Second Variety and Other Stories by Philip K. Dick Page A

from below them.
    "Step back," Hendricks said. He and Tasso moved away from the well.
    A section of the ground slid back. A metal frame pushed slowly up through the ash, shoving
bricks and weeds out of the way. The action ceased, as the ship nosed into view. "There it is," Hendricks
said.
    The ship was small. It rested quietly, suspended in its mesh frame, like a blunt needle. A rain of
ash sifted down into the dark cavity from which the ship had been raised. Hendricks made his way over
to it. He mounted the mesh and unscrewed the hatch, pulling it back. Inside the ship the control banks
and the pressure seat were visible.
    Tasso came and stood beside him, gazing into the ship. "I'm not accustomed to rocket piloting,"
she said, after a while.
    Hendricks glanced at her. "I'll do the piloting."
    "Will you? There's only one seat, Major. I can see it's built to carry only a single person."
    Hendricks' breathing changed. He studied the interior of the ship intently. Tasso was right. There
was only one seat. The ship was built to carry only one person. "I see," he said slowly. "And the one
person is you."
    She nodded. "Of course."
    "Why?"
    "You can't go. You might not live through the trip. You're injured. You probably wouldn't get
there."
    "An interesting point. But you see, I know where the Moon base is. And you don't. You might fly
around for months and not find it. It's well hidden. Without knowing what to look for --"
    "I'll have to take my chances. Maybe I won't find it. Not by myself. But I think you'll give me all
the information I need. Your life depends on it."
    "How?"
    "If I find the Moon base in time, perhaps I can get them to send a ship back to pick you up. If I
find the base in time. If not, then you haven't a chance. I imagine there are supplies on the ship. They will
last me long enough --"
    "If I find the Moon base in time, perhaps I can get them to send a ship back to pick you up. If I
find the base in time. If not, then you haven't a chance. I imagine there are supplies on the ship. They will
last me long enough --"
    "Major! Wake up."
    He opened his eyes, groaning.
    "Listen to me." She bent down, the gun pointed to his face. "I have to hurry. There isn't much
time left. The ship is ready, but you must tell me the information I need before I leave."
    Hendricks shook his head, trying to clear it.
    "Hurry up! Where is the Moon base? How do I find it? What do I look for?"
    Hendricks said nothing.
    "Answer me!"
    "Sorry."
    "Major, the ship is loaded with provisions. I can coast for weeks. I'll find the base eventually.
And in a half hour you'll be dead. Your only chance of survival --" She broke off.
    Along the slope, by some crumbling ruins, something moved. Something in the ash. Tasso turned
quickly, aiming. She fired. A puff of flame leaped. Something scuttled away, rolling across the ash. She
fired again. The claw burst apart, wheels flying.
    "See?" Tasso said. "A scout. It won't be long."
    "You'll bring them back here to get me?"
    "Yes. As soon as possible."
    Hendricks looked up at her. He studied her intently. "You're telling the truth?" A strange
expression had come over his face, an avid hunger. "You will come back for me? You'll get me to the
Moon base?"
    "I'll get you to the Moon base. But tell me where it is! There's only a little time left."
    "All right." Hendricks picked up a piece of rock, pulling himself to a sitting position. "Watch."
Hendricks began to scratch in the ash. Tasso stood by him, watching the motion of the rock. Hendricks
was sketching a crude lunar map.
    "This is the Appenine Range. Here is the Crater of Archimedes. The Moon base is beyond the
end of the Appenine, about two hundred miles. I don't know exactly where. No one on Terra knows.
But when you're over the Appenine, signal with one red flare and a green flare, followed by two red
flares in quick succession. The base monitor will record your signal. The base is under the surface, of
course. They'll guide