Astounding Science Fiction, British Edition — page 49: what you’re looking at

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

MOTHER OF INVENTION 47 the fuel inlets metal cover and undid them. A thorough and methodical man who believed a good workman could be told by the care he gave his tools, he laid the clamp wrench back in its form-fitting recess in his tool box, rather than on the gritty floor. He dropped the flat hinged clamps down against the sides of the inlet box and lifted off the metal cover, then checked the metering devices that reg- ulated the intake of the reel of tung- sten thread. He hurried, as the feeling of faintness increased, to check the delicate device that controlled the in- take of. catalytic carbon. This done, he returned all his tools and instru- ments to their proper recesses in his tool box and withdrew the inspection forms from his pocket to check the last spaces on them. He returned pad and pencil to his pocket and picked up the fuel inlet’s metal cover, setting it in place on its soft gasket that would render it air-tight when the clamps were secured. The faintness increased as he reacied out to lift up the clamps and he dropped back on his heels, trying to draw a deep breath and drive away the black dizziness. The dizziness in- creased and he had half-turned to shout for the other technician in the control room above when it swept over him in a black wave. He fell to the floor with his mouth wordlessly open. : ' A few minutes later the ship’s eleva- tor dropped to the drive room floor and the technician he had tried to call stepped out of it. “Hey, Jim, did you—” The technician gawked a moment at the still figure on the floor, then ran over to him. A _ quick inspection showed Jim to be still alive and the coniclbookssco@