The gun drove into Olham\u2019s ribs. Nelson\u2019s hands were shaking, trembling with released emotion, his face pale. He took a deep breath and let it out again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShall we kill him now?\u201d he whispered to Peters. \u201cI think we should kill him now. We can\u2019t wait.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olham stared into his friend\u2019s face. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. Both men were staring at him steadily, rigid and grim with fright. Olham felt dizzy. His head ached and spun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At that moment the shoot car left the ground and rushed up, heading into space. Below them the Project fell away, smaller and smaller, disappearing. Olham shut his mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe can wait a little,\u201d Peters said. \u201cI want to ask him some questions, first.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olham gazed dully ahead as the bug rushed through space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe arrest was made all right,\u201d Peters said into the vidscreen. On the screen the features of the Security chief showed. \u201cIt should be a load off everyone\u2019s mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAny complications?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNone. He entered the bug without suspicion. He didn\u2019t seem to think my presence was too unusual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhere are you now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn our way out, just inside the protec-bubble. We\u2019re moving at maximum speed. You can assume that the critical period is past. I\u2019m glad the take-off jets in this craft were in good working order. If there had been any failure at that point\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet me see him,\u201d the Security chief said. He gazed directly at Olham where he sat, his hands in his lap, staring ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s the man.\u201d He looked at Olham for a time. Olham said nothing. At last the chief nodded to Peters. \u201cAll right. That\u2019s enough.\u201d A faint trace of disgust wrinkled his features. \u201cI\u2019ve seen all I want. You\u2019ve done something that will be remembered for a long time. They\u2019re preparing some sort of citation for both of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not necessary,\u201d Peters said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow much danger is there now? Is there still much chance that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is some chance, but not too much. According to my understanding, it requires a verbal key phrase. In any case we\u2019ll have to take the risk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ll have the Moon base notified you\u2019re coming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo.\u201d Peters shook his head. \u201cI\u2019ll land the ship outside, beyond the base. I don\u2019t want it in jeopardy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust as you like.\u201d The chief\u2019s eyes flickered as he glanced again at Olham. Then his image faded. The screen blanked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olham shifted his gaze to the window. The ship was already through the pro tee-bubble, rushing with greater and greater speed all the time. Peters was in a hurry; below him, rumbling under the floor, the jets were wide open. They were afraid, hurrying frantically, because of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next to him on the seat Nelson shifted uneasily. \u201cI think we should do it now,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019d give anything if we could get it over with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTake it easy,\u201d Peters said. \u201cI want you to guide the ship for a while so I can talk to him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He slid over beside Olham, looking into his face. Presently he reached out and touched him gingerly, on the arm and then on the cheek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olham said nothing. \u201cIf I could let Mary know,\u201d he thought again. \u201cIf I could find some way of letting her know.\u201d He looked around the ship. How? The vidscreen? Nelson was sitting by the board, holding the gun. There was nothing he could do. He was caught, trapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But why?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cListen,\u201d Peters said, \u201cI want to ask you some questions. You know where we\u2019re going. We\u2019re moving Moonward. In an hour we\u2019ll land on the far side, on the desolate side. After we land you\u2019ll be turned over immediately to a team of men waiting there. Your body will be destroyed at once. Do you understand that?\u201d He looked at his watch. \u201cWithin two hours your parts will be strewn over the landscape. There won\u2019t be anything left of you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham struggled out of his lethargy. \u201cCan\u2019t you tell me\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCertainly, I\u2019ll tell you.\u201d Peters nodded. \u201cTwo days ago we received a report that an Outspace ship had penetrated the protec-bubble. The ship let off a spy in the form of a humanoid robot. The robot was to destroy a particular human being and take his place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peters looked calmly at Olham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cInside the robot was a U-Bomb. Our agent did not know how the bomb was to be detonated, but he conjectured that it might be a particular spoken phrase, a certain group of words. The robot would live the life of the person he killed, entering into his usual activities, his job, his social life. He had been constructed to resemble that person. No one would know the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham\u2019s face went sickly chalk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe person whom the robot was to impersonate was Spence Olham, a high-ranking official at one of the Research projects. Because this particular project was approaching crucial stage, the presence of an animate bomb, moving towards the centre of the Project\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham stared down at his hands. \u201cBut I\u2019m Olham!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOnce the robot had located and killed Olham, it was a simple matter to take over his life. The robot was probably released from the ship eight days ago. The substitution was probably accomplished over the last week-end, when Olham went for a short walk in the hills.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut I\u2019m Olham.\u201d He turned to Nelson, sitting at the controls. \u201cDon\u2019t you recognize me? You\u2019ve known me for twenty years. Don\u2019t you remember how we went to college together?\u201d He stood up. \u201cYou and I were at the University. We had the same room.\u201d He went towards Nelson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStay away from me!\u201d Nelson snarled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cListen. Remember our second year? Remember that girl? What was her name\u2014\u201d He rubbed his forehead. \u201cThe one with the dark hair. The one we met over at Ted\u2019s place?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cStop!\u201d Nelson waved the gun frantically. \u201cI don\u2019t want to hear any more. You killed him! You\u2026 machine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham looked at Nelson. \u201cYou\u2019re wrong. I don\u2019t know what happened, but the robot never reached me. Something must have gone wrong. Maybe the ship crashed.\u201d He turned to Peters. \u201cI\u2019m Olham. I know it. No transfer was made. I\u2019m the same as I\u2019ve always been.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He touched himself, running his hands over his body. \u201cThere must be some way to prove it. Take me back to earth. An X-ray examination, a neurological study, anything like that will show you. Or maybe we can find the crashed ship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neither Peters nor Nelson spoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am Olham,\u201d he said again. \u201cI know I am. But I can\u2019t prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe robot,\u201d Peters said, \u201cwould be unaware that he was not the real Spence Olham. He would become Olham in mind as well as the body. He was given an artificial memory system, false recall. He would look like him, have his memories, his thoughts and interests, perform his job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut there would be one difference. Inside the robot is a U-Bomb ready to explode at the trigger phrase.\u201d Peters moved a little away. \u201cThat\u2019s the one difference. That\u2019s why we\u2019re taking you to the Moon. They\u2019ll disassemble you and remove the bomb. Maybe it will explode, but it won\u2019t matter there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham sat down slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be there soon,\u201d Nelson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He lay back, thinking frantically, as the ship dropped slowly down. Under them was the pitted surface of the Moon, the endless expanse of ruin. What could he do? What would save him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGet ready,\u201d Peters said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a few minutes he would be dead. Down below he could see a tiny dot, a building of some kind. There were men in the building, the demolition team, waiting to tear him to bits. They would rip him open, pull off his arms and legs, break him apart. When they found no bomb they would be surprised; they would know but it would be too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham looked around the small cabin. Nelson was still holding the gun. There was no chance there. If he could get a doctor, have an examination made\u2014that was the only way. Mary could help him. He thought frantically, his mind racing. Only a few minutes, just a little time left. If he could contact her, get word to her some way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEasy,\u201d Peters said. The ship came down slowly, bumping on the rough ground. There was silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cListen,\u201d Olham said thickly. \u201cI can prove I\u2019m Spence Olham. Get a doctor. Bring him here\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s the squad.\u201d Nelson pointed. \u201cThey\u2019re coming.\u201d He glanced nervously at Olham. \u201cI hope nothing happens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ll be gone before they start work,\u201d Peters said. \u201cWe\u2019ll be out of here in a moment.\u201d He put on his pressure suit. When he had finished he took the gun from Nelson. \u201cI\u2019ll watch him for a moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nelson put on his pressure suit, hurrying awkwardly. \u201cHow about him?\u201d He indicated Olham. \u201cWill he need one?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo.\u201d Peters shook his head. \u201cRobots probably don\u2019t require oxygen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The group of men were almost to the ship. They halted, waiting. Peters signalled to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome on!\u201d He waved his hand and the men approached warily; stiff, grotesque figures in their inflated suits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you open the door,\u201d Olham said, \u201cit means my death. It will be murder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOpen the door,\u201d Nelson said. He reached for the handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham watched him. He saw the man\u2019s hand tighten around the metal rod. In a moment the door would swing back, the air in the ship would rush out. He would die, and presently they would realize their mistake. Perhaps at some other time, when there was no war, men might not act this way, hurrying an individual to his death because they were afraid. Everyone was frightened, everyone was willing to sacrifice the individual because of the group fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was being killed because they could not wait to be sure of his guilt. There was not enough time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked at Nelson. Nelson had been his friend for years. They had gone to school together. He had been best man at his wedding. Now Nelson was going to kill him. But Nelson was not wicked; it was not his fault. It was the times. Perhaps it had been the same way during the plagues. When men had shown a spot they probably had been killed, too, without a moment\u2019s hesitation, without proof, on suspicion alone. In times of danger there was no other way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He did not blame them. But he had to live. His life was too precious to be sacrificed. Olham thought quickly. What could he do? Was there anything? He looked around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHere goes,\u201d Nelson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re right,\u201d Olham said. The sound of his own voice surprised him. It was the strength of desperation. \u201cI have no need of air. Open the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They paused, looking at him in curious alarm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGo ahead. Open it. It makes no difference.\u201d Olham\u2019s hand disappeared inside his jacket. \u201cI wonder how far you can run.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRun?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have fifteen seconds to live.\u201d Inside his jacket his fingers twisted, his arm suddenly rigid. He relaxed, smiling a little. \u201cYou were wrong about the trigger phrase. In that respect you were mistaken. Fourteen seconds, now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two shocked faces stared at him from the pressure suits. Then they were struggling, running, tearing the door open. The air shrieked out, spilling into the void. Peters and Nelson bolted out of the ship. Olham came after them. He grasped the door and dragged it shut. The automatic pressure system chugged furiously, restoring the air. Olham let his breath out with a shudder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One more second\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond the window the two men had joined the group. The group scattered, running in all directions. One by one they threw themselves down, prone on the ground. Olham seated himself at the control board. He moved the dials into place. As the ship rose up into the air the men below scrambled to their feet and stared up, their mouths open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSorry,\u201d Olham murmured, \u201cbut I\u2019ve got to get back to Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He headed the ship back the way it had come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMary,\u201d he said. The woman stared at him. She gasped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSpence! Where are you? What\u2019s happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can\u2019t tell you. Listen. I have to talk fast. They may break this call off any minute. Go to the Project grounds and get Dr. Chamberlain. If he isn\u2019t there, get any doctor. Bring him to the house and have him stay there. Have him bring equipment, X-ray, fluoroscope, everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo as I say. Hurry. Have him get it ready in an hour.\u201d Olham leaned towards the screen. \u201cIs everything all right? Are you alone?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlone?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs anyone with you? Has\u2026 has Nelson or anyone contacted you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, Spence, I don\u2019t understand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right. I\u2019ll see you at the house in an hour. And don\u2019t tell anyone anything. Get Chamberlain there on any pretext. Say you\u2019re very ill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He broke the connection and looked at his watch. A moment later he left the ship, stepping down into the darkness. He had a half-mile to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He began to walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One light showed in the window, the study light. He watched It. kneeling against the fence. There was no sound, no movement of any kind. He held his watch up and read it by starlight. Almost an hour had passed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along the street a shoot bug came. It went on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham looked towards the house. The doctor should have already come. He should be inside, waiting with Mary. A thought struck him. Had she been able to leave the house? Perhaps they had intercepted her. Maybe she was moving into a trap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what else could he do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a doctor\u2019s records, photographs and reports, there was a chance, a chance of proof. If he could be examined, if he could remain alive long enough for them to study him\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n He could prove it that way. It was probably the only way. His one hope lay inside the house. Dr. Chamberlain was a respected man. He was the staff doctor for the Project. He would know; his words on the matter would have meaning. He could overcome their hysteria, their madness, with facts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Madness\u2014that was what it was. If only they would wait, act slowly, take their time. But they could not wait. He had to die, die at once, without proof, without any kind of trial or examination. The simplest test would tell, but they had not time for the simplest test. They could think only of the danger. Danger, and nothing more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He stood up and moved towards the house. He came up on the porch. At the door he paused, listening. Still no sound. The house was absolutely still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Too still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham stood on the porch, unmoving. They were trying to be silent inside. Why? It was a small house; only a few feet away, beyond the door, Mary and Dr. Chamberlain should be standing. Yet he could hear nothing, no sound of voices, nothing at all. He looked at the door. It was a door he had opened and closed a thousand times, every morning and every night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He put his hand on the knob. Then, all at once, he reached out and touched the bell instead. The bell pealed off some place in the back of the house. Olham smiled. He could hear movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mary opened the door. As soon as he saw her face he knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He ran, throwing himself into the bushes. A Security officer shoved Mary out of the way, firing past her. The bushes burst apart. Olham wriggled around the side of the house. He leaped up and ran, racing frantically into the darkness. A searchlight snapped on, a beam of light circling past him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He crossed the road and squeezed over a fence. He jumped down and made his way across a backyard. Behind him men were coming, Security officers, shouting to each other as they came. Olham gasped for breath, his chest rising and falling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her face\u2014he had known at once. The set lips, the terrified, wretched eyes. Suppose he had gone ahead, pushed open the door and entered! They had tapped the call and come at once, as soon as he had broken off. Probably she believed their account. No doubt she thought he was the robot, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham ran on and on. He was losing the officers, dropping them behind. Apparently they were not much good at running. He climbed a hill and made his way down the other side. In a moment he would be back at the ship. But where to, this time? He slowed down, stopping. He could see the ship already, outlined against the sky, where he had parked it. The settlement was behind him; he was on the outskirts of the wilderness between the inhabited places, where the forests and desolation began. He crossed a barren field and entered the trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As he came towards it, the door of the ship opened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peters stepped out, framed against the light. In his arms was a heavy boris-gun. Olham stopped, rigid. Peters stared around him into the darkness. \u201cI know you\u2019re there, some place,\u201d he said. \u201cCome on up here, Olham. There are Security men all around you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham did not move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cListen to me. We will catch you very shortly. Apparently you still do not believe you\u2019re the robot. Your call to the woman indicates that you are still under the illusion created by your artificial memories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut you are<\/em> the robot. You are the robot, and inside you is the bomb. Any moment the trigger phrase may be spoken, by you, by someone else, by anyone. When that happens the bomb will destroy everything for miles around. The Project, the woman, all of us will be killed. Do you understand?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham said nothing. He was listening. Men were moving towards him, slipping through the woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you don\u2019t come out, we\u2019ll catch you. It will be only a matter of time. We no longer plan to remove you to the Moon-base. You will be destroyed on sight, and we will have to take the chance that the bomb will detonate. I have ordered every available Security officer in the area. The whole county is being searched, inch by inch. There is no place you can go. Around this wood is a cordon of armed men. You have about six hours left before the last inch is covered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham moved away. Peters went on speaking; he had not seen him at all. It was too dark to see anyone. But Peters was right. There was no place he could go. He was beyond the settlement, on the outskirts where the woods began. He could hide for a time, but eventually they would catch him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only a matter of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham walked quietly away through the wood. Mile by mile, each part of the country was being measured off, laid bare, searched, studied, examined. The cordon was coming all the time, squeezing him into a smaller and smaller space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What was there left? He had lost the ship, the one hope of escape. They were at his home; his wife was with them, believing, no doubt, that the real Olham had been killed. He clenched his fists. Some place there was a wrecked Outspace needle-ship, and in it the remains of the robot. Somewhere nearby the ship had crashed, and broken up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And the robot lay inside, destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A faint hope stirred him. What if he could find the remains? If he could show them the wreckage, the remains of the ship, the robot\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n But where? Where would he find it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n He walked on, lost in thought. Some place, not too far off, probably. The ship would have landed close to the Project; the robot would have expected to go the rest of the way on foot. He went up the side of a hill and looked around. Crashed and burned. Was there some clue, some hint? Had he read anything, heard anything? Some place close by, within walking distance. Some wild place, a remote spot where there would be no people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suddenly Olham smiled. Crashed and burned\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sutton Wood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He increased his pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Down below him, strewn across the clearing and into the charred stumps that had been Sutton Wood, lay a tangled mass of wreckage. In the sunlight it glittered a little, gleaming darkly. He had not had too much trouble finding it. Sutton Wood was a place he knew well; he had climbed around it many times in his life, when he was younger. He had known where he would find the remains. There was one peak that jutted up suddenly, without warning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A descending ship, unfamiliar with the Wood, had little chance of missing it. And now he squatted, looking down at the ship, or what remained of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham stood up. He could hear them, only a little distance away. coming together, talking in low tones. He tensed himself. Everything depended on who first saw him. If it were Nelson he had no chance. Nelson would fire at once. He would be dead before they saw the ship. But if he had time to call out, hold them off for a moment\u2014that was all he needed. Once they saw the ship he would be safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if they fired first\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n A charred branch cracked. A figure appeared, coming forward uncertainly. Olham took a deep breath. Only a few seconds remained, perhaps the last seconds of his life. He raised his arms, peering intently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was Peters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeters!\u201d Olham waved his arms. Peters lifted his gun, aiming. \u201cDon\u2019t fire!\u201d His voice shook. \u201cWait a minute. Look past me, across the clearing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve found him,\u201d Peters shouted. Security men came pouring out of the burned woods around him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t shoot. Look past me. The ship, the needle-ship. The Outspace ship. Look!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peters hesitated. The gun wavered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s down there,\u201d Olham said rapidly. \u201cI knew I\u2019d find it here. The burned wood. Now you believe me. You\u2019ll find the remains of the robot in the ship. Look, will you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere is something down there,\u201d one of the men said nervously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShoot him!\u201d a voice said. It was Nelson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWait.\u201d Peters turned sharply. \u201cI\u2019m in charge. Don\u2019t anyone fire. Maybe he\u2019s telling the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShoot him,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cHe killed Olham. Any minute he may kill us all. If the bomb goes off\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShut up.\u201d Peters advanced towards the slope. He stared down. \u201cLook at that.\u201d He waved two men up to him. \u201cGo down there and see what that is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The men raced down the slope, across the clearing. They bent down, poking in the ruins of the ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell?\u201d Peters called.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham held his breath. He smiled a little. It must be there; he had not had time to look himself, but it had to be there. Suddenly doubt assailed him. Suppose the robot had lived long enough to wander away? Suppose his body had been completely destroyed, burned to ashes by the fire?<\/p>\n\n\n\n He licked his lips. Perspiration came out on his forehead. Nelson was staring at him, his face still livid. His chest rose and fell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKill him,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cBefore he kills us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two men stood up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat have you found?\u201d Peters said. He held the gun steady. \u201cIs there anything there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLooks like something. It\u2019s a needle-ship, all right. There\u2019s something beside it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll look.\u201d Peters strode past Olham. Olham watched him go down the hill and up to the men. The others were following after him, peering to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a body of some sort,\u201d Peters said. \u201cLook at it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham came along with them. They stood around in a circle, staring down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the ground, bent and twisted into a strange shape, was a grotesque form. It looked human, perhaps; except that it was bent so strangely, the arms and legs flung off in all directions. The mouth was open, the eyes stared glassily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLike a machine that\u2019s run down,\u201d Peters murmured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham smiled feebly. \u201cWell?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Peters looked at him. \u201cI can\u2019t believe it. You were telling the truth all the time.\u201d .<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe robot never reached me,\u201d Olham said; He took out a cigarette and lit it. \u201cIt was destroyed when the ship crashed. You were. all too busy with the war to wonder why an out of the way woods would suddenly catch fire and burn. Now you know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He stood smoking, watching the men. They were dragging the grotesque remains from the ship. The body was stiff, the arms and legs rigid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019ll find the bomb, now,\u201d Olham said. The men laid the body on the ground. Peters bent down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think I see the corner of it.\u201d He reached out, touching the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The chest of the corpse had been laid open. Within the gaping tear something glinted, something metal. The men stared at the metal without speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat would have destroyed us all, if it had lived,\u201d Peters said. \u201cThat metal box, there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think we owe you something,\u201d Peters said to Olham. \u201cThis must have been a nightmare to you. If you hadn\u2019t escaped, we would have\u2014\u201d He broke off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham put out his cigarette. \u201cI knew, of course, that the robot had never reached me. But I had no way of proving it. Sometimes it isn\u2019t possible to prove a thing right away. That was the whole trouble. There wasn\u2019t any way I could demonstrate that I was myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow about a vacation?\u201d Peters said. \u201cI think we might work out a month\u2019s vacation for you. You could take it easy, relax.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think right now I want to go home,\u201d Olham said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right, then,\u201d Peters said. \u201cWhatever you say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nelson had squatted down on the ground, beside the corpse. He reached out towards the glint of metal visible within the chest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t touch it,\u201d Olham said. \u201cIt might still go off. We better let the demolition squad take care of it later on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nelson said nothing. Suddenly he grabbed hold of the metal, reaching his hand inside the chest. He pulled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Olham cried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nelson stood up. He was holding on to the metal object. His face was blank with terror. It was a metal knife, an Outspace needle-knife, covered with blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis killed him,\u201d Nelson whispered. \u201cMy friend was killed With this.\u201d He looked at Olham. \u201cYou killed him with this and left him beside the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olham was trembling. His teeth chattered. He looked from the knife to the body. \u201cThis can\u2019t be Olham,\u201d he said. His mind spun, everything was whirling. \u201cWas I wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He gaped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut if that\u2019s Olham, then I must be\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He did not complete the sentence, only the first phase. The blast was visible all the way to Alpha Centauri.<\/p>\n\n\n Author: Philip K. Dick [Full text]<\/p>\n\n\n
It was night. All around the ship crickets chirped, disturbing the chill darkness. Olham bent over the vidscreen. Gradually the image formed; the call had gone through without trouble. He breathed a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was morning. Sunlight filtered down through the broken trees, on to the man crouching at the edge of the clearing. Olham glanced up from time to. time, listening. They were not far off, only a few minutes away. He smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/divider2.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nBibliographic data<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Title: Impostor
Published in: Astounding Science Fiction (June 1953)
Appears in: A Handful of Darkness (1955)<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Philip](\"https:\/\/lecturia.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Philip-K.-Dick2-150x150.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"