Chapter 4
THE next thing Marty recalled that he was in a strange bed. As he was trying to get his eyes opened he notice a thin womanly figure standing nearby. "Mom?" he asked, "Is that you?" "Relax." said the figure, it was his mother's, "You've been asleep for almost two hours now." "Mom." said Marty, "I had the worst nightmare. I dreamt that Hill Valley was run down, guys were wearing strange Army uniforms, the school was all boarded up, and Biff raided our church. It was terrible." "Well, you're safe and sound now." said Lorraine, "Back in the good ol' Courthouse infirmary." "Courthouse infirmary?" exclaimed Marty. His eyes popped wide open and he sat up. The lights went on and there sat his mother. The sight of her sickened Marty. She was thin to the bone and was wearing a shapeless dress. Like a woman's prison uniform. "Mom." said Marty, "I can't be you. It can't." "Oh it's me, Marty." said Lorraine. "But mom," said Marty, "You look so-so thin." "Everything's going to be alright." said Lorraine, "It looks like you've been eating well. Where did you get the food?" "Where did I get the food?" asked Marty, "What the hell kind of question is that?" Then a voice was heard outside. "Lorraine" it said, it was Biff's. "Oh my God." said Lorraine, "It's Biff." A door burst opened and Biff came in followed by some soldiers. He turned to Marty and said "Well look who's awake. Where the hell is your father, butthead?" "My father?" exclaimed Marty. "Don't play stupid, asshole." said Biff, "Where is he?" "I don't know." said Marty. "Stop it, Biff." said Lorraine, "Can't you see he's barely awake?" "Yeah, sure." said Biff, "Maybe you haven't heard lately, people don't get comfort any more. Meaning: Whatever Marty needs, Marty doesn't get. Especially if he's a butthead just like his loser father." "Stop it, Biff." repeated Lorraine, "Just stop it. Put together, you and that so-called 'beloved dictator' you obey aren't even half the man as George is." Outraged at this, Biff struck Lorraine and knocked her to the ground. Marty sprang out of bed saying "You son of a bitch!" He charged after Biff only to be restrained by his soldiers. Biff turned to him and said "Always the hothead. Do you want to take a poke at me?" He punched Marty in the stomache. "Stop it, Biff." said Lorraine, "Just stop it." Biff turned to Lorraine and asked "Do you really love him?" "He's my son." said Lorraine. Biff turned to Marty and asked "How about you, kid?" "What about me?" asked Marty. Biff motioned his men to point their rifles at Lorraine. "Do you love your mother?" asked Biff. "I do." said Marty. "Then tell me." demanded Biff, "Where's your father, George McFly?" Marty froze. Then, he said "I don't know." Biff took Marty by the arm and started rapping on his head. "Hello." he said, "Hello. Is there anyone home? Anyone. Think McFly, think. Do you know what I'm gonna do if you don't answer me? I'm going gun your mother down. Now you don't want that to happen, do you?" Marty stared in horror and said "You wouldn't..." "Do you?" repeated Biff. "No, I don't." said Marty. Then a part of the wall opened and a TV screen was revealed. It also clicked on and a picture of a man was shown. "Mr. Tannen." said the man in the screen. Biff turned to the screen and said "Dictator Barnard." said Biff. "Dictator Barnard?" echoed Marty. He recognized the face. It belonged to a shipmate of his on the Arizona.
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Nate Barnard was somewhat of an annoyance. He kept asking Marty where he came from but Marty refused to answer. (One does not tell another that he's from the future.) He also bothered Marty about advise, but Marty remembered about what Doc said about making suggestions in the past. Shipmates complained about Nate to the captain but disciplining him only made him more of a pest.
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Marty looked at the screen. It's him. said Marty, But how the hell did he become a dictator? From the screen, Barnard asked Biff "Do you think that kind intimidation will get him to talk?" "Look at him." said Biff, "He wouldn't let his old lady..." "And what happens if you're force to carry out your threat?" asked Nate, "Retaliation! He fights back and you'll be forced to kill. And that wouldn't give you the information you need to find those dissidants. I suggest you take him to a place where you could find a way to make him talk." Biff turned to his men and said "You heard the big dough..." "That's 'cheeze', sir." interrupted one of his men, "'You heard the big cheeze'." "Alright." said Biff, "Big cheeze, big deal. Just get this butthead to the torture building." "Yes sir." said another of his men. Biff turned to the man in the screen and said "Don't worry, we'll get to talk before you say 'Swift Robinson.'" "Tannen." said Nate, "That's 'Jack Robinson'." "Alright." said Biff, "'Jack Robinson.'" "Very good." said Nate, "Your leader signing off." And the screen went blank. Biff turned to his men and asked "What are you looking at, buttheads? Get this son of a bitch to the torture building." "Yes sir." they said. Biff went out. Before he was taken off, Marty turned to his mother and asked "Mom? Where is dad?" "Where's dad?" exclaimed Lorraine, "Marty, are you alright?" "No!" said Marty, "I'm not alright. I don't understand one damn thing that's going on here and why no one's giving me a straight answer." "Oh Marty," said Lorraine, "they've must've hit you over the head real hard this time." "Mom." asked Marty, "What do they want with dad?" "Don't you know, Marty?" said Lorraine, "George, your father, and Mr. Parker are heading an underground guerilla operation. For years they've been trying to restore democracy to our country." "For years?" exclaimed Marty. After that, he was taken out.
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Marty was pushed outside into the cold. As he did, he began to feel some sprinkle of rain. The storm clouds that were threatening since morning, were about to open up. Marty looked about. The scene was nightmarish. Everywhere there were people. Starving, beaten and tortured people. Marty looked up. On the main flagpole, silhoutted against a dark stormy sky, was flying a red flag with a dark falcon in a white field, simular to the armbands worn by all the soldiers. A simular, but smaller flag, was flying outside one of the windows of the courthouse. Marty looked around again and saw a big Diamond Vision screen. On it was the face of Nate Barnard. His voice was heard on the loudspeakers. "Democracy is dead." it said, "From now on, nobody is enjoying freedom. There will be pain and suffering for all Americans. No comfort for anybody. No comfort. No comfort. No..." A voice from behind Marty drowned out the voice on the loudspeakers. "Hey." it said. Marty turned to see who it was. It was Red Thomas. "You're blocking my view of the screen." he said, "You crazy drunk inmate." "Red!" exclaimed Marty, "Is that you?" Marty felt a nudge. It was one of the soldiers. "Keep moving." he said. Marty trudged on. Then, he recognized one of the mistreated people. It was Jennifer. She was chained to a bench and was starving. "Jennifer." said Marty. "Uh uh." said one othe soldier, "She stays there until her father is found and killed." "Her father?"exclaimed Marty. Then, he recalled what his mother said. His dad and a Mr. Parker were heading an underground guerilla operation to restore freedom to the U.S. The only Mr. Parker he knew was Jennifer's father. "You sons of bitches." said Marty, he started charging after the soldiers only to be struck down by the butt of a rifle. Staggering to the ground, Marty was taken by the arm and dragged to the torture building.
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The torture building was formerly called "Lou's Cafe." Before Marty left for 1941, it was still called "Lou's Aerobics." But, now it's changed. It was dilapidated with a few broken windows. He was dragged into what was once the kitchen. Now it was a torture chamber. Marty was strapped to the butcher table. Then, Biff came him. He was armed with a couple of cattle prodders. "Now, butthead." said Biff, "Where is George McFly?" "I don't know." said Marty. Immediately, Biff applied the prodders to his face. Marty cried out in pain. Biff repeated his question. "Where's is that loser?" he demanded. "I don't know." repeated Marty. Again, Biff applied the prodders to his face and again Marty cried out. "One more time, butthead." said Biff, "Where's that Irish bug of a father of yours, George McFly?"
Again, Marty said "I don't know." Finally, Biff said "Okay, butthead. You asked for it, and now you're gonna get it. Guys, get the eye gouger out." At that moment, the lights went out. "What the hell?" exclaimed Biff. Then, there was a sound of a dog barking and equipment crashing around. Then, Marty felt a hand freeing him and a voice saying "Com'on, Marty. The motor's running." "Doc!" said Marty, "Is that you?" "It's me, Marty." said Doc as he helped Marty to his feet. After that, they left. They were barely out in the open when Doc said "Einstein still remembers where we parked." Marty looked at Doc who was wearing some strange goggles. "Doc." he said, "What the hell are you wearing." "All your questions will be answered when we arrive at a safe place." said Doc. Einstein pause at a spot and Doc said "There's the DeLorean." Marty was running hard when he ran into something. Marty winced in pain as Doc asked "Are you all right?" "Yes." said Marty with his voice two octaves higher. Doc took Marty by the hand and reached out to something unseen. Out of nothingness was the interior of the DeLorean. Einstein climbed in. "Get in, Marty." said Doc, and Marty did. Then, he saw Doc go the drivers side to get in. The soldiers, led by Biff, came out of the building that Marty was in. Biff and his men looked around and Biff asked "Where did he go?" Doc activated the hover circuits and the car lifted off. Making a turn the car ran into the flag on the big flag pole and ripped it off.
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On the ground, Biff and his men looked around in vain for Marty. Then one of his men tapped Biff on the shoulder and asked "Sir, do you see what I see." Biff looked up to where his man was pointing to and saw the big flag flying away. Biff stood there saying "What the hell?" as the flag farther and farther away.
End of Chapter 4