Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, Issue 45 — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION “Does that mean we’re going to die after all?’ Lorna joined them, her face strained and her eyes wide with terror. George smiled at her. “No, sis; the dose was heavy but not bad enough for us to worry about.” He stared at the cadmium concrete walls. ‘They must be pretty thick to have stopped what they did.” “Fifteen feet,” said Jeff, proudly. “And forty feet be- low the surface. I built a large fish pond directly over- head; made it ten feet deep and large enough to cover the shelter, and water’s pretty good at stopping radiation.” “Yes,” said George, slowly. “You certainly took good care of yourself.” Jeff stared at him, seemed about to speak, then moved away. He was frowning as he checked the gauges on the ranked cylinders of bottle air. Later, when both he and Lorna had dressed in spare clothes kept in the shelter for just such an emergency, and Lorna had heated coffee over a small chemical stove, he stared at the tall, slightly 74 gangling figure of his brother- in-law. ““What happened out there, George? You were on Civil Defence I remember.”’ There was a barely hidden sneer in the words and George flushed as he stared at the older man. “I was,’ he admitted. “By rights I shouldn’t be here at all, but I was off duty, on my way to the post to take over, when the sirens went. I ran all the way here, smashed my way in,and...”” Heshrugged. “You know the rest. Ten seconds later and I’d have been shut out.” “*Yes,”’ said Jeff, and smiled at his wife. “If you hadn’t been my wife’s brother you’d have been shut out anyway. You can thank Lorna for saving your life.” “Thank you, Lorna,” George said, obediently. He looked at the pudgy man. “Well, Jeff? What happens now?” “We wait until the rescue parties come.” Jeff smiled with quiet satisfaction as: he looked at the small, cluttered shelter. “‘We have plenty of food and water, accumulators for light and bottled air to conmmiclooolks.com