Fictional Entry—Saturday, November 25, 3978
The following recording is classified by the National Security Agency as codeword HELICAL. No persons not cleared to at least codeword INKWELL–Top Secret clearance and having the need to review this recording as defined in document NSA-147-F are authorized to listen to this recording. Punishment for unauthorized access to this material is a fine of no less than 10,000 dollars and not to exceed 50,000 dollars and twenty years in a federal maximum security prison.
This recording is classified as codeword HELICAL.
Introduction: This recording was recovered from the remains of the spaceship which crashed in the Pacific Ocean near Los Angeles in 1973. The validity of this recording is unconfirmed. The voice heard in the recording matches the voice prints on file with ANSA for Commander Astronaut George Taylor.
RECORDING BEGINS:
We have crashed on an alien world. Thankfully, a habitable world as well. The ship was lost as it sank minutes after the crash. Landon, Dodge, and I were able to escape. Stewart was dead before the crash.
Within a minute of our waking, I discovered Stweart had died at some point during our statis transit. I’m not certain what caused her death, though Dodge thinks it may have been a failed seal or other form of leak. We can never know, as she and the ship are on the bottom of the lake here, and we have no way to retrieve either. Liberty 1 is the best grave we can give her.
I’m also uncertain as to what caused the ship to crash either. There were no alarms going off when we awoke, and we didn’t realize the condition of the ship until the bulkhead began spraying water. On my orders, Landon attempted to send our landing signal, though the ship lost power before Landon could verify any signal was sent. We can only hope that it did get sent so that others will know of our success in arriving on this world.
Using the inflatable raft, we paddled to shore. All the land around the lake appears barren, though we have noticed a few hardy plants growing in crevices. Before we were forced to abandon the sinking ship, Dodge took readings of the atmosphere. The air is not only breathable but better than the air of Earth when we launched.
The ship's chronometer indicated approximately eleven months of ship time had elapsed since our launch in January. The current chronometer shows the year 3978. I have no idea how far the ship traveled or what star this planet orbits. I have planted the flag of the United States of America upon this distant shore, a beacon to those who might follow us to this unknown place.
We come in peace and the hope for a better tomorrow for all mankind.
Commander Taylor, captain of the ANSA Liberty 1 mission, signing off.
RECORDING ENDS
This recording is classified as codeword HELICAL.
Planet of the Apes
Motion Picture
20th Century Fox
1968
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