The fastest draw

In Short

This story follows the collision between Manny Steinberg, an electronics engineer with a genius for tinkering, and his wealthy, eccentric employer, Amos Handworthy. Handworthy, captivated by the mythos of the Old West, commissions Manny to transform a lifelike robotic marshal into a lethal sparring partner. Through a series of increasingly sophisticated technical modifications, the two men attempt to bridge the gap between cold machinery and the visceral, heart-pounding reality of a mortal confrontation. It is a haunting exploration of human obsession and the thin line between technological mastery and self-destruction.

The Story

Manny Steinberg, an engineer at a Texas electronics plant, finds himself drawn to the Pecos Saloon, a local establishment restored to period perfection. While there, he encounters a defunct, automated violin-playing machine and quickly repairs it, catching the attention of his reclusive boss, Amos Handworthy. Handworthy, a wealthy man with an unusual collection of automata, invites Manny to his mansion to see his pride and joy: a robotic Western marshal capable of engaging in a simulated quick-draw duel.

Handworthy is dissatisfied with the machine. He complains that he has never experienced the "mother naked" courage required by the frontier marshals of old, as every challenge he has faced in life has been too easily conquered. He asks Manny to upgrade the robot so that the duel can become a two-way street, where the machine can "hit" him back. Manny, energized by the technical challenge, outfits both the man and the machine with ultraviolet-sensitive vests and feedback loops that track vital hits. He also installs sensors to monitor Handworthy’s physical stress, programming the marshal to adapt its firing speed based on Handworthy’s own pulse and sweat.

As Manny finishes each modification, he loses interest, slipping back into the deep depression that follows his engineering triumphs. Handworthy, however, becomes increasingly obsessed. He dismisses Manny with a bonus, but his ambition remains unsatisfied. He realizes that the simulated fear he has programmed into the machine is still not "real" enough to satisfy his hunger for a genuine, life-altering showdown.

Handworthy decides to take the final step. He unplugs the ultraviolet system and replaces the electronic gear with real Colt .45 revolvers loaded with live ammunition. He stands before his creation, intending to finally experience the authentic danger of a frontier shootout. In those final moments, he realizes his own heartbeat is steady, until the realization hits him: the machine is his only "kin," the only entity in the world bound to him by their shared link. As he draws his weapon, a surge of genuine, paralyzing fear washes over him at the prospect of destroying the only thing that truly mirrors his own existence. He realizes, too late, that the emotional feedback loop he commissioned has created a bond that makes the act of killing the machine—and perhaps himself—an act of existential horror.

How It Unfolds

The encounter Manny repairs a broken music-playing automaton in a restored saloon, drawing the interest of his wealthy, enigmatic boss. Handworthy reveals his collection of mechanical figures and his dream of recreating the frontier showdowns of his father’s era.

The collaboration Handworthy recruits Manny to upgrade a robotic marshal into a sophisticated sparring partner. Manny applies his engineering skills to link the two through electronic sensors, treating the work as a challenging but ultimately hollow technical puzzle.

The feedback loop The two men refine the machine’s responses, eventually linking its firing capabilities to Handworthy’s own physiological stress levels. Manny successfully creates a system that forces the robot to react to Handworthy’s heartbeat and nerves, though Manny remains emotionally detached from the project.

The final modification Handworthy secretly replaces the harmless equipment with lethal firearms, seeking to introduce genuine terror into the game. He stands before the robot, hoping to finally feel the thrill of a real duel.

The realization As Handworthy prepares to fire, the feedback loop triggers an unexpected reaction. He experiences sudden, genuine fear at the thought of killing his only "kin," exposing the terrifying success of his own experiment.

The People

Amos Handworthy is a lonely, wealthy entrepreneur who uses his fortune to curate a world of mechanical antiques. He is driven by a profound, lifelong disappointment that he was born too late for the "real" dangers of the Wild West. His desire to artificially manufacture courage and fear leads him to treat his robotic marshal as a substitute for human connection. By the end, his detachment from reality gives way to a crushing sense of isolation.

Manny Steinberg is a gifted engineer who views the world through the lens of circuitry and mechanical problems. He is a man of "clumsy wooden hands" in his father's eyes, yet he possesses a brilliant mind that needs constant, difficult challenges to stave off existential ennui. He is the pragmatic architect of Handworthy’s obsession; he provides the expertise, but he lacks the emotional investment that ultimately consumes his employer. While he completes the task, he remains a detached observer of the madness he helps to engineer.

In Its Own Voice

"There have been challenges for me, some financial, some physical, others social, and I've met and beaten every one of them."

Handworthy explains to Manny why his life of easy success has left him feeling hollow and desperate for a true test of character.

"The thing that disturbs me," said Manny, "is that whenever I knock off a particularly tough job, instead of being elated, I'm totally depressed until the next challenging one comes along."

Manny describes the cyclical nature of his professional life, revealing a vulnerability that mirrors Handworthy’s own hidden emptiness.

"There's no fear in this situation," said Handworthy.

Handworthy identifies the missing ingredient in his simulated showdowns, setting the stage for his final, fatal escalation.

What It's Really About

The story explores the dangerous intersection of technological capability and human delusion. Handworthy attempts to outsource his personal development—specifically his need for courage—to a machine, believing that if he can physically replicate the conditions of a duel, he can experience the nobility of the frontier life. The book argues that by stripping away the genuine human element of fear, one only finds a sterile, dead-end imitation of life. When Handworthy finally attempts to inject "reality" into the system, he discovers that the machine he has built is not just an opponent, but a mirror. The narrative questions whether we can ever truly escape our own psychological needs by building machines to fulfill them, or if we merely end up trapped by the very systems we create.

Why Read It Today

This story will appeal to those who enjoy mid-century science fiction that favors psychological tension over grand space operas. It feels like a Twilight Zone episode—sharp, concise, and focused on a single, unsettling premise. Reading it today, one cannot help but notice the eerie parallels between Handworthy’s automata and our current fascination with artificial intelligence and bio-feedback. The prose is clean and direct, though it carries the specific, somewhat formal flavor of 1960s genre fiction.

The story is not without its challenges; the period setting and the somewhat brusque, unsentimental tone of the characters might feel distant to some modern readers. The dialogue is stiff, reflecting the era’s storytelling style, and the casual references to the social landscape of the mid-20th century are unmistakably dated. However, for those who value a story that lingers on the moral consequences of human obsession, the ending remains profoundly effective. It captures the chilling sensation of a man who finally gets exactly what he asked for, only to realize that the "thing" he built has become the only thing he cannot bear to lose. It is a compact, effective character study that highlights how easily one’s search for meaning can turn into a trap of one's own design.