Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition, December 1955 — page 85: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

RAT RACE 83 “That’s it!’’ Lewis slapped the bed with the palm of his hand. ‘‘There was something freakish about him and I couldn’t focus on it. The pupils of his eyes changed color. I can remember seeing it and—” “You didn’t see anything,”’ said Bellarmine. “‘His pelvic floor was broader and distributed the weight more evenly to the legs. The feet had.larger bones and more central distribution of weight over the arch. There was an interlaced membranous support for the viscera. His circulatory system had sphincter valves at strategic points to control bleeding. This Johnson may have looked human on the outside, but inside he was superhuman.” “‘What about that machinery in the mortuary basement?’ asked Lewis. Bellarmine stood up, began to pace the floor, back and forth at the foot of the bed. Presently, he stopped, put his hands on the rail, stared at Lewis. “I spent half the night examining that layout,” he said. “It was one of the most beautifully designed and executed rigs I’ve ever seen. It’s major purpose was to take cadaver blood and fractionate the protein.” “You mean like for making plasma and stuff like smi asked Lewis. “Well, something like that,” said Bellarmine. “T didn’t think you could use the blood of a corpse for that, *’ said Lewis. “We didn’t either,” said the surgeon. ““The Russians have been working on it, however. Our experience has been that it breaks down too quickly. .. We've tried—” “You mean this was a Communist setup?” Bellarmine shook his head. “No such | luck. This rig wasn’t just foreign to the U.S.A. It was foreign to Earth. There’s one We VI 7h Z| centrifugal pump a there that spins free | ‘iY, TM al in an air blast. I shudder every time I think ; . of the force it must generate. We don’t oniiGbooksséom