Chapter One

Saturday, October 25th, 1985

10:59 PM

Marty woke up from his dream in a cold sweat. He was a bit disorientated by the dream. It was like it had just happened yesterday that he had seen Doc and Clara race off into the sky in Doc's flying train.

Marty lazily fell out of bed and stared at his alarm clock. It read "11:00 pm, October 25th". It was Saturday! It hadn't happened just yesterday, it had happened today!

He leapt up and quickly donned his orange down vest. He needed nothing else; he'd slept in his clothes again. He bounded into the kitchen only to find it empty. No one was awake. Not at this hour. Marty noticed a note on the kitchen table. It was from his mother, Lorraine: "Dear Marty, you didn't wake up yet after you fainted this morning, so we let you sleep in. There's some food in the fridge. -Mom."

Marty scratched his head. He had fainted? When did that happen? Just then the phone rang.

"Hello?" Marty said.

"Marty? You're awake! Are you okay? I was so worried."

"Jennifer? How's it going?"

"Great," Jennifer answered, "But you didn't answer my question."

"Huh, oh I'm fine. What happened?"

"You fainted at the railroad crossing and I brought you home in your truck. Your mother was so worried, Marty. She put you to bed and started asking me why you were wearing those heavy cowboy clothes in that heat."

"Well I'm fine now."

"By the way, where did you get that outfit? It smells like it's been around for about eighty years."

"A hundred," Marty corrected then instantly reprimanded himself with a smack to the forehead.

"What?"

"Uh, never mind."

"So what was in that letter?"

"What?"

"The letter that man gave you, Marty." Jennifer said, "What did it say?"

"The letter…"

"Don't tell me you forgot."

"No, I…it's right here." Marty said after feeling around in his pockets for the letter. He folded it open. So it was true! "Yeah, it's from a, uh, a friend."

"From Doc Brown?" Jennifer asked.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I was there when he flew off in that train of his."

"Oh, right. I'll get back to you, okay?"

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye." Marty hung up the phone as he straightened the letter out so he could read it. It was definitely Doc's handwriting.

Dear Marty,

You should be receiving this letter just after you've seen my new time machine disappear into the sky on October 25th, 1985 at 11:30 am.

I am writing you this letter from the date December 30th, 1941. Clara and I have just arrived and have settled in Hill Valley. Don't worry, we are alive and well with one exception; after coming from 1985 and into 1941, we were caught in a lightning storm. Fortunately, the time circuits are intact and functioning thanks to a new power relay system I've built. Unfortunately, the flying circuits have been disabled and the train is stuck in Eastwood Ravine without a way to get it onto the tracks. I usually keep spare parts with me, but I have forgotten them at my lab when I picked up Einstein.

Before you ask how you will get the parts to me, Please be aware that I know about the Delorean's fate. Go directly to my lab to retrieve the parts I need. Don't worry, they're clearly marked.

Do not let anyone interfere with your mission. If all goes well, the train will be back to normal and we can continue traveling. This year is a pivotal one in history, especially for Hill Valley and I must leave until certain critical events have come to pass first.

Your friend in time,

Doc Emmett L. Brown

P.S. When the new security system asks you for a password, you'll need to enter the code 10121955 (the date of the Hill Valley lightning storm).

Mart finished the latter and almost fainted again. The Doc was stuck again? How could he let this happen? All that talk about the space-time continuum? Oh well, the point was that Doc was in trouble again and Marty had no choice but help him out.

Marty bounded out the door, grabbing the keys to his truck. Doc meant business. He glanced at the clock. 11:04 pm on a Saturday. If he timed it right, his parents would never know he was gone.

In a blaze, Marty's black Toyota blasted down the street and made its way to 1640 Riverside Drive. He looked every direction to make sure he wasn't being followed. Not that he would expect someone to, but Doc's cryptic letter was enough to keep Marty on edge. Several times he thought he imagined a car following him, only to have his fears allayed by seeing it turn another direction.

Just past the Burger King was an old garage that once connected to a house. The house had been destroyed sometime ago, but the garage survived and was where Doc spent countless hours inventing and creating countless contraptions that only sometimes worked. Even though Marty knew that the garage was really not Doc's anymore, it still felt like it was yesterday that Doc called the old building his home.

Marty stepped out of the truck and walked towards the garage door. He saw the keypad and entered in the code. With swoosh, the door lifted up into the garage with a thud. Marty squinted as he peered inside.

Jeez, he thought, besides that the crazy keypad, it doesn't look like Doc's ever come back. Marty glanced around and noticed Einstein's bowl was still overflowing with that glop that Doc called dog food. Doc's bizarre collection of clocks was still there as well, faithfully ticking the hours away in his absence.

"Looks like you didn't pay your electricity bill again, Doc." Marty said out loud as he turned on a flashlight. It seemed Doc had prepared for a war. Everything he owned was covered in tarps and sheets for protection. The beam swept through the old garage like a searchlight until it rested on a metal crate marked "Spare Flight Circuits." Doc was right; they were clearly marked.

"Okay, Doc." Marty said to himself again, "I got your circuits; now what?" Marty looked around for the answer, expecting it to come out of thin air. For a plan, Doc sure didn't…

SCREEECH! The piercing sound of tires on pavement reached Marty's ears. He ran back outside. It was red Ford 4x4 that had stopped in front of Doc's lab. Marty recognized the truck and the punks in it right away. It was Harold Needles.

"Hey, McFly!" Needles hollered from the red truck, "I didn't like the way you showed us up at that light!"

"Yeah? Well deal with it, Needles. I got better things to do."

"Like snooping around Lunatic Brown's old shed? You ain't too bright either, McFly. We spotted that Toyota of yours a mile away."

"I'm not snooping around Needles. Get lost."

"What's the matter? Alright, boys, let's see what Lunatic Brown's got that McFly's so interested in."

Uh oh. That wasn't good. Marty saw the angry punks jump out of the red truck and bolt towards him. He wouldn't be able to fight them off while carrying the flight circuits. The teenager turned and ran around the back of the garage while Needles and his gang hurled their threats.

Marty was now behind the garage, which had now overgrown with weeds to the point of being a jungle. He tripped several times on the thick undergrowth. Then he noticed the lattice on the back. Of course! Doc had an experiment with hanging plants a while back; maybe he kept them up on the roof. That meant he had a hiding spot up there.

Marty swung the crate up at the roof. It landed with a thud. Needles was breathing down his neck now. Any moment he'd be on top of him. Marty jumped up at the lattice and grabbed hold. He strained his arms and legs until he could feel the roof's shingles beneath him.

"McFly!" Needles roared. Marty looked down; the gang was at the backyard, looking every which way for any sign of their prey. Needles hollered his threats as the guys looked around a closed window. Marty crawled behind the chimney. He could just barely see the gang starting to give up hope.

Scrape. Marty's head bumped a loose brick and it started to move. He reached up and grabbed it before it fell.

"Hey, Needles!" said one of the gang, "Did you hear something?"

"McFly!" Needles hollered again, "Where are you, you little chicken!" Marty didn't move an inch. He didn't need to. The dust from the chimney brick was tickling his nose. It was only a matter of time before.

AHHH-. Marty pinched his nose hard. He couldn't let this one escape.

"I think it's just a cat." Another guys said, "Let's go home." Home. Yes, that was a good idea. Marty could hear the snapping of twigs and rustling of leaves as the group turned to leave. When they were gone he could-

AHHHHHHCHOOOOO! That little tingle had turned itself into a huge sneeze. Marty covered his face, but the damage was done.

"He's on the roof! Get him!" No one needed to tell Marty to run for it. He was already running for the other end of the garage roof. If he could jump onto his pick-up, he could make a run for it. Just a few more strides and he would make it. Just a few more-

CRASH! Apparently the beams holding up the old roof were not as strong as they once were. Marty tumbled into the garage's attic in a swirl of dust and splinters. He landed with a dull thud. His head hit something hard.

Marty's eyes squinted to see through the light. The moonlight poured in through the newly installed sunlight, courtesy of Marty McFly. The dazed teenager looked around for the object that had struck him on the head. He shone his flashlight on it. It was metal. Steel to be more accurate. Marty was willing to bet it wasn't just any steel.

He ran his hand over it. Brushed. Yep, it was stainless steel. Doc had put something made of stainless steel in his garage attic.

Marty winced at the bump on his head from falling in through the roof. He could here the footsteps of Needles and his cronies catching up. They would be here soon.

Then Marty jolted up a grabbed for his flashlight. He aimed it down low. Tires. Tires were up here. Tires that were connected to wheels. Wheels that were connected to a chassis. A chassis that was connected to body. A body that was covered in stainless steel.

The Delorean! Doc had built another! But how did he get it up here. That didn't matter now. Marty jumped up and slid over the silver hood and grabbed at the door handle. The gull-wing door swung up effortlessly. He climbed in and found the keys still in the ignition. After a few faulty starts, the engine roared to life. In front of him, the time circuits warmed up. The led destination display read:

Destination: October 25th, 1985, 1:00 am

Current Time: October 25th, 1985, 11:00pm

Last Time Traveled: September 2nd, 1955, 2:34 pm

Marty ran his fingers over the keypad and punched in a new heading:

Destination: December 31st, 1941, 12:00 pm

It was the next day to the one Doc specified in his letter but, he couldn't risk showing up before Doc wrote the letter or Marty would never get it. He didn't want to confuse the matter and things were already way over his head right now anyways.

"Hey do you guys hear a car?" Crap! One of Needles' pals heard the Delorean idling. Marty could here the thud of their footsteps quickening to the spot. He tossed the crate in the passenger seat and shifted the clutch into first. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he was going to be ready.

"I think he's down here!"

"McFly! Get out here!"

"Let's go after him."

"Are you crazy? I'm not going down there."

"Fine, you idiots!" Needles shouted, "I'll go myself!" The hulking figure of Harold Needles dropped through the hole in the roof into an attic illuminated by the bright glow from the Delorean's headlights. Needles' scowl turned to one of absolute horror. Marty McFly had outsmarted him.

Needles dove into the rafters as Marty jammed the throttle. The Delorean jolted forward towards the front of the garage. Marty braced for impact.

SMASH! The car burst through the old wooden slats and soared over Marty's Toyota. The Delorean hit the ground with a jolt that Marty could feel up his spine. He spun the wheel left and came to a stop.

"He's in that car!" Needles yelled from the shattered garage roof, "Get him." Within seconds, the cronies were bounding towards the red Ford. They wore not so happy faces and Marty decided that it would be a good time to leave. The Delorean's tires spun wildly as the time machine laid down a patch of rubber on Riverside Drive. Marty drove to the end of the street and realized he wouldn't have enough road to clear 88 mph. The teenager quickly put the Delorean into a 180 and faced the other direction.

It was a clear shot, except for one thing.

"Oh man," Marty groaned. Needles' truck was starting up and coming straight at him. Needles was in the mood for a game of chicken.

Marty tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The game was on.

The Delorean jolted forward and five seconds later, Marty was traveling down Riverside Drive at sixty mph. The red truck roared to life and made its way in the opposite direction.

"Come on," Marty said, "Let's see it, Needles."

Seventy mph.

"Alright, McFly," Needles jeered as the Delorean came closer, "Let's see if you can redeem yourself.

Eighty mph.

"Come on, come on!" Marty yelled at the speedometer.

Eighty-five mph.

The sight Needles and his gang saw startled them. Sparks swirled around the Delorean as the flux capacitor bands lit up. The familiar lights emitted from beneath the chassis as the whole car lit up like billboard.

Eighty-eight.

"What the heck is that?" Needles screamed as he slammed on the brakes and yanked the wheel to the left to avoid the inevitable collision.

But a collision never came. In three cracks of lightning, the Delorean vanished in time, leaving only twin trails of fire in its wake.