Second Variety: Short Story
Language: English
Pages: 50
ISBN: B00BS930P4
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
In the aftermath of a devastating nuclear war between the United Nations and the Soviet Union, sophisticated robots—nicknamed “claws”—are created to destroy what remains of human life. Left to their own devices, however, the claws develop robots of their own. II-V, the second variety, remains unknown to the few humans left on Earth. Or does it?
Philip K. Dick was an American science-fiction novelist, short-story writer and essayist. His first short story, “Beyond Lies the Wub,” was published shortly after his high school graduation. Some of his most famous short stories were adapted for film, including “The Minority Report,” “Paycheck,” “Second Variety” (adapted into the film Screamers) and “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” (adapted into the film Total Recall).
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big ones, the kind with stalks, got into an Ivan bunker last week,” Eric said. “It got a whole platoon of them before they got their lid shut.” “How do you know?” “A buddy told me. The thing came back with—with remains.” “Moon Base, sir,” the communications officer said. On the screen the face of the lunar monitor appeared. His crisp uniform contrasted to the uniforms in the bunker. And he was clean shaven. “Moon Base.” “This is forward command L-Whistle. On Terra. Let me have
wanted to know something. You were asking me.” “Do you remember now?” “Yes.” “What is it?” She tensed. “What?” she repeated sharply. “A well. A ruined well. It’s in a storage locker under a well.” “A well.” Tasso relaxed. “Then we’ll find a well.” She looked at her watch. “We have about an hour, Major. Do you think we can find it in an hour?” “Give me a hand up,” Hendricks said. Tasso put her pistol away and helped him to his feet. “This is going to be difficult.” “Yes it
them. And then the first claws appeared. And overnight the complexion of the war changed. The claws were awkward, at first. Slow. The Ivans knocked them off almost as fast as they crawled out of their underground tunnels. But then they got better, faster and more cunning. Factories, all on Terra, turned them out. Factories a long way underground, behind the Soviet lines, factories that had once made atomic projectiles, now almost forgotten. The claws got faster, and they got bigger. New
smaller figure in gray-green. A woman. She stood behind the other two. Hendricks found his voice. “Stop!” He waved up at them frantically. “I’m—” The two Russians fired. Behind Hendricks there was a faint pop. Waves of heat lapped against him, throwing him to the ground. Ash tore at his face, grinding into his eyes and nose. Choking, he pulled himself to his knees. It was all a trap. He was finished. He had come to be killed, like a steer. The soldiers and the woman were coming down the
your situation.” Hendricks nodded. “It’s a problem.” Rudi drank some coffee, filling his cup from a rusty pot. “We’re safe here for a while, but we can’t stay here forever. Not enough food or supplies.” “But if we go outside—” “If we go outside they’ll get us. Or probably they’ll get us. We couldn’t go very far. How far is your command bunker, Major?” “Three or four miles.” “We might make it. The four of us. Four of us could watch all sides. They couldn’t slip up behind us and