Better left Unknown
- Don't you have something more to tell me?
- I think I've described the whole scene… I wasn't supposed to tell you anything
- I want to know more!
- I'm tired, Gene… I took for you the clothes than Doc wore that day… What else do you want?
- Enough with this.
- Hey, where are you going?
Gene had left his armchair to work on some papers. Marty discretely approached and, looking upon Gene's shoulder, recognized one drawing:
- Jeez, Gene! It's the Flux Capacitor! Where did you…
- You already know it.
- No… You stole it from your father's notebook?
- Correction: I borrowed it. I'll give it back.
Marty shook his head in disbelief: Gene was actually more untamed than Doc.
- Does your father know it?
- Of course not! I've no suicidal inclinations!
- That's not what I've seen in the 2016 we erased.
- Okay, I may be a little unconscious or carefree about my own life, but I wanted to know how this stuff works…
Marty raised an eyebrow:
- You wanted to know?
- Dad banned me away from the DeLorean. What else could I do?
Gene turned his head, smiling:
- And yes, I've understood.
"Holy crap… This child's intelligence has clearly no limits…"
Gene patted Marty's shoulder:
- Thanks, rat. You know, all you've been told me about how my parents have met encouraged me to work my best to live it in person.
"I was supposed to change his mind about time travelling…"
- Oh, I know that. Come and admire my Time Device!
Gene tied a tapestry, so Marty could see what was behind…
And Marty gasped:
- Gene… Don't tell me this is a Time Machine…
- You don't need me to lie to you. You know what this is.
Gene had unveiled a sort of transport device that looked a bit like the first airborne prototype built by his own parents. Marty had the chance to get a look on Doc's archives, so he had recognized it at once.
- Does it fly?
Gene shrugged his shoulders:
- What kind of question is that? I work in a store dedicated to flying cars! Of course, it flies!
- Oookay… And…
- No more questions! There are two seats, come aboard!
Gene was already installed.
- Wooo… Wait a second, bat: I don't really want to jump in time by now…
Gene crossed his arms:
- You never want to do anything with me.
- Gene, that's a childish reaction.
- I know, Mister Adult. Come on, that will be fun!
- Gene, I know when you want to go, and as you know it, I've already lived that. I'm not interested in living this a second time.
Gene whispered:
- Alright. I thought you would be there to prevent me from doing anything that would cause my own disappearance, but I guess I'll have to be carefully…
- What? Gene, you're not going alone?
- Why not?
- Do you know how 1931 looks like? Gangsters, illegal speakeasies, guys gunned down… Hey!
The passenger's door was closed… And Gene was oubvioulsy starting the engine!
- No! Gene, don't do that!
Marty heard Gene's voice in his head:
Sorry, rat, I want to know everything… See you later or earlier!
"How does he expect to get this thing out of his laboratory… No?!"
The transport device gone flashing green, then disappeared in a bolt of emerald lightning.
Marty, ejected from the platform by the device's jump, could just hardly stand by:
- Holy crap… He's gone…
He found the second key for the laboratory Gene left in his toolbox, locked the former store behind him and ran to Doc's airborne devices shop:
- DOC! DOC! Where are you?!
- Right here, Marty… What seems to be so…
Marty gasped, erratically breathing:
- Gene… He took your plans… For the Flux Capacitor…
- He didn't do that?
- He did! And now, he's jumped in time because he wanted to live your first meeting with Edna…
- He built a Time Machine just to see us meeting? That could be catastrophic…
- Yes! He has no idea… He could make himself being erased!
Doc invited Marty to come with him to the DeLorean:
- If he did a single mistake, he could be anywhen else…
- I hadn't thought about that…
- I'm afraid that's a possibility.
Marty came aboard and locked his belt.
- So, he came to 1931, the day I met Edna… Let's start here…
The DeLorean left the asphalt to speed up to 88 miles per hour in the air…
- I can't go with you, Marty, I could meet any other Doc in this timeline…
- Including your younger self.
- Correct. I'll stay here.
- Be careful: remember you're supposed to be Tannen's speakeasy arsonist…
- I remember that. Please… Find my son before he does something irreversible…
- I'll do my best, Doc. Hold still…
Marty walked to Hill Valley, trying to remember all that he did this day…
- So, I'm probably next to the courthouse, and Emmett… Wooo!
Marty hid behind a tree: one of his other selves was talking with Emmett. Marty could recognize him because of the heavy documents he carried with his right arm.
- Harassment is a federal crime, Mr. Crockett…
His other self managed to record Emmett while he was muttering to himself the Ivanov's problem.
Emmett turned on him, probably wondering what he was doing, but he was too busy to let this retard him, so he left the other Marty free to come back to the police station to make "Carl Sagan" listen to the record.
- Okay… So, what am I going to do…
Emmett and Edna weren't supposed to meet before a few hours, but Gene didn't knew enough about the time in the day… He could be arrived early in the morning…
Marty thought he could land later than now… Anyway, it's not to ease his work…
- I guess he managed not to be late… Let's bet he's already here.
But where…?
"Think, Marty, think… Where could a young genius hide himself for hours…?"
He turned his head and saw the Theater:
- Frankenstein… Why not…?
He stayed between the tree and the wall, making sure Gene was not leaving the Theater. He looked at the courthouse clock, luckily not stopped in this year:
- Your parents are supposed to meet in one or two hours, Gene… Come on, where are you…
- Ouch! Watch your step, you brutal beast!
- Are you fine, Madam…?
Marty turned his back on the Theater and saw Emmett helping Edna to get up on her feet.
A Tannen's guy had apparently pushed her down: he was running away. Edna shook her head and looked at Emmett:
- Thank you, young gentleman…
- I… I… Erm… Pleased to meet you…
Marty whispered: at least, Emmett and Edna have met, and they've obviously felt in love… No matter if it happened a different way, he guessed… But where could be Gene?
Emett and Edna sat on a bench. Then, Marty saw himself running to the speakeasy… With Emmett!
"Holy crap!"
- So, you're a young inventor…
- Erm, yes… I would be pleased to let you take a look to the invention I brought here…
- You would do that? Where is it?
- I hid it, it's a little… Big, you know…
Edna smiled:
- Big like what?
- Like a tiny car.
- No, you built a little car?
- It's more than a car, I can assure you…
"Gene, shut up, you don't know who you are talking with…"
Marty couldn't let this going on…
- Emmett! I've been searching you for hours!
- Oh, hello, Mr. Crockett! Let me introduce this young gentleman to you…
- I know him, he's Emmett Lathrop Brown, Miss Edna Strickland…
He insisted on the three last words of his sentence to make sure Gene had well understood. And he did, releasing Edna's hand.
Edna looked at him:
- What's wrong, Mr. Brown?
- We have to leave, Miss Strickland, we're busy, I'm sorry…
He took Gene's arm and forced him to come away with him: he was clearly confused. Marty made him sit in a hidden street:
- Hey, Gene… Are you fine?
Gene burst out of shouting:
- HOW could I be FINE?! For the first time I fall in love, I manage to be in love with MY MOTHER!
- Ouch… That hurts…
- I feel like myself fading out of existence… Is that what one feels when his heart is broken…
- Actually, I think that's what one feels when he gets erased from the space-time continuum…
Gene gasped: his left hand was disappearing.
Marty tried to comfort him:
- Hold on, we can make your parents meet and fall in love… Soon, your father will come here, and meet your mother because I promised her the S.S.S could meet in the Brown's Mansion…
- And what if we fail…
- We won't fail! First thing to do, is to pin down your father…
- Alright, rat… I follow you…
Marty tried to remember where Emmett could be, and as he took a look on the park, he saw himself going out of the Charity's Sisters Soup with Emmett. Edna was still here, so the other Marty walked to her, explaining that the Stay Sober Society needs some soup:
- That's right! They'll soon be gathering at the Brown Estate, and we haven't provided refreshments! I can't get over the generosity of your friend Emmett, volunteering his father's house for our meeting!
As she was coming on her bicycle, Emmett looked up from Einstein he was patting.
He stopped Edna:
- Huh? Wait there!
He talked for a few minutes with the other Marty, who convinced him to let the meeting happening in his parents' house. He walked back to Edna:
- You will instruct the members of the Society to wipe their feet before they come inside…?
- You were less formal earlier, Emmett…
She took Emmett's hand, and he seemed petrified:
- I… I don't know what you're talking about, but…
- Oh, I see: let's act as nothing happened, it will be a secret…
She came closer to Emmett:
- Between us.
- Erm… Yeah, let's do it…
Marty whispered: the timeline was restored…
- Edna!
"What the hell is he doing?!"
Gene was running to his parents. He took his mother's hand:
- Edna! This man is an impostor!
- What's going on here?
Edna looked at the two young men and shook her head:
- I should have noticed you're older than Emmett…
- But I'm Emmett!
- No, it's me, brother…
- Brother?
- Always trying to steal me all I can get! Even women, like they were… Things!
Edna seemed outraged:
- You! How could you dare to pretend to be your brother just to seduce me!
- But… I don't have a…
- Let's go away, Emmett… I guess you don't want to see your brother.
- You guess right, Edna. It's fortunate I've been here before he did his tricks on you.
- I've mistaken… Can you forgive me?
Gene smiled to his mother:
- Even mom and dad do. You're forgiven.
At this precise point, Marty really wondered what he could do:
"I can't just pop from here while my other self and Emmett are a few feet away…"
He sat down:
- Gene, you're erasing yourself… How could a genius like you be so stupid?!
He followed Gene and his mother, hoping he could get Gene's attention…
- GENE! STOP THAT!
Gene was holding his mother with an arm, obviously preparing himself to kiss her.
- Marty? Back away!
Edna raised her eyebrows:
- Marty? Aren't you Sonny Crockett?
Gene shook his head:
- He's a liar, Edna. He's on my brother's side.
- Okay, right, I'm Marty, but he is not Emmett Brown!
- Why would I trust you, Marty Crockett?
- Because…
- Snap it off, Marty. I don't want you around.
Marty looked at Gene:
- Are you completely crazy? You know what will happen to you if you don"t stop!
- Yes, I know it! But… I guess I couldn't live with it…
Marty suddenly felt his friend's desperation:
- Gene… Please… Don't tell me you're intentionally doing this…
- You don't need me to lie to you, rat.
Marty shook his head:
- You're right, bat, I don't need it. But I need you.
Gene opened bug eyes in disbelief:
- You need me…?
Gene felt down, gasping. Edna was terrified:
- What's going on, Emmett?
Marty made Gene lying down:
- Hold on, please…
- I… I'm too weak…
- I'm used to it, I'll fix things up!
- My God! What's happening to him?
Gene was disappearing. Marty managed to hide him.
He looked at Edna:
- Miss Strickland, you have to trust me. It's a life or death question, for someone really important for both of us… I can't tell you who, but listen to me!
- You've got all my attention.
- The real Emmett Brown is the older one. I can't tell you why they look so much similar, but Emmett has no brother at all. Here is my friend, Gene…
Edna seemed a little confused for a moment:
- You mean "Gene" is not an inventor?
- He is. And Emmett too… And… Emmett is a good guy, you know…
- I don't understand… Why did "Gene" lie to me?
Marty didn't knew what to answer:
- It's complicated… Gene is not a guy for you… And anyway, he's only fourteen.
Edna looked actually horrified at this moment:
- Fourteen?! I practically kissed a child?
- More than just a child, Miss Strickland.
- I got the idea… Gosh…
- Emmett is waiting for you… I can assure you he's the right man for you.
- No, I couldn't be with him…
Marty saw she was shocked:
- Why?
- Everytime I will look at him, I'll think about Gene…
"Crap… Very good work, Gene…"
- I'm sorry…
Edna left Marty, walking to the courthouse.
Then, Gene vanished in the air:
- No! Gene!
Marty shook his head in disbelief: Emmett and Edna will never be together, and Gene will never exist. How could things be worst…?
- Sonny…?
Marty turned his head: it was Emmett.
As he was crying, Marty couldn't manage to answer. Emmett patted his shoulder:
- I heard you shouting… What's going on?
- I've lost someone… A close friend…
- I'm sorry… Can I do something for you?
Marty looked at Emmett:
- As a matter of fact… Yes…
- Are you sure this is going to work?
- Do you want Edna to love you or not?
- I do!
- It's not too late. All you have to do, is insisting about the S.S.S meeting. She has no choice, she will accept in spite of everything.
- You think she's going to love me only because I'm giving my father's house for the meeting?
Marty shook his head:
- Carry on for doing what we're supposed to do in your lab, and don't worry, that will work later.
- Later? I don't understand…
- Do as I say! And tell her you won't try anything as long as she won't ask for it!
Marty pushed Emmett on the back, forcing him to leave their hiding place and face Edna.
- Mr. Brown…? I'm pleased to see you.
Emmett stuttered:
- W… Why…?
- Because I must apologize. Someone told me the truth. I know you're an only child, and your name is actually Emmett Brown.
- Erm… Pleased you learned that… I… I would like to… Insist… About your meeting… I know you need a place… Come to my father's house…
Edna hesitated:
- I don't know… Something really shocking happened an hour ago…
- I'm sorry for this… I promise I won't try anything… As long as you won't ask for it…
- You mean you won't try to seduce me?
- Erm… I guess I'll be far too busy tonight. I've got something really important to do.
- Alright, then. I accept.
Marty saw his other self coming for the Police Station, probably after talking with "Carl Sagan":
- Emmett?
- Sonny? How did you…
Marty hid himself.
- I was a few steps away… Miss Strickland?
- Goodbye, Mr. Marty Crockett.
Edna came on her bicycle:
- See you tonight, Mr. Brown!
- Emmett… Can you explain…?
- Edna has accepted my offer, as you told me she would do.
- Of course, she had no other choice!
Emmett and the other Marty walked to the Brown's Estate. Marty whispered:
- Pfew… I guess things will be like they should…
But where was Gene?
- Marty! I was wondering if you… Wait… You're alone?
- I don't know if it worked, Doc…
Marty sat down in the DeLorean.
Doc looked at him:
- What's wrong?
- I don't know how to tell you that… Let's just say Gene has erased himself…
- What?
- I'm sorry, Doc. I thought everything was okay, but he had a suicidal reaction…
- Suicidal? Do you mean he deliberately erased himself? How?
Marty shook his head:
- I can't tell you that…
- I guess Gene wouldn't like you to answer me, right?
- Right.
- Marty… I know you did your best… But Gene was totally out of control…
A green flash suddenly enlightened the area.
Marty couldn't believe what he saw then:
- Gene?!
- Alive and completely not rubbed out, rat!
The Time Device released the young boy. Marty ran to him and squeezed him in the arms:
- Gene, you batty, stupid genious!
- I'm sorry it took me that long to pin you down. My Time Device had some problems…
Doc had left the DeLorean:
- Gene… What in the name of Thomas Alva Edison have you done?
- Pleased to see you again, daddy!
Gene tightened his father in his arms.
- You told nothing about what happened, rat?
- I didn't thought it was appropriate… But maybe you can explain it yourself.
Gene shook his head:
- No.
- Alright. Do you think you can live with this?
- I do.
- Then, we have nothing else to do in this year. I suggest we come back to 1986.
- Okay, Doc. I'll jump with Gene.
Marty came aboard the Time Device with his young friend:
- So, how did you manage to take me back?
- I'll explain that when we'll be alone.
- Alone? There's a easy way to make sure we'll be alone!
Gene started the engine, a roguish smile on his lips.
- No, Gene… We are jumping in 1986 with your father…
- You're totally insane, out of control and unpredictable!
- Thank you, rat.
- I'm not joking! Do you realize that your father will be deadly anguished if he doesn't see us arriving in 1986 with him?
- I can assure you he won't notice it.
- You were veeeery closed from being erased, and you find it fun to risk another time jump anyway?
Gene smiled:
- Yeah! It's fun!
Marty pointed him with his index for a few seconds…
- Okay, you're right, it's fun with you. Even more than with your father.
- And you know why, right?
- Because you're totally carefree about what could happen?
Gene shook his head to confirm.
- Okay, you're nuts.
Marty took a look around:
- So, when did we land this time?
- Just a day before.
"The day when the speakeasy burned down…"
Gene raised his eyebrows:
- Really? Great! Let's see it in live!
- No, Gene, it's a really bad idea…
- Why? It will be fun! Mother told me several times about that event!
- She did?
- Of course, she covered it!
Right, she wrote those articles about "Carl Sagan" being arrested and gunned down…
- Hey, isn't that my father's Time Machine? How could he know we're there?
- I think he doesn't.
- So, what is the DeLorean doing here?
- Erm… Gene… I have to tell you… Your father has been suspected.
- He burned down the speakeasy?
Marty shook his head:
- No! It was a mistake! But he was at the wrong place, in the wrong time.
- Mother never told me he has been suspected…
- Look at this newspaper: here is "Carl Sagan", the suspected arsonist!
- Hey! Carl Sagan looks like dad!
- Because he is your father… But from another timeline, you get it?
Gene shrugged his shoulders:
- Who cares? I want to see it myself.
- Totally carefree…
Gene was already running. Marty ran after him, hoping nothing wrong will happen this time…
- Don't worry, rat, I've learned a valuable lesson, it will be fine.
- That's fortunate: I could be unable to rescue you one day…
They hid next to the speakeasy: Marty remembered those ruins he saw when he travelled to 1931 the first time…
- Where could be "Carl Sagan" by now?
- I don't know… I don't even know why he's in 1931.
- You never knew it?
- Shh! It's him!
They observed Doc as he tried to be discreet in the twilight:
What is he doing?
I don't know… I may be investigating…
I hadn't thought that could be why he landed there…
Marty heard a dog barking.
- What's going on, Einstein?
Someone was coming from the speakeasy. Doc hid himself, but Einstein barked again, attacking the unidentified silhouette:
- You silly dirty creature! Release me!
A match burned up, then its light felt down the speakeasy.
- At least, my task is over!
"Gene, no!"
Gene had left their hidden place to see who the arsonist was. Lit by the strong flames eating up the building, the face of a young women appeared:
"Jeez, it's Edna Strickland!"
Marty looked at Gene as he was petrified: no doubt he recognized his mother.
"Gene, come back, we've got to go!"
Gene obeyed this time, and Marty leaded him to the Time Device.
Gene, shocked and confused, took minutes to realize he was aboard:
- My mother… Why…
- Let's get out here!
Gene shook his head:
- You're right. Let's get the hell out.
He started the time circuits, and the Time Device jumped again…
- Erm… Gene… I don't think we're in 1986…
- Of course we're not.
- Gene, I can understand you're…
- Oh, please, don't give me that!
- Okay… So, when are we?
- What does it matter?
Gene sat down in the fresh grass, looking up at the stars.
- Gene, I'd like to come back home.
- Home… I don't have one.
Marty sat next to him:
- Alright: in a few hours, you felt in love with your mother, merely provoked yourself to be erased, and you discovered that she burned down Tannen's speakeasy. That's much to go with…
Gene laughed sarcastically:
- Far too much… Did you know it?
- I swear I had no idea.
- I can't go home, rat… I won't be able to stare at my parents anymore…
He glanced at Marty:
- I'll explain to you how my Time Device works.
Marty shook his head:
- No way! I'm not leaving you behind!
- You have to.
- First: your father won't approve it. Second: you don't belong here. Third: I don't want it.
- You told me that in the timeline you're from, my father lived a few months in 1885…
- Your father was a fully grown up adult!
Gene stared at Marty.
- Sorry. I didn't want to insinuate you're not able to take care of yourself alone.
- I'm just a child… I react like a child…
- Maybe you just need time to heal…
- Actually, I need to grow up.
- What did you just say?
Gene stood up:
- I wanted to know too much… I'm paying for my unhealthy curiosity.
- You couldn't guess.
- Don't encourage my childish habits. For now on, I'm making my way through the ages.
Gene entered his Time Device.
- Which means?
Gene opened up the passenger's door:
- I'm taking you back home.
Marty came aboard the Time Device, and Gene started the engine.
- Then…?
Gene lit up the time circuits:
- Then, I'm going to grow up…