A metal box labelled 1910 sits on Mr. Ratburn’s desk. The kids stand around it.
Mr. Ratburn: Everything in this time capsule is over a hundred years old. The people who buried it wanted to give us in the future a sense of what life was like back in 1910.
Brain: Isn't this amazing? It's like opening a treasure chest.
Mr. Ratburn takes out an Easton catalogue showing a lady with a flowery hat.
Mr. Ratburn: A catalogue depicting the latest fashions.
Francine: Look at that hat! It's like she's wearing a birthday cake on her head.
Mr. Ratburn takes out a Brownie camera.
Mr. Ratburn: This was one of the big new inventions of the time, the Brownie camera.
Francine+Muffy: (giggle)
Francine: It looks more like an old lunchbox.
Brain: Hh! The Brownie was a great invention. It made it possible for ordinary people to take photos for the first time.
Muffy: They must have sprained their arms trying to take selfies.
Francine: (laugh)
Mr. Ratburn: I'd like you all to write a paper on what you would put in your own time capsules.
Brain: Oh, I'm going to do something much better than that.
~~~
Title Card: The kids are about to bury the capsule
~~~
Brain and his dad stand outside the house and build a metal strongbox according to instructions on a laptop.
Brain: I think it's ready for testing.
Binky comes by on a skateboard.
Binky: Hey, Brain! Making a robot?
Brain: No, but I need a favor. Try to destroy this.
Binky: Alright!
Binky jumps on the box. Then he beats it with a baseball bat.
Binky: (pants)
Binky throws the box out of Brain’s window on the second floor.
Binky: Hgn!
The boys pick up the box which has buried itself in the lawn.
Binky: Sorry, it's still good as new.
Brain: I built it with three gauge steel so it'll last hundreds of years.
Binky: What is it?
Brain: My time capsule, so people in the future will know what life was like for a kid in Elwood City today.
The boys carry the box.
Binky: Can I add something too?
Brain: Sorry, but... there's no room.
Binky: What do you mean, there's no room? It's empty.
Brain: I know but I have all the contents planned.
Binky puts the box down.
Binky: That's the thanks I get for helping you?!
Brain: Okay, okay, you can put in one thing. Just don't... tell... anyone.
Binky: Don't worry. I'm locking up your secret... and throwing away the key.
He mimes doing that. Brain smiles.
~~~
The next day at lunch, Brain sits with Buster at an outside table. He spits out milk in shock.
Brain: Binky told you what??!
Buster: About your time capsule. Can I put some stuff in too?
Muffy comes.
Muffy: Oh Brain, I have the best things for the capsule. Future kids will love it.
Binky joins them.
Brain: What happened to locking your mouth and throwing away the key?!
Binky: Hm. Gotta find a better hiding place for that key.
He walks away.
Brain: Guys, you can't just put any old thing in a time capsule.
Muffy: Like I even own any old thing.
Buster: You're letting Binky put his stuff in. Why can't we?
Brain: Because each item in that box is going to be judged by future generations. I don't want them laughing at us.
Muffy: So what are you putting in?
Brain smiles.
~~~
Brain, Buster and Muffy stand in Brain’s room. Buster looks at a card deck.
Buster: Great Mathematicians of the World playing cards??
Brain: It's a collector's edition. And the eight of hearts is signed by Sylvie Morale.
Muffy: They won't be laughing at us in the future, they'll just all be asleep.
Brain: What do you mean??
Buster: No offense, Brain, but this stuff is a little boring.
Brain: My quantum mechanics coloring book is not boring!
Muffy: These things may say something about you, but they don't say anything about what normal life was like.
Buster: And you want this to be an accurate portrayal, right?
Brain: I guess it could use a little bit more variety. Okay, you can each put one thing in. But I get to approve it and you can't tell anyone else.
Buster and Muffy make the lock-lips-and-throw-away-the-key gesture. Brain looks worried.
~~~
The next day, there is a line of kids in front of the Powers’ door, each holding an object for the time capsule. Brain opens and Francine shows him a soccer ball. Brain shakes his head and closes the door.
~~~
Brain mops the floor in the ice-cream shop. Binky comes in with an Uncle Slam bobblehead figure.
Binky: Here, for the time capsule.
Brain: No way!
Binky: What?? Uncle Slam is the sixth time wrestling champ of the universe!
Brain: Everything in the time capsule has to be important. Find something else.
~~~
Brain practices chess in the chess club room. Muffy puts a DVD box on his table.
Brain: Six complete seasons of 'Keeping up with the Kamerahounds'?? You're kidding, right?
Muffy: Nobody says today more than they do.
Brain: Not a chance!
Muffy: Well, obviously you have to include the Ziptron T5. It's the coolest phone ever!
Brain: You're willing to sacrifice your new phone?? There's a waiting list for it.
Muffy: I know. Bailey slept outside the store for a week to get it.
Brain: Okay.
She gives him the phone and gets a box full of stuffed toys.
Muffy: And here are the rest of my contributions.
Brain: I told you, you only get one thing.
She hands him a 20 dollar bill.
Brain: Fine, you can include this too. It's a good idea to show the future what our currency was like.
Muffy: I don't want it to go in the box. I want it to go in your pocket. Maybe it might free up a little room in there?
Brain looks offended and gives the money back.
~~~
Brain jogs in the park. Binky overtakes him and shows him another Uncle Slam figure, this time in its original box. Brain runs on.
~~~
Brain reads in the library. Buster shows him a cake packed in plastic.
Buster: The Winkie cake. It says today, but it's also timeless. This is what life is like in Elwood City.
Brain: It's junk food. I want to represent the very best of ourselves. Besides, it won't last a hundred years.
Buster: Yes, it will! I looked it up. Winkie cakes have a shelf life of 322 years.
Brain: (sighs) At least it's small.
~~~
Brain does chin-ups in the gym. Binky shows him boots.
Binky: Uncle Slam boots. You can't even get them anymore.
Brain: Binky, wrestling is just vulgar entertainment in outlandish costumes for a gullible public!
Binky: I know, that's why it's so cool!
Brain: I'm sorry, but no!
Binky: You said I could put one thing in that box and so far you've rejected all my ideas.
Brain: I don't even know if they'll fit!
Binky: Well, you can at least try!
He gives Brain the boots and leaves.
~~~
Later, Brain tries to make room for the boots.
Brain: I guess I can leave out my math Olympics trophy. And this.
He takes out a model of a molecule.
Brain: I can't believe I agreed to all this junk.
Brain sits at his computer.
Brain: “To future generations: Some of the items in this time capsule do not reflect the views and opinions of its creator. Sincerely, Alan Powers.”
He prints out the page and puts it in the capsule. He tries to close it, but the lid will not shut. .He tries jumping on it and sitting on it, but to no avail. Brain takes out the boots.
Brain: Sorry, Binky. They're just too big. What he doesn't know won't hurt him.
He puts the boots in a drawer under his bed and closes the capsule.
~~~
Brain, Binky, Arthur, Buster, Francine and Muffy are gathered around a hole in the woods in which the time capsule lies.
Brain: We are gathered here today to leave a historical record of Elwood City. Hundreds of years from now, kids will open this time capsule and discover the important things in our lives today. And hopefully disregard the rest.
The kids close the hole.
~~~
That night, there is a thunderstorm. Brain sleeps uneasily.
In his dream, the boots come out of the drawer by themselves and jump on Brain’s feet.
Brain: Hh! Ah! Uncle Slam's boots?! Augh!
The boots pull him out of the bed. A clock goes from 2018 to 2118.
The boots walk Brain down a street in a futuristic city. A lady and her dog fly by with jetpacks.
Brain: Hm. We must be in the future.
A crowd has gathered in front of the theater, which is all that can be seen of old Elwood City. It includes old versions of Brain, Binky, Muffy and Ladonna.
Mayor: And now, to open the Alan Powers time capsule...
Brain: Hh! That's me!
Old Binky: Good thing you invented the longevity smoothie so we could both enjoy this moment together.
Old Brain: Binky, there's something I’ve always wanted to tell you...
Old Binky: I know. You're as excited as I am. And so is Uncle Slam.
An ancient Uncle Slam stands beside Ladonna.
Old Uncle Slam: (growls)
Brain: Oh no!
The dream ends.
Brain: Hh!
Brain gets up and walks to the phone.
Brain: Buster, I need your help. I think I made a terrible mistake.
~~~
Later, Brain and Buster stand in the woods with shovels.
Brain: Where on earth did I bury it? Last night's rain washed away all the signs.
Buster: What's the big deal? Binky's never gonna discover that you didn't put his boots in anyway.
Brain: He might, you never know. And if he does, he's going to be really upset.
They start digging.
~~~
Later, they have dug several holes but found nothing.
Buster: (sighs) Why didn't you bring a metal detector.
Brain: Cause I don't have one. But I know someone who does.
~~~
Later, Muffy searches the ground with a metal detector while the boys wait. It beeps.
Buster: You found it!
Brain digs and finds a bottle cap.
Brain: Huh. It's just a bottle cap.
He throws it away and Buster catches it.
Buster: This isn't just a bottle cap. It's a bottle cap from an Old Crow Blueberry Fizz.
Brain: So?
Buster: It's really rare. This soda pop was only made in Elwood City in the 1960s before they closed the plant down.
Muffy: How on earth do you know that?
Buster: My great-uncle Rusty worked there. He's gonna love this.
Brain: Hm. I guess one person's trash is another person's treasure. Now I feel even worse about Binky.
Buster: Well, you can apologize now if you want. Here he comes.
Binky comes with a shovel.
Binky: What are you guys doing here?
Muffy: We’re... er... digging for truffles.
Brain: Yeah, we’re not looking for the time capsule.
Binky: (nervous laugh) Oh, I wasn't going to look for that either. I was just, er... hunting for buried treasure.
He takes one dig.
Binky: Oh well, it's not here. See ya!
He wants to leave.
Brain: Binky, wait!
He runs after Binky with a bag containing the boots.
Brain: We were looking for the time capsule. I left these out. Are you mad at me?
Binky: Mad? I'm thrilled! I forgot these were autographed. I was here to dig ‘em up. Hey, you know what this means? I still get to put one thing in the time capsule.
Brain: But we can't find it. The rain washed away the traces of where it's buried.
Binky hands him the shovel.
Binky: So? Keep digging!
~~~
A clock moves to 2118. A dog with a jetpack digs up the time capsule. Buster’s descendant flies up to him and opens the box.
Future Buster: Hh! A Winkie cake.
He eats it.
Future Buster: Mm. Delicious!