Time Hazard
- Wow, it´s truly amazing what you've got here, bro...
Gene gazed at Marty desperately.
"I know what you're thinking, but he's your family, and he wants to spend some time with you..."
Gene was upset: he didn't need a brother, especially one with a peanut brain...
"Bat, he may be not as clever as you are, that doesn't mean he's stupid!"
- Oh! And what's thi...
CLONG! BLANG!
- I'm alright! But this stuff is broken...
Gene turned his head:
- My atomic matcher!
He ran to the weird device spared into pieces and meanly stared at Clive:
- Do you just know how much time I spent building this?
Clive shrugged his shoulders:
- Erm... Maybe some days...?
- GET OUT! GET OUT, YOU PUBLIC HAZARD!
- Okay, okay, I leave... You know where to find me...
- Not in my lab. Correct.
"Bat, don't be so mean with him..."
Gene took the pieces and put them on the table.
- Look, I know this is the most important part of your project, and you've been working hard on it...
- But...?
- Look at you... You haven't eat a real lunch or slept more than one hour in a day since months...
As Marty was looking at the chips on the rudimentary bed in the corner, Gene waved his head:
- I feel weak and I'm hungry, you're right...
Gene was lying down, a bit pushed by Marty:
- But I was so close to conclude this...
- Have a break, Gene. I'm picking a real dinner for you...
- Thank you, rat...
Marty covered him with a sheet he found under a rack: early Winter was making his friend shivering.
- Nighty night, bat...
He left the laboratory, jumping on his skateboard to join downtown Hill Valley...
When he returned to the former store, he noticed the device on the table was no longer broken:
- Gene, you stubborn genius... I leave ten minutes, and you manage to repair your atomic thingy...
He put the lunch on the table and tried to wake Gene up:
- Hey, bat... Moon is shining...
Gene didn't respond. Marty shook him gently:
- Gene... Hey, are you alright?
He wasn't moving at all.
- Okay, that´s abnormal...
He smelled something odd while benting down:
- What is this... Chloroform...?
Quickly, Marty made sure nothing was missing and came back to Gene as he was waking up.
- Aaaww... What happened… I remember is the cotton someone put under my nose...
He gasped, peeking at the table:
- My atomic matcher! Repaired... How could it be...?
- Surprise, bro!
- Clive...? What are you doing here?
- I know, you don't want me around, but I wanted to make a special present to you...
Gene took a look at his atomic matcher…
Clive waved his head.
- But... How did you...
- Better ask: "When did you"?
- No... Clive... Please, don't tell me you did this...
- You should better hide your instruction manuals...
- It´s the original atomic matcher...
Gene was observing his invention, and Clive smiled:
- I replaced it with the pieces of your broken stuff. Great, no?
"Okay, he's stupid..."
- NO! Not "great" at all! This doesn't belong this period or this time of the day... Neither the parts you left in the past...
- Is that a problem?
Gene was sitting down:
- Of course, it is! A TERRIBLE problem!
- What can I do...?
Gene gave his brother a stony stare:
- You? Nothing, you hear me?! You did about enough!
"Gene, he knows how he did it..."
Gene sighed, resigned, and took the atomic matcher:
- Alright, come with us...
Marty took Gene's arm:
"Wait a minute, bat: you should take your lunch before it's cold…"
- Cold? I can assure you we'll be back before a single food particle in this bag looses heat!
Gene jumped in his Time Device and looked at the time circuits.
At least, he didn't have to ask Clive when he did his stupid attempt: as in the original Time Machine, the time circuits showed last time departure and, specifically to the Time Device, last place departure.
"I've got the weapons, Gene!"
Gene thought this could be useful for their mission, and Marty immediately picked up two of them.
- Hey, what's this? Baseball bats?
Gene didn't answer, and neither did Marty. They thought the same: Clive should stay clear from any Gene's invention, especially this one… He'd better stop fooling.
- Hey, I asked a question! And I know you're "talking" together.
- We're not talking, we're communicating.
Gene started the engine and lit up the time circuits. He programmed their destination in order not to arrive at the same time and same place, but a bit earlier, next to the laboratory…
The Time Device appeared as Gene wished it, and he turned on the special holographic camouflage after they had quit the device. It just looked like one lamppost between several others.
"Okay, I set mine on Mesmerize."
Clive observed his brother caressing the white band on the weapon:
- Hey, that's odd, can I try it?
Gene pointed the weapon to Clive, holding the atomic matcher by one arm.
Clive stopped at once, totally still.
- Okay, now, you are telling us how you're replaced the atomic matcher by his broken parts.
Clive gasped:
- Chloroform. Gene alsleep. Take broken parts. Time Spice. Wait. Marty out. Chloroform. Gene alsleep. Take cosmic masher. Put broken parts. Time Spice. Put cosmic masher. Wait. Surprise.
- Okay, that's enough. Hide in the Time Device and do nothing.
Clive waved his head to notify he will obey. Gene put his weapon in his pants' pocket:
- He's even more stupid when mesmerized.
- So that's the "mesmerized mode"?
- Yes. Effective, nope?
- What's the plan?
- Were will wait for the other Clive to arrive.
Clive disappeared behind the lamppost. Twenty minutes later, the other Clive came into the laboratory: he had a bottle filled with chloroform.
- Okay, now, we're trying to… What a fool!
Gene was hitting his own head:
- What?
- I almost forgot my atomic matcher in the Time Device!
Marty raised an eyebrow:
- Gene, I'm practically sure you were holding it a few minutes ago…
- Nonsense. Before it's too late, I'm going back to the… What?!
- What's happening, bat?
- The Time Device… It's gone…
- Gone? Are you sure?
Marty was looking to the same point than Gene: he couldn't tell if a lamppost was missing. Gene took his weapon and gasped:
- The mesmerize mode! I forgot the short time limit!
- A time limit?
- This mode's duration is only ten minutes… That means… Oh, God…
- He could accidentaly provoke your disappearance!
They had the same thought: out of his mesmerize state, Clive should have decided to jump in time…
Gene shook his head:
- Let's abort that mission. We've got something more important to do… And we can't do it.
- Why?
- It's clear: Clive has stolen my atomic matcher, that's why I don't have it anymore.
- Stolen? But… What could he do with it? He doesn't even know what it is!
- I guess he knows it, or will know it.
Gene took a sort of compass in his pocket. But it wasn't pointing the North at all…
- You can localize the Time Device with this?
- Yes. We're jumping in.
- It's the Time Device the other Clive brought with him in order to exchange the broken parts and the atomic matcher, I don't think it's…
- False: it's the Time Device Clive has stolen minutes ago.
He was looking at his laboratory: Clive was leaving, carrying the atomic matcher.
- CLIVE!
The brother caught in the act shivered:
- Gene? Marty?
- I know what you're doing! Give me that back!
- Gene, it could cause a space-time continuum collapse!
But Gene violently tored away his invention from Clive's hands:
- Now, you're telling me what you've precisely done!
- I… I don't know what you're talking about…
- Is that so? No matter, I can know it by myself!
He pushed Clive in the back with his weapon:
- I won't hesitate to use it! To the Time Device, right now!
Clive obeyed, but as soon as Marty and Clive were aboard, Gene caressed his weapon, and Clive vanished instantly.
- Why did you do that? And… I don't understand a thing, you think too fast for me!
- It's simple: Gene wasn't taking the atomic matcher in order to obtain my pardon: he was stealing my invention, that's why it disappeared as I was carrying it! And I know it wasn't the first time he was attempted to steal my inventions.
Marty scratched his head:
- Gene, that means he's been using your Time Device several times… How can you guess when and where he has been?
- I don't have to guess. Let me introduce you my space-time recorder!
An additional panel raised from the up of the board, showing four-dimensionnal coordinates:
- So, that's when and where he's gone the most recently…
Gene pushed a switch, and the panel showed other coordinates one by one. Gene stopped:
- And that's when and where you've been first…
- How can you know that?
- I know my Time Device's sensors. And they're telling me that Clive was alone when those coordinates have been ordered.
- You thought it could happen?
Gene lit the time circuits:
- I knew Clive was boiling inside because of jealousy.
- He's jealous? Of you?
- Of course. So, I placed many security sensors for that precise case. We're able to repair what he has done, no matter if he's cooperating or not.
Gene entered the four-dimensional coordinates, and a sudden green flash blinded Marty…
- We're in the past, when we had destroyed some of your inventions, aren't we…?
- More or less: I don't see the Time Machine. That means we're not back from the future yet.
- What could Clive do there?
- We'll discover it. Shh! Look…
Clive was arriving at the laboratory.
He took a look around, probably to make sure nobody was watching him, and started to manipulate the laboratory's door…
- Is he trying to open it?
- I think so… What are you going to steal from me…?
Clive entered.
- He has opened it! Why aren't we doing something?
Gene looked at Marty, a bit surprised:
- I thought you were experienced in time travels? If we stop him, we'll erase the reason why we're here, causing a major space-time continuum collapse!
- Yes, you're right… So, what's the plan?
- Just following his as he jumps in time, so we could know precisely what he has done, and at the appropriate time and place, we will reverse the damages.
Marty shrugged his shoulders: he hadn't noticed any damages yet.
- He's leaving!
Clive was holding some wearable communicators, a weapon, and some other Clive's inventions.
- I wonder what he's up to do with this…
- CLIVE THEODORE BROWN!
- Mom?! What you're doing there…?
Edna was coming to the laboratory.
- I could ask you the same question! Your brother is somewhen else, your father and I are terribly anguished, and what are you doing? Stealing your brother's inventions?
- Hem, mom, it's not wh…
Clive caressed the weapon, and Edna became still:
- Now, mom, forget you saw me stealing that stuff. Stay inside the lab and wait for Gene.
Edna waved her head, and Clive added, smiling:
- Welcome him as if you were proud of him.
He closed the door and ran to downtown Hill Valley. Seconds later, the Time Machine appeared in a blue bolt of lightning. An other Marty left the DeLorean:
- It's already morning? I thought we left at sundown…
- Correct. I decided to retard our time jump for a few hours, so my mother won't be there anymore.
The other Marty waved his head:
- Very clever, Gene.
The other Gene was paralyzed.
- What's wrong… Your mother?
- I think she's inside… The inside shutters weren't closed.
- So, what are we doing now?
Edna suddenly showed up from the lab:
- I will tell you what you are doing.
- Mrs. Brown?
- Mother?
She looked at her son for minutes, and added:
- Hug me, my son!
Gene took Marty's wrist:
- We've got nothing more to do here. Let's follow Clive.
They came back to the Time Device, and Gene pushed the switch of his space-time recorder:
- So, that's where you are now…
- He hasn't jumped in time?
- No. He's probably stocking my inventions for the moment.
Stocking? Was he thinking about pretending he was the legitimate owner of those inventions? Gene was thinking so, typing on a virtual desk:
- We will take back my inventions when he'll stop that. For now, I'm writing the precise date and location of everything he steals from me, so we could put it back at the appropriate four-dimensional coordinates later…
- That makes sense.
Gene had actually grown up: he was almost as carefully as his father about time travels. He lit up the time circuits, entering the coordinates, and the Time Device jumped some miles farther.
- Well, this is where you bring my inventions…
Clive was leaving an ancient farm, still carrying a weapon.
- You know you're doing wrong… You're shivering as the last leaf of a tree…
- Gene…?
Gene turned his head to Marty:
- Now, I understand why my other self hated him…
- It was for an other reason, Gene.
- No matter what the reason is! He's no good for me!
- Shh, he's close…
Clive came aboard the other Time Device, and they both disappeared.
Marty and Gene came back to their own Time Device, and Gene typed again:
- I'm writing the precise coordinates where and when those inventions are…
- When too?
Gene didn't give any explanation: Marty could sense him burning with fury.
- So, this is your next destination…
He lit the time circuits up and entered the coordinates on the recorder…
Marty took a look around, astonished:
- Gene, why are we in the future?
- I don't know, that's Clive's current location.
They were in Stockholm, back to the twenty-first century. The Time Device Clive was using to steal Gene's inventions was only two feet away.
- We'll wait for him here.
Gene pressed a button on the board:
- I'm activating the Time Device's camouflage…
- Something's wrong, bat…
- Am I still thinking too fast for you?
- A bit too fast, yeah.
- I think something's odd here… I can't recognize the Stockholm I know…
Marty took a look on the town and shrugged his shoulders:
- What seems different to you?
- I don't know… Something's missing…
Marty looked at the four-dimensional coordinates:
- The fact we're decades earlier might be the reason why…
- You're right. And this date… 31st December 2045…
Gene opened bug eyes:
- 2045! It's the year I'm supposed to create the G.S.D! That's it!
- So, the G.S.D isn't built yet. No need to be alarmed…
- Yet I feel something's wrong…
Gene took his weird compass:
- It's going crazy, very well…
Marty pointed at downtown Stockholm:
- Hey! It's Clive, here!
- He doesn't seem to have anything…
Clive jumped in a bush that disappeared in a green flash.
- My Time Device localizer was confused because the second Time Device was close…
- Are we following Clive?
Gene shook his head and opened the drivers' door.
- Hey, where are you going?
- I feel something really wrong has happened. I want to know what.
- Hey, don't think about it! You could meet yourself!
- It's precisely what I'm looking for.
- You know what could happen if…
Gene wasn't listening. Whatever happened, it had something to do with him…
- Here we are… And there's nothing.
- We are nowhere in downtown Stockholm, Gene.
- Not nowhere. We're at the precise G.S.D's location.
- You're right! It's almost New Year's Day, and the G.S.D doesn't exist!
- That means it will never exist.
Gene and Marty were sitting next to the site where the G.S.D was supposed to be, thinking:
- What could have happened, according to you?
- I don't know. But it's clear something avoided me to create this Department…
Gene got a mean stare:
- Or someone…
- You mean Clive. What else could he have done here?
Gene waved his head:
- I have to find myself. I'm the only one who could tell what happened.
- And me?
- You…? Yes! We're the closest friends in the world, you know for sure what happened to me!
- Unless we've lost contact.
- Nonsense, Marty. I could never loose contact with you…
Marty pointed his head:
- What am I thinking about, now?
- Erm… Yes, I left you without any news… But only two weeks, and I wanted to go back very earlier, but the time circuits were malfunction… God!
- What?
- I know why the time circuits were malfunctioning… My implant and its technology were interacted.
Gene shook his head:
- It's not relevant. We need a plan…
- First thing to do, is localizing our older selves.
- Yes, but how?
- I'm a scientific figure, here, and you are a famous rockstar round the wolrd.
- How do you know that?
Gene smiled:
- I did some time-jumps, and I learned those facts accidentally…
- So, you have an idea?
- You know I have…
Marty waved his head to confirm.
- Back to the Time Device…
Gene entered four-dimensional coordinates that seemed a little weird for Marty.
- When are we going, bat?
- The appropriate question is: "Where are we going?"…
- You mean we are staying in 2045?
- Yes. I'm planning to meet your older self.
- You don't think it's a bit dangerous?
Gene waved his head:
- I'll pretend to be my own grandson…
- Not bad… But what if "I" know you have no children?
- Marty, I'm supposed to be 80 years old. Think about your own age.
- Oh, yes… I guess I could be betrayed by my own memory…
- Correct! That's why it will work!
Crazy plans based on pure confidence in good fortune… His bat was back again…
- So, here we are…
Marty opened his door and couldn't help himself to exclaim:
- WOW! Look at this mansion!
- Come back inside, Marty.
- Why?
- It's your mansion.
Marty obeyed, flabbergasted:
- I will live in this castle?
- In Ireland, to be precise.
- Why would I live in Ireland?
- Pure nostalgia, I guess. I know your family's from this country.
- You're right, but…
Gene took a little bag in his pocket:
- I saved those in case of emergency…
He opened the bag:
- The communicators? I thought you had destroyed all of them?
- Except for our communicators.
- But why?
Gene put his communicator on his temple, hiding it under his untamed red hair:
- I was terrified by the event we could loose contact, for any possible reason.
- Bat… I don't know what to say…
- Just take your communicator. It would speak for you.
Marty put the badge on his head without hesitating and caressed it:
Now, we're in contact again…
Gene smiled and came outside:
The Time Device is hidden. Stay in, unless I ask you to come…
It's okay, bat, I don't want my older self to see me.
I like you, rat…
I like you too, bat…
Gene turned back on Marty and took the alley to the mansion.
Marty was wondering: this house will be his… He will be a superstar…
I know that's much to go with, rat…
I was thinking for myself!
I apologize, so.
Marty heard a bell ringing in his head: apparently, he could hear what Gene hears.
You sense everything I sense, rat, don't forget it…
A door opened:
- Good evening, Sir. Who should I announce to Master McFly?
- Brown. Jack Steven Brown.
- Please stay in the hallway, Mister Brown…
Way to go, Gene…
You know I'm good in inventing names.
A few minutes later, the same voice came back:
- I am sorry, Mister Brown, but Master McFly does not know any Jack Steven Brown.
- I am Gene Terence Brown's grandson!
- Gene Terence Brown?
Marty could recognize his own voice, but actually more… Shaken…
- Gene! You came from the past to visit your old friend?
Gene knew he couldn't say it:
- I'm sorry, Master McFly… But I'm just his grandson, Jack Steven…
- His grandson… One of the oldest or the youngest?
- Erm… It's not relevant, Master McFly… I wanted to talk about my grandfather…
- So, you know how he's doing…?
- Because you don't?
"Master McFly" didn't respond, but Gene thought:
The wearable communicator! How could he have it?
- Your grandfather gave me this a very long time ago… I can't remember why and when… But he was terrified we could loose contact… Yet this precaution has been no use…
- What do you mean?
- Where he is, he can't use it…
Marty gasped:
Does that mean he's dead?
Oh, please, rat, don't think about it…
- Doctors took it from him as soon as he has entered the Psychiatric Department…
Psychiatric? I've been interned?!
- But I keep it, hoping he will get his communicator back soon… But it's already been ten long years…
Gene was feeling really bad. Not only because he had just learned he will be interned in a mental hospital during ten years, and probably more… But because "Master McFly" was obviously crying:
- I'm sorry, Master McFly… I didn't know that… To be honest, I came to you to know where he was.
- You're looking for him?
Tell him he is your inspiration to become a scientist, bat…
- Yes… I'm a scientist, and an inventor, just like he is… I wanted to meet him.
A deep sigh rang in Marty's head: he could sense "Master McFly" felt terribly alone, and seeing Gene, the little while he thought he was Gene, had been an intense moment of joy for him.
- Like he was, you mean… A young man appeared from nowhere, presenting several inventions, including his atomic matcher and his genomic surgery device… Gene attempted multiple long trials against him, claiming the rights on those inventions, but he had no evidence for it…
Marty raised an eyebrow: Gene has ever written down instruction manuals for any device he creates…
- … Because his laboratory burned down in a doubt fire when he was sixty… So the trials had get on his nerves… And he broke down…
- Broke down? How?
- He told the audience this young man stole all his inventions in the past just to bring them here.
Gene gasped:
- Was he telling about time traveling?
- Yes… But as you probably know it, the secret of time traveling never get out our two family circles, the audience thought he was nuts… He has always been batty, but this time, he was telling sense…
- So that's why he's in a nuthouse, now…
Gene stopped the engine. Marty put an hand on his shoulder:
I'm sorry for it, bat… Clive clearly framed you up…
I know. It's your turn, now…
My turn?
You have to meet my older self, I can't do it.
That's right…
Marty get out of the Time Device:
Good luck, rat…
I hope I'll be able to recognize you…
And I hope I won't be able to do the same.
I will pretend the same as you. It will work.
Yes…
Marty was up to turn back, but he felt Gene was disturbed:
What's wrong, bat?
While I was talking to your older self, I felt his deep loneliness…
He was clearly missing your older self…
You've felt it too?
Of course: he was wearing his communicator. I think we were linked to him.
Gene waved his head:
That makes sense… Go on, Marty…
Okay, bat… And… Hold on... We'll fix things up…
I know… But it's tough…
Gene closed the passenger's door.
So… How could I enter this nuthouse…?
He walked to the main doors…
- Sorry, kid, you have to introduce yourself.
- I… I'm MartyMcFly junior.
Rat! Why are you giving your real name?
It will work, don't worry…
- Okay, let me verify your identity…
The guard scanned Marty, and waved his head:
- DNA match… Why are you here?
- I'd like to visit my grandfather's friend.
- Who?
- Doctor Gene Terence Brown.
- You can enter, it's visit time… Room 34.
Marty climbed the stairs, following the indicating panels on the walls:
- Rooms 10 to 20… Second floor… Rooms 30 to 40!
He ran, looking at the numbers on the doors:
- 31, 32, 33… 34!
He entered after knocking on the door, and its occupant turned on him:
- DOC?!