"As requested, this is the science fiction and mystery room", he said while opening the door.
"Thanks. Give me some time to look things over", I said.
I entered a the room and the door was pulled shut behind me. The room was circular and about ten feet in diameter. The room had been purpose built to showcase the walls. There was a mixture of recessed and overhead light for perfect viewing and in the center of the room was a recliner on a small dais. The dais had an electric mechanism which was set so that the recliner would experience a very slow three hundred-sixty degree view of the walls. The walls themselves were completely obscured by thousands of science fiction magazine covers. I'm sure it wasn't every cover ever published, but it was a heck of a lot of them covering a time period from about the forties to now. It was so cool. I sat down in the recliner and relaxed back. This was expensive and I wanted to make the most of it, but there was so much to look at.
It took about five minutes for the dais to complete one revolution and by now I had gone around at least nine times without deciding on a cover. I slipped out of the chair thinking that a closer look at the covers would help and it did. This wall section had a nice grouping of the good 'ol "Amazing Stories" and "Fantastic Adventures". This was what I considered the golden age of sci-fi pulp mags. You knew that every story would be replete with lasers, beautiful girls, and heroic success. The door quietly opened behind me and the host walked in.
"Well, Mr. Stevenson" he said, "Have you made a selection?"
"Yeah. I think so. I think I will choose Fantastic Adventures #17. I remember reading it when I was a kid."
"An excellent choice Mr. Stevenson."
"Uh, Mr. Roark?"
"Yes Mr. Stevenson?"
"If I get into any trouble..."
"Now Mr. Stevenson. I've already explained the rules. Once the fantasy is set in motion there is very little I can do to stop it."
"Okay. I'm still ready to do this."
"Very well. Tattoo, take Mr. Stevenson to the changing room."
"Yes Meester Roark. Dees way eef you please."
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