Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 48 — page 87: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION nable to the shaking that Nielson had given the Per- seus. But the mechanism for transmitting and_ receiving was as dead as Moore. Niel- son fiddled with the switches for a moment, and shreds of shattered plastics drifted to his feet from the ruined case. When he attempted to get advice from the manual, every light and automatic device in the _ spaceship dimmed or spluttered, as if the Perseus were a wounded but still angry beast, sullenly trying to block his efforts. He left the mechanisms alone after that, fearing that he might short out the entire ship and mess up its auto- matic steering. The Perseus landed on Mars only three minutes and ten seconds behind the schedule that had been set up weeks earlier. Nielson walked slowly through the hole that had been cut in the space- ship’s side by workmen, after its automatic opening device failed to work. 86 “T’m Reynolds,” the grey- haired man who met him said, inspecting Nielson from head to foot and shaking his head. “You’re one lucky boy. You deserve lots of credit for getting through an ordeal like that without going off the deep end.” “Well,” Nielson _ said, breathing a little deeper because he hadn’t been be- rated for his unorthodox method of getting aboard ship in the first place, “I want to rest for a while. It’s been a hard time.” A swarm of technicians were scuttering through the gap into the Perseus to study its condition and determine ways to make future trips less liable to similar mishaps. More leisurely, two burly fellows were unloading the personal possessions of Moore and Nielson. ? “TI have reservations at the Spaceman’s Retreat,” Nielson hinted. He shifted weight from one foot- to another, fearing to press his good luck too far by chatting here. comiclbooks.cormn