Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION spaceship without the best of reasons, like sudden immer- sion into a bad epidemic of meteors. Nielson had heard the meteor ping _ twice recently, and that should be sufficient excuse for his action. Stopwatch in hand, Niel- son sat in the pilot’s seat, hovering his fingers over the rocket firing buttons, practic- ing without touching them the required series of motions, time after time. He was sweat- ing unexpectedly, despite his confidence that a _ sudden eccentricity in course would cause the life-rocket to leave the Perseus. Nielson shook the sweat from his forehead, and tapped out his design on the buttons. He hadn’t completed the design when he was thrown across the cabin by the writh- ing spaceship. Grabbing des- perately for support, he realised that he had forgotten to strap himself down. The precaution had been too ele- mentary for the manual to mention. Like a bucking bronco, the 84 Perseus jumped and whirled in a senseless fashion, as if attempting to wreak ven- geance on Nielson. Rockets hooted in syncopated, furious rhythm. Nielson struggle to his feet, clinging to a ventilation shaft, trying to fight his way back to the pilot’s board to release the key that held the pattern of blasts in continued opera- tion. It was like battling a forward path through heavy surf on a crazily uphill beach. The log snapped from its moorings and whizzed across the floor, as if the Perseus had thrown it at Nielson’s head. It crashed into the photo device. Evil-smelling chemi- cals spurted out, drenching Nielson. The control panel on the far wall was a kaleidoscope of crazily flashing colours. From somewhere above, a spray of vapourised liquid squirted down over the entire cabin, spreading a_ sickly-smelling perfume for some unknown purpose. comicloooks.com