty deserted. There was a 1997 station wagon parked in the corner of the driveway, just beyond the garage that already looked like it had been around the block, quite literally.
Only one vehicle? Quite strange. I recall his mother liking station wagons. Mr. McFly might be away if that's the case.
He thought he'd ask Marty's parents where he was. It would still be a shock to see them older, but less of a shock than to see a teenage guy he spent many days with, transformed into his early 40s. As he opened the screen door, it flimsily glided open, seeming like it was ready to fall off its hinges any day. They clearly haven't replaced that in 25 years thought Doc, as he sighed to himself, thinking of all the stories Marty told him, complaining about how much of a loser his family was, especially his pushover father, George.
The rest of the house also seemed to be in similar disrepair. Not bad enough to attract attention or anything, but definitely not cared for, in comparison to many other houses in the neighborhood. The grass on their very small lawn was dying out. Weeds were everywhere. The driveway was cracked, and the paint job on the house was wearing off badly.
In fact, as he looked around, he realized the already run down 'new' car was the only thing he didn't recognize here. Everything else looked to be a logical future version of what it was in 1985. The sensation was already making him feel very uneasy. It was almost like he was visiting one of those houses he'd seen on television before, where there was a total mess everywhere, and it belonged to an elderly person whom had virtually no contact with the neighbors, and almost no one ever visited.
It was as if whoever lived here had simply given up on it.
Should I be intruding on these premises? Perhaps this isn't the best course of action. Maybe I should telephone them, but their phone number might have changed. Besides, wouldn't they assume my present self already has contact with Marty?
GREAT SCOTT! My present self! I would be extremely old at 90 years, 7 months, and 25 days of age, to be exact. What if I have already passed naturally by now? I'll certainly have some explaining to do about that! Even if I haven't died, I would've likely aged even more, how might I explain that?
The questions kept coming in his head.
What if I turned around and went into town to find out about my own fate? No, I couldn't. I feel that looking myself up goes against my own beliefs. Besides, the risks are too great. I could run into other townsfolk and have to cover for myself. I don't even know the proper way to use the now modern technology. Besides, if I am going to discover about myself, I'd rather hear it from Marty.
If any unpleasantness comes up in my soon-to-be possible meeting with Marty's parents, I will simply disguise my voice and appearance to the best of my ability. That kid always said he wanted to move out of this place fast, and, theoretically, I suppose I can't blame him. Perhaps, if that's true, my advantage may be that his parents forgot my exact appearance over time.
As he studied the old screen door, he quickly rang the doorbell, which still worked! Feeling a little guilty for being here so early, he knocked on the door lightly, as well. In a matter of seconds, he would find out about the future of his best friend's parents.
