Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 13: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION You can have your kingdom —but your people must be warned and given free choice.” “You insist ?”’ baa if = Sig “Then I have no choice. Yowll land us?” “You will also sign and thumb-print a waiver accepting full responsibility ?” “Of course.” “Very well, then.’ Barker sighed heavily as he stared at the screen. “I'll land you— and I hope that you get just what you deserve.” He didn’t look at the com- mander as he gave the neces- sary orders. THREE DAYS LATER WILLIAMS began to feel the first stirrings of doubt. At first the whole thing had seemed so simple. They would land. From records undoubtedly left by the original settlers they would know what dangers faced them, what had happened to the five hundred men and women set down to colonise a new world, and they would 12 be able to act accordingly. But it hadn’t worked out like that. For one thing there were no records. For another there were no traces of any of the colonists. And suddenly the entire project began to take on a new and more sinister aspect. Not that the planet had shown any animosity towards them; quite the re- verse in fact. The air was warm, the sun not too hot, the vegetation profuse and heavily laden with a diversity of fruits. In effect it was a paradise planet—but where were the people? Irritably Williams glanced up from his desk as a shadow darkened the papers before him, then nodded as Hermitage dropped into a chair. “Hello, Doc. Find any- thing ?”’ “Wa.” ‘Did you examine the huts? The. surrounding soil? The 34." “IT know my job, Williams,” snapped the doctor. “As far as I can see there isn’t a trace comiclooks.com