Free Second Variety and Other Stories by Philip K. Dick

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