How “Fantastic Worlds #07” begins
Every balloon from the first pages, as it is read aloud:
Fantastic worlds
The asteroid god
Not without reason do the nomads of the desert call aldebaran the demon star! And not without wisdom did the greeks declare that there is a music, sirenlike and strange, which men must resist with all the courage at their command! For beauty may be linked with evil… As bruce hunter found when he braved the mighty dark to wage a life and death struggle with…
The music makers of aldebaran
The new chicago space salvage yards… As two who have dared the stars stare skyward with bitter longing!
We'd be cowards to build our hopes too high, joyce! Space radiation sickness can keep a man grounded for years! I may never have another ship to pilot-- or see the stars again!
No, joyce! You're a brilliant scientist-- and out there great flights are waiting for you! All of the strangeness and wonder of life on other worlds! You could never be happy with anything else!
Good grief! That ship's telescoped through half its length! It must have taken a terrible pounding! Come on, joyce!
I'm the salvage officer in charge here, son -- lt. Commander hunter. Where did you pick up that ship?
We found it adrift close to jupiter's orbit! The dial readings indicate it came from some uncharted region of space near the red star aldebaran
Moment later, in the salvaged ship's control room
This man must have piloted the ship until his strength gave out, sir! We found him just as you see him now!
It's strange… Terrifying! He-- he's like a figure of pulverized stone!
It's curious how this little withered plant attached itself to his forhead! The tendril broke when i ripped it loose, as you can see!
Ugh! There's something hideous about it!
As the shadows flicker and dance the ship yields another puzzling secret!
Seems to be some kind of recording apparatus! It has a loud speaker, and the disc is grooved!
Can you turn it on? Try, bruce, try! It may hold the key to what happened!
Listen, joyce!
Why, it's music! Like the wind blowing through reeds by some distant, murmuring sea! But stranger --
In a few moments, enchantment sweeps the salvage port!
You can dance to it! It's like magic!
I never heard music so tremendous!
Oh, it is beautiful! It makes you forget all pain and sorrow.