Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION under his feet and the going was heavy. The officers, not adapted for local conditions, rode in an enclosed tractor, breathing a manufactured air. Mechani- cal amplifiers broadcast their orders. The ship shrank to a silver bullet on the horizon and a cluster of plastic bubbles ap- peared ahead of the soldiers. “Halt.” They halted, waiting patiently. The officers went inside one of the bubbles. Number one million, two hundred and seventy thousand and seven fondled his gun. He felt a desire to use it. He wanted to shoot at the targets they called Martians. But he must wait for the order... A dust storm blew up. The sky darkened. Sand spiralled upwards and formed a solid wall that hurled itself at the ranks of soldiers. They did not move. They could not understand. They stood in silence, breathing the knife-edged crystals of sand into their artificial lungs. It was un- pleasant, but they did not know what else to do. The storm drove past and left them where they were, still breathing, still holding their 118 guns and waiting for the order to kill. They were soldiers and this was war. Inside one of the bubbles, two men observed the ranks of soldiers. “They stand up well to it,”’ said the general, approvingly. He set down his whisky and soda and watched through field glasses. ‘“‘We’re learning fast,” the medical man remarked. “They'll last longer than the previous contingent.” A tractor came ploughing its way towards the H.Q. of Earth’s expeditionary force and an officer hurried inside. He whipped off his mask, breathless, his face flushed with excitement. “Martian breeding colony ten miles to the south,” he reported. The general looked at the rows of waiting soldiers. He swallowed his whisky. “Too good a chance to miss,” he decided. ““Cameron’s outpost will have to wait for reinforcements. It’s a waste of time engaging the Martian armies. These damned colon- ists breed so fast our only hope of conquest is to ex- terminate the women... Carry on, Henderson.” The young officer went back comicloooks.com