between the picture and the audio recording is perfect, because of the magnefilm.”
“Will you explain magnefilm, please, Doctor?”
“Certainly, Captain. It was developed through research into the rather wide variation in dielectric characteristics of the early plastics—the styrenes, ureas, and so on. Molecular arrangement was altered in various plastics until a transparent conductor was developed. It was not very far from that to the production of a plastic with a remarkably high magnetic density. Once this was made in a transparent, strong, pliable form, it was simple to make photographic film of it. The audio impulses are impressed directly upon the film, as in any magnetic tape system.”
And it was invented for 8-mm. movie addicts, so that they could have sound film
, added his thought.
Now it’s a secret weapon
.
“The purpose of the Spy-Eye, of course, is to pick up short-range transmissions—vertically beamed walkie-talkies, line-of-sight FM messages, and the like. Since these are usually well beyond the range of the enemy’s listening posts, they are seldom coded. Therefore, with this device, we have access to a wealth of intelligence that has so far been regarded as unreachable.”
He signaled the projection room. The screen came to life. During the test, the various officers had spoken into the microphones of several AM and FM transmitters spotted within a quarter-mile. Unerringly, after a few spoken words, the screen showed the sources and their identification numerals, painted on large white signboards.
“In enemy territory,” remarked the doctor dryly, “we shall probably have to do without the boards.” There was polite laughter. “If you will remember, gentlemen, the selector was next set to pick up something on the broadcast band.”
The screen, blank, gave an agonized groan. Then a child’s voice said clearly, “What’s the matter, Daddy? Has that old acid indigestion got you down again?” “Owoo,” said the man’s voice. The screen suddenly showed, far below, the tall towers of a transmitting antenna. “Honey child, you’d better go for the doctor. Your old Daddy’s real poorly.” “No need to be,” rejoined the angelic little voice. “I took my ice-cream money and bought you a package of Bubble-Up, the fastest relief known to the mind of a man. It is only ten cents at the nearest drugstore. Here. Take one and drink this glass of water I brought you.”
Glug-glug. Clink!
“Ah-h! I’m a new man!” “Now Daddy, here’s my report card. I’m sorry. It’s all D’s.” “Ha ha ha! Think nothing of it honey child. Here—take this dollar. Take five dollars! Take all the other kids down for a treat!”
“Cut!” said Dr. Simmons. “I would consider this conclusive evidence, gentlemen, that the Spy-Eye can spot a target for bombing.”
Amid laughter and applause, the lights came on. The observers pressed forward to shake the physicist’s hand. Colonel Simmons stood by until the rest went to a table, where a technician was explaining the flight-record tapes and the course and radio-band preselector mechanisms.
“Muscles, it’s fine. Just fine! How about duplication? I knowthere can be no leaks out of here, but do you think
they
will be able to figure it out quickly enough to get something like it into production?”
Dr. Simmons rubbed his chin. “That’s hard to say. Aside from the fuel and magnefilm, there’s nothing new about the device except for the fact that old components are packed into a new box. The fuel can be duplicated, and magnefilm—well, that’s a logical development.”
“Well,” said the colonel, “it can’t matter too much. I mean, even if they have it already. We can blanket the earth with those things. There needn’t be a single spot on the globe unobserved. The Spy-Eye doesn’t have to detect radio alone, does it?”
“Lord, no! It could be built to seek infrared, or radioactivity, or even sound, though we’d have to tune the jets
“Will you explain magnefilm, please, Doctor?”
“Certainly, Captain. It was developed through research into the rather wide variation in dielectric characteristics of the early plastics—the styrenes, ureas, and so on. Molecular arrangement was altered in various plastics until a transparent conductor was developed. It was not very far from that to the production of a plastic with a remarkably high magnetic density. Once this was made in a transparent, strong, pliable form, it was simple to make photographic film of it. The audio impulses are impressed directly upon the film, as in any magnetic tape system.”
And it was invented for 8-mm. movie addicts, so that they could have sound film
, added his thought.
Now it’s a secret weapon
.
“The purpose of the Spy-Eye, of course, is to pick up short-range transmissions—vertically beamed walkie-talkies, line-of-sight FM messages, and the like. Since these are usually well beyond the range of the enemy’s listening posts, they are seldom coded. Therefore, with this device, we have access to a wealth of intelligence that has so far been regarded as unreachable.”
He signaled the projection room. The screen came to life. During the test, the various officers had spoken into the microphones of several AM and FM transmitters spotted within a quarter-mile. Unerringly, after a few spoken words, the screen showed the sources and their identification numerals, painted on large white signboards.
“In enemy territory,” remarked the doctor dryly, “we shall probably have to do without the boards.” There was polite laughter. “If you will remember, gentlemen, the selector was next set to pick up something on the broadcast band.”
The screen, blank, gave an agonized groan. Then a child’s voice said clearly, “What’s the matter, Daddy? Has that old acid indigestion got you down again?” “Owoo,” said the man’s voice. The screen suddenly showed, far below, the tall towers of a transmitting antenna. “Honey child, you’d better go for the doctor. Your old Daddy’s real poorly.” “No need to be,” rejoined the angelic little voice. “I took my ice-cream money and bought you a package of Bubble-Up, the fastest relief known to the mind of a man. It is only ten cents at the nearest drugstore. Here. Take one and drink this glass of water I brought you.”
Glug-glug. Clink!
“Ah-h! I’m a new man!” “Now Daddy, here’s my report card. I’m sorry. It’s all D’s.” “Ha ha ha! Think nothing of it honey child. Here—take this dollar. Take five dollars! Take all the other kids down for a treat!”
“Cut!” said Dr. Simmons. “I would consider this conclusive evidence, gentlemen, that the Spy-Eye can spot a target for bombing.”
Amid laughter and applause, the lights came on. The observers pressed forward to shake the physicist’s hand. Colonel Simmons stood by until the rest went to a table, where a technician was explaining the flight-record tapes and the course and radio-band preselector mechanisms.
“Muscles, it’s fine. Just fine! How about duplication? I knowthere can be no leaks out of here, but do you think
they
will be able to figure it out quickly enough to get something like it into production?”
Dr. Simmons rubbed his chin. “That’s hard to say. Aside from the fuel and magnefilm, there’s nothing new about the device except for the fact that old components are packed into a new box. The fuel can be duplicated, and magnefilm—well, that’s a logical development.”
“Well,” said the colonel, “it can’t matter too much. I mean, even if they have it already. We can blanket the earth with those things. There needn’t be a single spot on the globe unobserved. The Spy-Eye doesn’t have to detect radio alone, does it?”
“Lord, no! It could be built to seek infrared, or radioactivity, or even sound, though we’d have to tune the jets
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