Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 52 — page 99: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION back in his chair, full of nostalgia for his youth, when the second moon expedition had been the rage of the day. It had taken a long time, but only then had a protection been found against the savage bite of the cosmic ray. Del Marno had flown on the third expedition. Lyssen stood patiently, bright and eager and com- pletely unresponsive; his in- terests were few, and chiefly centred on the chair now occupied by the manager him- self. Out of politeness, for he knew the answer, he asked: “‘Has Master del Marno been told of his legacy, sir? It needs but two days——” “Of course, of course,”’ the manager said, snapping back to the matter in hand. “I had a personal teleview with him last week. He was somewhat— abrupt. Now he works mostly on a project with the Youn Calculator, and cares not what we do in the matter. For the courtesy of it, and because he is an important man, I am sending you to New York tomorrow. You will ensure that this envelope is opened in person by Master del Marno. I know not its im- portance, but four . hundred years is along time to wait...” 98 LYSSEN ENJOYED HIS TRIP TO New York. He flew on one of the latest magnetic reaction powered airships, very smooth and comfortable. His feeling of importance, however, was slightly lessened by having to give up his watch and pocket radio, both of which con- tained ferrous metals. Nearly all the other travellers were more experienced, and had their accoutrements made of materials not susceptible to magnetic stress. The next morning Lyssen set out in search of Roger del Marno, the envelope nestling inside a protective cover. He went first to the fabulous Youn Calculator, the largest and oldest electronic brain in the world. It was housed in the former United Nations build- ing at Lake Success, and owed its name to corruption over generations of those once- famous initials. The Calcula- tor’s unique services were hired out to individuals and concerns of due worth and importance, and there was usually a queue. The great advances in statistical science since the twentieth century would have been impossible without its aid; it had = revolutionised subjects as diverse as nuclear physics and agronomy, by comiclooks.con