Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

JOHN BROWN’S BODY “Halt.” He halted. “Feel all right?’ asked the doctor. **‘I—can’t—breathe.”’ “You'll get used to it. Anyway, you'll be on Mars soon, where your breathing will seem normal. Don’t worry about anything.”’ “Don’t think about any- thing,”’ said the military man. “Don’t try to remember. We'll take care of everything for you. Remember your number and obey orders. You will always obey the orders of an officer. Understand ?” ay CR “Say ‘sir’ when you address met, “Yes, sir.” The military man turned to the doctor. “Well,” he demanded, “Shave you finished with him ?” The doctor nodded. *““He’s fit for duty. Ill sign the certificate.”’ Theformalities werespeedily completed. “Follow me,” said the mili- tary man to number one mil- lion, two hundred and seventy thousand and seven. He followed. In the barracks adjoining the hospital, he was given a uniform and equipment. He was placed in ‘a long room lined with mat- 115 tresses and left with others of his kind. He lay down; and presently a man came to feed them. One concentrated food tablet every twenty-four hours ... that was all they needed now their metabolism had been changed. The days passed. He was given a weapon—a shining cylinder of metal, designed for mass-murder—and trained in its use. He became pro- ficient in destroying the tar- gets set up for him. ‘‘Mar- tians’’ the officer called them. Back at the hospital, a clerk was making routine alterations in a thick ledger. He crossed through a name and wrote in a number—one million, two hundred and seventy thousand and seven. The name was John Brown. There were crowds lining the streets. In places, strangely tense and silent crowds, mostly composed of women and old men. There was little cheering or waving of flags, except by the children; and they did not understand what it was about. They simply enjoyed the mar- tial music and the rows of uniforms and the military commands: “‘Left, right, /eft, right, Jeft, right...” He was in the second rank, on the extreme left. He was very proud of his uniform and comicloooks.conn