Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, Issue 45 — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

DIMENSIONAL DESTINY The BZ-rays are useless; per- haps they've made matters worse. There’s a steep curve of cumulative progress insofar as the energy itself is concerned. All dimensional travel has gone crazy. Regular channels ceased to operate hours ago and those in the present, but ever-disappearing fringe galaxies, are endeavour- ingtoescapeinthis direction... in old museum pieces, the one-time spaceships; but they’re not fast enough. The galaxies are being destroyed at an alarming rate. Com- mando emergency squads have been annihilated and there seems nothing left to do... except, perhaps... to pray!” Naxos was terse: “If only the Council had taken heed of my advice.”” “Don’t be bitter,’ soothed Kleria. “‘Let’s go home and rest.” There was a brief but sin- cere leave taking; they left Ekrill dejected, awaiting the arrival of his relief. Naxos and Kleria reported for their next tour of duty, finding the observable 3D universe very much reduced in size. The speed of the destroy- ing energy was now greatly in excess of light. Peculiar effects were occurring, but before they could investigate there 121 came a special announcement from Rendlow;; it was devoid of all frills: ““Our science is _ unable to cope with the situa- tion. We cannot be sure that the 3D universe is non-existent beyond the curtain of ap- proaching energy, but it would seem to be true. Dimensional travel is non-operative due to fundamental changes in the force patterns which have, hitherto, been amenable to our control. We are cut off from the extra-dimensional states. The 3D universe is shrinking at a speed beyond our imagining. “We can only bow our heads to a Higher Power: we are helpless. Every possible measure has been tried, but these seem to aggravate the situation, attracting the energy ~ as though we were a magnet beckoning an iron filing. “Before I bid you farewell, allow me to give credit to Naxos, recently a Chief Offi- cial on perimeter duties in the Zenkal Zone. Naxos fore- saw this danger and urged us to take heed, though our Intelligence reports seemed to suggest that a 5D governing body was bent on attacking us. This we can no longer con- sider as being true. Naxos was right; at one time it might have been possible for some of comicloooks.conn