Second Variety

"Second Variety" is an influential short story by Philip K. Dick first published in Space Science Fiction magazine, in May 1953. It is one of Dick's many stories in which nuclear war has rendered the Earth's surface to an uninhabitable, grey ash pile, and the only people remaining are killer robots. The short story "Jon's World" (1954) revisited the claw-infested world of "Second Variety".

Plot summary

"Second Variety" occurs in the aftermath of an extensive war between Russia and the United Nations. Early Russian victories forced the American government and production to flee to a Moon Base. To counter the almost complete Russian victory, U.N. technicians develop robots, nicknamed claws—the basic models are "a churning sphere of blades and metal" that attack from ambush "spinning, creeping, shaking themselves up suddenly from the grey ash and darting towards . . . [any warm body]," U.N. forces are protected with a special biometric tab. Within six years, the sophisticated and independent claws have destroyed the Russian forces, repairing and redesigning themselves in automated factories.

The U.N. forces receive a message asking for a policy-level officer to go to them for a gravely urgent conference. The U.N. victory was costlier than they had expected. Major Joseph Hendricks is sent to negotiate with the Russians. Enroute to the rendezvous, he picks up a small boy named "David", and encounters Russian soldiers who immediately kill the boy, revealing him to be a robot. The claws development program has evolved to sophisticated robots, identical to humans, but designed solely to kill. The Russians, only three — Klaus, Rudi and Tasso — reveal that the entire Russian army and command structure collapsed to the impact of the new robots.

From internal metal identification plates, two varieties are identified: I-V, a wounded soldier, and III-V, David. The II-V, the second variety, remains unknown. The Russians also reveal that the U.N. protective tabs are ineffective against the new robots. Maj. Hendricks transmits a warning to his H.Q. bunker, but is unable to do so.

During the night, Klaus kills Rudi, mistakenly believing he is the II-V. The next morning, Maj. Hendricks and the other two Russian soldiers return to the U.N. lines. When they reach the bunker they discover it over-run: a crowd of Davids and Wounded Soldiers attack them, but Tasso destroys them with a very powerful hand grenade. Maj. Hendricks and Tasso flee, leaving Klaus to the old-style claws. Klaus survives the claws and rejoins them, but Tasso shoots him dead, revealed as a II-V robot.

Moreover, Maj. Hendricks is suffering from internal injuries, and hopes to escape to the Moon Base. So, he and Tasso search for a hidden escape rocket, later learning that it is a single place space craft. The injured Maj. Hendricks attempts to leave, but Tasso quickly subdues him. She convinces him to let her leave and send back help; he agrees. Alone, Maj. Hendricks returns to Klaus's remains, discovering that the robot was not a II-V, but a IV-V. A group of robots then attack him, including Tassos – the true II-V. Understanding he has doomed the Moon Base by sending a robot to them, in view of his imminent death, he pulls one of Tasso's powerful grenades out of his jacket and is vaguely comforted by the fact that the claws are becoming human: they are specifically designing, developing, and producing weapons meant for killing other claws.

Adaptations

A Canadian film, based on "Second Variety", titled Screamers, was made in 1995, featuring Peter Weller. Its screen story fairly closely follows the plot of Second Variety. Critically, it was criticised for its resemblance to Alien, for its softer, positive ending, and for its low budget, yet was praised by many Canadian film critics, and was nominated for three Genie Awards.

Plot summary

Adaptations

See also