Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 54 — page 127: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION white flame where the ship had been. He remained un- conscious as the tiny ship drove towards distant safety, and only awoke to the blare of the alarms and the dim sil- houette onthe damaged screen. A ship! But friend or enemy? He stared at it as it swung closer, alternating between hope and despair, wanting to stay alive so that, in the event of it being a friend, he could warn all commanders of the danger of captured computor units with their booby trapped conditioning and overriding death-wish. But if it were an enemy? He shuddered at the memory of the Head, hearing again its desperate pleading for death, its sick realisation of what had been done to it and what it was. Enemy or friend? To die or to live? The ship came nearer. The man on the narrow white bed sighed, stirred, feeling his muscles relax as the stasis wore off, waiting a moment with closed eyes, his brain alive with recent mem- ories. The technicians watched him through their one way glass, ready to throw him into stasis again if necessary, yet hesitating until the last moment. 126 “I hope he makes it,” said the elderly man to the younger one at his side. ““Three suicide attempts should be enough for anyone.”’ “Three and no more.’ The young man shrugged. “A funny case, that. Picked up in space, raving and out of his mind; promptly tries to com- mit suicide and refuses to respond to mental-recall therapy. You’d think that he’d get rid of what was troubling him after he’d re-experienced it a few times, worked off the emotional charge and realised that it was all over.” He leaned a little closer to the glass. “I sure hope that he makes it this time.” *“You know what will hap- pen to him if he doesn’t, don’t you?” The elderly man sounded disgusted. “‘As he’s insane the higher ups think it won’t matter, anyway, so they’ve the bright idea of converting all the insane into computor units, based on those used by the enemy. What a way to win a war!” Intently they watched as Longstrom opened his eyes, stared in horror at the sur- gically white ceiling, then frantically looked around until he found the knife. The young man sighed as he projected the stasis. comiclooks.corn