(September 4, 1885)
(10:30 AM)
They were able to bring the Delorean back to Doc's shop without any suspicion. Marty had gone to get the strongest alcohol that the saloon had. After giving it to Doc, Marty got inside the driver seat of the Delorean.
"Bartender said that's the strongest stuff they got," Marty said. Ally took a whiff of it and grimaced, "Jeez, I'd have to agree with that,"
Doc started to pour the liquid and said, "Alright, try it, Marty," Marty tries to turn the car on but all it did was sputter. The sound came from the end of the car. Then, there was a loud boom and some metal flew out.
Doc groaned and walked to the back to see what happened. "Ah, it blew out the flew injection manifold. Strong stuff all right," he said, picking up the metal piece. Marty got out of the Delorean and walks to him.
He hands Marty the broken piece sheepishly. "It'll take me a month to fix this," Doc said. Ally was in disbelief and walked to him.
"What? It can't be a month, Doc! You're going to get shot on Monday!" she exclaimed, pointing out the obvious. Doc moves towards a desk near the window facing the railroad tracks. There is a calendar with the date next to the desk.
He faces the siblings, back to the window. "I know, Ally! I wish... wait. I've got it! We can roll it down a steep hill. No! We'll never find a smooth enough surface! Unless... of course! Ice! We can wait until winter... when the lake freezes over-" Doc started to think aloud.
Marty looks at the calendar and shouts, "Winter! Doc, Monday! It's three days away!" Doc stopped for a second and responded, "Okay, let's think this through logically. We know it can't run on its own power, and we know we can't pull it. But, if we can figure out a way to push it up to 88 mph, huh?"
There was a loud train whistle in the distance, getting Doc to look out of the window that was behind him. An idea forms in Ally's head and she says, "Doc, I think we have our solution,"
Late in the afternoon, the trio made their way to the train station. The next train had just come by to drop off its passengers. Ally and Marty never had seen a big train like this before, especially an old locomotive like this.
Doc walked to the conductor, who stepped out of the locomotive with an oil can in his hand. "How fast can she go? Hah! Why, I've powered her up to 55 myself. I hear that fearless Frank Fargo got one of these up to near 70 out past Verde Junction," The conductor replied, climbing down the locomotive and he walked up to the wheels to loosen it up.
Marty walked up to the conductor and said, "Well, is it possible to get it up to 90?" The conductor laughed at Marty's question. "Hah, 90?! Tarnations, son, why'd ya ever be in such a hurry?" he said.
"Well, it was a bet between my brother and him. Can it be done theoretically?" Ally lied through her teeth. The conductor scratched his chin and replied, "Well, I suppose if you had a straight stretch of track with a long level grade, and you weren't hauling any cars behind you, and if you could get the fire hot enough... and I mean hotter than the blazes of hell and tarnations... well yes, you might be able to get her up that fast,"
Doc leaned towards the conductor and asked, "Tell me, when does the next train come through here?" "Monday morning at 8 o'clock," the conductor replied, matter-of-factly.
Doc, Marty, and Ally walk over to a map that was hanging on the wall of the station. Doc started explaining, "This spur runs off the mainline 3 miles down to Clayton Ravine. There's a long stretch of track that will still exist in 1985. This is where we'll push the Delorean with the Locomotive. Funny, this map calls Clayton Ravine, Shonash Ravine. Must've been an old Indian name for it. It's perfect... Nice long run that goes clear across the bridge over the ravine, you know, over near the Hilldale housing development,"
Marty walked to the map and pointed to it, "Right Doc, but according to this map..." "There isn't a bridge," Ally finished.
On the railroad tracks near the ravine, it is a dead end. The railroad tracks just stop at the edge of the ravine. Marty, Doc, and Ally stand at the edge of it.
"Well, Doc, we can scratch that idea," Marty sighed, throwing his arms up. They start making their way back to their horses, which were parked on the side of the tracks.
"Yeah, there's no way we can wait a year and a half for this bridge to be finished!" Ally added. Doc smiled and said, " It's perfect, you two! You guys aren't thinking fourth dimensionally,"
"Uh, yeah, have a real problem with that," Marty said, scratching the back of his head. "Don't you see? The bridge will exist in 1985. It's safe and still in use. Therefore, as long as we get the Delorean up to 88 mph before we hit the edge of the ravine, we'll instantaneously arrive at a point in time where the bridge is completed. We'll have track under us, and coast safely across the ravine!" Doc explained.
The trio mounts their horses. "What about the locomotive, Doc? You heard what that guy said. It's coming at 8 in the morning on Monday," Ally said Doc looked at her and regretfully answered, "It'll be a spectacular wreck. Too bad no one will be around the see it,"
Just then, the trio hears the sound of a woman scream coming from behind them. They look behind them and see a woman in a vibrant purple dress, riding on a backboard with the horses speeding wildly out of control. She was heading straight for Shonash Ravine.
"Great Scott!" Doc exclaimed, his eyes big. Doc kicks his horse, making it gallop in the direction the woman was going. Ally and Marty motioned their horses to gallop as fast as their horses could go.
Doc managed to catch up with the woman, still not seeing her face. "Jump!" Doc shouted to the woman. She does so and jumps into Doc's arms. The wagon fell over the ravine and crashed onto the rocks below, shattering it into pieces.
Doc calmed his horse down and looks down at the woman. Her hat was sat jauntily on her head, covering her face. "Oh, thank you, sir, you saved my..." she said as she lifted her hat out of her eyes. She looked up at Doc's eyes, "Life..."
Doc stared at her too, eyes growing wide. Marty and Ally stopped a couple of feet from Doc and saw that their friend seemed to fall in love the minute he saw her. And he said that falling in love in this timeline wasn't gonna happen.
"Emmett Brown, at your service, Miss..." Doc sweetly said. "Um... um... Clayton. Clara Clayton," she answered dazily.
Doc smiled, also in a love daze, "Clara. What a beautiful name," Ally took out the picture of the tombstone. When they realized that this was Clara Clayton that was on the tombstone, they exchanged glances before looking at Doc and Clara.
"Any ideas, Ally?" Marty asked. "Nope, guess we'll have to see what happens," Ally shrugged, resting her arms on the saddle horn, holding the reins limply in her hands. "Guess it's better than the one we had at the dance," Marty said. Ally nodded in agreement.
They would have no choice but to see how things played out from this point on. Doc turned back to them and made his horse walk forward. "Clara, these two are my friends and assistants, Clint Eastwood and his sister, Annie Oakley," he introduced.
"It's nice to meet you both," Clara smiled at the two of them. "Nice to meet you too, Clara," Ally smiled. "We're glad you're alright, ma'am," Marty added, smiling at her too.
Clara hopped on her own horse and gathered her stuff that hadn't fallen over the ravine.