Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION “Now,” breathed Takato, and jabbed the signal button. Through his audio-circuit he heard the thunderous blast of the first eighty scout craft as they flung themselves down, down, down, into the bland fog of Venus. “now?” asked Luronne, jerking her eye away from the strato-scanner. .. “Wait,’ Tabarni com- | manded. The eye-piece of the “scanner glowed red as he con- centrated on the images. “Twenty. Forty. Fifty. No, surely not! Seventy. Seventy- plus. Seventy-plus scout craft coming down in attacking for- mation. Altitude, forty thou- sand. Minus. Minus. Minus. Now — thirty — thousand. Minus. Minus. Minus. Slow orbit. Range fifteen steady. Wait for it. Wait for it. Now !” * What?” “ Now,” shouted Tabarni. “ Now. Now, Release now!” Constructor Luronne jabbed the release button. 46 MARSHAL TAKATO bent for- ward intently, listening to the receiver on open circuit. “What's that jabber?” he asked. *Venusian control,” said the colonel. “ Cutting in on the scout transmission.” “Channel them off,” the marshal ordered. He brushed the volume panel and the scout commander’s- voice boomed in his ear. “Acceleration eight point four,” the voice intoned. “Second bearing. Radial deviation four four three. Hold it. Hold it. Blue Leader, hold it I say. Second velocity. Six-four to six-five by ten to minus eight. Hold six-five. Keep station Green Wing. Third bearing. Level off. Steady orbit. Slow orbit. Weapons alert. Stand by all crews. Wait for it. Range averaged at fourteen nine. Wait for it. Wait for it. Fourth bearing. Radial devia- tion six two...” The receiver crackled. Takato thumped the panel. comicloooks.conm