Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 19: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION the official record of the original colony. I’m afraid that it doesn’t tell us much; for some reason the entries weren’t kept regularly. I won’t bother with reading it to you; you can read it later if you wish, but it is the only concrete thing we have to go on.”’ He rifled the pages. “Landing, setting up of pre-fab huts, burning a clearing, assembling the helicopter and power pile.” He glanced at Gerald. ‘The plant is still working, by the way, but there is no sign of the ’copter.’’ He returned to the book. “The first death took place within a month of landing. Red spots, fever, some delirium and great pain. At first they thought it was plague but it didn’t appear to be contagious. Other deaths followed all pretty close to each other. Bodies were buried and burned in their graves. All the deaths were those of men.” He turned more pages. “—nitial crops planted. Ap- parently they were never har- vested, and there is no mention of any large-scale explora- 18 tion.” Irritably. he slammed the volume shut and banged it on his desk. “The first commander must have been a fool. He didn’t even bother to keep his records correctly. The entries become briefer and briefer, and finally stop. At no time is there a hint of why they left, where they went to, and what made them go.” “IT knew the first com- mander,’’. said Hermitage slowly. “‘I wouldn’t have called him a fool.” “What else was he?” “Maybe he just got tired of keeping senseless records?” suggested Gerald. “Seems a waste of time to me; almost as bad as growing crops when the trees and bushes are loaded with food.” *‘That’s the wrong attitude,” snapped Williams. “‘Any colony must be run efficiently and the entire purpose of this settlement was to exploit the planet and grow food for export to Earth. That is why we are here and I suggest that you keep our object in mind.” comicloooks.com