Paycheck (novelette)

"Paycheck" is a science fiction novelette by American writer Philip K. Dick, written on July 31, 1952 and first published in the June 1953 issue of Imagination.

The terms of the contract state that he will work for two years on a secret project after which he will have his memory of the time erased and will be paid an inordinate sum.

He has also realized that during his tenure at Rethrick Industries he worked on a machine that allowed people to view the future and the trinkets are part of a carefully crafted plan to ensure his survival.

In this story I got to thinking that there are times in our lives when having a dime to make a phone call spells the difference between life and death.

Critic Zack Handlen remarked, "This is still early Dick, which means that while interesting concepts are introduced, and there’s some play with identity -- Jennings develops an overwhelming faith in the prescience of his past self, a faith which most people can’t ever have in their present versions, and by the end he’s even referring to that past guy as a separate person -- the primary focus is nabbing you and keeping you entertained.