Authentic Science Fiction, December 1951 — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

G06 THE MOON IS HEAVEN Your mouth is dry and your eyes seem to be right out of their.sockets. You glance across at Reina and see that she thas her eyes closed. You decide to do the same. “Ten seconds. Eight. Seven. Five. Three. Two. Zero.”’ , , For one terrible moment, you think the thing has failed, that there won’t be an explosion, that the ship won’t rise. ‘Even as you think it, you realise what a queer thing the thuman mind is. A moment ago you didn’t want it to happen, mow it would be catastrophic if it didn’t. But it does. There’s the same old roar, the same giant dhand smashing down into your face, the foot on your chest making it difficult for you to breathe. And then the air is filled with lights. Maybe it’s because vyou’ve been working hard and got weak. Perhaps you thaven’t been having enough of the right things to eat. What- ever it is, you feel consciousness slipping from you, and the «control room becomes quite black. In a way it’s quite a relief. It’s laughter that greets your return to consciousness. Reina’s laughter. For a second, you wonder if she’s shysterical, but then you see that it isn’t that. She is sitting up above your mattress looking down at you and laughing. ‘‘ You,look so funny with your mouth open,”’ she says. Abruptly it pulls you ‘back to full consciousness as nothing else could, and you close your mouth sharply. In a moment ‘you open the clasps and sit up—and the movement carries -you off the mattress. You wonder if you'll never get used to ‘free-fall conditions. But in a way it’s a good thing, for you sail up towards: ‘Reina and collide with her. ‘* All right, you two,’’.says Leeson with a grin. ‘‘ Cut out the capers. We’re going to change direction.” It’s then that you realise this is a serious business. The ship must have reached escape velocity while you slept and comicbooks.com