Philip K. Dick 
The Gun 

In The Gun, a group of space explorers are shot down above a deserted planet. While some of the crew work on repairing the ship, the remainder set out to investigate the planet. Otherwise unpopulated, they discover the huge gun that shot them down sitting atop a trove of cultural artifacts from a bygone civilization. What harm could come of dismantling the gun and taking a few of the artifacts home with them?

About the author

Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) – was a prolific novelist, essayist and short story writer – having published approximately 44 novels and 121 short stories. His works have been turned into numerous popular films, including Total Recall, Minority Report, and The Adjustment Bureau. He won a Hugo Award in 1963 for his novel The Man in the High Castle and has been named as one of the hundred greatest English-language writers by Time magazine.