Vintage Science Fiction from Australian Newspapers

The Robot Age of the Future: A Glimpse of Hobart in 3,000 A. D.

Item

Title of Story

The Robot Age of the Future: A Glimpse of Hobart in 3,000 A. D.

Attributed Author

Stevens, C [Christie]. D.

Year For Sorting

1932

Future Year Set

3000 A.D.

Story Summary

3000 A.D. A man from 1932 is resurrected and learns about the future through one of his physicians, finding out how science and invention has made the world a better place, until a bad actor takes control of the science and destroys everything.

Critical Introduction

"Printed and published by C. D. Stevens at the offices of The Monotone Art Printers Ptr. Ltd. 54-56-58 Liverpool Street. Hobart." The Robot Age of the Future by C. D. Stevens is interesting in that it is not only a vision of what Stevens thought our future with robots might look like, and how we might treat robots, but the fact that they were the printer and editor of the newspaper speaks volumes to not only printing a science fiction story in their own newspaper, but also that they wrote it with their readership in mind. i.e. With editors constantly fearing that they might upset readers and lose sales, Stevens was confident readers would take to the story, suggesting there was a strong interest in science fiction in Hobart in the early 1930s. In fact, the story was reprinted in 1948 in response to readers requests. "In response to many requests we are re-publishing an article which appeared in "The Voice" sixteen years ago." (30 Oct 1948).

I note that one of the issues I looked at says it was edited by Christie D. Stevens. However, I was unable to find a biography or an obituary or indeed anything in successive searches of various scanned documents. No doubt the information is behind a paywall or in unscanned books somewhere. Further, the newspaper's last issue was just after Christmas in 1953 and there was no article I could see in my brief read that suggested it would be the last one. If someone could email me with a link to further information about C. D. Stevens, that would be very much appreciated.

Science

chromotherapy

robotics

aeronautics

geoengineering

nuclear physics

meteorology

radiative electromagnetic engineering

telecommunications engineering

3D Surface anthropometry

Nutraceuticals

Directed-Energy Weapon Engineering

Applied Physics

Electrical Engineering

Electromagnetism

Inventions

ice cold violet rays that resurrect frozen patients

Sensitive robot nurses, pilots, car drivers etc

Green ray light for restoration

Sunlight for ongoing rejuvenation

Advanced highly mechanised city of 10m people

Energy transmission across the country. Hobart supplying Burke in Central Australia with heat and light

Nutrition rich but tasteless food

Terraformed land with the mountain and harbour leveled for housing

Television connection to calculate clothing size of patient

Watch time updated via radio

Multilevel city with traffic moving one way on one level, the other way on the next

Sound deflectors that quieten streets

Electric tubes on the lower level for faster travel

Weather control throughout the year, diverting rain to other areas, and special days of intense heat for hygiene and cold for vermin

Robot controlled traffic with pedestrians prevented from walking against the lights with electric beams like a repelling force field

superfast automatic taxis running on remotely transmitted atomic energy

Wall size televisions projecting live video from around the world

Seaplanes delivering dehydrated produce within 3 days, and the produce can be rehydrated to look exactly like it was before

international rocket-machines that travel at 50,000 feet, 2000 miles an hour arriving in any country within a few hours.

Theatres and newspapers are long gone and home theatres have replaced them

Rays of death for escaping criminals

All conversations monitored with radio and potential infidelity interrupted and judged

Huge aerodrome with giant airships leaving hourly and rocket planes piloted by robots

Science Fiction Subgenres

Death Ray

Robot

Invention Opera

Utopian

Related Newspaper Fiction

A Modern Atlantis

Looking Backward 2000-1887. The Great Reorganisation Novel.

Historical Context

Economic downturn due to the Great Depression and an increase in the crime rate. The story contains two paragraphs that reflect this noting that as everyone is fully supported crime is almost non existent.

Additional Information

C. D. Stevens is the publisher and editor.

How this Story was Identified

Searching Trove for robot and chapter, discarding any poor OCR that had identified Robert as robot, and close reading of stories where emotionless characters are described as robots.

Date Details Added to IA

May 2024

Single or Serialised

Single

First Published Date of Last Installment

1932

Date Range

1932

Number of Installments

1

Complete or Supplemented

Complete

Estimated Word Count

6700

Length

Short Story

Newspaper Publisher Citation

The Voice

Newspaper Name Location Years

The Voice Hobart

Location Town City

Hobart

Location State Territory

Tasmania

Provincial or Metro

Metropolitan

Also Published in

Reprinted in the same newspaper in 1948

Language

English

Content Advisory

These items are historical texts digitised from their original publication, and reflects the social attitudes, cultural values, and language of the time in which they were created. Some content may include depictions or references that are racist, sexist, ableist, colonialist, or otherwise offensive by contemporary standards. This material is presented uncensored for scholarly, archival, and educational purposes. It serves as a record of past cultural attitudes and is preserved here to support critical engagement, historical reflection, and the advancement of inclusive scholarship. Reader discretion is advised.

OCR from TBC and Trove

The Robot Age Of The Future
A GLIMPSE OF HOBART IN 3,000 A.D.
By C.D.STEVENS
All Jules Verne's Visions - Except "The Journey To The Moon" - Are Everyday Actualities To-day- Bellamy's " Looking Back-wards " — Is Already Out Of Date — Wynward Reade's "Martyr-dom Of Man" — Is Philosophically Fantastic — Who Shall Imag-
ine The Future— Only One Thing Is Certain— It Will Be More Marvellous — Than , Any Man's Dreams— And Is Largely Un-thinkable Because Great Triumphs Of Invention— Are The Secrets Of The Sphynx — They Invariably Create— New Condi-tions, New Thought's And New Ideas — But This Article Will Interest — And Read In 3000 A.D. — Might Interest Even More
PROLOGUE. — In the year 1932 Sir Herbert Smith, a Tas-manian aviator, was lost in the Antarctic through a snow-storm. All attempts to find him were unsuccessful, and as time passed his adventures were altogether forgotten. In the year 3000 a party of scientists found his body, remarkably preserved, and brought it back, encased in ice, to the Hospital of Hygiene in Hobart. A period of nearly eleven centuries had elapsed between the time when he was buried beneath the snow and the date on which he was found..
PERIOD ONE In the Portals of Science MY dear Professor McDougall, think you will have to admit fail-ure to resurrect this specimen of anci-ent manhood." The speaker, was Dr. Jean Dumont. a famous specialist in the Hospital of Hygiene. Hobart, and one of the greatest doctors that the Robot Age had produced. No, Doctor, I have not given up, hope, although my prospects of suc-cess do not look overbright," answered Professor McDougall. who was one of the most pre-eminent members of the Institute of Science attached to the Central University of the Metropolis of Greater Hobart. "I think my wager of ten thousand units is as good as won. You Pro-fessors certainly have the call over us men of hygiene and medicine when it comes to constructing Robots and de-signing great cities, but when it is a case of tampering with the human body doctors and surgeons win nearly every time," said Dr. Dumont with a shrug of his shoulders and a smile on his lips. "Twelve hours was the limit of time allowed for the experiment as one of the conditions of the wager. Eleven of these have passed without the slight-est semblance of success, so now I am going to play my last card, and per-haps the greatest of them all — the ice-cold violet rays." With those remarks Professor McDougall focussed a small beam of light on to the heart of the supposed dead human being and press ed a button." A whirring noise resound-ed through the room, and all was silent for a few moments. Then, behold, the wonder of wonders, there was a move-ment in the body lying on the bed. The Professor's hand trembled, but he raised his voice and said in a sharp tone of command: "Here!" Immedi-ately a Robot advanced with cat-like tread and stood beside the bedside. As the violet rays gained in strength the body began to twist. "Hold," said the Professor, and the Robot immediately seized it in a vice-like grip, and the struggling ceased. Then there was a flash of blackish-blue light. "Let go," was the command given to the me-chanical man. "I've put the rays of sleep on to my experiment. Let him lie there for a week, Doctor, and I confidently anticipate that you will give him the necessary stimulants to sustain life in the body that is now. functioning, although asleep. At the end of that period, we will bring him back permanently to the land of the living, I hope." "Congratulations, Professor! This is the greatest case since your learned uncle, performed the operation of trans-ferring the brain of a paralysed dying man to an infant, who was born an imbecile. Of course, as all the world knows, this little infant was eventually called Titan because he developed into a sort of super-man and gave much trouble to the authorities, which caus-ed similar operations to be prohibited. All the same your uncle's successful operation was a wonderful achieve-ment, and his nephew has now also done a great work, and is entitled to be put on the scroll of world fame. You win the wager, which I understand is to be set aside for the benefit of your subject, which is quite a noble offer-ing on your part?" And Dr. Dumont extended his hand and took that of the Professor's in a hearty grip. "Thanks!" was all that the latter said, and he went from the room, leav-ing Dr. Dumont and his colleagues in a state of wonderment. At the End of Seven Days EVERY official of note in the Insti-tute of Science anxiously awaited the passing of the allotted span of sev-en days. If Professor McDougall's subject came back to line fully normal they would learn a good deal of the world as it was in the 20th century, when Science was only in its infancy. To outward appearances the man who was lying in the Experimental Depart-merit of the Hospital of Science, was dead. His heart was only functioning very faintly, yet that alone was enough to give them all great hopes. On the 24th day of the thirteenth month, (known as Saturn) of 3000 A.D., they all assembled in a near-by room, with the exception of Dr. Dumont, who was the only person Professor McDougali would have near him in the hour of his final triumph or final failure, but as television and radio had long since been brought to perfection it was as if they were actually in the room it-self. Punctually at 10 a.m. the Professor arrived, and with Dr. Dumont proceed-ed to the scene of operations. Follow-ing. some preliminary preparations an
intense green-ray light was diverted on to the sleeper, and after a small space of time there was a very decided move-ment, and a weak voice uttered the words: "Where am I?" "He lives, Professor, he lives!" said the Doctor in a voice which trembled with excitement. "Where am I?" again repeated the voice. "Calm yourself," said the Professor, "you are in the Hospital of Hygiene, Hobart, after lying dormant in the Antarctic for nearly 1,100 years. We, of this age, have been successful in waking you from your long sleep, and putting the breath of revived life into your body. You are not to speak for a while, and must lie still; the Doctor and I will return to you shortly." The pair walked out of the room, leaving their "patient," if he could be so cal-ed, to quietude for a brief period. Soon after they returned,, and .Dr. Dumont questioned the man. "What is your name, and what country did you come from?" "My name is Sir Herbert Smith, my country was Tasmania, and I was on the staff of the Hobart University. Might I ask who you two gentlemen are?" "I am Dr. Dumont, the Head: Spec-ialist of the Hospital of Hygiene; and my friend, who is responsible for your return to life, is Professor McDougall, of the Central University of Greater Hobart. The prefix to your name is an ancient title, and the whole of these nonsenical nomenclatures have been, wiped right out of existence long since. To-day you would be just plain Her-bert Smith to the world, and, no doubt, Smith to your nearest friends. That is if you had been born in these times. But your case is so very unusual, that for courtesy's sake you will probably still be addressed as "Sir Herbert'!" "Yes, Sir Herbert," interjected the Professor, you are ushered into a new era— the Robot Age. The Hobart of your day has disappeared, and in its stead a city of ten million souls has arisen." "Professor! You amaze me! Am I dreaming, or is it true? Why, Lon-don had only in the vicinity of seven million inhabitants when I was alive." "You were never dead, my friend," corrected Dumont. "You should put it before you began your long sleep!" "And now " said McDougall, "you are wide awake! The London that you talk of has to-day a population of fifty. million souls, and although Ho-bart has a population of ten million it is still the smallest of the sixteen States of the Southern Cross, the big-gest of which are Melbourne with twenty-five million people, Sydney with twenty, and Cook with fifteen. Even Burke, in the centre of the main land continent, where we transmit heat and light, has twelve million people, so you see, Sir Herbert, what an im-mense nation Southern Cross is!" "In a sense, gentlemen, I am wor-ried to be back on earth again. Friends and money I have none. What am I to do?" "Friends! Is that all? Well, in Du-mont and myself, you will find staunch friends indeed. As for money, you have the sum of ten thousand units at your disposal. One hundred units, I may state is the equivalent of one ounce of gold, and is world-wide cur-rency. The banks will take care of the sum, which will be entered in your name to-day, and charge you a small sum annually, for in these modern days usury, or interest, has been abolished, and mankind has benefitted by the change. You can live comfortably on 20 units a week. As you are now un-fitted for more excitement, you must lie still. But we are going to shift you to floor 32, where you will have the benefit of the rays of the sun." Then addressing a Robot, who advanced im-mediately, the Professor said "Carry." Smith found himself transported with-out any apparent degree of effort on the part of the mechanical man, to the top of the huge building. "You will lie here for a few days," added the Professor, "and then I will take charge of you, and you will be able to go over our great Metropolis. Good-bye for the present!" And soon Smith found himself alone. As he lay there. Smith wondered, what his native city of long ago would .be like now. Through the windows, as far as the eye could reach, there were immense buildings, although the Hos-pital of Hygiene towered over the ma-jority of them. " The buzzing of aero-planes could be heard almost continu-ously. But he was also puzzled. Where was Mt. Wellington, as well as the magnificent harbour he knew so well long ago? Nurses flitted about fre-quently, as he was fed by these An-
gels of Mercy with food in minute quantities, and practically tasteless. But, all the same, it satisfied his ap-petite. They spoke to him wonder-ingly, for was he not a unique case in the Hospital's history. However, they attended to him day and night. It was in "this room that Smith began to realise the use made of Robots. These creations of man's genius did all the heavy work, and had only to be spoken to in monosyllables, when they obeyed like a child. It was uncanny to watch them, these mechanical men, without brain, without consciousness, without feeling. They were machines, made marvellously sensitive arid responsive, by electrical and other reactions, to light, heat, sound, and, almost literally, to the lightest word of man. As Smith watched them, he remembered that away back towards the end of the third decade of the twentieth century men had already begun to contrive mechan-ical servants, and some writers had even then predicted the Robot Age. PERIOD TWO Through the Great Metropolis IN the space of a few days' time Pro-fessor McDougall, together with Dr. Dumont, visited Smith again, and the latter soon pronounced him to be fit and well. The sun-rays had worked wonders with the patient. "Here are your clothes," said McDougall, "and you are now at liberty to get up and come with me for a stroll through the Metropolis." "My word, Professor," said Smith after quickly getting dressed, "these clothes fit perfectly. How did you know my measurements?" "I did not know your measurements, but the tailor did. By means of tele-vision he was able to measure you to an inch. The whole outfit cost but ten units, so you see, in our day clothes are not an extravagant item." Dr. Dumont then stepped forward and said: "Sir Herbert, here is a small memento of a great occasion. You will notice that it is a watch without works and only has the dial and hands. It is controlled by radio, and you will not be troubled at all by the vagaries of time. Now that you are out of my hands, do not forget that as a friend you will always be welcomed by me. Good-bye for the present, and now off you go with McDougall." Smith took the outstretched hand and shook it heartily. He was beginning to think that life after all was worth living again. The pair reached the- street, and Smith immediately noticed that al though it was crowded it was practic-ally noiseless. Another peculiar thing was that all the people were walking Northwards. These two things puzzled him somewhat, so he asked the reason. "The absence of noise is due to de-flctors, which have proved to be a wonderful success. The business area of Hobart is built on a block three miles square, with three tiers. On the top tier all traffic moves north and east, on the second portion, south and west; while the ground portion is re-served solely for the "fire-flies," while electric tubes travel underneath every-thing." The Professor continued: "You may notice that nearly all the menfolk are similarly dressed and hatless, while a uniform design in clothes has been adopted by the gentler sex. This has been a great boon to the country, and has cheapened production. Further, we have no rain whatever in the Metrop-olis, and. we have managed to invent instruments that prevent it falling, and divert it to country areas. The Soci-ety of Astronomers also control the temperature in the area of Greater Ho-bart, and the night temperature is just the same as the day. However, at two periods of the year, for the safety of the populace arid for the purposes of hygiene, three days of extreme heat are produced, while in the middle of the period of winter, three days of in-tense cold are induced as a means of destroying all vermin. Those two per-iods are treated as holidays and no one works, that is, allowing for. the essen tial duties to keep the city going." Smith marvelled at the magnificent buildings in the city. All were of uni-form height and design. Radio was everywhere, and the news of the world cculd be heard continuously, no mat-ter in what part of the city they went. The shops were marvellous in every sense. All the food was sold in seal-ed jars, packets and by such-like hy-gienic methods, while the majority of it seemed to be of the synthetic kind, as well as being concentrated. Even the fruit appeared to be done on the hydration principle. The twentieth man and the Profes-sor of 3000 A.D. reached a corner, and the people from the other street were travelling east. Smith made as if to go across the street, but had only gone two steps, when he found himself hurl-ed back, and heard McDougall chuckle like a young lad. "Sir Herbert you got in line with the electric beam, con-trolled by that Robot in the middle of the street over there. It is impossible to cross over while he controls the situation. He will turn in a short space of time, and the East-going people will be compelled to halt." Almost im-mediately the Robot made a half-turn and the pair moved on with the crowd. After a big part of the city had been traversed, each step bringing more wonders to the eye of the rejuvenated man, McDougall said: "We will now descend." The pair walked on to a huge platform, electricaily-driven, with hundreds of others. It was Robot-con-troiled. and when the door shut it des-cended. When the grournd-floor was reached there was a bewildering move-ment of traffic. Vehicles, like motor-cars were there in hundreds, but they were unlike those of the 20th century. The speed they travelled at was ter-
rific, but in spite of that everything seemed to be run in a mechanical fash-ion. "These are our fire-flies, one of the greatest inventions of the last five cen-turies. They are driven directly by stored electricity generated from at-omic power. They are, therefore, en-gineless, and are built of the finest super-steel, which is one of the light-est and strongest made. At night their safety consists in being lit up by the radium-paint with which they are coat-ed. The most up-to-date of our fire-flies can be used as a motor in the streets, as a surface boat on the wa-ter, as a submarine, or as an aeroplane. We will now take a trip in one to the outskirts of the Metropolis, down to our seaport." As he explained the Professor pressed a button, and a few seconds after a car emerged as if from nowhere and stopped in front of them. A Robot then got out, bowed to the pair, and disappeared. Soon they were speeding along and reached the open spaces of the city. This was part of the residential area, with houses all of the one height and design, while gar-dens with sparkling fountains were in numerable. At short intervals were subways which led to the electric tubes. "Where are we now? Where is the Harbour and Mt. Wellington, which used to be the pride of Hobart?" Smith asked. "My dear fellow, do not forget the age that you are living in. Genera-tions ago those in control of Hobart looked wisely into the future and saw that the mountain you speak of was unnecessary and retarded the expan-sion of a great city. So it was level-led, and the earth was used to fill up the Harbour, which is now much smal-ler, but covers all our requirements, and will do so, even if the city's popu-lation was to be quadrupled. And it is probable that before another century has elapsed, the whole island will be made as level as it is possible for the hand of man to make it. From your old mountain over two billion units of mineral wealth have been won. Some sacrifice of beauty is involved in such things, but do not forget that televis-ion to-day commands the most distant scenery. You have a choice of sunsets in your room if your taste lies that way. A man need not have a view in front of his windows, you see, when he can have the loveliest views in the world projected on to his parlor wall at any moment he likes, perfect in col-ouring and perfect in perspective." In the space of a short time the two reached the port, and here again a wonderful sight met the eyes of Smith. There were no steamers, but instead, immense seaplanes were being loaded up. One in particular, with "Britan-nia" emblazoned ' on the side of it caught his eye. : "That," said the Professor, "has a carrying capacity of 5,000 tons, and is bound for England, with practically the whole of the season's apple-crop, which is treated yearly so as to reduce its weight and fit it into the small-est possible space by a system of evaporation. Of course the fruit when it reaches its destination is again tre-ated. and when consumed it is just as if it was picked straight from the trees. That is only a tramp 'plane and it will take three days for it to reach London." "Three days! Slow! What do the fast ones travel at," interrogated his companion. "Our rocket-machines usually pro-ceeding at a height of about 50000 feet, travel in the vicinity of 2,000 miles an hour, and any country in the world can be reached in the space of a few hours. Some of our every-day aero-planes record 500 miles an hour, and Melbourne and Sydney are now only reckoned to be a stone's throw away from Hobart. But you have seen en-ough for to-day, and we will go home to satisfy the wants of the inner man. You are to be my guest as long as you like, and you will be made to feel perfectly at home with the members of my family. I won't hear of thanks, for I brought you back to earth, and consider myself responsible for your well-being.' They soon arrived at the centre of the city on the return journey, and after getting out of the car an electric tuba was boarded, and after about ten minutes' travelling at a great speed, with frequent stoppages to put down and pick-up passengers, the Profes-sor's destination was reached. Here again, wonderful things were unfolded. At a word of command massive gates, the entrance to which, led up to a huge block of flats, opened and shut. There was a travelling oath way operated, of course, by a Robot, and as the pair passed along the gardens were mag-nificent to the eye, while groups of happy children were gambelling on the spacious lawns. When about the eighth building was reached "Stop" was call-ed, while the front door responded al-most simultaneously to the command of "Open!" Smith then found himself inside a home the like of which he had never even imagined." The wife of the Pro-fessor, and their four daughters re-ceived the visitor cordially, and with all the grace of the hostesses of old Hobart did their best to make hirn feel at home. The girls looked young and fresh, and like the rest of Hobartian women-folk: were identically dressed. The room soon rang with girlish daughter, and although they looked but girls, Smith found out that their ages were between thirty and forty years. This promoted him to ask McDoug-all whether this was made possible by the method of gland-grafting or other-wise. but the Professor became grave. "No." he said, "monsters of your so-called civilised days nearly ruined the world by their gland-experimenting. It took nearly ten generations to stamp
their evil work out. and it was not until about the year 2500 A.D. that our scientific brethren of those days suc-ceeded in evolving the perfect man and woman. Three things contributed greatly to that end: Morality, Hygiene and Food, and the world, as it is now, owes a lot to the great men of cen-turies ago." The evening meal was soon served, and the menu was varied as well as being new to the 20th century man. Synthetic foods were these chiefiy used and were deliriously flavored "Yes," said his host, "we still cater for the joys of the palate, except for the sick. But all of the meats and most of the vegetables you have eaten are laboratory-made. We no longer have to kill animals to live. Your hateful abbatoirsi They make us shudder." Two Robots waited at the table, but their curiously feline way of mov-ing did not appeal to the visitor, who could not bring himself to quite trust the man-made men. After, the meal was finished Smith was asked: "Would you like to hear a theatre to-night!" "Yes, most decidedly, where will we go?" was the answer. "Go! There are no theatres in Ho-bart, they are a thing of the past, and together with newspapers were put on the scrap-heap centuries back. The only places where people concourse as in the days of old are the churches. Hundreds of years ago Science became universally and sincerely religious and in this age we are much more Christian than your contemporaries of the twen-tieth century. The laws of the coun-try decree that all people, whenever possible, must attend some form of Di-vine Worship on Sundays at some per-iod of the day. English has been the universal language of the day since 1950 A.D. and to-night, by means of television from the Scala Theatre, of Milan, Italy, you will have the pleas-ure of seeing and listening to a play by a writer of your day in 'The Twelfth Night,' by William Shakes-peare." At the appointed time a dial was turned on and a beautiful render-ing was seen and heard by those in the house with such distinctness that one would have thought the players were a few yards away, instead of thousands of miles distant. Before retiring for the night the Professor said: "We will visit the Hails of Justice to-morrow, and you will have an opportunity of witnessing how law and order are maintained in a great city. But let me explain one, or two points to you straight away. I said English had been the universal human language since 1950. Inter-nationalism began about that period, and owed much to a pioneer organisa-tion called, in your time, the League of Nations. A man of your intelligence would realise that if the local language of your day had not become stabilised by universal adoption, you and I would not be able to talk as we are doing now. Great care is taken to preserve the language unchanged, and the only new words allowed are those render-ed necessary by new inventions, or new ideas. What was called the La-bor Movement appears to have been fairly widespread in the beginning of the 20th century. You will perhaps re-member it. As age succeeded age the Labor Movement was not defeated. But both what you used to call Com-munism and Socialism became more or less meaningless terms when Science and Invention abolished poverty and provided plenty for all. For the last two hundred years a four-hour day prevailed everywhere, but to-day no one need toil at work of any sort lon-ger than two hours. The chief offence against the community to-day is to re-fuse this small contribution of personal effort to the common good. A man may then, be given penal labor, based upon your old conception of an eight-hour day. Everybody is guaranteed sufficient for what would be called lux-ury in the times of which, you had ex-perience. The tremendous economic differences have almost altogether re-moved the temptations to half the crimes of the 20th century 'Criminal Calendars.' But human nature does not seem to be quite perfectible, and there are still delinquents, men and women of unbridled ambition, and men and women with some deep-rooted pro-pensity to evil. Doctors, I may add, are not now doctors in your sense of that term. They are health officers whose duty it is to perfect hygiene, and study new foods and the like. There is little of what you would call sickness, which is why we call our chief health institution the Hospital of Hygiene. But surgery is even more needed than ever, for accidents became progressively more formidable as life became progressiviy more mechan-ised. Certainly during the last fifty years we have greatly reduced risks. But where something calamitous oc-curs it is on a big scale. And wise men say we know too much, and that our very knowledge is a danger to our-selves. By all these things you will learn, and a great deal more as you be-come better acquainted with the Ho-bart of 3000 A.D." "Pardon me," said Smith, "but may I ask before we retire where you get all your electricity? Everything seems to be electric." "Yes," answered the Professor, "it is. We derive all our electricity from transformed atomic power. This in turn is obtained chiefiy from dissolved, or more correct'y speaking, disinteg-rated stone which are caused to be-have like the natural substance called radium, and in this process yield up the very force which keeps them solid. Some inkling of this possibility seems to have been possessed by the crude research-workers of the early part of the twentieth-century. Hydro-electric-ity is as dead as Queen Anne, to use the phraseology of the streets in your times. We have, however, preserved some of the prehistoric hydro-electric
works at a place called Waddamana as scientific curiosities. We consider that they display a very creditable degree of primitive ingenuity. One of our archeologists discovered an apparently authentic story of some humble genius called Gillies, who seems to have been the first man to use hydro-electricity in these parts. Old maps show that during the twentieth century the con-siderable sheet of water he used was called the Great Lake. It is to-day known as Gillies Lake, though some authorities hold that there never was such a man. You. perhaps, will have something to tell us about that. When I was a boy Gillies Lake was kept ar-tificially frozen to supply winter sports for ail our people in the summer, but we no longer do that. It is easy en-ough now to go to Antarctica for a few hours sport of that sort at any time you choose. And now, let us part for the night. There is little dif-ference in that respect, and balmy sleep is still Nature's sweetest re-storer. PERIOD THREE In the Halls of Justice THE next day saw the pair at the immense Halls of Justice. By this time the Professor's wonderful achi-evement had become world-known and numberless people from all countries wirelessed their congratulations to Mc Dougall, as well as to Sir Herbert. The latter was the cynosure of all eyes, and many were eager to talk to a re-presentative of bygone ages. Conse-quently it was some little time before the two managed to enter the law buildings. "Two legal reforms have been accom-plished during the last couple of cen-uries, " said the Professor," and they are that Capital Punishment has been universally abolished, and all trials are carried out by a Tribunal of three Jud-ges. No Barristers are permitted to cross-question witnesses or raise tech-nical points of law. The Crown ap-points one Judge, the accused person has the right to name a second one, while the third is brought from the sec-tion of the city or country in which the offence occurred." "Are there never any murder cases?" Sir Herbert queried. "Very, very few, here anyway. But if a person is found guilty of murder in Tasmania, he is sent over to that building over there, across what is termed 'The Bridge of Sighs' for the term of his natural life." ''The Bridge of Sighs!" "Yes, that is what it is called. Prior to going there a piece of metal is pla-ced in the body of the murderer by one of the surgeons of the Hospital of Hygiene. Then he goes across to the building never to leave it again. He is at perfect liberty to do what is in rea-son there, but should an attempt at as-cape be made, there is only one outlet, and that is across the bridge, and the moment that he dares to set foot on that the Rays of Death would do, their work thoroughly. That is the best de- . terrent to escape that we have ever known in Tasmanian history." There were only two charges listed for the day's session. The first was the case of a man who refused to work. He was found guilty and was ordered to do a month's penal work in the ser-vice of the country at eight hours a day. "Loafing is looked upon as a serious crime in the community." Sir Herbert was told. "Every inhabitant has the right to demand work, and the Gov-ernment is bound to find the, applicant something to do on terms which, in fact, ensure personal luxury. There is always plenty of work made available, for the Bureau of Labor meets weekly to decide on what works are to be commenced or completed, arid should work be refused by any individual of a character reasonably suitable to his capacity and training he is punished severely, especially if it 'is a second or third offence. The third offender may receive as much as five years' penal labor under supervision, but very few ever come up for that sentence. You will be dispensed for the Law of Labor by the common consent of the whole community, but I judge you'll want to work presently all the same." The second case was also apparently a very serious one in the eyes of the law. A man was charged with the crime of infidelity. "Prisoner," said the Chief Justice of the day, "you are charged with attempting to win the af-fections of another woman, while you stili have your wife. You met this per-son two nights ago on the outskirts of the Metropolis, but Station O.B.7K.Q. picked up your conversation and trans-mitted it to the Department of Crim-inal Research, who were successful in tracing you. Your wife must have had implicit faith in you, otherwise she could have followed your movements herself by means of the household radio-viewer. What defence have you to offer, and how do. you plead?" "1 have no defence and I plead guilty," was the answer. "Prisoner, as it is your first offence the Court is inclined to be merciful. Go back to your wile, who will grant your forgiveness, but should you come before this Court again on a similar charge you will be very severely dealt with. You are discharged!" Thus Sir Herbert was made acquainted with the modern laws of a great city. "Arid what do you do with drunks and disorderlies?" he asked the Pro-fessor as they left. "There are none," replied the Pro-fessor. "You are thinking in terms of your own barbarous age. The gradual diffusion of leisure and culture made great changes, but Nature herself slow-ly eliminated the drunkard, and all tendencies to excess in alcohol. The same thing happened to drug addicts. There has not been a case of drunken-ness in Tasmania for over a hundred years." "'All are teetotallers then?" queried Smith. "My dear Sir Herbert, how absurd you are! Alcohol is only hurtful when abused. The whole community uses it without abuse to-day. The few are those, so deficient in taste, as to pre-fer the taste of water. We have the month cf Saturn, but no Saturnalia." PERIOD FOUR "Scourge of the Skies" Time passed by rapidly, and Sir Herbert by now was firmly convin-ced that living and conditions in 3000 A.D. were far ahead of the old world. Nations had ceased to quarrel and
wars were unknown, everything being settled by an International Conven-tion, which met frequently in different centres of the world, for it was only a matter of a couple of days to call everyone together. One day he went with the Professor to Hobart's great aerodrome, situated a few miles out of the city. It was an immense struc-ture and said to be the tallest and big-gest of its kind in the Southern Hem-isphere. It reached a height of 1500 feet, while its length and breadth were enormous. It was in this great build-ing that nearly all the brains of the Metropolis were located. Here all the different Departments connected with Agriculture, Synthetic Foods, Electric-ity, Atomic Power, Transport, Labor, as well as Astronomy and Radio had their headquarters. Giant airships left at hourly intervals for all the States of the Southern Cross. From here pas-sengers embarked in rocket-planes for all parts of the word. It was a scene of activity and bustle, for everyone ap-peared to be in a hurry. The giant ma-chine, "Nippon," arrived shortly after Sir Herbert and his companion reach-ed the place, the journey from the Land of the Rising Sun being done in the space of six hours. A Robot had piloted the machine, which was a won-derful piece of machinery, although Smith observed that Hobartians of 3,000 A.D. only took it as a matter of course. Two rockets were dispatched in a short space of time, one to U.S.A. and the other to England. Upon en-quiry it was ascertained that the jour-ney would be done in eight and ten hours respectively. But a sensational event was happening. The "Empress of England" had left Great Britain over ten hours ago and no communi-cation was received from it for just on four hours. Her movements to India had been traced, but soon after every-thing was a blank. Excitement became intense, for it was known that there were several hundred people on board. After some time the pilot-.machine re-ported that the rocket was 500 miles away and only going half-speed. In due course she was piloted from the clouds and it was soon apparent that a mishap had occurred. When the ship was moored it was found that half of j her side had been melted away, and just on 200 passengers, who were in that section, had been suffocated by the loss of oxygen. The engineer was. in a state of ner-vous excitement. "Attacked by a pir-ate ship, which called itself 'Scourge of the Skies' soon after leaving India," he gasped .out. "The side was melted away by neans of his rays, and at one time I thought the gyroscope had been wrecked. I managed to escape by strategy and re-crossing the beams as they were directed to the ship. The last heard of the raider was from a message received which stated: 'Be-ware, for Titan and His Robots are going to destroy you!"' As the last sentence was uttered the silence was pronounced, for many remembered Titan, the super-man, and the great trouble he had caused the nation long years before. So he had turned pirate and was threatening civilisation. Then everyone seemed to spring into activity. The mighty rocket-air-ship, "Mars," was brought out from the drome. Men worked at feverish speed installing electric guns and death-rays, for it was necessary that the pirate-ship should be destroyed, as civilisation was being threatened. At six in the afternoon she was ready for flight, and included in the crew were twenty Robots, six of the most emin-ent Professors of Science that Hobart . possessed, as well as four skilled air-ship engineers. The news was soon made public, and at the Professor's home that night, as well as in thou-sands of others, the subject of "Titan the Pirate" was the only topic dis-cussed. , The Great Catastrophe Worse news was to follow in the morning, which happened to be Sunday, the 28th of January, 3001, for a derisive message was received to the following effect: "Hobart, your great ship has been totally destroyed, and Titan warns you that within forty-eight hours, that is the 2nd day of February he will destroy every living soul in Hobart by means of his Ro-bots and ultra-black Death Rays." The majority of the populace were panic-stricken and flocked ceaselessly to the Churches. But the Men of Science were not alarmed, for they were quite confident that they could manufacture Death-Rays to nullify the effect of Ti-tan's, as well as to destroy him and his ship, which was now a world-menace. Sunday passed and Monday came. To-morrow was the fatal day, and would prove if the super-terror was able to do what he boasted. Before retiring Professor McDougall said a few words to his family and Sir Herbert. "We are led to believe that to-morrow may see the Metropolis of Hobart a great Mausoleum. I do not think it possible that such can happen, and believe that when we rise in the morning it will be to learn that Titan has been destroyed and not us." With the rest of the family Sir Her-bert retired, but he was very uneasy. For some unaccountable reason he took his bed down into the cellar and laid down. After a while he became stupefied, and tried to rise, but could not. He lay there unable to move, but conscious that something was hap-pening and .... The next morning be roused himself from his sleep of stupor, and arose, but there seemed to be an unearthly silence prevailing. He went to. the Profes-sor's room but found, to His horror, Death staring him in the face. All the other members of the household were likewise. He turned around and saw a Robot advancing as if to complete the tragedy. Panic-stricken he rushed out-side and found there was no life any-where. in either that of man or animal, He raced on wondering when his turn would come, Hobart, the mighty Me-tropolis, bad been destroyed by two of man's own creations — the super-man Titan and the Robots, who had man-ipulated the Death-Rays sent out by the "Scourge of the Skies." Hobart was Dead!

Item sets

Vintage Science Fiction from Australian Newspapers 1901-1939 (Australian)