Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 54 — page 122: what you’re looking at

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

DEATH WISH He lived in closer coniact with the thing than anyone aboard; even Carter had found it too much for him, and Harding regarded it as nothing more than a machine. But it wasn’t wholly a machine. It had the brain of a man, and as the days dragged past, Longstrom began to wonder. Would the enemy have left it intact without reason? Would they have left it at all if it were so valuable? And how was it that he had managed to wreck the enemy vessel even though they had a supposedly more. efficient computor? Gingerly he finished the washing, dropped the sponge into the bowl, and reached for the towel. Accidentally, trying not to touch the bare skin, he jabbed his thumb into an eye and just managed to snatch his hand from gnashing gums. ““Take it easy, Jack. You want to blind me?” The words were blurred, liquid, oddly mechanical, but unmistakable. He jerked away from the Head, staring at it, the capsized bowl sending a film of water over the glisten- ing floor plates. “You spoke!”’ “Sure I spoke. I...’ The eyes rolled and muscles jerked beneath the flaccid skin as the 121 Head lolled on its metal and plastic support. ““What’s the matter with me ?I can’t move!” — “*Steady.”’ Longstrom forced himself to step nearer and rest his hands on the jerking skull. ““You’ve had an accident. We had to put you in stasis so that you can’t move. You'll be ail right soon.” “Is that it?’ The Head ceased its jerking. “So you picked me up, eh? Earth ship, too. That’s good. For a while back there I was afraid it was an enemy ship.” “You're among friends now.’ Desperately Longstrom hoped that Harding would enter the room. If the captain could hear the Head now, while it was speaking ration- ally, then he could never refuse to do the logical thing. ““When was it?” “When was what?” “When did you... ” He realised his mistake as soon as the words spilled from his mouth. The Head whimpered, twisted until it contorted with the pain of its tearing tissues, and the staring eyes grew wild with shocked understanding. “You didn’t pick me up! If you had you’d have known when it happened. Oh, God! So it was an enemy ship after all.” “Steady!” Longstrom commclooolkks.com