Chapter 3
3:50 pm
Nov 15 1985
Hill Valley California
"Of course! It's so obvious, I should have noticed it sooner."
Noticed what, Marty?" Jennifer asked as she appeared from behind a tall wire rack of cassettes.
"The Dizarsta."
"The what?"
"Dizarsta. That's what Kataclyzm used to be called. They put out an album nearly four years ago, but I think they weren't as good as they were Tuesday night, so it didn't take off. Only sold a few copies. Mind you, they only a few, distributing them to the surrounding towns, but not even a quarter sold."
"Did you buy one?"
"Excuse me, may I help you?" interrupted the store clerk, a thin man just over thirty years old named Henry Phillips.
"Oh, hi Mr. Phillips. I'm fine for the moment. I just found the Kataclyzm tape, and I was remembering how they used to be called Dizarsta."
"Alrighty. Call if you need anything."
"Sure, I will," Marty assured the long-haired man. "Now, where were we?"
"I just asked if you had bought Dizarsta's album." Jen reiterated.
"Nah. I remember seeing it in the store, this store in fact. I picked it up, but I wasn't really interested at the time."
Jennifer caught something in his voice. "At the time?" she echoed.
"Yeah, now I think it would be swell to have their first album, and compare it."
"Too bad. You know, it's funny that you remember picking it up that day, when you barely remembered the old name of the band," Jennifer commented.
"Not really. I did eventually remember the name, and on the other hand, that day just stuck in my memory. It was April fourth, and Spring had just started. There was warm sun, but a cool breeze. In fact, that was quite a windy day."
"Wow! I'm amazed you can remember so much."
"There's another thing I regret about that day, apart from not buying that tape."
"And that is?" Jennifer prompted.
"Hey, if it isn't the big M!" a newcomer to the shop exclaimed.
"Hi Needles," Marty answered in a flat voice. Then he muttered under his breath, "Speak of the devil..."
"How's it hanging McFly? After the Kataclyzm tape?"
"Yeah, actually. I was just about to go up to the counter and buy it, wasn't I Jen."
"Yes, he was."
To prove it, Marty set the tape on the counter with a stack of coins.
"Ah, great. Now, your change should be... uh..." muttered Mr. Phillips.
"Hey McFly. You still owe me a drag race," cut in Needles, reminding everyone he was still in the room.
"Me? I owe you nothing."
"Still chicken, eh?"
"No, I'm just not doing it. Here's a twenty." Those last comments were directed to the clerk."
"He is chicken, isn't he Bess?"
Needles' girlfriend, who had remained silent, nodded and answered. "He's been chicken since you dared him to skateboard tow behind that car, four years ago."
"I do that all the time now," Marty defended.
"Heh, if you can do that, you can drag me."
"Nope. It's illegal. And besides, I have better things to do." He turned to the slow clerk. "Keep the change and buy a calculator." He left the store, knowing Needles wouldn't come after him, because he hadn't bought anything yet.
As he started up his truck, heading towards Doc's place, Jennifer said, "I might suppose that the day Needles was referring to was April fourth. Am I right?"
Marty nodded, slightly miserably. "It was after I visited the music store that day. Needles dared me, but I wouldn't do it. I was too afraid of falling off and crashing. Needles has been calling me chicken ever since. I've learnt to tow really well now, but it hasn't helped."
"Don't worry. I know you aren't chicken. Who cares what Needles and his friends say?"
"That's what I've come to realise, thanks to that trip to the nineteenth century," Marty answered.
"I say, anyone who would choose a Tannen for a girlfriend isn't worth the time of day," Jennifer declared.
"Aren't you forgetting something?"
"Me? Why would I... oh! You mean that reality Doctor Brown saw where I didn't exist?"
"Yeah, I did have Bess herself as my girlfriend. Apparently she was a fairly nice person, affected by other parts of the change made to the timeline or whatever the name for it is. But you weren't around to make that statement, so it doesn't count."
"Of course not. You are certainly worth more than the time of day, in my eyes. Look! There's a new sign up!"
Marty looked as he started down the Brown's driveway. The sign was a thin board with cutout letters reading, 'Century House'. "Nice. The name 'Century' really fits, and 'House' is much better than calling it 'Mansion', 'Estate', or 'Ranch'."
"It sounds humble, which suits Doctor Brown and his family well. The shape is nice too."
"Yeah, I like it. Here we are. The driveway sure isn't short."
"That does give a lot of privacy," Jennifer pointed out as she jumped out of the black truck. "Look Marty, Doctor Brown and the boys are working on the steps."
Marty answered by walking briskly to the termite-eaten entrance. "Hi Doc, Jules, Verne. Need a hand?" he offered.
"That would be appreciated. Just hold the other end of that board. It's good to see you both."
"Same here Doc. Sorry we couldn't get over here the last couple of days."
"That's alright. I know you have other commitments, and I don't expect you to drop everything."
"Still, I'd like to help as much as I can. You are my friend." Marty turned to Verne, who was passing around nails, and said, "I heard you're working on a comic. How's it doing?"
"Great. I added Jules nearly getting trampled at the dance, after he went forward in time 'cos he hadta escape from the ravine monster."
"Oooh, that sounds... fun. What have you been doing, Jules?"
Jules, who was measuring some things with a tape and rolling his eyes at his brother's comic, answered, "I have been engaged in renovations to our domicile. Additionally, I have visited the library and read much content on the subject of history and the present state of technology."
"Wow. Anything else?"
"Yeah, I did some skateboarding this morning," he answered, dropping his 'superior' tone for a moment.
"Good to see you are enjoying yourself," Marty answered.
"That should hold it in," Emmet announced as he hammered in anther nail. "This half of the stairway should be usable, but we need to cut more wood for the rest of it. Marty, Jennifer, would you like to take a tour? We've cleaned up several rooms since your Tuesday visit."
"Sure, let's look around," Marty answered.
"That sounds interesting," Jennifer agreed.
"Right, let's get going. I'll show you the layout of the house first, and they we can take a walk around the grounds." The white-haired scientist opened one side of the huge main door for his two friends and his two sons to walk inside.
"Hey, this hallway is..." Marty struggled to find a word for it.
"Heavy?" Verne filled in.
"Something like that. I can just imagine what it would look like with some paint, wallpaper and new carpet."
"Yes, we've already removed most of the old wallpaper and carpet. I'm sure that if the carpet had stayed down any longer, the floor would have completely rot away. As it is, it will need some more sanding back."
"Hey, that's a good thing to put in the next part of my comic. Jules could..."
Jules didn't wait to find out what peril would befall him next. He grabbed Verne and clapped his hand over the younger boy's mouth. Verne responded by making a mumbling sound and biting down on Jules' finger.
"Aaargh!" Jules jerked his hand away and both boys tumbled onto the floor.
"Boys!" their father thundered. "Get up off the floor and go to your rooms at once. I suggest you think long and hard about the way you are treating one another. And Verne, you can think about making a new character for your comic, or asking Jules whether he minds you using him."
Both boys scurried upstairs.
"Is that typical for them?" Jennifer asked.
"Unfortunately, it tends to be common, but not always so pronounced. We should really do more together." Emmet took the couple through the spacious entry room, which opened into the main lounge room. This room had doors leading to the family room and a music room. A short hallway connected it to the dining room, which adjoined the sizable kitchen.
"Hello Marty, hello Jennifer," greeted Clara who was preparing a chicken to roast. "Would either of you like a drink?"
"I'm fine, but thanks for asking," Marty replied.
"Could I have a glass of water please?" Jennifer asked.
"Certainly. Emmet, would you mind getting the jug out of the refrigerator? My hands are too messy."
He poured his guest her drink, and everyone looked around the kitchen and dining room while she drank. "You sure have your work cut out for you here, but it'll be great when it's done," Marty said as he clambered up the staircase to the second storey.
"Yes, but if we put our minds to it, we can accomplish anything. I've already had the plumber and electrician go over the place, getting it up to standard. This is the library. I had to get the place to a certain stage before we could move in here, and the council will still come and inspect it occasionally, to make sure we are not leaving it in an unsatisfactory state. The boys' rooms are down that hall, and this is the study."
"Nice study," Marty commented. "I could do with a desk like this."
"What else is upstairs?" Jennifer asked, stepping over a pile of wallpaper scraps.
"Ah, the master bedroom is around that corner, and there are a couple of spare bedrooms down the hall in the other direction. There is also a sewing room for Clara, and an entertainment room. That is, it will be an entertainment room by the time we finish with it. There is also a guest suite downstairs, which we did not pass. And, naturally, a laundry."
"Everything including the kitchen sink, eh Doc?" Marty said with a chuckle.
"It seems that way at times. Now, if you'll follow me down these stairs, we can look around the grounds."
After making their way outside, the group passed through a large stand of ancient pine trees, following a faint path barely worn in the carpet of brown needles. Jennifer sniffed at the ambient pine smell. "It's really lovely in the trees," she commented.
"Yeah, there's something peaceful about trees like these," Marty readily agreed. "I think it has something to do with the shade.
Emmet nodded as he lead the happy couple along the path. The track eventually curved around and emptied out of the woods a little way behind the house. Across a flat clearing stood a rustic looking stable.
"Neat," was Marty's quick verdict. "Are you guys going to get some horses some time?"
"We already have a couple of horses, actually.
"Really?" Jennifer answered with a dose of excitement in her voice. "Can I see them?"
"Certainly, if you'll just follow me."
"Hang on a second Doc. How can you be buying horses when you've only just moved in and you've been so busy rebuilding most of it?"
"Most? Hardly most of it," Emmet answered with a laugh. Actually, we've had these horses for a few years."
"A few... whoa, heavy."
"What, what is it?" Jennifer wanted to know.
"You brought the horses with you from the past, right?" Marty suggested.
"That I did. I simply converted part of the inside of the train's tender into a sort of horse trailer. Of course, I had to go easy on the acceleration and deceleration." By this time, the group had reached the stable, so Emmet threw open the heavy wooden door.
Marty stepped in to the dim enclosure. He chose not to comment on the obvious musty smell. However, Jennifer could not keep herself from falling into a fit of sneezing.
"I'll open a window," Emmet suggested. "This place seriously needs airing. Are you alright Jennifer?"
"I've been better. Where are the horses?"
"Towards the end. Here we are. This one is Mike, and that one is Tom."
"Nice, simple names," Marty commented. "I would have thought you would have given them names of scientists, like your dogs."
Emmet coughed slightly. "Well actually, they are named for Michael Faraday and Thomas Edison. But the boys chose to call them Tom and Mike, and it suits them. We used them for hauling a wagon back in the 19th century.
"They're gorgeous!" Jennifer exclaimed, giving Mike a neck rub. "I wish I had an apple to give them."
Emmet gave a guilty look and pulled a pair of shiny apples out of his pocket. "Would these do?"
"Oh, thankyou." The girl quickly fed the fruits to the golden-brown beasts, who munched them contentedly.
"We need to keep moving, if you want to get home. I'll show you a bit more of the land and then we can look in the barn before you leave."
Jennifer reluctantly left the horses and followed the others through a rambling garden.
Marty looked at the view of the hills, now that they were no longer in the confines of the pine trees. "Say, you're certainly close to the higher part of the region out here. Closer to the canyons, too."
"Yes, there are some nearby canyons, but they are fortunately outside the boundary of our property. As you can see, we have a lot of wooded land around the house, giving a lot of privacy."
"Yeah, that should stop hoods from vandalising your place, or people from spying on you to see what you're up to."
"Remember, you used to be one of those hoods, Marty."
"That was a long time ago, and I'm not particularly proud of it. Where's the barn?"
"Just over this rise."
"Rise? This is a hill," Jennifer complained.
"Don't quit now, we're already at the top," Marty joked."
Jennifer poked him lightly in the side with her elbow.
The barn was a large, two storey, affair of peeling red paint. Emmet opened the small side-door (unlocking a huge padlock) and motioned for the teens to venture in. Marty instantly saw the primary object stored in the barn: the time train. It rested in the centre of the enclosure in all its eerie glory. He stepped towards the special vehicle for a closer look.
"This is pretty unbelievable, Doc. I only saw it for a moment previously, and I've been constantly been wondering whether it was really as big and as, uh, interesting looking, as I remembered."
Emmet gave a wry grin. "Interesting looking?" he echoed. "Does that mean 'strange'?"
Marty mulled over the question for a moment, and then answered, "Nah, it's just unusual. I guess it would look more at home in a Jules Verne book. Nut really, it's nice. It's partly antique, partly futuristic, and highly 'Doc-esque'."
Jennifer laughed. "Whatever do you mean by that word, Marty?"
"It's just the sort of style that Doc likes to use. Too bad we never got to see the DeLorean and the train side-by-side."
"Well, that's probably a good thing. One time machine is bad enough, but having two... it makes my blood run cold."
"That's a scary thought Doc, but it might stop you from running around so fast. Sometimes I can barely keep up with you," Marty jested.
Emmet looked puzzled. "How would having two time machines help in that case?"
"No Doc, I mean the cold blood bit."
"Oh, right. An attempt at a joke. Would you like to see inside?"
"Just a quick look please Doctor Brown. We really must be going soon."
"As must I. Jules and Verne have some discipline heading in their direction." He opened the door by way of the remote in his pocket, and the trio climbed aboard. The scientist started pointing various parts out. "These are the time display wheels, which rotate to the correct position to show all those details. These typewriter keys are to enter the destination time. Here are the usual dials for the train's normal operation. After converting to fusion power in the future, I don't normally use these, but if something goes wrong, I can use steam for motive power."
"But doesn't the flux capacitor use fusion power too?"
"Yes, it does."
"So if the fusion generator thing didn't work, you could get to 88, but the flux capacitor couldn't work, right? Where is the flux capacitor?"
"It's in the back, in the tender. I originally had a bank of regular capacitors connected to a transformer system, which fed off a steam-powered generator I incorporated into the steam engine. I had enough wiring without connecting from the storage bank back across to the engine. So I put the flux capacitor in the tender. I left it in the same place when upgrading in the future, and I have connected it to a second fusion generator."
"That's smart. Imagine if the Mr. Fusion had been damaged when we were in 1885."
"Marty, don't," Jennifer warned. "You're scaring me."
"Sorry Jen. Doc, can we take a peek in the tender?"
"Certainly. I'll just open the main hatch for you." He walked around the long time vehicle to the back end of the tender, and inserted a strangely shaped key into a small slot. He twisted it in a number of different directions, pushing it in and releasing it in a complicated pattern. Finally, there was a loud click, and the hatch slowly lowered. Racks of various tools and supplies lined the inner walls, and Marty spied three glass tubes in a Y shape behind a wire mesh, fixed on the far wall."
He commented, "You could have a complete lab in here Doc."
Emmet laughed. "Not quite, but it would do if I was in a tight spot. As for my real lab, it will be here in the barn, after the rest of the house is done."
"That should give Marty plenty of work, shouldn't it Marty," Jennifer said with a smile.
"Uh yeah, I guess it will. I can help with the rebuilding a little too, if you like," Marty answered with almost full sincerity.
Emmet gave the teen a puzzled look. "Why do I get the feeling you are buttering me up for something?"
"Can I ask you a favour Doc?" Marty instantly replied.
"I certainly won't stop you from asking," his friend answered with a twinkle.
"Remember that band the other night, Kataclyzm?"
"Indeed I do. They were so loud -especially compared to the Pinheads - that it would be impossible for the occasion to pass out of my memory."
"I'll take that as a yes. Today I discovered that they released an album five years ago, which failed miserably. Only a handful of copies sold. So I got to wishing I'd bought one, just to see what they were like back then."
Emmet caught on quickly. "You want me to take you back a few years so you can buy yourself a copy?"
"Yes. Please, I mean. But not right now."
"Hmm. It sounds like it could be a good idea. Do you have a specific date, or do we need to do a little research to find when we need to go to?"
Marty was a little surprised that the Doc seemed to be encouraging the trip, and even more surprised that he had ended his sentence with a preposition. It showed he must be a little excited about the prospect of a little trip through time. Marty had the perfect time. "The fourth of April, 1980 should do the trick. I know the tape should be in the store then. But we'll need to rug up: it was really windy that day, trust me."
"Windy? That could be useful."
"Why?" both teens asked in unison.
"I constructed a kite for the boys, last century. They have been asking to take it for a fly, but we haven't experienced sufficient wind velocity for flight to be feasible. But an outing to the past would be a nice trip. We could turn it into a little picnic, if we take precautions. It would give us a break from building."
"So, should we do it tomorrow?"
"I see no arguments to the contrary. Come over at midday. Do you plan to join us Jennifer?"
The girl in question shook her head. "I'll be shopping with my mom tomorrow. I'm not sure if I like the idea of going back in time, either."
"Don't worry Jen. Everything's turned out fine before, and the world is a better place because of it."
"Look who's speaking. You're the one who nearly got shot a few times, almost got dropped in the ravine by an exploding train, got chased by Indians, got kissed by your mom, got attacked by Biff, need I go on?"
"Uh, I see your point. But that's all in the past, and the future and the present are a lot better because of it."
"True, but I'm still not in a hurry to go and mess with time again. As if running into my own, aged, self wasn't bad enough. We should really go now." She turned to their host. "Thankyou for showing us around like this Doctor Brown. Good luck managing those two sons of yours."
"I'll need it, so thankyou Jennifer. I'll show you the quickest way back to the entrance, where your truck is, Marty." The tall, white-haired man locked up the train and the barn. "Step this way." He led his young friends past some wild hedges and overgrown shrubs. "Goodbye, both of you. Marty, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye Doc, thanks for everything." Marty put his truck into gear and spun out onto the street, waving.