Authentic Science Fiction Monthly No. 72 — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

The messenger had travelled a long, long way for a long, long time. It was only to be expected that it wasn’t as efficient as it should have been LGO DID NOT FEEL IT FOR some time after the in- fluence had started. It was almost imperceptible at first and he was very tired. Now it was definitely stronger —he could detect it. Relays tripped sluggishly, allowing minute quantities of electricity to flit through the ranging units. There was not much to spare and he had to be very careful. But the drift was positive. No longer the vague directionless wandering in the void. Here was a light source which had substance—attrac- tion. The rate-of-motion senses in Algo twitched in awaken- ing anticipation. There was energy inthat direction. Energy for the recharging of the billions of storage cells cover- ing the entire surface of his body. The prospect sent a quiver through his depleted organism. Life, at last, seemed to whisper and beckon to him. How long he had drifted out there between the smudges of light he had no means of knowing. The circuits had cut out long ago and there was no record of the time interval. He could not even remember when he had stopped record- ing. It did not seem to be important. But the heat source was tantalising. He probed out toward the source, but the impulse was too weak; no answering echo returned. If he waited, the drift would carry him nearer. He could try again later. There was nothing he could do but wait. The cells at the tip of his antenne were the first to register the hard radiation. They started a renewed aware- ness. This was energy, raw and unmodified. Only minute quantities so far, but de- finitely increasing. He was heading the right way. © 125 commiclooolkks.com