"The Crystal Crypt" by Philip K. Dick is a science fiction tale unfolding on a spaceship fleeing Mars for Earth as war looms. Passengers are thrown into suspicion when a Martian inspector hunts for saboteurs who demolished a Martian city. Fears rise as the passengers are interrogated, exposing worries about Martians and the dream of reaching Terra. A twist shows the saboteurs are hidden among them, who plot to shrink the city and hold it for ransom, seeking to shift power between the planets. This compact story looks at deception and gritty survival when worlds clash.

The Crystal Crypt
By Philip K. Dick
On a ship escaping a war-torn planet, ordinary passengers hide a shocking plan that could change the fate of two worlds.
Summary
About the AuthorPhilip Kindred Dick, often referred to by his initials PKD, was an American science fiction writer and novelist. He wrote 44 novels and about 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his lifetime. His fiction explored varied philosophical and social questions such as the nature of reality, perception, human nature, and identity, and commonly featured characters struggling against elements such as alternate realities, illusory environments, monopolistic corporations, drug abuse, authoritarian governments, and altered states of consciousness. He is considered one of the most important figures in 20th-century science fiction.
Philip Kindred Dick, often referred to by his initials PKD, was an American science fiction writer and novelist. He wrote 44 novels and about 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his lifetime. His fiction explored varied philosophical and social questions such as the nature of reality, perception, human nature, and identity, and commonly featured characters struggling against elements such as alternate realities, illusory environments, monopolistic corporations, drug abuse, authoritarian governments, and altered states of consciousness. He is considered one of the most important figures in 20th-century science fiction.