DOUBLE TAKE
BY WILSON PARKS GRIFFITH
The Chicago Time Capsule was indeed an elaborate production.
The greatest of American acting, writing and electronics
went into its story of Man, 1960, for future historians. And,
centuries later, it was dutifully recovered. Only....
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Worlds of If Science Fiction, January 1955.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
When the Travelers from Outer Space dug into the pile of molderingrock, they found the metal capsule their senses had told them wasthere. Battered and corroded though it was, the shadow vibrationsshowed that it had once been smooth and shiny. As smooth, shiny andimpervious to wear as Twentieth Century Earth technology could make it.
At the time the Mayor of Chicago had ceremoniously tossed a handfulof lake sand into the hole, had his picture taken smiling againstthe skyline, and had moved away to let the workmen fill the hole withcement and place the marker, the Time Capsule had been bright with thehopes of civilization sending its proud present into the uncertainfuture.
Time passed....
The tiny radio transmitter in the capsule began throwing out its widesignal at the exact instant planned for it many centuries before. Noone heard. Eventually, the tiny powerful batteries gave out. The signaldied.
Time passed....
When the Travelers from Outer Space took the capsule back to their shipand opened it, they found the contents in perfect order. Even the reelof magnetic tape had not succumbed to the centuries.
In due course, the Travelers examined the tape, divined its purpose,and constructed a machine that would play back the recording.
Out of a million evolutionary possibilities in a Universe of planets,the chances of two intelligent races being even roughly similar areastronomically remote.
A being develops sense organs for no other reason than to make it awareof its environment. The simplest primitive being's awareness of itsenvironment centers around food, its means of survival. It developsorgans and appendages that will enable it to ferret out, obtain andingest its food. As the food differs, so, then, does the eater.
The Travelers had no ears or eyes, as such. They had other organs forother purposes, but the net result was that they "saw" and "heard"quite as well—even better—than Earthmen.
Perhaps that explains why the Travelers gleaned so much more from thetape recording in the Twentieth Century capsule than its originatorshad planned or intended.
Not just any radio show could be placed in the Time Capsule. Whatpicture of contemporary 1960 mankind would the men of the future derivefrom a soap opera? A news analysis? Or top comedy show? Certainly nota flattering one, and so, reasoned the brass in charge of the project,not a true one.
No, the only answer was to produce a special documentary program,painting on a broad canvas the glories that were the common man'sbirthright in an enlightened democracy. As July 4th was only amonth away, the idea was a natural. The program would be carriedsimultaneously on four networks, then placed in the Time Capsule sothat historians of the future would have something solid on which tobase their conclusions.
A famous poet-radio writer was hired to write the script. Hollywood'sgreate