"The Choice"

"The Choice"

Release Date:  3/19/1952
Country of Release: 
Length: 
MPAA: 
Medium:  Literature
Genre: 
Release Message:  Williams, goes to the future and returns with the memory of only one small thing. Written by W. Hilton-Young
Description:  Williams, goes to the future and returns with the memory of only one small thing. BEFORE WILLIAMS WENT into the future he bought a camera and a tape recording-machine and learned shorthand. That night, when all was ready, we made coffee and put out brandy and glasses against his return. æææææææñGood-bye,î I said. ñDon't stay too long.î æææææææñI won't,î he answered. æææææææI watched him carefully, and he hardly flickered. He must have made a perfect landing on the very second he had taken off from. He seemed not a day older; we had expected he might spend several years away. æææææææñWell?î æææææææñWell,î said he, ñlet's have some coffee.î æææææææI poured it out, hardly able to contain my impatience. As I gave it to him I said again, ñWell?î æææææææñWell, the thing is, I can't remember.î æææææææñCan't remember? Not a thing?î æææææææHe thought for a moment and answered sadly, ñNot a thing.î æææææææñBut your notes? The camera? The recording-machine?î æææææææThe notebook was empty, the indicator of the camera rested at ñ1î where we had set it, the tape was not even loaded into the recording-machine. æææææææñBut good heavens,î I protested, ñwhy? How did it happen? Can you remember nothing at all?î æææææææñI can remember only one thing.î æææææææñWhat was that?î æææææææñI was shown everything, and I was given the choice whether I should remember it or not after I got back.î æææææææñAnd you chose not to? But what an extraordinary thing to„î æææææææñIsn't it?î he said. ñOne can't help wondering why.î