Second Variety and Other Stories (8 page)

They reached the bottom of the ridge and stopped, standing close together, looking around them.
"Let's go." Hendricks started off. "It's a good long trip, on foot."

Klaus fell in beside him. Tasso walked behind, her 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 tagging you."

"I met it along the way. In some ruins."

"What did it say?"

"Not much. It said it was alone. By itself."

"You couldn't 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 so much like people that you can be fooled. Almost alive. I wonder where
it'll end."

"They're doing what you Yanks designed them to do," Tasso said. "You designed them to hunt
out life and destroy. Human life. Wherever they find it."

Hendricks 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 calmly, from behind them. "Now he's got
his eye on you."

Klaus flushed. "Why not? We sent a runner to the Yank lines and he comes back. Maybe he
thought he'd find some good game here."

Hendricks laughed harshly. "I came from the UN bunkers. There were human beings all around
me."

"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."

"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 you know so much about the claws?" Hendricks 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?"

"Forget it," Hendricks said. They walked on in silence.

"Forget it," Hendricks said. They walked on in silence.

"It's like this all the way," Klaus said.

"In a way I wish you had been in your bunker when the attack came."

"Somebody else would have been with you, if not me," Klaus muttered.

Tasso laughed, putting her hands in her pockets. "I suppose so."

They walked on, keeping their eyes on the vast plain of silent ash around them.

The sun was setting. Hendricks made his way forward slowly, waving Tasso and Klaus back.
Klaus squatted down, resting his gun butt against the ground. Tasso found a concrete slab and sat down
with a sigh.

"It's good to rest."

"Be quiet," Klaus said sharply.

Hendricks pushed up to the top of the rise ahead of them. The same rise the Russian runner had
come up, the day before. Hendricks 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 entrance of the forward command bunker. The bunker from which he had come.
Hendricks watched silently. No motion. No sign of life. Nothing stirred.

Klaus slithered up beside him. "Where is it?"

"Down there." Hendricks passed him the glasses. Clouds of ash 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 cover me from here. You'll be able to sight all the way to the bunker entrance."

"You're going down alone?"

"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 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."

Hendricks 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 him at once. They come quick."

"You're not very optimistic," Tasso said.

"No, I'm not."

Hendricks opened the breech of his gun, checking it carefully. "Maybe things are all right."

"You didn't see them. Hundreds of them. All the same. Pouring out like ants."

"I should be able to find out without going down all the way." Hendricks locked his gun, gripping
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. Make them
show themselves."

Hendricks stood up. He stepped down the side of the rise. A moment later he was walking
slowly towards the pile of bricks and debris beside the dead tree stump. Towards the entrance of the
forward command bunker. Nothing stirred. He raised the transmitter, clicking it on.

"Scott? Can you hear me?"

Silence.

Silence.

He listened, the transmitter gripped tightly. No sound. Only static. He walked forward. A claw
burrowed out of the ash and raced towards him, studied him intently, and then fell in behind him, dogging
respectfully after him, a few paces away. A moment later a second big claw joined it. Silently, the claws
trailed him, as he walked slowly towards the bunker.

Hendricks stopped, and behind him, the claws came to a halt. He was close now. Almost to the
bunker steps. “Scott! Can you hear me? I'm standing right above you. Outside. On the surface. Are you
picking me up?" He waited, holding his gun against his side, the transmitter tightly to his ear. Time passed.
He strained to hear, but there was only silence, and faint static.

Then, distantly, metallically, "This is Scott."

The 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 have the sight trained on me?"

"Yes."

Hendricks pondered. A circle of claws waited quietly 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 see you for a moment." Hendricks took a deep
breath. "Come up here with me. I want to talk to you."

"Come down."

"I'm giving you an order."

Silence.

"Are you coming?" Hendricks listened. There was no response. "I order you to come to the
surface."

"Come down."

Hendricks set his jaw. "Let me 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."

"Hendricks. I'm on the surface. At the bunker entrance. I want one of you to come up here."

"Come down."

"Why come down? I'm giving you an order!" Silence. Hendricks lowered the transmitter. He
looked carefully around him. The entrance was just ahead. Almost at his feet. He lowered the antenna
and fastened the transmitter to his belt. Carefully, he gripped his gun with both hands. He moved
forward, a step at a time. If they could see him they knew he was starting towards 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 particles. More came rushing silently up, a whole pack
of them. All exactly the same.

Hendricks turned and raced back, away from the bunker, back towards 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 through the ash. But he had 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. Hendricks fired into the main body of them. They burst apart, wheels and springs flying in all
directions. He fired again, through the mist of particles.

directions. He fired again, through the mist of particles.

"Major!" Tasso's voice came. More firing. The huge figure moved forward, Davids swarming
around it. Hendricks broke out of his freeze. The First Variety. The Wounded Soldier. He aimed and
fired. The soldier burst into bits, parts and 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. Hendricks
retreated towards the rise, running and crouching. Tasso had left Klaus and was circling slowly to the
right, moving away from the rise.

A David slipped up towards 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 leaped across the
ground, bounding towards him. Hendricks fired. The bear and the David both dissolved. He grinned,
blinking. It was like a dream.

"Up here!" Tasso's voice. Hendricks made his way towards her. She was over by some columns
of concrete, walls of a ruined building. She was firing past him, with the hand pistol Klaus 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 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 on to the plain. One of the Wounded Soldiers moved towards the bomb, stooping awkwardly
down to pick it up.

The bomb went off. The concussion whirled Hendricks 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 Davids 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. Hendricks struggled to his feet. His
head ached. He could hardly see. 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!" Tasso dragged Hendricks back, away from the columns. Hendricks shook his head,
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?" Hendricks stopped, standing unsteadily. "He --"

"Come on!"

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 breaths."

Hendricks sat down on some heaps of debris. He wiped his neck, gasping. "We left Klaus back
there." Tasso said nothing. She opened her gun, sliding a fresh round of blast cartridges into place.

Hendricks 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?" Hendricks 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. "Be still." Her eyes narrowed. Suddenly her gun came up. Hendricks 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. Stopping
now and then, resting and getting its strength. Once it almost fell. It stood for a moment, trying to steady
itself. Then it came on.

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. Stopping
now and then, resting and getting its strength. Once it almost fell. It stood for a moment, trying to steady
itself. Then it came on.