July 18, 1986
8:39 p.m. EDT
Ever so slowly, the spaceship sank to earth. The Freemans came running out of their house, desperate to see their son. Biff staggered out of the bushes, still dazed. "When I get my hands on that kid…!!" he groaned to himself. Then he saw the ship touching down. He rubbed his hands in delight. "The jackpot's back on!" he said gleefully.
Inside the spaceship, everyone was on edge as the door morphed open. David took several deep breaths and started down the stairs. Even from where he was standing, Marty couldn't mistake the tasers and other tranquilizing devices several of the security men in the rear were holding. "Just don't get killed," he whispered under his breath.
Faraday took Scroeder's megaphone. "David, step away from the spaceship please," he instructed the boy, "We mean you no harm here."
"Come here son," Mr. Freeman gestured affectionately. His wife followed suit. For a few minutes David stared at all before him. Then he made his decision. "I'm sorry, I don't belong here," he called to everyone and ran back up the steps into the ship.
"Stop him, stop that ship!" Scroeder yelled to his men. He hefted a machine gun and fired away at the ship, even though it was clear mere bullets would have no effect on it. His fellow security personnel followed suit as it rose into the sky until it was out of range. "Damn!" Scroeder cursed as it disappeared from sight.
"So what do we do now, Scroed?" Biff asked as he came over, still watching the heavens.
Scroeder grabbed him by the collar. "Call me Scroed one more time and I tear your head off!" he threatened him, "But in the meantime, we'll scramble the jets for intercept, have them bring it down by force."
There was a loud, almost apocalyptic horn blast as the Overlorder pulled up in front. Catledge stuck his head out the door. "Scroeder, get in, we're going after it," the supreme scientist told him.
"Me too," Biff plowed his was into the vehicle. "Wow, what's this thing?" he asked, amazed by all he saw.
"The Overlorder," Gately told him, "The most sophisticated weapons system ever built, able to deliver horrific destruction with innumerable weaponry: missile, lasers, rockets, bombs, you name it. And best yet, it can seamlessly adapt to land, sea and air maneuvering, including the far reaches of space."
"Oh, so it's kind of what Dr. Claw drives, then?" Biff asked, examining several control panels.
"Sort of, yes."
"Tannen, sit down somewhere where you can't cause any trouble and fasten your seatbelt; we're going up after them," Catledge said, reversing the Overlorder and peeling down a side street, "We're going to blow Emmett Black clean out of the sky into a fiery grave."
"What about the kid?" Biff asked, "You'll kill him too."
"I have the technology I need, Tannen, so the child is of no more use to me. He can perish in the crash too for all I care," Catledge told him. He activated the radio. "Tell them to keep the A1A bridge raised until further notice and clear out the road; I need a clear trajectory," he ordered someone on the other end as they tore down a side street toward the south end of Fort Lauderdale. After he was about a half mile from the Intercoastal Waterway, he swerved wildly back toward A1A and threw the master terrain switch from Land to Air/Space. Immediately the Overlorder started shifting shape. Wings with jet and rocket engines burst out from the sides, a tail and fins rose up, and the vehicle started getting more streamlined. Haeckel howled, apparently knowing what was about to happen. "Be a man, you lousy dog!" Catledge warned it. For a few minutes he stayed in neutral in the middle of A1A, gunning the engine until it got high pitched, like a jumbo jet's just before takeoff. Then he floored it, and the Overlorder rocketed up the highway at well over a hundred miles an hour, roared up the nearly vertical section of the drawbridge, and rose up high into the Floridian night. "This is fun!" Biff exclaimed, apparently not caring about the 7 Gs or so they were experiencing, "You should spin this off into a thrill ride, Dr. Catledge!"
Catledge said nothing. He kept his eyes steeled toward the black heavens before him, apart from an occasional glance at the radar so he'd know where his quarry was. The radio buzzed, but due to the static of them leaving radio space, he could barely hear Faraday on the other end asking, "Dr. Catledge, I think they're heading to the north a little. Dr. Catledge, are you there? Dr. Catledge?"
Back on the ground, Marner slumped his head. "At least ten million dollars right down the drain," he said sadly to Faraday, "Some luck I have."
"We'll get them back, I promise," Faraday told him firmly.
"Faraday!" before the scientist could fully react, Mr. Freeman had slugged him in the face. "I'll see you in court!" he told him as he staggered off, clutching a bleeding nose, "I'll see all of you in court!"
"Great," Marner said glumly, "But before we get to court, could you show me where the nearest bar is? I really need to get drunk right now."
"Human time travel is just too dangerous!" Max was still protesting as they rose high above the clouds over Fort Lauderdale.
"I don't care!" David told him, "I want to go home, and I order you as the Navigator to take me there!"
"But I did take you home!" the alien said.
"Alien life form, listen to me carefully!" Doc took hold of him and looked him straight in his eye, "One of things we do here on earth is appeal to one's emotions, even if it runs contrary to reason. The fact is David wants to go back to 1978 because he's happier there than he is here. It would be criminal of you not to want to assist him in achieving that desire!"
"But your system of temporal displacement isn't up to my usual specifications!" Max said.
"Trust me, it'll work!" Doc said, frustrated, "Look, it's worked perfectly all the times I've done it before. You may perceive all earthly technology to be inferior, and I'm sure in many ways it is, but it'll be successful. But I need your assistance to do it successfully, so if this will work, you'll have to uphold your part of the bargain we agreed on earlier. Now I'm drawing a line," he drew a mark on the floor with his foot, only find nothing came up due to its spotlessness. "Well anyway," he went on, "All who want to give temporal displacement a chance cords this line."
There was a rush as everyone crossed the line. Marty hesitated for a brief second, still feeling he should say something about David's premature death, but shook his head and walked over. Max lowered his "head" in resignation. "Very well," he said, "We must begin the journey then."
"Very good," Doc became quite animated. He ran over to the corner and dumped out the contents of the big sack he'd brought along. "Now, since Catledge had to go ruin the party down there, we're going to have to jump," he said.
"Wait a minute, JUMP!!?? From two miles above the earth!?" Amy was aghast.
"Don't worry, I have all the precautions in place for a feat of this nature," Doc erected what looked like a giant microscope. "I'll have to ask you all to stand under here," he said, "We need to protect our bodies upon reentry."
"What exactly is that, Doc?" Marty had to know.
"Fortunately I was able to obtain several spin-offs from the space program in the 25th century," Doc said, "One of which was this self-body shielder. It coats the body with the same substance used on heat-deflecting tiles used today on the space shuttle. Don't worry, it's completely harmless to the human body and wears off after twenty-four hours."
He pulled a chain on the side, and a fine mist came down and covered him. "It'll harden with time," he explained, "And while you're all waiting to spray yourselves, have one of these," He opened a pillbox filled with pinkish capsules. "Oxygen tablets," he told them all, "Made chewable for easier usage."
"Neat," Marty took one and started chewing. It tasted like peppermint. "Just breath naturally," Doc instructed him, "That activates the air supply. You should probably take one too, David, it'll get like vacuum in here once the door opens."
"OK," David took one and chewed on it. Marty took his place under the shower and pulled the chain. It felt like a light dousing of dew, but didn't hurt at all. "Yep, good thing you got it, Doc," he agreed.
"I don't need no oxygen pills," Johnny-5 pointed out.
"No, but I think you should still take a shower," Doc gestured toward it, "You would still burn up in the atmosphere unprotected. Don't worry, it won't rust you."
"And finally," Doc picked up a square object, "Our parachutes."
"Just one?" Newton looked very worried.
Doc pressed a button on the side marked CLONE. A second parachute appeared almost if by magic. He pressed the button several times until there were enough chutes for everyone. "To open them, all you have to do is pull first the green, and then the blue cords," he explained, "In additional, you'll need these goggles to protect your eyes from the sun." He handed out several of the goggles in question "These are equipped with normal screening for use inside the stratosphere north of the tropopause extra screening for use about the stratosphere. Press these buttons on the side to activate each level of protection. And now, to set the circuits up."
He tossed Marty the keys to the amplifier. Marty nodded and turned the machine on. "Are you sure with all this power the works won't blow, Doc?" he asked as he set the switches and dials to peak capacity.
"Hopefully all will be well," Doc said, flipping on the generators and setting them at their highest levels. "I don't think the threshold of explosion is close to what we have. "At any rate, time circuits on."
He threw the switch again, and this time the displays stayed on when lit up. "Setting destination time, July 4, 1978, 8:30 p.m.," the scientist said as he punched in the proper date, "Now all we have to do is load up Mr. Fusion."
There was a mad scramble as everyone poured in everything they had: trash, plutonium, the radiation suits, and more. Doc closed the top and hit the fusion button. "And I guess that's everything," he said, "I'm counting on you to do your part with the temporal displacement, Max. Other than that, it's all in your hands, David. Just take this baby up to 111 miles an hour, and you should God willing be back in 1978."
"Wait, a hundred and eleven miles an hour?" Marty frowned.
"Owing to the differences in our technologies, additional velocity will be necessary in this situation," Doc explained.
"Well, I'd like to thank you guys for everything," David said with a bittersweet smile, "It'll be really hard saying goodbye and all. I'll never forget you."
"And we'll never forget you," Marty smiled back equally bittersweet, "You're a great guy, Dave, and you've really made something of yourself today. Whatever comes…"
And then suddenly, from out of nowhere, a loud explosion rocked the side of the ship, sending everyone tumbling over to the port side. "What the hell was that!?" Wayne demanded.
"Oh Dr. Gray!!" came an unmistakable sound from somewhere behind them, "I've got a little present for you!"
Another explosion hit the ship. "Open the door!" Doc shouted to Max. When he did so, the senior scientist gasped in horror at what was behind them. "GREAT SCOTT!!!" he cried, "He's got the Overlorder! I forgot he supplied the essential parts for it!"
"The Over-what?" Marty didn't like the sound of that.
"The ultimate weapon of destruction," Doc told him and everyone, "K.O.N.D.O.R. funded its construction, but due to red tape and malfunctions, it didn't become fully operational until about 2031. But I forgot he had the prototype in his possession!"
"Eat TNT, Brown!" Catledge fired another salvo of missiles at the spaceship. These missiles exploded along the starboard side, and shorted out the circuits so that the Destination Time once again was malfunctioning at January 1, 1885. "Confound it, come on!" Doc swore, kicking the display until it returned to normal. "Evasive maneuvers, quick!" he told David, "But stay over Fort Lauderdale!"
"How am I supposed to know where Fort Lauderdale is!?" David pointed down to the mess of lights in the Florida Peninsula below.
"Just take your best guess!" Doc told him.
Marty picked up the nearest radio. "Look you guys!" he shouted into it, "You don't want to do this!"
"Hey McFly, you know what they say!" Biff shouted over the radio as he launched several rockets at the ship, "If you can't stand the heat, stay outta Phoenix!!"
"It's the kitchen, Biff, 'If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen!'" Marty corrected him, not really knowing what else to do. Laser blasts rocked them now.
Johnny-5," Doc asked the robot, "Would you mind doing one last favor for me? See if you can disable them with a well placed laser shot or two."
"You gotcha big daddy," Johnny-5 zoomed back to the very front of the ship. "Happy trails, Davey," he told the boy in a John Wayne voice.
"Happy trails, Johnny-5," David patted him on the sensors. Johnny-5 turned on his laser. "Consider yourself terminated," he now said in an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice as he peeled at high speed toward the door. Once he'd gone into space, he fired at the Overlorder.
"Watch it, it's that blasted robot!" Scroeder shouted, but it was too late; the laser hit the front grill of the Overlorder and exploded it. The weapon of destruction started sagging back toward the atmosphere, burning hotly.
"Yes!" Doc pumped his fists in delight. "All right, women and children first," he announced, handing out parachutes.
"Uh, are you sure we can't just land now that they're up here?" Amy asked nervously, "I'd rather not…"
"Come one Amy, if Dr. Brown says it's safe, it'll be safe," Nick dragged her toward the door.
"Now come on Nick, I think your getting just a…NICK!!!" Amy's plea went unanswered as he half-dragged her out into space.
"Well, I guess we're next," Newton took Stephanie's hand, "It was nice getting to know you, David."
"it was great to…" David started to say.
"Uh Doc, I think we've got a little problem here with the generators!" Marty pointed at them. Two of them were dying completely. Doc flicked them back up to no avail. "Great Scott!" he groaned, "This seriously takes away from our energy capacity!"
"Well can you fix it?" David asked, worried, "I can't just be stuck here now!"
"I don't know!" Doc put his hand to his face, "There's no other conceivable way I can think of to generate an additional 0.45 jigowatts that we'd need for temporal displacement!"
"So it was all for nothing?" Marty groaned.
"No it's not!" Wayne broke open his case, "Use my machine, Dr. Brown."
"What?" You'd be willing to sacrifice you're life's work for this?" Marty was amazed.
"Well, admittedly no, but I think there's something a little more valuable at stake here," Wayne stroked his machine lovingly before, admittedly with reluctance, handing it over to his mentor.
Doc smiled. "Thank you Wayne, this construes something of great selflessness," he said, "Just like I always taught in our classes. Yes, Looking over your system here, I'd say this machine would generate about two-thirds of a jigowatt, more than enough! Help me plug it in!"
Back in the Overlorder, Catledge, threw several switches. "Haeckel, hit that switch next to you marked Fire Control!" he ordered his dog. Haeckel did so, and the blaze up front was extinguished. "OK, now I'm really mad!" Catledge roared, throwing a few more power dials. The Overlorder rose back up, "I'm going to ram all my plutonium right down your throat!"
"Go nail them, sir!" Gately encouraged his boss as he hit the activation switch for the plutonium missile on the Overlorder's side.
Back inside the ship, Doc secured the shrinking machine to the circuits. He threw a switch, and power zipped from the ray to the time controls. "Perfect," the scientist gave it a thumbs up. "All the rest of you go."
Wayne nodded as he, Newton, and Stephanie jumped. "Well, it's all in your hands now," Doc told David, "I know you'll do well."
"And remember Dave," Marty said, feeling he had to at least clear his conscience a little bit, "Like Doc always tells me, your future hasn't been written yet, so whatever happens, make sure you make the right choices."
"I will," David told him, "I'll always remember you, Marty."
"And for you, Max, I wish your research the best back on Phaelon," Doc told the alien, "If you need anything in the future—or the present, or whatever, give me a call back here on earth."
"You know it, Doc," Max told him. Then he slumped down and became reddish in his iris. "What's he doing now?" Marty asked.
"Starting temporal displacement," Doc said, "It's time we take our leave of…"
"WATCH OUT!!!" Marty's cry came too late. There was an unexpectedly large dent in the side of the spaceship, and whatever had caused it was ticking. "Great Scott, an H-bomb!" Doc recognized it immediately, "David, get this baby up to 111 mph now! It's going to blow in less than thirty seconds!"
"Right!" David floored it. Marty followed his friend over to the door of the spaceship, Doc stopping to wave goodbye to the shrunken Libyans, who Marty knew they'd likely never see again. Below them the earth was shrouded in nighttime darkness. "All right," Doc said, lowering the protective layers on his goggles and motioning for Marty to do the same, "One for the money, two for the show, three for the continuum, and here we go!!"
The two of them dove out into space. Ahead of them, Catledge laughed sadistically. "I've got you now, Brown," he said, flicking another switch that activated a large blade on the front of the Overlorder. "It's time to die!" he snarled, rocketing straight toward his enemy. Both Marty and Doc saw him coming and just managed to swim to the sides as the Overlorder buzzed by. Catledge started to turn around to lunge at them again….
"Where'd that spaceship go!?" Scroeder yelled, pointing at the space it had previously been in. It had vanished completely into thin air. The plutonium warhead was still there, however, and it fell onto the windshield of the Overlorder. Everyone inside had just enough time to scream before it detonated in a huge blaze of light, incinerating them.
"Don't look at the blast!" Doc pulled Marty's head away from it, "We'll be safe; our body shields protect against radiation. I sure hope David made it back in time, though, otherwise a discharge of this size may well have catastrophic effects on the planet after fallout!"
"When do you think we'll know, Doc?" Marty had to shout to be heard above the screaming turbulence of the exosphere.
"If my calculations are correct, we'll know in about three minutes once we're safely back in the atmosphere," Doc said, crossing his fingers.