Categories > Movies > Back to the Future > Back to the Clue
Chapter Two: The pros and cons of an active conscience
0 reviewsAfter realizing the "spaceship" is a time machine, our hero (sort of) is faced with a crisis of conscience: Does he *dare* steal the time machine from Doc and Marty?
0Unrated
"Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." - Douglas Adams
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Aliens? He thought incredulously. Oh, that was absolutely wonderful... Well, on the plus side it wasn't raining. Fate, unfortunately, had taken a far /stranger /turn.
Oh, what the hell. Aside from recent events, I've lived a relatively good life. Curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to get a better look at the spaceship. Poking his head around the Lyons Estate sign, he was surprised at the craft's peculiar resemblance to a futuristic automobile...
The doors hissed open, and he hid back on the opposite side of the sign. Maybe he was curious, but he certainly wasn't /stupid/.
"Ah, this is heavy, Doc. I mean it's like I was just here yesterday."
What on earth...? /That was English! /He thought with a thrill of astonishment.
"You were here yesterday, Marty! You were! Amazing, isn't it?"
If the fact that the "aliens" were speaking English surprised him, the second man's voice nearly sent him into shock.
...Emmett?
Sudden footsteps made him dart around to the other side of the sign, just in time to switch places with the owners of the voices. Once again, he glanced around the sign. Standing there next to the strangely dressed teenager, crazy hairstyle and all, was Dr. Emmett L. Brown.
Emmett! For a moment, James was relieved - partly by the sight of the older man, partly by the fact that he and the kid weren't aliens. But said relief turned to confusion. Why did Emmett look so old in comparison with the way he looked the last time they met? And who was this Marty, the one who called Emmett "Doc"? And what were they doing with that strange machine?
He forced his mind back to the conversation between Emmett and Marty.
"All right, sunrise is in twenty-two minutes."
Once again, James found himself switching places with the pair, and he desperately hoped he wasn't seen by either of them. If he was, he either wasn't recognized or they didn't think he'd seen them or the car, because Emmett continued to give Marty instructions.
"You go into town, and track down Young Biff and tail him", Doc was saying, opening up the front of the car and pulling out a white plastic bag. "Sometime today, Old Biff will show up and give Young Biff the almanac. Above all you must not interfere with that event. You must let Old Biff believe he's succeeded so he'll leave 1955 and return the DeLorean back to the future."
...Maybe eavesdropping wasn't such a good idea. Already his mind was reeling from what Emmett was saying. Young Biff? Old Biff? he thought in confusion. For that matter, who the hell is this Biff anyway? Then there was that part about the future... The future?
"Right", Marty concurred.
"Once Old Biff has gone", Emmett continued, reaching into the bag, "grab the almanac any way you can. Remember both our futures depend on this!"
"You don't have to remind me of that, Doc!" Marty said grimly, shivering slightly from the cold.
What is this almanac that they're talking about? he wondered as he darted to the bushes behind the sign./ Clearly it's important enough if their futures apparently depend on it, but why?/
"Here's some binoculars and a walkie-talkie so we can keep in contact", Emmett added, apparently giving the items to Marty. "I'll stay here and try to repair the short in the time circuits. That way we don't risk anyone else stealing the time machine and I won't risk accidentally running into my other self."
TIME MACHINE?! James mentally gasped. Briefly pinching himself, he watched as Emmett and Marty ran out onto the road. I've got to see this for myself. Making sure he wouldn't be discovered, he dashed over to the spacecra-, er, DeLorean and quietly peered inside.
Impressive... What has Emmett gotten himself into this time? Clearly the craft had been modified for its new purpose of time travel, as the various wires and screens proved, but the thing that caught his attention was the strange trio of panels, each listing a specific date.
The first read /NOV 12, 1955//; 6:00 AM/, as did the second one. However, the third one was the kicker - /OCT 27, 1985//!!!/
Slowly James backed away and hid again, resisting the urge to cry out with joy. This was it! This was his way of fixing things, of setting things right!
But how to get to it? Steal it, perhaps? Somehow create a distraction, and then use the opportunity to steal the DeLorean for himself?
/No/, his conscience said. Ever since the day he was forced to escape the police, he'd made it a point to steer clear of further lawbreaking in order to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. A tad nonsensical, perhaps, since he would end up being arrested anyway, but he didn't feel the need to make the situation worse than it already was.
Then there was the fact that he would effectively be stranding Emmett and Marty in 1955.
He closed his eyes, shutting out his surroundings.
It should be so easy/... he thought After all, it is a time machine after all. I could just remember the date when I left, and when I'm done fixing things in the past, I could just go back to the exact date I left - It'd be like I was never gone!/
But Emmett wasn't an idiot. That much he knew for certain. It didn't help that every fiber of his conscience was railing against it like no tomorrow.
There was only one alternative to stealing it.
Sighing, the former doctor watched as Emmett continued work on the time circuits. Somehow, he'd have to convince him to help fix things.
Convince a man you parted on extremely bad blood with the last time you met to help save your past self from a life on the run... he thought miserably. Oh, that will be just a walk in the park...
-----------------
For awhile, he just watched the older man work. When he'd chosen Hill Valley as his next migration stop, he had no intention of making some form of contact with the fellow scientist. Even if he'd wanted to, it was possible that the police had found his name in a list of contacts, not to mention the FBI...
Besides, he'd have to give Emmett time to fix the time circuits if his plan were to bear fruit. After some time, the white-haired man stood, apparently satisfied with his work. Suddenly, the walky-talky squawked - Marty was calling.
However, James couldn't make out what the boy was saying, so he edged closer.
"Roger, Marty", Emmett responded. "Are you there?"
"Yeah, Doc, I'm at the address. It's the only Tannen in the book, but I don't think it's Biff's house. It looks like some old lady lives here..."
There were a few moments of silence. Finally - "Doc, it's Biff's house, I'm on him. Over."
Once again behind the bush, James nodded. It was officially now or never.
Emmett climbed back into the car, turning the key to make sure it would still start. The engine ground, an obvious sign that something was wrong still. Frowning, he sat back, lost in thought and not noticing James' approach.
"Now what did Marty say was wrong with it back in '55?" he asked himself.
James paused. "I don't know", he commented before he could stop himself, "but it sounds like the starter-"
"The starter!" Emmett cried, sitting up and snapping his fingers in an "Aha!" moment.
Typical Emmett... James mentally sighed as he watched him reach under the steering wheel. After fiddling with a couple wires, he sat back up, turned the key again, and cheered as the engine roared to life.
"YES!!! Thank-" Emmett whipped around to face his impromptu assistant, stopping as the features of James' face registered.
"You..."
James nodded. "Me, me, me."
To Be Continued...
-----------------
Aliens? He thought incredulously. Oh, that was absolutely wonderful... Well, on the plus side it wasn't raining. Fate, unfortunately, had taken a far /stranger /turn.
Oh, what the hell. Aside from recent events, I've lived a relatively good life. Curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to get a better look at the spaceship. Poking his head around the Lyons Estate sign, he was surprised at the craft's peculiar resemblance to a futuristic automobile...
The doors hissed open, and he hid back on the opposite side of the sign. Maybe he was curious, but he certainly wasn't /stupid/.
"Ah, this is heavy, Doc. I mean it's like I was just here yesterday."
What on earth...? /That was English! /He thought with a thrill of astonishment.
"You were here yesterday, Marty! You were! Amazing, isn't it?"
If the fact that the "aliens" were speaking English surprised him, the second man's voice nearly sent him into shock.
...Emmett?
Sudden footsteps made him dart around to the other side of the sign, just in time to switch places with the owners of the voices. Once again, he glanced around the sign. Standing there next to the strangely dressed teenager, crazy hairstyle and all, was Dr. Emmett L. Brown.
Emmett! For a moment, James was relieved - partly by the sight of the older man, partly by the fact that he and the kid weren't aliens. But said relief turned to confusion. Why did Emmett look so old in comparison with the way he looked the last time they met? And who was this Marty, the one who called Emmett "Doc"? And what were they doing with that strange machine?
He forced his mind back to the conversation between Emmett and Marty.
"All right, sunrise is in twenty-two minutes."
Once again, James found himself switching places with the pair, and he desperately hoped he wasn't seen by either of them. If he was, he either wasn't recognized or they didn't think he'd seen them or the car, because Emmett continued to give Marty instructions.
"You go into town, and track down Young Biff and tail him", Doc was saying, opening up the front of the car and pulling out a white plastic bag. "Sometime today, Old Biff will show up and give Young Biff the almanac. Above all you must not interfere with that event. You must let Old Biff believe he's succeeded so he'll leave 1955 and return the DeLorean back to the future."
...Maybe eavesdropping wasn't such a good idea. Already his mind was reeling from what Emmett was saying. Young Biff? Old Biff? he thought in confusion. For that matter, who the hell is this Biff anyway? Then there was that part about the future... The future?
"Right", Marty concurred.
"Once Old Biff has gone", Emmett continued, reaching into the bag, "grab the almanac any way you can. Remember both our futures depend on this!"
"You don't have to remind me of that, Doc!" Marty said grimly, shivering slightly from the cold.
What is this almanac that they're talking about? he wondered as he darted to the bushes behind the sign./ Clearly it's important enough if their futures apparently depend on it, but why?/
"Here's some binoculars and a walkie-talkie so we can keep in contact", Emmett added, apparently giving the items to Marty. "I'll stay here and try to repair the short in the time circuits. That way we don't risk anyone else stealing the time machine and I won't risk accidentally running into my other self."
TIME MACHINE?! James mentally gasped. Briefly pinching himself, he watched as Emmett and Marty ran out onto the road. I've got to see this for myself. Making sure he wouldn't be discovered, he dashed over to the spacecra-, er, DeLorean and quietly peered inside.
Impressive... What has Emmett gotten himself into this time? Clearly the craft had been modified for its new purpose of time travel, as the various wires and screens proved, but the thing that caught his attention was the strange trio of panels, each listing a specific date.
The first read /NOV 12, 1955//; 6:00 AM/, as did the second one. However, the third one was the kicker - /OCT 27, 1985//!!!/
Slowly James backed away and hid again, resisting the urge to cry out with joy. This was it! This was his way of fixing things, of setting things right!
But how to get to it? Steal it, perhaps? Somehow create a distraction, and then use the opportunity to steal the DeLorean for himself?
/No/, his conscience said. Ever since the day he was forced to escape the police, he'd made it a point to steer clear of further lawbreaking in order to avoid attracting any unwanted attention. A tad nonsensical, perhaps, since he would end up being arrested anyway, but he didn't feel the need to make the situation worse than it already was.
Then there was the fact that he would effectively be stranding Emmett and Marty in 1955.
He closed his eyes, shutting out his surroundings.
It should be so easy/... he thought After all, it is a time machine after all. I could just remember the date when I left, and when I'm done fixing things in the past, I could just go back to the exact date I left - It'd be like I was never gone!/
But Emmett wasn't an idiot. That much he knew for certain. It didn't help that every fiber of his conscience was railing against it like no tomorrow.
There was only one alternative to stealing it.
Sighing, the former doctor watched as Emmett continued work on the time circuits. Somehow, he'd have to convince him to help fix things.
Convince a man you parted on extremely bad blood with the last time you met to help save your past self from a life on the run... he thought miserably. Oh, that will be just a walk in the park...
-----------------
For awhile, he just watched the older man work. When he'd chosen Hill Valley as his next migration stop, he had no intention of making some form of contact with the fellow scientist. Even if he'd wanted to, it was possible that the police had found his name in a list of contacts, not to mention the FBI...
Besides, he'd have to give Emmett time to fix the time circuits if his plan were to bear fruit. After some time, the white-haired man stood, apparently satisfied with his work. Suddenly, the walky-talky squawked - Marty was calling.
However, James couldn't make out what the boy was saying, so he edged closer.
"Roger, Marty", Emmett responded. "Are you there?"
"Yeah, Doc, I'm at the address. It's the only Tannen in the book, but I don't think it's Biff's house. It looks like some old lady lives here..."
There were a few moments of silence. Finally - "Doc, it's Biff's house, I'm on him. Over."
Once again behind the bush, James nodded. It was officially now or never.
Emmett climbed back into the car, turning the key to make sure it would still start. The engine ground, an obvious sign that something was wrong still. Frowning, he sat back, lost in thought and not noticing James' approach.
"Now what did Marty say was wrong with it back in '55?" he asked himself.
James paused. "I don't know", he commented before he could stop himself, "but it sounds like the starter-"
"The starter!" Emmett cried, sitting up and snapping his fingers in an "Aha!" moment.
Typical Emmett... James mentally sighed as he watched him reach under the steering wheel. After fiddling with a couple wires, he sat back up, turned the key again, and cheered as the engine roared to life.
"YES!!! Thank-" Emmett whipped around to face his impromptu assistant, stopping as the features of James' face registered.
"You..."
James nodded. "Me, me, me."
To Be Continued...
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