The Enigma of the Clocktower: Aimee McFly's Pact with Doc Brown
Aimee McFly was 14 years old, the leader of what she considered the best band in the world, and the proud owner of what she believed to be the supreme skateboard. She smiled to herself as she skateboarded down the sidewalks of Hill Valley, on her way to fulfill a dare from her nemesis, Needles, who had dared her to steal one of the experiments that the scientist Doc Brown was working on. In return, she would receive her beloved guitar back. Aimee had never met the scientist, only hearing ominous rumors from the townsfolk about him. Yet, she was curious about whom she was about to confront, but first, she decided to get some doughnuts. She entered the doughnut shop, a popular Hill Valley destination. As she browsed the selections of doughnuts, doing her best to ignore the less than satisfying music. She finally decided on a chocolate sprinkles and some coffee. At a nearby table, an old man was holding court, discussing the very scientist Aimee was about to steal from.
"Did you hear? They say Doc Brown spent his entire family fortune on that crazy time travel project of his." The woman beside him nodded.
"You don't say," she said, clutching her doughnut as if seeking protection from the pastry. "I heard the Brown mansion burned down in '62. Some folks reckon Doc started the fire himself with one of his experiments!"
"They say he's a genius, but if you ask me, any man who turns his home into a laboratory is a few chemicals to test tubes," said a younger man with terrible manicured nails. There was a laugh from the crowd before the old man reclaimed the floor once more, splashing some whiskey in his coffee.
"You know, Doc's family name used to be 'von Braun' before the war. Makes you wonder what other secrets he's got hidden up his sleeve, why, I remember back in 43—"
"Someone told me Doc Brown's got portraits of all the great scientists in his lab," a pink haired teenaged girl interrupted, ignoring the glare from the old man. "Einstein, Edison, Franklin… as if he's trying to channel their spirits or something." Aimee stared as her own brother David spoke next.
"I wouldn't be surprised if that DeLorean of his is more than just a car. They say he's been tinkering with it for years." A spicy haired college student spoke next, gulping down cup after cup of coffee.
"My cousin saw lights and heard explosions coming from Doc's garage late at night. He's convinced Doc's communicating with aliens." There was a burst of laughter from his group of friends as a middle age woman put in her two sense.
"Ever noticed how Doc's always talking to that dog of his, Einstein? I bet that pooch knows more about Doc's inventions than we do.
"Mark my words, one of these days, Doc Brown's gonna invent something that'll put Hill Valley on the map!" said the cashier.
"Oh yeah, it will be like on the map of places never to go you no," said the pink haired teen.
Aimee had enough. She finished her doughnut and gulped down her coffee as fast as she could, and left on her skateboard, ignoring the people asking for her own rumor. She glared at the group, rumors not being her style of communication. She reached the door and skated away in relief. Let the ideots gossip among themselves, she had a dare to do, rumors or no rumors, she needed her guitar.
Aimee's thoughts turned to when she had started the Pin Heads at age 8. People had laughed at her, an 8 year old girl playing guitar at her age, and how she was expected to put a band together, but she had, finding equally smart musicians her age. The crowd had booed their first performance at a child's birthday party with a rock and roll theme, despite the band playing their best versions of covers from such artists as the Beatles, the Beach boys, and even some disco. The Pin heads still continued after that disastrous performance, determined that kids could be good musicians.
Now, as a teenager, she was ready for the next phase of their hopeful career, a gig to sing at the local high school dance. The band would be auditioning tomorrow, and it was crucial that Aimee had her prized guitar back.
There were other things that people labeled her as odd for, she had never felt any romantic attraction towards anyone. Once they had all reached puberty, boys and girls paired off, as if by some strange signal that Aimee couldn't understand. With this lack of attraction in the romance sense came great pain, her friends left her to be with their boyfriends, and then thought they could turn to her after breakups, but they learned that Aimee wasn't a sucker. She treated friendship very seriously, and hated how friendship could be thrown aside for a handsome boy, which happened to her quite often.
The members of the Pin Heads all had girlfriends, but they didn't ignore her, seeing her as a friend and valuable member of the band, but it was still not satisfying. She longed for a kindred spirit, the Diana Berry to her Anne Shirley, an intimate friend she could tell all her secrets to.
Her thoughts were cut off as she reached the garage and nearly screamed when a robotic voice said, "Enter the password if you dare to enter!" Password, what the—she thought, shaking her head. She had to think scientifically, with only thirty seconds to act by the menacing sound of the alarm. The man was a genius with a PhD, so it had to be something academic.
"Caltech University," she guessed aloud.
"No, ten more seconds, worthless trespasser," the robot retorted. "Oh no," Aimee muttered, pacing.
"Can you give me a hint, robot?"
"Five seconds!" the robot bellowed. Frantically looking around for a clue, she spotted it—a piece of metal, but not just any metal, it was one of the elements.
"Aluminum," she declared, aware that many of her peers struggled with science and wouldn't identify the shiny metal. The door swung open, and she stood there, gaping at the man with shockingly white hair that stood on end as if electrified by his work.
"Great Scott, you did it! You passed the test," he exclaimed. Aimee stared at him in confusion.
"What test?" Aimee inquired, dropping her skateboard.
"For my lab assistant, of course," said the man. "That's why you're here, isn't it?" he asked, a hint of suspicion in his tone.
"Yes, oh yes," she lied. "Exactly why I'm here, um..." "Doctor Emmett Brown," he introduced himself, shaking her hand warmly. Aimee nodded. She couldn't possibly steal the experiment now. She felt an unexpected sense of belonging and fondness towards the man as he invited her into his makeshift garage/lab. She began her new role as his lab assistant by helping him with a calculation that had stumped him. He beamed at her.
"Excellent work, Aimee McFly," he praised. Aimee beamed, quite pleased with herself. Then, she decided.
"I'm actually here on a dare," she confessed, her stomach churning. "Someone I don't get along with, Ned—his nickname's Needles—dared me to steal one of your inventions so I could get my guitar back from him."
"Well, we can't have that," said Doc Brown, astonishing her. "I'll just have to give you something to give him, something nonfunctional, of course, like this mind-reading ray. All he has to do is press the red button, and he'll be under the illusion that he can read minds. It won't work, of course." Aimee looked at him with utter gratitude.
"Thanks, Doc," she said. "Can I still have the job?" "I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied. They chatted into the afternoon. Doc was remarkably easy to talk to; she felt she could tell him anything. He was kind and understanding.
"You can accomplish anything as long as you put your mind to it," he told her after she expressed doubts about her musical talent. "Always remember that, my dear." With that, he escorted her from the lab.
She woke up rather early for a person who valued her sleep, at four in the morning. Doc needed her though, so she would be there. She quickly got dressed, absent mindedly putting on a miss matched outfit. She laughed as she looked at herself in the mirror. Doc himself wore miss matched clothing, so they would be two of a kind.
She reached the lab just in time to hear the radio turn on. She grimaced at the overflowing dog bowl, Doc must have left in a hurry. Shrugging, she cleaned the bowl, and refilled it for Einstein who barked happily at his food. She began her morning's work by cleaning Doc's equipment, and making sure it was all still operational. He wanted to start her off with simple things at first to see what she was capable of. After turning on the equipment and evaluating it, she brewed herself some coffee. She heard a key turning in the lock, and footsteps just as she was pouring her cup of steaming coffee.
"Great Scot your late," Doc Brown exclaimed. "It's five a.m."
"Um Doc, your watch is behind, it's six," said Aimee with a scowl. "I got here at 4:30."
"I'm ahead then," said Doc.
"Yeah, that," Aimee muttered. "Only got four hours last night, was up trying to do this stupid history exam." She finished her first cup and poured another cup.
"No, you were right," said Doc looking at his watch. My watch was behind."
"Great, now that we have that figured out, can you wake me at a more decent hour, unless it is a real emergency, this waking up at four is a big no man," she said, trying to hide her irritation.
"Well, sleep is important, and a lack of it can lead to our neuro receptors losing their sensitivity to serotonin which leads to impaired cognitive function," said Doc. "All right, I will call you in at a more decent hour, unless I have a break through. Is that acceptable?" Aimee nodded.
"Yeah, that will work for me," she said.
She left for school an hour later, with the mind reading ray that didn't work in her pocket to give to Needles. Entering the school, she spotted him leaning against her locker with that horrible buzzed hair cut of his.
"Hey, get away from my lover, and take this," she said, giving him the device.
"What is this?" Needles asked.
"It is a mind reading ray. You just point it at someone and there you go, you can read their mind," said Aimee. "Now, give me my guitar." With some reluctants, he gave her the instrument.
She got to her history class, and sat in her usual place at the back,a nd got out her notebook. She began to draw doodles of her and Doc Brown, a dreamy smile on her face. She didn't know it, but hs ehad what the future aromantic community would call a squish, a deep platonic crush, and it was on Doc Brown. She missed him already, from his shock of white hair that stood on end, to the sound of his voice. She couldn't wait until after school to meet up with him again.