The Second Voice

"The Second Voice" by Mann Rubin is a science fiction story about Robbie Crawford, a ventriloquist whose life takes a bizarre turn when the military recruits him for a top-secret experiment. At the heart of the story, Robbie is approached by Colonel Meadows and Dr. Paul Shalt, with the proposition of sending Spud's voice to Mars, using Crawford’s special vocal abilities. The experiment works, but it yields a terrifying message from Mars, warning humanity to keep its distance. Robbie's world is shattered when he realizes the voice returning from Mars wasn't his own, leaving him questioning everything he knows about his ability and the potential danger he now represents. As Robbie grapples with the sudden disappearance of his second voice, the story explores themes of ambition, unforeseen discoveries, and the precarious nature of communication with alien worlds, all set against the backdrop of early Cold War paranoia.