Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 71 — page 101: what you’re looking at

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

AUTHENTIC SCIENCE FICTION “Very.”’ Hammond smiled at her as if struck by a sudden thought. ‘““Would you like to make a recording? It would be a pleasant souvenir _ of your visit.” His smile widened at her hesitation. “It doesn’t hurt. You won’t feel anything but the light pressure of the cap on your head. John.” He _ gestured towards the technician. ““Take a recording of Mrs. Cauldwell.” He stepped back and stood watching as Evans sat the woman in the chair, calmed her fears, adjusted the elec- trodes and turned to his recording drums. At first Hammond watched the woman, smiling with inward contempt; then, as his eyes strayed over the equipment, he frowned in thought. The electroencephalograph looked different to when he had last seen it. There were more accessories, more banks of equipment; the entire machine looked far more complex than he remembered. Hammond hadn’t stepped in- side the laboratory for a long time and hadn’t -in- spected the equipment since it had been installed. Memory, he knew, could play strange tricks, but even his memory couldn’t be so far out as to forget the cumbersome helmet made of glinting alloy, the writhing wires and hooded components humped next to the chair. Such things just didn’t belong to the normal operation of the machine. He smiled again as John released the woman and handed her a torn-off strip of paper. Hammond stared at it, recognised the typical patho- logical pattern, and smiled as he folded it and handed it back to Mrs. Cauldwell. ““A perfectly normal pat- tern. No trace of brain tumour or any aberration. I only wish that my own pattern showed so much stability.” ‘““You mean there’s nothing wrong with me?” Her dis- appointment was obvious. ‘“‘Nothing organic,” as- sured Hammond. “You are suffering from an unresolved 100 COMmICOOKkS.COM