Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section three of Second Variety by Philip Kadik. This LibriVox
recording is in the public domain. Klausliked up quickly. You
can see what she's trying to say. She thinks I'm
the second Variety, don't you see? Major? Now, she wants
you to believe I killed him on purpose, that I'm
(00:22):
Why did you kill him? Then, Tasso said, I told you.
Klaus shook his head wearily. I thought he was a claw.
I thought I knew why I had been watching him.
I was suspicious why. I thought I had seen something,
heard something. I thought I he stopped. Go on. We
(00:44):
were sitting at the table playing cards. You two were
in the other room. It was silent. I thought I
heard him were there was silence. Do you believe that?
Tasso said to Hendrix. Yes, I believe what he says.
I don't. I think he killed Rudy for a good purpose.
(01:08):
Tasso touched the rifle resting in the corner of the room. Major, No,
Heindrix shook his head. Let's stop it right now. One
is enough. We're afraid the way he was. If we
kill him, we'll be doing what he did to Rudy.
Klaus looked gratefully up at him. Thanks. I was afraid,
(01:29):
you understand, don't you Now She's afraid the way I was.
She wants to kill me. No more killing. Hendrix moved
toward the end of the ladder. I'm going above and
try the transmitter once more. If I can't get them,
we're moving back toward my lines tomorrow morning. Klaus rose quickly.
(01:49):
I'll come up with you and give you a hand.
The night air was cold, the earth was cooling off.
Klaus took a deep breath, filling his lungs. He and
Hendrix stepped on to the ground out of the tunnel.
Klaus planted his feet wide apart, the rifle up, watching
and listening. Hendrix crouched by the tunnel mouth, tuning the
(02:13):
small transmitter. Any look, Klaus asked, presently, not yet, keep
trying tell them what happened. Hendrix kept trying without success.
Finally he lowered the antenna. It's useless. They can't hear me.
Are they hear me and won't answer, or or they
(02:34):
don't exist. I'll try once more. Hendrix raised the antenna. Scott,
can you hear me? Come in? He listened. There was
only static, then still very faintly. This is Scott. His
fingers tightened. Scott, is it you? This is Scott? Klaus
(02:56):
squatted down. Is it your command? Scott? Listen? Do you
understand about them the claws? Did you get my message?
Did you hear me? Yes? Fatally, almost inaudible. He could
hardly make out the word you got my message? Is
everything all right at the bunker? None of them have
got in? Everything is all right? Have they tried to
(03:21):
get in? The voice was weaker? No? Hendrix turned to Klaus.
They're all right? Have they been attucked? No? Hendrix pressed
the phone tighter to his ear. Scott, I can hardly
hear you. Have you notified the moon base? Do they know?
Are they alerted? No answer, Scott, can you hear me? Silence?
(03:45):
Hendrix relaxed, sagging faded out. Must be radiation pools. Hendrix
and Klaus looked at each other. Neither of them said anything.
After a time, Klaus said, did its own like any
of your men? Could you identify the voice? It was
too faint. You couldn't be certain. No, then it could
(04:08):
have been I don't know. Now I'm not sure. Let's
go back down and get the lid closed. They climbed
back down the ladder slowly into the warm cellar. Klaus
spoke to the lid behind them. Tasso waited for them,
her face expressionless, any look, she asked. Neither of them answered, well,
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Klaus said, at last, what do you think, Major, Was
it your officer or was it one of them? I
don't know. Then we're just where we were before. Hendrix
stared down at the floor, his jaw set. We'll have
to go to be sure. Anyhow, we have food here
(04:54):
for only a few weeks. We'd have to go up
after that in any case, apparently, So what's wrong? Tasso demanded,
Did you get across to your bunker? What's the matter?
It may have been one of my men. Hendrix said slowly, Ah,
it may have been one of them, but we'll never know.
Standing here, he examined his watch. Let's turn in and
(05:18):
get some sleep. We want to be up early tomorrow early.
Our best chance to get through the claws would be
early in the morning, Hendrix said. The morning was crisp
and clear. Major Hendrix studied the country side through his
field glasses. See anything, Klaus said, No, can you make
(05:39):
out our bunkers? Which way here? Klaus took the glasses
and adjusted them. I know where to look. He looked
a long time, silently. Tasso came to the top of
the tunnel and stepped up on to the ground. Anything. No,
Klaus passed the glasses back to Hendrix. They're out of sight.
(06:03):
Come on, let's not stay here. The three of them
made their way down the side of the ridge, sliding
in the soft ash. Across a flat rock, A lizard scuttled.
They stopped instantly, rigid. What was that, Klaus muttered, A lizard.
The lizard ran on, hurrying through the ash. It was
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exactly the same color as the ash. Perfect adaptation. Klaus said, Pruse,
we were right, Lesenko. I mean. They reached the bottom
of the ridge and stopped, standing close together looking around them.
Let's go, Hendrix started off. It's a good long trip
on foot. Klaus fell in beside him. Tasso walked behind her,
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pistol held alertly. Major. I've been meaning to ask you something,
Klaus said. How did you run across the David, the
one that was taking you. I met it along the
way in some ruins. What did it say? Not much?
It said, It was all alone by itself. You couldn't
(07:11):
tell it was a machine. It talked like a living person.
You never suspected it didn't say much. I noticed nothing unusual.
It's strange. Machines are so much like people that you
can be fooled almost alive. I wonder where it'll end.
They're going to do what you Yanks designed them to do.
(07:34):
Tasso said, you designed them to hunt out life and
destroy human life wherever they find it. Hendrix was watching
Klaus intently. Why did you ask me? What's on your mind? Nothing,
Klaus answered. Klaus thinks you're the second variety, Tasso said
(07:55):
calmly from behind him. Now he's got his eye on you.
Las flushed. Why not we sent their runner to the
Yank lines and he comes back. Maybe he thought he'd
find some good game here, Hendrix laughed harshly. I came
from the un bunkers. There were human beings all around me.
(08:17):
Maybe you saw an opportunity to get into the Soviet lines.
Maybe you saw your chance. Maybe you the Soviet lines
had already been taken over, Your lines had been invaded
before I left my command bunker. Don't forget that, Tasso
came up beside him. That proves nothing at all major?
(08:38):
Why not? There appears to be little communication between the varieties.
Each is made in a different factory. They don't seem
to work together. You might have started for the Soviet
lines without knowing anything about the work of the other varieties,
or even what the other varieties were like. How do
(09:00):
you know so much about the claws, Hendrick said, I've
seen them, I've observed them. I observed them take over
the Soviet bunkers. You know quite a lot, Klaus said, Actually,
you saw very little, strange that you should have been
such an acute observer. Tasso laughed. Do you suspect me? Now?
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Forget it, Hendrix said. They walked on in silence. Are
we going the whole way on foot? Tasso said, after
a while, I'm not used to walking. She gazed around
at the plain of ash stretching out on all sides
of them as far as they could see. How dreary
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it's like this all the way, Klaus said, in a way,
I wish you had been in your bunker when the
attack came. Some one else would have been with you,
if not me, Klaus muttered. Tasso laughed, putting her hands
in her pocket. I suppose so They walked on, keeping
their eyes on the vast plain of silent ash around them.
(10:10):
The sun was setting. Hendrix made his way forward, slowly,
waving Tusso and Klaus back. Klaus squatted down, resting his
gun butt against the ground. Tusso found a concrete slab
and sat down with a sigh. It's good to rest,
be quiet, Klaus said, sharply. Hendrix pushed up to the
(10:32):
top of the rise ahead of them, the same rise
the Russian runner had come up the day before. Hendrix
dropped down, stretching himself out, peering through his glasses at
what lay beyond. Nothing was visible, only ash and occasional trees.
But there, not more than fifty yards ahead was the
(10:54):
entrance of the forward command bunker. The bunker from which
he had come watched silently, no motion, no sign of life.
Nothing stirred. Klaus slithered up beside him. Where is it
down there? Hendrix passed him the glasses. Clouds of ash
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rolled across the evening sky. The world was darkening. They
had a couple of hours of light left at the most,
Probably not that much. I don't see anything, Klaus said.
That tree there, the stump by the pile of bricks.
The entrance is to the right of the bricks. I'll
have to take your word for it. You and Tasso
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cover me from here. You'll be able to sight all
the way to the bunker entrance. You're going down the
lone with my wrist tab, I'll be safe. The ground
around the bunker is a living field of claws. They
collect down in the ash like crabs. Without tabs, you
wouldn't have a chance. Maybe you're right. I'll walk slowly
(12:00):
all the way as soon as I know for certain.
If they're down inside the bunker, you won't be able
to get back up here. They go fast. You don't realize.
What do you suggest, Klaus considered, I don't know. Get
them to come up to the surface so you can see.
(12:20):
Hendrix brought his transmitter from his belt, raising the antenna.
Let's get started, Klaus signaled to Tasso. She crawled expertly
up the side of the rise to where they were sitting.
He's going down alone, Klaus said. We'll cover him from here.
As soon as you see him, start back fire past
(12:42):
him at once. They come quick. You're not very optimistic,
Tasso said, no, I'm not. Hendrix opened the breach of
his gun, checking it carefully. Maybe things are all right.
You didn't see the hundreds of them, all the same,
(13:03):
pouring out like ants. I should be able to find
out without going down all the way. Hendrix locked his gun,
gripped it in one hand, the transmitter in the other. Well,
wish me luck, Klaus put out his hand. Don't go
down until you're sure. Talk to them from up here,
(13:24):
make them show themselves. Hendrix stood up. He stepped down
the side of the rise. A moment later he was
walking slowly toward the pile of bricks and debris beside
the dead tree stump, toward the entrance of the forward
command bunker. Nothing stirred. He raised the transmitter, clicking it on. Scott,
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can you hear me? Silence, Scott, this is Hendrix. Can
you hear me. I'm standing outside the monker. You should
be able to see me in the view site. He listened,
transmitter gripped tightly. No sound, only static. He walked forward.
(14:07):
A claw burrowed out of the ash and raced toward him.
It halted a few feet away and then slunk off.
A second claw appeared, one of the big ones with feelers.
It moved toward him, studied him intently, and then fell
in behind him, dogging respectfully after him a few paces away.
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A moment later, a second big claw joined it silently.
The claws trailed him as he walked slowly toward the bunker.
Hendrick stopped and behind him, the claws came to a halt.
He was close, now, almost to the bunker's steps. Scott,
can you hear me? I'm standing right above you, outside
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on the surface. Are you picking me up? He waited,
holding his gun against his side, the transmitter tightly to ear.
Time passed. He strained to hear, but there was only silence, silence,
and faint static, then distantly metallically. This is Scott. The
(15:15):
voice was neutral, cold, He could not identify it, but
the earphone was minute. Scott, listen, I'm standing right above you.
I'm on the surface, looking down into the bunker entrance. Yes.
Can you see me? Yes? Through the view sight? You
(15:36):
have the sight trained on me? Yes, Hendrix pondered. A
circle of claws waited quietly around him, gray metal bodies
on all sides of him. Is everything all right in
the bunker. Nothing unusual has happened. Everything is all right.
Will you come up to the surface. I want to
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see you. For a moment, Hendrix took a deep breath.
Come up here. I want to talk to you. Calm down.
I'm giving you an order. Silence. Are you coming? Hendrix listened.
There was no response. I order you to come to
the surface. Calm down. Hendrix set his jaw. Let me
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talk to leone. There was a long pause. He listened
to the static. Then a voice came, hard, thin, metallic,
the same as the other. This is Leone Hendrix. I'm
on the surface at the bunker entrance. I want one
of you to come up here. Com down. Why come down?
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I'm giving you an order. Silence. Hendrix lowered the transmitter.
He looked carefully around him. The entrance was just ahead,
almost at his feet. He lowered the antennae and fastened
the transmitter to his belt. Carefully, he gripped his gun
with both hands. He moved forward, a step at a time.
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If they could see him, they knew he was starting
toward the entrance. He closed his eyes a moment, then
he put his foot on the first step that led downward.
Two Davids came up at him, their faces identical and expressionless.
He blasted them into porticles. More came, rushing silently up,
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a whole pack of them, all exactly the same. Hendrix
turned and raced back away from the bunker, back toward
the rise. At the top of the rise, Tasso and
Klaus were firing down. The small claws were already streaking
up toward them, shining metal spheres, going fast, racing frantically
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through the ash. But he had no no time to
think about that. He knelt down, aiming at the bunker entrance,
gun against his cheek. The Davids were coming out in groups,
clutching their teddy bears, their thin knobby legs pumping as
they ran up the steps to the surface. Hendrix fired
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into the main body of them. They burst apart, wheels
and springs flying in all directions. He fired again. Through
the mist of particles. A giant, lumbering figure rose up
in the bunker entrance, tall and swaying. Hendrix paused, amazed.
A man, a soldier with one leg, supporting himself with
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a crutch. Major Tusso's voice came more firing. The huge
figure moved forward. Davids swarmed around it. Hendrix broke out
of his frieze the first variety, the wounded Soldier. He
aimed and fired. The soldier burst into bits, parts and
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relays flying. Now many Davids were out on the flat
ground away from the bunker. He fired again and again,
moving slowly back, half crouching and aiming from the rise.
Klaus fired down. The side of the rise was alive,
with claws making their way up. Hendrix retreated toward the rise,
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running and crouching. Tusso had left Klaus and was circling
slowly to the right, moving away from the rise. Hey
David slipped up toward him, its small white face expressionless,
brown hair hanging down in its eyes. It bent over,
suddenly opening its arms. Its teddy bear hurtled down and
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leaped across the ground, bounding toward him. Hendrix fired. The
bear and the David both dissolved. He grinned, blinking. It
was like a dream up here, Tasso's voice. Hendrix made
his way toward her. She was over by some columns
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of concrete walls of a ruined building. She was firing
past him with the hand pistol. Claus had given her thanks.
He joined her, gasping for breath. She pulled him back
behind the concrete, Fumbling at her belt. Close your eyes,
she unfastened a globe from her waist. Rapidly she unscrewed
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the cap, locking it into place. Close your eyes and
get down. She threw the bomb. It sailed in an
arc an expert rolling and bouncing to the entrance of
the bunker. Two wounded soldiers stood uncertainly by the brick pile.
More Davids poured from behind them out onto the plain.
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One of the wounded soldiers moved toward the bomb, stooping
awkwardly down to pick it up. The bomb went off.
The concussion world Hendrix around, throwing him on his face.
A hot wind rolled over him. Dimly, he saw Tasso
standing behind the columns, firing slowly and methodically at the
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David's Coming out of the raging clouds of white fire.
Back along the rise, Klaus struggled with a ring of
claws circling around him. He retreated, blasting at them and
moving back, trying to break through the ring. Hendrix struggled
to his feet, his head ached. He could hardly see.
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Everything was licking at him, raging and whirling. His right
arm would not move. Tasso pulled back toward him. Come on,
let's go, Klaus, he's still up there. Come on. Tusso
dragged Hendrix back away from the columns. Hendrix shook his head,
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trying to clear it. Tasso led him rapidly away, her
eyes intense and bright, watching for claws that had escaped
the blast. One David came out of the rolling clouds
of flame. Tasso blasted it. No more appeared, but Klaus,
what about him? Hendrick stopped standing unsteadily. He come on.
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They retreated, moving farther and farther away from the bunker.
A few small claws followed them for a little while,
and then gave up, turning back and going off. At last,
Tasso stopped, We can stop here and get our breasts.
Hendrick sat down on some heaps of debris. He wiped
his neck, gasping, we left Klaus back there. Tasso said nothing.
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She opened her gun, sliding a fresh round of blast
cartridges into place. Hendrix stared at her, dazed, You left
him back there on purpose? Tasso snapped the gun together.
She studied the heaps of rubble around them, her face expressionless,
as if she were watching for something. What is it?
(23:14):
Hendrix demanded? What are you looking for? Is something coming?
He shook his head, trying to understand what was she doing?
What was she waiting for? He could see nothing. Ash
lay all around them, ash and ruins, occasional stark tree
trunks without leaves or branches. What Tasso cut him off
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bestill Her eyes narrowed. Suddenly, her gun came up. Hendrix turned,
following her gaze back the way they had come. A
figure appeared. The figure walked unsteadily toward them. Its clothes
were torn. It limped as it made its way along,
going very slowly and carefully, slopping now and then resting
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and getting its strength. Once it almost fell. It stood
for a moment, trying to steady itself. Then it came
on Klaus. Hendrix stood up. Klaus, he started toward him.
How the hell did you? Tasso fired. Hendrix swung back.
She fired again, the blast passing him a searing line
(24:24):
of heat. The beam caught Klaus in the chest. He exploded,
gears and wheels flying. For a moment, he continued to walk,
Then he swayed back and forth. He crashed to the ground,
his arms flung out. A few more wheels rolled away silence.
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Tasso turned to Hendrix. Now you understand why he killed Rudy.
Hendrix sat down again. Slowly. He shook his head. He
was numb. He could not think. Do you see, Tasso said,
do you understand? Hendrix said nothing. Everything was slipping away
(25:08):
from him, faster and faster, darkness rolling and plucking at him.
He closed his eyes. Hendrix opened his eyes slowly. His
body ached all over. He tried to sit up, but
needles of pain shot through his arm and shoulder. He gasped,
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don't try to get up, Tusso said. She bent down,
putting her cold hand against his forehead. It was night.
A few stars glinted above, shining through the drifting clouds
of ash. Hendrix lay back, his teeth locked. Tusso watched
him impassively. She had built a fire with some wood
(25:50):
and weeds. The fire licked feebly, hissing at a metal
cup suspended over it. Everything was silent, uning darkness beyond
the fire. So he was the second variety, Hendrix murmured.
I had always thought, so, why didn't you destroy him sooner?
(26:11):
He wanted to know you held me back. Tasso crossed
to the fire to look into the metal cup. Coffee
it'll be already to drink in a while. She came
back and sat down beside him. Presently, she opened her
pistol and began to disassemble the firing mechanism, studying it intently.
(26:32):
This is a beautiful gun, Tasso said, half aloud. The
construction is superb. What about them the claws? The concussion
from the bomb put most of them out of action.
They're delicate, highly organized. I suppose the Davids too. Yes,
(26:52):
how did you happen to have a bomb like that?
Tasso shrugged. We designed it. You shouldn't underestimate our technology. Major.
Without such a bomb, you and I would no longer exist.
Very useful, Tasso stretched out her legs, warming her feet
in the heat of the fire. It surprised me that
(27:14):
you did not seem to understand after he killed Rudy,
why did you think he I told you. I thought
he was afraid. Really, you know, Major, For a little while,
I suspected you because you wouldn't let me kill him.
I thought you might be protecting him, she laughed. Are
(27:35):
we safe here, Hendrix asked, presently, for a while, until
they get reinforcements from some other area. Tasso began to
clean the interior of the gun with a bit of rag.
She finished and pushed the mechanism back into place. She
closed the gun, running her finger along the barrel. We
(27:56):
were lucky, Hendrix murmured, Yes, very lucky, and thanks for
pulling me away. End of Section three.