Authentic Science Fiction, December 1951 — page 27: what you’re looking at

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

THE MOON IS HEAVEN 25 now on all that exists in the past. something you might come back to some day, if you’re lucky. Rapidly you climb the little ladder that runs alongside the fuel tank and get up into the living quarters, which is a room about a tenth of the size of the fuel tank. The others are already strapping themselves down on the soft mattresses. You ‘go over to yours, giving Reina a meaningless grin on the way.. You lie down on the mattress with your hands along the length of your body, wrists and ankles lying in the rowlock- like clasps. You hesitate a moment and then jab each index finger. against the buttons that snap the clasps tight. It’s rather like being strapped down for vivisection and you-don’t jike it. Even though you’ve been through the drill a dozen times before, it doesn’t seem any better. But you’ve just got to put up with it. Steps on the ladder outside and Atah Kark comes in. As usual, he’s smiling. He goes over to the control board and has a'word with the pilot, who is strapped close to the board so that he’s near enough to do things when the time comes. Everything seems all right. Atah takes a quick look round, glances at the chronometer donated by fie London Circle, and climbs on to his mattress. ‘‘ Three minutes to noon, everybody. Watch the clock.” In your mind’s eye you can imagine it. Everyone leaving the danger zone, getting away from the blast. Getting right outside yourself and the rocket and the Earth, you can see it happening. The Earth is whirling round on its axis at 0.28 miles per second at the equator. And you are on the equator. Ags soon as the rocket leaves Earth, it will be flung away by Earth’s motion as well as by the power of*‘its motors. That way, a useful bit. of velocity will be gained. You ‘glance at the chronometer. In exactly two minutes from now the great craft will hurtle upwards and spin out- wards in a long curve towards the Moon. You raise your head and look round at the others. They are taking it easy, eyes closed, body relaxed. . You try to relax yourself, - comicbooks.com