Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 56 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

STRANGE SUICIDE Kristofr watched his superior closely but he was thinking, still, of the effects of fallible Detectors. He could picture the scenes: the assas- sinations of key officials; the riots; the undermining of confidence in the State. He was not so foolish as to imagine that the majority of people were in agreement with the way in which things were run, or that they were subservient for any reason other than general apathy and a certain amount of fear of retribution for any anti-State acts they might commit. There were plenty of malcontents on Terra and the other colonised worlds, but most were too strictly regimented to do more . than grumble. Of course there were also those with more fiery natures who committed numerous anti-State offences, but up to the present such people had been reasonably easy to deal with, since actual violence against a per- son—let alone attempted mur- der—was prevented by the Detectors. Butnow... The visor pip-pipped and the general answered it. “‘Lee here.”” 21 “Call for Kristofr, sir.” Kristofr rose and crossed to the visor. ‘‘Who is it?”’ ““Under-Inspector DanyLz, sir. Shall I put him through?”’ **Please. Ah, hullo DanyLz, what did you find?” The plump face on ‘the screen seemed creased up with anxiety. “I’ve had another talk with the Headtek at the Detector building, sir. He says that the records and receiving devices keyed to Jaksn’s neuronic vibration frequency blacked out ten minutes ago.” Kristofr pulled at his upper lip, then said: “‘Well, surely that indicates that there was something wrong with the Detector. It shovld have done something or other early this afternoon, when Jaksn killed himself, and not left it until now.” “But, sir, the Headtek says that a direct black-out is unheard of so far as they are concerned. Natural death regi- sters as a gradual fading, the neuronic vibrations continu- ing even after life has left a body, while with suicide the Over-Inspector conicloooks.conm