Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 41 — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION “I know nothing of Matrix 24 or Reversionist policy.” “Who gave you synapsin?” “Santa Claus.” *““Soliki gave you synapsin. He is a big power in the Reversionist group.” “If you know, why ask me?”’ “Are you in love with Soliki—or Borden ?”’ “What is love ?”’ Rondo snapped the light beam off. “We might take time out to demonstrate, later,” he remarked. “‘How- ever, that’s enough for now. You can go. Guard—take her to the ordinary isolation cells.”’ Zora went out, relieved that she was not being returned to the supersonics room. The interrogation had been a farce. Lieutenant Pope had simply gone through a set of routine questions, and nobody seemed to care whether she bothered to answer or not. Knowing that she had taken synapsin, perhaps they realised the fu- tility of questioning, and had merely carried out the in- terrogation in order to comply with standard procedure. Once the effects of the synapsin 78 had worn off, they would doubtless adopt a more ruth- less attitude .. . but that was in the future. For the present she was content to be con- fined in isolation, conscious of the passing hours leading, inevitably, to the broadcast of Matrix 24 and her release. That was—provided every- thing went off according to | plan. They had linked Bax with Karl, and had mentioned Matrix 24. How much did they really know? Or were they guessing? Perhaps they already knew as much as she could tell them, and that was the reason they hadn’t grilled her too hard? She had no way of finding out. When she left the Interroga- tion Room, Pope said: ““That was a complete waste of time.” “Of course,’ Rondo agreed. “Pressure would be useless while she’s under the in- fluence of synapsin. But-we have the recordings. I'll send them down to the psycho- semantics laboratory. They may be able to build up an interpretation from tone and inflexions, or from facial ex- pressions,” connicloooks.«comn